''Quantico'' is an American
thriller drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...
television series which aired on the
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is an American commercial broadcast television network. It is the flagship property of the ABC Entertainment Group division of The Walt Disney Company. The network is headquartered in Burbank, Cali ...
(ABC) from September 27, 2015, to August 3, 2018, with 57 episodes broadcast over three seasons. Produced by
ABC Studios
ABC Signature is an American television Filmmaking#Production, production studio that is a subsidiary of Disney Television Studios, a division of Walt Disney Television, which is part of the List of assets owned by The Walt Disney Company#Disne ...
, the series was created by
Joshua Safran
Joshua Safran is an American television screenwriter and executive producer.
Education
Safran attended the Horace Mann School prior to graduating from NYU Tisch with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in playwriting. He has stated he is Jewish.
C ...
, who also served as the
showrunner
A showrunner (or colloquially a helmer) is the top-level executive producer of a television series production who has creative and management authority through combining the responsibilities of employer and, in comedy or dramas, typically also th ...
.
Mark Gordon
Mark Gordon (born March 14, 1957) is an American politician who has served as the 33rd governor of Wyoming since January 7, 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as state treasurer; then-governor Matt Mead appointed him ...
, Robert Sertner, Nicholas Pepper and Safran are its executive producers.
Michael Seitzman
Michael Seitzman (born November 1, 1977) is an American writer, producer and film director best known for film '' North Country''. He started Maniac Productions in 2017. He most recently signed a TV deal with Blumhouse.
Filmography
Writer
* '' ...
replaced Safran as the new showrunner and an executive producer in its third season, with Safran remaining as an executive producer.
Priyanka Chopra
Priyanka Chopra Jonas (; ; born 18 July 1982) is an Indian actress and producer. The winner of the Miss World 2000 pageant, Chopra is one of India's highest-paid actresses and has received numerous accolades, including two National Film Awar ...
stars as
Alex Parrish
Alexandra Parrish is a fictional character and the protagonist of the American television drama thriller series '' Quantico'' on ABC. The character was created by Joshua Safran and is portrayed by Indian actress Priyanka Chopra. Her casting has ...
, who joins the
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, ...
after graduating from the
FBI Academy and becomes a prime suspect in a terrorist attack on
Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal (GCT; also referred to as Grand Central Station or simply as Grand Central) is a commuter rail terminal located at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Grand Central is the southern terminus ...
. ''Quantico'' initially had two timelines: the present, when Parrish flees from captivity to prove her innocence, and the past, with her and her fellow recruits training at the academy, during which details of their individual lives are learned. The series switched to a single timeline from the middle of the second season onward.
In addition to Chopra, the first South Asian to headline an American network drama series, the original cast—which changed significantly as the series progressed—included
Jake McLaughlin
Jacob Adam McLaughlin (born October 7, 1982) is an American soldier and actor. He is most famous for playing Gordon Bonner in Paul Haggis's ''In the Valley of Elah''. McLaughlin starred as Tate in the short lived spring 2014 NBC series ''Believe' ...
,
Yasmine Al Massri
Yasmine Al Massri is an actress, dancer, video artist and human rights advocate. She was born in Beirut, Lebanon to a Palestinian father and an Egyptian mother. She is a French and American citizen. She made her film debut in the 2007 film ''Caram ...
,
Johanna Braddy
Johanna Elizabeth Braddy (born August 30, 1987) is an American actress. She played the leading role in the 2009 horror film ''The Grudge 3'', and has appeared in '' Hurt'' (2009), '' Easy A'' (2010), ''Paranormal Activity 3'' (2011), and ''The Lev ...
,
Tate Ellington
James Tate Ellington (born April 17, 1979) is an American actor. He portrayed Aidan Hall, the best friend of Tyler Hawkins (Robert Pattinson) in the 2010 romantic drama film '' Remember Me''. Ellington starred as Oliver Hunt in ''The Elephant Kin ...
, and
Graham Rogers as her fellow recruits, with
Josh Hopkins
William Joshua Hopkins (born September 12, 1970) is an American actor. Some of his best known roles include Raymond Millbury on '' Ally McBeal'' (2001–2002), Grayson Ellis on '' Cougar Town'' (2009–2015), and Liam O'Connor on '' Quantico'' ( ...
and
Aunjanue Ellis
Aunjanue L. Ellis ( born February 21, 1969) is an American actress. She is best known for her roles in the films ''Men of Honor'' (2000), ''The Caveman's Valentine'' (2001), ''Undercover Brother'' (2002), '' Ray'' (2004), '' The Express: The Erni ...
as their trainers at the FBI Academy in
Quantico, Virginia
Quantico ( or ; formerly Potomac) is a town in Prince William County, Virginia, United States. The population was 480 at the 2010 census. Quantico is approximately 35 miles southwest of Washington, DC, bordered by the Potomac River to the east a ...
. The series' first season was produced primarily in
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
, with
downtown Montreal
Downtown Montreal ( French: ''Centre-Ville de Montréal'') is the central business district of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
The district is situated on the southernmost slope of Mount Royal, and occupies the western portion of the borough of Vil ...
and
Sherbrooke
Sherbrooke ( ; ) is a city in southern Quebec, Canada. It is at the confluence of the Saint-François and Magog rivers in the heart of the Estrie administrative region. Sherbrooke is also the name of a territory equivalent to a regional count ...
, Canada standing in for
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
and
Quantico, Virginia
Quantico ( or ; formerly Potomac) is a town in Prince William County, Virginia, United States. The population was 480 at the 2010 census. Quantico is approximately 35 miles southwest of Washington, DC, bordered by the Potomac River to the east a ...
in the United States. Production moved to New York during the second season, with a few episodes being shot in Italy and Ireland for its third season.
''Quantico'' received positive reviews from critics, with praise for Chopra's performance and the diversity of the cast. The "confusing dual timelines" were criticized by some. The series was nominated for four
People's Choice Awards
The People's Choice Awards is an American awards show, recognizing people in entertainment, voted online by the general public and fans. The show has been held annually since 1975, with the winners originally determined using Gallup Polls until ...
