Image via PeacockMichael Block is a 14 time GLAM Award nominated writer, producer, and host of the podcast Block Talk. Throughout his time in the entertainment industry, he has worked on and off Broadway as a stage manager, written several produced plays, critiqued hundreds of theatrical performances, drag and cabaret shows, and has produced events randing from drag competitoons to variety concerts!
On Block Talk, he interviews nightlife personalities, covers the wide world of entertainment through features, ranking episodes, and recaps ALL of Drag Race, as well as Dragula and Survivor. He has interviewed hundreds of RuGirls that span the globe at DragCon NYC, DragCon LA, and DragCon UK.
In his free time, he makes one-of-a-kind jewelry and gift baskets with his mom. He is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community.
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Spoiler Alert: This list contains spoilers for 'The Copenhagen Test' Season 1 finale.Sneaking in at the tail end of 2025, The Copenhagen Test has been climbing up the charts. As a dynamic spy thriller with a tinge of science fiction, The Copenhagen Test is set in the near future where Alexander Hale (Simu Liu), an intelligence analyst, discovers his brain has been hacked, forcing him to perform a 24/7 test to find the culprits by acting normal. Attempting to prove his allegiance, Alexander goes on a journey of deception to uncover the truth, all while being under surveillance from all sides.
An accessible science fiction thriller under the guise of an espionage drama, The Copenhagen Test has captivated audiences through its twisted eight-episode first season. But if you're like me, you likely have an abundance of burning questions regarding that major finale and shocking cliffhanger. From where the story could lead to understanding who the bad guy was all along, these anxiety-inducing questions are keeping us hanging on for more of the Thomas Brandon-created series!
1 Why Is Victor Watching Michelle, and How Many Others Are Hacked?
Image via PeacockWhile many of the burning questions after this may offer hints toward answers, we're starting with the big one simply because it is our Season 1 cliffhanger. While we know that Victor (Saul Rubinek) was the hacker, a point we'll discuss next, Victor's big finale reveal was showing Alexander that the tunnel from his restaurant to his secret lair featured a desk with screens, tracking others' brains. "We had to have more than once," Victor revealed. There were six screens, with one being offline thanks to The Orphanage giving Alexander a switch-off watch. But the question remains: are those six it? Plus, the one referred to being just like Alexander, who are they? Have we met them? Has he been tracking Alexander?
While Alexander was fixated on the asset who was allegedly like him, he was more concerned that the hacked brain was looking directly at Michelle (Melissa Barrera). Why is Victor tracking Michelle? After a very inquisitive Alexander questions his former mentor, Victor responds, "Well, we have to. She's a loose end. Don't look so alarmed. For people like us, Alexander, it's never done." Given the direct connection between Alexander and his Copenhagen Test, which featured Michelle, it's evident that there is a deeper correlation between Victor and Michelle. Is there a universe in which Alexander is simply a cog in Victor's desire to eliminate his loose end? Could Michelle have been involved in other missions or tests that went awry? Like many characters in this world, Barrera's Michelle was a deceitful woman whose allegiances you never truly knew. With so much duplicity, it's certain that she had crossed paths with Victor in the past, it clearly did not go according to plan.
2 Was Victor the Bad Guy All Along?
Image via PeacockNow, let's get into the nitty-gritty of Victor. Our final episode of Season 1 revealed that, despite The Orphanage controlling Alexander, Victor was the true mastermind behind the brain hack. Victor was portrayed as a mentor to Alexander and an aid to his family, but he was merely playing the role of a mentor, orchestrating the entire experiment to test human loyalty and functionality through fabricated realities. Operating rogue versions of tests The Orphanage had been conducting, Victor is a brilliant mind that has only one person's interest at heart: himself.
The masterful part of the sci-fi spy thriller is that you truly cannot grasp the genuine morality of any character, Alexander included. That said, the mission of Season 1 was to locate the hacker. It's believed that whoever that person was would be the villain. Knowing what we know about Victor and his relationships, is he a villain or just an antagonist? We need to learn more about his motives and objectives to truly call him a villain, but there is one major box checked in the pro-villain checklist. The man has a secret lair, of course, he's an evil mastermind, right?
