The BBC has launched *Honey*, a spy drama set during the Cold War, exploring the early life and career of Carolyn Martens, the MI6 head of the Russia desk introduced in the original *Killing Eve* series. The prequel revisits the 1980s in East Berlin, spotlighting a young MI6 operative operating under the alias Martha Schmitt. The series is produced by Sid Gentle and guided by showrunner Emma Moran, with Ann Skelly portraying the lead role.
*Honey* follows Martha’s covert activities during a period when East Berlin was a focal point of espionage and political tension prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall. Rory Kinnear co-stars as Graham Anderson, a “press attaché” who serves as Martha’s handler. Anderson's character has a complex, fatherly relationship with Martha, shaped by his connection to her late MI6 officer father and his cautious hope for her potential within the agency. The dynamic between them reflects the pressures and risks inherent in spying under heightened Cold War scrutiny.
Emma Moran described the show as a companion piece to *Killing Eve*, set within the same universe but exploring different thematic and narrative territory. The prequel significantly departs from the original series' contemporary London setting to immerse viewers in the oppressive yet theatrically tense atmosphere of 1980s East Berlin. Moran emphasized the responsibility involved in dramatizing a real and brutal historical period, where espionage was deeply intertwined with geopolitics.
The narrative incorporates a romantic subplot, presenting a fraught love triangle involving Martha, a CIA officer named Kurt (played by Nate Mann), and Friedrich (played by Jannis Niewöhner), a Stasi counterintelligence official. Rather than glorifying their professions, the series portrays these characters as nuanced and occasionally flawed individuals, offering a candid perspective on the intelligence world’s human dimension.
The decision to relocate the story’s setting from an originally planned Moscow backdrop to East Berlin was influenced by real-world developments. Executive producer Sally Woodward Gentle noted the rich espionage history of Berlin during this period, particularly the increased use of citizen informants by the Stasi due to shifting political pressures.
To accurately reflect the era, the production team filmed in Vilnius, Lithuania, chosen for its architectural resemblance to East Berlin in the 1980s. Additional locations included Kaunas and the Baltic resort town of Klaipeda, notable for their preserved pre- and post-war structures. The show delves into the more peculiar aspects of spycraft from the time, influenced by research into authentic Cold War espionage techniques, including disguises, covert gadgets, and unconventional tactics such as using dog costumes or fake pigeons in operations.
*Honey* aims to capture the tension, ambition, and uncertainty of espionage during one of the Cold War’s most critical moments, shedding light on the formative experiences that shaped one of *Killing Eve’s* most compelling characters.