Stars: Elyes Gabel, Katherine McPhee, Robert Patrick, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Ari Stidham, Jadyn Wong

A rather different type of procedural. And by different, what I really mean is “holy shit that could never happen in real life”. The final scene of the pilot literally involved driving a Ferarri at 200MPH beneath a speeding jumbo jet, and actually plugging in a wire to a laptop to download a file. Nevermind that Katherine McPhee couldn’t withstand the force of the wind at 200MPH to stand in the car, or that the wire wouldn’t drop down so nicely at that speed, or how impossible it would be to hold a laptop at that speed without it flying out of your hand… just check your brain at the door. That’s ironic, since the show in question is about geniuses.

It was a cool scene, even if it is 100% fantasy. It doesn’t quite feel like a procedural yet, so I’m not immediately turned off. I like the characters. The character work here is so strong, actually, that it feels like a USA show (where characters are reportedly welcome). Gabel is a solid choice for the lead guy, and McPhee makes a decent impact as the empathetic waitress whose child is also a genius and she just doesn’t know it.

Going forward, I’m not sure if I want more batshit crazy, but those race against the clock insane moments are what will keep me coming back. I usually retreat from procedurals, but I’m willing to check this one out for a few more episodes and see how it lands.

FINAL GRADE: B+