Spy/Master (2023) User Reviews

Interesting, but a bit unauthentic, still a good show - a Romanian perspective

[alin-juverdeanu · 7/10 · 21 June 2023]

It's a good show, but it has some glaring flaws.

Don't get me wrong, it's ultimately an interesting show, with a story that is gripping and has its fair share of tension and suspense. Most of the settings (although most are indoor) are visually believable, costumes are ok for the most part. The characters, for the most part, seem believable, but with some exceptions.

I am Romanian and it's obvious to me that no Romanian screenwriters were involved. The Romanian language dialogue is stilted, artificial, no Romanian talks that way, especially those that lived in the period the show takes place. No Romanian uses those turns of phrase, those expressions, that manner of talking overall. How can I explain it? It's like the actors are reading through literal Romanian subtitles from an American movie. At some point it gets a bit grating to my ears.

Moving onto the authenticity and historical parallels, it is also obvious that the character of Victor Godeanu is inspired by Ion Mihai Pacepa, a real life high ranking Communist official who defected to the US. Although Pacepa was a member of Ceausescu's inner circle, I feel the closeness between the Godeanu character and the Ceausescu's couple is a bit exaggerated, compared to the real life counterparts. Then again, this is a work of fiction and I guess this is warranted. Also, I am adamant that no one called either of the Ceausescus by their first names except themselves one to another.

Moving on to the portrayal of the Ceausescus themselves. Elvira Deatcu does a decent job capturing Elena's mannerisms and her domineering presence over everyone she meets and over Nicolae himself. Her entitlement as well. The only thing I think that could have been emphasized more is her lack of education, manners or culture. In real life, she was barely literate and her speech was littered with gramatical and morphological errors.

As for Nicolae, I think his portrayal is my least favorite thing about this show. Not necessarily because how he was written, but I think actor Claudiu Bleont (a very good actor otherwise) does not do a very good job. Real life Nicolae Ceausescu had a number of speech impediments. In real life, apart from his rather poor command of the Romanian language (just like his wife's), he could not properly pronounce the "R" sound. The show captured this aspect, but the actor's delivery is very inconsistent, this impediment disppearing completely in some scenes or even lines in the same scene, but where he does capture this speech impediment, the delivery is a charicature. It's Elmer Fudd-ish and grating to a Romanian ear. I would also mention real life Ceausescu's minor stutter but cannot blame the show's crew for this. The Romanian Communist Party were very, very careful about the portrayal of Ceausescu in the media, so sources of him actually espousing this are extremely rare.

As a conclusion, I am always very excited when quality Romanian (or involving Romanians) films and shows come out and especially when they have an international reach. Despite everything I have written above, Spy/Master is a good show, worth watching and I hope we can see more of the actors in the future.

Makes a change...

[Greywolf907 · 8/10 · 22 May 2023]

I stumbled across this series quite by accident and have watched the first two episodes only, but the fact that I bothered to watch the second ep is testament itself to the quality on show, I have no idea what some reviewers expect from a cold war eastern bloc spy drama, lots of super hero's in costumes perhaps or sweary lippy Americans being the best at everything! Who knows, but if you like your spy drama at a sedate pace full of intrigue and suspense then this show should be on your list to watch. The lead actor does a great job as do most of the supporting cast and I genuinely look forward to episode 3 and see where the story takes me!

Tense and nerve jangling - compelling watching

[richard-is-still-alive · 8/10 · 3 June 2023]

At first, I was a bit confused by the switching from one language to another, but with the subs turned on, it all became clear. I'm not a fan of subtitles, but for me, they were essential and didn't detract too much from the suspense of the storyline.

It's a great spy series and compelling viewing. The characters are believable and well-rounded, the story is interesting and different, and the dialogue excellent - delivered in a great deadpan style that suited the atmosphere.

The whole series knitted together nicely, and it is refreshing to see new-to-me actors doing a great job. The period atmosphere and the settings made the whole thing believable. I particularly liked the fact that the characters were able to project the nervousness of that moment in time.

Loved it and can't recommend it highly enough.

Exciting and really well made

[Raziel6381 · 20 May 2023]

Fantastic cast, Great delivery and a good portail of the hystoric period. The whole story keep you on your toes. The romanian cast does a great job and so do the american actors. Rythm is good, exposition is organic and the different scenes are blended really well. All in all every aspect really make this a great one to watch.

