MovieChat Forums > Covert Affairs (2010) Discussion > just started watching this...Oi vey

just started watching this...Oi vey

posted 11 years ago by erikwt78
21 replies | jump to latest

Apparently it's a new episode (Season 5 ep4) so I won't elaborate at the risk of spoilers.
This is the first time watching the show and within the first 5 minutes, I've come to the conclusion that this show has no credit.
Watching her, the main actress, tail someone, she may have just announced it to that bald dude what she was doing. Not sure if it's her character or stupidity in writing or directing but no spy in their right mind would be so close and obvious.
Now if that's her over ambitious character, well we can talk. If this is anything else, don't have much hope for this show.
And now apparently *POSSABLE SPOILER ALERT!!!*
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She has a heart condition? Something tells me that considering it's season 5, there had been quite a bit of action before hand which I'm SURE would've initiated that "heart condition" one way or another. But who knows, they may throw something out that no one expects.
I'm just not seeing much promise in this show after the first 10 mins of an episode.
Another assumption (yes yes, i know what assuming does) is that this show doesn't take its self seriously, which is Fine...just wish they didn't try so hard.
Not to compare the cliché go-to example of a female spy show 'Alias', but that was respectful when it came to actual Spook/CIA responses. Even 'Burn Notice' was a bit more respectful in response to agent actions.
Now, in response to what the one forum comment was regarding her age, cosmetic work, etc.... It's obvious, to me at least, that she has not had plastic surgery.

Anyway, excuse the rant. My first thoughts watching it for the first time. Maybe after some time I'll warm up to it. For now, her "spy" work needs to be a bit more covert. Now if she was going for most OBVIOUS spy...we'll then....Nailed It!

[–] duckofprey 11 years ago

You are judging a show starting at a point 44-some hours into the series?

Oy vey!

[–] Johanes_Calvi 10 years ago

And yet, he was spot on! hahaha

[–] niks_foonts 11 years ago

I find it funny that you have drawn conclusions by watching the 4th episode of the 5th season with no other background about the show. You do realize that there are like 50+ episodes of the show that have aired before this ep. This isn't a show where you can just enter in randomly in the fifth season and get everything that is going on and the state of the characters.

[–] roofall 11 years ago

Gah, forget it.

[–] Andrejia05 11 years ago

What kind of a crazy-maniac you'd have to be, in order to be proficient in computers - with no eyesight; it's just too ridiculous too even consider.

Oh, hi, so cool to find a time vortex that somehow got you to present day. Blind people can be awesome at tech and beyond. Find your way back, please, kthx?

[–] roofall 11 years ago

Oops, hadn't realized there was a reply b4 I edited (not worth wasting time on discussing the show :))

[–] TanteWaileka 9 years ago

I've been in the computer industry since the age of 12 in 1960. I have had failing vision for years now (after 56 years staring at monitors, of course).

BUT ACTUALLY THE POINT IS THIS:
The character Auggie gives the appearance of NOT HAVING A DISABILITY. As I am only 'half blind' I cannot really state what happens when one is TOTALLY BLIND, but I DO know this much: he's not good enough at being a handler (disobeys orders a LOT) nor is the character REALLY blind, because none of his 'women' find him LESS attractive because he is BLIND, and you all know dam' well they WOULD.

It's too costly to hire a guy who is NOT the key computer guy (his ASSISTANTS are) who needs the bleeding-edge tools in order to DO HIS JOB.They would hire someone who can SEE. It'd be more realistic if they gave him back his VISION but put him into a wheelchair.

Overall this is a very two-dimension show with a VERY BAD actress as lead. Auggie is only 'eye candy'.
I watch it only because I get amazon.com video as part of my PRIME membership and as I have only a roku device and no tv/cable, if I find a series that goes for at least 5 seasons, I add it to my watchlist. I like to evaluate the writing, direction, acting as I am a writer too. On this show it's all bad, All the young women are SLUTS, the character who is married to Arthur is his SECOND wife. She was his MISTRESS til he divorced his wife and married her. I find that a disgusting situation, frankly. It means that they (her character and Arthur) are NOT ETHICAL PEOPLE.
Anyway I finally stopped watching it midway through Season 5 Episode 1 when it became totally unbelievable and the character ANNIE becamek a real joke. (Spoiler!)

