Thief - Der Millionenjob

Nick Atwater and his gang of professional thieves have just completed another successful robbery for agent Roselyn Moore, however a rare moment of greed saw them take money they found as well as their target. Unfortunately for them this money is the property of the Chinese mob and, although Roselyn gives the money back as soon as she learns of this – the Chinese still intend to have them all killed to send a message. Meanwhile Nick has two very immediate problems – one of the gang has started messing up due to heavy drug use and his step-daughter is in trouble with the police herself. Neither problem in itself is insurmountable but with the Chinese, a crooked cop and a personal tragedy, things suddenly get infinitely more difficult.

As a Homicide: Life on the Street fan, I was looking forward to seeing Thief when it came to the UK but managed to not notice its arrival on Sky until it was too late. Having spent ages waiting for a DVD release that never came I managed to get in touch with someone in the US who recorded it off TV for me (thank you!). This hadn't hyped it up for me but I was hoping that it would be good. The plot is solid from the start and I was engaged, thinking that this was going to be a fast paced six episodes. On the contrary though, the mini-series moved surprisingly slow and I'm not totally convinced that it had the depth to enable it to do so. I hate to always bring it into my reviews, but The Wire springs to mind – a slow pace but every hour is rammed with material and "action".

Thief cannot compete on this level but it does still work for what it is. The crime plot is good but it doesn't all fit together as well as I think was the intension; the main heist is engaging enough but the Chinese mob and crooked cop bits don't really fit. It also ends rather abruptly as well – so I'm not sure if originally the writers were hoping for more episodes to try and run everything equally and dove-tail more effectively. What does work as part of the heist plot is the family material with Nick and his stepdaughter Tammi. I am used to seeing this sort of material be an afterthought – perhaps even a cynical attempt to wider the viewer demographic but neither of these appears to have been the case with Thief. Although not perfect in itself, this material does strengthen the story and make it more engaging than a straight heist series. However none of these things would have worked as well if it had not been for the single biggest asset in the series – Braugher.

Of course I can be accused of bias since he was the reason I came to the show, but he did not disappoint. He lifts the material with a performance that is brooding at times, broken at others and, most importantly, he makes Nick convincing and real and goes beyond just being the character that each specific scene requires. I'm not describing it very well but at no point did he seem to be flicking a switch to act different things – it all seemed to just be the same person in different moments. He dominates the cast for this reason but the others do still do their bits well. Whitman is not perfect here but she benefits from working with Braugher – her character is annoying at times but her performance is good (and a nice surprise for this Arrested Development fan). Arias, Collins, Yoba and Yun Lee, Kim, Hamilton and Hall are all solid in support but Rooker is a disappointment. His character seemed incidental but was somehow pushed forward as a main one – his bits distract more than they add and his performance doesn't produce anything to improve this situation.

Thief may not have been as good as I would have liked but it is still a solid, if slow mini-series. Attempts to vary what it is about are worthy even if some parts of it feel out of place or laboured but ultimately it still engages thanks to the usual high-quality work from Andre Braugher in the lead role.

Thief is a new crime drama series that makes gripping and compelling viewing.

Great to see Andre Baugher, formerly Pembroke in Homicide - Life on the Streets, back on the screen again and in such a strong and powerful role.

If you like a good crime drama I challenge not to get hooked - we can't take eyes off the screen when each episode is on.

Nice to see Linda Hamilton, Sarah Connor in Terminator movies, and she also delivers a commanding performance.

The storyline is exciting and often unexpected which is unusual and very welcome.

I hope it runs for longer than 1 series!

Just how good is Andre Braugher? When you give this actor a meaty role, he never disappoints. He didn't have much to do in "Hack", his previous series that starred David Morse, but in "Homicide" and now in "Thief", he has created a character that fascinates.

"Thief" is the latest entry in a string of fine dramas that FX has brought to the small screen. It took the entire first episode to flesh out the characters and subplots but by the second installment, I couldn't wait to see what would happen next.

