Sometimes it’s incredibly difficult to review a new television show. Watching Smith is one of those times. Here’s a show with a good cast: Ray Liotta, Virginia Madsen and Simon Baker among others. The story is the exact sort of thing I tend to like, and the majority of the acting is solid. That being said, for some reason, I was completely uninterested in it. So, what went wrong? I’ll try and figure it out…
The title for the show, Smith, comes from the term police officers give to unidentified criminals. Thus this show actually centers around a group of “Smiths” with Ray Liotta as the main character. Liotta plays Bobby Stevens, a thief that tries to balance his home life, his fake day job, and his heists. Maybe part of the problem is that Ray Liotta is completely unbelievable as a non-bad guy. Thus the home life and day job bit simply don’t ring true. When I look at Ray Liotta I see unrepentant evil, not James Bond super-villain evil, just regular old bad guy evil, but it’s undeniably there. So I cannot imagine how anyone looking at Bobby Stevens in the show doesn’t know within five minutes of meeting him that he’s doing something horribly shady under the table.
Shohreh Aghdashloo makes a brief appearance in the episode as Charlie, Bobby Stevens's boss/runner. She is absolutely convincing and great to watch. She is able to pull off the evil but pretending to be good in a way that I just don’t feel like Liotta can. While Virginia Madsen’s character (she plays Bobby's wife) seems vaguely interesting and something of an enigma here in the pilot, that may just be because she isn’t terribly fleshed-out and that once she is any curiosity I have about her will disappear.
Maybe the reason it just doesn’t feel astounding and wonderful is that it comes on the heels of both Heist & Thief, two other shows that centered around the criminals, not the cops, both of which failed to generate much audience interest. Andre Braugher did manage to garner an award for his work in Thief at this past Emmy Awards, but critical accolades do not a successful show make.
Article comments
1 - smithfan
For those of you upset that CBS cancelled Smith, consider filing a complaint.
With enough viewer complaints, CBS may reconsider its cancelling of the marvelous fast-paced Smith with its excellent cast including Ray Liotta, Virginia Madsen, Simon Baker and Amy Smart and the show's superb writing.
Blame it on CBS's bad marketing, its only giving the show three episodes of airtime, and CBS's lack of promoting online viewing of earlier episodes of Smith for those who needed to catch up.
CBS could have given a better re-cap at the beginning of episodes for new viewers just tuning in. It could have re-run the episodes during off-hours, much like Bravo does, to allow viewers to catch up.
To complain, call CBS viewer relations at any time day or night to leave a message, or, to reach a live person, call during the hours of 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. EST [Personal contact info deleted]
You may also go to CBS's feedback form online to submit your complaint. Smith is still listed in the shows on that feedback form.
You may also sign this online petition to CBS to bring back Smith.
2 - TV and Film Guy
Ah, but I didn't like it that much, am not horrifically upset to see it go, and will not be calling to complain.
That being said, sometimes these complaints do in fact help save or revive shows, so those of you out there that did enjoy Smith go for it.