Whiskey Cavalier (2019 TV Series)

[Lurkndog]

I do love me some spy TV, generally the cheesier the better. Whiskey Cavalier delivers.

Our hero is FBI Agent Will Chase, which is less of a name and more of a mission statement. His code name is Whiskey Cavalier. (Apparently the FBI is doing porn now.) He's a soft-hearted guy who's coming off a bad breakup, when he crosses paths in Moscow with CIA Agent Frankie Trowbridge, and the two become instant frenemies. As agents from rival agencies, they proceed to doublecross each other all over Europe for the rest of the pilot. It's a lot of fun.

The main attraction here is Lauren Cohen as Frankie, codename Fiery Tribune. She is smoking hot, and carries her role off very well. She also gets knocked out twice in the pilot alone.

Hero guy is considerably less impressive, but he'll do. They get a lot of mileage out of his emotional baggage in the pilot, we'll see how long they can keep that going.

Cons: I don't think the FBI is actually allowed to operate overseas, certainly not in the guns blazing spy style we are given, but who cares?

In closing, it's a stupid sexy spy show, and I was entertained. If the rest of the show is like the pilot was, I'm definitely buying the blu-ray.

[DrDominator9]

Thanks for the review and putting this on my radar, Lurkndog. I liked the look of the previews. I will watch the pilot and see what I think.

[tallyho]

lauren_cohan.jpg (304.41 KiB) Viewed 4709 times

I do believe I would bang that until I forget about Brexit.

[DrDominator9]

She looks like Adrianne Palicki. And yes, a beautiful specimen of womanhood, as you so subtly implied.

[Danorian]

If you want to see more of Lauren, I'd heavily recommend the 4th season of Chuck, starting with the 16th episode.

My 2 cents.

[Lurkndog]

Second episode aired tonight. It was fun, but not quite as much fun as the pilot.

Emphasis was on hero guy and the supporting cast, who were on point, but we didn't get a lot of Frankie as a result.

Oddly, they are including scenes in the "next episode" clips that don't actually appear in the next episode.

[bushwackerbob]

If you want to see more of Lauren, I'd heavily recommend the 4th season of Chuck, starting with the 16th episode.

My 2 cents.

She was also a regular cast member on the Walking Dead 2011-2018. When I heard her talk in an interview I was shocked to hear her native British accent, I never would have guessed.

[Lurkndog]

She has joint US-British citizenship, and lived most of her early childhood in New Jersey.

Her real accent seems to go back and forth between American English and British.

[DrDominator9]

I watched the first two shows and thought they were worthwhile enough to watch a few more. The sustaining concept about him being soft-hearted and her being emotionally sealed off could get old quickly. If the cases are interesting that would help.

[Abductorenmadrid]

lauren_cohan.jpg



I do believe I would bang that until I forget about Brexit.

Man, that's a lot of funtime you'd need for that, do you still have the stamina? lol

[TIEnTEEZ]

I keep seeing the ads for this. Not sure if I will like the show, but I think I will probably give it a shot.
I love Lauren Cohen on Walking Dead, and she looks a lot better here since she can actually look like she's wearing make-up and have her hair done on this show, instead of always looking like she hasn't showered in years on Walking Dead.

Is she off Walking Dead, now?

[TIEnTEEZ]

If you want to see more of Lauren, I'd heavily recommend the 4th season of Chuck, starting with the 16th episode.

My 2 cents.

Oh, wow, I watched every season of Chuck, but I don't remember her being in it. :-P

[bushwackerbob]

I keep seeing the ads for this. Not sure if I will like the show, but I think I will probably give it a shot.
I love Lauren Cohen on Walking Dead, and she looks a lot better here since she can actually look like she's wearing make-up and have her hair done on this show, instead of always looking like she hasn't showered in years on Walking Dead.

Is she off Walking Dead, now?

Yes, she left the show in 2018. There is one scene from the series where her character is forced to strip, the scene and her in particular are hot as hell.

[theScribbler]

I keep seeing the ads for this. Not sure if I will like the show, but I think I will probably give it a shot.
I love Lauren Cohen on Walking Dead, and she looks a lot better here since she can actually look like she's wearing make-up and have her hair done on this show, instead of always looking like she hasn't showered in years on Walking Dead.

Is she off Walking Dead, now?

Yes, she left the show in 2018. There is one scene from the series where her character is forced to strip, the scene and her in particular are hot as hell.