I don't usually leave reviews but i had to share on this one. Usually romanian films are vulgar and full of forced low brow humor, but this tv show is exactly as it should be and really made me enjoy every minute of it. I can't wait to see the rest of the episodes and see the story unfold.

The good ol' times...

[ironworker-95306 · 10/10 · 5 June 2023]

Fictional in a sense, but also inspired by the true events about Ion Mihai Pacepa, the Securitate general from the very top entourage of the (former president of Romania for some, for others the dictator) Nicolae Ceausescu who defected to the U. S. For a few a hero, a traitor for others, from a time when Romania used to be a player on the world stage. The characters and the institution involved in the plot, the KGB, STASI, the Arab terrorists, CIA, BND, and Romanian Securitatate from the '70s gives the story some historical and political weight. The series follows Pacepa's book "The Red Horizons" published in 1988, a year before Ceausescu was killed.

Almost good

[barabasoffice · 6/10 · 25 June 2023]

Making a cold war series about a specific country is a terribly difficult task. Yes, people may remember Nicolae Ceausescu, but anything else about pre-1989 Romania is probably hardly attractive. The Spy/Master team attempted the impossible and unfortunately failed in many ways. For those familiar with Budapest many sets will look awkwardly recognizable to be taken for Bonn or any German city. But you just have to deal with it. But the story and characters... First, Godeanu. We are expected to see him rather a victim of the regime and a loving father and not the ruthless Communist secret service head who destroyed many lives getting to the top. Second, the American embassy and its security. It was just painful to see the Romanian agents roaming freely on the hallways, nobody asking them what the hell they were doing there. Yeah, disguised in catering personnel, but still?? And how on Earth can a terrorist enter the embassy with a huge briefcase fully packed with a bomb, nobody asking him to open it? How a CIA operative lets someone toss him away and search a CIA SAFEHOUSE??? Come on!! And at the end we are told that the whole story was about Carter and the Camp David agreement... err, what?? This could have been a so much better series. Ana Ularu was chilling as a Romanian bulldog-style agent, but that's about it.

Like!

[catchingmistakes · 10/10 · 12 June 2023]

First of all, before watching Spy/Master you should read "Red Horizons" by Ion Mihai Pacepa. Then, you will understand better the Spy/Master. I don't usually leave reviews, but I really liked the story, and definitely it's a lesson of history.

Fictional in a sense, but also inspired by true events, Spy/Master is probably one of the best versions of Pacepa defecting to United States. For many of us he is hero, but for others he is a traitor. The lead actor, Alex Secareanu, is doing a great job. I also like the acting of Ana Ularu. She's one of the best Romanian actress.

There are also some mistakes in the movie production, like the scene shot near the North Station Railway from Bucharest, those trains/ wagons are pretty much from actual days, not from the 70s.

Well Made but Soooo Implausible

[dolorespark · 6/10 · 19 August 2023]

I'm very glad to see reviews her by Romanians addressing the issue of the Romanian dialogue and the characterizations of historical figures; I was wondering if Romanians would find those portions of the series realistic. It's sad to hear that it didn't quite make the grade.

While I really like the production design overall, and really liked the fact that the series took place in a variety of languages (I hate spy movies where everyone speaks English, though I understand it's a matter of convenience), the story grew more and more implausible with each episode.

First off, I really don't understand how the head KGB character's motivations (Shakarov, not the other one). He's a literal deus ex machina in a couple of scenes, helping Godeanu's daughter escape to the West as well as freeing Godeanu after he was kidnapped by the Securitate. But why? Why would a KGB agent altruistically help them escape to the West instead of extracting the daughter to Moscow as a way to lure Godeanu there as well? Shakarov was basically a KGB fairy godfather whose sole purpose was to help the main characters when the plot required it. Very poor writing.