3 Will Alexander Be the Hero in Michelle's Season 2 Story?
Alexander and Michelle had quite a fascinating journey together during Season 1. From flirty lovers to college students to adversaries to allies. If you thought the relationship in Heated Rivalry was a journey, Alexander and Michelle are their true rivals. Even with a layered connection that was marked by betrayal and tests of loyalty, there has always been genuine care. Now that Alexander sees that Michelle is potentially in harm's way, will he be her hero like she was for him?
With the actual the Copenhagen Test serving as a test of loyalty, could this just be another test? As we know from his initial test, he was willing to leave her behind. Now that he knows he always had a third option, should he be given the opportunity to make up for his past decision, will he sacrifice himself for her? It's going to be a fascinating journey to see them dance around the new situation. It would make sense that they would be allies again, but a juicy story of mistrust would be having Victor come between them again.
4 What Will Happen When Alexander Sees Parker?
Image via PeacockOne of the most fascinating and unsung heroes until the end was Samantha Parker. Played effortlessly by Sinclair Daniel, Parker may have been an inexperienced intelligence analyst; she was recruited to help create a simulated reality for Alexander. Tapping into her playwriting prowess, Parker's ability to understand a real human as if he were a character enabled her to save him by predicting and orchestrating his life. But that also meant she had to put him in compromising situations.
Parker faced a world of moral complexities as she sought her true purpose, even when it led her into uncomfortable territory. Knowing Alexander better than anyone else, she decided at the end of the final episode that it would be best if they never met face to face. It's even a risk to know that she even exists. She made it clear that it would be bad if they came face-to-face. But why? Essentially, this version of Alexander is her creation. He's her project. She knows she had to deceive him at times, admitting that he outsmarted her. If he puts a face to the actions, he may feel betrayed, with the illusion being completely shattered. Teased that it wouldn't be best, it's inevitable that it will happen. Chances are, it will be Alexander, who would be the superhero she always needed.
5 Will Parker and Michelle Team Up for Another Adventure?
Image via PeacockWhen it came to the hierarchy of power at The Orphanage, you had those at the top, like Peter Moira (Brian D'Arcy James) and Marlow (Adina Porter), but throughout Operation Alexander, it was the lower-level analysts and marks who formed the most formidable bonds. Yes, we're talking about Parker and Michelle. Because she had to incorporate Michelle into Alexander's reality, Parker got to know Michelle on a more personal level, unlike anyone else in the building. Dare we call it a friendship?
Formed under a high-stakes experience in an artificial environment, their lightheartedness came from bonding over being girls gaslighting boys. Now that we know that Michelle is in potential danger, Parker is likely to want to protect her friend at all costs. While she may not be able to have direct contact with her this time around, there's certainly a situation in which she uses Alexander as her eyes and ears. And yes, that could be detrimental to the point above.
6 After Righting His Wrong With the Third Option for His Initial Copenhagen Test, Will Alexander Be Able To Move On?
Image via PeacockLiu had such a complicated character on The Copenhagen Test. Not only does he have to navigate truth, reality, morality, and deception, depending on his scenario, but he also has to be in tune with himself and not give himself away to the wrong person. Though others attempt to vilify him, Alexander's moral compass has always been a major part of him. We saw it on full display during his Copenhagen Test, opting to save the child over the American citizen. Standing in that truth, he firmly believed he had made the right decision. That was until St. George (Kathleen Chalfant) sat across from him, revealing that he might have had a third option he had never considered: sacrificing his seat in the helicopter for the child and the woman.
The scene, though a flashback, was a major indication of how Alexander would play his final cards. In the final confrontation, he faces a difficult choice: Sell out The Orphanage to save his parents from Schiff's (Adam Godley) threat or protect The Orphanage at the cost of his parents' lives. Well, in comes that third option! Alexander saved everyone. He righted the wrong he had always wanted to fix, proving himself heroic. Having spoken deeply about his PTSD from his Copenhagen Test, will he be able to move on? Will his next potential sacrifice be trying to reverse the Cassandra RU258 from other subjects? Now that Alexander has a new vantage point of situations, expect him to continue to take the moral high road in Season 2.
The Copenhagen Test
Release Date December 27, 2025
Network Peacock
Directors Vincenzo Natali, Kevin Tancharoen, Nima Nourizadeh, Jet Wilkinson
Writers Thomas Brandon, Marilyn Fu, Adam Benic, Jamie Chan, Hannah Rosner, Jennifer Yale, Monica Buccini
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English (US) ·