, including Favorite Network TV Drama, with Chopra winning two: Favorite Actress in a New TV Series in
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
—making her the first South Asian to win a People's Choice Award—and Favorite Dramatic TV Actress in
2017. ABC canceled the series in May 2018, and it ended after three seasons.
Series overview
FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...
agent Alex Parrish becomes a prime suspect after a terrorist attack on
Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal (GCT; also referred to as Grand Central Station or simply as Grand Central) is a commuter rail terminal located at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Grand Central is the southern terminus ...
and is arrested for treason. In flashbacks, she and her fellow recruits (each with their own reason for joining the Bureau) train at the FBI Academy. The present-day timeline focuses on Parrish's strained relationship with her friends while she is on the run and attempting to prove her innocence, even as additional violent attacks take place.
In the second season, Parrish has apparently been fired by the FBI. In flashbacks, she works undercover for the FBI as a
CIA
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian intelligence agency, foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gat ...
recruit at
The Farm to uncover the AIC, a rogue faction within the agency. In the present timeline, a hostage crisis at a G-20 summit in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
is initiated by the Citizens Liberation Front, a terrorist group. Two weeks after the crisis, President
Claire Haas and CIA director
Matthew Keyes form a covert CIA-FBI task force (led by
Clay Haas) to expose eight conspirators who were secretly involved in orchestrating the hostage crisis.
The third season is set three years after the events of the Constitutional Convention. After living anonymously in Italy, Parrish is forced to return to the United States after
Ryan Booth shares information to her about
Shelby Wyatt's kidnapping by a notorious international arms dealer known as The Widow. In order to save Wyatt, Booth and Parrish recruit
Owen Hall
Owen Hall (10 April 1853 – 9 April 1907) was the principal pen name of the Irish-born theatre writer, racing correspondent, theatre critic and solicitor, James "Jimmy" Davis, when writing for the stage. After his successive careers in law ...
and
Harry Doyle
Harry Doyle (born February 23, 1941) is an educator and former political figure in New Brunswick, Canada. He represented Albert in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1995 to 1999 as a Liberal member.
He was born in Saint John, New B ...
to help them with their mission. Hall invites
Jocelyn Turner to the team as the former FBI agent has intelligence about the arms dealer, due in part to their past history. Owing to the extreme circumstances of the covert operation, the team must retrieve Wyatt at all costs, before time runs out.
Cast and characters
*
Priyanka Chopra
Priyanka Chopra Jonas (; ; born 18 July 1982) is an Indian actress and producer. The winner of the Miss World 2000 pageant, Chopra is one of India's highest-paid actresses and has received numerous accolades, including two National Film Awar ...
as
Alex Parrish
Alexandra Parrish is a fictional character and the protagonist of the American television drama thriller series '' Quantico'' on ABC. The character was created by Joshua Safran and is portrayed by Indian actress Priyanka Chopra. Her casting has ...
, a promising FBI agent who becomes a prime suspect in the Grand Central Terminal bombing case
*
Josh Hopkins
William Joshua Hopkins (born September 12, 1970) is an American actor. Some of his best known roles include Raymond Millbury on '' Ally McBeal'' (2001–2002), Grayson Ellis on '' Cougar Town'' (2009–2015), and Liam O'Connor on '' Quantico'' ( ...
as Liam O'Connor, a seasoned FBI agent who was demoted to work at the FBI academy as a teacher
(season 1)
*
Jake McLaughlin
Jacob Adam McLaughlin (born October 7, 1982) is an American soldier and actor. He is most famous for playing Gordon Bonner in Paul Haggis's ''In the Valley of Elah''. McLaughlin starred as Tate in the short lived spring 2014 NBC series ''Believe' ...
as Ryan Booth, an undercover FBI agent tasked with tracking Alex
*
Aunjanue Ellis
Aunjanue L. Ellis ( born February 21, 1969) is an American actress. She is best known for her roles in the films ''Men of Honor'' (2000), ''The Caveman's Valentine'' (2001), ''Undercover Brother'' (2002), '' Ray'' (2004), '' The Express: The Erni ...
as Miranda Shaw, former assistant director of the FBI Academy at Quantico
(seasons 1–2)
*
Graham Rogers as Caleb Haas, a former FBI agent
(season 1, guest season 2)
*
Yasmine Al Massri
Yasmine Al Massri is an actress, dancer, video artist and human rights advocate. She was born in Beirut, Lebanon to a Palestinian father and an Egyptian mother. She is a French and American citizen. She made her film debut in the 2007 film ''Caram ...
as Nimah and Raina Amin, twins recruited by Miranda for the FBI
(seasons 1–2)
*
Johanna Braddy
Johanna Elizabeth Braddy (born August 30, 1987) is an American actress. She played the leading role in the 2009 horror film ''The Grudge 3'', and has appeared in '' Hurt'' (2009), '' Easy A'' (2010), ''Paranormal Activity 3'' (2011), and ''The Lev ...
as Shelby Wyatt, Alex's best friend and fellow FBI agent
*
Tate Ellington
James Tate Ellington (born April 17, 1979) is an American actor. He portrayed Aidan Hall, the best friend of Tyler Hawkins (Robert Pattinson) in the 2010 romantic drama film '' Remember Me''. Ellington starred as Oliver Hunt in ''The Elephant Kin ...
as Simon Asher, Alex's fellow FBI trainee
(season 1)
*
Anabelle Acosta
Anabelle Acosta is a Cuban-born American actress. She played Annabella in the HBO television series ''Ballers'' and Natalie Vasquez in the ABC television series '' Quantico''.
Career
In 2015, Acosta played the recurring role of Annabella ...
as Natalie Vasquez, an FBI trainee and Alex's former rival at the academy
(season 1)
*
Russell Tovey
Russell George Tovey (born 14 November 1981) is an English actor. He is best known for playing the role of werewolf George Sands in the BBC's supernatural comedy-drama '' Being Human'', Rudge in both the stage and film versions of ''The Histo ...
as Harry Doyle, a former
MI6
The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), commonly known as MI6 ( Military Intelligence, Section 6), is the foreign intelligence service of the United Kingdom, tasked mainly with the covert overseas collection and analysis of human intelligenc ...
agent and one of the CIA recruits at The Farm
(seasons 2–3)
*
Pearl Thusi
Sithembile Xola Pearl Thusi (born 13 May 1988) is a South African actress, model, and presenter. She is known for her roles as Patricia Kopong in the BBC/ HBO comedy-drama series ''The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency'', Dayana Mampasi in the A ...
as Dayana Mampasi, an attorney and one of the CIA recruits at The Farm
(season 2)
*
Blair Underwood
Blair Erwin Underwood (born August 25, 1964) is an American actor. He made his debut in the 1985 musical film ''Krush Groove'' and from 1987 to 1994 starred as attorney Jonathan Rollins in the NBC legal drama series '' L.A. Law''.