And don't get me started on the ridiculous portrayal of security at the American embassy. Want to kidnap someone from one of the most secure locations on the planet? Easy! Want to bring in a briefcase bomb through the front door? Easy! Apparently they just weren't checking bags that day, lol. And I'm sure they'd just let a Romanian defector run around the embassy with a gun like Dirty Harry to hunt down a terrorist (and seriously, in that scene, there are absolutely no other armed personnel during a bomb scare, no Marines, MPs, German police, etc?). And one minute, the main CIA guy is at his desk running agents, the next minute he's running around with Godeanu with his gun drawn like in some buddy cop movie even though of course CIA personnel had no law-enforcement jurisdiction in West Germany. Imagine the scandal that would've caused: rogue CIA official caught with high-ranking Romanian defector acting as police in 70s Bonn, investigating crime scenes with guns drawn. Oh, and Godeanu just happened to know who the Egyptian guy was, how convenient. There are lots of very convenient moments in the show.

The part that really takes the cake though is the very last scene, where the CIA guy, Godeanu, and his daughter are casually sitting on the front steps of the embassy in plain view of everyone, including any potential Securitate agents looking to take revenge. But no, it's like the end of some feelgood TV movie, with everyone laughing at the end as the credits roll.

Intriguing spy drama

[apovla · 10/10 · 24 May 2023]

I wasn't familiar with the story given i hadn't been born when the events of the series took place, but having seen the first two episodes, i can't wait for the next one! Great production, well-acted (particularly by the lead actor) and a gripping story.

While it's not fast paced, it kept my interest all the way throughout. You can feel the anxiety and paranoia of being followed, being watched, and the heavy weight of knowing that if you are caught there will be terrible consequences, the stakes are high.

I will adjust my review accordingly as i watch the remaining 4 episodes, but so far i would say this is an exciting, well-made new series for anyone who enjoys spy and historical/cold war dramas.

Better than some other tv shows about spies

[castoica · 7/10 · 19 May 2023]

Saw the first two episodes. Nicely done. Actually, is more entertaining (and realistic) than, for instance, The Americans (a tv show that did not age well, imho). The story seems to be based, partially, on the case of Ion Mihai Pacepa -- former head of Romanian Intelligence services, who defected to the US. The show also combines other elements from the bios of local communist party bosses. In any case, it is a much better show than other tv shows produced by HBO in Romania. The acting is better except for the lead actor, who has a flat, boring way of delivering his lines, with no emotion or nuances.

Some suave bleakness is very welcome

[Sarden · 8/10 · 22 July 2023]

Wonderful to watch something European - in spirit and in the setting. It's even better to hear Romanian (and German) spoken and not yet more American English - not that I understand it but it's very refreshing and adds a real cold war touch to the whole thing.

The production quality is high, and you feel transported back to the 70s where everything seems just a little bleak and tasteless in an authentic way.

The plot is relatively simple, and sometimes the details are a tad far-fetched. It has American producers and this shows in places where the suave Europeaness gives way to some more brash action and plot vehicles.

In that sense it probably deserves only a 7, but because of the overall classic and classy feel (and because they speak Romanian) I'll give it an 8.

Could've been better

[ciprian_cojocaru · 7/10 · 5 July 2023]

It's an artistic series, not a documentary. They are important details that do not respect the historical truth that deserve to be explored more. The sets and costumes are exceptional, they introduce you to the era but personally I think that the acting is not the best with few exceptions: Ana Ularu (as if the first serie was made for her), Andreea Vasile and Laurentiu Banescu, maybe because it is an international cast. The dialogues are sometimes silly, I feel the actors do not agree with them.

Unfortunately, the actors of the family of the Ceausescu dictators are a disappointment, I did not expect Claudiu Bleont to act so badly. And from the international cast there is no one to remember, maybe Ingrid.

Bottom line: not great not terrible, but I stayed until the end and I'm waiting for the next series, maybe the producer, the director, the lyricist and the actors listen to the reviews and improve the experience.

The true story of Pacepa is much more impressive.

[ciripel · 5/10 · 26 June 2023]

The true story of Pacepa is much more impressive. I don t understand why the director had to add a lot of non-sense when the trues story is much more impressive. I could say that other than that is a nice high budget small series to watch. The soundtrack is really good and some actors play good. But my good.. how anyone with a ID card can enter anywhere in the US embassy in Germany is truly out of this world. The costums, the cars, the decor, the collors are really awsome. I could add that there is no info about what happend afterwords. And this is very important. Pacepa give to USA not only all the agents of Romania but agents from the comunist block. This was a huge hit to the comunist world. Hundreds being arested. Only about this you could make a movie.

