Netflix’s new Danish series “The Asset,” released on Oct. 27, is a dark, fast-paced crime drama that gives the classic undercover agent story a fresh, modern spin.
The show follows young police cadet Tea Lind as she goes undercover as a jeweler to infiltrate a ruthless criminal gang that has managed to continually evade intelligence agencies. To invade the gang, Tea covertly befriends the criminal boss’s wife, Ashley. However, everything is not as it seems. As Tea and Ashley grow closer, Tea witnesses the grim reality of Ashley’s life under the unrelenting control of her husband, Miran. Caught between duty and empathy, Tea must decide whether exposing Miran’s empire is worth the cost of betraying the woman she’s come to care for.
Clara Dessau brings remarkable depth and restraint to her portrayal of Agent Tea. Alongside her is Maria Cordsen, whose performance as Ashley captures both the fragility and resilience of a woman trapped by her husband. Afshin Firouzi plays Miran with chilling precision; balancing charisma with volatility, while Nicolas Bro adds a steadying counterweight as Tea’s supervisor, Folke — a man torn between protecting his cadet and ensuring the mission’s success.
Directed by Kasper Barfoed and Samanou Acheche Sahlstrøm, “The Asset” blends the tension of a crime thriller with the emotional intelligence of a character drama. The result is a series that feels as psychological as it is procedural.
What makes “The Asset” stand out is its exploration of moral ambiguity. Rather than relying on clear-cut heroes and villains, the show explores the gray areas of loyalty, deception and emotion. Tea’s growing compassion for Ashley complicates her mission, forcing her to confront the ethical limits of undercover work.
However, the characters and plot show limited dimension — they reside comfortably within the predefined boundaries of the genre without much original ideation. Tea depicts the classic, naturally gifted cadet who is “too stubborn and unwilling to follow orders” while Folke is the well-meaning supervisor who lets her get away with murder. All this to say, the characters play into the very specific, cliché roles associated with the genre. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, I would have loved to see a newer take on it.
From the outset, “The Asset” moves at a surprisingly fast pace, revealing key narrative components early on while maintaining a high level of suspense, making it highly bingeable.
As part of Netflix’s ever-growing lineup of international productions, “The Asset” joins titles like “Squid Game,” “The Leopard” and “Money Heist” in showcasing the platform’s global storytelling ambitions. In 2024, Netflix devoted more than half of its production budget to international content for the first time and “The Asset” stands as proof of how this investment continues to yield results worthy of acclaim.
Rating: 3/5