S01.E01: Run

[fauntleroy]

How do you suppose Sullivan Stapleton ended up on a British special forces team?

 

Not sure I follow the logic here.

 

Also 'Alex' Alexander/Alexandra is originally a Greek name. If Yanks can have a Greek name, then so can Indians.

Edited September 30, 2015 by fauntleroy

[Dirtybubble]

 

Pretty good first episode.  I'm glad I DVR'ed it though because I will have to rewatch this to keep up with what's happening.  I am completely clueless as to the on goings of the FBI S.A. so the training aspect of this went over my head but I still liked it and I think it will fill the Revenge or more specifically the Nolan Ross void for me.

 

Yeah. I definitely didn't see anything romantic or sexual between him and Nimah but his continued interest in her is a little suspect. And he did seem to like mentioning that he was gay for whatever reason. Whether or not his sexuality is a lie, I definitely think the awkward, nerdy thing is kind of a put on. I thought it was interesting how his entire body language and physical demeanor changed when Nimah brought up his Israel trip and I notice in the season long promo, in the present scene with him and Alex, he's not wearing his glasses.

Oh I'm glad I wasn't the only one who thought this.  I felt Simon's "I'm gay" to be a little too heavy handed for 2015.  IDK, maybe it's the actor or poor writing but geez who really goes around announcing that every 15 mins?  Nimah did say that she interviewed 3, 4 (??) of his ex boyfriends to learn that he was still a virgin so IDK if he faked those relationships somehow *shrug*.  Maybe it was just poor writing/dialogue.

 

 

[that one guy]

As long as this is going to be part mystery and part sleazy soapy trash, I desperately want there to be a good twin and a bad twin.

[Eolivet]

My husband started complaining that this show was bad about fifteen minutes in. For my part, it had interesting plot twists (some were predictable -- the suicide -- but some definitely weren't -- the twins, the agent-already-an-agent, and obviously that Miranda would help Alex escape custody). I also found it well-paced, with the present-day scenes heightening the drama.

 

What is becoming clear is that "action soaps" are the new procedural dramas. Shows like this and How to Get Away with Murder take an episode of Law & Order or CSI or NCIS, stretch it out over a season, and allow you to get to know those investigating the crime (or the suspects). Actually, these shows are Law & Order Criminal Intent, if the perps had the same amount of screentime as the police officers.

 

I've gone long past expecting anything with a soapy element to get any amount of respect because soaps are icky girly things that aren't Real Serious TV. But I find it slightly amusing that shows like this -- who actually make an effort to develop the characters along with their crimes -- get less respect than an ensemble crime drama, where it's One Famous Actor and a sea of nobodies, all with far less characterization than characters on your standard action soap.

 

Needless to say, I found this extremely entertaining, with decent acting, and it kept me guessing. Which is also about all I ask for in a standard episode of Law & Order, CSI or NCIS.

[Anela]

I heard them state her full name as Alexander, when she was being arrested.

As soon as they showed Alex's mom smoking a cigarette (which I thought they couldn't do anymore on network TV?), I figured she was probably a baddie. I doubt Alex's Dad willbe in the wrong.

They can't smoke on TV now? I'm not a smoker, but I think that's a bit much. But people can be shot, or take drugs on TV, and so on. 

[saber5055]

They can't smoke on TV now? I'm not a smoker, but I think that's a bit much. But people can be shot, or take drugs on TV, and so on.

 

 

Cigarettes are a no-no, on television and everywhere else. An old-time radio show I listen to has to remove the cigarette ads from the shows it plays, the ones that originally aired in earlier times. Also banned are cigarette billboards and tv commercials. That's been the law for several years now.

 

Yes, things are lopsided. Just like the fart noises were removed from the bean-eating-campfire scene in Blazing Saddles, when it was shown on tv. Go figure. People can be murdered, blown up, shoot heroin or make meth on tv, they just can't smoke or fart.

[dgpolo]

I heard them state her full name as Alexander, when she was being arrested.

        As soon as they showed Alex's mom smoking a cigarette (which I thought they couldn't do anymore on network TV?), I figured she was probably a baddie. I doubt Alex's Dad willbe in the wrong.

 

  

  They can't smoke on TV now? I'm not a smoker, but I think that's a bit much. But people can be shot, or take drugs on TV, and so on.

