Uma Mente Excepcional

Being unfamiliar with most of Kaitlin Olson's work I watched this feeling it would pass some time, while having low expectations.

Surprise on me.

Olson is definitely the star and the centerpiece. If she doesn't nail her performance the series has no chance. She's excellent. Unfortunately it's not sustained. The plot device getting her hired isn't revisited in episodes 4 or 5. The other actors do NOT hold up their end. But the writing is what ultimately derails this show. Bad writing. Real bad. Incredibly bad. The babbling nonsensical solutions to the last two cases was terrible.

The concept, gifted and damaged individual possessing a knack for solving crimes, has been done before. And the series reminded me of Natasha Lyonne's similar series (Poker Face). There is also a bit of a similarity to "Elsbeth", a series about an attorney on the spectrum who solves murders. Both series lean heavily on the female leads, and inject character driven humor.

This is an ensemble show, like Elsbeth, with support from Daniel Sunjata and Javica Leslie and Judy Reyes, whereas Poker Face is about a nomadic gifted individual on the run.

The first two episodes were enjoyable.

Then came the next two episodes.

As often happens with a first year in a series, episode 3 is a clunker. Olson comes off as shrill and unnecessarily disrespectful. Sunjata vacillated between beginning to like Olson and being completely unimpressed. There are other disjointed character issues in that episode, and a very convoluted plot.

The hope that this was a one off and just a matter of the writers, actors and directors settling in with a new series was blown up by the cringe-worthy bad fourth episode.

I may check back at the end of the season to see if the writing improves, but for now, I'm on to other things.