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Post by shmeep on May 24, 2010 14:58:40 GMT -5
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Post by inuvik on May 25, 2010 12:11:32 GMT -5
Yay! But I'm sure I won't be able to watch it here.  |
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Post by mlm828 on May 25, 2010 12:44:43 GMT -5
Thanks for posting this information, shmeep. I hadn't heard about this series but will check it out. It sounds as if it could either be very good or very bad.  |
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Post by inuvik on May 26, 2010 10:07:23 GMT -5
Too bad they didn't hire RE! This guy's eyes don't look very convincing. RE does the out of focus better than any other actor I have ever seen. Plus, wouldn't you guys like to see him every week again? |
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Post by mlm828 on Jul 21, 2010 17:25:34 GMT -5
I watched the first two episodes and enjoyed them. Good summertime viewing. I totally agree with shmeep's description of Christopher Gorham.  I like the fact that they are presenting the blind character, "Auggie," as a guy who happens to be blind, instead of A Blind Guy. However, I'm not sure why the writers chose to make this character a blind person. Perhaps that will become clearer in future episodes. I had to laugh when "Auggie" said he knew a woman was attractive by the way other men spoke to her. Sound familiar? |
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Post by shmeep on Jul 22, 2010 11:45:05 GMT -5
I also thought it was fun. Good Summer spy thriller with interesting characters. Auggie didn't play blind very well in the first episode. He just kept staring at one thing no matter how he moved his head. This bugged me a little. Also, they waaaay overdid the super senses, having him name obscure women's fragrances. Still, he's a good character and the second episode made him much more human. He and the main character have great chemistry and he is improving at playing blind. I loved him tutoring her on fight moves. That scene was fabulous.
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Post by inuvik on Jul 22, 2010 12:17:52 GMT -5
You guys are making me jealous! I wish I could see this show! |
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Post by shmeep on Aug 26, 2010 8:45:23 GMT -5
This week's episode was a particularly good one--maybe because Auggie, the blind character, was heavily featured. Christopher Gorham is getting very good at playing blind and this week's performance was amazing. Here are a couple of clips--not his best in the episode, but they set up the story a bit: www.movieweb.com/news/NEfwBJjOq8LpioHope it shows up in Canada! And for the more shallow among us, here is a different take on the episode: ausiellofiles.ew.com/2010/08/12/video-covert-affairs-chris-gorham-sex/Here's a fun little moment from a previous episode: The guy who joins them at the end of the conversation is the son of the man Annie and Auggie are gossiping about. More eye candy. Mohinder from Heroes. I'm really enjoying this show, although it would be more interesting with more Auggie. It's not just that he's a blind character, he's funnier and more interesting than the lead--and can act circles around her. Oh well. Small doses of him are better than nothing and I suspect this show will be around for a while. It's doing very well. This particular episode did particularly well and the pro-Auggie sentiment is strong out there so hopefully the writers will take note and give the guy more air time. Heres a little review about just that: www.tvovermind.com/cable/usa/covert-affairs-cable/covert-affairs-107-communication-breakdown-review/28763 |
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Post by inuvik on Aug 26, 2010 16:14:59 GMT -5
I don't receive this show over the air, so haven't seen it. What is that thing he is often carrying? It almost seems like a little black cane.
I'm surprised how he dresses so casually. The rest of his co-workers look great! You'd think he would be in a suit too.
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Post by mlm828 on Aug 26, 2010 19:38:18 GMT -5
I don't receive this show over the air, so haven't seen it. Full episodes are available on the USA Network's Covert Affairs site, but I don't know if they are available to viewers in Canada. What is that thing he is often carrying? It almost seems like a little black cane. It's supposed to be some kind of high-tech laser cane. He only uses it at the CIA. Elsewhere, he uses a standard white cane. This week's episode was a particularly good one--maybe because Auggie, the blind character, was heavily featured. Christopher Gorham is getting very good at playing blind and this week's performance was amazing. I totally agree. His acting in this week's episode showed a lot of range and emotion. I'm really enjoying this show, although it would be more interesting with more Auggie. It's not just that he's a blind character, he's funnier and more interesting than the lead--and can act circles around her. Again, I agree, but with some reservations. Auggie is the most interesting character, and he's also the most fully-developed and layered character. Maybe the writers find him the most interesting character, too. I'm hopeful, too, that we'll see more of Auggie in future episodes, because there are a couple of story lines involving him that need to be continued. I suspect the affair with the reporter is not going to end well. Still, I think TPTB have to be cautious about expanding Auggie's role too much. Unfortunately, I don't think a show focused on Auggie would ultimately be successful, despite Chris Gorham's excellent performance in the role. We all know what happened to another show whose main character was blind. Another character I am liking more and more is Annie and Auggie's boss, Joan. I like her way of playing a female authority figure. I also like her interactions with Auggie. I wonder if there is a backstory there (professional, not romantic) and if so, whether we will ever learn what it is. Like a lot of viewers of the show, I am finding the main character, Annie, less interesting than several of the supporting characters (not only Auggie). I am uncertain whether it's because of the way the character is written or the way the