The Assets

We don't watch enough TV to have known about the flap over this show getting canceled. Just stumbled across it on Netflix. Wow. Nearly everything about this effort is really done well. They really went the extra yard concerning production details. I don't pretend to really know why it was canceled except to say it was not because its a bad or boring production. Even though we all know the outcome (more or less) the story is told so well it still qualifies as a mystery or thriller and sorta-kinda has you on the edge of your seat as they start getting closer and closer to 'the mole'. I didn't pay any real close attention when all this actually occurred. After watching this show I am now compelled to read books like "Sell Out: Aldrich Ames and the Corruption of the CIA.

I am waiting for ABC to let the other 6 episodes be available for streaming. Many fictional mysteries start with the same premise of knowing who the culprit is. It can still be a great journey in solving the situation. My 16 year old was choosing to put down his electronic devices and and watch this with us. I also enjoy the non dramatic way that home life people with security clearance jobs are shown. My only confusion was why it was an almost all British cast for a very American show and topic. However they were doing the accents well. My husband and I were young enough when these real events happened that we really only read the headlines and it fascinating to get a more in depth look at the happenings.

Based on a true story, Sandy Grimes (Jodie Whittaker) is a CIA officer trying to cultivate assets in the Soviet Union. Little does she knows, there is a mole in her office she sees every day. Aldrich Ames (Paul Rhys) has been selling CIA secrets to the Soviets.

It's obvious that ABC had no confidence in this show/mini-series. They put it out at the end of the holiday seasons with little or no advertising. It's meant to be nothing more than cannon fodder going into the Winter Olympics. Nobody was paying attention, and nobody watched. It's not a surprise that they canceled it after 2 episodes especially considering the anemic ratings.

I did like the realistic (read not flashy) spy craft. But that's all I found interesting. I like Jodie Whittaker in some of her work. The problem is that we know from the start who the mole is. There isn't much mystery in any of this. Without any mystery, there isn't much driving this show. The audience is just waiting for the CIA to catch the guy. It's probably better as a shorter mini-series. It just doesn't have the flash bang whiz pow of modern TV.

First of all, I would like to say that we started watching this series in 2013. When it was time for the third episode, we were totally hooked. But the third episode was nowhere to be found. Looking online we found that there wasn't enough interest in this program? We couldn't believe it, so very happy that it was being shown this season.

The acting, the presentation of each episode had us eagerly waiting for the next episode. This was a story about a regular human being who chose to do the wrong thing and this continued for years. It was heart wrenching to see the results of his behavior, the loss of life which ensued.

There were many characters in this story who were anxious the get to the truth, but only two who worked many days, years of long hours, despite the time away from family and friends.

Again this person was leading a regular life, married with a young child, but was unable to change his ways. Watching the evolution of the case against this person was a lesson in the workings of bureaucracy. It was unclear what the outcome would be. Great series, worth watching

Excellent portrayal of what happened and displayed in a realistic form. I found the show to be entertaining and informative. The actors did a great job of showing how the CIA works. It is one of the better spy shows on TV today and I hope it is picked up by one of the cable stations, where it would really be appreciated. The flow of the show was easy to follow with the back and forth of the flashbacks which gave the show a form of connecting the dots. There is not any blood and guts shown in the first two episodes but it keeps the audience interest with the intrigue. It is sad the show was canceled before it could get into the deeper espionage of what really happened. I will miss this show.