WHEN you have myriad TV series that reside in the political sphere of influence, there are expectations of new shows. Unfair or not, it is what it is. They have to live up to the bench-mark of their predecessors or accept their destiny – having the plug pulled on them.
Sadly, that’s become the fate of State of Affairs.
Despite all the hoopla around Katherine Heigl’s return to TV – especially after her unceremonious departure from Shonda Rhimes’s hit series Grey’s Anatomy – as well as Alfre Woodard in the lead, it wasn’t enough to save the show. And, to be honest, the barbed opinions of TV critics have merit.
After being exposed to the incredible protagonists in Homeland, commendably helmed by Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison, Madam Secretary (Tea Leoni) and, to an extent, The Good Wife (Julianna Margulies) – Heigl’s character, CIA analyst Charleston Tucker, is irredeemably dull, not to mention unrealistic.
The latter aspect is one of the biggest failings of the narrative. The lines between patriotism and personal agendas blur. And that, ironically, takes away from the gravitas of the story.
On the one hand, we have Charleston reporting daily to Constance Payton, the US president. Of the intelligence gathered by her team, she decides what’s pressing enough to be put in “the book”.
Of course, it’s a highly pressurised job. And she has to make some truly tough calls a la Carrie Mathison. This makes her unpopular and dangerous to her superiors, who feel she has power that’s above her pay grade.
While she has a take-charge stance and plenty of allies to do her bidding, she is also a very fractured soul. Having lost her fiancé (who also happens to be the late son of the president and also explains their emotional bond) in America’s war on terrorists, Charleston’s pain is manifested in her sexuality. She uses random one-night stands as a Band-Aid.
During a session with her therapist, who commented that no good can come of such behaviour, she simply responds: “Well, good doesn’t have to come, I do!”
Patriotic to the core, Charleston is also on a vengeful path to kill those responsible for taking away the man she loved. And that’s where the grey area comes in: is she doing her job for love or for country?
Unfortunately, Heigl is neither engaging nor convincing in her conflicted role. It comes across as very staged and forced. In fact, her wardrobe is more powerful than her portrayal.
Then we have Woodard, a living legend in Hollywood. But she doesn’t own her influential role like, for example, Viola Davis in How to Get Away With Murder.
It’s not a slight on her ability, though. It has a lot to do with her characterisation. Don’t even get me started on the fact that she wears pumps – not heels.
Ultimately, she fits the bill of a granny or mother more easily than that of a leader. Let’s just say the writer’s attempt at imbuing her character with compassion boomeranged horribly.
The State of Affairs of this show is bleak, despite its smattering of suspenseful thrills. It was canned after the first season. The story arcs, unlike the aforementioned shows, offer an unforgivably naïve impression of war and politicking. There is no room for such naiveté!
l State of Affairs airs on M-Net (DStv channel 101) tonight at 9.30pm.