First Thoughts: Life

My enthusiasm for Life is only tempered by the fact that I know that the show will fail and be cancelled within a month. With minimal PR, at least in comparison to Chuck and Bionic Woman, I imagine that not even NBC has high hopes for Life. Which is surprising, since it's better than Chuck and anything else new I've seen so far this week.

I've been a big fan of Damian Lewis since I first watched Band of Brothers. Capt./Lieut. Dick Winters was the glue of the series, keenly touching on the themes of virtue and duty while not being stuffy or jingoistic. His scenes with Ron Livingston as the comic foil were some of the best non-action moments of the program.

So I was of course more than excited to see him pop up as the lead actor of Life, and he exceeded my expectations. Part Rain Man, part Monk... Lewis' Det. Charlie Crews is peculiar, partial to Zen-like nonsensical sayings, yet interesting. The story behind his odd behaviors is the 12 years he spent in prison, getting beaten up (prison-style) as a former cop convicted of murder. The pilot played off of his past quite well...and his ignorance over modern technology wasn't gimmicky...it was actually rather amusing.

I didn't know from the previews that Life would be more of a procedural drama, which brings it down a notch for me, since procedurals are usually television's version of Mad Libs. I'll be curious to see how they balance the "find out who framed me" plotline with the weekly crime scene procedural stuff. If they strike a strong middle ground, Life is definitely a keeper for me.

And my only other criticism is the lazy "documentary" interviews that were inserted into the pilot. It's a lazy way to present exposition, and it rarely works as a plot device. Look at Entourage's "Behind the Scenes of Medellin" episode as another example of a flawed mockumentary.

Show us actual scenes with Crew's former partner or his attorney...they do a much better job of developing character and backstory than a silly head-on interview can do.

Also...is Adam Arkin really this desperate? I mean, he was great in his role and all, I'd just think that he could get some meatier roles with his resume. And the MILF neighbor from FNL plays the lawyer...does this mean we won't have to endure the annoying cuteness of Bo Miller, the brat next door? Cause that would make me even MORE pumped for next week.