The Rookie: Feds

When the backdoor pilot for Feds played on The Rookie, my original intention was to give the show no attention, if it was picked up. However, as they started casting, I saw a number of actors that I enjoyed, so I gave it a try.

Now I find myself enjoy watching the secondary characters and aggressively hate watching the lead. Don't get me wrong, Niecy Nash is fine in the right environment. She is great on something like Reno 911 where she is in an ensemble and where the whole concept is goofy. But her obnoxious portrayal of an obnoxious character is so irritating, it makes it nearly impossibly to watch.

The Simone Clark character walks in, specifically into a group that was harnessed with her against their will in the backdoor pilot, and is basically the Messiah of the FBI, telling everyone exactly how to do their jobs, while also comporting herself any way she pleases.

I find myself still watching for the other characters and storylines I find more interesting, as well as for the interaction between the parent series and the spinoff characters, but every time she is focus, I'm completely pulled out of the moment. This is one of those times that a shock move like removing the main character would be a huge boost to a decent show.

I'm a big fan of Nathan Fillion since his Buffy days and through Firefly so when he became The Rookie I was all in. It's an enjoyable show. A bit farfetched for all that his particular character has gone through but it's still good.

When Rookie: Feds came along I gave it a shot because of the crossover.

This could be such a great show with a few character changes.

Niecy Nash's character Simone grates on the nerves. She comes across as fake as a person acting a part, badly I might add. She's really not useful to most of the episodes and she's supposed to be the central character.

Frank Faison's Cutty is also unbearable and the acting is horrible.

Minus these two characters the show could really be something.

Where to start. We have 2 people that would never be selected for mall security much lest the FBI. Neither are very likeable and their training agents have so much baggage that it detracts from what little the show offers. Drawing on past experiences is one thing... having to listen to how the smell of a high school locker room could compare to the decomposing bodies in a morgue or being able to profile everything because you figured out what's on a 16 year old boys mind gets old fast. The unorganic way that social issues pop into the show make it feel more like an infomercial for the cause of the day. All in all, simply a poor spinoff.

I love The Rookie. It's an underrated show. When Niecy Nash guested, I found her to much more digestible than her normally irritating persona. That said, it was a decent arc/guest spot, but not worthy of a spin off.

The pilot was not strong and it lacked all of the elements that made her guest spot entertaining. I like her Felix, could have used much more of him and s and James Lesure, but Britt didn't come close to fitting in and the Vampire Cop stuff was 100% disposable. I'm already tired of the dynamic between Niecy and her dad. If they want this to be a series and not a gimmick, that won't last. Make Niecy the Underdog like Nathan was on the original. Dial the dizziness down and make her legitimately bright, verse this streetwise hustler and give Felix and James more to do. I think Niecy may be far too petite to buy in this roles and with her curvaceous figure, I don't see her running or appearing tough, so it's really going to be a hard sell. This would have been a much better fit for a Regina Hall, but based on what I have seen so far, I'd be surprised if we get an entire season.

Of course you do - she tells you in every scene.

I've never seen such a weak, unrealistic gimmick played up so much and so unironically.

Seriously, the main character's superpower - and they treat it as a superpower - is that she was a high school guidance counselor. Somehow this gives her the insight to crack tough cases that seasoned, experienced, highly-trained, long-time agents can't.

That's the premise of the show. Former high school guidance counselor shakes up the FBI because of her experience as a former guidance counselor.

Did I mention she's a former high school guidance counselor? Well, she was.

Have I said too much about it? I haven't said as much about it as she does in a typical episode.

If you want to hear how the main character was a high school guidance counselor again and again and again and again, this is the show for you. If not, you might want to find something else to watch.