TV can be so saturated these days, that it almost feels like there's a new show dropping every second. Not to mention existing shows churning out season after season, with each episode an hour long. Now, we're not complaining about having endless entertainment to choose from; it's just that sometimes it can feel a little overwhelming deciding what to watch.
We've all been there: mindlessly scrolling through every single streamer trying to find a new favourite, only to check our phone an hour later, to realise we've not even landed on anything yet. Cue heading back to old episodes of comfort shows and re-watching for the millionth time. Which is why, when there's an epic show that cuts through the noise, we know about it.
Cast your mind back to 25 July, 2025 — exactly a year ago today — when Amazon Prime dropped a brand new thriller called The Assassin. Starring Keeley Hawes and Freddie Highmore, it provided us with a fast-paced and nail-bitingly tense watch, with six episodes that we genuinely didn't want to end. But when we found out it came from the creators of The Tourist and The Missing, the hype made sense. Keeley Hawes was an absolute gem in the series, too, with many people saying her performance was at its best.
Seriously, when Amazon and Keeley shared content from the show on Instagram, plenty of fans flooded the comments section to compliment her. "Keeley morphing effortlessly into an amazing role," one person said, while another gushed that she was "absolutely phenomenal."
For those who watched the show and loved it, you'll also be pleased to know (or already do know) that The Assassin was picked up for a second series. Amazon announced the news back in February, and since then, we've learned that production has been underway in Malta (a new Med location !!), and that we can expect a release date towards the end of the year. But, TV lovers who have yet to catch the show, let us unpack the premise for you. We guarantee that you'll be bingeing it from start to finish, just like the rest of us did:
What is The Assassin about?
In a nutshell, The Assassin follows Edward (played by Freddie Highmore), a quiet young man who travels to a remote Greek island to reconnect with his estranged mum, Julie (Keeley Hawes).
But what Edward expects to be an emotional family reunion actually turns into a life-or-death situation when he discovers his mother is a retired assassin. Dramatic, we know. As Edward tries to learn more about Julie and his own life — including finding out who his father is and learning about his mother's past — he learns her true profession the hard way. Because rather than hunting other people, Julie is now being hunted.
Cue Edward and Julie now being forced to go on the run and flee the serene Greek island in search of safety. But in the quiet of the chaos, the two end up learning way more about each other than they ever knew before.
Watch the trailer for The Assassin starring Keeley Hawes and Freddie Highmore. Or, watch The Assassin now on Prime Video.
