American Odyssey proof networks can produce suspenseful drama

Ever sit around griping that the broadcast networks can’t make shows as suspenseful, as relevant or as textured (translation: as good) as the premium cable networks? The excellent pilot episode of NBC’s new drama American Odyssey might just shut you up for a while.

With a Homeland-style mastery of momentum and a Traffic-esque multinarrative premise, American Odyssey passes the biggest test of all when it comes to trying out new TV shows in today’s glut of offerings: As soon as the first episode was over, I was eager to see more.

Anna Friel (Pushing Daisies) stars as Sgt. Odelle Ballard, part of an elite group of U.S. soldiers who invade a jihadist compound in North Africa and discover that one of the fighters they’ve killed is a top al-Qaida operative whose laptop has records of some very U.S.-looking bank transfers. A squad of private U.S. security officers intervenes and takes the laptop, but Ballard made a copy on a flash drive.

Later that night, her team is ambushed and killed — but she escapes, even though news networks are already reporting her death. Meanwhile, a corporate lawyer and former U.S. attorney (Nurse Jackie’s Peter Facinelli) who is assigned to work on a big merger becomes suspicious about certain high-level transactions he’s uncovered and a trust-fund kid (Jake Robinson) who is part of the Occupy movement meets a hacktivist who may have discovered that a U.S. corporation is funding the jihadists.

Somehow ( of course) it all links together, as will these three characters. Getting there looks to be the fun part.