Backstrom

It is like House, Jessica Fletcher and Columbo had a cranky lovechild, I am not easily caught by detective dramas, but oh my Dwight joined the police and I am loving the ride.

Well besides I want his boss to go ahead and say "Allstate" in every sentence, Wilson not only deliver his character Everett Backstrom no he completely blow it out of the ballpark then yank it back for another blow, I can recommend this for any Columbo/Fletcher fan.

I am just afraid it is not going to satisfy the network and they cancel it, it has a huge mark on it's back and me not likey that.

Watch Watch Watch then Watch again I already watched the first 2 epicsodes twice.

This is a TV series modeled after House M.D. but instead of doctors and treatments you have detectives and crimes.

It's about a charismatic lieutenant of Portland Police Bureau who is extremely cynic and mean to others. Not to mention racist. He gets the job done though so people tolerate his over-the-top behavior.

Like House M.D. this is a dramedy too. You get the comedic elements between the lines of an actual drama. Some one-liners of the cynical type, some awkward situations...etc.

Rainn Wilson is leading the cast having the titular character of Backstrom and he is doing a good job in my opinion. The rest of the cast is OK but nothing stellar.

A special mention to Thomas Dekker (John Connor from the Sarah Connor's chronicles) who plays Backstrom's gay (and also cynical) son. Dekker gives a very efficient performance and has a convincing attitude.

The story (I only watched the pilot) was interesting with twists until the very end. The dialogs are delivered in a "deadpan" way that mostly works, but it may needs some improvement on that.

The direction of photography is somehow dark and that might be my biggest complain. I would preferred a lighter tone. Things to be more bright and more "visible".

Overall: Not bad. I personally will check out the next episodes...

I hesitated checking out Backstrom because of the bad to mixed reviews I've read about it but for Rainn Wilson sake I gave it a try. And was not disappointed.

I've seen the first three episodes and I've enjoyed all of them. I agree that the writing could be better but the cases were solid and solved in a believable way (no C.S.I-stuff). The dialogues and Backstroms monologues are quite fun and I laughed a few times during each episode. What I didn't like was that all the flaws and character traits of all the main characters were way to obvious and were introduced within the first 30min of the show.

It's not The Wire but then again hardly any crime show is but in my opinion it is right up there with Mentalist, White Collar and shows like that. No flawless depiction of police work but a fun show with an edgy main character and an outstanding cast.

In conclusion, yes the self-destructive, grumpy, jerky main character is hardly a unique idea and Backstrom sure does resemble Dr. House and yes the writing is sometimes a bit blunt and may also be factually wrong at times. If those things bother you, the show is not for you. But if you can overlook these flaws you'll have fun with Backstrom. And not to forget: Rainn Wilson!

OK, I loved House, and Hugh Laurie was great at delivering the lines. Lines That were better at being sarcastic and funny, also House had heart, maybe Backstrom will too when we come into the series. But Backstrom is still refreshing considering the competition, since after House there has been nothing like it. So even if its not House its better then the rest that is out there, and thats not to bad and its good enough for me. I agree that the characters surrounding are not great and actually agree with some other writers, but who are we kidding, the supporting cast for House weren't that great either compared to House himself. I think for Backstrom to we really great he needs someone to be as sarcastic as he is but at him to throw him off his game a bit.

As I am writing this review, we are 5 episodes in. From what I have seen so far, I am excited to what they've done with the concept.

Cop shows are often a dime a dozen, even when the producers claim they have something new and refreshing. But I certainly feel this one has true potential to be unique and innovative.

First of all, the storytelling doesn't shy away from some hard topics, like homosexuality, teenagers, abuse and self doubt among others. They use this to great effect, but they also use subtle, quirky comedy to keep us entertained.

Secondly, the main character is an antihero. This has been done before. But Everett Backstrom really has some issues. He isn't very friendly, he hates himself, he drinks on the job and breaks a lot of rules along the way. But despite himself and his ways, his peers respect him nonetheless, they even like him. He even has a homeless, abused tween living with him. He tells himself it's for the rent, but there is some sincerity there, that is picked up by his tenant.

Thirdly, it is set Portland, Oregon. This is fun too, because it takes us away from the cliché places like New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Seattle or other big cities that are often used for the backdrop.

All in all I feel this is a fun ride so far, and I hope they keep up the good writing. If it stays this good, I am here to stay as well.