Rainn Wilson is Everett Backstrom, the latest rude, brash, unbelievable detective to hit your television screen!
RememberHouse, you guys?
That belligerent but brilliant doctor who solved medical mysteries week in and week out?
For a long time people everywhere lovedHouse.
They loved itto the point that this curmudgeon-savant sort of series set-up became a sub-genre in itself.
HansonsBackstromwas originally developed for CBS before being dropped.
FOX snatched it up and a lot of the time it feels like a failed pilot.
Lets talk about Backstrom himself for a minute.
What an against-the-rules protagonist!
Backstrom is almost never not talking about how condemned humanity is and how broken we are as a people.
Hes constantly sneering out cliche pieces of cynicism like, I dont see the worst in everyone.
I see the everyone in everyone.
This opening episodes case deals with a dead boya deadsenatorsboyso you know that its serious.
The shot of the dead boy is actually pretty jarring and disturbing.
Its probably something this show fought for and prides itself in.
If this man could just open up!
Its kind of ridiculous how hard this show pushes Backstrom to be unconventional and incorrigible.
He almost seems to be doing it just for the sake of it.
They just need to be careful to not go too far.
Whats even worse is how the show nearly bends over backwards to prove that Backstrom is right.
That random African American hes suspicious of and accused earlier?
He ends up being dirty.
Thats the biggest idea thatBackstromis pushing here.
This bigoted behavior is also passed off as some sort of special power that Backstrom has.
People even go so far as to say that, He listens to the universe speak.Which, come on.
Listen to that statement.
Backstrom is a good detective, sure.
Especially with his behavior.
Why wouldanyonewant to work with him?
It only ends up drawing more attention to them.
This show is so broad and big, Backstrom might as well be the Devil in human form.
If anyone stands out here though its Dennis Haysbert as Sgt.
John Almond, who finds himself opposite Rainn Wilson the most.
Theres a nice back-and-forth between them as they obviously feed off of their opposing energies.
As a procedural, theres nothing special here.
It feels like something you could see on any of the other wealth of crime shows out there.
Even worse, with Backstroms department conveniently being the vague Special Crimes, essentially everything is fair game.
To be fair, Wilson is really doing the most with what he has.
Unfortunately the episode also feelsslowand lacks the addictive, kinetic energy that a pilot should have.
In the meantime, get those cigars ready.
Because every Thursday you and Backstrom are hitting them hard.
Rating: 2 stars out of 5
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