How to Kill a Good Show-The Unusuals

[Mistral]

Been watching this for a while, since the pilot, in fact. I heard it was canceled before I saw the 3rd episode. Somebody goofed bad over at the network-this show has lots of potential.

There's a cop who may be bad, a former debutante turned cop, another with a tumor in his head who is fighting the idea of having it operated on(causing all kinds of weird reactions, like the day everything he ate tasted like meat), another who is so convinced he's doomed to die at the same age(42) that his father and grandfather died that he lives in a bullet-proof vest amidst inflatable furniture, a born-again Christian who once robbed armored cars under a different name, and a clueless yes man who exhibits signs of personality from time to time in between moments of filling in as the office joke.

Unlike many formula cop shows, these guys are called on to bust a break-in artist who films pornos in apartments that have residents on vacation, chase down maniac stick-up artists dressed as hotdogs, deal with a serial accuser, etc. The flavor of the show is, well, unusual and I'll be sad to see it go. Anyone else watching it?

 

[Roger Wilco]

I started watching it because I have a weird attraction to the main actress, but I don't know. Something's missing about the show, maybe it's the cast's chemistry or so, but it just doesn't feel "right" somehow.

 

[TGTheodore]

I've recorded all of them, but can' t get past the second episode. Maybe one weekend I'll try to have a little marathon.

--Ted

 

[Aragorn]

I watched parts of the first episode and the last episode. I didn't think it was anything special. Midseason replacements usually fail anyway. Seinfeld and Grey's Anatomy are the exception to the rule, but it's like lightning in a bottle.

 

[Spot's Meow]

I saw it, it wasn't bad. I really don't get how the audience chooses which cop dramas to love or ignore. I have watched at least an episode of many of the new ones that have come out, as well as some that have been on the air for a while, and it always amazes me to see which ones survive. For example I saw the first few episodes of The Mentalist, and I thought it was alright. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't anything special either. I felt the same way about The Unusuals. Yet The Mentalist gets insanely high ratings and the other show is a failure. I just don't get it at all. All these kinds of shows seem to be pretty much on the same level of quality to me. The only one that stands out as really great to me is Law and Order: SVU.

 

[General Kang]

My wife and I enjoyed The Unusuals - it rather grew on us as the season (series) went on. Definitely a little off-kilter... and Perrineau and Goldberg were great together.

 

[Mistral]

My wife and I enjoyed The Unusuals - it rather grew on us as the season (series) went on. Definitely a little off-kilter... and Perrineau and Goldberg were great together.

That's what I'm saying. It has characters you could get into, that were worth getting to know. It's almost as if Barney Miller were done as a drama. After (sometimes during) each episode I think, "They canceled this?" and I usually do so with a little more force and disbelief as time passes. Some shows deserve a chance to grow-but these days they just aren't given a chance. Journeyman hit me the same way-killed off before it could develop enough word of mouth. Sad.

 

[Top41]

I only saw the pilot, but I remember it felt promising. I meant to tune in, but it was up against another show I watched, and I'm notoriously bad at not seeking out shows on the net unless I'm already completely hooked. This one definitely had potential, though, and a great cast. I'm sorry it got cancelled so quickly.

 

[Technobuilder]

^I have to say that I started watching this because of Amber Tamblyn, one of my admittedly few celebrity "crushes"...

What I came away with was a really decent 'Character-Based' Drama that was more about the lives of said cops and their day-to-day, instead of another show that focused on the case-of-the-week.

ABC screwed themselves over on this one, of that I have no doubt.

This show wasn't perfect, but few shows are right out of the box.
It did have a crap-load of potential though, and that's the real tragedy here.

Perrineau and Goldberg were great together.

Yep.

 

[Starbreaker]

The first three episodes were good and then it tanked. Too many annoying characters.

 

[hamudm]

It wasn't too shabby... much better than the shitfest "The Mentalist." Although I have to say Southland is by far the better and more compelling show.

 

[Morpheus 02]

It wasn't too shabby... much better than the s***fest "The Mentalist." Although I have to say Southland is by far the better and more compelling show.

Isn't The Mentalist a rip-off of Psych?

 

[Holoaddict]

It wasn't too shabby... much better than the s***fest "The Mentalist." Although I have to say Southland is by far the better and more compelling show.

Isn't The Mentalist a rip-off of Psych?

As a fan of both, I would say yes and no.

The both feature main characters with an amazing eye for detail.

The difference is how the deal with that premise.

The Mentalist is about a guy who used to pretend he was psychic, until his act blew up in his face and indirectly led to the murder of his family. Now he works with the cops, and frequently tells his coworkers that psychics are not real. Still he is not above using his talents to manipulate others when trying to solve a case.

Psych: Is a much lighter show about a guy who pretends to be psychic while working with the police. Only a few people, including his father and his partner, know he is faking.

This is similar to the distinctions between shows like:

DS - B5
Lexx - Farscape

 

[the_wildcard]

I've been watching it but can't tell what was the final ep. Was it the one with the practical jokes?