Great first episode, tight spy story

[dshjfgdkrg · 14 May 2023]

I managed to see the first episode at a preview event in Bucharest and even managed to ask a few questions to the producers and screenwriter. Please keep in mind that this review covers only the first episode.

First of all, this is a nice step forward for Romanian television. Not only is it a show with a decent budget, not cobbled together by asking a bunch of yogurt companies and supermarket chains for financing, but the production value is only one of the aspects where it's evident that a lot of care was taken. The series has broader appeal by having a broad European/American setting with actors speaking English and German in addition to Romanian (viewers who are not comfortable with subtitles won't be completely left out)

The story doesn't take huge risks, but it works within the formula very well. There's no pretension here, it is what it advertises, a John Le Carre-like spy thriller with a snappy pace (helped by the non-linear structure that the producers and screenwriter fought to keep) and a clear end goal.

This show is directed in Romania, Germany and Hungary, and there were two completely different teams involved, so you will notice doubles in roles which are usually singular, such as DOP, costume designer, production etc. The only time I saw something similar was Cloud Atlas, although that movie had three directors, while this show pulled the feat with only one.

The acting is fine, a notch above usual Romanian HBO productions, and miles ahead the porn level of acting you can see on Romanian cable tv dramas. Claudiu Bleont in particular is doing a biopic-style transformation into Ceausescu, a much appreciated departure from his days of starring in Seagal movies. The actress that plays his wife, Elena, was present for the Q&A, so it was interesting to hear that they had some level of "method acting" going on, without chewing the scenery.

There is little digital trickery involved in recreating the 70s Eastern Europe and US (the producer said that they used about 70 vfx shots per episode if I remember correctly), but they were quite clever in location scouting and production design, so rest assured, the end result is convincing and won't pull you out.

All in all, the first episode is a great pitch for the show, so give it a change if you are interested in a spy thriller that takes place behind the Iron Curtain during the Cold War, from an Eastern perspective, one which you won't get by watching a show made in the West.

Spy series based on True Events - with a strong statement for World Peace

[Dr_Mark_ODoherty · 10/10 · 23 July 2023]

This series is based on the events of Ion Mihai Pacepa's defection to the US - who was a great Romanian general and spymaster promoting World Peace :)

He is depicted in the series as Victor Godeanu; President Nicolae Ceausescu's right-hand man and KGB agent.

President Jimmy Carter's approved his request for political asylum, in July 1978.

The true events depicted in this series, run in conjunction with the Camp David Accords, which were a pair of political agreements signed between Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin in 1978 - a milestone for Peace in the Middle East, manifested by my predecessor and good friend President Jimmy Carter :)

As an insider in the Intelligence Community - of the CIA, MI6 and KGB - I can say that these events were actually the inspiration for the James Bond Film 'The Living Daylights' - a lot of the characters being quite similar; in particular the hard-core KGB agents, who used a clever ruse of 'water bottles' to snatch back the defector Victor Godeanu; right under the noses of the CIA in West Germany. However, in this series they did not use explosive bottles - but just normal water bottles - which is a good thing; I think, otherwise they would have really routed the CIA :)

PS: We would like to remind all Citizens of the World - in particular in America, Russia, and the Middle East - that the importance of belonging to humankind takes precedence over all the marks of distinction that may separate one person from another.

The thing that matters most is not that we have any particular cultural or national identity, or that we abide by any particular religious or philosophical conviction, but that we share with all humanity the highest values of the human race: Love, Cooperation and Compassion :)

A proper spy story?

[nwmca · 8/10 · 7 May 2024]

There's been some heavy criticism of this series, but it seems that the character flaws in many of the players are quite likely more in line with the real world of espionage, political intrigue and bribery, coercion and corruption, than some other thrillers of this type.

I don't agree with those who class this as a poor attempt - perhaps said because it doesn't have all the trappings and glamour often associated with this murky world, which is certainly some way off the truth!

It seems well worth watching, even though it's set in a previous era and the technology accurately reflects this - possibly why many rooted in the so-called 'modern' world are somewhat dismissive - but surely people don't change that much, especially the kind of individuals attracted to this lifestyle, with its attendant insecurity and fear.

Nice try.