Life is a journey not a destination. Fear nothing.

[–] niks_foonts 11 years ago

He isn't a computer tech! He's a field agent handler. Those are two different things. He is good with computers but its not like blind people don't work on computers. He has specialized equipment for himself. The reason he works at the CIA is because he's smart and very valued person in the agency. If you have problem with that, then the show isn't for you. Based on your logic, majority of television is unnecessary meh. It may not be your cup of tea, which is fine, but its generally a fun spy action show so stretching your boundaries of believability a little is not out of the question.

[–] roofall 11 years ago

Getting off this board, but it's not that blind people can't work on computers.. It's believing that a blind tech could be useful @ teh CIA, anyway.

[–] Frank_Grimes_Sr 11 years ago

Bigot much?

Who's to say they wouldn't be useful?

Yes it is a little (maybe a lot) far fetched but I wouldn't rule it out entirely...sometimes reality has been stranger than fiction.

Getting back to the show, he wasn't always blind. He proved himself while an agent in the field.

"I'm better than okay, I'm Homer Simpson."

[–] garciaclan 10 years ago

Yes, reality is stranger than fiction. Your life.

[–] Andrejia05 11 years ago

So people have been a bit edgy after you said you've watched only once. Truth is, you're right. Annie isn't the super spy we're led to believe and yeah, that's how she's tailing people.

BUT this is a fun, summer show and is very enjoyable even with all the plot holes and not so great spy stuff. If you want to watch this show for the CIA part...I hate to tell ya, but you're gonna have to take your business elsewhere. It's light entertainment with good looking people, lovely shoes and honestly, some great characters. It's not a spy show; it's a show about spies.

[–] erikwt78 11 years ago

This is a response I can go on. Thanks.
Yeah OBVIOUSLY to judge a show on one episode isn't the smartest thing to do but as you have read- it was for those reasons mentioned (and I believe they were good ones) that threw me for a loop on the whole show in general.
To me it makes sense to watch a spy show for its spying technique unless, like I said, there was a method to that horrible style she was using.
And after I wrote this, I continued watching and saw more stupid things she did (ie. Going through someone's office, shining the flashlight all over, through windows and AND not wearing gloves, etc...which I've seen other shows do. Bothers the Crap out a me).
If you tell me that this show is good NOT for how she goes about her business but for other reasons, then I'll find that out as I continue.
This post was an assumption based on one viewing (which I mentioned) and a first time viewers perception.
And to be honest, for anyone to give me flack on that, we'll they're not being honest because everyone has always had assumptions on a show after watching one episode. And it doesn't matter if it's the first episode watched or the 54th, sometimes styles change along the way (I'm looking at you Psych & Scrubs...Loved them), but all-in-all what you see is what you get.

[–] Andrejia05 11 years ago

CA has become a lot darker/ more serious in 2nd half of S3/S4 and they continue this trend in this season. A lot of fans are pretty upset about that because, as I've said before, there are a lot of stuff that don't really make sense and a lot of times the writers had taken the easy way out.

To better be able to judge the type of show this is (and its desired target audience) watch the pilot; you'll find the following:
- first mission, poses as hooker;
- she kinda joined the CIA to never be burned again after the man she had a 3 weeks fling with left her without warning;
- her sister constantly sets her up on blind dates.

It was a funny & light show and the male lead (Auggie) is terrific, smart and (depending on your taste) sexy as hell. Things got more serious, but it's still enjoyable.

If accuracy bothers you to the point you no longer can enjoy a show, this isn't the show for you. :)

Edited to add: I first saw season 3 finale and my first thought was I'll never like this, it's stupid, I don't like any of the characters. I was bored, tho, and decided I'll give the pilot a chance. Turns out,it was just the type of show I was looking for :)

[–] number1lakerfan23 11 years ago

This show is nothing like it was in the beginning. It was almost case of the week and not much else in the first two seasons. Then things switched starting in the third season and it's very overall story week to week now.

And judging the show as a whole watching, for the first time ever, close to the midway point of the fifth season is *beep* dumb. Don't want people calling you out in it, don't say anything to begin with.

