Pilot Review: Something Between

Something Between (ABC)
Premiered July 24 at 10pm

There are expository episodes, and then there are expository episodes. I didn’t read anything about this show before I watched it, and I happened to have just finished the premiere installment of “Midnight, Texas,” a similarly supernatural-themed show. I couldn’t figure out what this one was about, and only in the final moments of the opening hour did it become clear. What left me unsure was that the quality of the drama, particularly the hunt for this serial killer who decided to kidnap and then kill Laura’s daughter, was really not up to par and therefore I couldn’t imagine that it was going to be a solid police thriller or anything like that. It turns out that this is more of a “Lovely Bones” situation but with the possibility for a happier ending, as Laura ending her own life means that she has a chance to do it all over again. Given the similar timing of the less voluntary deaths of the Jackson brothers, I suspect that they too might return with memories of what happened the last time around, determined to change it for the better. I like standalone episodes of TV where days repeat themselves, but the only example I can think of where a day happens over and over again is “Daybreak,” which was pretty awful. Everything about this show and the non-fantasy elements of it rates as very poor in believability and effectiveness, and therefore I have little confidence in the ability of its misguided characters to be able to improve it with their future-assisted foresight.

How will it work as a series? If I was really interested, I would have checked out episode two, which aired in its regular timeslot last Tuesday. I was put off enough by this start that I didn’t have any desire to invest it experiencing it over again, especially if things are meant to repeat over and over since this is a weekly series.
How long will it last? After a weak start, this show dipped even further in week two, all but guaranteeing that it won’t make it past the summer, if it even finishes its initial ten-episode order. I can’t find much review data, but I can’t imagine any enthusiasm for this show is going to be enough to convince ABC to save it.

Pilot grade: F