Winter TV premieres to mixed reviews

By Rachel Marcus     1/13/14 6:00pm

I really wanted to like Intelligence. Any show that features a well-known, good-looking actor as a spy figure working to save the world through pure intellect pretty much has me sold even before the pilot airs. Unfortunately, Intelligence falls short in comparison to its predecessors Sherlock and Chuck. While Chuck also told the story of a spy with a computer implanted into his brain, the former show boasted strong characters and a wonderful balance of drama and comedy. In contrast, Intelligence has only flat characters with simple motivations and "complicated" pasts so far.

The main character and human-turned-computer Gabriel (Josh Holloway, Lost) works on saving the world while searching for his potentially murderous wife who disappeared five years ago, but I am already convinced he should be with his new handler Riley (Meghan Ory, Once Upon a Time) and therefore care very little about his supposed internal motivation. Riley, meanwhile, is an accomplished former Secret Service agent with a complicated past who unfortunately already revealed her big secret, making me lose interest in her character. While the show features some mystery and some minor characters that could prove to be entertaining, this newbie will have to buff up its characters' plots and pasts before I become interested again.

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