Pilot Review: Intelligence

Intelligence (CBS)
Premiered January 7 at 9pm

When I first saw the trailer for this series last spring, it was one of the shows about which I was most excited. More than anything, it had to do with Josh Holloway, an actor who played con man Sawyer on “Lost” and was relatively irritating for the first few seasons before transforming completely into someone else in the show’s fifth season. The idea of Holloway as a cool-as-ice action hero is definitely appealing, and he seemed well-suited to this role. Unfortunately, it’s not properly suited to him, providing him with less than ample opportunity to utilize the sarcasm that did so well for him on his previous show and instead making him into a gruff and rather dull protagonist. He’s joined by Meghan Ory, best known as Red Riding Hood on “Once Upon a Time,” who also doesn’t get a particularly dynamic role. Marg Helgenberger isn’t much more enthusiastic than she was on “CSI,” though she’s more than capable for this kind of role, and it’s unfortunate to see an actor like James Martinez, who was so terrific as Jorge on Starz’s short-lived “Gravity,” relegated to an uninvolved supporting part here. John Billingsley, on the other hand, is perfectly cast as the eccentric and quick-thinking Dr. Cassidy. This show wants to be a sleeker version of “Chuck,” but it rarely includes the appropriate amount of action to be substantially exciting. Gabriel’s ability to reconstruct a crime scene isn’t all that innovative, and this show’s technology as a whole is less than impressive. Incorporating real-life events like the terror attacks in Mumbai and inserting Gabriel’s wife is intriguing, and while I am somewhat curious to see where that leads, ending with the obligatory shot of her eyes blinking open in a hospital bed is eyeroll-inducing at best. This show isn’t nearly as smart as it thinks it is, which is a disappointment.

How will it work as a series? For an odd couple, Gabriel and Riley actually work pretty well together, though she might be able to teach him not to slowly draw his gun when he’s facing bad guys and instead use his abilities to his advantage against his opponents. The search for his wife will likely be the show’s best plotline, provided it pays off in the end.
How long will it last? It’s hard to tell. The pilot did pretty well, actually, but CBS demands extraordinary things from its shows, which spells bad news for a series like this that could run out of steam quickly. I think CBS will try it out for the rest of the season, but that should be it.

C+