 

I've heard people pronounce Alexan-dra as Alexan-der quite a bit, I don't know if it's a regional thing or maybe British? maybe the actor that said it was from somewhere specific? I don't know but I have heard it before and always wondered why the dra should be pronounced the same as the der.

I think they stopped showing people smoking around the same time that cigarette ads were banned from TV, but people smoking in shows has been creeping back, especially in shows set in the past when smoking was common.

 

Do we know how long ago the Malawi thing happened? I was under the impression that the Mormon's 'mission year' takes place soon after High School graduation? But I agree he never should have joined with something this big weighing on his mind.

 

I tried to find the post to quote but no luck, but someone said Caleb badgering Eric? into suicide would not a good interviewer make, I think I disagree he'd be perfect for the 'bad cop' in the 'good cop/bad cop' scenario. Or he could go join CTU.

 

ETA: Even if we don't count Mad Men, some of the Astronauts Wive's smoked, as I said it seems to be creeping back and yes if it is shown on shows that are not set in the past, they seem to limit it to 'the bad guy'

Edited September 30, 2015 by dgpolo

[Bort]

Cigarettes are a no-no, on television and everywhere else. An old-time radio show I listen to has to remove the cigarette ads from the shows it plays, the ones that originally aired in earlier times. Also banned are cigarette billboards and tv commercials. That's been the law for several years now.

The law bans cigarette ads, you can smoke on TV. Most networks just tend to shy away from it. Unless they go blazing full force, like an episode of Mad Men.

[anstar]

Smoking on television is now a kind of writer's shortcut for "bad guy".  The good guys don't smoke anymore. 

[Netfoot]

How do you suppose Sullivan Stapleton ended up on a British special forces team?

 

 

Not sure I follow the logic here.

 

American producers like shows with good, red-blooded Americans in them.  

 

Also 'Alex' Alexander/Alexandra is originally a Greek name. If Yanks can have a Greek name, then so can Indians.

 

Alex(ander/andria) may have originally been Greek, but it is far more commonplace in the English-speaking west than, say, Arundhati.

[queenanne]

Wow..I just finally watched.  I have to say I'm very confused.  There's way too many cast members and the going back and forth in time gives me a headache.

 

Agreed, did they not go with the traditional "Six Months Later"-type chyrons at the bottom of the screen to connote present day?  Or maybe they did, and I just didn't notice.

Not sure I follow the logic here.

 

Also 'Alex' Alexander/Alexandra is originally a Greek name. If Yanks can have a Greek name, then so can Indians.

 

ETA because I forgot to say, especially Indians, since as many of you may already know, there was a long tradition of British imperialism in India.  Maybe it's a passed-down family name.  

[Cardie]

Re: Sullivan Stapleton:

American producers like shows with good, red-blooded Americans in them.

 

Except that Sullivan Stapleton is Australian. That's why other posters have been confused by your statement.

[Raja]

Re: Sullivan Stapleton:

Except that Sullivan Stapleton is Australian. That's why other posters have been confused by your statement.

Are you all talking about Strike Back? In any case it was not the actor in question, but Sergeant Scott.an ex American Special Forces soldier leaves private contracting to become an American enlisted on a British special operations team. It was similar to a few years ago when the Criminal Minds spinoff was happening we were suddenly a batch of British people joining the FBI although you have to be a US citizen to do so in real life. The producers were probably looking at foreign sales so added a Brit sniper to a team of profile'rs. Or it seems like half of the "Americans" on TV today are Canadians since the shows are filmed in Canada anyway.

Edited October 1, 2015 by Raja

[henripootel]

The law bans cigarette ads, you can smoke on TV.

Indeed, I read about a bar in chicago which found a way around the ban on smoking in bars.  You can smoke in a play, so everyone who comes in the bar is part of a 'live performance' that never ends.  Funny.

Smoking on television is now a kind of writer's shortcut for "bad guy".

 

Apparently the shortcut for 'good guy' (especially when there's some question about if they are or not): give them a dog.  

[Amelie06]

 

And why didn't Eric just quit if he didn't want his pedophilia exposed, if he thought it was about to be?  Indeed, why'd he join the FBI in the first place - he must have had some reason to expect the routine background check could turn up something.

This! It makes no sense. No one who had banged a young teen, then convinced her to get an abortion which directly lead to her death would have joined the FBI. He may have been joining out of guilt, trying to be helpful. But the second he realized that he would be getting polygraphed more than once, that dude would have been out. Out!

