The Catch

Love Enos in anything she tries-she is that good, Krause is predictably wooden and a little old for the role.

The back story on this does not hang together so the weekly story line gets forced into presenting the characters in "silly" mis-steps (oh I am a hot shot detective but I let me fiancé walk right by me??? silly me!).

Everyone is visually appealing but this seems to detract from the show - a group that is too pretty to be likable. Lovely parade of fashionably dressed women (boring) but at least they did not include the token "geek" with glasses and a funny pony tail (this "plastic" show would never include a chubby geek).

Oh and the predictable sex scenes.........yawn.

I was extremely interested in watching this series when I saw the trailer a couple of months ago. It reminded me a bit of The Thomas Crown Affair with the amazing attraction between the lead investigator and the sexy con artist. I had even persuaded friends to give it a try. So when it finally came out last month, I can't say enough how disappointed I was when I began watching. There seemed to be changes to the original trailer. So I went back and found that the original trailer I had seen was missing and another had replaced it. The original male lead had been replaced by Peter Krause and his female cohort was replaced by Sonya Walger. It seemed they have even changed the plot of the pilot. As I continued watching the first two episodes, I've found the feel of the show had been compromised in my opinion. To me, the chemistry between Enos and Krause just isn't quite the same as it was in that first trailer with Damon Dayoub. I love Mireille Enos and the rest of the cast. They are superb. But the show seems different than what it came across as originally and I almost feel like this was false advertising. Hope it can be salvaged.

Hollywood doesn't like making a series about real people anymore. If you think back to shows like NYPD Blue, Barney Miller, The Rockford Files, any number of programs that have gone before. The cast included stars as we'd all expect. And usually a good number of supporting actors. And these shows were not cast based on the appearance of actors. This another program that has only attractive people in every single part. In one episode there are defense contractors who all young and very attractive. It's a huge distraction. Look around, at your own life, not everyone in physically fit, and attractive. This show does involve a story line that moves in and out of the world of the rich and famous. But even those people should not all be young and attractive. Somehow they even have bad guys who look like underwear models. If you enjoy watching shows where every single person looks like no-one you'll see in everyday life. This is the show for you. But then you'll have to suspend your disbelief to swallow the story lines they've woven so far. I can't see how they can do more that a season at most. How are they going to come up with even an even slightly believable continuing plot with the same cast of characters, they set in place? Lastly, they resurrected split screen editing. This effect quickly became irritating when it first became popular back in the late 60's and early 1970's when it was first conceived. And they've managed to make it even more annoying by having lines, forming grids, blend across some of the screens.

Not being a 'ShondaLand' addict—in fact, I can't remember watching one previous TGIT episode in its entirety—I didn't have preconceptions about what I was 'supposed to' feel about "The Catch". From the previous IMDb reviews, I see I am glaringly in the minority in my initial opinion about the show; I was already a fan of a few of the actors and loved the look and feel of the production. The previous reviews, however, have not convinced me to change a single idea I had about the show; in fact, I find the other reviews to be epistemologically flawed in their vagueness and unspecified assertions.

So as for me, I thoroughly enjoyed the first episode and plan to keep watching. Below are my first five reasons to watch.

1. Mireille Enos: Mireille Enos is a compelling actor. She may be typecast by some as the serious, unadorned detective in "The Killing", but in "The Catch" she is engagingly glammed up and beautiful, not with an 'I've-been-entitled-all-my-life' beauty but rather with an 'I'm smart and accomplished and insightful' beauty. Plus, she can sprint at an impressive speed after bad guys, showing that her outer strength can match the inner.

2. Alimi Ballard: Alimi Ballard has always been smart and sharp, as his scenes on "Numb3rs" and "CSI" have shown, but his frequent relegation to a law enforcement roles in dark suits has required a restraint he can thankfully shed in this role. From the first time we see him on the links rocking a preppy polo-shirt-and-plaid-pants golf outfit, we know something will be different. On "The Catch", he remains sharp and smart, but as the 'fixer' of the confidence team, he morphs into changing roles with emotive style and wit.

3. Mature Allure: It is great to see a show with a variety of actors over 35 (notwithstanding Rose Rollins' 20- something visage) who look great, dress great, speak articulately, and keep the story going. Much has been written about Peter Krause's casting and whether his age and recent role in Parenthood will affect audience perceptions. Not having watched "Parenthood" (or "Six Feet Under" or any of his roles, to be honest), he was a blank slate to me, and I was pleasantly surprised. My daughter remarked that the younger actor in the original pilot (still available online) is better eye candy, but Krause is a nuanced actor who conveys ambiguous intentions well. As a con man in his late 40s, it is more plausible that he has been around, seen more than he needed, and become reflective and conflicted about whether to stay in the game or pursue a connection with his latest smart, intriguing target. If his character were in his mid 30s with less knowledge, life experience and capital, would he really be ready to give up his best confidence-earning years to be with someone who could always put him in jail?

4. The Artwork of Maria Kreyn: I am not sure how widely recognized artist Maria Kreyn is, but after this pilot episode, I'm sure she will gain a much wider audience. Her painting 'Alone Together', featured in "The Catch", is hauntingly beautiful and provides a captivating metaphor for the show's narrative.

5. Open Spaces and Sunlight! Whenever I catch a few seconds of another TGIT/ShondaLand show, the scene is usually in an enclosed space such as a hospital room or dark office or someplace not particularly airy or (naturally) light. "The Catch", in contrast, is replete with outdoor settings, California sunshine, and floor-to-ceiling windows with luxurious day and nighttime views. This only added to my enjoyment of the show and desire to see more.

I missed the pilot, so I started out watching the second episode. Normally I would consider that a problem with a Shondaland production, as they tend to start with a bang, but judging by all the reviews here by people who watched and hated the first episode I'm not sure it was a problem this time.

What I saw was ... fine. The actors are good (glad to see Dirty Sexy Money's Peter Krause again) and the premise of a private detective, the con guy who loves his last mark, Interpol, an ongoing con and a mystery-of-the-week is fine, but I just didn't find any of it that interesting. It's all a little vanilla.