Touching Evil

I highly recommend this series about a serial crime detective team in San Francisco. Jeffrey Donovan plays a fantastic role as David Creegan, an eccentric and unorthodox serial crime detective who became the character he is by being shot in the forehead, dying, and coming back with a chunk of his brain removed. Donovan makes the whole show worth watching with his hilarious antics and his interactions with other characters.

The series is by no means morbid, although there are depressing themes and scenes. The show is more characterized by its playfulness and twists between characters. Donovan's antics and exceptional acting make this series so addicting. If you've seen an episode, you'll be coming back for more. If you saw the premier episode and didn't like it, don't be turned away. The premier was longer and slower than it needed to be, but they've made up for it ten fold in the next two episodes with its quick pace and wit.

There is so much about TOUCHING EVIL that keeps me coming back for more. >From the moment the series intro each week begins, I'm hooked like a fish that just swallowed his bait! Suddenly I realize that I'm listening to NINE INCH NAILS! (I've been a big fan forever of NIN for a long time!!!) There's something hypnotic about the intro though that seems oddly familiar.

It's like watching the SIX FEET UNDER beginning. Both are beautifully executed and stunning to watch, week after week. Neither seems to get old!

The cast in the series appears to work well with one another, too! Always a feeling of more than meets the eye, you're left wondering when their story will be told. Of course this is the first (of hopefully many) season so too early to say! Let's hope we get more seasons to flesh out each of the characters!

The high speed filming process used in scene transitions really is quite beautiful! San Francisco never looked so good! Sometimes I wonder if I'm at an art exhibit, mesmerized by the imagery shown!

In the wake of many popular television shows coming to an end, whether it be the series finale of "Friends" or "Frasier" or the cancellation of such beloved shows as "Angel" and "Miracles", USA ventures to redefine the crime genre with the remake of a British series of the same name, "Touching Evil".

Starring Jeffrey Donovan and Vera Farmiga, the show starts off unlike any other crime drama before with its surrealistic pan angles, colors and especially creepy background music composed by the Ross brothers (Error and 12 Rounds) and Claudia Sarne. Donovan's character Detective David Creegan is just returning to duty after a three-year long medical leave after surviving a gunshot wound to the head. He is no longer the same man, husband, father or cop as he used to be.

"Touching Evil" is so rich in character development that it is impossible not to become attached to one or more characters on the show. The smallest bits of interacting between characters serves as a device to explore different aspects of the characters that you normally would have seen otherwise. For example, in the episode "Grief", Chief Hank Enright is speaking with Jay Swopes on the telephone and proceeds to spell a person's name. Swopes responds, saying that normally it's I before E, whereas the name is spelled with E before I. It's such a minor and unrelated detail plot wise that makes for the impact. Such character details helps to make these people real, people we can relate to and grow to love. Even the snarky Bernal, who is always out to slander Creegan any chance he gets, grows personally to the point where we have to like him, if just a little bit. In short, the characters on this show are dynamic, every one.

If you haven't seen this show, you're really missing out. I expect at least one Emmy nomination for the outstanding lead roles by Jeffrey Donovan and Vera Farmiga--they both did such a terrific job and they deserve to be recognized for their hard work. "Touching Evil" fans are anxiously awaiting news of renewal for a second season. So far, I am placing much more faith in cable networks than I dare to with broadcast networks. I only hope that USA will continue to come through for us "Touching Evil" fans. USA, don't let us down!

I find this show to be highly enjoyable. Jeffery Donovan does an excellent job portraying a twisted and troubled character such like that of David Creegan. I have not seen the original British version so I can not compare it. But this show is excellent. The end of each episode leaves you hanging for more. I find myself itching to see what is going to happen next. Creegan's sarcastic wit and Bernal's constant wanting to outshine him is fantastic. I have read all the articles leading up to the premiere and I think that the writers of these articles were dead on accurate. I am not sure though if Creegan's partner Branca matches well with him. She is to straight forward. She needs to learn to take more risks. And I was sad to see Agent Krackhauer go. I really liked his character (before he became a vigilante). It will be interested to see who they partner up with Bernal later on in the season.

Reading through these comments on Touching Evil I have come to the conclusion that if you were expecting the show to be a carbon copy of the British original, you were sorely disappointed. HOWEVER, if you allowed the show to be it's own entity, you were instantly struck by how different from your average US TV drama it actually is.

First of all, the principal actor, Jeffrey Donovan, is no Robson Green (from the original BBC series). He is, however, a phenomenal Method actor in his own right and should be congratulated at nailing such a complex character so perfectly. Secondly, it should also be said that the persons responsible for all the negative commentary on this particular thread have never commented on the obvious quality and chemistry of the other cast members: an amazingly important thing in ANY show. And thirdly, none of the detractors have said that they bothered to see any other episodes besides the pilot. Pilots, as a rule, are always the roughest draft of any television program and should therefore be given the greatest leeway.

For those of you who are true fans, there is a website petition for giving this show a second season:

http://www.gopetition.com/online/4632.html

The sign up is privacy protected and the information is only used for the petition itself.

In summation, PLEASE have no preconceived notions that this is going to be the same as the BBC original. If you're that into the British version, I'm sure you can find the three episodes that were aired somewhere online on DVD.