The art of the cleverly kooky cop show is not lost: It’s found any time you tune into Bones, Psych, Castle, the list goes on and on. We like it because the characters are smart, quippy people we could actually imagine talking to (because they’re smart and quippy). Personally, I’m fine with the networks filling their grids with this kind of show, particularly in the 10 p.m. hour when I’ve often had enough real-life drama for the day that I just want to watch something entertaining — but not mindless. That said, I’m still sorta surprised that I liked ABC’s latest offering, The Unusuals, as much as I did. They’re telling you how "kooky" it is right there in the title. Luckily, the writing and acting are more subtle.
The premise of the show is simple: Every cop has a secret, and it seems we’ll be spending most of our time trying to figure out what Det. JasonWalsh (Jeremy Renner) is hiding. His crooked-but-redeemable partner,who’d been keeping files on the other detectives, has just beenmurdered, and he’s paired with Det. Casey Shraeger (Amber Tamblyn). Sofar we know that Walsh is a former first baseman for the Yankees whoowns a diner that he only opens when he feels like cooking crappy food;Shraeger left Harvard to join the force and comes from wealthy parentswho say things like, "What are you wearing? You look like a lesbian."I’m definitely digging the coupling: He’s got a face that’s friendlybut slightly skeezy-looking (perfect for his role) and shestill looks young enough to be wearing traveling pants but has thatacid-laced tongue (ideal for hers). But my favorite duo in the precinctis shaping up to be Det. Eric Delahoy (Adam Goldberg) and Det. Leo Banks(Harold Perrineau). Delahoy is hiding the fact that he has a braintumor and has declined treatment; Banks walks around in a bullet-proofvest all the time because he just turned 42 — the same age hisgrandfather, father, and uncle each died. That level of "kooky" couldfeel so forced that I’d want to change the channel, but Goldberg andPerrineau make it feel real. I want to watch Delahoy continue to puthimself in situations where he could be killed (last night, divineintervention spared him from a subway and bullets, both of whichshould’ve nailed him). I want to watch Banks play cop when he’s afraidto put his life on the line. I watch to watch Goldberg and Perrineauexchange hilarious looks.
What’s your verdict on The Unusuals? Will you keep watching? (Only 6.8 million tuned in last night. Tell your friends to watch the episode online and get onboard next week, people.) Which characters are you loving/loathing? And how wrong is it that Save the Last Dance is the reason I have love for Terry Kinney (Sgt. Harvey Brown)?
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Terry Kinney will always be the dunderheaded “Tim McManus” of “Oz” and Perrineau “Augustus Hill”.
I really enjoyed it. The previews made me think it was going to be too over-the-top with the kookiness but I think they blended the unusual and drama really well. Plus, I’m usually happy with anything that keeps Amber Tamblyn, Adam Goldberg and Harold Perrineau employed. I’ll definitely be tuning in next week.
It was a pretty good show, but I am left wondering just how ‘unusual’ the “Unusuals” will be. Or, more precisely, how grounded in reality it will be.
I caught this show last night and i loved it. I’ve been a fan of Amber Tamblyn when she was Emily on General Hospital (nice gag to show GH on the tv in the background) and she delivered as a detective with uppity embarrassing parents. I’m hoping the show sticks around.
I enjoyed last nights episode. Too bad not that many people watched. I think ABC was pushing a little too hard. They showed a commercial for the show at ever break during Lost. But yeah, I don’t usually like cop shows (I don’t really consider Bones a cop show for some reason), but this I liked and hope it sticks around since some of my other shows will probably be dying off by the end of the TV season.
Good show, hope it can last. I’m tired
of getting interested in a show and then having it yanked off the air by the networks without really giving the show a chance. If a show is good,
and they should have that figured out by now, they need to give it time to
develop a following.
To me, Terry Kinny will always be the militia man that wants to return to his family in The Last of the Mohicans.
I watched and was left with a decided, mreh, feeling. There’s nothing very unusual about a cop show where the characters have secrets. I did like the cat killer case, though. That was unusual.