[–] number1lakerfan23 11 years ago

[–] annpaul7677 11 years ago

erikwt78- While Annie was with Eyal she said that the scar tissue from a gunshot wound she received in her chest had spread to her heart and that was causing the condition.

[–] mdfst13 11 years ago

SPOILERS ahead for those who haven't watched season 5.

She has a heart condition? Something tells me that considering it's season 5, there had been quite a bit of action before hand which I'm SURE would've initiated that "heart condition" one way or another. But who knows, they may throw something out that no one expects.

As someone else noted, her heart condition was not congenital. She ended season four injured and apparently has heart problems as a result of one of those injuries.

This show rightfully deserves criticism for its spycraft. It's not good and never has been.

I'm not sure I'd recommend this as a show to start in the fifth season. You're meeting a bunch of characters for the first time and losing all their built up characterization. Not only that, but in many ways, the first season was the best one. It was fun meeting the characters and seeing how they evolved. For example, do you understand why Annie acts as if her job is her entire life? It makes sense given what she went through in previous seasons, but it may look a little silly to someone who's just meeting her.

I was actually somewhat surprised to see the show come back for a fifth season. They wrapped up a major plot line to end the fourth, and I thought that they were wrapping up the show. I continue to watch because of four seasons of experience with the characters, but I haven't really bought into this season on its own yet. The show's sort of skating on past achievements.

While it is certainly possible to start a show where this one currently is, it is usually done with heavy flashbacks that help you understand the character's development. Here, most of us have already seen that development and would be frustrated with that kind of reiteration of the back story. I would seriously recommend going back to earlier seasons rather than trying to pick the show up in the current season.

[–] ravmeltt 11 years ago

I was actually somewhat surprised to see the show come back for a fifth season. They wrapped up a major plot line to end the fourth, and I thought that they were wrapping up the show. I continue to watch because of four seasons of experience with the characters, but I haven't really bought into this season on its own yet. The show's sort of skating on past achievements.

I thought I alone was feeling a bit disillusioned about the show, so I came on the board to see what others are saying. Seems a lot of people are feeling the same way. I'm just not enjoying it and I couldn't figure out why, but now that people have been mentioning the "darkness" of the show, I understand why. I've stuck it out to because of four seasons of experience with the characters, but I'm having similar feelings like I did with Drop Dead Diva, and that is, that I wish it would end. I don't want to stop watching while it continues, because I know I'd be curious to know what's happening, yet I wish I could stop cold turkey. None of the characters interest me anymore. I loved when Arthur ran the CIA too and hated when he left. Although seems like at this last ep, he is back in with the CIA. Seems Joan pulled some strings, but it happened so fast without giving us a proper time to see it coming. I didn't like how they brought him back in, even though I do want him back in

Sorry if I ranted. I'm just so disappointed in it now and wish it would just go away. lol. There's no turning back to the sweet relationship with Auggie (not girlfriend/boyfriend - I never wanted that), but I did like the easy friendship they had.

The ability to always see the worst in people and situations is often a hiding place for fear.

[–] Chops-4 10 years ago

Although these comments are justified, it is a show for entertainment purposes. In real life events wouldn't unfold so rapidly and conveniently, but it makes good entertainment.

[–] Seltheus 10 years ago

I just recently started watching too, though I started with S1E1 and went on from there but I completely agree. If you bother to watch from the beginning...the whole show starts out that way. They even introduce Mossad spies etc. and all of them, including every single CIA agent in the show, behaves and "works" like a person who just read a spy novel and wants to try it in RL. Especially during the early episodes...Annies combat skills and tailing/car chases etc. are just so horribly portrayed that the show just completely fails on the credibility of actual "CIA operatives"...

If you're looking for actual authentic "spy credibility stories" then Covert Affairs is the wrong show. The production values in terms of the whole spy stuff just seems to be very low, which is also shown in horrible editing in car chases and stuff. Also a lot of the green screen work is terrible.

But I realized pretty soon that that is not what the show is trying to be. The CIA thing is more of a setting, than the actual plotline, so they don't put too much effort into portraying the "CIA life" reasonably authentic.
It's more of a watch these guys do stuff and either you like the guys doing stuff, or you don't, but if you're looking for "good CIA" portrayal, this show is not for you.