Underwood has ...
as Owen Hall, a former CIA lead instructor at The Farm and current Deputy Director of the FBI
(seasons 2–3)
*
Marlee Matlin
Marlee Beth Matlin (born August 24, 1965) is an American actress, author, and activist. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for a ...
as Jocelyn Turner, an ex-FBI agent and undercover expert whose career was derailed after she was rendered deaf from a bombing
(season 3)
*
Alan Powell as Mike McQuigg, an overly assertive and adept FBI operative with several years of undercover experience
(season 3)
Production
Development
Series creator
Joshua Safran
Joshua Safran is an American television screenwriter and executive producer.
Education
Safran attended the Horace Mann School prior to graduating from NYU Tisch with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in playwriting. He has stated he is Jewish.
C ...
initially wanted a "straightforward action show" different from his past work, which included the soapy dramas ''
Gossip Girl
''Gossip Girl'' is an American teen drama television series based on the novel series of the same name written by Cecily von Ziegesar. The series, developed for television by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, ran on The CW network for six sea ...
'' and ''
Smash''.
He revealed that he wanted to do something with a law enforcement theme such as a political thriller about the
NYPD
The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...
after the
September 11 attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercia ...
.
He based protagonist
Alex Parrish
Alexandra Parrish is a fictional character and the protagonist of the American television drama thriller series '' Quantico'' on ABC. The character was created by Joshua Safran and is portrayed by Indian actress Priyanka Chopra. Her casting has ...
, whose complex family history haunts her throughout the series, on a relative of his; Safran wove his own struggle to understand his family member into Alex's desire to learn the truth about her father.
Safran said,
"I have a family member who either is a pathological liar or has been involved with a government agency my whole life. I've always struggled with knowing that I would never know the truth, because there is no real such thing as the truth with regard to somebody who may or may not be telling the truth. That struggle informed the character of Alex."
He described the series as a sexy romance and a political thriller, adding "It's like, what would ''
Die Hard
''Die Hard'' is a 1988 American action film directed by John McTiernan, with a screenplay by Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza. Based on the 1979 novel '' Nothing Lasts Forever'', by Roderick Thorp, it stars Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Ale ...
'' be if ''Die Hard'' was weekly and was also a soap."
Safran offered the series to
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
. On September 17, 2014, the network announced that it had bought the concept for a drama series from
ABC Studios
ABC Signature is an American television Filmmaking#Production, production studio that is a subsidiary of Disney Television Studios, a division of Walt Disney Television, which is part of the List of assets owned by The Walt Disney Company#Disne ...
and Safran and produced by
Mark Gordon
Mark Gordon (born March 14, 1957) is an American politician who has served as the 33rd governor of Wyoming since January 7, 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as state treasurer; then-governor Matt Mead appointed him ...
, describing it as "''
Grey's Anatomy
''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into se ...
'' meets ''
Homeland
A homeland is a place where a cultural, national, or racial identity has formed. The definition can also mean simply one's country of birth. When used as a proper noun, the Homeland, as well as its equivalents in other languages, often has ethni ...
.''" ABC ordered a
pilot
An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...
on January 23, 2015, for the 2015–16 television season. The series was picked up from the pilot, with an initial order of 13 episodes for the
2015 network television season. Good ratings led ABC to pick up ''Quantico'' for a full season in October with an additional six episodes (increasing the episode count to 19), with an option for more. In November, the season was extended to 22 episodes.
In March 2016, ABC announced that it had renewed ''Quantico'' for a second season, also consisting of 22 episodes.
The series was produced by ABC Studios in association with
The Mark Gordon Company
The Mark Gordon Company (formerly The Meledandri/Gordon Company) is an American production company owned by Mark Gordon. It is notable for their output, including feature films, like ''Speed'', many of Roland Emmerich's films Gordon produced like ...
and Random Acts Productions. Safran, Gordon, Robert Sertner and Nicholas Pepper were the
executive producers
Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights o ...
, with
Cherien Dabis
Cherien Dabis (born 1976) ( ar, شيرين دعيبس) is an American actress, director, producer, and screenwriter. She was named one of ''Variety'' magazine's ''10 Directors to Watch'' in 2009, and in 2022 was nominated for the Outstanding Dir ...
as one of the producers.
Safran served as the
head writer
A head writer is a person who oversees the team of writers on a television or radio series. The title is common in the soap opera genre, as well as with sketch comedies and talk shows that feature monologues and comedy skits. In fictional comedy o ...
of the series. The writing staff of ''Quantico'' consisted of Justin Brenneman, Cami Delavigne,
Cameron Litvack
Cameron Litvack (born 23 September 1980) is an American television producer and screenwriter.
Career
Litvack was born in Los Angeles, California. As a producer, he has worked on sixteen episodes of ''V 2009, V (2009)'', sixteen episodes of ''Ug ...
, Logan Slakter,
Gideon Yago
Gideon Yago (born February 19, 1978) is a writer and former correspondent for MTV News and CBS News though he is most recognized for his contributions to MTV.
Background
Yago was born in Madison, Wisconsin to a German-born, Roman Catholic moth ...
,
Beth Schacter,
Jordon Nardino
Jordon Nardino is a television writer. He has worked on several television series, including ABC's '' Desperate Housewives'' and NBC's '' Smash''. He has also worked on ''Gilmore Girls'', ''Threat Matrix'', and, more recently, ''10 Things I Hat ...
, and Cherien Dabis, all of whom wrote multiple episodes for the series.
Various directors had worked on several episodes, notably
Patrick Morris,
Jennifer Lynch
Jennifer Chambers Lynch (born April 7, 1968) is an American filmmaker. The daughter of filmmaker David Lynch, she made her directorial debut with the film '' Boxing Helena'' in 1993. Following a troubled production, the film was a critical and co ...
