Something like this comment was originally a reply to @Pedro, but I thought I'd put it here.
This show starts a little slow. It does that thing where the first few episodes are your typical boring cop procedural to show the network they know how to paint by numbers. Then it picks up.
It starts actually exploring the morals of mass surveillance, and (minor spoilers) it turns out the Machine is an AI, and they deal with all the interesting ramifications of living in a world secretly run by a benevolent(?) AI. One of the nice aspects of this show is the only fictional element of the Machine is software. Makes for a very grounded science fiction.
The characters start to deal with total corruption of the police system and attempt to take it down, meanwhile learning and redeeming themselves from their dubious past.
They also deal with taking down organised crime, and what to do when someone tries to consolidate power within the families, even though the new boss is less violent.
They get caught up in vast government conspiracies waging massive secret intelligence wars, and must stop innocent people from getting killed while remaining hidden from powerful people.
Heartbreak, romance, homoerotic sexual tension, SciFi, shooting people, explosions!
They stop making another cop show and start making some really compelling television.
I am in the middle of the first season but I gonna say: this show is so good !
Since The Walking Dead is getting more and more boring, Homeland's season is over, and Breaking Bad's final season is starting in July I was looking for a TV Show which is exiting, got a central theme in it. Where you get surprised and the acting is good.
A TV show which is realistic and dangerous.
I found all of it with this show!
Since this TV Show is about the cold war I want to compare it with James Bond, and the second reason is I don't want to put spoilers in it:
I am pretty sure you know the older James Bond movies, where Bond is jumping of a cliff with no parachute, into a plane, gets control over the plane, destroying the enemy's base and got no scratches. Superhero Bond. No problems.
And then you know the newer Bond movies with Daniel Craig. Where Bond has problems. He's a drinker. Getting hurt, Getting scratches, simply more realistic.
If you know what I mean, then you know who the show is like.
Two KGB agents who are in the US for some years. Got two children. Have to live their whole life under disguise, which living a FBI Agent next door.
They like in some way there life as normal people and they do like in some way the people of America. But in their point of view the US government is evil. They what to build a anti-missile defense system (google Star Wars Bush), which would make the nuclear arsenal of Russia worthless. And they have to do something against that.
Lets see how the show develops. 9/10
