The Veil – Episode 1 “The Camp” Recap & Review

The Camp

Episode 1 of The Veil kicks off with a woman meeting Tomas, going by the name Portia. Tomas is grateful for her help, and they crack open a bottle of champagne to celebrate, but things take a turn when Portia reveals she is working with Interpol. Tomas is caught off guard and gets arrested, while Portia, now going by the name Imogen, heads off for her next mission.

The scene then shifts to a refugee camp at the Syrian-Turkish border, where women and children are scrapping over supplies. Tensions escalate when one woman, Adilah, is attacked by other refugees, accusing her of being ISIS. Luckily, the armed forces show up just in time to save Adilah. 

Imogen arrives at the camp to lend a hand to the volunteers and gets briefed by one of the men there, who explains that the camp is home to 10,000 women and children, mostly Syrians with some Yazidis. The men, unfortunately, were killed by ISIS. Imogen is particularly interested in Adilah, a French woman accused of being part of ISIS.

Despite her supposed volunteer role, it seems Imogen has another agenda. She contacts Malik of DGSE, who instructs her to move Adilah to the Edip Koyu camp before the Americans can get to her. Imogen approaches Adilah with a promise of safety, saying that she’s the key to keeping her alive. Adilah, visibly shaken and fearing for her life, lets Imogen into her tent.

Inside, it’s clear that Adilah is living in constant fear, reluctant to even ask for medicine for her stab wound, fearing it might be poisoned. Adilah then recounts her journey, explaining how she left school to pursue a modeling job in Paris. Soon, enraged refugees armed with knives break into her tent, intent on killing her. Imogen’s training kicks in, and she manages to fend off the attackers, saving Adilah from the violent mob. Later, Imogen confronts the camp’s leader, demanding safe passage for herself and Adilah. 

Back in Paris, Malik briefs his superiors about Adilah, who, according to the Yazidi witnesses, is a senior ISIS commander called Sabaine Al Kubaisi. However, Adilah maintains that she is innocent. Malik’s superior shares that Americans have dispatched their operative, Max Peterson, to investigate the matter alongside the French. It is also revealed that ISIS is planning a huge attack that is imminent to take place sometime between 7-10 days from now. 

On the way, Imogen bugs Adilah with questions about her personal life to figure out if she is really an innocent victim of mistaken identity or is really a commander of ISIS. If you’ve not figured it out yet, Imogen is an MI6 agent hired by the French to find out Adilah’s truth. Imogen is the best there is, and Malik is convinced that she’ll be able to extract important intel before the impending attack. 

Max arrives in France and immediately makes it clear to Malik that he will not be easily fooled. He intercepts DGSE’s intelligence and questions Malik about why Imogen (not her real name) is traveling with Adilah, also known as the Genie Of Raqqa, in a NATO ally’s territory.

Max is also aware of Malik and Imogen’s romantic involvement. Due to undisclosed reasons, Max informs Malik that the USA is officially taking over the investigation. As the episode nears its end, Imogen has a change of heart and Instead of taking Adilah to Edip Koyu, she drives the other way to Istanbul.

The Episode Review

The Veil is off to an amazing start, setting itself up to be one of the best espionage thrillers of the year. Elizabeth Moss shines as Imogen Salter, while Yumma Marwan nails her role as Adilah El Idrissi. With such talented actresses, there’s no doubt The Veil will be a hit.

As for the plot, Adilah initially seems innocent, a victim of circumstances. But there’s a chance it’s all an act. She could be the hardcore ISIS commander the Yazidi women claim she is, faking her identity as a victim and easily switching personas to fit the situation. Adilah is so cunning that even Imogen struggles to separate truth from lies.