Counterpart

Beyond its artfully chilly atmosphere and its surprisingly plausible and suspenseful narrative, the main attraction in Season 2 remains J.K. Simmons’s crafty, quiet portrayal of the two spies named Howard Silk.

The show is so good at grounding its drama that somehow the idea of second, parallel reality just seems like a very normal, possible thing.

Early episodes don't leap off the small screen like they did last year (which is understandable, having lost the element of uniqueness) and a proper evaluation will have to wait a little bit longer. That said, all the episodes are strong.

In short, there’s a lot to track, which can sometimes overwhelm why, in fact, viewers would bother keeping up. But more often than not, Marks finds empathy and momentum at exactly the moments you might feel lost, and, aided by crisp direction from Charles Martin and Kyle Patrick Alvarez, “Counterpart” lends enough emotional oomph to its expanding story to justify further investment in a smart, promising series.

I wish I could watch a Prime-world version of Counterpart. But we do not have two worlds, so instead I will keep watching the version of Counterpart we do have, and enjoy it for the good things it offers, like Simmons’s performance, the moments of plot surprise, and the many, many beautiful winter coats.