Welcome back to our series on midseason TV (a continuation of our fall TV series). We’re here again to discuss what’s worthy of coveted DVR space, what you can watch, eh, whenever, and what you don’t even need to bother watching in the first place.
(Warning! Possible spoilers ahead.)
Premiered: Jan. 7 on CBS (Watch online.)
Elevator Pitch
A studio executive sits in his office, surrounded by posters of his previous successful series. He leans back—dangerously far—in his chair and taps his chin with a pen.
I need to come up with the next big thing, he thinks to himself. Something with action and intrigue. Something futuristic, but not too futuristic; I don’t want to have to deal with another Fringe. He chuckles to himself. The next big thing … He leans back a bit more. Next big thing … next … big … His chair falls to the floor with a loud crash.
When he comes to, the first sight he sees is a Subway wrapper in his trash can, smelling faintly of the chicken parmesan sub he ate at lunch.
That’s it, he cries, and jumps to his feet. I’ve got to go tell Janice!
On his way out of his office, he passes by the Chuck poster hanging prominently next to his door and fistbumps the image of Zachary Levi.
Familiar Faces
Josh Holloway as Gabriel
Michael Benyaer as Badri Adani
John Billingsley as Dr. Shenendoah Cassidy
Meghan Ory as Riley Neal
Marg Helgenberger as Lillian Strand
Elden Henson as Amos Pembroke
Michael Rady as Chris Jameson
P.J. Byrne as Nelson Cassidy
Will Yun Lee as Jin Cong
Rosalind Chao as Sheng-Li Wang
Faces That Might Become Familiar (If You Keep Watching)
James Martinez as Gonzo Rodriguez
Grace Huang as Mei Chen
Redeeming Qualities
Emily: There's some great cast here. Not the main characters (though I do find Josh Holloway utterly charming), but John Billingsley, P.J. Byrne, Elden Henson always play the best side characters. These are the people I'm excited to watch (though I think 2 of the 3 are just in the pilot). I also really like how the show is shot. It feels high quality in a way that network seems to lack these days.
Mandy: I really like Josh Holloway as a Jason Bourne-style action star. He’s ruggedly handsome and can pull off (although likely with the help of a stunt double) some pretty wicked moves. I also dig secret government agencies—when they’re fictional—and Marg Helgenberger does really well at the kind of woman who can lead said secret government agency. Two of the main plot points in the pilot (the missing wife and the “other Gabriel”) point to long-running storylines that could serve to tie the season together, too, which I appreciate.
It's Not Me, It's You
Emily: Unfortunately, it does feel like a network TV show when it comes to the writing. I'm not saying it's bad writing, it's just handed to the audience on a silver platter. When I'm thrown into a world I'm not supposed to be familiar with, I want to feel like the characters are at least a little smarter than me, but these characters explain EVERYTHING in a way that a 2-year-old can understand. It might seem ironic, but I want to feel like I'm having to catch up, that way when I do finally understand what's going on, it feels earned. I also don't care for the women on the show … super unfortunate because there are some great female leads happening right now on TV.
Mandy: From the very first Intelligence promo, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was going to be Chuck minus the humor. Unfortunately, after watching the pilot, that feeling hasn’t gone away. (Don’t get me wrong, I loved most of Chuck.) It could be good on its own if it can move away from the whole “This guy is a computer! isn’t that neat?!” and focus more on the plotlines. However, I’m pretty sure we’ll be reminded of the fact that Gabriel has a computer in his head multiple (multiple) times every episode. I’m also not a fan of the forced chemistry between Gabriel and Riley. He’s obviously still hung up on his wife, and throwing a pretty girl into his path doesn’t seem to me as the most moral of choices. Note to the networks: A show with two pretty people as the leads doesn’t always need to include a romance between the two.
Let's Do This Again
Emily: Probably not. I might record a few more just in case someone tells me I'm missing out, but my DVR is full of shows that I can't wait to get home to watch at night. I'm starting to let go more quickly of the shows that feel like homework. I do want to clarify, though, that this isn't a bad show, it's just not my thing.
Mandy: I’ll admit—even with the whole Chuck issue, I enjoyed the pilot. I could use a little more intrigue and a tad more humor, but I think the show has promise. I’m not sure I’m going to give it coveted space on my DVR, but I’ll check it out On Demand on the weekend.
What did you think? Let us know in the comments!