 

In regards to Alex Parrish's name, I don't believe the producers are to blame. I can't find the exact article, but I know I read somewhere that Priyanka Chopra didn't want to change the name. They did want to reflect her heritage in the name. She didn't. I did find this article.  I'm not familiar with the publication, but it seems legit. She seems to have experienced racism when she was in America in her teens and wants to dispel Indian stereotypes in Western culture. I appreciate that the producer respected her choice, even if I don't entirely agree with it.

 

This show was really a mixed bag for me. I honestly started to fast forward through some of it. As soon as Alex started showing off her post-coital intuition I started rolling my eyes. That is such a lame cliche. If she knows so damn much, why didn't she pick up on the fact that he was a sketchball who was sent to keep tabs on her?

 

Speaking of Agent CarSex, why? Why, dammit? If she is suspected of something, why they hell would you teach her to fight, shoot, and manipulate? Why would you help her become a better terrorist/shady character? That reveal made me side eye the whole show.

 

I agree that Grey's Academy would have been more interesting. Why should we get invested in any of the characters in the stupid flashbacks now that we know that one or more of them is a terrorist? If anything, they should have made the whole episode at the Academy and just ended with this flash forward. It would add drama, but wouldn't stick us with this lame Beautiful Fugitive nonsense.

[Netfoot]

Are you all talking about Strike Back? In any case it was not the actor in question, but Sergeant Scott.an ex American Special Forces soldier leaves private contracting to become an American enlisted on a British special operations team. It was similar to a few years ago when the Criminal Minds spinoff was happening we were suddenly a batch of British people joining the FBI although you have to be a US citizen to do so in real life. The producers were probably looking at foreign sales so added a Brit sniper to a team of profile'rs. Or it seems like half of the "Americans" on TV today are Canadians since the shows are filmed in Canada anyway.

 

My point exactly.  If you want Americans to watch, you need to ensure your main ensemble contains American(s).  The actor(s) don't have to actually be American, so long as they play one well enough to satisfy the viewers.  Similarly, if the character is an American but doesn't look it, or sound it, then they won't do.  (This is true for any nationality, not just Americans, obviously, and not all that surprisingly.)

 

So, the fact that Alex Parrish doesn't really "look American" (a silly concept, given the wide, diverse cultural origins of the people of the USA), giving her a more familiar-sounding or "western" name, may have been a deliberate choice.  The intent being to appeal to more viewers.

 

Hey, it's only an opinion.

[that one guy]

A few things I saw re-watching the beginning that I didn't see the first time:

Alex takes her dad's old ID with her, she was hiding it under her carpet.

The Orthodox guy who went to Gaza (forgot his name) paid a guy to pose for a picture as his boyfriend or date. I doubt he's really gay.

I believe both sisters are in the car as it pulls up to the gas station.The one who uses the restroom gets a car key out of the toilet and drives off in a second car. Her sister follows in the first car.

The dead girl is in the picture of the Mormon guy on his mission to Malawi.

Gun girl is super rich - the furniture at her mansion is covered, because no one lives there since her parents died.

[fauntleroy]

I believe both sisters are in the car as it pulls up to the gas station.The one who uses the restroom gets a car key out of the toilet and drives off in a second car. Her sister follows in the first car.

 

It will be fun/annoying (same thing for bad TV shows?) to see if they explain this in a later episode. It will be pretty convoluted and presumably er, to provide an alibi? Someone the clerk wouldn't remember, possibly a twin in generic American attire, would have had to enter the store earlier, use the toilet, leave the key, and the car, and leave by some other car, so would have needed a second driver, maybe the other twin nearby. All so that at some later point, when the scarf-wearing twin makes herself noticeable to the clerk, so that he can remember when later questioned and say that yea, a woman wearing a scarf was here, and...but that doesn't explain the two cars. If twins, the one could have alibied the other, and the car swap could be done anywhere, minus the key hiding.

 

Unless they are double-crossing the FBI itself, who knows about their 'regular' twin/alibi shenanigans, but maybe not this particular trick. Allowing twin in second car to go off and bomb that building unnoticed.

[Sandman]

I guess I've been supposing that the keys and car were left at the gas station by Nimah's contact within the FBI, whether She's The Boss Miranda, or someone else.

[Cara]

Cigarettes are a no-no, on television and everywhere else. .

Because it's so usual to see smoking on TV. I think her mother smoking will have some significance. Perhaps her mother smokes some unique brand of cigarettes or something that are found at a crime scene or wherever . Just a thought!

