Turn: Washingtons Spies

Spying in Turn: Washington's Spies depends on people who cannot simply disappear after passing on information. They have farms, families and neighbours in communities affected by the American Revolutionary War.

Jamie Bell plays Abraham Woodhull, whose local position becomes both useful and dangerous. The series builds suspense from messages, travel and the difficulty of knowing which ordinary interaction might attract attention. Military power matters, but so does whether somebody can offer a plausible reason for being in a particular place.

Inspired by the Culper Ring's history, this is a dramatised espionage story rather than a literal reconstruction. The period setting makes practical secrecy unusually interesting: information has to travel through people and physical routes. Viewers who enjoy the competing loyalties of The Americans may find an appealing historical variation here.