State of Affairs is NBC's latest fast-paced drama starring veteran TV actress Katherine Heigl of Grey's Anatomy fame. It follows the personal and professional life Charleston Tucker (Heigl) a CIA analyst who works closely with President Constance Payton, played by Alfre Woodard. Charlie is a powerful player in the White House and delivers the President's Daily Briefing, a summary of the most important state of affairs of the U.S. reliably every morning.

Intense and gripping from beginning to end, this new show definitely feels like the start of something very interesting. Making the aforementioned aspects of Charlie's life even more complicated is that her late-fiancée is the son of the President. This man, Aaron, was killed in a terrorist attack in Kabul when sent there with Charlie and others on a diplomatic convoy. The entire premiere episode  revolves around the fact that intelligence has been received regarding the whereabouts of the mastermind terrorist behind the killing of Aaron. Yet there is an American doctor being held captive in the same area and with only one military team in the vicinity, a decision must be made on which situation to handle first.

Heigl plays her role well, making the audience truly believe her character. She balances the sharp skill and cutting professionalism in her line of work and the role of an aggrieved lover. Within the first episode Charlie is developed with complexities and doubts cast on her character but never her power or skill. Woodard's character Constance is developed with just capability but she carries out her duty with a quiet confidence that reassures that the leader of the free world will not make rash, emotional decisions, but well reasoned ones. In private, it is apparent that her is out for the blood of her son's murderers and expects Charlie's full assistance.

This pilot sets up the premise of the many complex storylines that promise to bring shocking reveals and heart thudding moments as the audience is brought deeper into the word of State of Affairs. Racing from one scene and situation to another, this is not a show that can be multi-tasked. A missed moment will mean confusion in the near future, especially because this episode sets the base for characters who might not be essential for the current story but are insinuated to hold major roles in this network.

This new drama is definitely a home run. It's late start in the fall season might be strange but with it being placed in the Monday night lineup it should face little to no competition in its genre and deserves a watch. Only deeper into the season will it be apparent whether State of Affairs lives up to its potential and gains the devoted fan base common to popular dramas, but until then tune in Monday nights at 10 PM on NBC and give it a watch.