[Free]

I agree that Grey's Academy would have been more interesting. Why should we get invested in any of the characters in the stupid flashbacks now that we know that one or more of them is a terrorist? If anything, they should have made the whole episode at the Academy and just ended with this flash forward. It would add drama, but wouldn't stick us with this lame Beautiful Fugitive nonsense.

 

Agreed, they're trying to do a whodunnit scenario with the HTGAWM style flashbacks.

[Raja]

Because it's so usual to see smoking on TV. I think her mother smoking will have some significance. Perhaps her mother smokes some unique brand of cigarettes or something that are found at a crime scene or wherever . Just a thought!

sounds right. I remember for the second season of Miami Vice even with Don Johnson being undercover as a drug player his Crockett/Burnett character never smoked again.

[GHScorpiosRule]

Funny. And here it looked to me like the guy Simon kissed? Was supposed to be like, a date, and they were supposed to meet for coffee or something, and he kissed him and took a picture, holding the coffee cup, as "proof" they had coffee. Or something.

 

And I think the reason why Don Johnson's Sonny stopped smoking was because Don himself quit smoking in real life. But that wasn't until the third or fourth season, I think?

[fauntleroy]

I hadn't noticed the mum smoking, but in general it's fun these days to see actors who obviously don't really smoke acting at it and rarely doing a convincing job. They usually look unnatural - hold the cigarette too ostentatiously or awkwardly, or don't really draw, or just fiddle with it too much.

[Cardie]

allowing twin in second car to go off and bomb that building unnoticed.

The gas station switcheroo comes before they start training, which is, what, six months before the bombing.

[Senna]

I guess I've been supposing that the keys and car were left at the gas station by Nimah's contact within the FBI, whether She's The Boss Miranda, or someone else.

I was assuming this as well.

[Ronin Jackson]

Love the diversity of the cast. The writing? Not so much. The style? Made feel like doing what the Mormon did to make it stop. Not really of course, but hell fire burning hatred would not be an overstatement. I pretty much only made it through the entire episode because the lead is Indian.

[damnman]

I spent most of this show asking Mr. Damn what was going on. I found it very confusing. I was also very distracted by how absolutely gorgeous the actress playing Alex is! But I did laugh and comment about her at the end, hair flowing walking in the opposite direction.

[Free]

I spent most of this show asking Mr. Damn what was going on. I found it very confusing. I was also very distracted by how absolutely gorgeous the actress playing Alex is! But I did laugh and comment about her at the end, hair flowing walking in the opposite direction.

 

It's basically one of those conspiracy thrillers but with a very Shonda Rhimes-esque soapy feel to it, there's also a whodunnit scenario that's part of the mysteries to it.

[methodwriter85]

Or not. Your way's fun. Also: Agent Shelby was sixteen on 9/11? ::sigh:: I'm old.

 

I actually really liked that touch. Shelby said she was 30 in the beginning....I'll be 30 soon, and I was 15 on 9/11, three months shy of 16. So they actually bothered to do the math!

 

 

I like the premise and am curious where it is going.  I am not so much bothered that they all look like supermodels but the fact that they are all posing and hair tossing like supermodels.killed any belief that this is a show to be taken seriously.  I'll give it a few more episodes but I am a bit disappointed.

 

Simon so far is the only guy that looks "real" to me, like you could meet him in real life.

 

I liked it, although I agree with the people that Brian J. Smith's character was the one really interesting guy, so of course they kill him off in the pilot.

[Sandman]

I actually really liked that touch. Shelby said she was 30 in the beginning....I'll be 30 soon, and I was 15 on 9/11, three months shy of 16. So they actually bothered to do the math!

 

I liked the way that detail was worked in, too. Not too heavy-handed.

[Crim]

What is becoming clear is that "action soaps" are the new procedural dramas. Shows like this and How to Get Away with Murder take an episode of Law & Order or CSI or NCIS, stretch it out over a season, and allow you to get to know those investigating the crime (or the suspects). Actually, these shows are Law & Order Criminal Intent, if the perps had the same amount of screentime as the police officers.

 

I've gone long past expecting anything with a soapy element to get any amount of respect because soaps are icky girly things that aren't Real Serious TV. But I find it slightly amusing that shows like this -- who actually make an effort to develop the characters along with their crimes -- get less respect than an ensemble crime drama, where it's One Famous Actor and a sea of nobodies, all with far less characterization than characters on your standard action soap.

