A Note About Smelling the Subway

In recent weeks, I've noticed a spike in subway stations being show in TV. My fundamental position is that if you cannot smell the dinginess of the subway - the pee, the homeless people,- then you are not doing your due diligence to your pre-show research.


Blue Bloods- the second episode, which featured a gruesome string of subway murders, looked like a real subway. Ok, so they do actually film in New York, so they have that advantage. But the subway looked like a Subway. A dirty, urine-covered subway. Huzzah!

How I Met Your Mother- In the quintessential "New York" episode, I commend this show, which is not shot in New York (its outdoor streets are fake Hollywood sets) for its real-looking subway. When Lily deciphered the muffled subway conductor's voice, it was a true New York mement. And the subway did not look like it smelled like urine, but it had implications of being a real subway.

Nikita- The NY cat-and-mouse thriller had a subway scene in its second episode, a traditional shootout in the 34th street station. This station was real looking, but way too squeaky clean for Penn station, and it looked nothing like the real station. Props for the real wooden seats!

Covert Affairs- This was in D.C., but the pilot episode ended with another shootout in the subway. It had no implications of urine smell, a way-too-clean subway.

A Note About Amazing Affairs

Just finished watching USA's new series"Covert Affairs." I can't say enough good things about this show. It is phenomenal. Covert Affairs is the 20-teens re-versioning of the beloved ABC classic "Alias." Piper Perabo could easily be a distant relative of Alias sweetheart Sydney Bristow, played by Jennifer Garner.

First of all, Perabo's Annie is human, easily making a slip-up on her first mission out of spy school, but coming back to save the day in the end (realizing her now dead contact faked his own death so he could assassinate a well-known Russian author). It's nice to see a character that isn't ashamed of talking about her bad past relationships, balks at the idea of impersonating a "call girl," then flawlessly pulls it off in front of the questioning but cute FBI agent, and has guys falling over her within minutes of entering the CIA office (the CIA office that has a Starbucks!) Annie's relationship with her sister Danielle is sweet and developing well.

Christopher Gorham (Ugly Betty, Popular, Jake 2.0) is back in the "Marshall" role of Alias, playing Auggie, the CIA info guy and tech guru. It's nice to see an incredibly attractive man play a geeky guy without looking too geeky. Plus he's adorable, a total ladies' man, and he's blind. By my friend C's definition: he is HOT!

And to make it better, Annie's past lover, who vanished from her life one night in Sri Lanka, has come back, saving Annie from a Russian Assassin, only to jump on the subway and disappear into the night. What's going to happen with him? I can't wait to find out.

Plus, Peter Gallagher, affectionately known as Mr. Cohen to me, is one of the CIA directors! I love this man. Only two more days until the new episode... to see more about Covert Affairs, read the NY Times article.

Upcoming: Jennifer Love Hewitt stars in "The Client List"
Summer TV: Part 2!
John Mayer Concert review!
Mad Men debuts in a week!

News: Maroon 5 Live at the Beacon Theatre July 27th!- no public tickets, but it's on TV!