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 don't know why there's so much hate for this show, it seems that most negative reviews are written by people who have something against Katherine Heigl. The complaints seem to range from her being a producer (Oh my god an actor producing! That's never been done before!), to her wardrobe (which I find to be quite understated and more realistic than a lot of other shows), to her personally (it's a vanity project, she's not serious enough, too serious, etc.), even people who won't shut up about the name of her character (really, Charleston Tucker is the dumbest name you've ever heard? Really??). I had neither a positive nor negative opinion of her before watching this show, so to me, she is just fine in the role and I find her to be believable and likable, a flawed but nevertheless genuine character. I like the flow of the story arc, each episode is meaningful to the overall story yet adds in new plot lines rather well. I think the supporting cast is solid and interesting. The only issue I have is some of the details can be unbelievable (no spoilers but they are minor details so far) but for a network TV show I'm willing to suspend disbelief at times and give it the benefit of the doubt if it doesn't bore me to death or make me scream at the television for insulting my intelligence, and State of Affairs so far hasn't been boring or ridiculously stupid. In fact, it's one of the only shows on television I watch, and I can count those on one hand. I like it, and I like Katherine Heigl in it. Good for her, and I hope all the negative comments about her don't prevent the show from having a chance.

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.

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.

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.