Pilot Review: Bad Judge

Bad Judge (NBC)
Premiered October 2 at 9pm

There are some actors and actresses who are only known for one role, and it’s difficult for them to assume another part since nearly everyone associates them with that one career-making performance. I for one didn’t watch very much of “Private Practice” or “Grey’s Anatomy” when Kate Walsh was on it, and I quite enjoyed her turn as widow Gina Hess in a few episodes of FX’s “Fargo” this past season. It’s clear that she’s trying to craft a whole new character in Judge Rebecca Wright, who, among other things, drinks and has sex while in her chambers. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen someone charged with executing justice behaving badly, but the show’s title underlines just how monumental this is since she’s literally deciding the fate of others while demonstrating that she has absolutely no control over the mess she calls a life. Having her express such a deep and unsupported connection to the young troublemaker son of the woman she put in prison doesn’t exactly lead to the best moments of the pilot, though it does illustrate that she wants to be a good person even if it means pissing off as many people as possible to do it. Walsh is relatively entertaining, enjoying herself quite a bit, and Ryan Hansen has what may be his best role since “Party Down.” If the two of them can help make everything else seem less forced and just have fun, this show might just develop into a winning comedy…

How will it work as a series?…but it all depends on what the show wants to be. If it wants to be a slapstick sitcom with Rebecca being as ridiculous as possible every episode, I don’t think it will get very far. If it chooses to expand and go beyond what it’s set up for, I think it could be a lot of fun.
How long will it last? The ratings were not inspiring, and reviews weren’t great either. Given the choice between this show and its timeslot companion “A to Z,” which earned similar ratings but more favorable words from critics, I think this show will easily be dismissed by NBC. Don’t expect it to stick around unless viewership improves drastically.

Pilot grade: C+