, David McWhirter,
Stephen Kay and
Steve Robin. Colleen Sharp, Nicholas Erasmus, Daniel A. Valverde, Terilyn A. Shropshire and Shelby Siegel edited multiple episodes.
The Director of Photography was Anthony Wolberg, who provided cinematography for most episodes. Other cinematographers include Anastas N. Michos and Todd McMullen. Joel J. Richard and
Joseph Trapanese
Joseph Trapanese (born 1984) is an American composer, arranger, and producer. He works in the production of music for films, television, records, theater, concerts, and interactive media.
Early life and education
Raised in Jersey City, New Jers ...
wrote the music.
In May 2017, ABC renewed the series for a third season of 13 episodes. The renewal was based on the international popularity of star
Priyanka Chopra
Priyanka Chopra Jonas (; ; born 18 July 1982) is an Indian actress and producer. The winner of the Miss World 2000 pageant, Chopra is one of India's highest-paid actresses and has received numerous accolades, including two National Film Awar ...
, who made the series a strong international seller for ABC Studios.
As part of the renewal process, Safran stepped down as showrunner but remained as a consultant.
The following month, it was announced that
Michael Seitzman
Michael Seitzman (born November 1, 1977) is an American writer, producer and film director best known for film '' North Country''. He started Maniac Productions in 2017. He most recently signed a TV deal with Blumhouse.
Filmography
Writer
* '' ...
would be showrunner and that Safran would be credited as an executive producer.
ABC canceled the series in May 2018.
Casting
''Quantico'' had a racially diverse cast as
FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...
recruits who deal with their individual problems.
Safran had wanted the series to be diverse from the beginning, saying,
"You're not just watching people who have struggled to achieve places of power and they're there. This show is about the struggle to achieve that. Their politics and their racial makeup and their religious backgrounds are very important to their characterizations and who they are. I really am interested in looking at how every culture handles stress — and in particular, how people from all these different backgrounds find their place in the FBI, an agency that has historically-fraught relationships with gay people and people of color
The term "person of color" ( : people of color or persons of color; abbreviated POC) is primarily used to describe any person who is not considered "white". In its current meaning, the term originated in, and is primarily associated with, the U ...
."
The first actor cast in the series was
Tate Ellington
James Tate Ellington (born April 17, 1979) is an American actor. He portrayed Aidan Hall, the best friend of Tyler Hawkins (Robert Pattinson) in the 2010 romantic drama film '' Remember Me''. Ellington starred as Oliver Hunt in ''The Elephant Kin ...
as FBI trainee
Simon Asher.
Graham Rogers was then cast as another FBI trainee,
Caleb Haas.
It was announced that
Aunjanue Ellis
Aunjanue L. Ellis ( born February 21, 1969) is an American actress. She is best known for her roles in the films ''Men of Honor'' (2000), ''The Caveman's Valentine'' (2001), ''Undercover Brother'' (2002), '' Ray'' (2004), '' The Express: The Erni ...
had signed to play
Miranda Shaw, assistant director and training supervisor of the academy.
Dougray Scott
Stephen Dougray Scott (born 25 November 1965) is a Scottish actor. He has appeared in the films ''Ever After'' (1998), '' Mission: Impossible 2'' (2000), ''Enigma'' (2001), ''Hitman'' (2007), and ''My Week with Marilyn'' (2011).
Early life
Sc ...
was cast as
Liam O'Connor, Miranda's former partner and current subordinate.
Indian actor
Priyanka Chopra
Priyanka Chopra Jonas (; ; born 18 July 1982) is an Indian actress and producer. The winner of the Miss World 2000 pageant, Chopra is one of India's highest-paid actresses and has received numerous accolades, including two National Film Awar ...
was cast as series
protagonist
A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...
Alex Parrish, the result of a
talent holding deal
Talent holding deal (sometimes spelled ''Talent-holding deal'') is a contract between an entertainer or artist and a representing agency, valid while the agency is developing a movie, television program, live performance act, album or other entert ...
with ABC Studios which required the company to develop a starring project for her or cast her in an existing project for the 2015 television season. ABC casting executive Keli Lee had long tried to persuade Chopra to perform on television in the United States.
When the actress began considering U.S. TV, Lee learned that Chopra had been approached by another studio: "I said
o Chopra 'No, you can't make this deal elsewhere. You're coming here. And I'm flying to India. Lee went to India and convinced Chopra to accept ABC's offer.
The actress said about Lee: "I told her, the only way I would do it is if you find me a show and a path which first will put me in the same position that I am in India."
![Priyanka Chopra in 2014](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Priyanka_Chopra_in_2014.jpg)
Chopra saw the deal as an opportunity to represent South Asia and challenge Indian stereotypes in
Hollywood and the United States, saying,
"When I was in school n the U.S.
N, or n, is the fourteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''en'' (pronounced ), plural ''ens''.
History
...
you never saw anyone who looked like us that was on TV. And that was really weird for me because there's so many people of South Asian descent in America – in the world. I didn't want to be this stereotype of what Indian people are usually seen as in global pop culture. We don't just have to be Apu
APU or Apu may refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Apu Trilogy'', a series of three Bengali films, directed by Satyajit Ray, with the fictional character Apu Roy, comprising:
** ''Pather Panchali'' (''Song of the Little Road'') (1955), the first ...
from ''The Simpsons
''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...
''."
After being given all 26 pilot scripts which ABC was filming for the 2015–2016 television season, she chose ''Quantico''.
Despite having appeared in more than 50 films, she was required to audition for the first time, which she found nerve-wracking.
Safran was impressed by Chopra's audition, which helped him re-envision the character, adding,
"She walked into the room, and it was like the molecules shifted in that way that superstars have. I was very confused because I didn't know who she was, but we all sat up straighter. We're like, this is clearly a movie star; it's like every hair on the back of your neck stands up watching her act. When I went back home I couldn't think about anyone else."
Chopra became the first South Asian to headline an American network drama series.
