This Sci-Fi Hit Racked Up 1.1B Minutes — and Its Ending Reframes the Entire Series

The best science fiction shows manage to blend cutting-edge premises with societal issues, resulting in stories that not only entertain but also provoke deep thought. Peacock's latest series, The Copenhagen Test, falls into that category thanks to its mind-bending premise, and it turns out that viewers couldn't get enough of the twists and turns.According to Luminate data cited by Variety, the series logged an estimated 1.1 billion minutes watched during the week of December 26 to January 1. This marks yet another hit series for Peacock, and a large part of that success lies in The Copenhagen Test's ending.

The very premise of The Copenhagen Test blurs the lines between science fiction and espionage: an intelligence analyst, Alexander Hale (Simu Liu), discovers that someone has injected him with nanotechnology that allows them to see and hear everything he does. Alexander decides to go into field work, both as a way to prove to the organization he's working for that he isn't a threat and to find out who "hacked" his body. Throughout its eight-episode run, The Copenhagen Test will have its viewers questioning everything until the season finale, "The Orphanage", upends the entire series.

The Ending of 'The Copenhagen Test' Reveals Simu Liu's Spy Can't Trust Anyone

"The Orphanage", in addition to being the title of The Copenhagen Test's season finale, also refers to the mysterious organization Alexander works for. The Orphanage's operatives include his mentor, Victor (Saul Rubinek), and his handler, Parker (Sinclair Daniel), who eventually discovers Alexander hasn't betrayed the organization when he goes after the man he thinks is the hacker. The truth is far more devastating; it turns out that Victor is behind the hacking, having Alexander's ex, Rachel (Hannah Cruz), give him pills that were laced with the nanites that "hacked" his body. Co-showrunner Thomas Brandon unpacked the finale in an interview with Collider, saying that it was planned from the start:

"The one thing we knew in making a puzzle mystery box show is that the answer to its mystery has to be satisfying in and of itself, and it has to also prompt new questions that you want the answer to. So, what we knew is that the bad guy for the first season would be someone who was exploiting the hack, but we also knew there’d be an interesting story to tell of why the hack was done in the first place, and if this was a secondary use."

The Copenhagen Test even plants the seeds for a potential second season, revealing that Alexander isn't the only person Victor has hacked with nanites. Alexander also has a "neural governor" implanted in his system by the Orphanage, meaning he can finally stop his senses from being broadcast... yet the nanites are still inside his system, giving Victor a hold over him. While The Copenhagen Test hasn't been renewed for a second season yet, its streaming success could open the door for more series set in this world.

Thanks to 'The Copenhagen Test', Simu Liu Wants One of His Co-Stars for this Iconic Role

A large part of The Copenhagen Test's success lies in the dynamic between Simu Liu and Melissa Barrera. Barrera plays Michelle, who at first seems like a regular bartender interested in Alexander. The truth is far more complicated, as she's part of the Orphanage's experiment with Alexander and even goes onto the field at certain points. This means that Barrera gets to show off her action-hero bona fides, and it turns out that Liu would like to see her in a certain role.

In an interview with JoBlo, Liu said that he'd love for Barrera to play Wonder Woman, citing her dedication to stunt training as a reason why she'd be perfect for the Amazon warrior. "I don’t know who might be listening to this interview, James Gunn or anybody else out there. But I think she really pushes herself. There were a couple of moments during stunt training where I was like, 'That’s Wonder Woman-esque.' I’m just throwing it out there." Liu is no stranger to superhero work himself, playing the titular role in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and is set to return as Shang-Chi for Avengers: Doomsday.

The Copenhagen Test is the perfect mix of high-concept sci-fi and espionage thrills, and it's more than earned its streaming success. Peacock should definitely consider building on that success and renewing it for a second season.