TV Review: Major Crimes Equals Major Disappointment

Sharon Raydor is no Brenda Leigh Johnson which may be why "Major Crimes" is no "The Closer."

Granted, Major Crimes came riding in on the coattails of the riveting finale episode of The Closer just seconds after it ended, so it is probably too early to pass judgment, but Raydor is going to have to really step up her game if she is going to fill the high heels of her predecessor.

While the character of Sharon Raydor worked as a secondary character, as the main lead in a new show, she falls a little flat. You can tell that the series producers want you to like her, but they seem to have forgotten the secret that made Brenda's character work. When we first me Brenda we immediately knew she was a bit flaky and neurotic, but her back story made her likable. With Raydor, you can't quite put a finger on who she really is or what made her that way. She seems to want to play by the rules and most people that do are....well....boring.

The rest of the team seemed out of sorts as well. It occurred to me rather belatedly, however, that this was initially the way they were when Brenda showed up. This time though it didn't really seem to work. Everyone already knows Raydor. Why would they suddenly ALL not know where they are in the pecking order? Only Lt. Provenza should actually have a complex. Instead, everyone seemed to be running around looking like they were lost and it was their very first day at work.

And...on that note....poor Fritz. Is Jon Tenney's character going to continue to come in for a couple of minutes at a time to show that Major Crimes still works with the FBI? Each time he came through the office, Tenney appeared unsure of what he was still doing there. 

As far as plots go this one was okay. Some ex-military guys are robbing grocery stores, but when they change tactics and rob what appeared to be a mall, it ends in a shootout. The pieces quickly fit together and we discover that one of the officer's sons is part of the crew. As pilot (or in this case premiere) episodes go, it was all standard and tied up with a pretty red bow by the time the first episode came to an end.

Anyway, I'm not writing this one off yet, but the writers are going to have to do more than give Raydor a teenager to look after to make her more lovable. We need to know what makes this character tick and if they want to keep viewers around, it's going to have to happen rather quickly.

Sushiboofay gives this one 2 fish with a side of Wasabi.

Review: TNT's PERCEPTION

When it comes to quirky crime dramas, TNT is king.

Last night's premiere of "Perception," however, took quirky to a whole new level.

Eric McCormack (Will & Grace) plays Dr. Daniel Pierce, a college professor and neuroscientist. People that meet him think that he is eccentric, but we quickly learn that he's a delusional schizophrenic.

Luckily, he's also brilliant when it comes to crime-solving and when his former student now turned FBI agent, Kate Moretti (Rachel Leigh Cook)  needs to solve a murder, she turns to him for help.

As usual, with Pilot episodes it's more about the characters and less about the murder plot. A husband is murdered. The wife is accused. There are only four suspects. Keep ruling them out and crossing them off the list until there is only one left.

The real interest here is on Pierce and what we find out about him. He is off his medication. He has a live-in assistant named Wikki (Arjay Smith) who seems to be channeling "Natalie" from Monk. We learn that Pierce has hallucinations, but what he sees is helpful in solving crimes. He also has a love interest who appears to be a hallucination too.

I kind of wondered what people who have mental disorders thought of this show. Are they glad to be represented by a television character who will no doubt draw attention to schizophrenia, or is Perception simply exploiting people who actually have this condition?

As far as the show itself, it seemed to be The Mentalist, Monk, Sherlock Holmes and Numbers all rolled into one. With The Closer down to 5 episodes (as we were constantly reminded last night), Dr. Daniel Pierce looks like a good replacement for our favorite crime solver Brenda Johnson. Let's see if the audience agrees.

Sushiboofay gives this one  3 1/2 fish!