Wednesday Movies! - Actually Not a Movie this week.

I was going to try to see SALT this week but I was foiled by two things. 1) Salt was not eligible for the 5 dollar ticket price and 2) three of my friends wanted to see Inception. It should speak volumes that I went to see this movie twice. If you want my complete opinion see my review HERE

Instead I am going to review a new summer TV show:

I realize the coincidence that both my intended review, Salt, and Covert Affairs are based around hot chicks who work for the CIA.

First off allow me to say I am biased in favor of Covert Affairs for two reasons. 1) Most of USA's original shows are extremely entertaining and pure escapism. Which is perfect for me. When I watch TV it's as a little break between chores or homework. 2) Christopher Gorham. I mean look at him. He is a sexy sexy nerd:

Got to say ever since White Collar I'm a sucker for a man in a well fitted suit. 

Anyways onto the review:

The basic premise of the show is Piper Perabo is Annie Walker, a new CIA recruit with a gift for languages (she speaks six). Because of a broken heart she joins the CIA in order to marry herself to her job. She is pulled from her training at The Farm a month early for use of her language skills and her good looks. (Here's a game: Name a spy movie where the attractive female is not disguised as a stripper/prostitute/drunk slut etc.) Turns out after her first mission the CIA doesn't send her back to finish her training but keeps her on not just because of her performance but because there's a conspiracy regarding her previous lover afoot. 

Overall the show is cute. I don't think I have ever had to say that about an action based show or movie. But it's the only word that really fits. Piper has the same fish out of water but slowly discovering it has lungs behavior that she showed in Coyote Ugly (yes I watched it. I'm only mildly ashamed). Christopher Gorham is Auggie the blind tech guy who is kind of a player. Kari Matchett and Peter Gallagher are a married CIA  and seem to have the role of Mommy and Daddy to the field operatives. Unfortunately Mommy and Daddy don't have the healthiest relationship and I can see that is going to trickle down onto "the kids" in a negative way. Anne Dudek plays Piper's older sister who allows her to live in her guest house and creates the family tension (similar to John Goodman in Coyote Ugly). Since she has to remain unaware of Piper's true career she thinks that her sister is working for the Smithsonian.  

Cute still seems the right word. But in this case cute is all you need. There is a cute guy (plus a cute guy of the week for each mission), a cute main character, a cute family interaction (both at the CIA and between Piper and Anne) and somehow it kinda works for me. I'm not saying it's the best TV show ever but it does what I think decent TV should do, provide you with an hour of time in which you can just chill and watch the screen. It's better than a good 80% of what's on the tube anyways. 

My only suggestions are: Use Anne Dudek more she's a great actress and deserves more screen time. and put Piper in designer dresses and shoes (She wore a classic pair of Louboutin pumps in the pilot, jealous!) more often so I can live vicariously through her wardrobe.

Images from Starpulse.com, poptimal.com