So immediately I had to go look for this scene! No luck at first. but found episode. S3 Ep 7...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_the_ ... e_Knocking

Then found this clip. Is this the one?



Here are some nice photos of Lauren...

https://sharenator.com/hot-and-sexy-lau ... 50-photos/

Reminds me of Charisma Carpenter when she was on Buffy.

[bushwackerbob]

I keep seeing the ads for this. Not sure if I will like the show, but I think I will probably give it a shot.
I love Lauren Cohen on Walking Dead, and she looks a lot better here since she can actually look like she's wearing make-up and have her hair done on this show, instead of always looking like she hasn't showered in years on Walking Dead.

Is she off Walking Dead, now?

Yes, she left the show in 2018. There is one scene from the series where her character is forced to strip, the scene and her in particular are hot as hell.

So immediately I had to go look for this scene! No luck at first. but found episode. S3 Ep 7...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_the_ ... e_Knocking

Then found this clip. Is this the one?



Here are some nice photos of Lauren...

https://sharenator.com/hot-and-sexy-lau ... 50-photos/

Reminds me of Charisma Carpenter when she was on Buffy.

Yes, that is the scene. I mean there is no actual nudity but you can't have eveything I guess. I love the tension of the scene and she is hot.

[TIEnTEEZ]

[Lurkndog]

Third episode was kind of a dog, just not a good script IMHO. Lauren Cohan cleans up nice.

I found out they shot most of the show on location in Prague, so at least it's not Euro-Burbank.

[bushwackerbob]

I do not think the show is in any danger of winning Emmys, or being one of the best shows on television but I enjoy the humor and lightheartedness of the series as there are not many dramas like that on television right now. Almost every drama is serious, dire, like the world is gonna come to an end so this show is a nice alternative to that reality.

[Lurkndog]

I agree with you there, Bob. I stopped watching The Flash last season because I got tired of the doom and gloom arc plot.

I wouldn't mind if Whiskey Cavalier remains completely episodic.

No idea what the ratings on it have been like.

[Lurkndog]

Ok, Episode 4 was a winner. It had the "Entrapment Laser" scene they've been teasing, which IMHO fell kinda flat, but then there's a fight to the death between the two leads and a sexy female assassin that is ON POINT. And the banter and sexual tension was also firing on all cylinders, IMHO. Even the scenes with Douchey Handler Guy were good.

The one thing I don't like is that they don't give Hacker Guy enough to do. He doesn't get to hack, so he ends up being the backup con man. Though, real world hackers generally ARE con men... still wish he got to do more of the computer tech stuff.

Hopefully the writer for tonight's episode has some more episodes in the pipeline, if so I look forward to them.

[bushwackerbob]

I just saw this past Tuesday's episode, really good. It is real clear though that the success of this series is going to depend on the chemistry of the two leads and how that relationship develops. Ana Ortiz is ok but I feel that the rest of the cast is unremarkable, almost generic, they do not stand out that much, almost serving as filler when they want to take a break from Foley and Cohan scenes.

[Lurkndog]

Episode 5 was fun, and had some great comedy going on with the supporting cast. Also, we may have a shadowy Loyal Opposition now, called "The Trust." I guess KAOS and SPECTRE were taken.

It seems the show thrives on low-grade internal conflicts among the heroes.

[Visitor]

I got started with episode 5 and at least you can get into the series without having watched it from the start. Concentrating on the humor over the action makes this worth watching because the plot wasn't anything new for the genre.

The Trust was the shadow villain group in Stargate One that had infiltrated various governments, intelligence agencies, and businesses. But I guess all the better names were taken.

[bushwackerbob]

One thing I particularly enjoyed about this past episode was the barfight. In every other show or movie I have ever seen, when the good guys get into a barfight with the bad guys, miraculously, each and every one of the good guys ends up unscathed and ends up the victor in that scenario. Very cliché. I got a good chuckle last night as Will and Frankie took care of business in the melee while Agent Datta is sprawled out on the floor nursing a possible broken nose. Very funny. I like when shows go against the grain and do the opposite of what is expected in scenes like those.

[Lurkndog]

Tonight's episode was a good one, particularly the airing of dirty laundry.

Ray is still a douchebag, but at least he's a useful douchebag.

Spoiler

I also liked the way that they made use of Todd, and Jai's simple joy at shooting him.

