Spycraft Season 1 (2021) Netflix Series Review

Spycraft Season 1 Poster by Netflix

Here is one Series that I highly recommend, very entertaining and informative. It tackles the Spycraft (which means the Skills and Techniques employed by Spies) practiced by Intelligence Services around the World mostly in the contemporary setting. 

It has 8 Episodes around 29 to 38 minutes long, it covers a lot of ground, it is basically a Video Encyclopedia of Spycraft so I am just going to tackle here the ones that I found most interesting. 

‘Surveillance’

The Series is a bit scary and worrisome at times, like the Sections of Surveillance, for example. They showed things like modern Listening Devices that are the Dimensions of a Credit Card which can be turned on and off, and even has a rechargeable Battery. 

Or how about those Scanning Tunnels that automatically collect and store digital information from your Devices as you pass thru them. The information I assume (or hope) are accessed only when you are suspected of being an Enemy of the State like Terrorists, Spies, etc. 

There is also a Light Bulb Listening Device that changes its Light Frequency undetectable by Human Eyes as Sound reaches it, but more sensitive Optical Devices from outside detects the changes and converts it back to Sound. The System reportedly works even thru Window Drapes. 

‘Social Credit System’

It also discusses the concept of the Social Credit System (SCS) which in simplest terms means a Person is assessed by Artificial Intelligence (AI) Algorithms based on his or her Social Media and Internet information. 

The Series singled out China as using the SCS, but I think other developed Countries use something similar to it in varying degrees, because how could they not to? It is very useful in things like assessing a Person for Military, Intelligence and Law Enforcement Recruitment, and likely even for Visas. 

‘Weapons’

Another interesting Sections are those of Weapons, particularly the use of Poison. The use of Ricin and Polonium for example has been published before, but here you can fully visually appreciate how small an amount the Polonium really was, literally around the size of a Grain of Sugar. 

Also some lesser known use of Nerve Agents like Novichuk was shown, as was footages of the Assassination of the Kim Jong Un’s Brother using a Binary VX Agent. 

‘Parting Shot’

The only negative thing I can say about this Series is that it is told only from one side, and that is the Western side. All of the former Intelligence Operatives they interviewed worked for Western Intelligence Services. 

So it’s okay to enjoy it, it is very entertaining, but at the end of the Day remember that ALL sides play the Intelligence Game. The Russians and Chinese may look bad in this Series, but they have as much Stories to tell also about Western Spies, if not more. 

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