Uma Mente Excepcional

I'm really a sucker for any series/movie that shows someone who has a unique ability hidden behind a persona that just doesn't match. Kinda like a secret super power. The main character has just that. Seems like her life is a bit in shambles, she's all over the place, but...she's crazy smart and notices details other well experienced people miss. I was already a fan of Kaitlin, so no surprise I love her here as well. She plays frazzled so well! I appreciate that each episode resolves the case. I'm over a series dragging out over an entire season or multiple. Just give me a solid story and conclusion in under an hour! This delivers. Well paced, has some funny lines and overall just enjoyable to watch. Really looking forward to additional episodes. Just hope they don't cancel it after one season like everyone is doing these days. Solid MC you want to root for.

At first I thought this was going to be a comedy along the lines of Psych! Or an absurd comedy like Always Sunny. I mean, the only characters I've ever seen Kaitlin Olson play are trashy women with a very caustic sense of humor. If that's what you like about her, don't worry, she definitely brings both of those qualities to this role. But she somehow does it in a mature way.

Although the first episode is all I've seen so far, it does appear to be a series similar to the aforementioned Psych! And it's fraternal twin, The Mentalist. It features Olson playing a character with an extremely high IQ who also suffers from a type of OCD, where she obsesses about things that are out of place. She also has a very fine sense of observation, and she uses these quirks to assist the local police in solving crimes.

This isn't a drama detective show, but it's not a comedy played for laughs either. It's a light action crime show like ABC's The Rookie and even gives me vibes of FX's brilliant Rescue Me series from the early 2000s.

The first episode was enjoyable and I hope the show continues along the same lines, with just enough dark humor to make it enjoyable, but without turning into a joke.

And I'd have gotten away with it if it wasn't for that pesky cleaning lady !! Nothing we haven't saw before , gifted amateur advising police using her special powers of deduction !! Complete hokum -but Kaitlin Olson is utterly charming as Morgan, police cleaning lady when we 1st meet her but soon invaluable crime solver for the LAPD. Throw in a cute family and lovable ex partner plus a back story of her daughter's missing father which adds a slightly harder tone and a storyline which hopefully builds week by week !! Morgan's hooker dress sense and rebellious streak pits her against a hard working police team headed by Judy Reyes of Scrubs fame who soon succumb to her genius ..... Scooby Doo meets Sherlock Holmes in fun quirky viewing !!

I loved, loved, loved the original. I'm not expecting this to be the same (the original was French for goodness sakes, with an amazing cast, and that certainly added to the flavor and frantic pace of the show). Still, the high potential concept and stories are solid (assuming they tell some of the same stories), so I'm giving the US version a chance, certainly more than one episode, and I'm allowing this cast to make it their own. At the end of the season I hope it turns out to be as good as the original or is close, even if it's slightly different and Kaitlin isn't the incredible Audrey Fleurot (but who is?). This version certainly has high potential of its own.

After seeing the pilot, this seems like a 90% scene-for-scene reshoot of the original French series (tt14060708) - which would be ok, if not for the fact that it has been softened for the US audience. The characters and the flow of the series seem less complex. This still makes for a good show though, but not on the same level as the original, sadly.

EDIT: I have seen 10 episodes at this point, and the show has strongly deviated from the French show. First, the US version has added several original storylines instead of just copying everything. But more importantly, while the original Morgane is a self-absorbed, ignorant, loud, unlikable egocentric throughout the whole show, American Morgane is is a way more likable character. Her quirks are significantly toned down.

This gives the show more feel-good quality. I am not sure if this is a good thing though - while French Morgane is a terrible human being, she surely makes the show unique. American HIP is nice and cute and all, but as a result it's just another "funny" crime show starring a main protagonist with a goofy flaw/skill and it that sense it is not much different than Monk, Unforgettable, Lie to me, The Mentalist and dozens of other, similar shows.