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Sep 22, 2010 By Lily Moayeri Web Exclusive

J.J. Abrams and Josh Reims continue their respective and collective winning streaks on television with Undercovers. Think Mr. and Mrs. Smith for TV, Boris Kodjoe (Soul Food) and Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Doctor Who) are Mr. and Mrs. Bloom. This extremely good-looking couple is erstwhile CIA spies-turned-caterers-turned-spies-again to find their missing former co-worker and friend. This proves to be just what the couple needs to recharge their marriage. The efficiency and charisma of these two, enhanced by the haute couture and clichéd exotic locales, makes watching Undercovers really fun—but not very believable as a spy drama. It is all a little too casual and humorous to be convincing. If it is humor Undercovers is trying to convey, the Blooms’ goofy field agent Bill Hoyt (Ben Schwartz, Parks and Recreation) is the character. If CIA spy stuff is Undercovers’ agenda, then boss/agency liaison Carlton Shaw (Gerald McRaney, Deadwood) is the character. The Blooms are just eye candy. They are too slick, too multi-talented, too multi-lingual, and too perfect—all admitted spy prerequisites—to be real. Every time you start to tune out, they show up in another draw-dropping get-up that keeps you watching. We liked Alias and Sydney was too clever and capable to be true. And we liked Mr. and Mrs. Smith only because they were so smoking hot. There is no reason why the same ingredients shouldn’t work for Undercovers. (www.nbc.com/undercovers)

Author rating: 5/10