The Capture creator explains Carey’s decisions in mind-bending season 3 episode 2

*Warning - contains spoilers for The Capture episodes 1-2.*

The second episode of The Capture season 3 is now available to stream on BBC iPlayer, and it picks up after that huge episode 1 cliffhanger, which saw Rachel Carey come face to face with the man she saw kill Isaac Turner.

The man is question is Noah Pierson, the new Commander of Counter Terrorism Command and Carey's boss. In episode 2 she pleads with her colleagues to believe her when she says he was the shooter, but they are naturally sceptical.

Instead, they are continuing to try and hunt down James Whitlock, who was caught on camera committing the attack. But what is the truth?

Carey's certainty leads her to send Pierson for advanced vetting, while the end of episode 2 saw her enlist Frank Napier to essentially kidnap him.

The Capture creator Ben Chanan spoke with Radio Times exclusively about Carey's decisions in episode 2, which seemed erratic to her colleagues and, seemingly, to Pierson, who gave no signs of hiding his true nature.

Chanan said: "We want to make it as hard for Carey as possible to actually arrest this person, because how could he possibly have done it? Why would he possibly do it?"

He continued: "I think most of us would have questioned ourselves much quicker than she does, she’s someone who believes her own mind very clear, she's very, very headstrong. I think I, and probably most people, would almost instantly go, 'Oh, he just looks like the person, he can’t actually be the person because that doesn’t make any sense'.

"I think we sort of autocorrect those feelings quite quickly, because they seem preposterous. But Carey is different to us, and she's so adamant that she's right all the time. Is that a flaw or is she right?"

Noah Pierson is played by Killian Scott, while Holliday Grainger and Ron Perlman have returned as Rachel Carey and Frank Napier from seasons 1 and 2. Paapa Essiedu also returned as Isaac Turner, although his stint in this season was tragically short lived.

Now begins the long wait for next week's third episode, which Chanan has dubbed "the best episode we’ve ever made".

The Capture season 3 will continue on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Sunday 22 March 2026.

Add The Capture to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.

Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.