State of Affairs

This show was dead for me seconds after I started to watch the pilot.

Introducing a character by having him/her discussing their life with a therapist is a trite, pedestrian old trick that bears the hallmark of sloppy script-writing.

To underline how unimaginative this is, I would like to mention how I very recently gave up on another show (Black Box) for the exact same reason.

This show is obviously aimed at a dumb audience, and will therefore go on to be just as pedestrian and dull as it is at its opening until the very last episode. Don't waste any more time on it.

I'm not sure why so many people have left bad reviews for this show, there truly are a lot of snobs writing reviews here. It seems like a lot of them are from people who dislike Katherine Heigl as well. Who cares! The plot is great and it has picked up pace in the most recent episodes. No it is not Homeland, but what do you expect from a show on NBC? The main reason I watch movies and television is for an escape from reality and I really could care less if a show doesn't accurately portray the government and CIA. If I wanted this, I would watch a documentary, which I do quite frequently. If you take it for what it is, a fun, entertaining action/drama, then you will enjoy 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 like this show despite its inherent weaknesses the writing is good. First off its way better than the crap Tea Leoni is doing on Madam Secretary, a single woman who is leading a show without the ever saving hubby in the background. The writing on this show is really good because it carries someone like Katherine Heigel a less than stellar actor. The rest of the characters need more development that would help to offset Heigel's weakness. We need to acknowledge progress here, a black female president I love her don't care what other critics are saying.....a female lead yeah okay she's white and a blond, we could have dropped some stereotypes but lets face it its America and capitalism we have to sell corporate advertising so let us give in to the stereotypical male fantasies here ... one more time.

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.