1 Topic by WilliamDrakeMcGregor

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Topic: CIA

CIA
https://static.next-episode.net/tv-shows-images/huge/cia.jpg

Follows two unlikely partners - a fast-talking, rule-breaking loose cannon CIA case officer and a by-the-book, seasoned and smart FBI agent who believes in the rule of law. When this odd couple are assigned to work out of CIA's New York Station, they must learn to work together to investigate cases and criminals posing threats on U.S. soil, finding that their differences may actually be their strength.

I was looking forward to this, Tom Ellis as a CIA agent...and the trailer was good as well...
But that first episode...wow...absolutely horrible.

The actors performances are lackluster and everyone looks bored. Not only that, the acting is also not very good - especially from the two leads Tom Ellis and Nick Gehlfuss. I expected more from them.

Everything the premise promises, from the "fast-talking, rule-breaking loose cannon" to the "odd couple" is non-existent.
The differences between the two characters are seemingly only because the script says so...without anything to back it up. When they argue I have no idea why and what they are really arguing about - nothing that happened gives cause for this.

Gonna give it one more episode...

Deserved more runtime:
Abbys | Dead Like Me | Devs | Firefly | Gangsta. | Jack of all Trades | Kevin (probably) saves the World | Lodge 49 | Mrs. Davis | NYC 22 | Powerless | Roadkill | Special Unit 2 | Stumptown | Surface | The Brave | The Crazy Ones | The Finder | The Middleman | Truth Seekers | Two Weeks to Live | Whiskey Cavalier

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2 Reply by Wizard

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Re: CIA

It wasn't the best first episode ever, but it it as OK.

As WilliamDrakeMcGregor said, I'll give it one more episode.

DRM "manages access" in the same way that Prison "manages freedom".
http://xkcd.com/488/

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3 Reply by Phenjamin

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Re: CIA

I agree.  I thought it was just OK.  First episodes can be tough to get everything set up and still tell a good story.

Since it was the first episode, it was good enough for me to give it one more episode to see if it gets better.

Here's hoping.

4 Reply by TeaAndApathy

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Re: CIA

It was...OK. I saw the name Dick Wolf. I believe he does the Chicago Med/Fire series. At the end, it was clear this will follow a common trope, i.e. a further mystery threading thru the season or series. My main gripe is that so much seemed fake and unbelievable. I'll give it another episode. Then we'll see. I expected Tom Ellis to play another version of Lucifer. It was nice he didn't.

5 Reply by g371

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Re: CIA

A nice touch to bring up Havana Syndrome in the first episode to trigger PTSD for real CIA. The rest solid 3/10, a multi layered cringe.

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6 Reply by WilliamDrakeMcGregor

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Re: CIA

Second Episode didn't change my mind...this show is not for me.

What exactly makes this show "CIA" ? - This feels more like special division of the FBI or something.
I actually think the only reason they pretend to be a CIA operation is to make it look like they have less resources available on U.S. soil - no big investigation, CSI oder SWAT teams...just a small group of blah, blah, blah.

Tom Ellis character is supposed to be a "loose cannon" but comes across more boring than Nick Gehlfuss character. They somehow managed to make these two characters almost exactly the same...doesn't really work well.

Deserved more runtime:
Abbys | Dead Like Me | Devs | Firefly | Gangsta. | Jack of all Trades | Kevin (probably) saves the World | Lodge 49 | Mrs. Davis | NYC 22 | Powerless | Roadkill | Special Unit 2 | Stumptown | Surface | The Brave | The Crazy Ones | The Finder | The Middleman | Truth Seekers | Two Weeks to Live | Whiskey Cavalier

https://next-episode.net/user/WilliamDrakeMcGregor/

7 Reply by SgtSaint

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Re: CIA

s01e02 - (As i watch it)

  • Bill Goodman character feels exactly like Dr. Holstead during his "renegade doctor" phase on Chicago Med.  Same delivery of lines etc.  Which isn't a bad thing per sae: John Wayne was famous but every character was exactly the same whether it was a cowboy, soldier or detective. Just shows the actor does a type but not a lot of range.  Probably good so long as he doesn't stray.

  • Boss lady made a pretty huge leap in logic going from

    ▼Spoiler

    Catch one bad guy, to "dismantle their entire network"

  • Decent prosthetic work sewing up the wound

  • I agree with @WilliamDrakeMcGregor about both lead character feeling like a good match, not opposites.  They are less oil/water than we saw in Lethal Weapon that's for sure.

  • Boss lady did a decent job of playing shy.  First time I've seen that actress do a meek scene.

  • ▼Spoiler

    How did they not see it was the water that was spiked when she didn't drink it.  So much for trained agents.

  • Most of the plot points were equally predictable as the other shows of this genre: Not worse, not better.

  • I'm never a fan of magic tech but way too many shows do it (See SWAT)

  • Another generic gripe that this show falls into like 20 others regardless of genre, everyone acts like nobody has cameras these days.  Just wander around houses snooping... wander around the bad guy's lair and back offices... like nobody heard about so much as a nanny cam.

  • At least they look around when in unfamiliar buidlings. It always annoys me when agents know exactly where to go in a building they've never been in before

  • ▼Spoiler

    The renegade cowboy unpredictable agent is the one that gets the calm negotiator, connect with the bad guy on a deep human level speech?

    - Whisky Tango Foxtrot?

  • ▼Spoiler

    Catching one mid-level bad guy gets them 3 cells?  The very nature of *cells* is to stop that sort of thing. That's the whole point of a single 'handler'.

Feels like most of the other shows in this genre.  Ya have to suspend reality when watching TV.  Other than "The Pitt" the medical shows are wrong... Police shows... Whatever.

Well... Not every sci-fi can be "The Expanse" and not every espinage show can be "The Night Agent" or the Bourne franchise.

8 Reply by TeaAndApathy

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Re: CIA

@SgtSaint
You made a few points I noticed myself and, yeah, I'm out.

9 Reply by scushman

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Re: CIA

Agree on all points. Done watching it.

10 Reply by TeaAndApathy

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Re: CIA

Renewed for season 2. {shrug}
https://deadline.com/2026/03/cia-renewe … 236762981/

11 Reply by SgtSaint

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Re: CIA

Most recent episode (s01e06) felt like the writers flipped who's character was the voice of reason and who was the renegade.  Suddenly the CIA agent is the optimist FBI agent GoodMan is the cynic.  I get that it kinda makes sense because its CIA's informant and therefore CIA needs to be supporting his informant - but it felt flipped.

Oh - ya know what - It really felt like actor Nick Gehlfuss was being his renegade character from Chicago Med. Personally I never liked that about that character or that era of Chicago Med, where doctors were going rogue. And that's exactly how he feels here.  Maybe the actor really doesn't have the range to do much else; like he's really only got one delivery style.

It was nice to see some other actor cross over in both directions of FBI <-> CIA.