actress is playing her or both. I just have less sense of who she is as a person than is the case with Auggie or Joan. Anne Dudek (whom you may remember as "Amber" on House, M.D.) is seriously underutilized in the role of Annie's sister. I hope the writers find something more interesting for her to do than simply being the sister who doesn't know Annie works for the CIA. I do enjoy the bits that could have been taken from Blind Justice (but probably weren't), for example, the "don't move the furniture in the blind guy's office" bit from this week's episode, or Auggie telling Annie he knows whether a woman is attractive by how other men talk to her (as mentioned in an earlier post). I also like the fact that, unlike in Blind Justice, none of Auggie's co-workers seem to have a problem with working with a blind guy. BTW, in case you hadn't heard, it has been picked up for a second season, so we will be seeing more of Auggie, one way or another. |
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Post by shmeep on Aug 26, 2010 21:28:47 GMT -5
I'm surprised how he dresses so casually. The rest of his co-workers look great! You'd think he would be in a suit too. This is actually quite authentic. I've worked in agencies all over DC--not CIA, but I have worked at NSA and DLA and DHS--all in the intelligence community--and one thing I've noticed is that the executives and managers and people with more typical jobs dress up while the techies and the scientists wear whatever they want. Auggie's attire is perfectly appropriate for someone working in IT. I've almost never seen a techie in DC wearing a suit--or even dress pants. As we find out in this weeks episode, Auggie is acutely aware of what people wear and what each kind of outfit represents. My husband is a budget analyst at NASA and, before that, he worked at a rather scary secretive agency in the intelligence community (not CIA, but similar) and he almost never wore a suit--and he loves wearing suits. His NASA job is all jeans and collared shirts and he only dressed slightly better at the intelligence job. It makes sense that Annie and Jai, who are not techies, dress in suits. Mlm, I agree with you about Joan. Love the actress, love her character. I'm not fond of how all she wears are variations of the exact same cocktail dress, but she is fabulous. She treats Auggie with a lot of respect and fondness and their interactions make me wonder about their past. There's something there when they talk. She knows him very well and is willing to stick her neck out for him, despite being hard-nosed about it. I also agree that Cutthroat Bitch is being so underused. And that Annie is an uninspiring and underdeveloped character. I don't mind the actress. I think she does fine with what she's been given, but her part is not written with much personality. I'm sure a better actress could add more layers, but she's plenty likable. Then again, if you go back to all the layers and nuances whenever Auggie and Joan talk--or even Auggie and Jai sometimes--it makes me realize that these people are far better actors for being able to make us wonder about all that back story. The only backstory we have on Annie is the one about the boyfriend nobody cares about and we were never given the chance to be very curious because that part of the story is shown in flashbacks. Yes, the Auggie/Joan stuff has to be interesting. Even if the writers didn't know it at the time, they must have realized it after watching those scenes and picking up on the hints the actors provided. I read one theory online that Joan is the leak and that Auggie is faking blindness as part of a deep cover. I really really hope that isn't true. It's just as likely Auggie is the leak--maybe not intentionally. Yeah, that can't end well with Liza Hearn. I'm not so sure an Auggie-centric show would fail--not on the USA network. They don't need the same kinds of numbers as a regular channel gets. Blind Justice was floundering with 6-8 million viewers a week while Covert Affairs just had a record week this week at around 2 million. I think if Blind Justice had been on cable to begin with, it would have done quite well. A lot of people really liked it. Unfortunately, it had to be on ABC. Oh well. Inuvik, are you able to at least watch the clips of the show or is everything blocked? Just curious. I'm sure this'll be out on DVD before you know it. |
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Post by shmeep on Aug 26, 2010 21:45:25 GMT -5
I do enjoy the bits that could have been taken from Blind Justice (but probably weren't), for example, the "don't move the furniture in the blind guy's office" bit from this week's episode, or Auggie telling Annie he knows whether a woman is attractive by how other men talk to her (as mentioned in an earlier post). I also like the fact that, unlike in Blind Justice, none of Auggie's co-workers seem to have a problem with working with a blind guy. I meant to comment on this, too. Auggie's situation is so much different. No one at the CIA carries a gun, for one thing. Also, he is working with the same people who knew him before when he could see and is doing a job that is clearly not something people think is too unusual for a blind person--and doing it well. He has their respect because he's smart. With Blind Justice, the point was that Jim was doing a job no one thought a blind person could do and in an antagonistic environment that made up much of the conflict in the show. Auggie isn't the main source of conflict in this show. He's often used as comic relief or support or as the source of information (since he always seems to know more than anyone else does). He's the person who always makes things better for Annie so the entire dynamic is completely different from anything we saw on Blind Justice. And about the bits that could have been taken out of Blind Justice...One of my favorite scenes was Auggie dealing with the aftermath of that slobby guy taking over his workspace and moving things around. "Dude, a blind guy works here!" as he walks into his chair and then the look of disgust on his face when that guy hurriedly grabs a bag of potato chips off of Auggie's desk. Very funny. Then, at the end of a tense scene between Auggie and Joan, Auggie finds an empty soda can on his desk and, when he goes to throw it away, he hears it hit the floor because his trash can has been moved. Very funny and well done and a perfect bit of comic relief. |
