“I’m fully prepared for our dystopian future!” Holiday Grainger talks about artificial intelligence, firearms training, and The Capture | television

YYou’ll never transport your bag through the airport the same way again. The hit tech conspiracy drama The Capture makes its long-awaited return with a thrilling and chilling opening sequence set in Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 5. When enemy Russian assets land in the UK, he hacks into surveillance cameras and uses real-time image manipulation to bypass border controls and passport checks. He’s traveling under a deep avatar — and let’s just say he’s not in London to visit M&M’s World or see the musical Paddington.

Written and created by former documentary filmmaker Ben Channan, The Capture’s headline-grabbing mix of government use of artificial intelligence, state-sponsored cyberattacks, dark web data analytics, and deepfakes will leave you fearful for the future. The show’s star, Holiday Grainger, compares it to “the long Black Mirror.”

“Each series explores technology that seems just one step ahead of reality,” says the Manchester-born 37-year-old. “In the age of artificial intelligence, it seems more and more timely. Ben does a lot of research and we have advisors who keep us updated. Not just from the Metropolitan Police and counter-terrorism but military advisors as well. They are data banks and more open than you would expect because everything is unofficial. What’s cold is the frankness with which they say it. They don’t reveal their most secret secrets, they just reveal their daily habits. That’s the scariest part, you think. If these are the things you’re allowed to tell me – About weapons of mass destruction or avoiding World War III – what are the things? TRUE Secrets?

With the White House routinely posting images of artificial intelligence on social media, the truth is now as strange as fiction. “When the first series aired, some audiences thought it was too far-fetched,” Grainger says. “It’s really not. Things are evolving so incredibly fast that they surprise people. If things were happening before you could even imagine them, how would they be regulated? It’s the pace of progress and the lack of guardrails that makes it so evil. It’s terrifying what a TikTok or Insta can do every day. Of course, if used correctly, AI can be wonderful. But there’s such a wealth and breadth of misinformation that AI can learn from and spread further, that makes me nervous.”

Scored by Blur’s Dave Rowntree, the atmospheric third series is an addictive, adrenaline-filled rollercoaster of shootouts and shocking plot twists. There’s also an unseen, invincible killer and an eye-watering torture scene involving cattle prods. Did presenting such a paranoid, post-truth presentation affect Grainger’s view of the world? “The way I read and watch the news has been completely reshaped,” she says. “I’m more skeptical about world events in general. Instead of just questioning what I see, I say: ‘Well, this is actually happening and we’re doomed.’ I’ve realized that if you’re going to have a smartphone, you’re going to lose out anyway. You can also say yes to accepting all cookies.”

She is equally alert to the potential of artificial intelligence to destroy the creative industries. “Even during the Writers Guild strikes, I was a bit naive about how quickly AI is changing what we do. Already my friends are refusing to sign contracts and losing their jobs because they won’t give up their rights to manipulate their performance and use it again. This is another threat to AI. Will it put an end to human artistry? It’s amazing technology but we keep hearing about it being misused. Humans are always screwing it up, right?”

With the return of The Capture, Grainger’s character – DCI Rachel Carey, nicknamed the “Fast Track Princess” – now serves as acting commander of the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command (CTC). “It’s tough at the top,” says Grainger. “You know when politicians become prime ministers and suddenly they’re 20 years old? You can see the weight of all the heavy secrets they’ve just learned. That’s what this series means to Carrie. Everyone thinks they’re Barry Big Bullock. They go into a job with strong morals, thinking they’ll do it differently. But when it comes down to it, it’s really just hard work and compromise.”

Grainger’s setup for the first series included homicide officers and speed detectives. This time, she did firearms training. “Carrie is holding a gun in the field for the first time, so I did a two-day training course. It’s always fun to learn new skills. We learned the differences between how the military and police carry their guns, and how they check they’re loaded in slightly different ways. I’ve done multiple small-scale weapons training before but this time, I really dug in. I’m fully prepared for our dystopian future now!”

Does she do her own stunts? “Sort of. It’s basically running, dodging, diving and hiding. They won’t get double work for that. Although there was one shot of me inside a truck. The camera guy and I were driving around in this truck for 10 minutes. Chasing, taking phone calls, crashing. It took some proper stunts, trying to sell the collisions and collisions and the spins. I only got one minor injury from it. I love the physicality of the action scenes. The show is very exciting, so it adds a different energy. It’s some favorite days.” I have.

