Really Surprised!

One of my all time favorites.

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

The flat one dimensional characters and complete lack of any "zip" to the script or story make this one of the worst murder mysteries I have ever wasted my time on. 6 episodes in I think it is time to give up on this. Murder detectives tend to be jaded and cynical due to wading through a pointless waste of human life for their whole careers.A fact that is completely ignored in this show. A shame I really thought this would be a good one.Don't bother.

I enjoyed the first couple of episodes, because it appeared that the show was going to face off between two dogged investigators on one side and a genius with limitless resources on the other. I imagine in real life the latter always wins, because in this case, the supposed genius turned out to be little short of a drooling idiot. He made a number of mistakes that no one who's ever watched a cop show would ever make, nor anyone with common sense. This show would make more sense if you believe from the first the killer is trying as hard as he possibly can NOT to get away with it. I liked the cast; pity the plot was disastrous.

There are a few things going for this new crime drama revolving around the SFPD and a tech billionaire. 1. San Francisco is a happening city now and it's always interesting to show the contrast between the homelessness and despair and the dizzying high tech boom. The last few SF based shows have been cancelled like Alcatraz and 9 Lives of Chloe King. Hopefully this series showcases more of the scenic beauty of the city and not just the seamy side. 2. Sympathetic looking leads Kathleen Robertson and Taye Diggs and a multi ethnic supporting cast are watchable and not abrasive like some crime dramas. 3. After 4 episodes the central villain? played by Tom Felton or Malfoy from Harry Potter is an interesting and enigmatic character. At first he seemed to be still too teenage looking (like the rest of the Harry Potter cast) to be effective in his role but he is actually quite good. Since Steven Bochco is behind this I'm going to give this one a chance.

I agree with the previous reviewer. The writing is forgettable, trite. It seems to be a cheap take-off of True Detective, which was well written and mesmerizing. I was excited at first because the bad guy was almost a caricature of ultimate evil and spoiled brat. Then I realized they intended to drag it out to the entire season for one murder and I bailed. I don't think the acting is bad but why watch if the writing doesn't go anywhere? Someone else said that the feeling was dated and I agree.....a little too dark, a little too melodramatic, and way too same ole, same ole. Usually I like TNT shows but this one didn't do it for me.