MovieChat Forums > Covert Affairs (2010) Discussion > First impressions

First impressions

posted 10 years ago by napierslogs
6 replies | jump to latest

So I just started the show, but I don't want any spoilers. So I decided to a start a thread for fellow first-timers or people who remember/want to discuss their initial thoughts.

Currently, I have finished up to Ep. 9 of Season 1.

In the pilot, and episodes following, I didn't care for the flashbacks with Ben Mercer. But I really like Annie. She's a lot of fun - she's a great mix of smart, but awkward, and capable, but a little flighty. I've always liked Piper Perabo, so I should have known I would like this show, but I didn't know much about it and never realized she was the lead.

In the pilot, I assumed that Conrad was the short-term love interest and Auggie would be her long-term love interest. But then in the second episode, Conrad was replaced by Jai, but she didn't seem to have the same immediate attraction to Jai as she did to Conrad so I'm not as sure, and it could always be a platonic friendship with Auggie (but I hope not, and I doubt it). And the fact that Jai knew Ben Mercer could drastically change his relationship with Annie which is looking like the budding romance I was first expecting (at least with Conrad, who is now Jai for all intents and purposes), but that could change now.

I love Auggie. At first, I was really nervous that he was the leak, much less nervous now since it doesn't look like he is. But either way, he's a great character and Christopher Gorham is just killing it. It can be hard with characters with disabilities that they don't pour on the sympathy and over do it, but he doesn't demand sympathy at all, and he's capable in so many ways. And I love that he's a ladies' man - more so than Jai appears to be, even though they love pointing out how handsome Jai is.
(Aside - In university there was a guy in wheelchair who I had classes with and was in the same residence, who had all of the women in love with him. Every day, he had a gaggle of women all around him, wanting to carry his books, help him through buildings, buy and carry his lunch, he probably went on a date with a girl every night. He was kind of cute but his disability really increased his attractiveness for most of the girls. Auggie is similar and seems very realistic.)

The show kind of reminds me of Madam Secretary, or a much better/more interesting version of State of Affairs. But other than that, I can't really think of anything similar. It seems to have found it's own niche - in which case it should have lasted longer.

I finished Psych which I unexpectedly loved and everybody was recommending Chuck as the next best show to that but I hated the pilot, but when I saw Piper Perabo on the cover of Covert Affairs and decided to try it instead and I'm glad I did, because I'm liking it so far.

And just a reminder - no spoilers, please!

My film reviews site: www.FilmGateReviews.com

[–] Andrejia05 10 years ago

Glad you're enjoying the show. I won't say more about it because I have already finished the series, but I love to see ot through a new viewer's eyes. So please, keep the posts coming :)

That tidbit about your colleague in a wheelchair is rather interesting, given that people kept debating how realistic Auggie really is. If his badassery (!), as seen in 107, can be explained by his training (Special Forces is no piece of cake), the fact that all -most- women seem to be attracted to him was open for debate.

I mean, he's good looking, very smart & fun (doesn't dwell on his shortcomings), but in reality, just how many women would be so open to dating a blind guy?

But then again, it's a show, so every character of the opposite sex is going to be drawn like crazy to the main character(s)...

[–] napierslogs 10 years ago

Thanks for the response!

I'm near the end of season 3 now. I still like the show but more things are frustrating me.

How many foreign spies is Annie going to fall in love with? (rhetorical question). Lena read her spot-on. Simon is just Ben all over again and Eyal (currently platonic but I can't imagine it staying that way much longer) isn't any different. And Joan warning Annie not to trust him and that her friends are here, is not going to help. It's just going to drive her further towards Eyal. The writers are handling her character well even if I don't like that part of her. She started out as an adventure-seeking romantic and that nature of her character is still front and center.

But I am an unapologetic Annie and Auggie lover, and I hate how Annie has not been there for Auggie. She helped save him in Eritrea, but emotionally, and in D.C., she has been completely oblivious to his needs. And she was the one that figured out her feelings for him first! It looks like they'll always get their friendship back on track, but I wish she was a much better friend. But I really appreciated how they used Auggie's proposal to Parker to Annie blurring the lines with Simon.

just how many women would be so open to dating a blind guy?

I think the thing with Auggie (and many real-life men with disabilities) is that more women are attracted to them for one night, but not long-term. I think he's been blind for 5 years now - and I think he's developed his ladies' man swagger as an emotional crutch to shield himself from the realization that it is harder for him to attract a woman for real. Which, in addition to Jai's death, was one of the reasons for his quick proposal to Parker. She was probably his only real girlfriend since his accident. All of the girls that we see flirting with him are probably only doing it for the night. Same with the guy in a wheelchair that I knew - it was always different women. Most probably didn't last more than a day or two, and a new gaggle of women would form around him.

My film reviews site: www.FilmGateReviews.com

[–] Andrejia05 10 years ago

You are right about Auggie and connections, I haven't thought of that.

As for Annie and her universal charm, yeah, that became a bit tiresome. At first, I just took it as part of the CA universe (and not only, because a lot of shows tend to exaggerate the leading gal's or guy's sex appeal), but as of S3+, she (and McQuaid) became quite the Mary Sue.

Other weren't flawless, far from it.

Did you finish the show, by any chance? :)

[–] margotlorena 10 years ago

I just started watching the show too. I watched maybe 3 or 4 chapters and I don't know if I want to watch more. The show is not doing it for me. I find it terribly unrealistic. The blind guy with the cane? I don't buy it. reading braille that fast?
The case where she goes as a hooker to a hotel to copy a cellphone. She gets shot at and flees the scene. A while later she comes back to finish copying the cellphone data, talks to a detective, and tells him she came back for the shoes and takes them away with her! from a crime scene! and he lets her!!!I thought, at that point "this show is really really stupid"
I know the first episode was the pilot, but they quickly replaced the tall dude for that indian dude and I didn't like it at all. I didn't like the boss using the agency resources to spy on the husband. ANd I didnt buy her falling in love and saying with that guy at the beach, for such a short time they knew each other. I can't even remember the names of the characters or places or anything.
So, I don't think I will be watching it anymore.

[–] artlbruce 10 years ago

I just started watching episode 1 first season, so far not impressed. They compared this to Alias and Nikita two kick ass TV shows,so I was expecting something similar. Not happy with what I'm seeing.

[–] mousemiister 10 years ago

I was a huge fan of Alias as well as covert affairs if you watched Alias all five seasons it revolved around a 200 yr old mystery wknd some of it was more fantasy then reality so in comparison Covert affairs was more realistic