State of Affairs

I'm not a Katherine Heigl fan, but after seeing this show I am truly one now. Katherine had the strength and balls to craft a character as strong willed and powered as Charleston is on the show. I went in expecting something similar to the Blacklist and it did not disappoint. Mind you this show does in no way rip off The Blacklist, it just takes place in a similar environment. Its real, uncompromising, and extremely fun to watch. I was on the edge of my seat the whole episode.

The acting through out was strong, an asset to a show that is just starting out. I also found no production issues or any of the sort of chaos that was described going on behind the scenes. This is a well written, powerfully acted and immensely talented show thats just getting started. The political intrigue and the twists in the end of the pilot are pretty interesting and set this show up to be possibly even better than The Blacklist.

I'm not sure why everyone are blindly hating this show because of Katherine Heigl, I'm sure she is a Good actresses than others that we most commonly see in current TV Shows. the shows has the right script and plot and enough to keep you engaged. Somebody said something about she laughing loudly when the situation didn't need it - this is just silly. Most of all we have Alfre Woodard on the show, which is a good thing to look forward, and also, you cannot decide on a show just by one episode.. give it a chance.. I"m sure it will be good.!!......... ...................... ............... ........................... ............ ..................... ............ ............................. ....................... ....................... ................................ ........................................ ........................

I was hooked at the beginning but gradually realized I was watching a vanity piece for Ms, Heigl, which was produced by her and her mother. After the opening scene and it's implications the plot very quickly became shallow and contrived. I just as quickly got tired of Heigl's permanent perkiness and endless wardrobe statements. Compared to Tea Leoni (Madam Secretary), Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty) or even Kerry Washington (Scandal) she simply doesn't convey the gravitas the role demands. The one thing the pilot episode has going for it is pacing. Perhaps the producers can build in some character development around her in the coming episodes, (Shonda Rhimes where are you?), but given the two Heigl's involvement, I'm not optimistic. Catherine is a beautiful woman, and I hope she eventually finds a role that suits her, but this is definitely not it.

They could really have kept this going, had they just gone a bit simpler. Making the story-line a bit more human with some additional real-life touches would have kept it going for at least another couple seasons. It's a fine line that keeps shows engaging, and this was a clear example of one that just missed the mark. The look of this production was as good as anything out there today, but audiences need characters they can look forward to seeing week after week. SOA came close, but just fell short in having folks caring for those on screen. Never a huge fan of Katherine Heigl, she was not the issue in this production, as matter of fact this was one of the better outings she's been part of for quite some time. There's a fine line when someone can step back and critique.. and when principals want to listen, it seriously can matter to an astonishing degree.

I'm not sure why all the negative press over this show. It's more interesting than Madame Secretary and not as silly as The Blacklist. Perhaps I'm over all the Heigl negative press whereas other reviewers maybe not so much. There's a lot going on here and I love the altering behavior between Woodard and Heigl. Are they friends? Does the President trust Charlie or suspect her? Additionally Heigl's character, Charlie, seems damaged, that's why Charlie acts the way she does. Has she been harmed by the loss of her fiancé', the President's son, or too much seen in the field as a CIA operative? Either way, there's something not quite right with Charlie, but what is right is her ability to read what might happen or what's about to happen. I like this show, its characters and I'll keep watching.