Beyond the traditional constructs of spy thrillers, Queen Sono is deliciously drenched in a sense of place. It's as much a celebration of modern Africa (the Africa that we don't see nearly enough of in Western media) as it is an unflinching mirror to less pleasing realities of racism and colonialism that linger in plain sight. One of Queen's missions finds her undercover at a conference at which she laughs and rolls her eyes at the two white European women – one from an NGO and the other from a dubious business conglomerate – on stage arguing what's best for the people of Africa. A rising rebel group are making their way across Harare, Kenya and Congo, 'liberating' mine workers and preaching freedom from the constraints imparted by white oppressors. It's presented in a matter-of-fact way that doesn't necessarily drive the narrative of the series but forms an enduring backdrop that unfamiliar viewers might not have expected.