When Carrie isn’t barking orders or mouthing spy lingo in the high-tech CTC operations room, she’s striding through the hallways and streets in a flowing coat, while scowling thoughtfully. “She has the skill of walking, doesn’t she?” Grainger laughs. “It’s partly my own walk and partly the coat. There’s a bit of ostentation in it.”

Speaking of this distinctive coat, Grainger says real-life police uniforms are a case of life imitating art. “It’s funny how we all watch cop shows and wonder: Why are they running around in high heels?” When I was staying in Hendon [the Met’s principal training centre]Women wore daggers. The females at DCI were discussing Gillian Anderson’s outfit in The Fall. An officer had a picture of Luther on his desk. I thought to myself, “Oh, so you’re dressed like the cops on TV?” I’ve been asked a lot where Carrie’s coat came from. What is the answer? “It’s custom-made. I can’t buy it, sorry. It’s high fashion, baby!”

Female characters are often expected to be likable and relatable. Carrie is a prickly and outspoken character, which Grainger finds a breath of fresh air: “She’s not someone who needs to be liked, which is quite refreshing. We don’t delve into her backstory, which makes a lot of the on-screen detectives sympathetic. Carrie struggles socially and doesn’t seem to have many colleagues. It’s all about the job for her. She’s sacrificed a lot for the job.”

It’s not just the use of technology where The Capture proves its importance. There are insightful plots about small boats and anti-immigration activists. Senior intelligence figures discuss the threat posed by Russia and the need to ‘avoid another Salisbury’.

“Ben has an extraordinary talent,” says Grainger. “He somehow sees where things are going.”

We’re talking the week that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Peter Mandelson were arrested for their involvement with Jeffrey Epstein. One conversation between Carrie and veteran character Gemma Garland (Leah Williams) about “closing the ranks of the institutional boys’ club” seems more resonant. “Agreed,” Grainger nodded. “These are strong, entrenched institutions that have been around for generations. You can’t get rid of that with one MeToo movement. There’s not going to be a major societal shift overnight because it involves generations of learning. Change is a work in progress. It’s a long game.”

The first series of The Capture in 2019 centered around manipulated CCTV evidence of a murder by a British soldier, played by Callum Turner – who is currently tipped to be the next 007. (“Bond would be great!” Grainger smiles.) “The producers should just watch the first season of The Capture.” The new round sees the return of series two’s accomplished politician Isaac Turner (Baba Essiedu) and the arrival of mysterious golden boy Noah Pearson (Killian Scott). Carrie also resumes her intimate relationship with BBC News presenter Khadija Khan (Indira Varma). “Move over Emily Maitlis!” Grainger says. “I think Indira is lost in the world of acting. She presents Newsnight so brilliantly. We filmed the last series of the actual Newsnight and that was a joy. The themes of the show feel strangely close to home when you’re actually at the BBC.”

Grainger’s other major TV role, of course, is as private detective Robin Ellacott in Strike, the BBC’s film adaptation of Robert Galbraith’s (aka JK Rowling) crime novels. She is currently finishing filming the seventh installment, The Running Grave, which sees Robin go undercover in a religious cult. “I have three different hairstyles this season,” Grainger says. “This is the game everyone can play – guess which one is my hair and which one is my wig.”

However, ask about Grainger’s career highlights and you’ll get a surprising answer. She named the underrated 2009 film “The Scouting Book for Boys” (“It was written by the great Jack Thorne and is still probably my favorite job of all time”) and the children’s comedy “Roger and the Rottentrolls.” “I did it when I was nine and it was like the original Mighty Boosh!”

After the catch and hit, what’s her next step? “Your career has phases. I played a lot of northern roles when I was younger, although I think my Mancunian accent crept away without me noticing. Then I did a lot of period princesses in corsets. I’m in the detective era now. I’ve stopped playing with guns, so maybe the action era is next. Or give me a romantic comedy! Romcomaction – is that the type? I’ll be up for that.”

The Capture returns to BBC One at 9pm March 8. Episodes will be available from 6am on BBC iPlayer.