NBC Plays Copycat with New Allegiance Series

When a show airs with a premise similar to that of another show, it’s easy for fans to accuse the new show of playing copycat. Allegiance – a new espionage series that many fans have labeled an NBC imitation of FX’s The Americans – proves this point. Series such as these are often annoying at best, but Allegiance proves that a show doesn’t need to be original to entertain its audience. 

NBC’s Allegiance comes across with a shockingly familiar premise: KGB spies living as moles in America must choose between loyalty to their country or loyally to family. But though it alludes to The Americans, the show’s plot diverges in many ways due to key details. For instance, the parents in Allegiance are retired spies. And their son, Alex who works for the CIA (Gavin Stenhouse) is the real focus of the series, not his parents.  

Modern-day Spies

NBC’s Allegiance set in modern-day America, centers around Alex O’Connor whose parents, Katya (Hope Davis) and Mark O’Connor (Scott Cohen), former KBG spies, are reenlisted by the Russians. The Russians have one main aim: get Mark on their side so they can carry out a massive terrorism operation.

Their whole purpose in reactivating Katya and Mark O’Connor is to undermine Mark’s efforts as a CIA agent assigned to work within the area of Russian affairs. They recognize him as a threat, and who could blame them since he is brilliant at what he does. They are willing to use his parents as leverage to have their way.

  

It’s clear from the opening scenes of the series that Alex is good at what he does. With keen eyes and a sharp mind, he makes brilliant assertions without a hint of sweat, making it even more apparent why he’s such a threat in the eyes of the Russians. But as his life becomes the focus of the KGB, and his parents are forced to make a decision, the stakes are raised to even higher heights. That results in a fast-paced, action-packed series as Mark’s parents attempt to straddle the line between loyalty to country and loyalty to family in order to protect their son.  

Fast-paced Procedural

Fast-paced in its plot and storytelling, anyone who watches this espionage series will recognize that the creators of Allegiance are putting their best foot forward.  The show, for the most part, accurately depicts the world ofa CIA analyst, all while upping the drama. What results is an espionage series that’s undoubtedly entertaining. 

But how will this fast-paced series fare within the TV landscape? I think the series might prove worth watching if it maintains its fast-paced action and viewers accept that Allegiance is not FX’s The Americans. The Americans is a far more dynamic series. With its intense portrayal of characters, moral ambiguity and sheer unpredictability, the series stands out from the crowd.

What happens when the past slithers into our present-day lives and threatens to destroy all that we hold dear? NBC’s Allegiance examines just that. Though it’s not clear what the future of the series will be, one thing’s apparent - it offers an entertaining ride.