- Title: Covert Affairs – Begin the Begin
- tv.com: link
Annie Walker (Piper Perabo) is back to work for the CIA as Covert Affairs moves into its Second Season. I was really hoping the Ben Mercer (Eion Bailey) storyline died with him in the First Season finale, but it appears both will be sticking around for the foreseeable future.
After the pair survive their trip to Mexico (and an assassination attempt in Guam) Annie gets back to work while Ben convalesces in (and disappears from) a government hospital in D.C. Her latest assignment involves a CIA asset and tennis player (Marija Karan) who may be in too far over her head to ask for the help she desperately needs.
As Annie gets advice from Auggie (Christopher Gorham), Jai (Sendhil Ramamurthy), and Joan (Kari Matchett), on her love life and how to separate her feelings for Ben with her job, Ben gets an offer he can’t refuse from a well-positioned source (Peter Gallagher). Ben may be sticking around, but it looks like he and Annie will be kept apart, at least for now.
“Begin the Begin” is a strong opener that reiterates the common themes of the first season. We get Annie sticking with her instincts despite being a little shell-shocked from recent events, having to lie to her sister (Anne Dudek) to cover up a government sweep of the house following a break-in, and dealing with a growing unease and paranoia (which turn out to be earned). And although Emmanuelle Vaugier doesn’t make an appearance as snoopy reporter Liza Hearn, her name is brought up more than once. I’ve got a feeling we (thankfully) haven’t seen the last of her.