Jake McLaughlin
Jacob Adam McLaughlin (born October 7, 1982) is an American soldier and actor. He is most famous for playing Gordon Bonner in Paul Haggis's ''In the Valley of Elah''. McLaughlin starred as Tate in the short lived spring 2014 NBC series ''Believe' ...
was chosen to play
Ryan Booth, Alex's love interest, and
Johanna Braddy
Johanna Elizabeth Braddy (born August 30, 1987) is an American actress. She played the leading role in the 2009 horror film ''The Grudge 3'', and has appeared in '' Hurt'' (2009), '' Easy A'' (2010), ''Paranormal Activity 3'' (2011), and ''The Lev ...
and
Yasmine Al Massri
Yasmine Al Massri is an actress, dancer, video artist and human rights advocate. She was born in Beirut, Lebanon to a Palestinian father and an Egyptian mother. She is a French and American citizen. She made her film debut in the 2007 film ''Caram ...
were cast in the final co-starring roles of trainees
Shelby Wyatt and
Nimah and Raina Amin.
ABC announced after it picked up the pilot that the Liam O'Connor character would be re-cast with
Josh Hopkins
William Joshua Hopkins (born September 12, 1970) is an American actor. Some of his best known roles include Raymond Millbury on '' Ally McBeal'' (2001–2002), Grayson Ellis on '' Cougar Town'' (2009–2015), and Liam O'Connor on '' Quantico'' ( ...
replacing Dougray Scott in July 2015.
That month, it was announced that
Anabelle Acosta
Anabelle Acosta is a Cuban-born American actress. She played Annabella in the HBO television series ''Ballers'' and Natalie Vasquez in the ABC television series '' Quantico''.
Career
In 2015, Acosta played the recurring role of Annabella ...
was cast in a
recurring role
A recurring character is a fictional character, usually in a prime time TV series, who frequently appears from time to time during the series' run. Recurring characters often play major roles in more than one episode, sometimes being the main foc ...
for a multi-episode story arc as Quantico recruit and former police officer
Natalie Vasquez.
Rick Cosnett was also signed for a recurring role as Elias Harper, a former defense attorney-analyst recruit. Prior to the premiere, Acosta was promoted to a series regular.
In September 2015,
Jacob Artist
Jacob Artist (born October 17, 1992) is an American actor, singer, and dancer. He is best known for his roles as Jake Puckerman on the Fox musical comedy-drama series ''Glee'' and as Brandon Fletcher on the ABC drama-thriller series '' Quantico'' ...
was cast in a recurring role as Brandon Fletcher, an FBI agent-in-training.
Marcia Cross
Marcia Anne Cross (born March 25, 1962) is an American actress. She acted in daytime soap operas such as ''The Edge of Night'', '' Another World'', and ''One Life to Live'' before moving to primetime television with a recurring role on ''Knots ...
was cast as
Senator Claire Haas, vice presidential candidate, Caleb's mother, and the wife of FBI Deputy Director
Clayton Haas.
In November,
Jay Armstrong Johnson
Jay Armstrong Johnson (born September 1, 1987) is an American actor, singer, and dancer, known for his portrayal of Will Olsen in the ABC television series '' Quantico'' and starring roles on Broadway in musicals, including '' On the Town'' and ...
,
Lenny Platt and
Li Jun Li
Li Jun Li is an American actress, known for her portrayal of Iris Chang in the ABC series '' Quantico'', Rose Cooper in the Fox series ''The Exorcist'', and Jenny Wah in the Netflix series ''Wu Assassins''.
Early life
Li was born in Shanghai, ...
were cast as
recurring characters
A recurring character is a fictional character, usually in a prime time TV series, who frequently appears from time to time during the series' run. Recurring characters often play major roles in more than one episode, sometimes being the main foc ...
who would be added after the mid-season break.
Following the season one finale, Safran confirmed that all series regulars would return for the second season, except for Acosta, Ellington and Hopkins, whose characters were killed off. Safran also expressed interest in bringing back Cross' Claire Haas after it was revealed that she was involved in the bombing plot.
Safran discussed the return of
Henry Czerny
Henry Czerny ( ; born February 8, 1959) is a Canadian stage, film, and television actor. He is known for his roles in the films ''The Boys of St. Vincent, Mission: Impossible, Clear and Present Danger, The Ice Storm, The Exorcism of Emily Rose,' ...
, who played CIA director
Matthew Keyes in the season one finale, since the character was important to the storyline.
In July 2016, Czerny joined the cast in the recurring role.
The series added three regulars to the cast:
Russell Tovey
Russell George Tovey (born 14 November 1981) is an English actor. He is best known for playing the role of werewolf George Sands in the BBC's supernatural comedy-drama '' Being Human'', Rudge in both the stage and film versions of ''The Histo ...
as
Harry Doyle
Harry Doyle (born February 23, 1941) is an educator and former political figure in New Brunswick, Canada. He represented Albert in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1995 to 1999 as a Liberal member.
He was born in Saint John, New B ...
,
Blair Underwood
Blair Erwin Underwood (born August 25, 1964) is an American actor. He made his debut in the 1985 musical film ''Krush Groove'' and from 1987 to 1994 starred as attorney Jonathan Rollins in the NBC legal drama series '' L.A. Law''.
Underwood has ...
as
CIA
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian intelligence agency, foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gat ...
officer
Owen Hall
Owen Hall (10 April 1853 – 9 April 1907) was the principal pen name of the Irish-born theatre writer, racing correspondent, theatre critic and solicitor, James "Jimmy" Davis, when writing for the stage. After his successive careers in law ...
and
Pearl Thusi
Sithembile Xola Pearl Thusi (born 13 May 1988) is a South African actress, model, and presenter. She is known for her roles as Patricia Kopong in the BBC/ HBO comedy-drama series ''The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency'', Dayana Mampasi in the A ...
as
type-A A type or type A may refer to:
* A-type asteroid, a type of relatively uncommon inner-belt asteroids
* A type blood, a type in the ABO blood group system
* A-type inclusion, a type of cell inclusion
* A-type potassium channel, a type of voltage-g ...
attorney
Dayana Mampasi.
In July 2016,
Aarón Díaz
Aarón Díaz Spencer (born March 7, 1982) is a Mexican-American actor, singer, and model.
Early life
Aarón Díaz Spencer was born in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico to an Irish-American mother (surname Spencer) and a Mexican father (sur ...
joined the series in a recurring role as
photojournalist
Photojournalism is journalism that uses images to tell a news story. It usually only refers to still images, but can also refer to video used in broadcast journalism. Photojournalism is distinguished from other close branches of photography (such ...
