This week's Undercovers: Declassified will speak on the subtle nudges the audience got last night, which makes one think that while shooting the second episode of the spy drama, the writers were looking through a crystal ball into the future. What could I possibly mean? Well, just bear with me.
One of the running themes last night was basically the concept of a clean slate. In other words, the Blooms (and those around them) kept referring to last week's adventure as being irrelevant, or "not counting", in terms of their official partnership in the world of the spy game. It was as if the writers was telling everyone that they knew the pilot wasn't a "wham-bam-thank-you-maam" extravaganza expected of J.J. Abrams and his ilk, but what really mattered was what they improved on, which was a lot in last night's outing.
First and foremost, the love affair wasn't excessively sweet. Even though the conflict this week between the Blooms' domestic life was kinda of goofy (Steve broke an expensive coffee maker by not reading the instructions), it led into crucial plot point that brought in further conflict in the form of Leo Nash, who will serve as an even greater foil in the Blooms' marriage than a kitchen appliance.
Speaking of Leo Nash, he isn't just some scene stealing witty dialogue dropping rogue. He is also the key to both Steven and Sam's past, a past that neither of them really knows about the other. With Nash joining on the Blooms' missions on a semi-permanent basis, the writers have opened a door for the potential mystery/mythological aspect of the show, which Abrams fans are practically dying without. Until then, Abrams is asking for his followers to just wait and let characterization takes its course before bringing some complicated, time-consuming entity that will give the Blooms a run for their money.
As for the Blooms' past, Steven seemed disturbed when Leo brought up the real reason behind the Blooms' early retirement. Also, it came across as it being more Steven's decision than it was a united decision between him and Sam, which could prove to conjure up some drama on down the line. Who knows? Maybe Steven's secret reason for giving his resignation to the CIA is tied into the real reason they were reinstated. Time can only tell, and I do mean time.
Meanwhile, wonder if Lizzy's past bout with alcoholism will serve up as a potential storyline to be revisited down the line? It got some mention in both of the scenes she was involved in last night, which makes me think that it's not such a throwaway back story.
Undercovers is proving itself to not be the standard J.J. Abrams fare, but at the same time, the producers and writers are saying that it's okay.
As Leo Nash so eloquently put it last night, "This is weird! Let's Just Embrace It..."
I don't think Nash was just saying that to say it, folks. That was a message.
