PILOT REVIEW: Killer Women

KILLER WOMEN

Starring: Tricia Helfer, Marc Blucas, Michael Trucco, Alex Fernandez, Marta Milans

Based on the Argentina series Mujeras Asesinas, Developed by Hannah Shakespeare
Written by Hannah Shakespeare, Directed by Lawrence Trilling

Killer Women is a new drama about Molly Parkers (Tricia Helfer), the only member of the elite Texas Rangers. Parkers is recently divorced and dating ambitious DEA Dan Winston (Marc Blucas). Rounding out the main cast are Molly's family members, Billy and Becca (Michael Trucco and Marta Milans). Each week will feature a different case with a different killer, as so often explained by ABC's promos.

THE GOOD: I don't have too much to say in this section. I love the Texas setting and underlying music, which so clearly places it in Texas. Tricia Helfer is decent in the lead role. The opening scene with the murder in the church seemed to set it up well for what I was hoping the show would be. That's about all I got.

THE BAD: I knew Killer Women wouldn't be a well-written or constructed show but I wanted it to be campy and fun. It seemed to start off that way and the final minutes got back to it. But in-between
was a show that was taking itself too seriously for the concept. Instead of a rootin' tootin' cowgirl, we got a character with a lot of baggage and introspection. Instead of an over-the-top enemy, we got a bland story connected to a Mexican drug cartel. Basically, I wanted this show to be more like the great but short-lived NBC drama Chase. With its fade to red before every commercial and the way the show opened and closed, it seemed like it was going for a highly stylistic feel. But that didn't happen and instead it was all just pretty boring.

BOTTOM LINE: Maybe this show will still find its footing but I think this is a missed opportunity. This show should have embraced its campy feel that ABC was trying for in the promos. But instead, it tried to tell too much of a story. This would have probably gotten a good review from me if it was fun, even if it wasn't all that good. But it wasn't good or fun, and that's a Texas-sized problem for this show.