A grand supporting cast backs Braugher and after just six eps the season is already over. FX is one of the best cock teasers in the business. As "The Shield" was getting better than ever, its season ended its 13 episode run. Same with "Rescue Me". I want MORE, dammit!

They talk about the 50's being the "golden age of television" but with excellent fare like the aforementioned programs, along with "24" on Fox, HBO's "The Sopranos", "Deadwood", and "The Wire", I believe that we're experiencing a second "golden age". Even many of the Bruckenheimer procedurals are well-written, and "er" still finds moments of its former brilliance. Fox's "House" is a bit over the top, but it is witty and solid each week.

That brings us back to "Thief". The show has the big heist as its center point but is really more a character study of the people involved in the crime and all who are affected. This show could go in so many different directions in the future and I hope that FX has plans to bring it back. An excellent piece of work and all who are involved in putting it together should be very proud of their achievement.

I have to say that after watching it last night. I became addicted to this groundbreaking show. Andre Braugher best known for his role as Frank Pemberton on the NBC show, Homicide: Life on the Streets, which I still consider one of the best cop shows ever made has breathed life into this character, Nick, who by all appearances works in the auto field but his real career is that of a professional thief. Granted, I would have like to have seen the interracial relationship between Nick and Wanda but that was cut too short. NIck's stepdaughter is kind of a typical teenager girl who just lost her mother and doesn't know what to make of her stepfather. Although her father lives in Hawaii, he never comes to his former wife's funeral is a testament to watching this interesting relationship unfold in the upcoming episodes. There are a lot of crime shows on television but this show is set apart by the fact that even the criminals have a code and they could pay with their lives. THe fact that the show is set in New Orleans is also a strong factor as to what they can come up. I just saw one night but I wanted to see more. I like Linda Hamilton's character. She's a breath of fresh air. You have to see it once just to get the feel of it and want to see it again and again. I love Andre Braugher and I think he should get an Emmy and a Golden Globe for playing this role.

Most of the people who posted here really understand the dynamics of this kind of show. I can tell we have some real promising fans for the show already. For those of you who aren't as enthusiastic as the millions of other viewers thats to be expected. Every one has different tastes. I can tell you this- that given the chance this show will prove to be a very compelling and exciting show to watch every week. This coming from an actor who is in the show and has a biased opinion. I'm honest, and I can proudly say that by the end of 6 episodes you will be left wanting more.

I'm Yancey Arias I play Gabo AKA Gabriel. I want to share with all of you some details about each episode without giving too much in the future Episodes. The first episode was meant to establish the intense pace and risky conditions of which these guys must work and live in to pull off a score. In the whirl wind of the storm people get hurt and relationships are forged and broken. The second episode begins to tell you how those relationships are affected by what happened in episode one. In each future episode you will get to know each character much more intimately. It is also the introduction of the biggest most daring heist that will go down in the air and on the ground. So episodes 3 and 4 will involve all the challenges that could possibly come up in order to plan such a score. The noose gets tighter around each characters neck, and the body count will increase by the end of all 6 episodes. Who will it be? Well you'll have to watch wont ya.;)

Episodes 5 and 6 is the Big Bang and the score is in full effect!!!! But you cant miss episode 3 and 4 simply because you wont feel the impact as hard. Follow the journey my friends. Trust me; Andre and the rest of us will keep you fully entertained in all the episodes. So you don't want to miss anything, All of your questions will be answered by the end, and you will be completely enthralled by the shows quality at all levels. Just give this show a chance the way you gave "THE SHIELD" and "NIP TUCK" a chance. Tell all your friends to watch. The Reviews are awesome. More people need to watch this great show. I'm not just saying this cause I'm in the show. I happen to love movies such as Heat, Oceans 11, Colateral, and Ronin. If your like me then you'll be all into our show "THIEF". Every Tuesday Nights at 10pm on FX. If you have (Dish Network) then it's on at 7pm Pacific 10pm eastern. You can Also go to FXnetworks site and visit our THIEF message Board write in and express your support. A good old fashion letter to the FX studio to express your support is always welcomed. Many Blessings to all of you.

Yancey Arias