THE ASSETS: Jodie Whittaker Takes On Communist Russia

It’s 1985, the Cold War is in full swing, and Sandy Grimes is at the forefront of the CIA’s espionage efforts in ABC’s new series, The Assets. This eight-part “limited series” – or “miniseries” in ’80s parlance – unspools on Thursdays beginning January 2.

Based on the real life events of CIA counter-intelligence officer Sandy Grimes (Jodie Whittaker), The Assets follows Grimes and her partner Jeanne Vertefeuille (Harriet Walter) race against time to find a mole. Because the series is based on real events, the identity of the mole is revealed immediately: Aldrich Ames (a particularly creepy Paul Rhys). Considered one of the most notorious traitors in US history, Ames has given the identities of Soviet double agents to the KGB, and they are being systematically caught and executed. Sandy is in a race against time to save the Soviet intelligence officers whose identities have been revealed.

Whittaker leads the ensemble, ably depicting Sandy as a smart, analytic woman who balances her brilliance with emotional intelligence. In the first episode, we are immediately plunged into her work and shown that she is respected and good at her job. No qualifying, no need to prove herself, she’s just a good analyst.

The ’80s are en vogue at the moment, disturbingly “retro” enough to be rife with nostalgia, and ABC has successfully mined the comedic side already with The Goldbergs. As with the sitcom, The Assets works as a period piece, a compelling story set against an historical background. The producers smartly rein in the visual cues for the decade, dressing Sandy conservatively in fairly classic pieces and restricting the action to nondescript government buildings and other generic locations. Without the kitschiness of pop culture, the tension of the Cold War is palpable.

The Assets premieres Thursday, January 2 at 10/9c on ABC.