Skip to main content

PILOT REVIEW: Intelligence

INTELLIGENCE












Starring: Josh Holloway, Meghan Ory, John Billingsley, PJ Byrne, Michael Rady, James Martinez, and Marg Helgenberger

Created by Michael Seitzman
Written by Michael Seitzman, Directed by David Semel

Intelligence is a new cyber drama with a high concept. Gabriel Vaughn (Josh Holloway) works for US Cyber Command and has a super computer microchip implanted in his brain, which him to be connected to any information grid and able to access data and intelligence to help the United States, blending the use of human capabilities and computer capabilities. Lillian Strand (Marg Helgenberger) is the director of US Cyber Command and she assigns Secret Service agent Riley Neal (Meghan Ory) to protect Gabriel.

THE GOOD: This is an interesting concept for those who enjoy cyber/futuristic plots. I thought there were certain aspects that were appealing: the dynamics between Holloway and Ory showed promise of being one of those fun male/female combos we see often in dramas like Castle and Bones. Marg Helgenberger is good in her role and convincing as the woman in charge of a major operation like US Cyber Command. The show set up some good stories and had a couple twists, one of which I saw coming and one I didn't.

THE BAD: Shows like Intelligence are hard for me to judge because I'm just so uninterested in the premise. That being said, I think a really good show in this genre could captivate me and Intelligence didn't. I'm not saying it's a bad show, I'm just saying there's nothing in it that hooked someone like me who isn't a fan of the genre. The big "twist" at the very end of the episode was also seen from a mile away as this show, with its innovative concept, seemed to fall into many cliches of today's dramas. Even the rapport between Holloway and Ory, while good, is a cliche. It's as if this show wanted to take a lot of chances with its premise but then got gun shy and resorted to a pretty generic way of storytelling.

BOTTOM LINE: I'm not sure what the general audience will think of Intelligence. To me, it's not comfortable enough to be a typical CBS drama but not interesting enough to be a strong departure. I know I will not be coming back for more simply because this show just isn't for me. Getting through an hour of it was more than enough for me.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

SEASON IN REVIEW: 2017-18 Miscellaneous Awards

As usual, I am ending the season with a few miscellaneous awards. The blog will be quiet this summer but I will continue to do the week ahead posts with broadcast TV news as it happens this summer. Then I'll be back for previews, pilot reviews, and more in the fall! BEST RETURNING COMEDY Superstore (NBC) - Superstore was awarded my "Best Returning Comedy" last year, but it only got better in season three. The funniest ensemble on TV took another step forward with some truly hilarious moments (the season premiere, the Golden Globes party, and the Christmas episode to name a few) and some major plot points moving forward. It also has the potential to be surprisingly sentimental at times. I think back to the first year of the show and how I felt like it had so many funny elements but didn't always bring it completely together. Well now it does on a weekly basis and it is one of those shows that just seems to be in the sweet spot of what will hopefully be a long run. ...

EPISODE GUIDES: Happy Days Season Five (Part 1)

On Thursdays, I take a detailed and critical look at a TV show by season. Today I am looking at Season 5 (Part 1) of  Happy Days ! HAPPY DAYS: SEASON FIVE 1977-1978 27 episodes Season Five is the year where Fonzie infamously jumps the shark. It happens at the beginning of the season and while  Happy Days  does eventually decline in quality, it is not this season. In fact, this season graded out slightly higher than the previous season even though it doesn't feel as strong. I think that's because there's not a lot of outright stinkers in this season. It's a very solid season with the show continuing to hum along. There are some signs of the troubles to come but it doesn't happen on a regular basis in the fifth season. Starring Ron Howard as Richie Cunningham  (27 episodes) Henry Winkler as Arthur Fonzarelli  (27 episodes) Tom Bosley as Howard Cunningham  (27 episodes) Marion Ross as Marion Cunningham  (27 episodes) Anson Williams as Potsie Webber  ...

EPISODE GUIDES: That 70s Show Season Seven

On Thursdays, I go through classic series with a critical look at each season. Today I am looking at Season Seven of  That 70s Show ! THAT 70s SHOW: SEASON SEVEN 2004-2005 25 episodes The seventh season of  That 70s Show  is the final season with Topher Grace as a series regular and also the final full season for Ashton Kutcher. Despite still having both of those cast member, the show finds itself flailing especially with Topher Grace's Eric, who is stuck in a terrible arc for most of the season. The show also brings many characters back at one point or another but everything just feels tired. This season actually graded out the worst for me. Even worse than the often maligned final season (more on that next week). Every title this season is named for a Rolling Stones song. Starring Topher Grace as Eric Forman  (25 episodes) Mila Kunis as Jackie Burkhart  (25 episodes) Ashton Kutcher as Michael Kelso  (25 episodes) Danny Masterson as Steven Hyde  (25 e...