I also kind of like how they subvert the La Femme Nikita "All Spies Are Evil" cliche.

[TIEnTEEZ]

I've given up on this series. I wanted to like it, but it's gotten dumber and dumber the longer it goes on. And it's so inconsistent. Lauren Cohen's character is borderline schizophrenic. One week she's this totally emotionless, cold-blooded killer. The next she's smiling and laughing and acting like she's jealous of Will's relationship with the MI6 agent. It's very obvious that they have more than one writer on the show and one doesn't know what the other ones are doing.

[DrDominator9]

T&T above is right. Getting thin already. Still watching... for now.

Edited after watching the latest show: I still enjoyed the episode. And yes, Ray is being drawn into the group. Like I say, still willing to watch.

[Visitor]

It's a group of dysfunctional agents forced to work together because no one else wants them. I would like better continuity, but it isn't as bad as some shows that can't keep up continuity within an episode.

[Lurkndog]

I liked the idea of "Spy Christmas" but I wonder if the show was originally scheduled for a fall premiere, and this was originally an actual Christmas episode.

I've been pleased with the show. Perhaps it mostly succeeds on the level of sex appeal, action, and banter, but if so I'm on board. I think they've done a good job maintaining the quality of the scripts, and so far they haven't worn out their premise.

My only regret is that it looks like Season 1 is only 13 episodes.

Fun fact: the actress playing Standish's super-spy girlfriend is married in real life to Scott Foley, who plays Will Chase.

[Visitor]

It's the little things in an episode like tonight's "Hearts and Minds" where Jai gets his cruel revenge on Will at the end.

[bushwackerbob]

I just finished tonight's episode and it was really good, some good laughs and some drama. One thing that concerns me is that I just read in Variety that the show is on the bubble in regards to getting renewed for a second season. The article said that the ratings are ok but that with the high priced salaries of the two leads make it questionable in regards to whether ABC decides to bring it back. There is so much crap on network television these days that I find it unfathomable that ABC would fail to renew a solid show like Whiskey Cavalier. The interesting thing to me is that in the last five years or so there have been a bunch of new broadcast network shows, the Crossing and the Returned, to name a few, who had intriguing premises but had real weak and unremarkable casts with actors who did not stand out, and therefore were cancelled after one season. I guess when you have established actors getting paid higher salaries on these shows, the bar is raised in terms of how success is measured. I watch less broadcast network television (ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, CW) now than I did ten years ago, and the affect on me if they decide to cancel a perfectly good show such as Whiskey Cavalier will be that I will be less inclined to take a chance on a new series if they just go and cancel it after 13 episodes, I mean why fully commit to a series if it's gone tomorrow. Bring on Netflix, Amazon, and HBO.

[bushwackerbob]

It's the little things in an episode like tonight's "Hearts and Minds" where Jai gets his cruel revenge on Will at the end.

I agree with you 100 percent, that was hilarious. I do not think that you could find another hour drama series on broadcast network television where you would see something like that. Totally did not see that coming at all.

[Lurkndog]

I'm rooting for them to get renewed. I should see if they have a preorder for the blu-rays yet, I treat that as an opportunity to bribe the network.

I used to faithfully buy the blu-rays for Chuck when it was on the air, and perpetually on the cusp.

[Lurkndog]

Oof! That ending was a gut punch.

Also liked seeing Nega-Will this episode. And Frankie in that burgandy gown, damn!

[Visitor]

Did not expect the last bit. It's going to be interesting how that plays out.

Loved the only once, uh seventeen and half times bit and then that part near the end with them ending it.

[DrDominator9]

Still catching up on this show. I saw "Hearts and Minds" episode and thought it was quite well written, with a nice touch of action, humor and emotional appeal. This show really ought to be renewed and it would be a real shame if it weren't. Fingers crossed.

[Lurkndog]

I remember watching the pilot and thinking "they'll never be able to sustain this for a whole season." But to my surprise and delight, they have.

[DrDominator9]

Just watched the most recent episode "Good Will Hunting" and yet again, found it to be a worthwhile show, including a nice blend of humor and action and characters you care about. Not to mention the view of Lauren Cohan in that great form-fitting dress in the casino, not to mention her conducting a fight scene in the same dress.

Also, what is it about Ray that has all the women succumbing to him? It's a stretch at best. Sigh. If Frankie ends up sleeping with him, I may have to stop watching the show!!

