Guest Post: Gugu Mbatha-Raw in New TV Spy Drama “Undercovers” Gets to Kick Some Serious Butt

Another guest post brought to you by the wonderful Phylis Z. Miller:

J.J. Abrams has taken the successful formula he used for the ABC TV drama series “Alias” and used a similar template, including a comic relief character, for his new fall NBC show “Undercovers,” of which I’ve seen the pilot co-written by show co-creator Josh Reims.

This time, though, also sprinkled in are bits of the Angelina Jolie-Brad Pitt film “Mrs. And Mrs. Smith,” in which the conceit is that both Angelina Jolie’s character and Brad Pitt’s character are assassins who don’t know about each other’s assassin career.

In “Undercovers” the husband and wife team (starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw, playing Samantha Bloom, and Boris Kodjoe, playing Steven Bloom) are not at each other’s throats but they are too tired for sex.

Former CIA agents (they met at “The Farm” – the CIA’s training center), they’ve been out of the agency for several years and are now running their own catering business.  A CIA representative comes knocking to ask them to find and rescue their former colleague because Samantha Bloom had been working with this agent when she left the agency.

Of course they say no way.

Then Samantha Bloom decides to say yes to the rescue mission before her husband says yes.  He, meanwhile, says he would do the mission if his wife isn’t told.  Oops, too late; she has already signed on.  And, anyway, where is he going to tell his wife he is going when he leaves town, especially with a major catering commission on hand?

Now I did find it somewhat of a disconnect when, in the middle of a very tense life-and-death situation, Samantha Bloom is on her cell advising her sister regarding problems at the catering event.  True, I know how much multitasking women do, but this much seems rather ridiculous.

Still, in “Undercovers” the wife gets to be as heroic as her husband, even though, when they are in Russia at the climax of their rescue mission, he does want her to remain safely behind.  (Of course she doesn’t.)

Then when their adrenaline kicks in – and they get their mojo back – they sign on permanently while keeping the catering business as their cover.

“Undercovers” will definitely add a nice dimension to the recent run of TV dramas with strong action heroines.  Gabrielle Anwar’s Fiona Glenanne in USA Network’s popular “Burn Notice” and Piper Perabo’s Annie Walker in USA Network’s new “Covert Affairs” also each get to kick some serious butt.

And here’s my personal CIA story:

While at Wharton getting an M.B.A., I applied to the CIA and filled out numerous copies of numerous forms on an electric typewriter.  But on the day that the CIA called inviting me down to CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, for a two-day interview process I had a change of heart.  I just couldn’t see myself, currently married with a house in Philly, as a CIA agent stationed in some end-of-the-world country.

To this day I regret at least not going for the two-day interview process.  And what really rankles me is that an episode of “Top Chef” this season takes place at Langley.  Talk about national security and need-to-know!



Phyllis Zimbler Miller (@ZimblerMiller on Twitter) writes about social media and military-related topics.  Her newest book is FOUR COMEDY SCREENPLAYS at http://budurl.com/4comedyscreenplays and her company has just launched the Quick Start Social Media Track at www.millermosaicllc.com/social-media-track