Covert Affairs returns to Showcase TV for season number three

By Mike Cohen, October 12th, 2012

Three summers ago I was with my family in the States. Flicking we channels we came across the USA Network and an intriguing show called Covert Affairs, focusing on Annie Walker (Piper Perabo, Coyote Ugly),  a young CIA trainee who is thrust into the inner sanctum of the agency when she is unexpectedly promoted to field operative.
Well we watched the first couple of episodes while across the border, but with no USA network here in Canada  that appeared to be the end the viewing for us. However, Showcase Canada soon came to the rescue as the Canadian broadcaster of the series. We watched the  first two seasons loyally and eagerly awaited this week’s   season premiere on Thursday, October 11 (10 p.m.).
Covert Affairs, it turns out, is actually filmed in Toronto. The gorgeous Perabo co-stars with Christopher Gorham (Ugly Betty), who portrays Auggie Anderson, a CIA military intelligence agent, blinded while on assignment. Annie’s guides in this world of bureaucracy, excitement and intrigue are Peter Gallagher (The O.C., American Beauty) as Arthur Campbell, the formidable Director of Clandestine Services for the CIA and Kari Matchett (Invasion). The latter plays Joan, head of the CIA’s Domestic Protection Division who happens to be married to Arthur.   Anne Dudek (House, Mad Men)  is Annie’s older sister and landlord while Sendhil Ramamurthy is Jai Wilcox, another CIA operative who in the season two finale turned in his father as a leak in the organization.
During the first two seasons Annie has squeeked herself out of umteen near death experiences while travelling the globe on “covert” missions. In season two she was sent to Paris to cultivate a new asset, investigated the leak of  a CIA trainee’s name, ducked away from assassins,  survived capture by a secret police officer from the former Soviet Union, impersonated a television reporter during a hostage crisis, befriended the  brother of a Basque separatist, works hand in hand with  Eyal Lavin of the Israeli Mossad and agents from M16 a all the while trying to utilize her main cover as an acquisitions officer for the Smithsonian Institute.
Sure, the storylines are pretty unrealistic as are Annie’s predicaments. Her sister, who by the end  of season two was finally told that the Smithsonian was a cover for the CIA, is an extraordinarily annoying character. Annie cannot keep a relationship going, including one with a real “catch” of a doctor because of her job. Auggie may not be able to see, yet in one episode he managed to capture a terrorist all by himself and he continually ends up in intimate relationships with the most beautiful of girls. At the end of season two Annie finally realized that perhaps the man she really cared for was Auggie. But that apppeared to come a little too late as he was off  to Africa to chase  his new love who had gone to serve in the Peace Corps.
The season premiere Thursday proved to be quite a shocker as Jai was killed when a car bomb went off in his vehicle. Annie was saved from this fate only because she left her umbrella in the restaurant they met at.