Pilot Review: Rake

Rake (FOX)
Premiered January 23 at 9pm

I’ve been seeing that poster of Greg Kinnear holding a piece of meat to his face plastered all over New York City for weeks now. The series trailer did a good enough job of painting Kinnaer’s Keegan Deane as a soulless lawyer known for taking on and defending guilty clients. It’s a surprise that he only got punched in the face one time during the pilot, and that he managed to use that fish to productive effect after lugging it around with him for days on end. This show is based on a successful Australian series of the same name that also airs on DirecTV and is premiering its third season next month. It has nothing to do with leaves or the fall season, and instead focuses purely on Kinnear’s snake, who manages to owe everyone money and offend just about everyone else with something that he does. Having Peter Stormare guest star in the first episode as a serial killer was an interesting move, but of course it turned into something altogether: a massive takedown of a high-ranking police official who had manipulated his confessions in order to help boost his career. It’s hard to root for Keegan when he’s such a jerk, and he doesn’t appear to have too many redeeming qualities. Of the people in his life, there are familiar faces, like Miranda Otto as his ex-wife, John Ortiz as his good friend, Necar Zadegan from “24” as his wife and often opposing counsel, and Tara Summers in the typical role of the godsend assistant who essentially runs his practice. There’s not much creativity to be found in this show, and it doesn’t seem to posses nearly as interesting an angle as it thinks.

How will it work as a series? Now that he’s managed to piss off the entire police department, Keegan is sure to have an even tougher time getting any work and paying his mounting bills. What that should inspire is his decision to become even seedier and take on more bottom of the barrel case, which might prove entertaining if it’s not too irritating.
How long will it last? The numbers for the pilot weren’t great, which is less than inspiring for this show’s chances at a long life. Though the Australian series has done well, I’m not sure that critics will be rushing to save this one. FOX won’t shelve it right away, but I don’t see it making it all the way to May.

Pilot grade: C-