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exciting new offerings

Melissa Barrera is back in action alongside Simu Liu in the espionage thriller 'The Copenhagen Test'

This marks a noticeable shift for Barrera, best known for playing Sam Carpenter in the recent "Scream" movies


Shirley Gomez
Senior Writer
MAY 13, 2025 12:22 PM EDT

Melissa Barrera is making a bold return to our screens, and this time, she's not running from masked killers; she's diving headfirst into high-stakes spy games. At the 2025 NBCU Upfront presentation at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, HOLA! USA got an exclusive first look at "The Copenhagen Test," a sleek new espionage series starring Barrera and Simu Liu. And if the trailer is anything to go by, this is one thrilling comeback.

Set just "five minutes in the future," the official synopsis of "The Copenhagen Test" reads like a tech-fueled fever dream: First-generation-American intelligence analyst Alexander Hale (played by Liu) discovers that his brain has been hacked. Whoever's behind it can see and hear everything he does, making him a living, breathing surveillance device.

Melissa Barrera poses in the IMDboat Exclusive Portrait Studio at San Diego Comic-Con 2024 at The IMDb Yacht on July 26, 2024 in San Diego, California.  (Photo by Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for IMDb)© Getty Images for IMDb
Melissa Barrera poses in the IMDboat Exclusive Portrait Studio at San Diego Comic-Con 2024 at The IMDb Yacht on July 26, 2024 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for IMDb)

Now, caught between his shadowy agency and these unseen digital puppet masters, Hale has to play the performance of a lifetime. Every word, every move, every glance has to be perfectly calculated. If he slips up, he's either dead or disappeared. 

Mystery, Muscle, and Maybe Romance?

While Barrera's exact role hasn't been fully revealed, her character is only known as "Michelle" for now, the trailer gives us some juicy glimpses. She's clearly not just eye candy or a one-scene wonder. No, Barrera is throwing punches, dodging bullets, and sprinting through what looks like an underground bunker. And yes, there's a whisper of possible romantic tension between her and Liu's character, adding some smolder to the spy games.

This marks a noticeable shift for Barrera, best known for playing Sam Carpenter in the recent "Scream" movies. Her tenure with the horror franchise ended controversially when she was fired, a move that made headlines and sparked plenty of debate online. But rather than disappear, she took her time and is now re-entering the spotlight in a project that feels both timely and tailor-made to show off her range.

Melissa Barrera at Willy Chavarria RTW Spring 2025 as part of New York Ready to Wear Fashion Week on September 6, 2024 in New York, New York.  (Photo by Gilbert Flores/WWD via Getty Images)© WWD via Getty Images
Melissa Barrera at Willy Chavarria RTW Spring 2025 as part of New York Ready to Wear Fashion Week on September 6, 2024 in New York, New York. (Photo by Gilbert Flores/WWD via Getty Images)

"The Copenhagen Test" is shaping up to be more than your average spy thriller. It's futuristic without being sci-fi, grounded yet eerily close to where our world could be heading. Think "Black Mirror" meets "The Bourne Identity" with a splash of "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" energy. And with Liu and Barrera leading the charge, the show already feels like appointment television.

 Melissa Barrera is seen in the East Village on October 24, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by TheStewartofNY/GC Images)© GC Images
Melissa Barrera is seen in the East Village on October 24, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by TheStewartofNY/GC Images)

NBC Universal is betting big on this series, rolling it out at their glitzy 2025 Upfronts, and early buzz suggests it could be one of their most exciting new offerings. For fans of sleek espionage drama, tech paranoia, and complex characters who look stunning even while bleeding out on a cold concrete floor, this one's for you.

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