Graceland

There has been a lot of talk in the social media world about Jeff Eastin's new show, Graceland, but it has mostly been about the show's main character, Mike Warren (Aaron Tveit). Even though America's current biggest heart throb is quite a highlight of the show, Graceland offers well thought out scenarios, lovable characters, and pin-point accuracy.

Based on a true story, Graceland focuses on newly graduated FBI agent, Mike Warren, and his struggle with his new role as an undercover agent. He is transported from Virginia to California to be a part of an undercover operation where he is forced to live with 5 other agents in a revamped, South Californian, drug dealer's house called "Graceland". Paul Briggs (Daniel Sunjata), a legend in the FBI agency and Mike's idol, is unsure of the rookie at first, but warms up to him after Mike's first undercover case.

Graceland portrays undercover agent life as not only one full of deceit and lies, but also one of extreme difficulty. In the Pilot episode, Mike struggles with the morals expected of an undercover agent and his own, but this only makes up one of many issues to be seen in the show. It also makes the audience worry about who is lying to who, who is holding a table-turning secret, and who will be the next to be shot, with "on-the-edge-of-your-seat" thrills and tedious scenarios. Graceland gives the words "imminent danger" a whole new meaning.

Though riveting and heart-pounding at times, the characters give the show a perfect contrast between intense uncertainty and comedic relief, especially Joe "Johnny" Tuturro (Manny Montana), the Graceland house's biggest clown. The cast takes exceptional lengths to display their character's personality in every little word, movement, or interaction with another character, and creates a connection between them and the audience.

The most interesting thing about Graceland is that it is based on true events: there was indeed a government operation to house undercover agents in an old drug dealer's house called "Graceland" (the drug dealer had an obsession with Elvis Presley). But to make up for the dramatization of the scenarios and the show in general, the cast went through some actual FBI training to make their characters just a little more convincing.

If there is one thing you watch this summer, let Graceland be just that. Like any of your other favorite shows, it's attention-grabbing, the characters are relatable, and, even better, it's based on a true story of country's own FBI.