A spy hides his true career from his clueless wife.

Granted, one either suspends disbelief and accepts the silly premise or not. If one gets past the setup, they can enjoy the fun show.

This show revisits yet another movie from the nineties. On the most excellent side, the show mostly avoids the overwhelming misogyny of the original. Ironically, in going in the opposite direction, it lacks just a bit in the execution.

A college professor who speaks multiple languages, Helen shows off that skill when she’s pulled into one of Harry’s assignments. Nice touch. Then, the episode shows her as an excellent fighter because she… shadowboxes to video tapes? Um, no. Visiting a gym or a dojo regularly, that would make sense. Minor in the scheme of things, yet slightly annoying as the writers could so easily have corrected it.

Later we get another misstep, small yet also way worse, and incredibly annoying as the writers could and should have avoided it. Understandably furious at Harry’s long-term deceit, Helen slaps Harry across the face. Regardless of the intent (humor or drama), that garners an epic fail. It can only be funny if one thinks violence is OK and that men should accept being hit. Why, because men are so big and tough it shouldn’t bother them? Women are so weak and infantilized that they can’t do any damage? After viewers also ostensibly see how Helen can fight? For the same reasons it’s not good drama: with the problematic additional implications that women are too emotional to control themselves, and the – false – idea that men can’t suffer abuse.

Why make such a big deal out of two things also labeled ‘small’? However tiny, they contribute to the overall tone of the show. They mar what is otherwise really nicely done. Small things matter and unconscious prejudice (sexism in this case) is the most insidious kind. Conscripting into a career also didn’t work for me, but it’s way too early to tell how that will play out.

Otherwise, the writing is light and fun. The fast-paced plot serves the cast, which does a great job. In particular, leads Ginger Gonzaga and Steve Howey as Helen and Harry have good chemistry and come across as people one would love to sit down and have a beer with. Nor does it hurt in the least that both are most lovely to look at. The young actors playing their kids Dana and Jake do a nice job with thus-far underwritten typical petulant-teenager roles. Plenty of time to give them more to do, however small the parts remain. (Presumably the show won’t turn into Spy Kids.) Happily, it’s free of cynicism, angst, and bleakness.

Verdict: A decent start. Solid, nothing yet to set it above but more than enough that I look forward to seeing more. 6/10

Rigel Ailur

http://www.BluetrixBooks.com