PILOT REVIEW: Second Chance

SECOND CHANCE

Starring: Robert Kazinsky, Dilshad Vadsaria, Adhir Kalyan, Ciara Bravo, and Tim DeKay

Created by Rand Ravich
Written by Rand Ravich, Directed by Michael Cuesta

THE PREMISE
Second Chance is a new drama inspired by the story of Frankenstein (which was one of its many different names in development). It centers on Jimmy Pritchard (Robert Kazisnky). At the beginning of the show, he is a 75 year old former sheriff who resigned in disgrace. When he is killed by people associated with his son, Duval (Tim DeKay), he is given a second chance when he is brought back to life by tech geniuses and twins, Mary and Otto Goodwin (Dilshad Vadsaria and Adhir Kalyan). While Pritchard is given a second chance, the twins are using his cell's to slow Mary's cancer. Rounding out the main cast is Duval's daughter (and Jimmy's granddaughter), Gracie (Ciara Bravo).

THE REVIEW
Well, this was about as bad as I expected to be. Which is to say, it wasn't the worst thing I've ever watched but it was utterly boring. There was nothing here to pull viewers in even with an elaborate and long lead-in to the title/first commercial. The premise is nothing new in any respect. Of course it's lifted from the Frankenstein premise, but it also has shades of last year's Forever with elements of the tech gadgetry and futuristic feel that have plagued many genre dramas in recent years.

On top of that, the performances are very wooden. Robert Kazinsky seems too angry to be an appealing leading man. The little bit of his story I was interested in was with Philip Baker Hall as the old Jimmy Pritchard. But that interest quickly dissipated once I met the younger Jimmy Pritchard. Dilshad Vadsaria is OK in her part but I didn't believe anything from Adhir Kalyan or Tim DeKay. If anything, the younger Ciara Bravo was better but not featured much in the pilot. So, it's an unfortunate problem that the best actors are a child and a guest star.

I guess I can see where this show is going, but I don't want to be a part of it. This show has every generic element in the book and no solid performance to rise above it. To me, it is right in the same category as shows like Minority Report. I don't get the sense that the actors believe in the material or think that it's good. And it's not, which makes for double the problems. This might have been better off being a straight Frankenstein story than a pale imitation of one.

WILL I WATCH IT AGAIN?
No, I will not be giving it a second chance. See what I did there?