REVIEW

TV Review: Smith - "Pilot"

Written by Chris Beaumont
Published September 22, 2006

Not sure if I'm going to like this show. It does have a lot going for it, including a cast headed up by Ray Liotta and Virginia Madsen, and supported by Jonny Lee Miller, Amy Smart, and Franky G. It has high production values, giving the show a slick, film-like look. It also has an interesting premise involving a master criminal who also holds a day job.

After watching the pilot episode I was left feeling a little cold. Sure, the pilot episode of any series needs to introduce your players and move the pieces into position, but there could have been a little warmth to it. I did not feel any sort of connection to the characters, and did not feel that desire to see what happens next.

Perhaps I should back up a little bit. The show opens with Liotta as master thief Bobby Stevens, leading his team in a daring museum heist, the target being a few pieces of art. At first everything goes smoothly, the guards are quickly taken out of the game, and the team goes to work getting the art cut out of the frames. However, they forget about one of the guards who gets the drop on them, and as a standoff takes shape, we jump back in time.

The rest of the episode focuses on the buildup to the art heist. We meet Bobby's wife, Hope (Virginia Madsen), and their kids. We also get to see Bobby go to his day job as some sort of salesman (of cups, I believe). Then Bobby gets the call and he gets in touch with his team who seem to have scattered to the winds since their prior job. All of them get their introductions, but none of them really struck a chord, outside of recognizing the actors. So, as the team meets up at the proper location, we get a better look at Hope. It turns out that she is a recovering drug addict, still going to her meetings. That's pretty much all we get from her — well, that and a few glances which I could not figure out, but could indicate she knows what he does, or is at least suspicious.

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Christopher Beaumont spends much of his time writing about entertainment when he isn't sitting in a movie theater. He is known around the office as the "Movie Guy" and is always ready to talk about his favorite form of entertainment and offer up recommendations. Interests include science fiction, horror, and metal music. His writings can be found at Draven99's Musings.
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TV Review: Smith - "Pilot"
Published: September 22, 2006
Type: Review
Section: Video
Filed Under: Video: Action, Video: Television, Video: Thriller
Part of a feature: TV Viewer's Diary
Writer: Chris Beaumont
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Comments

#1 — September 24, 2006 @ 14:59PM — tink [URL]

Always scary when an actor takes a leap from their "normal" genre (in this case, Ray Liotta and films) to another (tv)...especially if you happen to be a huge fan of their past work. I also think that the writers might not be up to the task...only the next few episodes will tell.

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