Red Blooded

This is an un-aired TV pilot from 2017. I was able to catch it on U-tube streaming videos. The star is Reba McEntire, always a successful country singer, I actually have enjoyed her more in acting roles. Her 20-yr-old TV show, "Reba", was one of my favorites.

Here she is the sheriff in the fictional town of Oxblood, Kentucky. As the episode starts we see a 4th of July parade down main street and an out-of-control car speeding towards the people. The driver is a lady of middle Eastern persuasion and many of the locals automatically assume this is a terrorist attack. However the lady is wounded, and missing one hand, it is clear there is a lot more to the story.

I wanted to watch this failed pilot to see why it never was picked up and it is clear why. Reba is good, in fact the whole cast is good, but the story is cliche' and the writing is pretty poor. A few examples, when the Sheriff meets the young, handsome FBI agent sent from headquarters, her parting wards to him on the bridge, "Well don't just stand there, waiting for your balls to drop, we have work to do."

Another exchange in the diner, "You aren't in New York anymore, this is America." And a madame says about her prostitutes, "What they lack in beauty, they more than make up in creativity."

The pilot ends with us knowing who the killer is but sets itself up for continued episodes. The overall story doesn't offer much and no doubt would not have been a success.