ITV’s latest drama, Betrayal, has landed with a bang, dropping its four-part spy thriller onto screens and streaming platforms across the UK. With Endeavour star Shaun Evans stepping into the troubled shoes of MI5 officer John Hughes and Romola Garai as his wife Claire, the series promises a grounded, domestic spin on espionage—eschewing globe-trotting glamour for the gritty realities of intelligence work and the strains it places on family life. Premiering on Sunday, February 8, 2026, at 9pm on ITV1 and STV in Scotland, all four episodes became instantly available as a box set on ITVX and STV Player, letting eager fans binge the entire saga in one go.
At first glance, Betrayal appears to fit neatly into the well-worn grooves of the British spy genre. John Hughes, a career MI5 operative, is set to meet a British-Iranian informant, Ehsan Taremi, who claims to have knowledge of a looming terrorist plot. But when Taremi is killed before divulging his secrets and John is forced to kill the assassin in self-defense, the story quickly turns inward. John finds himself the subject of an intense internal investigation, and as he digs into what really happened, he’s forced to question not just his actions, but the very path his life has taken.
According to Tom’s Guide, the show’s creators—including executive producer Tom Leggett and writer David Eldridge—deliberately set out to craft a more realistic vision of spycraft, collaborating with BBC’s former security correspondent Gordon Corera to nail the “micro details” of modern MI5 life. Instead of high-octane car chases or exotic locales, the tension in Betrayal comes from the collision of professional secrecy and personal responsibility. John’s work isn’t just dangerous—it’s corrosive, gnawing away at his marriage and family ties. The series was filmed in Liverpool and Manchester, with notable scenes shot at Edge Hill train station and even outside MI5 headquarters at Millbank—a first for any TV production.
But does this grounded approach succeed? Critics are divided. Radio Times drama writer James Hibbs notes that while Evans delivers a “really rather astounding performance”—raw, emotional, and funny—the show’s execution often feels dated. The marriage at the heart of the story, between John and Claire (played by Garai), is painted with broad, sometimes regressive strokes. Early on, viewers see the couple attending marriage counseling after ten years together and two children. Claire, frustrated by John’s constant absences and the burden of childcare, hopes the internal investigation will push him to leave MI5 and let her advance her own career. John, for his part, feels increasingly out of place at work, but clings to his identity as a career man, even as he laments Claire’s supposed ‘nagging.’
“Frankly, he wishes Claire would stop nagging him,” Hibbs writes, pointing out that the show gives little insight into Claire’s life beyond her roles as wife and mother. “At times it’s almost like the team behind the programme are willing us on to side with John and to find Claire utterly unbearable.” The dynamic, he argues, is reminiscent of the backlash faced by Skyler White in Breaking Bad—except here, the stakes are less clear-cut, and the show seems to ask viewers to forgive John’s failings because of his vital work protecting the public.
This one-sidedness is compounded by the revelation that John previously had an affair with a colleague, leaving Claire understandably distrustful. Yet, the series doesn’t give her much space to express her own frustrations or ambitions. “If we don’t know Claire, if we aren’t allowed to see her day-to-day or understand what she’s going through… then it’s hard for us to care about her side of the argument,” Hibbs observes. The result is a marriage subplot that feels oddly out of step with contemporary TV’s emphasis on nuance and balanced storytelling.
Meanwhile, the spy plot—centered on Iranian dissidents and a potential terror threat—offers flashes of timeliness, but often gets bogged down in office politics and John’s gripes about modern sensitivities. “If the characters didn’t keep talking about MI5, you wouldn’t know it wasn’t just another crime show,” Hibbs quips. Still, there are bright spots: Zahra Ahmadi’s character, Mehreen Askari-Evans, emerges as the most engaging figure outside the central couple, with her storyline drawing particular praise.
Despite these criticisms, Betrayal has found an audience, thanks in part to its accessible release strategy. As Tom’s Guide details, UK viewers can catch the show live on ITV1 or STV, or stream the full box set on ITVX and STV Player from day one. For those traveling abroad, a VPN can help maintain access to UK streaming apps, ensuring no one has to miss a twist. International fans, however, will have to wait: at the time of writing, there’s no confirmed release date for the US, Canada, or Australia, though platforms like BritBox, PBS Masterpiece, and Hulu are likely contenders for future distribution.
For those keeping track, here’s the episode schedule: Episode one aired Sunday, February 8, followed by episode two on Monday, February 9, both at 9pm. Episodes three and four are set for Sunday, February 15, and Monday, February 16, respectively. If you’re impatient to see how it all ends, the entire series is available to binge on ITVX right now.
Rounding out the cast are Omid Djalili as Qasem Asadi, Gamba Cole as Rudy Kember, and Hayley Tamaddon as Iranian dissident Fatemah Feyzi—familiar faces who bring depth to the supporting roles. The series’ focus on realism, both in its depiction of MI5 procedures and its everyday settings, distinguishes it from more flamboyant spy fare, even if it sometimes stumbles in its handling of domestic drama.
So, is Betrayal worth your time? If you’re drawn to character-driven thrillers and appreciate a more subdued take on espionage, there’s enough here to keep you watching—especially with Evans’s standout performance anchoring the drama. But don’t expect the genre to be reinvented; as critics note, the series sometimes feels like it’s caught between eras, unsure whether to embrace the complexity of modern relationships or retreat to familiar tropes.
Whatever its flaws, Betrayal offers a timely reminder that the real cost of spy work isn’t always measured in lives saved or missions accomplished, but in the quiet, everyday sacrifices made behind closed doors.