Pilot Review: Rosewood

Rosewood (FOX)
Premiered September 23 at 8pm

It doesn’t surprise me that this show is one of the worst-reviewed new series of the fall, achieving a better score than only “Dr. Ken” on Metacritic. For me, this show is actually one of the least offensive new shows, and one that I probably won’t be watching but certainly don’t mind. Like any police show, including three other pilots I’ve just reviewed – “Limitless,” “Blindspot,” and “Minority Report” – it’s about a cop who partners with an unofficial consultant who has special insight and skills that help the duo to close more cases and catch more bad guys. The difference here is that Rosewood, or Rosie as he’s affectionately called, doesn’t have any superpowers, he’s just a medical examiner for hire who wants to be a part of solving murders and the like, especially if his mom asks him for help. He’s charismatic to an extreme degree, and he manages to irk his unwilling partner, Detective Villa, at every possible juncture. He also has a quirky support team comprised of his sister and her fiancée, and all four women in his life give him plenty of grief for being so cocky and always thinking he knows best. This is nothing startlingly new, but it’s perfectly fun and harmless, definitely not deserving of the trashing it has received from most other publications and users. I like Morris Chestnut from his role on “V” a few years ago, and this is a great role for him. Jaine Lee Ortiz, who is more of a newcomer, plays off him well, and the two should make a fine duo on this entertaining if unmemorable show.

How will it work as a series? At the end of the episode, Rosewood still made his token joke while pointing to his billboard, so I don’t think the relationship between him and the police department is going to get any more official, but that should allow him to butt his way into plenty of cases while occasionally being invited by Detective Villa, which should prove enjoyable and fun.
How long will it last? Even though the reviews were uninspiring, the ratings were actually pretty good, and it helped that this show was the only one to premiere on Wednesday, following “Empire,” which was FOX’s big hit from last season. Who knows if this one will make it, but right now it looks like it has a bright future ahead, even if it’s just for the rest of the season.

Pilot grade: B