A solid Cold War drama

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 8 May 2024]

As this six part series opens it is 1978 and the Cold War is still ongoing. Victor Godeanu, a member of the Romanian intelligence services and advisor to President Nicolae Ceausescu, walks in to the US Embassy in Bonn intending to defect. He has second thoughts when he sees a woman he recognises. Early episodes intertwine current events with the events that happened a few days previously that ultimately led him to decide he must leave his homeland and his wife and daughter. Eventually he does meet with CIA agent Frank Jackson. As soon as his disappearance becomes known the Romanians are determined that his treachery will be punished. He may be in West Germany but he is far from safe, neither are his family back home.

I thought this was a gripping series. It captured Cold War tension and had a real sense of danger. There was also a sense of intrigue; Victor's world was very murky leading to his motives not being too obvious. While the story is fictitious the way it used real events, most obviously the Camp David peace talks, gave it a feeling of reality. The cast was solid although I can understand Romanian viewers being more particular concerning those playing real people such as Ceausescu and his wife. At six episodes in length the series neither feels rushed nor does it drag. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to fans of cold war drama.

A good old-fashioned spy thriller with a historical context

[Kukkahattuseta · 8/10 · 8 March 2024]

I had no expectations for this series. Fortunately, I started watching it, because it turned out to be a good spy series in a long time. The series doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it doesn't need to. The most important thing is a good script and the execution. This series managed to do both. The script was well written, the characters were mostly believable. The execution was intense. There wasn't much action, which I liked. However, the series held its grip firmly from start to finish. This was due to the good script and direction. The actors performed well. The set and costumes were really well done.

I also appreciated the fact that the series was not unnecessarily prolonged. Six episodes was just the right length for the series. In the last episode it started to get a little unbelievable, but I forgive that because the execution was otherwise good.

I was also a little challenged by the main character's motivations and the relationship of his actions to reality. But maybe that was one of the purposes of the series. The elusiveness of the main character Victor's motives.

Overall, a strong recommendation for this series if you like old-time spy thrillers.

A hidden jewel!

[npvarley · 8/10 · 18 July 2023]

Well, this one really quite surprised me. I didn't know many of the cast, or the production team, from any previous work, so I didn't know what to expect.

What I found was an excellent mini-series, which told an interesting story from a period of and place that has been largely ignored by TV series and movies.

The leading actors are superb, particularly Alex Secareanu (Godeanu) and Parker Sawyers (Frank Jackson). They are ably supported by the rest of the cast. The Ceausescu's and portrayed as suitably manic and despotic, with Elena leading Nicolae by the nose.

The story rattles along at a good pace, the locations are excellent and the recreation of the period is first class.

Highly recommended!

Great but implausible

[tto-93641 · 5/10 · 23 June 2023]

Brilliantly made series but, having finished watching the episode 5, I just cannot bring myself to believe that maniac Chaushesku would let traitor's wife and daughter enjoy house arrest instead of slowly torturing them in some blood stainer prison cell.

Until 40 years of age I lived in the USSR and am totally aware of what's it like to live in the oppressive regime. However, comparing the Soviet and Chaushesku regimes in the 70's would be absolutely incorrect.

I would rather draw a parallel between Stalin and Chaushesku. Both were merciless and ruthless sadists. One more thing: I cannot help but laugh watching how the KGB (or what it was called in Romania) functionaires address a relative of the 'traitor's as 'comrade'. 'Citizen' only. Needless to remind that in the USSR the children of 'traitors' even under 10 years of age were put into sort of concentration camps and officially referred to as the 'relatives of the people's enemies'.

Production values, good idea, good actor, awful script

[raducu_cosmin84 · 4/10 · 25 June 2023]

I don't understand why still in this day and age, romanian screemwriters seem incapable of writing believable and natural sounding dialogues for romanian actors. This is supposed to be a thriller-drama, but most often you can't tell the difference between this and something like Comrade Detective (which is an american parody of what a ignorant american would believe a communist detective show would sound like). The acting is not bad per se, it's just that the lines are so badly written, I imagine it's difficult for them to make them sound better. As an example the interpretation of Elena Ceausescu is like a caricature produced by chatgpt, similar to the interpretation of someone who has never seen her or never heard her speak, and only knew her through a single book or article.

The overall story (although highly and sometimes unnecessarily dramatized) is not that bad. With some more realistic adjustments it would be fine for the genre, if only so much of the dialogues would not be so cringe.