León Velez, and it was reported that
Tracy Ifeachor
Tracy Ifeachor is a British television and theatre actress best known for playing the role of Aya Al-Rashid in The CW vampire series '' The Originals'' and Abigail Naismith in both parts of the ''Doctor Who'' Christmas special, " The End of T ...
and
David Lim were cast in recurring roles as
Lydia Hall
Lydia Gail Hall (born 14 December 1987) is a Welsh professional golfer and currently plays on the Ladies European Tour. In 2012, she won the ISPS Handa Ladies British Masters, her first Ladies European Tour win. In 2016, she won the Welsh Nati ...
and
Sebastian Chen.
In early 2017,
Hunter Parrish
Hunter Parrish Tharp (born May 13, 1987) is an American actor and singer. He is known for playing the role of Silas Botwin in the Showtime series '' Weeds'' and for his performances in the Broadway productions of ''Godspell'' in the role of Jesu ...
and
Krysta Rodriguez
Krysta Anne Rodriguez (born July 23, 1984) is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Ana Vargas in the NBC series '' Smash'', Summer Henderson in the NBC series '' Trial & Error'', Maxine Griffin in the ABC series '' ...
were cast in the recurring roles of
Clay Haas and
Maxine Griffin.
After the third season renewal announcement, it was reported that Al Massri and Thusi would leave the series, and in June 2017, it was reported that Ellis and Tovey would not return as part of a creative overhaul. However, in August 2017, it was confirmed that Tovey would in fact be returning as a series regular. In late July 2017,
Marlee Matlin
Marlee Beth Matlin (born August 24, 1965) is an American actress, author, and activist. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for a ...
joined the show as a series regular in the role of ex-FBI agent Jocelyn Turner in the third season.
Alan Powell joined the cast in November 2017 as series regular Mike McQuigg, an undercover agent.
The next month,
Amber Skye Noyes
Amber Skye Noyes (born February 17, 1988) is an American actress and singer, known for her portrayal of Tori Windsor in The CW series ''Beauty & the Beast'' and Celine Fox in the third season of the ABC thriller '' Quantico''.
Early life and car ...
joined the third season in the recurring role of Celine Fox. In January 2018,
Vandit Bhatt joined in the recurring role of Jagdeep Patel. On February 16, 2018, it was confirmed that Aunjanue Ellis had exited the series.
Writing
Although Safran initially intended the series to be an
ensemble
Ensemble may refer to:
Art
* Architectural ensemble
* Ensemble (album), ''Ensemble'' (album), Kendji Girac 2015 album
* Ensemble (band), a project of Olivier Alary
* Ensemble cast (drama, comedy)
* Ensemble (musical theatre), also known as the ...
, with Alex the lead protagonist, this changed after Chopra was cast.
As the series's "face" and featured in its publicity campaign, Alex dominated the storyline and became the main character.
Although she was initially written as
Caucasian
Caucasian may refer to:
Anthropology
*Anything from the Caucasus region
**
**
** ''Caucasian Exarchate'' (1917–1920), an ecclesiastical exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Caucasus region
*
*
*
Languages
* Northwest Caucasian l ...
, Safran completely rewrote her character with Chopra in mind, tweaking her background as she became half-Indian and spent 10 years in
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
.
Her casting also helped change Alex's personality; in one change, the "jaded and brooding" Alex became "fun and warm".
''Quantico'' was designed with over a half-dozen core characters, in addition to Alex Parrish, for pacing reasons. It was intended to have a flashback narrative, shifting between "the present day with Parrish navigating her way through a class of FBI New Agent Trainees to the near future as the truth and repercussions of the attack emerge." Safran also used flashforwards to spread out the series' plot point
In television and film, a plot point is any incident, episode, or event that "hooks" into the action and spins it around into another direction.
Noted screenwriting teacher Syd Field discusses plot points in his paradigm, popularized in his book ...
s. He said in a 2015 interview that although the series is "intricately plotted", it does not intend to overwhelm the viewer: "It is tightly structured and moves quickly between two, sometimes three, time periods, but we made sure that it's not so complicated that it just feels like too much. I like to say that we have a lot of tributaries, but they all lead to one ocean."
The series' diverse cast helped its writers create a variety of storylines and plot points. According to a ''Variety'' article on Safran and ''Quantico'', "The show delves below the surface into those disparate backgrounds to explore how each character's personal stories influence their motivations for joining the FBI and in their perspective on the search for truth in the terrorism investigation. That offers a wealth of engaging material for writers to mine." Safran modeled ''Quantico'' on ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer
''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. It is based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), 1992 film of the same name, also written by W ...
'' in structure, with self-contained story arcs from season to season. Its producers said that each season would have a specific storyline, with Alex the series' focal point surrounded by a new cast.
Safran called the second season more cohesive, mirroring the first season and "... keep ngthe two-storyline structure." In an interview, he confirmed that the structure would be "a little bit of flash-forward, but the majority will be what I like to call the present." According to Safran, the producers aimed at a more mature, darker second season which would be "less confusing" to viewers. Safran had plotted an upcoming plot point as the first season ended, which saw Alex clearing her name, getting fired by the FBI and receiving a job offer by the CIA director. He revealed that the season two storyline would focus on the contrasting work ethics of the FBI and the CIA. Safran elaborated about the differences between the FBI and CIA, saying, "We're very interested in the fact that the FBI's so much about being honest, truthful and living up to your badge. And the CIA is the opposite. You succeed if you can deceive. So it's going to be interesting to see. It's like a funhouse mirror of what we've seen." He announced that the series would switch to a single timeline after the fourteenth episode. Safran said that the second season was always designed to adopt a single timeline after the resolved storyline and the aftermath of the hostage crisis, adding, "When we broke Season 2, we knew we were going to go to one timeline, because it's about the erroristevent, and then it's about what happens after the event. And you can't flashback to the Farm after the crisis is over." He said that the change was also due to viewer complaints that the first season's dual timeline was confusing.
Filming
''Quantico'' pilot episode was filmed in Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
from March 11 to 26, 2015, with two days of filming in New York. It was announced that the series would be filmed in downtown Montreal
Downtown Montreal ( French: ''Centre-Ville de Montréal'') is the central business district of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
The district is situated on the southernmost slope of Mount Royal, and occupies the western portion of the borough of Vil ...
and Sherbrooke
Sherbrooke ( ; ) is a city in southern Quebec, Canada. It is at the confluence of the Saint-François and Magog rivers in the heart of the Estrie administrative region. Sherbrooke is also the name of a territory equivalent to a regional count ...
