Watching: Covert Affairs

If I knew something about this show before I started watching it, I might have actually started before the sixth episode aired. It's an action CIA spy with Piper Perabo, who has been in many things I've never seen like Coyote Ugly and Beverly Hills Chihuahua. The important thing, though, that would have made me watch it immediately day negative one is Doug Liman, who directed The Bourne Identity, as well as the stylish but dumb Mr. and Mrs. Smith. He's one of the EPs on this show. I'm a fan of his work, even if he directed Jumper.

When I think of spy TV shows, I immediately think of Alias. It really seems like a lot of this show comes from there - early Alias seasons concerned Jennifer Garner's Sydney having to keep her identity a secret, and general logistics of being a modern-day spy. It's similar here, but Covert Affairs mixes it up with some goofy humor and politics in place of the weird magical Rimbaldi and conspiracy elements of Alias. It definitely seems like it's actually set it some kind of reality, even if it's a goofier one. Also, Piper Perabo reminds me a lot of Jennifer Garner, just in general; she even kind of looks like her.

It's definitely one to watch - I can see it being very entertaining in the future as things get more complicated. The show's been renewed for season 2, so I guess it's a hit.