History YMMV / CovertAffairs

* TastesLikeDiabetes: At the end of the first season's second episode, when Annie and her sister resolve their difficulties in an agonizingly predictable and trite way, complete with tearful hugs and comfort food. Thankfully, it's brief.
** Most Annie's interactions with her sister qualify: they often quarrel in the beginning of an episode, and their reconciliation near the finish is too far on the sweet side.
** This aspect has been toned down significantly in the second season; now her sister and civilian life only pop up when important to the spy aspect rather than being shoehorned into every episode.
** ''{{Subverted}}'' in "World Leader Pretend.'' [[spoiler: Annie's sister kicks her out after finding out she's in the UsefulNotes/{{CIA}}.]]
** Thus far into the third season, thanks to [[spoiler: Danielle now knowing that Annie's a spy]], this dynamic has changed to one of tension where Annie has to balance out [[spoiler: telling Danielle how things actually went and telling her the official story. It is suggested that Danielle for her part has often figured out various cover stories but realizes she can't exactly ask what the truth is nor could Annie tell her.]]

* MagnificentBastard: Referenced in-verse. In the fifth episode a retired [[TheSpymaster spymaster]] appears, whom Auggie nicknames [[{{Satan}} The Prince of Darkness]].
** May also count as a cross-show ShoutOut since sister show Burn Notice (also featuring spies) has used the nickname twice. Maybe it's a spy thing.

-->'''Annie:''' My sister wants to make me her kids' guardian. What's the CIA policy on that?
-->'''Auggie:''' Don't tell your family you're on a mission in Colombia.

** ''{{Subverted}}'' in "World Leader Pretend.'' [[spoiler: Annie's sister kicks her out after finding out she's in the {{CIA}}.]]

* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: "Can You Save Me"

* MartyStu: Ben has strong elements of this.
* MarySue: Annie, especially in Season 3. Breaks rules, goes completely rogue on multiple occasions, and never receives any moderately long-term consequences. Not to mention that she manages to outthink the collective intelligence apparatuses of Israel and the United States on multiple occasions. You'd wonder how the CIA or Mossad ever managed to get anything done before Annie came around.
** Subverted, however, in the mid-season finale-she more or less completely fucks up, and ends up being transferred back to the DPD, only continuing the story arc because her target is attracted to her and she doesn't know when to quit. Possibly Double Subverted, in that she manages to salvage it more or less completely.
** That possible double subversion is given credence as even though the target gets away and the agency gets literally nothing, Joan suggests Annie might get a medal for simply 'getting closer than anyone else'. A fangirl in the CIA even tells Annie she admires her. Though to be fair [[spoiler: Lena was also setting Annie up, so some of the good attention might have been played up intentionally and even elaborated.]]
** Some episodes shortly there after suggest that some sort of MythArc is forming/has formed around Annie being that multiple agencies are interested in getting close to her (including her own). So where we're at on subverting the subversion for MarySue-ism keeps getting spun around as, on some level, the show acknowledges that she's getting special treatment from at least some of her colleagues.
** Season 4 seems to be subverting this for Annie. [[spoiler:Many of her gambits against [[BigBad Henry Wilcox]] only partially succeed at best, and at worst blow up in her face, sometimes literally.]]

* Foreshadowing: Probably unintentional, but amusing in light of Season 4. In "Walter's Walk", Auggie and Annie have a discussion about what Annie should do in the event she becomes guardian of her nieces:

* CannotSpitItOut: Annie wanting to read-in her sister, but only for a short while.
** [[spoiler: Annie telling Auggie that she likes him.]]

* IdiotBall: Most of Annie's decisions in "Rock and Roll Suicide". The worst being [[spoiler: giving Simons sister her passport, which was her only ticket out of the country.]] Subverted in the end when [[spoiler: she blackmails her interrogator into letting releasing them.]]

* AndTheFandomRejoiced: Annie and Auggie's kiss in season 3.
* {{Anti Climax Boss}}: [[spoiler: The final faceoff between Annie and Lena. Especially after having a whole episode building up to that one moment.]]

* {{Idiot Ball}}: Most of Annie's decisions in "Rock and Roll Suicide". The worst being [[spoiler: giving Simons sister her passport, which was her only ticket out of the country.]] Subverted in the end when [[spoiler: she blackmails her interrogator into letting releasing them.]]

*** That possible double subversion is given credence as even though the target gets away and the agency gets literally nothing, Joan suggests Annie might get a medal for simply 'getting closer than anyone else'. A fangirl in the CIA even tells Annie she admires her. Though to be fair [[spoiler: Lena was also setting Annie up, so some of the good attention might have been played up intentionally and even elaborated.]]
**** Some episodes shortly there after suggest that some sort of MythArc is forming/has formed around Annie being that multiple agencies are interested in getting close to her (including her own). So where we're at on subverting the subversion for MarySue-ism keeps getting spun around as, on some level, the show acknowledges that she's getting special treatment from at least some of her colleagues.

* TearJerker: Auggie's OhCrap moment when he sees the terrorist [[spoiler: plant a bomb near his comrades.]]
--->''Auggie:'' Hey, [[spoiler: you gotta get out of there, there's a bomb! Chris? Jason? RUN! ''[[[MomentOfSilence sound cuts out as dramatic music plays]], [[MyGreatestFailure bomb explodes]]]'']]
** Annie ''finally'' working up the courage to [[spoiler: tell Auggie she likes him, only to have him reveal that he's following his girlfriend to Africa.]]
** Auggie's reaction to [[spoiler: Parker breaking off their engagement.]]

* FridgeBrilliance: Of ''course'' Joan thinks Arthur is cheating: [[spoiler:she's his second wife, and their relationship started as an affair.]]