Courtesy of creator J.J. Abrams, ‘Undercovers’, a new action dramedy about a husband and wife duo, who return to their jobs as super-spies for the CIA.
After five years away, which saw them settling into a boring life as caterers, Steven Bloom (Boris Kodjoe) and his wife Samantha (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) are agents, who are re-activated to find Leo Nash (Carter MacIntyre), an old friend.
Combining the action of an ‘Alias’ and the romantic elements of ‘Felicity’, two shows that were also masterminds of Abrams, the show is filled with positives.
As the Blooms, Kodjoe and Mbatha-Raw are both good looking, charming and engaging as leads, and while the roles clearly weren’t written to be played by African-Americans, overall, the risky casting choices work.
Abrams has always pushed the boundaries of television and the characters that he has chosen to display, and his choice of diverse casting here is not only smart, but for the most part, it comes across as an authentic effort by the actors.
Another positive factor, it that although the Blooms know about each other’s spy-filled pasts, they don’t actually have a complete knowledge of each other’s histories, which means they learn more about each other through their missions.
As shown in the first episode, Steven learns that Samantha was romantically involved with Nash, and one can only imagine, what will be in store for these two, if the discoveries remain this intense as their journey unfolds.
FINAL VERDICT
‘Undercovers’, is visibly a show that will draw comparisons from ‘Alias’, ‘Lost’, ‘24’ and the feature film ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith’, and while they each embody a piece of its puzzle, the show does find an identity of it’s own.
The action sequences are well-executed, there is an element of mystery and the leads each provide the sexual intrigue needed for their characters. (B-)
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