So i would just like to say that i loved loved loved this show, and yes i was a fan of dirty sexy money but im glad they filled the time slot with a really good show and not with some trash reality show
I really enjoyed the show. But i love Amber Tamblyn and Jeremy Renner (Neo Ned) and am fan of anything with anyone from Oz in it. I hope this does well as i am looking forward to the next episode. (the cat guy interrogation scene was classic)
As long as it doesn’t get canceled and have a horrible ending like it’s former Time Slot Holder, I’ll watch.
Loving both duos.
It was a good show. I’ve actually seen interrogations like the cat killer’s when I was in law enforcement, even using a copier but with a colander with wires in it on the suspect’s head. Totally illegal, but definitely funny. I’ll keep watching to see how this one goes. It’s also great to see some of the great cast of Oz on tv working together again.
It was most enjoyable – I am trying to think of what else they could have turned in to watch – maybe L & O?
But I would watch Goldberg in just about anything….is is just terrific in most everything he does.
It was most enjoyable – I am trying to think of what else they could have turned in to watch – maybe L & O?
But I would watch Goldberg in just about anything….is is just terrific in most everything he does.
I enjoyed it. I’ll definitely watch next week.
I watched it, and I loved it. I do hope it will do well and not be yanked. I enjoyed both the humor and drama of the show. Tamblyn’s character is interesting…sort of like Scully giving up Medicine to work for the FBI in the X-Files… I like the concept of a rich girl hiding her background to be a cop…
I enjoyed The Unusuals. I’m glad it’s on after Lost, but I thought more people would have watched. I really liked Amber Tamblyn in it. Hopefully they won’t change the time slot. I though it was a perfect lead-out for Lost.
If they ditched the lead characters and “everyone has a secret” storyline and stuck with the quirky and amusing duo solving out-there cases like the cat murderer each week, it would be entertaining enough to draw me in. But as is, I found it mostly dull and uninspired. Unless I hear of a major shift, I’ll tune out after Lost. At least Life on Mars had a fun soundtrack.
I wonder if they count people who watch the show online or from their DVR in the ratings? I have it recorded on my DVR so I’ll be watching it tonight.
BIG fan of detective eddie alvarez! that is gonna be a fun character to watch
It kicked ass! Loved it
It reminded me of that short lived Dennis Leary series in which where in the first episode, his perp is some guy in a wheelchair. However, in this show, the writing is 10 times better. I really liked The Unusuals.
I really liked the show – only surprising because the “initial reviews” panned it quite badly which may explain why it didn’t have a bigger audience for it’s first showing. I could get really attached to this show – Kooky but smart writing – just as you said !
I was surprised how entertaining it was, especially the female dispatcher! lmao @ eddie alverez…pretty good pilot imo
Just watched this on ABC.com and was surprised to find I really liked it. Love Amber Tamblyn since “joan of arcadia” and glad to see her headlining another primetime show. Hopefully more people will start tuning in cause I definitely want to see more.
I really enjoyed the show, much more than I expected to. I’m a huge fan of Amber Tamblyn and Jeremy Renner(I’m pretty sure Walsh will be my new tv boyfriend) and am excited to see where the show, cast, and mystery goes.
I watched it last night and I loved it. It held my attention and I think it had a great mixture of drama and comedy. I also love Amber Tamblyn and the General Hospital clip that they put in the show. Nice Touch. Hopefully more people will watch.
Watched it and loved it!
I watched for my hometown boy, Renner, but I’ll keep watching for the whole cast. I thought they all did a good job and the writing wasn’t half bad. I’ll definitely stick around.
I love this thing! It’s quirky, speedy, smart. Everyone is deep with stuff. Keeps me ‘tuned’!
Like, Carli, I watched the show for my hometown boy, Jeremy Renner, too. He did a decent job in his first role as TV series regular. I will definitely be watching from week to week.
I’m crossing my fingers and toes that ABC and viewers will give The Unusuals a chance because once it works out some of its small flaws I think the show could potentially be a sleeper hit.
Side note: If it gets canceled, I won’t watch ABC for a very long time.