The second season of "Surface" kicks off with Sophie, engrossed at her laptop, her fingers dancing across the keys. She retrieves a flash drive from her secure vault, utilizing it to transfer a substantial sum of Bitcoin to herself. With a casual flick, she returns the device to its hiding place and exits, leaving no trace of her digital transaction.
The setting has shifted to London, the narrative seamlessly weaving from the season one cliffhanger. A prestigious auction looms on the horizon, where Tess parades her newly accumulated digital fortune, outbidding Eliza for coveted tickets to the Philharmonic Orchestra. Eliza, last seen outside a bar three years prior, is visibly perturbed by Tess's persistent presence, which looms like an unwelcome shadow.
In a private exchange, Tessconfides in Eliza, her thoughts frequently drifting back to their shared past. She expresses a desire to unravel the complexities of their history. Eliza, however, is reluctant to embark on a nostalgic journey and sternly advises Tess to stay away. Nonetheless, Eliza is deeply unsettled when Tess reveals her presence in London is solely due to her, though she does offer congratulations on Eliza's achievement of becoming a cellist for the Philharmonic Orchestra—the very orchestra Tess splashed out on tickets for.
Upon returning to Quinn Huntley, Eliza's demeanor betrays her turmoil, though Quinn, a powerful figure overseeing the auction, senses something amiss without probing further. Coincidentally, he encounters Tess outside and recognizes her as the bidder who splurged on the tickets. He warmly encourages her to stay and partake in the festivities, but Tess, having had her fill of drama, retreats to her hotel room.
Her phone buzzes with a missed call from Callum Walsh, a journalist who is aware of her return to London and eager for a conversation. Intrigued, Tess scours an online interview with Callum, portraying him as a crusader seeking accountability from the elite. Convinced by his reputation, she agrees to meet him. Callum, it seems, is already aware of her identity and mentions a previously canceled meeting six months ago. He brandishes a voice recorder, prompting Tess to invoke Californian laws and demand the audio from their last encounter, her tone sharp and defensive.
The conversation, if gauged by the audio Walsh possesses, spans a mere five minutes, yet we remain in the dark about its full content. Tess's amnesia stands as a contentious issue, shrouding a significant time gap she cannot reconcile. Moreover, her written historical records are equally defective, with gaps rife throughout her past narrative. The journalists Callum collaborates with also find this situation suspicious, sensing a link to the Huntley family. Online records whisper rumors tying the Huntleys to murder cases, prompting questions about their connection to Sophie's past.
In the morning, Eliza reaches out to Tess, eager for a heart-to-heart. It transpires that Eliza is hosting a gathering, and Tess attends that evening, longing to revisit bygone days—or at least attempting to. They flip through old photographs together, and upstairs, Tess dives into the heart of the matter. Eliza demands to know the reason behind Tess's abrupt departure sans farewell. Tess, filled with regret, expresses her desire to reconnect but refrains from unveiling the truth; otherwise, our narrative would lose its intrigue. Nonetheless, Eliza reveals that Tess once worked at their family stable, although the veracity of this claim remains unclear.
Meanwhile, back at the hotel, Sophie receives the audio recording from Callum. It unearths a harrowing truth: her mother, Emma, was murdered during her youth. The perpetrators are influential figures whose deeds have apparently been concealed from the public eye. Tess and Callum had planned to meet two weeks after the initial audio was recorded, with Tess asserting that proof of the murder resides in London.
Tess ventures into the library next, where an intriguing revelation awaits her: a private archive bearing her name, albeit with an overdue notice spanning six months. With the librarian's reluctant agreement to rectify the payment and guide her to its location, Tess embarks on her journey, taking note of the myriad soundproof reading rooms lining the corridor.
Inside the archive, a treasure trove of newspaper clippings unfolds, detailing the intricate tales of Huntley and the woods' grim murders, along with the haunting death certificate of Emma Antonie-Day. Beneath the 'Cause of Death' section lies the enigmatic word "Unclassified," intriguing Tess further. A Mayfair address, prominently displayed on the front, sparks her curiosity, leading her to believe it might lead back to her apartment.
With a bit of charm and persuasion, Tess persuades the receptionist to part with an extra key, and, after holding the door open for a lurking cameraman (a subtle nod to Gugu Mbatha-Raw's watchful eye), she steps inside. The décor is an unsightly eyesore, and the place is fortified with an intricate alarm system. Its opulent aura is marred only by the omnipresent surveillance cameras, which Tess fails to inspect just yet. A framed photograph of her mother catches her eye, though a mischievous thought crosses her mind – could it merely be a stock photo of a stranger? Nevertheless, she clings to the belief that it indeed depicts her mother.
Tess then convenes with Callum, extending an invitation to Eliza's performance and confessionally acknowledging her intent to leverage her friendship with Eliza to uncover the truth. Convinced of William Huntley's culpability in her mother's demise, Tess recognizes the need for Callum's journalistic prowess to unravel the mysteries shrouding her past.
