I watch a lot of the European crime mini series genre and I think it's ruining me for American tv. Much like last season's "Prodigal Son" I was eager to watch the premier of this new serial killer hunt show and, just like "Prodigal Son" I was very disappointed. So many of these shows attempt to be all things to all people and take their design from 10 other shows all combined and repackaged as a "new" show. I'm not going to go into a plot synopsis as I think it's been covered here and in the book and film, so I will get straight to my impressions of the show. First of all - too much cast. It's hard work keeping track of all of them. Way too many background players, "team" members in various roles assisting the bed-bound Lincoln Rhyme. Other shows do these various roles with one person per job - this has at least 2 per. The exception being Rhyme's hovering nurse who spends her time pursing her lips and shaking her head while she takes Rhyme's vital signs. (Prediction, she will either end up needing to be being rescued or will surprise us all with her previously unforeseen toughness.)
Next, the show foreshadows way too heavily and loudly. If you are introduced to a new character who is emotionally connected to main cast, odds are really good that they will need to be saved within the next 15 minutes. The use of "emotional flaws" to humanize main characters is also telegraphed loudly and comes into use as a plot device within the next 15 minutes also.
Lastly, and I have seen this mentioned in other online reviews, this show is crazily unbelievable. There is no reality to their portrayal of the NYC police and it seems to exist in some alternative dimension. It actually has the feel of a super hero/comic book movie with the rapid fire clue, chase, find, repeat activity that occurs. I'd also like to mention that the over-use of CGI to illustrate Lincoln Rhyme's thought processes is boring and uninteresting. Taking a page from "The Alienist" Rhyme has pre-1900's New York City maps, geology and history in a giant library inside his head so every clue must be sketched out to demonstrate it's source. If there was any explanation as to why the main protagonist The Bone Collector uses these points of reference and is thus so clearly matched with nemesis Rhyme I missed it.
I know I will watch a few more episodes to see if it improves and I hope it does. If it does I will edit this, but like "Prodigal Son" I do not hold out great hope.
