SPOILERS AHEAD Wow...so I started watching this under-promoted show back in January when ABC was airing it in prime-time before they quickly shelved it and buried it in the summer on Sunday afternoons (thank god for DVR's). At first, I thought this was excellent, interesting and downright shocking that it was airing on a non-cable network as it seemed much more likely to be on AMC or HBO.
But then as time went on, it quickly devolved into tripe and relied on typical made up BS to enhance the 'drama' such as: the plucky investigator that no one believes at first, the husband that doesn't fully understand why his wife never comes home from work, the 'enemy' at first co-worker who eventually gains trust, admiration and then friendship, etc. And don't get me started on the snidely whiplash super creepy over the top performance by Paul Rhys as Alrich Ames. Jeez, they should have arrested him immediately just for looking creepily guilty And it closes on one of the most unintentionally funny scenes I have ever seen (the bookstore signing hug)...wow. Hello Lifetime! Now, I also have a huge issue on how they treated the subject matter. The assets in question are Russian KGB, generals, officials, that decided, for whatever reason INCLUDING greed to sell their countries secrets to the US. Aldrich Ames sells the names of these 'assets' to the Russians who then interrogate and execute them. Aldrich Ames is a traitor and deserved to be tried and convicted but SO ARE THE ASSETS HE SOLD OUT!!! They were traitors to their own country and rather than portraying them as such, they are practically treated as saints.
In life there are never clear cut black and white issues and this mini series could have shown that but instead took the easy formulaic way out. And the shame is that they were close on the execution
But then as time went on, it quickly devolved into tripe and relied on typical made up BS to enhance the 'drama' such as: the plucky investigator that no one believes at first, the husband that doesn't fully understand why his wife never comes home from work, the 'enemy' at first co-worker who eventually gains trust, admiration and then friendship, etc. And don't get me started on the snidely whiplash super creepy over the top performance by Paul Rhys as Alrich Ames. Jeez, they should have arrested him immediately just for looking creepily guilty And it closes on one of the most unintentionally funny scenes I have ever seen (the bookstore signing hug)...wow. Hello Lifetime! Now, I also have a huge issue on how they treated the subject matter. The assets in question are Russian KGB, generals, officials, that decided, for whatever reason INCLUDING greed to sell their countries secrets to the US. Aldrich Ames sells the names of these 'assets' to the Russians who then interrogate and execute them. Aldrich Ames is a traitor and deserved to be tried and convicted but SO ARE THE ASSETS HE SOLD OUT!!! They were traitors to their own country and rather than portraying them as such, they are practically treated as saints.
In life there are never clear cut black and white issues and this mini series could have shown that but instead took the easy formulaic way out. And the shame is that they were close on the execution