Perception

Cafe Society
#1

The new TNT series with Eric McCormack. I don’t watch a lot of TV, but I thought I’d give it a chance. Something else to fill the time, you know, and it’s entertaining enough. McCormack is believable as the Professor With Problems that helps the FBI on tough cases. Hes not broadly over-the-top funny, as the title character in MONK was in the later years, but a sad sort of broken savant, like MONK was in the beginning of that show.

Third episode spoiler:

In the third episode, a woman is killed, using the same M.O. as a killer used in the 80’s before the killings stopped abruptly. They go to talk to the one victim who had survived her attack, in search of a lead. She had survived, but with a brain injury that kept her from ever retaining new information - think Drew Barrymore in, “50 First Dates”. Each day, she wakes up thinking it’s the day before her attack. That day, she had told her mother that she was going to see the movie, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”, but eventually they discover she had a date with a guy she didn’t think her mother would approve of, so she lied about it. When they finally catch up to the killer, he is portrayed by the actor who was the mustachioed garage attendant from, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”, who took the Ferrari for a joyride. An unexpected in-joke, considering the show isn’t played for laughs. I did laugh though, this time. :slight_smile:

I don’t know if it’ll last more than season, but it’ll help pass the time while I wait for, “Justified” to start.

#2

I watched the first two episodes, mainly because of Rachel Leigh Cook. But it didn’t grab me at all, so I gave up.

#3

I didn’t leave the first episode as impressed as I thought I was going to be. But over the subsequent string of episodes, it seems to have settled into a pretty decent groove. Part of me is a little concerned at how manageable and adorably quirky it makes having paranoid schizophrenia seem, but I’ve watched enough TV to accept that the rough edges are going to be sanded down for the sake of presentation. Ultimately, I like Eric McCormack and Rachael Leigh Cook, and that carries a lot of weight. Hell, I stuck with Memphis Beat until the end because I think Jason Lee’s good.

#4

We watch. I’m not so interested in it but Mrs. FtG, who is a bigger crime show fan than I, likes it so I continue to DVR it.

The main part that I really liked is the guy zinging the students in class, but they’ve pretty much dropped the more interesting classroom stuff.

It’s also yet another TV show that has a hard time convincing me that the FBI would actually be involved in all these crimes. (Cf. Bones.)

Some of the stuff with the imaginary characters is good. If they work that a bit better it would help.

#5

I think Rachel Leigh Cook is just awful. She looks like she’s playing an FBI agent for Halloween. It’s a tolerable show and I’ll probably continue to watch it after Major Crimes, at least until Castle comes back on. If my husband prefers it to Castle, I’ll DVR Castle and watch this with him. I’m not that big on this one, but it’ll do.

#6

I’m just glad they didn’t try to save the fact that the blonde lady was a hallucination for a “shocking surprise” beyond the first episode.

And all in all, I’m liking the show.

#7

I like the show overall, and I generally hate mystery shows. I like the main character, a lot of the things regarding him and his hallucinations seem far fetched but it’s still an interesting schtick. The absolute worst part so far is the supporting cast, everything about the FBI agent screams nothing but annoying to me. If they can improve in that the show could become really good, but I doubt it’ll last more than a season or two.

#8

My wife and I have been enjoying the show. I agree about the blonde lady. If you waited an episode or two before letting that cat out of the bag, I’d be turned off to the show completely because I’d always wonder what was real and what wasn’t. As a viewer I want to be in the know.

#9

Let’s see…investigative agency employs a quirky and unpredictable civilian consultant who is disparaged by the suits for being a “sideshow” instead of doing “real” police work, but the quirky consultant is right and gets results that would have escaped them if they only used traditional methods. Where have I heard that one before…?

#10

We’ve been watching it. I like the actors and I like crime shows in general. I’m not sure if I would have tuned in, though, if it wasn’t on right after The Closer.