[Lurkndog]

Also, what is it about Ray that has all the women succumbing to him?

My guess is that he is decent looking, well-off, well-dressed, and a good dancer and conversationalist. That and he actually pursues them.

Ray's superpower is improvisation. He's got game.

Ray's kryptonite seems to be that he can't turn it off. And unlike Will, he's not genuine. Eventually the women figure that out, and I imagine he has quite the string of failed relationships in his wake.

[Visitor]

From the recent Standish and Jai conversation about Tina, all the guys except Will are willing to do whatever a woman wants to have a relationship. Even Will gave in somewhat with Emma since he originally wasn't ready for her idea that they lead risky lives so take what you can.

[Visitor]

The humor alone is worth watching "College Confidential." The plot wasn't that great.

I can't believe Standish was stupid enough to get in a vehicle where Jai is driving.

"I can pass as a grad student." - Will

Ray dealing with watching his niece.

Then Jai and Susan watching the soap opera between a professor and student.

[Lurkndog]

The humor alone is worth watching "College Confidential." The plot wasn't that great.

A common failing of TV mystery plots is that they only have two or three guest stars, so after you eliminate your one red herring, the other guest star is always the real villain.

The storylines on Whiskey Cavalier are generally light weight, but the banter is quality.

I do think that the other characters need to get call signs, though. The rule is that the initials have to match the spy's real name. Thus Will Chase is Whiskey Cavalier, and Frankie Trowbridge is Fiery Tribune.

That leaves us with:

• Jai Datta
• Martyna Marek
• Ray Prince
• Susan Sampson
• Edgar Standish

For instance, Emma Davies could be codename Existential Demotion.

[Lurkndog]

The best codename I've come up with is for Ray Prince: Romeo Peacock

For Jai Datta, I came up with Jacknife Dervish. Not 100% on that one.

For Edgar Standish, I like Enigma for E, but I haven't come up with a good S. Enigma Scorpion sounds like they let Standish pick his own name.

[DrDominator9]

Jai Datta = Just Dessert
Ray Prince = Rascal Prick (too bad they can't use this.)
Edgar Standish = Everyman's Stand-in (Well, he is!!)

[Lurkndog]

I think I like Jacknife Dandy better for Jai than Dervish.

[Visitor]

Jackknife Driver seems more appropriate for Jai.

[bushwackerbob]

Sorry to give you the bad news guys but Whiskey Cavalier has been cancelled. It was a solid show, good cast, really unique, an hour drama with a lot of laughs. I knew the show was on the bubble but I just did not think that ABC would be shortsighted and stupid enough to actually cancel the show. Broadcast tv shows that do not seem to fit into one simple niche box such as drama, comedy, action thriller seem to have difficulty in remaining on the air at times. Real bummer.

[Visitor]

It's less about fitting the box, since there have been plenty that fit several categories, and more about need to have high ratings or fit a desirable audience type. i hope it at least makes a DVD, so I can watch it again.

Edit - I see it was cancelled for a sharp drop in ratings. WB is shopping the series around to see if someone else might pick it up.

[bushwackerbob]

From what I read they were about at the middle of the pack ratings wise among ABC original series. The thing that really hurts them is that ABC does not own the series, that another studio owns the show, and that it is the studio and not the network that gets a lot of the ancillary income from a show, such as syndication, etc,. I am guessing that if they had an ownership in the show that it would have likely been renewed. I am not saying that a show that crosses over and checks a lot of boxes cannot be successful, just that if the ratings are not there at the beginning, that they are less likely to be patient with a series if the network executives believe they have difficulty in marketing a series to a particular audience because they are uncertain of how or who to market to based on the uncertainty of the true genre of the series. I have seen too many perfectly great television series cancelled before their time because television executives failed to understand the DNA of these quality shows. Shows such as My So Called Life and Freaks and Geeks are two examples of great quality shows that transcended genres, did not fit in an easy to market box, yet also did not make it to season two. Considering how much market share the broadcast networks are losing each year you would think these networks would be More open (not to mention patient) to more experimentation in regards to prime time and not just air the tired old formulaic genres and recycled, boring and cheap to produce reality shows.

[Lurkndog]

Thanks for delivering the news, Bob. Disappointing, but at least we got a season out of it.

I'll buy the discs just to have the pilot episode.