BLOGS

Covert Affairs is Nothing Special, But I've Certainly Seen Worse

USA expanded their empire last night with the premiere of Covert Affairs, a spy show starring Piper Perabo as the most brilliant brand-new spy the CIA has ever had, or something. It's sunny and light, while managing to have a hint of danger (but not too much! Let's not actually have any stakes here!), as all USA shows are, and like Burn Notice has become and Psych has always been, it's enjoyable occasional viewing, but nothing to really get excited about.

I was surprised by Piper Perabo, however. She's not nearly as egregiously miscast as I'd assumed she'd be, and not to harp on the endless Alias comparisons, but she did sort of remind me of Sydney Bristow, personality-wise. She's perky and sweet and romantic, and she slips right into the same ditzy girl character Sydney used to whenever she was caught being up to no good (the first time Annie Walker innocently claims to just be looking for the bathroom, drink!), and her performance works well enough for the tone of the show. Of course, they had to Fiona Glenanne her by giving her some guy that got away to pine after, which is disappointing and usually pretty uninteresting, but such is television -- it's against the law for a lead character to not have a love interest, after all.

The show doesn't forge any new ground in the spy genre, but it's a serviceable retread of tropes. There was a car chase, an attempted assassination at a swanky cocktail party, a fight on an abandoned subway platform, a quirky optech guy, a stern boss lady, a hilariously clumsy product placement ("I saw it on your OpenTable.com account!"), and some ludicrous-but-fun Alias-type shit in stealing a thumbprint with a Listerine breath strip and successfully using it to get past security. The show may shun wigs and tight Eurotrash dresses, but it's still firmly in the realm of spy stuff we've all seen before. And that's fine, the familiar is a comfortable and perfectly entertaining place to live for a show like this. It's just nothing to write home about. And yes, I did notice that fun actors (CTB, Clarke Peters, Peter Gallagher, Charles Logan next week, etc.) are on it. Fun actors are on almost every show; it's not a reason to rave about something regardless of its faults.

Though I should say that it's a hundred times better than the awful Undercovers pilot I watched, and only slightly better than CW's attempt at Nikita. So as far as I can tell, this is the best lady government operative show you're going to get for the time being. Unfortunately.

Tell us what you thought of the show, and then check out our Peter Gallagher Q&A and see how to make a USA show!

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12 Comments

July 14, 2010 5:09 PM
Liz
Reply

Fun actors aren't the only reasons to tune in, but that preview with Oded Fehr and Titus Welliver in the next episode(s) sold me on making sure I set the dvr.

July 14, 2010 5:49 PM
Leslie
Reply

The CIA finds her love interest very interesting though. They seem to plan to use our girl to flush out a rogue agent, which, no wonder they fell so in love so fast -- Mr and Mrs Smith! He has to be a good guy obvs, they wouldn't let Anne fall for a nogoodnik.

July 14, 2010 10:53 PM
Sawyer
Reply

Is it too early to hope that Walker runs into Christopher Chance during an assignment and the two work together to take down a bad guy?

July 15, 2010 12:12 PM
MasterPuppeteer
Reply

Although I love me some girl spy action, one way they could've easily prevented the inevitable Alias comparisons was to change Annie to Anthony. Male lead, charming, boyish with a bit of a dork factor, but definitely a young rookie making his way in the Agency. Wait, maybe *I* could write that show.

July 15, 2010 12:56 PM
DaisyBuchanan
Reply
replied to comment from Liz

TW is in The Closer next week, not this show.

July 15, 2010 5:05 PM
Liz
Reply
replied to comment from DaisyBuchanan

Huh. It didn't seem like a joint coming attractions, and it was definitely him. Maybe he appears in a future ep, not next weeks? But if not, I suppose I'll manage to make do with Oded Fehr alone. *sigh*

July 17, 2010 11:23 AM
tango
Reply

I liked it better than I thought I would. Totally unbelievable but lots of good looking guys abound. If I knew the spy business had so many babes, I would've joined up myself.

July 17, 2010 1:59 PM
twoile
Reply

Better than adverage action/drama, I will cont 2 b a fan.

July 19, 2010 9:30 AM
UncleIgmar
Reply

It's a Summer show - nuff said. No need to tear it apart - wait for the Fall shows for that. USA knows its niche and does it pretty well.

July 19, 2010 10:27 AM
jodievt
Reply

good summer fluff, but let's not pretend this takes place anywhere near dc. and, who talks in open public about cia business? finally, everyone's cover in dc for cia is state dept. not smithsonian.

July 28, 2010 2:05 AM
evie
Reply

I didn't think it completely dreadful, but I was turned off my the whiny chick rock bookending the episode. One more episode of that and I'm done. I did think Nikita was better. Not by much, but better. lol

August 25, 2010 10:10 AM
OldFriendNY
Reply

Seems the producers have overlooked one minor point on their road to authenticity. Isn't the whole domestic peeping section of Covert Affairs' CIA illegal? As I recall the FBI is, by law, charged with domestic counterintelligence. I don't believe that is nitpicking. Perhaps there is an episode in the offing where the section is exposed and the section chief is carted off to jail.

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