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Bear Hunt ·Oct 7, 2026 ·1h 1m

Ep6 | The Second Soldier

Evaluation and Summary

5.0/10

Bear Hunt Episode 6 continues the espionage thriller narrative with a critical turning point. Miriam Brann faces a pivotal decision as the covert operation has been compromised and exposed. She must find a way to contact the previously unreachable Duffy and prevent an imminent act from occurring. Meanwhile, Duffy has relocated to China's Changbai Mountains in the northeast—not his intended destination of Beijing. Rather than being sidelined, Duffy identifies an opportunity to train personnel in the correct location at the correct time, suggesting he's positioning assets for a future operation despite the mission's discovery. The episode features an ensemble cast including Naomi Miller, Michael Lyle, Lauren Ingram, and Donald Pirie in key roles, with supporting performances from established actors like Al Murray and Dominic Sandbrook. The production is helmed by directors Adam Jarrell and Joel Emery, with Emery also serving as writer and editor. The episode carries content warnings for strong language and violence, indicating mature thematic material. The narrative appears to balance dual storylines: Miriam's urgent need to intercept Duffy and halt whatever plan is in motion, and Duffy's strategic maneuvering in a remote Chinese location to advance his own agenda. This setup suggests escalating tension and competing objectives between characters, typical of spy thriller conventions. The show notes provide cast and crew details but limited plot specifics, making it difficult to assess the actual execution of these narrative threads, the quality of dialogue exchanges, or how effectively the episode builds momentum toward resolution.

Verdict: A mid-series episode that advances plot and maintains narrative momentum, but limited source material prevents confident assessment of writing quality, performance, or whether it truly earns its runtime.

Fiction rubric

  • Writing n/a

    No dialogue or script samples provided; cannot assess dialogue quality or narrative voice.

  • Performance and production n/a

    Cast list provided but no audio samples or performance descriptions; cannot evaluate acting or sound design.

  • Plot momentum 3/5 25%

    Setup suggests escalating stakes with dual storylines (Miriam's urgent mission vs. Duffy's strategic positioning), but show notes don't confirm whether tension actually builds or if pacing drags.

  • Substance 3/5 25%

    Episode appears to advance plot with character decisions and geographical repositioning, but show notes lack detail on dialogue depth, thematic exploration, or substantive content beyond plot mechanics.

  • Delivers on its title 3/5 25%

    Title 'The Second Soldier' is unexplained in show notes; episode covers Bear Hunt's ongoing espionage narrative but unclear if title refers to a specific character or thematic element being delivered.

  • Value for time 3/5 25%

    61-minute runtime for a serialized thriller episode; typical length for the format, but show notes don't indicate whether pacing is tight or contains padding.

How we score Fiction

Worth it if you're already invested in Bear Hunt's espionage storyline and want to see how the compromised operation develops.

Based on the episode description. AI-generated; it can be wrong.

Show notes

With the operation discovered, Miriam Brann has a decision to make. The mission must be stopped. The unreachable Duffy must be reached. The act must be prevented. Meanwhile Duffy is now in China, although not in his desired location of Beijing, but rather the Changbai Mountains in North Eastern China. He finds an opportunity to get himself training the right personnel, in the right place, for the right time.Strong language, violence. Listener discretion is advised. Naomi Miller as Mel Murray Michael Lyle as Addie Azikiwe Lauren Ingram as Miriam Brann Donald Pirie as Tom "Duffy" MacDuff Chen Lei Wu as Tao Adam Jarrell as Keith Boxall Al Murray as Major Gen. Grant Garson Freddie Trenholme as Shaun Wade Jack Ayres as Jamie Aarons Dominic Sandbrook as Hugh Freddie Trenholme as Charlie Higgs Michael Ashtiany as Scott "Robbo" Robertson Dan Rhun as Zach Darcey Ferguson as Steph Trev Fleming as Show Voice Additional voices Dennis Zhao Adam JarrellJoel Emery Edited by: Joel Emery Technical Producer: David Allen Written by: Joel Emery Directed by: Adam Jarrell and Joel Emery Producer: Neil Fearn Executive Producer: Tony Pastor Music provided by Audionetwork Copyright 2026. Property of Goalhanger. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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