I got a kick out of your idea that action soaps are the new procedural dramas. I never thought about it but they sure multiply each season. I haven't commented on Quantico yet because it really made no impression on me whatsoever. I will give it more episodes and that's it. For comparison, I dropped that one show you mention after a few episodes as too procedural for me. I was interested in the mystery, but couldn't take the completely irrelevant Cases of the Week anymore. I really hope Quantico will balance/entwine the two in a better way.

 

I didn't enjoy the soapy elements, and I can give you a reason why I avoid shows with them: I could never watch a soapy show for very long, so it's a red flag. Why not? Because the typical soapy story line needs to top the last twist, the last drama, over and over, and it gets to a point where I tune out. Even if I like the characters, I just lose interest or can no longer suspend my disbelief. I watched 2 seasons of Revenge because Emily was awesome, but then I just could not care anymore; had the show moved on to a completely different plot instead of retreading the same things and becoming more and more unbelievable, I would have kept watching. Soapy story lines feel like circles to me, spirals at best, and characterization deteriorates to accommodate this structure.

 

What pissed me off the most about the Mormon guy joining was that he was so jumpy from almost the beginning! Considering the fact that the FBI hadn't known about it (which... so much fail) and that Caleb was a no-talent nobody, it didn't take enough provocation for him to panic. He acted like he expected his secret to be discovered, which just no - if you expect this to be discovered, do not join the FBI no matter how much you want to help and atone and whatever. I don't even buy that motivation because he could have joined a less intelligence/investigation-oriented branch of We Help People, for example the police, or he could have gone to med school. This was just contrived nonsense to show something intense-gritty-shocking in the pilot.

[Free]

I watched 2 seasons of Revenge because Emily was awesome

 

A wise choice, as the show got worse.

[fivestone]

I thought the FBI knew everything but had left one fact out of their packets as part of the test? Otherwise the two people on each team could have spared 10 minutes to collude and make up something the other could "find out" about them.

 

Maybe I missed it but other than the guy who killed himself, what other significant information did they miss? The whole point of the exercise was for the other recruits to figure out what the FBI knew about the person, that they deliberately didn't put in the file. So for example I'm pretty sure they did know about Simon's Israel trip, blonde girl's parents dying on 9/11, Alex's father being shot. I thought it was strange from the interrogation how the guy seemed to shut it down when Booth was going too deep about Alex's dad and later we learn that he did know the truth about the dad even if Alex thinks they didn't. So I don't think they missed much. 

 

Well, the FBI didn't seem to have known that it was Alex who killed her father - they probably had her mother killing the father in self-defense in the files. They probably knew all about Simon being in Gaza, but aren't aware that he's faking being gay.

Edited October 3, 2015 by fivestone

[dargosmydaddy]

 

Love the diversity of the cast.

The female cast was impressively diverse. The male cast, not so much. Anthony Ruivivar was the only male poc with a large role in the pilot, no? And I don't think he's actually a regular.

[MaryPatShelby]

Just a thought - not everyone (well, me) has watched every show in existence, so we need a key, ie Agent CougarTown = X, Mrs Sam Hanna = X. Dumb idea?  Maybe.  I get the nicknames that are based on the actual show, such as Agent CarSex, but the others have me running to imdb and that's almost too much work to participate in a discussion that's not about Cougar Town or Sam Hanna (I really still have not figured that one out!).

 

Or...I'll just slink back to my corner now......

[Trini]

Just a thought - not everyone (well, me) has watched every show in existence, so we need a key, ie Agent CougarTown = X, Mrs Sam Hanna = X. Dumb idea?  Maybe.  I get the nicknames that are based on the actual show, such as Agent CarSex, but the others have me running to imdb and that's almost too much work to participate in a discussion that's not about Cougar Town or Sam Hanna (I really still have not figured that one out!).

 

Or...I'll just slink back to my corner now......

 

I started a thread.  :-)

[Ronin Jackson]

The female cast was impressively diverse. The male cast, not so much. Anthony Ruivivar was the only male poc with a large role in the pilot, no? And I don't think he's actually a regular.

Well sure, but I'll take it. If this show doesn't get props for diversity it's got nothing.

