''Valor'' is an American

military drama Military fiction is a genre of fiction, focusing on military activities, such as war, battles, combat, fighting; or military life. Classes of military fiction Types of military fiction include: * War novels, including written military fiction * ...

television series created by

Kyle Jarrow Kyle Jarrow (born October 7, 1979) is a Los Angeles–based writer and rock musician. Career Writing Jarrow's writing career began in theater, winning an Obie Award with director Alex Timbers in 2004 for '' A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's ...

. The show was produced by

CBS Television Studios CBS Studios, Inc. is an American television production company which is a subsidiary of CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global. It was formed on January 17, 2006, by CBS Corporation as CBS Paramount Television, as a renaming of the o ...

and

Warner Bros. Television Warner Bros. Television Studios (operating under the name Warner Bros. Television; formerly known as Warner Bros. Television Division) is an American television production and distribution studio of the Warner Bros. Television Group division of ...

, with

Anna Fricke Anna Fricke is an American television writer and producer best known for her work on shows like ''Dawson's Creek'', ''Everwood'', ''Men in Trees'' and '' Privileged'' and as the co-creator of the North American version of '' Being Human.'' Ca ...

and

serving as

showrunners 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 ...

. The series premiered on

The CW ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

on October 9, 2017, as part of the 2017–18 U.S. television season. In November 2017, The CW announced that it would not be ordering any additional episodes of the show beyond the 13 episodes already produced. On May 8, 2018, The CW cancelled ''Valor'' after one season.

Cast and characters

Main

Christina Ochoa Christina Ochoa (born Cristina Ochoa Lopez, 25 January 1985 in Barcelona) is a Spanish actress, science communicator, and producer. Early life Ochoa is the grand-niece of 1959 Nobel Prize winner Severo Ochoa,Chief Warrant Officer 3 Nora Madani, CPT Leland Gallo's co-pilot and one of the first females to ever serve in the Special Operations community. Before joining the 186th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, CWO3 Madani served with the

101st Airborne Division The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) ("Screaming Eagles") is a light infantry division of the United States Army that specializes in air assault operations. It can plan, coordinate, and execute multiple battalion-size air assault operati ...

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

. In the pilot, she was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with

"V" device A "V" device is a metal capital letter "V" with serifs which, when worn on certain decorations awarded by the United States Armed Forces, distinguishes an award for heroism or valor in combat instead of for meritorious service or achievement. ...

for valor. Subsequent to her injuries suffered in a helicopter crash, she has become addicted to prescription painkillers. CWO3 Madani enlisted in the Army 10 years ago at the age of 18; three years prior to the series, she was a Chief Warrant Officer 2 in training at the

United States Army Air Assault School The United States Army Air Assault School, officially the Sabalauski Air Assault School (TSAAS), is a Army Forces Command Table of Distribution and Allowances unit located at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Its primary task is training leaders and soldi ...

. In "Costs of War" both Madani and Gallo are discharged from the Army after coming clean about the cover-up they participated in for the events in the pilot and are almost immediately hired by Thea to fly for the CIA. *

Matt Barr Matthew Jerome Barr (born February 14, 1984) is an American actor, best-known as Danny McNamara in the CBS/Paramount+ action–adventure television series ''Blood & Treasure'' and as Johnson "Johnse" Hatfield in '' Hatfields & McCoys''. Barr al ...

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Leland Gallo, Pilot-in-Command with the fictional 186th Special Operations Aviation Regiment "Shadow Raiders" (based on the real life

160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), abbreviated as 160th SOAR (A), is a special operations force of the United States Army that provides helicopter aviation support for special operations forces. Its missions have include ...

). In the pilot, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with

for valor. In "Costs of War" both Gallo and Madani are

discharged Discharge may refer to Expel or let go * Discharge, the act of firing a gun * Discharge, or termination of employment, the end of an employee's duration with an employer * Military discharge, the release of a member of the armed forces from serv ...

from the Army after coming clean about the cover-up they participated in for the events in the pilot and are almost immediately hired by Thea to fly for the CIA. * Charlie Barnett as

First Lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a s ...

Ian Porter, an intelligence officer with the 186th Special Operations Aviation Regiment and the boyfriend of CWO3 Nora Madani. The two of them transferred from the 101st Airborne Division together. Three years prior to the series, he was a second lieutenant assigned to the Air Assault School. 1LT Porter is a graduate of the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

at West Point. * W. Trè Davis as

Staff Sergeant Staff sergeant is a rank of non-commissioned officer used in the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. History of title In origin, certain senior sergeants were assigned to administrative, supervi ...

Jimmy Kam, CPT Gallo's and CWO3 Madani's crew chief who was taken as a

prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of wa ...

in the pilot. He is rescued in "Oscar Mike" by the Shadow Raiders and returns home in "Costs of War" with

posttraumatic stress disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavioral disorder that can develop because of exposure to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threats on ...

