Quantico

This show was so good! It took me a few episodes to get into it, but there was a lot going on to keep it interesting once I did! The seasons are all really different from one another, and if you're just starting off like I did, it ends halfway thru Season 3, which was disappointing! The first two seasons have an ongoing plot that lasts the whole arc of the season, but the third isn't quite like that. A lot of people didn't like the unrealistic bits, but I was watching for entertainment, not looking for realism. Plenty of romance and suspense and surprises along the way. If you're looking for a fast paced show that keeps it interesting and you're pretty much stuck at home as many of us are, give it a whirl!

Writers are the worst. The episodes are written in the simplest possible way. The writers only believe the terrorist anonymity is the central piece of the story and misses how boring each episodes are. Apart from that, every episode shows their training at quantico to prepare for their role in the future in that very same episode. So it just looks like filler content for the episode. Second thing, the whole idea of bringing in new NATS was just poor reason to not develop story with just old NATS and required more characters to build up a complex plot(!??!) and add lot of curiosity in the story. This series requires some series good writers. The writing is very linear and episodes are insanely boring to watch. Most of the training scenes are purely fillers and has less significance for the story. That just means to me to kill time you show the training required. Sorry I started this series with so much curiosity about how they gonna write and twist the plots. It is a huge disappointment.

I am a former FBI Agent; I went through the FBI Academy, and even have written a nonfiction book about my experience ("Eyes Pried Open: Rookie FBI Agent"). I am also a frequent TV watcher, although my tastes definitely gravitate towards the more edgy cable offerings than the big network shows (that quite frankly are usually somewhat "dumbed down" to be appropriate for the masses). Due to my former profession, I felt compelled to watch this show, although I assumed I would be completely disappointed and would find flaws throughout.

Well, the pilot exceeded my expectations. No, the depiction of the Academy is not perfect, but some of the scenes were eerily similar to what I experienced. While most viewers would assume that surely the romances and flings in the show are purely silly fantasy fluff, I can assure you that those types of behaviors did occur at the FBI Academy (infrequently, yes, and with much more average looking people, yes). Funny enough, my biggest gripe was how "nice" the instructors are in the show; I cannot begin to imagine what would have happened if someone was talking on a cell phone at the firing range. FBI Academy instructors in reality are incredibly tough; I still have scars on my knuckles to prove it (but they are some of the best and most dedicated individuals on the planet). But minor gripes aside, the feeling of being back in college in a dorm but with the structure (physically and mentally) of boot camp is what it was really like.

Sure, the storyline is far-fetched, but this is a fictional TV show. It is not the next Homeland; I do not expect it to clean house at the next Emmy Awards show. But for what it is, it is well done, and feels like the show writers at least had enough input to keep the story in line with the "real" side of the FBI.

In summary, this is an admirable effort, especially for a major network; the pilot gets a nice 8 out of 10 from me. If the show goes downhill (which is definitely possible; it seems like one of those shows that might be best as a one-season-only run), I will update my review accordingly. But for now, I will continue to be entertained for an hour each week with the escapism that the show offers.

*** UPDATE ***

It saddens me to have to update the review, but I feel it is my responsibility to do so since I have elected to stop watching the show. Bottom line, it feels like this was written by somebody who is paid by the plot twist, and at some point it cheapens the show to not being watchable. Also, I have to agree with another commenter who felt like the show must be a Shonda Rhimes production (nothing against her, but the show looks and feels much more like Grey's Anatomy than Homeland). I finally had to stop watching because of the gross inaccuracies about the lives of the NATs at the FBI Academy. The show still has entertaining moments, but with so many great shows out there, I am having to pull the plug on this one to make room for others. I suspect that will be the fate of this show; it started strong and has a full season 1 order, but I would be surprised if it made through a 2nd season. But then again, Grey's Anatomy is still on ...

The characters are pretentious, the story lines ridiculously out of touch with reality, and the acting is pretty poor.

First, the lead character, is definitely easy on the eyes, but acting abilities...not so much. The show itself, seems to have zero fact base in what the FBI does and mixes it up with NSA/CIA type operations, and on top of it they would like you to believe that FBI recruits come out of the academy, with super human abilities, super human intelligence, and are immediately given positions above all those serving in the field for many years. Not to mention everyone in the academy is a terrorist, has terrorist ties, is a suspected terrorist, or has some desire to act as a terrorist. Apparently the TV FBI is worse at vetting than a potato.Apparently Quantico is just a college dorm full of annoying but cute children, the only thing missing is STD's. Or maybe the pretty is all that matters...

The show focuses around one agent and it is as though she is the complete center of the world. At first this fits because hey, every show has a star but this show does it in such overblown annoying way that you just scream "WTF!" every 2 mins.

Excessive dialogue is used to cover shoddy acting but that actually makes it worse. The only thing this show has going for it is pretty actors, and a fast pace. Other than those 2 things...it's crap.

To be honest ... that could have been after the first season. Even that could have maybe have had a shorter amount of episodes. But at least season 1 (which I would have rated higher if only that was up for discussion) was quite intriguing. Like many other movies and shows (24/Shooter) before it, it may not have made too much sense, but we were engaged while watching. The suspense was "real" (well fake obviously, but we could feel it).

Having said that, even during season 1, all the red herrings, all the missleading clues and twists and turns could get too much for its own good. Don't even start trying to make sense of most of it ... relationships get build and taken apart. And binging this really brings out the incoherent writing ... well maybe that is too harsh. But it really does not try to hide the fact that it doesn't care about certain things. Like realism ... like previous set up "facts" ... like things it tells us are important in season 2, just to completely ignore them in season 3. And that does not just include the ending of season 2, that should have left it at that.

There is a nice component in season 3, a new member to be more inclusive (good on them) and the last season is way shorter ... which is something I appreciate very much. So good start, not so good middle and finish ... back to training it goes (or obscurity, whichever works best)