Warning: spoilers ahead for all six episodes of The Capture season 3!
The Capture feels even more relevant now at the end of its third season than when it first premiered in 2019. Starring Holliday Grainger as Rachel Carey, the series explores the rise of deepfake technology and its increasingly far-reaching consequences.
The ending of The Capture season three is a relentless ride of reveals, bringing Rachel’s battle with E Squadron to a head while also drawing her investigation into Isaac Turner’s death to a dramatic close. The final moments of episode six end on a major cliffhanger, leaving fans desperate to know whether a fourth season is on the horizon. There are still plenty of unanswered questions, and the show knows it.
So, will there be a season four of The Capture? And if so, when could it be released?
Will there be The Capture season 4?
BBC hasn’t yet confirmed whether there will be a fourth season of the hit show The Capture.
Previously, creator Ben Chanan explained that he originally wrote season three as though it would be the show’s final instalment, although by the time it was released, he sounded less certain that the story was truly over.
Speaking to Radio Times in reference to the death of Ron Perlman’s character Frank Napier, he said, "I'd think to myself, as I was writing it, 'This is going to be the last series.' Now, is that true? I don't know. Never say never, right? But I think it's really healthy to just write each series as if it's going to be the last, that you're not just hanging on to people for the sake of it."
“I think actors don't mind dying in a series, particularly if it's probably going to be the last one, but also, if you give them a really good send off,” he added.
The Truth and Tragedy of Moriah Wilson, explained.
What could happen in The Capture season 4?
In many ways, season three of The Capture brings its central story to a neat, if deeply unsettling, conclusion. By the end, Rachel Carey has officially negotiated the role of Commander of Counter Terror. But in doing so, she has also compromised herself so completely that, in effect, she has lost to E Squadron.
After three seasons spent exposing and resisting deepfake manipulation, Rachel ultimately finds herself complicit in it, helping to construct the very kind of fabricated reality she once fought to destroy. It's quite the full-circle moment, as she has become what she once fought against.
As a result, E Squadron are left free to continue using Correction, safe in the knowledge that Rachel is now bound by her role and unable to expose them without destroying her own position.
And yet, the finale doesn’t feel entirely conclusive. In its final moments, a single question is left unanswered. Alone in her apartment, Rachel looks back at a selfie she took with her sister, only to notice Gemma Garland in the background. The same Gemma who, crucially, has recently died.
Moments later, the image shifts, and Gemma is gone.
Whether this is the result of technological manipulation or a psychological break remains deliberately unclear. But it leaves open one last unsettling possibility: that the story isn’t finished after all, and that there may still be more to uncover in a potential season four.
Because after everything the show has taught us… it can’t possibly end with Rachel defeated, right?
When would a potential The Capture season 4 be released?
A fourth season of The Capture would likely take some time to arrive, so in the meantime, viewers may want to turn to other similarly tense thrillers, such as The Teacher or Doctor Foster.
There was a three-season gap between seasons 1 and 2, followed by a further four-year wait before season 3. Given that season 3 has just wrapped in April 2026, a potential return would most realistically land around spring 2029 at the earliest.
Back in 2023, creator Ben Chanan addressed these gaps when asked about the possibility of the show continuing. He explained that the world the series explores is constantly evolving, particularly in relation to deepfakes, misinformation and AI-driven manipulation.
“I think that the world of deep fakes and fake news and AI, it keeps developing. I think we went quite far with The Capture in terms of what the hell could happen next, in terms of the sort of fear of what could happen.
“I think we went quite far across the two series, and I almost feel sometimes like I need to take a minute and wait for the news to catch up or for predictions, nightmare predictions of what’s next.
“Because it’s not so much a futuristic thing, it’s kind of a what’s happening now thing, and so part of me feels like I need to take a break and unfortunately wait to see where the news takes us and where the world takes us and then respond.”
Given how rapidly real-world technology is advancing, from AI tools like Grok to deepfake porn, there is certainly no shortage of material for future seasons to draw on, should the series return.
Rachel faced her greatest challenge yet.
Is there a trailer for The Capture season 4?
Given that the show hasn't been renewed, and certainly not scripted or filmed, there's no trailer for season 4 of The Capture. Instead, the latest we have is the season 3 trailer.
Who would return to star in a potential The Capture season 4?
The cast of The Capture would be significantly slimmed down heading into a potential season four, following the number of major character deaths across the latest six episodes.
Season three saw several key figures written out, including Noah Pierson, Gemma Garland, Frank Napier, James Whitlock and Isaac Turner.
So, if the series is renewed, here’s a look at the characters who could realistically return in a fourth season:
- Holliday Grainger as Acting Commander Rachel Carey
- Ben Miles as Danny Hart
- Ginny Holder as DI Nadia Latif
- Nigel Lindsay as DSU Tom Kendricks
- Hugh Quarshie as Commissioner Cameron Yates
- Andrew Buchan as Deputy Commissioner Julian Talbot
- Andy Nyman as Rowan Gill
- Linus Roache as Colonel Figgis
- Amanda Drew as Angela Stilon
- Adrian Rawlins as Lord Frederickson
- Indira Varma as Khadija Khan
- Tessa Wong as DC Chloe Tan
- Daisy Waterstone as Abigail Carey
We'll keep you updated on news of The Capture season 4. In the meantime, catch the first three seasons of The Capture on BBC iPlayer.
