Genre television fans know actressGugu Mbatha-RawfromLoki, the Emmy-winningBlack Mirrorepisode “San Junipero,” and evenDoctor Who. But in 2010, she starred inUndercovers, a high-concept (butnotscience fiction)J.J. Abramsseries that was canceled much too soon. In her returning Apple TV+ show,Surface, her character experiences someJason Bourne-like memory loss. ButUndercovers, which is available to stream for free on Tubi, was a spy show that bore a much closer resemblance toMr. and Mrs. Smith.
What Is ‘Undercovers’ About?
InUndercovers, Mbatha-Raw stars opposite futureStation 19lead actorBoris Kodjoeas retired CIA agents Steve and Samantha Bloom. They opened a catering business. They thought they were out. But they get drawn back in when a friend goes missing. The season takes them all over the world as they solve that and other mysteries. Just because they’re not trying to kill each other does not mean that their relationship is smooth sailing. However, as it turns out,getting back in the spy game might be just what this married couple needed. Foreign settings, fancy disguises, and high-stakes assignments provide the necessary spark.
The show — which, according toEssence, was the first primetime NBC series with two Black leads sinceThe Cosby Show— wascanceled before the first season even finishedairing on NBC. In a 2011 interview with Collider,Abrams blamed himself forUndercovers' failureand theorized that the show’s mythology-lite and “frivolous” approach may have been too far out of his comfort zone.
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While Mbatha-Raw and Kodjoe were unquestionablyUndercovers' biggest draw as its leads, the show’s supporting cast is just as much of a reason to revisit its one and only season.Mekia Cox, who went on to playThe Princess and the Frogheroine Tiana in the final season of ABC’sOnce Upon A Time, stepped into the role of Sam’s ebullient but messy and oblivious to all things secret agent sister Lizzie.
There’s also a youngBen Schwartzas a rookie agent who idolizes Kodjoe’s Steven Bloom and cracks a joke at every turn. In addition,Carter MacIntyreplays Leo Nash — a wildcard former agent who has history with both of the Blooms (spoiler alert: he’s the friend missing in the pilot) — andGerald McRaney, whom television audiences might be familiar with for his current role in Hulu’s twisty mystery seriesParadise, plays the Blooms' by-the-book handler Carlton Shaw. The short-lived series also boasts some notable guest star appearances fromAlan Dale,Harry Lennix,Sean Maguire, andEnver Gjokaj, to name a few.
It’s such a shame thatUndercoversgot the boot midseason. The cast forms such a tight family of people dedicated to supporting the Blooms and their international spy missions. These two could have gone to so many interesting places — both emotionallyandglobally! At leastit exists as a one-season wonderthat you’re able to stream easily whenever you want. The sexy, breezy, “frivolous” nature of the series that Abrams thought doomed the show during its original run on NBC actually makes for the perfect binge watch.
Undercoversis available to stream on Tubi in the U.S.
Undercovers
