Covert Affairs: Season One [DVD] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

Finally, a TV show about a female spy that ISN'T all about dressing her in sexy clothing. Instead, "Covert Affairs" is all about a young CIA agent's adventures, as she carries out taut, action-packed missions. It's an enjoyable, promising little series, and Piper Perabo makes an enjoyably earnest young agent.

Annie Walker (Perabo) is undergoing training to be a CIA agent, and trying to forget her last romance -- her boyfriend Ben (Eion Baile) vanished without a trace, and she hasn't been able to find him.

Then she's suddenly pulled out of the program, stationed in Washington, and sent out into the field to use her linguistic skills. So when she isn't trying to have a semi-normal social life and spending time with her sister's family, Annie is diving into some very hard missions under the guidance of blind agent Auggie (Christopher Gorham).

She has to deal with a boy-genius, a deadly Venezuelan agent, a disastrous Zurich mission, a Senatorial leak, a computer hacker who wreck's D.C.'s communications, an Iranian refugee, smugglers, an art auction.... and the return of her former lover. At the same time, her bosses have discovered that someone inside the CIA is leaking information to a muckraking journalist.

Disclaimer: I am not a CIA agent, and I don't know what it's like to be one. But I assume that "Covert Affairs" is a pretty good dramatic depiction of that agency -- there are some obvious flaws (husbands and wives cannot work together in government agencies), but it FEELS much more realistic than many other shows' depictions of the CIA.

Every episode has a nice tight mesh of action, drama, and a bit of humor, as Annie grapples with life-threatening scenarios, hails of bullets, villainous agents and the possible deaths of innocents. But somehow she always manages to save the day, and the writers make sure to stay connected to her life with her family (such as when Annie's sister tries to set her up on a date).

It also helps that Piper Perabo makes a really likable heroine -- Annie is a very earnest, sensible, kind young protagonist, but she also can kick butt. Gorham is a pretty awesome sidekick for her, especially since it's rare to see a disabled person in a TV show like this one. And we have some solid performances by Peter Gallagher and Kari Matchett as Annie's bosses (who are also stormily married), and the megahot Sendhil Ramamurthy.

"Covert Affairs Season One" is a tight, action-packed little series with a likable heroine and some solid stories. Give it a try, and tune in next season.

I purchased this Season 1, based purely on the reviews at amazon. This is was a real gem of a tv show. As soon as I finished watching season 1 I ordered Season 2. Good Character based show that said the stories in both season 1 and 2 are good even the weaker episodes are entertaining. An Inventive show worth spending your money on. Piper Perabo is a very good lead character, that said the entire cast make the show. I cannot wait to buy season 3

I saw an add for this and thought "give it a go". Love it. Have had to buy season 2 already and will be getting season 3 when got a few quid to spare.