THE MYSTERIES OF LAURA Hold No Allure

Article first published as THE MYSTERIES OF LAURA Review on Seat42F.

NBC has a new drama this fall called THE MYSTERIES OF LAURA. After viewing the pilot, here are the mysteries I found: Why would anyone think it’s a good idea to cast Debra Messing as a cop? Why in the world did her titular character ever marry her soon-to-be-ex, Jake (Josh Lucas, The Firm), a full-blown man-child? How is Jake competent enough to rise through the ranks of the police department? Can Laura be a mother and a cop at the same time? Isn’t that premise totally tired and dated in 2014?

In case you didn’t catch the tone of the first paragraph, THE MYSTERIES OF LAURA is not a good show. It’s a procedural, first and foremost, which means it’ll be the same rote story every week. The characters are all familiar types, overplayed into cartoonish parodies of their personalities. The set up feels like it is randomly cobbled together from improv comedy suggestions. There is little original going on, basically just copying bits of lots of other shows, most of them mediocre.

Broadcast networks are facing a crossroads. There is more and more competition these days, not just from cable networks, but also Netflix, Amazon, Yahoo, and others. Not only are there a greater number of options, but the overall quality of the offerings keep getting better and better. Yet, in spite of a few brave, bold moves (i.e. Hannibal, Sleepy Hollow), most of what the Big Four keep putting out is repetitive schlock. No wonder they are hemorrhaging viewers, and THE MYSTERIES OF LAURA will not do anything to stop that.

Look, Messing is a fun actress to watch; I don’t think many people will disagree with that. Her Lifetime series, The Starter Wife, didn’t do it for me, but that’s because she spent too much time being sad, not her strength. Smash and Will & Grace used her more appropriately, playing up the humor in her characters’ pathetic failures, and that’s what Messing does best. She can consistently elicit a smile, at minimum, from her antics. THE MYSTERIES OF LAURA uses that element, which is smart, but in a totally inappropriate setting that just doesn’t work.

The supporting cast is also wasted. Janina Gavankar, who has been getting tons of work in series such as True Blood, The League, Arrow, and The Vampire Diaries, is just a run-of-the-mill rival co-worker for Laura. Max Jenkins (pretty much a Tom Lenk stand-in) and Laz Alonso (Breakout Kings) don’t get any focus, either, other than perhaps a one-liner or two. Enrico Colantoni (Veronica Mars, Person of Interest) is underused as her boss, stuck behind a desk. When he gets the chance to come out of his office, it gets worse, going in to a plot that is far removed from believability.

The “twist” at the end of pilot, which I won’t reveal here in case it’s supposed to be a surprise, but if you check out the cast page for THE MYSTERIES OF LAURA and consider the type of series this is, won’t be at all, is even worse than the other complaints I’ve had. It basically reveals the first episode to be treading water as it waits for the ‘real story’ to begin, and again, is completely unrealistic and groan-inducing.

So who may want to watch THE MYSTERIES OF LAURA, despite my panning of it? Women who haven’t seen enough female empowerment to separate the good stuff from the bad. People who want something mindless they don’t have to think about. Stressed-out mothers and ex-spouses who need to see someone else suffer at the hands of menacing young boys and an awful husband, if only to feel good about their own lives by comparison. And that’s about it. Everyone else, feel free to skip this one.

THE MYSTERIES OF LAURA premieres Wednesday, September 17^th at 8 p.m. ET.

Deception brings NBC into the soapy drama game

Grade: 85%

NBC's Deception is the network's foray into the genre of soapy drama. This is usually ABC's territory, as evidenced by Scandal and Desperate Housewives. Considering the field has plenty of this type of series already, with versions spreading throughout the cable landscape, can NBC provide something fresh and original enough to set itself apart?

Yes, and no. Deception benefits from the best cast assembled in awhile for such an effort. It also takes itself more seriously than the average prime-time soap, avoiding the cartoonish and over the top elements of its peers. It's an intricate murder mystery steeped in character history, meaning we get flashbacks. It feels like Revenge with a dash of Veronica Mars, so it's not wholly original.

As the "Pilot" begins, Joanna Locasto (Meagan Good, Californication, Think Like A Man) learns her childhood best friend, Vivian Bowers (Bree Wiliamson, One Life to Live), whom she knew because Joanna's mother was Vivian's family's maid, is dead. It looks like a drug overdose, which would be within Vivian's character, but the feds and police suspect murder. Most of their suspects are members of Vivian's own family, so they send Joanna in, undercover, to figure out what is going on.

While there will surely be plenty of plot twists coming up, the one who looks least guilty right now is Vivian's father, Robert (Victor Garber, Eli Stone, Alias, Web Therapy). Robert is warm and welcoming to Joanna, buying her cover story, and inviting her into their home. While Robert is involved in a pharmaceutical company that could have a drug connected to the motive, he doesn't seem the type.

Less sure is Vivian's brother, Julian (Wes Brown, True Blood, Hart of Dixie). Not only is Julian involved in the business, too, but he also has a thing for Joanna, who returns the feelings. This means that her vision may not be clear around him, as evidenced by her shutting off her wire while they cuddle on the dock, throwing her professionalism out the window. Which begs the question, even if Joanna has an in, is she the right woman for the job?

Then there's Edward (Tate Donovan, Damages), who doesn't want Joanna around, but is too grumpy and obvious to be the killer. He is having marital problems with his wife, Samantha (Marin Hinkle, Once and Again), but we don't yet know what's involved. They will probably be the initial focus of the investigation, and then, if the series is predictable, Joanna's allies.

