Fan of The Handmaid's Tale? Then this thriller starring Elisabeth Moss is a must-see

Saying goodbye to a series is always difficult, especially when it has been a favorite since episode one. So we can say that we are not quite over our farewell to ‘The Handmaid's Tale’ yet. But we have found something that eases the pain a little; and with which we don't have to let go of Elisabeth Moss just yet. She stars in the Disney+ thriller ‘The Veil’, and immediately shows why we are such fans of hers. Believe me, you want to see this.

Secrets, intrigues, and Elisabeth Moss

MI6 agent Imogen Salter (Moss) is a brilliant undercover agent who effortlessly dives into a new identity. Her latest mission? To rescue a woman named Adilah El Idrissi (Yumna Marwan) from a refugee camp on the border of Turkey and Syria. She is seen as the mastermind behind an impending terrorist attack. Imogen must win her trust and obtain crucial information to stop the attack. But when the CIA and French intelligence services increasingly interfere and abandon her, Imogen must devise her own plan to uncover the truth about Adilah before it's too late.

The masterpiece of Steven Knight

‘The Veil’ is not your standard thriller, and that has everything to do with the creator. The name Steven Knight may not mean much to you, but if we take a look at his resume, you immediately know that you can expect something special from this series. Knight also created ‘Peaky Blinders’, ‘House of Guiness’, ‘Maria’ and ‘Spencer’. We could go through his entire list, but you probably get the point: this man knows exactly what he's doing. The intricate relationships, secrets, and false identities we know from him are also present in ‘The Veil’. This time on an international stage, and with a story where a lot is at stake.

Where does The Veil come from? The real inspiration

The story of The Veil may be fiction, but the inspiration comes from reality. Executive producer Denise Di Novi once had a conversation in a hotel bar with a retired DGSE agent who, after a few glasses of wine, casually revealed how difficult the cooperation between intelligence services actually was. That conversation got her thinking, after which creator Steven Knight flew to Paris to investigate further. There he spoke with people from the DGSE and other sources, using their stories as inspiration for the fictional world of ‘The Veil’, where trust and deception constantly battle each other.

Why The Veil was a bigger challenge than The Handmaid’s Tale

A good story is one thing, but the cast must also be able to convey it. Fortunately, Knight could count on Elisabeth Moss. After ‘The Handmaid's Tale’, we already knew that complex characters are no problem for her. Still, the role in ‘The Veil’ was a big challenge; perhaps even more than that of June Osbourne. To play Imogen, Moss had to put in a lot of effort: she learned a perfect British accent, delved into the inspirations behind the series, underwent weeks of fight training, and had to speak several languages. Besides acting, she was also involved as an executive producer. It was tough, but fortunately, she looks back on it positively. And we can't help but say: the result is impressive.

Will there be a season 2 of ‘The Veil’?

The big question in the world of series: will there be another season? For ‘The Veil’, the answer is not so simple. It was originally intended as a miniseries, and thus it would remain at these six episodes. But yes, that's never entirely certain. If it were up to Elisabeth Moss, we would definitely see Imogen again. “When we finished the season, I felt like we had just begun. We had just reached the peak. She is so interesting, complex, and good at what she does. The idea of placing her in different locations, giving her new missions, giving her a different name and role, it seems too fun not to think about.” Sounds good, right? Unfortunately, we are now a year and a half later. New episodes don't seem to be on the way for now, but who knows, we might be surprised in the future. And otherwise, a rewatch is certainly no punishment. ‘The Veil’ is now available on Disney+.

Image: FX Networks