Review: Undercovers

NBC's Undercovers starring Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw

I watched Undercovers last night. Two Black leads on a major network in an action/drama. Historic! We haven't seen a Black lead performing in this kind of role since Dr. Bill Cosby was on I Spy in the 1960's!
Yeah, it's been that long!

Now, I get that the show can be compared to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in "Mr. and Mrs. Smith."  They are similar.  Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw play a married couple who are "Retired" CIA field agents. They own a struggling restaurant and are both called back to active duty to complete one mission.

Now, the show is produced by JJ Abrams, cool! The show has car chases, stuff blowing up, exotic locations, some light comedy relief and most importantly two very good actors who also happen to the very definition of Eye Candy!

Problem! For Boris Kodjoe, that's the problem with Undercovers! Style over substance! Years ago, he was casted alongside his real life wife "Nicole Parker" in 2005's UPN produced "The Second Time Around." That show suffered cause it had NO PLOT, NO SCRIPT! But damn, those Black People were Pretty! Nicole Ari Parker, Melissa Desousas, Danielle Nicolet! All EYE CANDY! No substance, no plot, weak, wooden characters! This show suffers from the same thing.

If a Black Couple were as purdie as these two and owned a restaurant they would be a very PUBLIC couple. They would be featured in UPTOWN magazine, on the cover of VIBE, they'd be at parties with Russell Simmons.  Chef G. Garvin and The Neely's would do interviews with them and they'd schmooze! A moderately successful Black couple like that could be considered a POWER Couple in the Black community. 

They'd be on the cover and sooner or later some Baddie from the past would eliminate them! For any story to work it has to be plausible.  Both Black Folks are wearing coveralls in an Madrid Bank working on the Security Systems? In Madrid? The idea that Black folks are CIA operatives is not unbelievable just ask any Afrikan American political group. 

By the way, group of possibly White American Writers, Black Folks who work for THE FBI, CIA and Various Police departments or belong to the Republican party, for example,  are not looked at favorably by a large majority of Black Folks!

Our (Afrikan American) views of Patriotism for America is different than our Euro-American Brothers and Sisters.  But all that aside, You want ME to believe that Gugu Raw is a CONTRACT KILLER/Covert operative that specializes in misinformation and overthrowing countries but there is NO Darkness in her soul? What kind of tests did you give her to determine that SHE would be a suitable operative? This should be included in the writing!

Some of y'all suspect a few people of being informants NOW! (Laughter) No, if this show fails and I believe it has. It is because of shoddy writing. You have to tell a good story! You must have well developed characters, they have to be interesting. These aren't! The IDEA is interesting! No, I think that certain screeners are desperate to appear diverse and intoxicated on the IDEA of  having two Black leads in a series that look as appealing as these two.

A good story, a well developed plot and interesting three dimensional characters.  This show only has 1 dimensional characters that are extremely pretty, a sub par plot and a sub par story.

Sorry Boris! Better luck next time!

BE Prayerful! BE Mindful! BE Careful!
Jaycee