The Assets

2014 • ABC
4.7
49 reviews
TV-14
Rating
Eligible
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Season 1 episodes (9)

1 My Name is Aldrich Ames
1/2/14
A rendezvous with a valuable asset goes awry; CIA officer Sandy Grimes' investigation into the situation reveals more than she expected.
2 Jewel in the Crown
1/9/14
A high-ranking KGB officer, Vitaly Yurchenko, defects to the United States; Aldrich Ames considers drastic measures when Yurchenko reveals knowledge of a CIA mole.
3 Trip to Vienna
6/21/14
After Yurchenko's shocking disclosure, the CIA and FBI mobilize to bring the brilliant Edward Lee Howard to justice. Despite Howard being fingered as the mole, Sandy remains concerned about potential agency leaks and works tirelessly to prove that her asset, General Polyakov, is attempting to establish contact with the CIA. With the rest of the CIA distracted by bigger matters, Ames develops an unlikely bond with Yurchenko during a trip to Canada.
4 What's Done is Done
6/28/14
After learning that a breach remains at the CIA, Sandy butts heads with Jeanne Vertefeuille, the senior officer conducting a thorough review of their operations. Jeanne's presence also rattles Ames, who feels increasing pressure from the Soviets to provide more information. On the home front, Ames feels even more pressure, caught between his love for his wife Rosario, and placating her spendthrift lifestyle.
5 Check Mate
7/27/14
As Sandy conducts her review of the agency's spycraft, she and Jeanne continue to clash. When a potential asset contacts the CIA claiming to have vital information about a communications breach, Sandy has her doubts about the man known as GTPROLOGUE. Could this be part of a larger campaign by the Soviets to obfuscate the truth? Meanwhile, Ames learns that his request for a transfer to Rome has been approved.
6 Small Useless Truth
7/27/14
Having put aside their differences, Sandy and Jeanne move full steam ahead with their mole hunt. The investigation experiences a serious setback, though, when Sandy learns that General Polyakov has been compromised. Through sound recordings, Sandy experiences the brutal interrogation of Polyakov who remains heroic to the end. As Sandy deals with her devastating loss, Ames prepares himself for a high-stakes polygraph test.
7 The Straw Poll
8/3/14
After the fall of the Berlin Wall and collapse of communism, the CIA task force still remains on the hunt for the cause of the assets' compromise. Sandy becomes convinced that Ames is the most likely suspect but has a difficult time convincing the rest of the task force. After living glamorously in Rome, Ames finds it increasingly difficult to maintain that lifestyle and keep his identity hidden.
8 Avenger
8/3/14
In the series finale, despite the task force being fully convinced of Ames' guilt, Sandy seeks more definitive proof to convince the Justice Department to proceed with their own investigation. As the hunt closes in on Ames, Sandy's commitment to the job pushes her husband's patience and commitment to the brink. After Ames is finally caught and brought to justice, he mulls over a major decision--to go down defiantly or to confess and protect his wife and child.
9 The Spycatchers: The True Story Behind The Assets
8/3/14
No one who knew him would have thought Aldrich Ames capable of selling some of his country's most valuable secrets to the Soviets. But he did...and got away with it for nearly a decade. ABC News anchors Diane Sawyer and Ted Koppel get the inside story from the real people behind "The Assets". They interview Mrs. Aldrich Ames, book authors Sandra Grimes and Jeanne Vertefeuille, who wrote "Circle of Treason", the basis of the series and the spymaster himself, Aldrich Ames. Narrated by ABC News anchor Elizabeth Vargas.

About this show

The Assets is an eight-part miniseries based on the real life events of CIA counter-intelligence officer Sandy Grimes (Jodie Whittaker). 1985 serves as the backdrop to the final showdown of the Cold War when Sandy and her partner Jeanne Vertefeuille (Harriet Walter) vowed to find the mole that would turn out to be the most notorious traitor in US History, Aldrich Ames (Paul Rhys). Sandy is in a race against time to save the Soviet intelligence officers from being caught and killed. Living her own double life at home, this beautiful wife and mother vowed to stop at nothing until she uncovered the truth. The Assets will look inside the true, personal stories of the conclusion of the Cold War as told by the keepers of the nation's secrets: the CIA.

Ratings and reviews

4.7
49 reviews
Mary Nunaley
January 14, 2014
So it appears ABC has cancelled after only two episodes. What happens if a season pass was purchased? Having been a Russian history major and having lived thru this period I found the acting and story compelling. I was looking forward to seeing the complete series.
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Karen Marie Dodge
May 16, 2014
I enjoyed the first two episodes but what's the point of just watching the first two of the full eight episode mini series?
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Jose Arroyo
June 21, 2014
I was hoping it is available to see the whole series. They could at least make some money off the show.
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