Watch Covert Affairs Online - Full Episodes

The maxim of the USA Network is that characters are welcome. The cable channel's original programming is predicated upon the philosophy that the leads in a series are the reason that viewers will remain engaged. Covert Affairs carefully follows this tenet.

Covert Affairs is an espionage thriller focused upon an impossibly likable character named Annie Walker. The protagonist is a recent graduate of the CIA who is guided into the role of active agent with a fictional government agency called Domestic Protection Division. A master linguist fluent in seven languages and counting, Annie's combination of disarmingly youthful looks and expert training make her the perfect choice for international spying.

The Domestic Protection Division is run by Joan Campbell, Walker's direct superior. Joan's husband, Arthur Campbell, is the Director of the National Clandestine Service. Between the two Campbells, there is a constant onslaught of dangerous missions for Annie. Some are matters of national security while others involve sustaining diplomatic relationships with foreign countries. At times, Arthur and Joan even behave surreptitiously with one another, placing Annie squarely in the middle of their political conflicts.

Fortunately, Annie has help within her department. Co-worker and confidant Auggie Anderson is a military intelligence expert who was blinded during a military skirmish in Iraq. Since the incident, Auggie has mastered a series of audio cues that enable him to maintain his track record of excellence. A heroically retired member of Special Forces, Auggie is the breakout character on Covert Affairs. Rather than marginalize the blind man due to his disability, he is instead celebrated for developing a remarkable skill set that a person with eyesight could never acquire. Annie and Auggie have become closer each season with the two of them inevitably heading toward a future coupling.

The conceit of Covert Affairs is that Annie must hide her identity from her sister, Danielle. Given that they live together, this subterfuge plays havoc with Annie's familial relationship. Eventually, Danielle unearths the truth about Annie's secret life, which causes a schism between the sisters. Annie attempts to shield Danielle from the dangerous people with whom she interacts through work yet this drives a further wedge between the two sisters.

Every aspect of Annie's life is clandestine in some way, which reinforces the title of the show, Covert Affairs. This is a spy thriller where friends and enemies are oftentimes difficult to differentiate.