Covert Affairs

Classy, smooth and Eyal, what more could a girl ask? Really enjoyed the whole thing on DVD, over and over!

This is the first good spy-type series I've seen since 24 (looking forward to its return on FOX)and Alias (such fun with all the disguises, gadgets and mystic aspect). I was SO happy to have recently discovered Covert Affairs! This show is thoroughly entertaining if you enjoyed 24 and/or Alias. And - stop comparing - they're all different. I definitely enjoy the characters in this show. I am now into the 4th season and, even though there are some things that should be made logical with just a few sentences of explanation, and there is the inevitable craziness in all shows - like getting from the U.S. to Europe in just the right location in the middle of nowhere in - seemingly a few hours instead of a day - just in time for someone (like the elusive Ben, Eyal or Teo) to save Annie's life. Of COURSE, we're happy - big phew! And who cares if it's implausible - it's a TV show that needs to keep moving along. Purists will nit pick, but I would say anyone who likes this genre will find it totally intriguing entertaining and compelling. I always look forward to seeing what twist is coming up next. I hope it keeps going for years without the writers getting bored and killing off the best characters and ruining the series.

When I saw who the producers are, I must admit, I felt some trepidation. The Borne Trilogy was good (no self-respecting film lover could deny it), but hardly TV series material. All my trepidation flew out of the window less than five minutes into the pilot. I'm not an easy judge to please, but I must say, I'm hooked.

The characterization was fabulous. The writers laid the strong foundation of the friendship/confidant relationship that few shows have managed to convey, and it's just the pilot. I can't wait to see how it's built up. The last time I saw such a thing, it was in BONES, and that was in the middle of the first season.

Piper Perabo plays a smart, overachieving spy missing the stop-digging-yourself-into-a- hole complex. Her character is balanced by a great performance by Christopher Gorham as Auggie, your friendly neighborhood blind tech-guy, a comforting voice in the madness of the "Agency". To top off the show, you have their boss, a preoccupied career woman used to having to find her own way in a job traditionally held by men: Joan Campbell, played by Kari Matchett.

For those of you thinking it's just another ALIAS, you've got another thing coming, just as I did. The only things it's got in common with J. J. Abrams' hit show is the CIA and strong woman lead. It has the action of all the best action films of the decade and the reasonably- subtle humor of BURN NOTICE and CHUCK.

COVERT AFFAIRS is in it for the long-run. I don't plan on missing a moment of it. If it's canceled, it'll prove to be as big a mistake as canceling FIREFLY. Watch it. You won't regret it.

Almost exactly around the middle of season 3, it suddenly gets better and stays that way. Up until then, it is watchable but only if you have nothing better. The writing, the action, the subterfuge, it becomes an eminently bingeable spy thriller.

If you like Piper Perabo, you will probably like this show. Her character, Annie, is a CIA agent who hits the ground running right out of training. It helps that she is something of a prodigy--excellent with weapons, amazing at hand-to-hand combat, and a whiz with languages. Though she sometimes has to confront her personal fears, for the most part she is determined to tackle any problem by immersing herself in the heart of the matter.

I have watched this show from its inception and, seasons later, I am still interested. The character of Annie is multi-dimensional. By now, we know her romantic history, her personal quirks, and her weaknesses. Auggie is her personal handler and personal friend. He usually augments her in-the-field forays from HQ with his superior intelligence IQ, but he has been known to accompany her on location.

One thing I really enjoy about the series is the location filming. They film around the world, adding authenticity to the production.

For those critics who say the series is unrealistic (every series has them), well neither is Bond. But the writers know how to create stories that are filled with intrigue. And many of the show's story lines feel like they have been ripped from the pages of global news reports.