'Undercovers' - 'Instructions': Mr. Coffee
Pretty people, but not much else to offer in episode two
The very attractive, not very interesting stars of "Undercovers."
A quick review of last night's "Undercovers" coming up just as soon as I trust Wikipedia...
I know J.J. Abrams isn't especially hands-on with this show, but he did co-write "Instructions," and given that I'm kind of shocked by just how dull and generic most of the episode was. Mediocre action/suspense(*), comedy that felt forced throughout (particularly after their old buddy joined the team), and very little of interest beyond the number of scenes featuring Boris and/or Gugu in a minimal amount of clothing.
(*) Seriously, if you're gonna do the "Which wire do I cut?" gag in this day and age, you need to find a much more novel spin on it than they used here.
The biggest problem, unfortunately, is that our two leads don't have a ton of chemistry, and given the type of show this is, I'm not sure how you work around that. There are pieces I like (I'd enjoy a one-off episode told from Gerald McRaney's perspective where he keeps getting agitated as reports from a Bloom mission come in), but overall, there's no there there.
It's a relatively slow night/timeslot for me, so maybe I'll check back in in a few weeks, but "Undercovers" is getting cut from the rotation much faster than I could have imagined when I saw the pilot clip reel back in the spring.
What did everybody else think?
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September 30, 2010 at 8:46AM EST Reply to CommentI think it is better than HAWAII 5-0. But then I also think 5-0 is terrible. UNDERCOVERS is pretty bland. I think it would have fit better on USA with the other bland spy shows.
September 30, 2010 at 8:50AM EST Reply to CommentGravy, I thought it was just me. I fell asleep twice trying to get through it. The leads blew me away with how pretty they were in the pilot, but it feels like pretty won't be enough to keep me watching week after week. I'll forgive a weak second episode, though, because of JJ (and "Tish") and we'll see what next week brings us.
September 30, 2010 at 9:07AM EST Reply to CommentIt's a slow time slot for me too and I think it's fun "brain off" TV. I'm kinda digging it. It probably would be a better fit on USA though.
RC
September 30, 2010 at 9:46AM EST Reply to CommentThere is no depth to the characters, nor substance to the plot. I had an easier time believing the premise of My Own Worst Enemy than the fact that the Bloom's are one of the the CIA's best spies who fell in love with each other. This show needs more compelling stories (ala Burn Notice) and more character depth (ala Chuck, Lost, etc.)
tigger500
September 30, 2010 at 10:21AM EST Reply to CommentI think the producers really think "black leads" is enough to not do anything remotely intriguing or interesting with this show. It's the kind of "progress" that is deeply, inexcusably offensive. I think I'm done with the show actually.
September 30, 2010 at 11:29AM EST Reply to CommentTo be honest, I've never really found J.J. Abrams to be a very good writer. He's usually clumsy with exposition and most of his dialogue tends to be functional and fairly bland. I think that's why it works so well for him to launch projects and then hand them off to others, because he's good with the ideas, but not too great with the execution. Fringe was a little rough at the beginning too, and now it's one of my favorite shows, so I wouldn't necessarily write this off yet (then again, Fringe doesn't have a competing show with almost the exact same concept that is consistently one of the most entertaining shows on television i.e. Chuck).
jesse
September 30, 2010 at 12:27PM EST Reply to CommentThis show is cut from my rotation too Alan. There is just no chemistry here and I had to struggle to really keep my eyes on the screen. It's been a disappointing premiere season thus far for the broadcast networks and my nights are slowly freeing up from all of these dull shows. Perhaps it's a good time for me to start watching these Mad Men and Breaking Bad DVDs.
Wanda I haven't cut it yet,but I'm with you on the blandless of the new shows. More and more I find myself watching old favorites because the new stuff just isn't doing it for me. Unfortunately, I had high hopes for this show for a number of reasons,but it has yet to live up to my expectations. I'll give it a little more time to find its groove,unlike Law & Order,Los Angeles which lost me on the first viewing.
September 30, 2010 at 6:28PM ESTBankruptcy Info Tapes
September 30, 2010 at 1:21PM EST Reply to CommentConsidering the show's already pulling a 1.6 in its second week, it won't be around long enough to emerge from creative bankruptcy.
bricker
October 1, 2010 at 4:19AM EST Reply to CommentI found it boring and switched to something else before making it to the end.
Page 48
October 1, 2010 at 6:34PM EST Reply to CommentI think it's as dull as JJ intended it to be. He's the one who kept banging on about how "Alias" was too complicated for he and Grunberg to follow. Problem solved.
October 2, 2010 at 1:22PM EST Reply to CommentThe thing that switched me from "maybe I'll give it one more episode" to cutting it instantly was when they mentioned that they were adding her ex-lover to the team. Great, so we can drag this "hey I slept with your wife" gag out even further. It's things like that which just make the show feel forced and a good deal contrived.