Pilot Review: Take Two

Take Two (ABC)
Premiered June 21 at 10pm

It’s hard to believe that it’s been fifteen years since “The O.C.” first started. I used to have viewing parties at my house during high school and watch as the ridiculousness of that show played out, a formative contribution to my early years of getting into television. Of the young cast, only Ben McKenzie has found truly steady TV work, leading “Gotham” successfully. Rachel Bilson, who played Summer, the self-obsessed popular girl who was much smarter than she let on, starred on “Hart of Dixie” for four years on the CW, and now she’s back with a role a whole lot like the first one that made her famous. Sure, Summer never got to the point of going to rehab for some very public disturbances of the peace, but she did do whatever she wanted despite what others told her to, determined to be her own person. The format of this show is highly familiar, comparable to something like “Castle” in its portrayal of an unlikely but successful partnership between a private investigator and the actress who first shadowed him to try to understand his craft and then realized that she is actually pretty good at this. Eddie Cibrian, who I remember last from “Invasion” over a decade ago, doesn’t add too much in his portrayal of the private investigator who seems like any other unconventional method-using, disgruntled cop that’s appeared on television in the past. This show tries hard to parody the cop drama genre but ends up becoming yet another entry in it with its recycled dialogue and soapy plotlines. It’s entertaining enough, but hardly a must-watch.

How will it work as a series? After Sam made headlines for helping Eddie bust Deacon, now she’s being requested specifically to work for him. That huge boost to her ego is going to mean that their working relationship is layered even more with sarcasm and mockery, which should help to make their antics more amusing while also making them more irritating.
How long will it last? Reviews haven’t been all that positive, but that’s probably to be expected. Its ratings were decent at the start but have since dropped after three more airings. Premiering a show at the end of June – before the summer really starts – is a strange gamble for a broadcast network since even the summer season doesn’t tend to be strong, and while this is appropriately light, I think it’s just as forgettable. It might last through its ten-episode order, but I think that’s it.

Pilot grade: C+