Hey, everyone! How’s it going? Today I’m here to review the drama In From the Cold, which completely surprised me with its unique blend of family drama, Russian espionage, and supernatural abilities that creates an unexpectedly compelling viewing experience.
Created by Adam Glass and premiered on Netflix on January 28, 2022, In From the Cold is an action thriller series featuring 8 episodes, each running approximately 50 minutes. Directed by Ami Canaan Mann and Birgitte Stærmose, this international spy thriller follows Jenny Franklin, a suburban American single mother whose quiet life is shattered when she’s exposed as a former Russian spy with extraordinary shape-shifting abilities. The series explores themes of identity, family loyalty, betrayal, and the challenge of balancing a secret past with present responsibilities.
The series masterfully combines traditional espionage elements with supernatural sci-fi concepts, creating a unique entry in the spy thriller genre. In From the Cold delves deep into the psychological toll of living a double life while raising questions about nature versus nurture and the lengths a mother will go to protect her family.
When a Soccer Mom’s Past Becomes Deadly Present
The central plot kicks off when Jenny Franklin, living quietly as a suburban mother in Madrid with her teenage daughter Becca, is suddenly confronted by CIA agents who expose her true identity as Anya Petrova, a former Russian super-spy. Jenny possesses extraordinary bioengineered abilities, including the power to shape-shift and camouflage herself, making her one of the most dangerous operatives ever created. When a new threat emerges that connects to her past, Jenny is forced back into the world of international espionage while desperately trying to protect her daughter and maintain their normal life.
Margarita Levieva as Jenny/Anya: The Mother-Spy Duality
Margarita Levieva delivers a powerhouse performance as Jenny Franklin/Anya Petrova, masterfully balancing the character’s dual identities as a caring mother and lethal operative. Levieva brings incredible depth to a character torn between two worlds, showing how Jenny’s protective maternal instincts can be both her greatest strength and her most dangerous vulnerability. Her portrayal captures the internal conflict of someone trying to escape a violent past while being forced to embrace those same deadly skills to protect her family. Levieva’s performance makes Jenny’s supernatural abilities feel grounded in emotional reality.
Cillian O’Sullivan as Chauncey: The Handler’s Complicated Loyalties
Cillian O’Sullivan brings complexity to Chauncey Lew, the veteran intelligence officer who becomes Jenny’s handler and liaison between her old life and new reality. Chauncey represents the murky moral landscape of international espionage, where loyalties shift and trust is a luxury few can afford. O’Sullivan’s performance creates a character who serves as both protector and potential threat, keeping viewers guessing about his true motivations while maintaining the character’s professional competence and personal investment in Jenny’s survival.
The Shape-Shifting Revelation: When Powers Become Prison
The series reaches its most compelling moments when exploring the true extent and origin of Jenny’s abilities, revealing the dark scientific experiments that created her and other operatives like her. The supernatural elements aren’t just action sequences but serve as metaphors for identity, showing how Jenny’s shape-shifting reflects her struggle to define who she really is beneath all her assumed identities. The show expertly uses these abilities to explore themes of self-determination and whether we can ever truly escape what we were made to be.
Supporting Cast: Family and Foes
Lydia Fleming as Becca Franklin and Stasya Miloslavskaya as young Anya provide crucial emotional anchoring for the series. Becca represents Jenny’s motivation for everything she does, while the flashbacks to young Anya reveal how she became the operative she was. These performances help ground the supernatural spy elements in genuine human emotion, showing the cost of Jenny’s double life on both her past and present relationships.
Mixed Reception and Cancellation
In From the Cold received a 6.3 rating on IMDb, with viewers appreciating Margarita Levieva’s compelling lead performance while finding the supernatural elements either entertaining or too far-fetched. The series received praise for its action sequences and international locations, though some critics felt the sci-fi elements clashed with the more grounded spy thriller aspects. Despite building a dedicated fanbase and ending on a cliffhanger, Netflix quietly cancelled the series, leaving many plot threads unresolved and fans disappointed about the lack of closure.
A Supernatural Spy Adventure Worth Your Time
If you love action-packed spy thrillers with supernatural twists and complex family dynamics, In From the Cold is the perfect series to binge on Netflix. The show manages to be both a high-concept sci-fi adventure and an intimate story about motherhood and identity. With its perfect blend of international espionage, supernatural abilities, and emotional depth, this series proves that the most interesting spy stories are those that explore the human cost of living multiple lives.
A Cancelled Gem That Deserved Better
In From the Cold delivers a unique blend of supernatural abilities and spy thriller tension, anchored by Margarita Levieva’s compelling dual performance as mother and operative. While its cancellation leaves viewers with unanswered questions, the series succeeds in creating an entertaining exploration of identity, family loyalty, and the impossible challenge of escaping a past that literally shaped you into something extraordinary.
Series Details
Number of Episodes: 8
Platform: Netflix
Release Year: 2022
Current IMDb Rating: 6.3/10
Genre: Action, Thriller, Sci-Fi
Status: Cancelled after one season
Protagonists: Margarita Levieva (Jenny Franklin/Anya Petrova)
Antagonist: Various Russian operatives and shadowy government forces from Jenny’s past