. * Corbin Reid as Jess Kam, the wife of SSG Jimmy Kam and close friend of CWO3 Nora Madani. *

Nigel Thatch Nigel ( ) is an English language, English masculine given name. The English ''Nigel'' is commonly found in records dating from the Middle Ages; however, it was not used much before being revived by 19th-century antiquarians. For instance, Walte ...

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

Robert Haskins, a 23-year veteran of the United States Army who is serving as the Commanding Officer of the 186th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. In the pilot, it is mentioned that he earned the

Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an e ...

in Fallujah. * Melissa Roxburgh as Thea, a member of the

Central Intelligence Agency The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...

. In her personal life, Thea has had short-term relationships with both SSG Zoe Cho and CPT Leland Gallo. After she and the 186th Special Operations Aviation Regiment discover and expose her boss, Director Tucker Magnus, as a rogue agent in "Costs of War", she is given his post as Director of the CIA

Special Activities Division The Special Activities Center (SAC) is a division of the United States Central Intelligence Agency responsible for covert operation, covert and paramilitary operations. The unit was named Special Activities Division (SAD) prior to 2015. Within S ...

Recurring and guest

Zeeko Zaki Zakaria Sherif Zaki (born January 18, 1990), commonly known as Zeeko Zaki ( arz, زيكو زكي), is an Egyptian-born American actor best known for his role portraying Special Agent Omar Adom "O. A." Zidan on Dick Wolf's ''FBI''. Early life ...

as Staff Sergeant Matt Darzi *

Valarie Pettiford Valarie Pettiford (born July 8, 1960) is an American stage and television actress, dancer, and jazz singer. She received a Tony Award nomination for her role in the broadway production '' Fosse''. She is also known for her role as "Big Dee Dee" ...

as Congresswoman Simone Porter, the Chairwoman of the

United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence The United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI), also known as the House Intelligence Committee, is a committee of the United States House of Representatives, currently chaired by Adam Schiff. It is the primary committ ...

and widowed mother of 1LT Ian Porter. She is the point person for Washington in the Shadow Raiders' search for prisoners of war Sergeants Kam and Hendrix. She is later revealed as "Snake Eyes", the leader of the plot to sell uranium to Ukrainian terrorists. *

Bryan Craig Bryan Allen Craig (born October 27, 1991) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Morgan Corinthos in the soap opera ''General Hospital''. Early life Craig was born in Boca Raton, Florida, in 1991 to Lissett Craig & Donnie Craig, he ...

as Staff Sergeant Adam Coogan, a

Delta Force The 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment–Delta (1st SFOD-D), referred to variously as Delta Force, Combat Applications Group (CAG), Army Compartmented Elements (ACE), "The Unit", or within Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), Task Fo ...

operator and longtime rival of CPT Gallo; the two of them started their careers together before going their separate ways (Gallo became an officer and helicopter pilot, Coogan joined Delta Force). It was later revealed the two feuded over a woman which created animosity between the two. *

Mac Brandt Mac Brandt is an American actor best known for his roles as C.O. Mack Andrews on the Fox crime drama ''Prison Break'' (2005–06), and as Mac Sullivan on the Audience Network sports drama '' Kingdom'' (2014–17). He is a native of the Lombard ...

as Sergeant Shane Dylan Hendrix, a member of

and fellow prisoner of war alongside Staff Sergeant Jimmy Kam. Sergeant Hendrix is killed trying to escape imprisonment. * Chelle Ramos as Staff Sergeant Zoe Cho, one of the first females to ever serve in the Special Operations community. After SSG Kam is taken as a prisoner of war, SSG Cho becomes CPT Gallo's and CWO3 Madani's crew chief. In "About-Face", SSG Cho is sexually assaulted by a Delta Force operator, but manages to fight him off; the operator was immediately transferred off the base and Cho opted to file charges against him.

Episodes

Production

Development

The CW officially ordered ''Valor'' to series on May 10, 2017. The series was planned to air weekly 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 the UK and Ireland beginning November 1, however it never arrived.

Casting

On February 17, 2017,

was cast in the lead role as Captain Leland Gallo, a commanding officer and described as "an aging hipster meets flyboy", followed a month later by the casting of

Filming

Filming for the series took place 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 ...

Reception

Ratings

Critical response

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 a 24% approval rating with an average rating of 4.69/10 based on 17 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "''Valor''s attempt to highlight an often overlooked segment of the armed services is undercut by a badly judged blend of military action and melodrama."

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 ...

, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 39 out of 100 based on 10 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".

References

External links

* * {{The CW programming 2010s American drama television series 2017 American television series debuts 2018 American television series endings The CW original programming English-language television shows American military television series Television series by CBS Studios Television series by Warner Bros. Television Studios Television shows filmed in Atlanta