, which stood in for New York and Quantico, respectively. The first schedule began in late July and ended in late December 2015. Quantico Academy exteriors were filmed on the Université de Sherbrooke
The University of Sherbrooke (French: Université de Sherbrooke) (UdS) is a large public French-language university in Quebec, Canada with campuses located in Sherbrooke and Longueuil, a suburb of Montreal approximately west of Sherbrooke. It i ...
campus. The series was shot in Mel's Cité du Cinéma studio and on location. Its second shooting schedule began in January 2016 and continued in Montreal until mid-April.
In April 2016, it was reported that production would move to New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
for its second season; according to Safran, "Season 2 is going to be very much more a New York story." Second season filming, which began in New York on July 13, 2016, was shot at Silvercup Studios
Silvercup Studios is one of the largest film and television production facilities in New York City. The studio is located in Long Island City, Queens, with another facility in the Port Morris neighborhood of the Bronx. The studio complex has bee ...
and on location. Filming ended in mid-March 2017. Filming for the third season started on October 10, 2017. Certain scenes of the third-season premiere featuring Chopra were shot on location in Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
. The last few episodes of the third season were shot on location in Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
. Filming for the third season ended in April 2018.
Release
Broadcast and distribution
''Quantico'', initially scheduled to air Tuesdays at 10:00 pm, was moved to Sundays at 10:00 pm due to a retooling of ''Of Kings and Prophets
''Of Kings and Prophets'' is an American television drama based on the Biblical Books of Samuel that premiered on ABC. The series follows an ensemble of characters including Saul and David, the successive kings of Israel, their families, and the ...
''. The series premiered on ABC on Sunday, September 27, 2015. The series debuted in Canada on CTV on the same day as its American premiere. The episodes, about 43 minutes in length, were broadcast in standard Standard may refer to:
Symbols
* Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs
* Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification
Norms, conventions or requirements
* Standard (metrology), an object th ...
and high definition. In Australia, it premiered on the Seven Network
The Seven Network (commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is a major Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, and is one of ...
on October 11, 2015. The series was acquired by Alibi
An alibi (from the Latin, '' alibī'', meaning "somewhere else") is a statement by a person, who is a possible perpetrator of a crime, of where they were at the time a particular offence was committed, which is somewhere other than where the crim ...
in the United Kingdom. Season two premiered on September 25, 2016. After the mid-season finale, it moved to Mondays at 10:00 p.m. on January 23, 2017. The third season premiered on April 26, 2018. After the cancellation, it was announced that the network would air the remaining episodes of the third season as previously scheduled.
Standard- and high-definition episodes are available for download at the iTunes Store
The iTunes Store is a digital media store operated by Apple Inc. It opened on April 28, 2003, as a result of Steve Jobs' push to open a digital marketplace for music. As of April 2020, iTunes offered 60 million songs, 2.2 million apps, 25,00 ...
and Amazon Video
Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming and rental service of Amazon offered as a standalone service or as part of Amazon's Prime subscription. The service pri ...
. The episodes were available via video on demand
Video on demand (VOD) is a media distribution system that allows users to access videos without a traditional video playback device and the constraints of a typical static broadcasting schedule. In the 20th century, broadcasting in the form of o ...
on Xfinity
Comcast Cable Communications, LLC, doing business as Xfinity, is an American telecommunications company and division of Comcast Corporation used to market consumer cable television, internet, telephone, and wireless services provided by the com ...
. ABC video-on-demand released recent episodes temporarily after their premiere. Season one episodes were on Hulu
Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television serie ...
. The first season became available for streaming on Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
in a number of countries on August 23, 2016, the second season became available in the U.S. on June 15, 2017 and the third season became available in the U.S. on September 2, 2018. All three seasons were scheduled to leave Netflix in September 2022.
Home media
The first season of ''Quantico'' was released on DVD and Blu-Ray on September 13, 2016, in Region 1 by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Inc., doing business as Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, is the home entertainment distribution arm of The Walt Disney Company. The division handles the distribution of Disney's films, television series, an ...
.
Reception
Critical response
The first season of ''Quantico'' received positive reviews with most critics praising Chopra's performance. The review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
website Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
reported an 82% "Certified Fresh" approval with an average rating of 6.9/10 (based on 56 reviews). According to the website consensus, "Obvious copycatting aside, ''Quantico'' provides ludicrously entertaining thrills from a well-balanced cast." The series has a score of 70/100 (based on 25 reviews) on Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, indicating "generally favorable reviews". The ''Newark Star-Ledger
Newark most commonly refers to:
* Newark, New Jersey, city in the United States
* Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey; a major air hub in the New York metropolitan area
Newark may also refer to:
Places Canada
* Niagara-on-th ...
''s Vicki Hyman called ''Quantico'' the best new show of the season and graded it an "A". Hyman wrote that the show was "taut and terrifically calibrated ... with at least one deadly effective twist you won't see coming." David Wiegand from ''San Francisco Chronicle
The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. de ...
'' also praised the series: "The plot is intricate and compelling, the characters magnetic and mysterious at the same time." Robert Bianco of ''USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'' rated ''Quantico'' three out of four, calling its cast "an appropriately diverse group, brought to life by generally fine performances, led by Chopra's and Ellis. ... There are times when Quantico feels a shade mechanical, in moments when you can practically hear the plot gears moving. But it accomplishes what the opener of a whodunit needs to do: establish a wide range of plausible suspects and spark our interest in the mystery and the hero."
James Poniewozik
James "Jim" Poniewozik (; born July 12, 1968) is an American journalist and television critic. He is the chief TV critic for ''The New York Times''. Earlier in his career, he wrote ''Time'' magazine's ''Tuned In'' column for 16 years.
