This was probably the first episode in which the mission overshadowed the flawed character plots. I mention this because pretty much every episode so far has featured some pretty woeful espionage stories. There's always a MacGuffin of some sort or a person to find, and while Xerxes doesn't totally see a turnaround in plot devices, it does feature some strong guest stars and some decent twists along the way. If only the show's protagonists could equally get out of the rut the writers have stuck them in.As much as I like both Gugu and Boris, I'm finding both Sam and Steven a little whiny right now. We can only be forced to endure the same discussions about secrets without actually hearing any of the secrets for so long, before we all start getting sick of that routine. It also doesn't help that Sam is so inquisitive about Steven's history despite being so steadfast that she's never going to reveal anything about her own past. Hypocrisy, folks?
Tessa was a fun bad guy. It was clear from the get-go that she was stone cold evil (along with the stone cold foxiness, amiright?), but she had a level of ruthlessness that's pretty unrivaled on the show up till now. She reminded me a little of Mandy on 24. Okay, Tiffany Mulheron wasn't as successful at the 'beautiful-façade-covering-up-the-batshit-crazy' as Mia Kirshner was on that show, but she does have the makings of an interesting recurring femme fatale. Her banter with Hoyt was also cute. You just knew it was going to end in tears.
Xerxes had what I would say was the best-structured script so far, along with two entertaining guest spots from Sean Maguire and the aforementioned Mulheron, but the rest of Undercovers seems to be up in the air right now. Fix your core ensemble before introducing better supporting characters, show. And where's Leo? He's by far the best character yet has been absent for two episodes straight... Rating B-
Credits
Guest stars Sean Maguire (Clive Garrity); Tiffany Mulheron (Tessa)
Writer Michael Foley Director Stephen Williams
Tiffany Mulheron should be wrote into Undercovers. She was fantastic and I think everyone willl agree when on screen you cant take your eyes from her. Strong actress and beautiful. Best guest star yet!!!!! BRING TESSA BAAAACK
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