Quantico Series Premiere – “Run” Advance Review. Secret and Lies, Oh My!

Airdate: Sunday, September 27, 2015 at 10/9c on ABC

Season 1, Episode 1

Rating: ★★★★★

While I knew the basic premise of ABC’s new drama series Quantico, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I understood the series revolved around a group of FBI recruits who all have their own particular reasons for wanting to become an FBI agent. From the trailers, I also realized one of them would become one of the most wanted people in America. Never did I anticipate how good the pilot is; “Run” grabbed me and kept me glued to my seat throughout the entire episode.

“Run” opens nine months after the worst terrorist attack on United States soil since 9/11. Through a series of flashbacks, the viewer journeys back to the beginning—the first day of the FBI recruits’ training where they are tasked to uncover the one secret their trainee-partner wants to keep hidden. “Run” then probes into the minds of the recruits as they relive those secrets, expertly leading the viewer to the surprising conclusion of “Run.” A myriad of twists and turns abounds every few minutes that keeps you second guessing everything you hear and see; just when you think you have things figured out, you’re presented with another lie or mystery to unravel, including murder, child abuse, spousal abuse, terrorism, etc.

Alex finds herself in a quandary she never expected.

Perhaps the best thing about Quantico is Priyanka Chopra, who plays a half Indian/half Caucasian FBI recruit named Alex Parrish — around whom the show is centered. Chopra is a beautiful young woman who obviously knows her best assets and how to use them. Alex is an intelligent, durable, rough-and-tumble cookie who knows her way around men. She also has a deep, dark past she’d prefer to keep hidden. Chopra is a well-known actress in India, having charmed her fans for the past thirteen years. Now, she wants to break into Hollywood, and she’s doing it in a big, and what looks to be successful, way in Quantico.

Jake McLaughlin co-stars as FBI recruit Ryan Booth; he’s a cutie whose initial meeting with Alex is perfect fare for an episode of Grey’s Anatomy (Grey’s). I’m sure this won’t be the only time you’ll hear Quantico being compared to Shonda Rhimes’ hit medical series when people are discussing the show—well, Grey’s and Rhimes’ other hit drama, How to Get Away with Murder (HTGAWM). Where Grey’s deals with what goes on behind the scenes with doctors and nurses, and HTGAWM centers around lawyers, law students, and judges, Quantico delves into the lives of the FBI recruits and their handlers. There’s even a HTGAWM type character [Annelise Keating (Emmy® winner Viola Davis)], in Miranda Shaw (Aunjanue Ellis), assistant director of the training division at Quantico. Ellis is most known for her roles in The Mentalist and The Help.

First day of training

Other members of the cast include Johanna Braddy as recruit Shelby Wyatt, a well-to-do young woman with plenty of baggage; Tate Ellington as Simon Asher, an overly friendly, supposedly gay man from Brooklyn who obviously has a lot more going on than meets the eye; Graham Rogers as Caleb Haas, a handsome guy who seems to have something to prove; Matthew Albright as “Elder Eric” Packer, a Mormon recruit; and Yasmine Al Massri as Nimah Amin, a woman with a lot more to hide under her hijab than her hair. These young people come from all walks of life and each has their own secret, all of which begin to unravel during the “NAT or new agent trainees’” first assignment. But they’re not the only ones with secrets to hide — Miranda and Special Agent Liam O’Connor, played by Josh Hopkins, have things they don’t want exposed either, but they are also fully aware of all the skeletons in their trainees’ closets.

Filled with intrigue, sharp dialogue, hot bodies, and terrific acting, “Run” keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout every single minute. Quantico has what seems like the perfect recipe for a series that plans to be around for a long time. To say I am invested in each character already is putting it mildly. I want to know more about every single one of them. And by the way, Quantico is way more than Grey’s or HTGAWM—it’s a drama that gives you everything you’ve always wanted in a television show.

Tune in to the series premiere of Quantico Sunday, September 27, 2015 at 10/9c, only on ABC.

Stay current with Quantico on its official website at http://abc.go.com/shows/quantico.

Looking for Quantico on social media? Follow these links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/QuanticoABC

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/QuanticoTV

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ABCQuantico

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/quanticotv

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Linda

Love TV, movies, and books--mostly mysteries, with a good love story thrown in every now and then. I have four adopted dogs who I adore. I love trying new recipes, and enjoy eating what I make. English language perfectionist. Reading in bed, Italian food, warm weather, the beach, all types of games = favs!