Katherine Heigl makes a return to television in NBC’s new, splashy political drama. Courtesy of NBC
By Nicole Horton
“State of Affairs,” which premiered Monday, Nov. 17 at 10 p.m. on NBC, follows strong- willed, ardent CIA officer Charleston “Charlie” Tucker (Katherine Heigl, “Grey’s Anatomy”). Charlie navigates a fast-paced life as the president’s daily briefer and an indulgent partygoer by night, all as she continues to process and cope with her fiancé, Eric’s, murder in an ambush in Kabul three years prior.
Created by Joe Carnahan and featuring Adam Kaufman and Alfre Woodward, the series marks Heigl’s first major TV role since her “Grey’s Anatomy” exit in 2010. In the interim, Heigl appeared in a handful of moderately successful films such as The Big Wedding and One for the Money, while she tried to combat the perpetuation of diva behavior. Still, Heigl’s role seems to mirror the love-challenged, Type-A personality that she has portrayed in rom-coms, albeit while showcasing more dramatic acting chops.
One of the crucial concerns for the future success of “State of Affairs” is that the other characters, such as Charlie’s fellow CIA officers, Maureen (Sheila Vand), Kurt (Cliff Chamberlain), Dashiell (Tommy Savas) and the president (Alfre Woodward), must make an impact beyond serving as complimentary players in what is arguably Heigl’s “star vehicle.” Eric’s mother is the president, which creates a unique dynamic that can be explored between these two strong, yet hurting women.
However, the pilot certainly served as an intriguing debut and benefits from not being forced to stand out amidst the bulk of fall pilots, which premiered in September and early October. Some may argue that too many teasers and plot twists were introduced for a pilot. As viewers see at the beginning of the pilot, Charlie has blocked out the memories of her fiancé’s death, so the flashbacks will likely continue as she struggles to figure out what really happened. International crises, blackmail and romantic affairs are the other dramatic elements that make up Charlie’s life and “State of Affairs.”
Like “Madam Secretary,” “State of Affairs” is a political thriller that maintains social relevancy in regards to terrorism in the Middle East. Charlie and her team watch a video in which Islamic terrorists slit the throat of a British captor and threaten to kill a doctor next if prisoners are not released from Guantanamo Bay. They identify the leader of the group as the man who killed Eric, which her co-workers fear will cloud her judgment as they track and seek to kill both him and his associates. Strangely enough, the imprisoned doctor seems to resemble Eric, which further thickens the plot.
Charlie’s inner turmoil and emotional entanglements blur the lines between her personal and professional life. In this way her character mirrors “Scandal’s” Olivia Pope, who works as a political fixer but continues to carry on an affair with the president. “Scandal” fans may be attracted to “State of Affair” because it is melodramatic, at times unrealistic, political drama.
Nevertheless, it remains unclear if “State of Affairs” is compelling enough and truly utilizes its cast in order to compete with Olivia Pope & Associates, Madam Secretary and the rest of the polarizing figures that are featured in the other major networks’ political dramas.
