This column gives “My First Impression” (and review) of a television series or mini-series based on just the first episode. This month review: CIA, currently airing on CBS.
Full disclosure: Producer Dick Wolf currently has eight shows on television right now (not including this one), but I only watched FBI International because “procedurals” (case-of-the-week dramas) are not my cup of tea. But I like the lead actor, Tom Ellis (Lucifer). He plays CIA officer Colin Glass, who gets paired up with FBI agent Bill Goodman (Nick Gehlfuss, Chicago Med).
The two men are very different, with CIA’s Colin being the rule-breaking type and FBI’s Bill being the by-the-book type. The episode has the them clashing as Colin and Bill try to find a stolen weapon, the thief behind the heist, and the arms dealer who is also involved.
Being a Dick Wolf show, there is a cameo from an FBI character, which fans of FBI will like, but I did not care about. There is also a twist at the end that I found uninteresting.
But I liked the chemistry between Colin and Bill, and I found the stolen weapon plot entertaining. I will continue to watch CIA, but without the exotic locations and fun accents in FBI International, I am not sure for how long. All in all, I give CIA 6 out of 10 stars!
