Pilot Review: Killer Women

Killer Women (ABC)
Premiered January 8 at 10pm

Sometimes a show is all about its star. “Intelligence,” which also premiered Tuesday night, was exciting mainly because of Josh Holloway’s involvement, and the main reason to watch this show, regardless of what it was about, is Tricia Helfer. She went from being a Canadian model to a genuinely talented actress after playing Number Six on “Battlestar Galactica,” and I started watching “Burn Notice” purely because she was guest-starring in its second season. Unfortunately, this show is much more like Helfer’s last starring television role, NBC’s short-lived “The Firm,” but it has far less potential. To begin with, Helfer’s Southern accent is highly lamentable, and the show’s premise is as uncreative as can be. Being a female Texas Ranger isn’t much different for the purposes of a TV series than any woman in a job traditionally assigned to a man, and this show certainly doesn’t have anything new to offer in that department. We know that Helfer’s Molly is capable of driving recklessly to run a suspect off the road and can perceive a number of things about a case that not one other officer or detective can. Having Nadine Velazquez, my least favorite part of “Major Crimes,” guest star in the first episode doesn’t exactly recommend it, and the show’s entire cast is lackluster. Another BSG alum, Michael Trucco, has a relatively insignificant role, and Jeffrey Nordling is cast in a typically slimy part. I’m not a fan of this show’s “fade-to-red” technique that closes out each scene before a commercial break, and this feels like an action-infused version of “Dallas,” which is not a compliment. With a title like “Killer Women,” I’m not sure it ever could have been great, but I would have hoped for better.

How will it work as a series? Confessing to a random suspect that she was physically abused by her husband suggests that Molly is tough, and that she’s ready to overcome anything. Plenty of sexual discrimination and obnoxious Texas residents are sure to cross her path, and I imagine she’ll butt heads with every one of them and come out the smartest person in the room, which should get tiring quickly.
How long will it last? This show’s debut has been described by some as “DOA,” and I have a feeling that it will be the first show cancelled in 2014. ABC has had its share of disappointments recently, and underperforming compared to “Lucky 7” is a sure sign that, no matter how long this show manages to live, it won’t make it to season two.

D-