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Sean Bean plays an FBI agent with an uncanny ability to assume fake identities for undercover work in TNT's new spy drama, "Legends."

(TNT)

With his resonant voice, rugged good looks and natural dignity, Sean Bean lends stature to any role he plays. His Ned Stark in Season 1 of "Game of Thrones" was so noble and heroic, we still haven't gotten over his absence. And in

"The Lord of the Rings" movies, Bean's Boromir was both exceptionally brave and dramatically flawed.

The creative team behind "Legends," the new TNT spy drama, seem to know that Bean is the best thing about their show, which is built to give him room to show his skills.

In the first two episodes made available for screening, Bean instantly grabs your attention. He plays Martin Odum, who does undercover work for yet another government agency, this one the FBI's Deep Cover Operations division.

Odum has a bad habit of getting so far into character as the people he's pretending to be – an out-of-work blue-collar guy trying to join a domestic terrorist group, a playboy arms dealer – that he falls off the intelligence grid.

In case you're wondering about the title, a "legend" is what undercover types call a made-up identity.

While we certainly enjoy watching Bean shift between "legends" – as his made-up identity personas are known – Odum's maverick devotion to his work is a pain in the neck to the DCO team leader Crystal Maguire (Ali Larter), and Odum's ex-wife, Sonya (Amber Valletta) who can't help but notice that Martin keeps canceling plans to see his pre-teen son because his work takes precedence.

All that is standard TV stuff, which you can find all over the dial. But "Legends," which is based on a novel by Robert Littell and produced by a team that includes "Homeland" veterans Howard Gordon and Alexander Cary, has an unusual sense of melancholy, which seems to emanate from Bean's soulful performance.

The rest of the cast, which includes Steve Harris as the DCO Task Force boss, Tina Majorino as a super-capable member of the staff, and Morris Chestnut as a sharp-witted FBI/DCO agent, all give Bean solid support.

I hope future episodes don't turn into simple procedural–of-the-week outings, with Bean donning different outfits and accents just for the sake of variety. There's an overarching plotline – Martin is told that he's not who he thinks he is – to give us a larger mystery. Whether that will prove compelling or cornball remains to be seen.

"Legends" premieres at 9 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 13, on TNT