CHAOS: "Pilot"

Because Fringe is off for three weeks – and because I have a soft spot for Tim Blake Nelson – I’m dropping in on the new CBS show CHAOS for tonight and the next two week. I’ll start off with a review of tonight’s pilot, after the jump….

As lot of the advance press (i.e. reviews from those with screeners) have already made their own assessments of CHAOS: it’s too similar to other CBS shows; it’s too different; it has potential, but it probably won’t make it. All of these are more or less true, at least from my perspective, but – as at least 2/3 of these reviews have concluded – the show is actually kind of good. It’s not anywhere near great, mind you, but it’s got enough to set it apart so that you don’t feel like you’re watching a show that’s just like everything else CBS produces.

Admittedly, there’s a significant amount that doesn’t work here – clunky dialogue, tons of exposition, lines that blunty lay out the show’s basic themes – but most of these can be chalked up to “Pilot Syndrome.” For most shows, this is a common occurrence: one writer, in an attempt to sell both the network and its potential audience on what the show is and will be, often lays bare – usually too bare – all of themes that one will see and expect and in the future. It’s an necessary evil of television, and something that must be kept in mind when watching a show’s first outing.

So on what merits can we judge the show? Tone, concept, and story. Let’s take them one by one, shall we?

·         Tone – Unlike other critics, I didn’t find the merging of the humorous and serious elements all that jarring. Of course, it may help that I was big fan of the show Reaper, on which creator Tom Spezialy worked as a writer. CHOAS, much like Reaper, doesn’t take itself too seriously, and it can be off-putting for some. Regardless, this tone, much like other of the show’s elements, will most likely improve over time.

·         Concept – Okay, spy spoof/comedy? Not that original. Between Archer and Chuck, the television landscape pretty much as this niche covered. Yet I would be hard-pressed to say that these types of shows are over-saturated on TV right now. And since this show is more serious that Chuck, and not nearly as crazy as Archer, it doesn’t comes across as an exact copy/rip-off of some other show.

·         Story – Again, Pilot Syndrome strikes again. As with most procedurals, the standalone story didn’t get enough time to develop as the show had to make room for all of the necessary setup/exposition. We’ll have to wait and see how this element develops.

There were some other good bits tonight. The show was wise to eschew the potential mole plot, instead deciding to focus on Rick as he navigates the complexities of the CIA. (Okay, so it’s not that original, but it does have more potential than a standard mole plot.) Also, the show main characters avoid the cliché. The boss of the group may be gruff, but he has good rapport with his underlings. The “human weapon” of the group may be a baddass, but he also has a series of quirks one doesn’t generally see lumped together, yet he somehow doesn’t across as overly quirky. And the agent with the Scottish accent? Sure it doesn’t make sense, but it’s kind of awesome in its own way.

There are a few things that I can’t say I’m looking forward to – the romance subplot is a non-starter, and I could do without anymore gross-out gags like watching someone eat a scorpion – but there’s enough to like that I will be coming back to this show for the next few weeks. I hope you all feel the same way.

What did everybody else think?

Additional Thoughts:

“Do you need to see my fluids?”

“No, literally, he ate a bullet – one a dare.”

“You should have at least brought us coffee. It would go a long way towards winning us back.”

“This accent is a siren call to reckless fornication.”

“I like a lap-size man.”

“Rest assured: If I am not surrounded by slim. Greek men by week’s end,  I will destroy you.”

One reason to hate riding commercial: They’ll confiscate your good sunscreen.

“Yesterday was a travel day, so I mostly hated the airline food.”

“I heard your doubts and insults. Your words stung. They stung hard.”

“There’s no practical application, but it gives you street cred.”