[kieyra]

Yes, I see a lot of mentions about the Shonda Rhimes influence.  She is literally ruining TV for me.  I can't really say much about this pilot other than I lasted about 10 minutes and hit the delete button.  It's sad.  This sounded like a great premise for a show. Think "Homeland". Even when that show made some odd decisions with it's characters, it was still very well executed and interesting. 

 

Yes, this formula is driving me nuts. Empire too. I suppose it's basically just daytime soaps repackaged with more sex and death. And people are mistaking 'strong female lead' for good writing or depth. Le sigh. 

Edited October 7, 2015 by kieyra

[Free]

Yes, this formula is driving me nuts. Empire too. I suppose it's basically just daytime soaps repackaged with more sex and death. And people are mistaking 'strong female lead' for good writing or depth. Le sigh. 

 

If shows like these keep doing well enough, they'll keep doing it.

[kieyra]

If shows like these keep doing well enough, they'll keep doing it.

Yep, I know how business works. I just keep getting suckered in because some of them are "critically acclaimed".

[Free]

Yep, I know how business works. I just keep getting suckered in because some of them are "critically acclaimed".

 

I don't use critics, I just go with instincts.

[Raja]

I don't use critics, I just go with instincts.

My instincts failed me this time around ;)

[romantic idiot]

It's been a while but wanted to address the points below.

Small pet peeve:  Clearly Alex is of South Asian decent.  You just would need to look at her and know.  So why would they choose a name such as Alex Parrish for her?  Maybe a somewhat South Asian name would have been better.  Even just an attempt at a better first name would have been better than Alex.

 

 

All that is entirely probable, but they could have easily changed the (first) name once they cast Chopra.

 

 

Yes, you're correct that her father was shown as white, and so the last name fits.  I understand your point that she has an all-American name like Alexandra, but I just find it a little jarring when I hear her name on the show, and I see an actress of Indian background.  Not to say I find anything wrong with the name - I just feel if you're going to cast a South Asian woman, at least give her a South Asian name.  And yes, like others have said, TPTB could have easily changed the first name after they cast Priyanka Chopra.

 

Anyways, just a little nitpick on my end.  All's good.

 

 

I would have loved to have Chopra's character named anything but a generic, "Westernized" name. I feel like they did it because shows, unfortunately, fall under the 'Western' ways of television. That being the main character must be somewhat Americanized. I love that they cast Priyanka Chopra as the lead female, but if they had an East Asian name, that's not 'Americanized' enough. I don't know, it makes sense in my head. I do think the showrunners feel like people would be turned off by a lead female by the name of Nisha or Preeti, to throw out some examples (apologies if these names don't fit with Chopra's particular region). I do not like that they kept the name Alex. The last name I can deal with. But how beautiful and unique would having an East Asian/Indian name be for a main character on an American show? We already have Nimah, and we also have Sita. Why not have Nisha Parrish or something like that? If they must give her some horrid 'American' nickname, then I'd hate it, but at least it wouldn't be a name that could be for any American female or male character. We already have too many generic names like that as leads. 

 

There is a fairly large Anglo Indian population in India and especially around Mumbai (coming up from Goa). So Alex Parrish or Alexandra Parrish is just as 'South Aisan' a name as any, really. It is quite plausible. Growing up in Calcutta I had a Farah Smith, with Graces and Esters and Bernadette Gomes in my graduating class, so really Alex Parrish does not seem to be a stretch even if both her parents were of Indian descent. More difficult to reconcile with a mother named Sita, though, but I can hand wave that, mostly. 

 

Also I'm really glad that they didn't go with a Nisha / Pretti because those names being continuously mispronounced would have been like nails on a chalkboard to my ears. Maybe Riya or Priya could have done, but Alex Parrish is not a reach by any means, IMO. 

[ToxicUnicorn]

I was looking around for something to watch and a glimpse of Will from Sense8 pulled me in (the guy who killed himself in the pilot).  Mainly because I was wondering how he would manage another show.  Asked and answered!

 

I found the lead character quite irritating in this episode.  (I've since watched more and grown to like her, but still.)  I probably was most intrigued by Simon.  I agree Alex is stunning, though.

I think what has me leery about the show is that they dumped a deep dark  or over the top secret about every character in the pilot.  They could have saved some secrets for later episodes.  Not everyone ended up on the receiving end of an interview, but somehow everyone was exposed.  Have some subtlety and patience show.  With an overarching terrorist plot on top of all these exposed secrets, its just got me nervous over what preposterous nonsense they will reveal next

This is exactly what I liked.