PILOT REVIEW: The Finder

THE FINDER

Starring: Geoff Stults, Maddie Hasson, Mercedes Masohn, and Michael Clarke Duncan

Created by Hart Hanson
Written by Hart Hanson, Directed by Daniel Sackheim

The Finder is a spinoff of the hit procedural Bones but it's really only because it had a backdoor pilot. The show has its own characters and premise - it follows a ragtag group of "finders" who track down people or things that are missing pieces to a puzzle. They are led by war veteran Walter (Geoff Stults) who suffered a brain injury and came out with a gift to connect the puzzle. Joining him is lawyer Leo Knox (Michael Clarke Duncan), US Marshal Isabel Zambada (Mercedes Masohn), and teen delinquent Willa (Maddie Hasson).

THE GOOD: I was thoroughly confused and unimpressed for the first half hour but by the end, I was starting to come around. The cast has some real natural chemistry that is fun to watch (Michael Clarke Duncan is a standout) and the show has a quirkiness to it that makes it seem like a USA show. The setting is fun and the story in the pilot actually was a pretty decent one that should have been explored slightly more. It has a good deal of humor to it that didn't seem forced or out of place.

THE BAD: The show really moved slowly for the first half. I know they need some exposition but a show like this didn't need that much, it could fill in some pieces later. The episode seemed like it took forever to get to the case and then it rushed it at the end. There were some unnecessary pieces (such as the dream scene) that took up time but the show is probably still trying to find its way.

BOTTOM LINE: I have to say that this show exceeded my expectations. I don't watch Bones but this show made me interested enough to come back. The lighthearted feel to it helps it in the face of some dark procedurals that have debuted recently. This has more whimsy and some shows need to be like that. Not a bad start.