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Post by inuvik on Aug 27, 2010 15:30:53 GMT -5
Inuvik, are you able to at least watch the clips of the show or is everything blocked? Just curious. I'm sure this'll be out on DVD before you know it. I've seen the clips, but without sound--that is just the computers that I use. |
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Post by mlm828 on Aug 29, 2010 19:27:27 GMT -5
Mlm, I agree with you about Joan. Love the actress, love her character. I'm not fond of how all she wears are variations of the exact same cocktail dress, but she is fabulous. About Joan's wardrobe: I can shrug off the plunging necklines, because it's TV and that's what they do on TV. But they could at least dress her well. Some of her dresses look not very well made and kind of cheesy. And, really, who has a closet full of almost identical dresses? I read one theory that she was wearing sleeveless dresses because she was going through menopause. But if that's the case, where are the mood swings? Just sayin'. She treats Auggie with a lot of respect and fondness and their interactions make me wonder about their past. There's something there when they talk. She knows him very well and is willing to stick her neck out for him, despite being hard-nosed about it. But she is going to be majorly pissed off at him, I predict, when she finds out about his freelance operation with the reporter. I read one theory online that Joan is the leak and that Auggie is faking blindness as part of a deep cover. I really really hope that isn't true. So do I. Having Auggie faking blindness would just be a gimmicky cop-out, especially since his blindness is becoming part of the story line re his desire to do field work. I could be wrong, but I doubt any of the main characters will turn out to be the leak. I don't think they want to write out any of them, and I would think that the leak, if caught, would be going away for a long time (unless, of course, he's the Vice President and has someone willing to take the fall for him). I kind of expect suspicion will fall on one or more of the main characters, but the leak may end up being someone else. I'm hoping it will be the shlubby guy who moved the furniture in Auggie's office while Auggie was away. It's also possible there is more than one person involved in the leak, since Liza told Auggie she had "sources." Auggie's situation is so much different. No one at the CIA carries a gun, for one thing. Also, he is working with the same people who knew him before when he could see and is doing a job that is clearly not something people think is too unusual for a blind person--and doing it well. He has their respect because he's smart. With Blind Justice, the point was that Jim was doing a job no one thought a blind person could do and in an antagonistic environment that made up much of the conflict in the show. Auggie isn't the main source of conflict in this show. He's often used as comic relief or support or as the source of information (since he always seems to know more than anyone else does). He's the person who always makes things better for Annie so the entire dynamic is completely different from anything we saw on Blind Justice. I agree, for the reasons you've stated. I just like that they're presenting a situation where no one thinks it's a big deal to have a blind co-worker. That said, I do see some parallels, such as Auggie's desire to do field work and Jim's desire to keep carrying a gun. It's a loose parallel, both characters wanting to do something that others think they can't or shouldn't do. The difference being, of course, that Auggie isn't considered fit to do field work (except, apparently, for unusual situations like this week's episode), while Jim was allowed to carry a gun, albeit after fighting to do so. |
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Post by mlm828 on Sept 15, 2010 20:04:13 GMT -5
Covert Affairs wrapped up its first season last night with two episodes which were among the most entertaining of the season. Warning: spoilers follow. If you haven't yet seen the show and don't want to be "spoiled," this is the place to stop reading.Last night's episodes seemed to me to be the most like a spy drama so far - the intrigue, the back-stabbing, not knowing whom to trust, and so forth. I was particularly interested in how the leak story line unfolded. The viewers now know who the leak is (or one of them), but the folks at the CIA still don't. I am still trying to figure out why he is trying to discredit Arthur. I get that he was the "black ops" guy and his retirement probably was not exactly voluntary. But is it a personal vendetta against Arthur, or does he think he can somehow get his old job (now held by Arthur) back if Arthur is discredited? Or both? I was kind of surprised Liza (the reporter) agreed to meet Auggie, although I guess the return of each other's belongings after the break-up was a plausible reason (been there, done that  -- but I digress). What was up with Auggie discovering the toothbrush wasn't his? And did he plant some kind of electronic gizmo in Liza's belongings before returning them? I would be very disappointed in our Auggie if he didn't. I will also be interested to see what if anything he does about having been played by Arthur - surely there will be some fallout from that. All in all, it looks as if there are some interesting things for the second season to build on. Too bad we have to wait until next summer for it. I am still not sold on the story line about Annie's sister not knowing she works for the CIA. But the scene with Auggie and the third graders in the museum kind of made it worth it!  Please tell me the Annie-Ben story line is over. Please. Edited to add the screencap.
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-- but I digress). What was up with Auggie discovering the toothbrush wasn't his? And did he plant some kind of electronic gizmo in Liza's belongings before returning them? I would be very disappointed in our Auggie if he didn't. I will also be interested to see what if anything he does about having been played by Arthur - surely there will be some fallout from that.