Most actors themselves (especially the romanian, german and almost all nationalities except the americans) are quite talented actors. Some of them overact, some don't seem quite sure what to do with the materials, some manage to at least mask the bad writing.

Not sure if the lines in german, french, russian and other such languages, sound natural, as I don't speak the languages themselves, but it was anyway a good choice to have multi-national cast, helps with the immersion, such as it is. The american actors are a mixed bag, some decent some clearly 4th level actors that you most probably never have and never will see again.

The show looks good, good work by the set dressing, costumes, prop dept. Editing is decent enough and cinematography looks peofessional. No less than expected of a HBO production.

Can't speak of the direction, as I can't be sure which of the interpetation choices are coming from the actor, the script or the director.

All in all, I would not recommend this, there's 99% chance you still haven't seen all series or cinema masterpieces or even well done blockbuster movies and shows that are out there, from american, romanian and other countries. And if I am right, then you have countless choices instead of this.

We have talented people in Romania, we now have more means to produce good stuff vs 20 years ago. We just need to:

1. Understand that we should not make american movies, as we are not american.

2. Learn how to distance ourselves stylistically from our old movies, series and theatre, and for fcks sake write some dialogues that are sound like real people and are less cringe.

Interesting story but awful script

[ioncufurazolidon · 3/10 · 2 June 2023]

The story seems really interesting, the production quality is exceptional but the script kills the whole series. As a romanian, all the dialogue up until now ( 4th episode ) is extremely artificial and totally non-natural. This is also emphasised by sometimes bad acting (although i'm not that sure if that's the cause - the script might be so bad that the actors just cannot play it a natural way that seems real), that destroys the whole setting and throws me off. The main character, Godeanu, has this kind of super fake seriousness and always has the dumbest lines possible - for e.g. The scene when he's asked about Ingrid, the line "hmmm we, spies, do not recruit all nice looking girls" - i found this scene so awkward and totally not possible in any real life situation.

So yeah, good story, nice production but the script - especially the dialogue makes me close every episode impulsively.

Decent show but with a major flaw

[nicusori-30-771526 · 5/10 · 24 June 2023]

The show is quite decent but his major flow is that it's story is exactly the disinformation made up by the Securitate to discredit general Pacepa, who is the real character who inspired this movie. All those stories about him being involved in smuggling merchandise and being a KGB spy are inventions of Securitate after he flew to USA. According to Securitate all people who run from Romania in those years cannot be other than just thieves and traitors. Even I can understand that this way the story is more appealing it make a huge discredit to general Pacepa memory and help spread the Securitate disinformation. I don't think that the artistical or commercial value of this show deserve the bad impact which will have and the support which will bring to those who are nostalgic about Ceausescu and former Securitate employers who are still running the show in Romania, even after 34 years from Ceausescu death.

Good Story but with bad acting and pacing

[Naratifan · 3/10 · 20 May 2023]

I had very high hopes for this series that tries to tell one of the most important stories in communist history.

The setting and esthetics are spot on but the acting is terrible, the actors do not express emotions, they have no depth of character, it is like watching a soap opera. The acting feels like it is done for a TV commercial not a spy movie.

The dialogue feels like it was written by a highschool student who read a few books by Tom Clancy. There is no realistic view of the time period, the dialogue is there only to tell the plot nothing more.

The pacing is all over the place, there is no introduction of the characters, no explanation if I was not born and raised in Romania, I would have not understand the plot, action and subtilties.

I give this series a 3 out of 10 due to the fact that it has good esthetics.

Either I'm too smart or they are all too stupid or, vice versa

[MovieIQTest · 14 June 2023]

When I tried to hold my patience and watched this TV series to episode 4, I just couldn't keep it anymore. This is what I have concluded: The stupid intelligence people in this series are the Americans in their German embassy, if it's because of the screenplay writers purposely ridiculed them, dramatically made them so stupid and amateurish. All the characters in this series just looked either stupid or amateurish, except that woman of the Romanian Intelligence. The whole defection story of this highest ranking Romanian Intelligence officer was 99% dramatized by HBO's screenplay writers who were just trying to make most of these people involved in this incident look like stupid clowns.

When you watched some suspenseful movies or TV drama series, if you couldn't help yelling "WTF!?" at the screen all the time, it meant that either the screenplays were too stupid or too ridiculous and, this Spy/Master drama series is absolutely one of them.