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PILOT REVIEW: Mind Games

MIND GAMES












Starring: Christian Slater, Steve Zahn, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Wynn Everett, Gregory Marcel, Cedric Sanders

Created by Kyle Killen
Written by Kyle Killen, Directed by Miguel Sapochnik

Mind Games is a new drama from innovative writer Kyle Killen. This show focuses on two brothers: Clark Edwards (Steve Zahn) and Ross Edwards (Christian Slater). Ross is a con man who spent a couple years in prison while Clark is an expert in human behavior but suffers from bipolar disorder. The two brothers decided to open a problem solving firm where they use psychological manipulation to find solutions to problems. The pilot deals with the dynamic between the brothers and an experimental situation at their new firm. Rounding out the main cast is the rest of the firm including Ross' ex-wife Claire (Wynn Everett).

THE GOOD: I guess I'm mildly interested in the concept behind the show though I had a hard time fully wrapping my head around it. Christian Slater always interests me even when he's in crappy shows like this one. I feel like both him and creator Kyle Killen can't catch a break, particularly Killen who was behind the brilliant but extremely short-lived Lone Star in 2010 as well as Awake in 2012. He has interesting ideas and brings new ideas to television, with this being a good example.

THE BAD: Even if I wanted to be somewhat interested in the concept, this show couldn't hold my attention. There just seemed to be a lot of yelling but yet a lot of not much happening. I know it was part of the character but Steve Zahn was too manic for me. He was just so crazy the whole episode. I didn't feel connected to the personal lives of Slater and Zahn's characters on the show. The biggest problem was this topic is just inaccessible. There was a lot of scientific mumbo jumbo, but not in the CSI way where it's in a glorified version of a profession we know. The idea of a "problem solving firm" is a foreign concept to many including myself, it's not the same as Olivia Pope being a fixer. This science-based firm concept was too hard for me to understand, and I would imagine that is true for many average people watching.

BOTTOM LINE: It's not going to work again for Killen, Slater, or the ABC Tues 10pm slot. And I knew this before I saw the ratings. ABC just has a bunch of unappealing, inaccessible new shows this season and the two that premiered this week (Mind Games, Mixology) are the worst offenders. Back to the drawing board for all involved.
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