The new NBC show “Deception” has been compared to the soapy ABC hit “Revenge” given its focus on the tragedies of a wealthy New York family. But in this case, two of the show’s leads are African-American. Actress Meagan Good is now the third African-American woman in the last 35 years to head a major TV network drama.
On “Deception” she plays a San Francisco cop named Joanna who goes undercover at the request of her former love interest, FBI agent Will Moreno (Alonso.) He knows she was friends with the now-dead Vivian Bowers, troubled daughter of the Bowers pharmaceutical clan. Joanna’s mother was once the family’s maid and she grew up in their home. Now that Vivian’s dead, who better to find her killer than her former homie turned cop?
Here are five good reasons to check out “Deception:”
1. Meagan Good
The child star you may remember from “Eve’s Bayou” (which also starred “The Marriage Counselor’s Jurnee Smollett) is having a great year thus far. A devout Christian, she married Christian author, film executive and minister Devon Franklin last year. Good is now the third Black woman to front a major network TV show and if this show succeeds, there may be more opportunities for African-American leads.
2. Laz Alonso
The half-Black, half-Cuban Howard grad has worked his way up in the last decade from bit parts to starring roles in movies like “Jumping The Broom.” He was in “Avatar,” although you’d never know it given that he was covered in blue paint most of the time. (or CGI’d, more accurately.) Alonso is appealing in just about everything he’s in, including his stint in the now cancelled A&E series “Breakout Kings.” We’d like to see more of this handsome, single brother and if “Deception” succeeds, it gives us that chance.
3. If you like “Scandal” and “Revenge”
Of course, we’re not saying every show with a Black woman in the lead is the same, but it is nice to see two black women playing powerful roles on two different shows. Both are accomplished women with both Black and white love interests, which are important images to broadcast to the globe in light of so many negative conceptions of Black women. If you like “Revenge,” which is also set among the rich and famous families in the New York area, then you’ll probably also find “Deception” to be a guilty pleasure.
4. It’s not reality TV
We know how people feel about reality TV, but don’t we have enough reality already? Isn’t TV supposed to be about escaping reality, not wallowing in it? “Deception,” is an old-school soap opera about pretty people doing ugly things and we kind of like that. We know you’re not giving up the housewives or the hip-hop stars, but there is an alternative.
5. Whodunit?
The great thing about TV shows these days is that they don’t leave you hanging but for so long. So it’s possible that we’ll find out who killed Vivian Bowers before the season ends. The interesting part about that is what happens with the show then? Well, if you’ve watched other shows of its kind, than you know they just move onto a new mystery. It makes these shows have to stay fresh, which means there’s always something new to keep you interested.