The wild card lies in Robert's second wife, Sofia (Katherine LaNasa, The Campaign). At first, she seems a nasty piece of work who doesn't get along with Julian, Edward, and Vivian. But then we learn that the daughter thought to be hers and Robert's, Mia (Ella Rae Peck, Gossip Girl), is actually Vivian's child, so Sofia can't be all bad.

Of course, we have to have even more twists thrown in, so Joanna's ex, Will Moreno (Laz Alonso, Avatar), is the one who brings her in on the mission, and he still harbors feelings for her. And the first person to blow Joanna's cover, a reporter named Remy (Christopher Denham, Argo), is killed by two men in a black car. Also, Vivian is pregnant a second time when she dies.

There is a great set up here for the era of class warfare, with the dysfunctional, rich family, and a tangled web of clues. The actors sell their roles. But it also has too many familiar elements, which could hurt Deception if it doesn't come up with something new to toss in. And how long will it take the Bowers family to figure out what Joanna is up to? Too long, and they seem dumb, unworthy of an elaborate killing scheme. Too short, and it kills the momentum of the investigation.

Basically, the jury is still out on Deception, and if it will be a weekly viewing appointment. So, to find out, tune in Mondays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC.

Want to read some of my fiction? It's on my website, JeromeWetzel.com! Also, for the latest updates and article links, as well as commentary on episodes I don't fully review, please follow me on Twitter!

Article first posted on TheTVKing

Breakout Kings delivers respectable "Pilot"

     After an extremely disappointing first foray into scripted television with The Glades, A&E is trying its hand again with a rejected FOX pilot, Breakout Kings. The differences between the two are enormous. Breakout Kings would be better compared to Leverage, except the pilot has me thinking Kings will be a darker, edgier, better developed version. Which is good, because I got bored with Leverage and stopped watching awhile ago. Unlike Leverage, the main characters are immediately given some real depth. Plus the cast is just plain better.

     The concept is that several cons will work with the U.S. Marshals to catch fugitives in exchange for reductions to their sentences. Four are chosen, but one is quickly kicked off the team, so we are left with three. Lloyd (the fantastic Jimmi Simpson, Psych, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) is super smart, especially at reading people, which probably contributed to whatever gambling-connected illegal activity got him into trouble. Shea (Malcolm Goodwin, American Gangster) can pick a lock or drive in a high speed chase equally well. Philly (Nicole Steinwedell, The Unit) is a sexy con woman, who regrettably will be replaced in episode two by Erica (Serinda Swan, Smallville, Percy Jackson).

     They are joined by Ray (Domenick Lombardozzi, The Wire) a loose-with-the-rules cop that once caught them, now secretly also a con, and Charlie (Laz Alonso, Southland, Avatar), the boss. The two struggle for leadership for much of the pilot, though Ray eventually defers to Charlie. This seems strange, given his personality, until the ending twist that Ray is no longer a cop, and is as much making a deal as the other cons. Also present at their office is Julianne (Brooke Nevin, The 4400, Call Me Fitz), a woman with social anxiety problems whom Ray is protective of for reasons still unknown.

     The con the group goes after in the pilot is interesting, as he is extremely smart and keeps them scrambling. However, my main interest in the case of the week is how he tests the central cast. Lloyd, Shea, Philly, Ray, Julianne, and Charlie all have to contribute to his take down, so we get an immediate look at each character's specialty, and how they will contribute to the whole. I can't imagine how effective the booted con would have been, as he appeared to be there for muscle, not exactly a need for this task force. I think his presence in the beginning of the episode is merely to show that Charlie means business and will not hesitate to remove anyone who will not cooperate.

     My main worry going forward is that Breakout Kings will devolve into a procedural. There is certainly the potential for that, but I feel the series will be stronger if it focuses on each of the central group. What is Ray's connection to Julianne? Why is Lloyd in jail? Is there a bit of a romance brewing between Julianne and Lloyd, or is he just there to help her with her issues? Why has Charlie agreed to this task force? What is the motive for participating for Ray, other than that he can be a cop again, and this was his idea? We get a little less background on Shea at this point, and I will withhold my questions about Philly, since they likely won't be answered, sadly. Erica better be as good, and that's a tall order.

     Despite my gut distaste for procedurals, a balance would work okay. There are a number of great shows that blend the serial and the procedural elements together to form a satisfying mixture. As long as there is continuous character development and unfolding background, the show can bring in a new bad guy to catch every week without being a total waste of time. Even cooler would be a bad guy who eludes them for numerous episodes, which just may be on the horizon.

     I'm very much looking forward to Robert Knepper reprising his disgustingly sleazy T-Bag on the show for four episodes. T-Bag was a main character in Prison Break, a former favorite show of mine, and Knepper was one of the best parts. It has been announced that T-Bag will be in Breakout Kings. When he last saw the one-handed molester, he was back in prison, after a couple of break outs, so I'm assuming he will escape again. This time without Michael's help. I will likely refresh my memory with some PB DVD re-watching, and I recommend you do the same. That goes double if you have never seen the show.

     Breakout Kings airs on A&E Sunday nights at 10 p.m. ET, and reruns throughout the week, so there is still time for you to watch the pilot before episode two premieres next weekend.

Article first published as TV Review: Breakout Kings - "Pilot" on Blogcritics.

For an alphabetical list of all of Jerome Wetzel's Current Season Reviews, please click here.

For frequent mini-reviews and occasional TV news, follow Jerome on Twitter.