Early life
...
of ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' called Chopra the series' "strongest human asset", calling her "immediately charismatic and commanding." Melissa Maerz of ''Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' called ''Quantico'' the best Shonda Rhimes
Shonda Lynn Rhimes (born January 13, 1970) is an American television screenwriter, producer, and author. She is best known as the showrunner—creator, head writer, and executive producer—of the television medical drama '' Grey's Anatomy'', ...
drama that Rhimes never touched and wrote that "Chopra's bound to be a breakout star." Rob Lowman of the ''Los Angeles Daily News
The ''Los Angeles Daily News'' is the second-largest-circulating paid daily newspaper of Los Angeles, California. It is the flagship of the Southern California News Group, a branch of Colorado-based Digital First Media.
The offices of the ''Dai ...
'' enjoyed the show and Chopra's performance, saying, "Although a bit over-frenetic at times, the series seems to take inspiration from a man-on-the-run Hitchcock thriller. Only in Quantico's case, it's a woman, and they have a charismatic star in Chopra. I was immediately struck by her dynamic screen presence. So far it's one of the most promising new shows, and Chopra is someone worth keeping an eye on." Tim Goodman of ''The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'', in a lukewarm review, found its pilot "just good enough to make you watch another." Although TheWrap
''TheWrap'' is an American online news website covering the business of entertainment and media via digital, print and live events. It was founded by journalist Sharon Waxman
Sharon I. Waxman (born c.1963) is an American author, journalist, ...
's Tim Grierson wrote that the show "provides sexy fun", he went on to write: "For a show about highly trained, incredibly intelligent agents, Quantico often succumbs to lame-brained plotting and a less-than-convincing portrayal of its specialized milieu. This new show's fluffy, which doesn't fit so well with the darker, somber tones meant to be struck by the introduction of a cataclysmic terrorist attack."
The second season also received positive reviews. Jasef Wisener of '' TVOvermind'' gave the premiere episode a rating of three and a half stars, writing that it set up its sophomore season "effectively". However, Allison Nichols of ''TV Fanatic'' was critical of the opening episode owing to the "confusing time jumps" and the "head-spinning plotlines". The episodes following the winter finale when the show's narrative switched to a single timeline garnered further praise by such critics as Madison Vain of ''Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'', especially for its focus on character development. Kelsey McKinney of '' New York'' magazine noted that the show had finally found its groove, writing, "For the first time since its first season, Quantico actually seems to know where it is headed. It's quite a welcome development, and the newfound confidence ... makes Quantico a much more enjoyable show to watch." In a five-star review of the sixteenth episode, Kelsey McKinney of ''New York'' wrote that "the show is grappling more and more with the emotions that make us all human, not just the ones that drive the story forward." The series' plot lines, involving current political situations, were also praised.
Critics' Top Ten lists – 2015
* No. 8 – ''People Magazine
''People'' is an American weekly magazine that specializes in celebrity news and human-interest stories. It is published by Dotdash Meredith, a subsidiary of IAC (company), IAC. With a readership of 46.6 million adults in 2009, ''People ...
''
* '' Vanity Fair''
Ratings
United States
''Quantico'' season one premiere garnered 7.14million viewers and a 1.9 rating among adults 18–49, the highest-rated scripted telecast on Sunday night opposite '' Sunday Night Football''. It improved 36 percent on its lead-in, ''Blood & Oil
''Blood & Oil'' is an American prime time television soap opera created by Josh Pate and Rodes Fishburne, that premiered on ABC on September 27, 2015. The series follows a young couple that moves to fictitious Rock Springs, North Dakota, afte ...
'', which had a 1.4 rating. The pilot episode was also popular for DVR playback with over five million viewers, a 79 percent increase, for a total 3.4 rating among adults 18–49 and total viewership of 12.15 million. The series, which continued to do well in live viewing, more than doubled its viewership several times in DVR playback during the season. The finale had 3.78 million viewers with a 1.0 rating among adults 18–49 and a 120 percent DVR increase for a 2.2 adult 18–49 rating and a total of 6.7million viewers. The first season averaged 8.05million viewers with a 2.6 rating among adults 18–49.
The second-season premiere had 3.64million viewers and a 1.0 rating among adults 18–49. The finale attracted 2.72million viewers with a 0.6 rating among adults 18–49. The season averaged 4.53million viewers with a 1.3 rating among adults 18–49. The third-season premiere and series finale both attracted 2.66million viewers, with a 0.5 and 0.4 rating among adults 18–49 demographic, respectively.
International
''Quantico'' continues to be popular in Australia, Canada, France and India. The premiere episode had 2.6million viewers in Canada, the largest audience for a new television series that year. It was the most-watched episode behind ''The Big Bang Theory
''The Big Bang Theory'' is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom served as executive producers on the series, along with Steven Molaro, all of whom also served as head writers. It premiered on CBS ...
'' (which had 2.8million). Averaging 2.17million viewers, ''Quantico'' was Canada's most-watched drama series, most-watched new series and second most-watched series (after ''The Big Bang Theory'') in 2015. It was the most-watched drama series of 2015 in Australia and the second most-watched series overall (after ''The Big Bang Theory''). In France, the series premiered to 4.9million viewers (a 21 percent audience share) and averaged 3.1million viewers during its first season. According to a ''Business Insider
''Insider'', previously named ''Business Insider'' (''BI''), is an American financial and business news website founded in 2007. Since 2015, a majority stake in ''Business Insider''s parent company Insider Inc. has been owned by the German publ ...
'' report, ''Quantico'' was the 12th-most popular TV show of 2016 based on ratings, peer-to-peer sharing, social-media chatter and viewer demand.
Accolades
By winning the People's Choice Award
The People's Choice Awards is an American awards show, recognizing people in entertainment, voted online by the general public and fans. The show has been held annually since 1975, with the winners originally determined using Gallup Polls until ...
for Favorite Actress in a New TV Series at the 42nd People's Choice Awards, Chopra became the first South Asian to win a People's Choice Award.
References
External links
*
*
*
{{Quantico (TV series)
2015 American television series debuts
2018 American television series endings
American Broadcasting Company original programming
2010s American crime drama television series
2010s American LGBT-related drama television series
Television series about the Central Intelligence Agency
English-language television shows
Television series about the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Nonlinear narrative television series
Patricide in fiction
Secret Intelligence Service in fiction
Serial drama television series
Thriller television series
Television series by ABC Studios
Television shows set in Virginia
Television shows filmed in Montreal
Television shows filmed in New York City
Culture of Sherbrooke
Terrorism in television
Quantico, Virginia
Television series by Entertainment One