Covert Affairs

My brother started watching Covert Affairs and recommended that I watch with him and since I had nothing better to do I said why not? I'm glad I did because I ended up really enjoying it. It's actually a pretty decent spy series. Piper Perabo was perfect for the role. She's not only beautiful but a good actress. It's the perfect summer show where you don't have to think too much but it's also not a dumb show either. Like most spy shows that came out around this time a lot of it's not believable but if you can get past that you'll have a good time watching this series. It's also one of the rare shows where each season is just as good as the others.

I just recently started watching Covert Affairs again and forgot what a fun little show this was. Is it believable? Absolutely not. Will you still have fun watching it? Absolutely! This series about is CIA officer Annie Walker (Piper Perabo) who goes from an unknown new recruit to one of the best agents in the entire agency. She chosen at first because of her linguistic skills and thrown into the field with little training. To help her is ex special operative Auggie Anderson (Christopher Gorham) who was blinded in the field and is in intelligence now to guide Annie from afar. He becomes her most trusted friend and the two of them have great chemistry as actors.

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.

I like the show but what bothers me is that it takes Annie almost four seasons to dye her hair. In season four she never took the time to wear a cap or sunglasses which makes her harder to be recognized. It puzzles me why she never disguises herself.

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.