Backstrom

:

Season 1
  • Network: FOX
  • Series Premiere Date: Jan 22, 2015
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 96 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 70 out of 96
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 96
  3. Negative: 11 out of 96
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User Reviews

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  1. SecondGuessMe
    Jan 24, 2015
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Like many others, I was very hopeful that Rainn Wilson would put to work some of the acting chops he showed off in James Gunn's Super. I expected some irresistible rofl moments on account of the comedic prowess he displayed for years in the Office. To our overwhelming disappointment, Wilson seems largely bored with the lead role in Backstrom. I don't blame him.
    You're working with an ensemble cast here. Dennis Haysbert supplies his usual gravitas that was so compelling on such established productions as the Unit and 24. And yet, his place in the script as smirking straight man to Backstrom's supposed anarchic work ethic is completely cliche and easily forgettable. The misuse of an otherwise impressive cast (for a Fox show) gets worse from there, as it becomes apparent that Backstrom isn't the one who's a lazy, racist, slob: the producers are.
    Genevieve Angelson, who does a bang-up job with what she's given, plays Wilson's no-nonsense female partner, Detective Gravely (who came up with these names?). She disapproves of everything her partner says and does and yet has a history of being Portland's favorite on-the-job vice cop slut. Haysbert's Detective Sergeant Almond appears to be too hung up on Backstrom's (not illogical, or even unusual) observation that a certain suspect stands out in an otherwise racially homogeneous crowd, to notice that he's essentially running errands for his inferior officer. Moto, the other token minority on the team, is given a few lines about how dumb he is and how great threesomes are, especially with mixed martial arts groupies. Backstrom's Indian doctor has a few lines about his patient's health, and the writers milk every Hindu-related joke that they can for the entirety of the episode.
    The only person who doesn't fit snugly into a stereotype is Thomas Dekker's portrayal of the queer, underworld-connected roommate art thief (and son?), whose aforementioned adjectives are clearly spoken to the audience by Wilson as he gets another beer from the fridge whilst eating broccoli (more on that later). In fact, most of the characters in the show have so little of interest surrounding them that the writers feel the need to introduce them loudly every time they arrive on stage, lest we forget that they exist, let alone what their names are.
    In addition to the overly encouraged of nap time in Fox's creative lounge, we have a director who has no idea how to set a scene or make convincing use of cuts and camera angles in an action sequence, and doesn't even get the basics of actor direction. In both scenes centered around episode bad guy "Visser" (again, who the hell is naming these people?), it isn't clear what we are supposed to be paying attention to, or what we're even watching for that matter. Only after the first scene did I really know who they were talking to. And it still didn't make sense to me how the suspect was reacting to their actions in the bar.
    After the last scene, I was surprised that Backstrom had indeed shot himself and had to rewind it to understand what was going on. There's a lot to be said for using appropriate shots to give a narrative clarity. Mark Mylod's directing was clearly lacking in that regard.
    Now that I've done my best to tear this pilot apart, I want to highlight a few small points which give me hope again for the series as a whole. The first is Wilson's acting (along with some halfway decent writing) in two parts. The scene where he shoots himself, and Visser, was particularly surprising. We're not given any insight into why Backstrom has a freak out when he takes out his gun. We also aren't given many clues about this condition. That makes it a season-long mystery arc (if we're lucky)! Really, Wilson's look of bewilderment and terror in that scene was as convincing as mine must have been when watching the first half of this episode.
    And, in the final climax, the showdown with accomplice Cassandra, we get a taste of the drama that this show can dish out. Maybe it's just the sweeping skyline shots and the towering angles talking (good job, Mark, you figured out directing!), but this scene actually gave me some feels. Definitely a solid way to end a pilot, and rather gloriously unexpected.

    So, why do I absolutely hate Backstrom so far? Because of the Broccoli and the Beer. The producers of this show have no idea who their main character is. I'm not surprised a show like this came along. Misanthropic detectives have been popular since the 19th century. Recently, we've had a string of rather quirky ones: Monk, Dexter, Sherlock, House, even Rustin Cohle of True Detective. It's fine to use this archetype in your series, and it's especially encouraged to hilariously juxtapose a diet of plain broccoli with cheap beer. But only if that oxymoron is the result of well-thought-out characterization. Too often on Backstrom, every attempt at character development turns out to be just another eccentricity scribbled into this MadLib of a TV script.    … Expand
  2. aslanmane
    Jan 22, 2015
    1
    Big sigh. I was really hoping to like this, but I think I'll pass. The title says Backstrom but I think this will succeed based on the strength of the ensemble. Look at Brooklyn Nine-nine, the jokes are honestly not that funny, but because they are working with quirky established characters that gel together, it is very entertaining.

    The writing is very weak in the pilot. Everything    Big sigh. I was really hoping to like this, but I think I'll pass. The title says Backstrom but I think this will succeed based on the strength of the ensemble. Look at Brooklyn Nine-nine, the jokes are honestly not that funny, but because they are working with quirky established characters that gel together, it is very entertaining.

    The writing is very weak in the pilot. Everything feels forced. Niedermayer I think was supposed to be British or something similar to what Brendan Penny plays on Motive. Instead we get Kristoffer Polaha who does not pull off the character. He is leading man material, albeit on a low budget series, like North Shore. He is too handsome to play hippy hipster.

    Dennis Haysbert, who plays the character who is a pastor on the weekends, does not really pull that off either. They need someone who talks slower like Frankie Faison, who works on Banshee at the moment.

    Thomas Dekker is playing a 90's goth gay character, or maybe catwoman from Gotham. I love Thomas Dekker, but he just can't get a good show after Sarah Connor Chronicles ended. I hope this gets canceled soon, so he can get a better role.    … Expand
  3. Troublewalking
    Feb 6, 2015
    0
    I had high hopes for this show, but right now the show is too way over the top. Every actor is acting like everything they say is supposed to be hilarious or great. It is just absurd. I know that most new shows start with some bad acting until the actors get used to their new role, but this show at this point is just God awful. I really think this show is getting a decent rating by theI had high hopes for this show, but right now the show is too way over the top. Every actor is acting like everything they say is supposed to be hilarious or great. It is just absurd. I know that most new shows start with some bad acting until the actors get used to their new role, but this show at this point is just God awful. I really think this show is getting a decent rating by the fans because they like the lead actor. And he is doing a decent job, as he is supposed to be annoying and an antis social genius at solving crimes. But the rest of the actors are playing the same role. So it is just the worse detective show in history.… Expand
  4. horcrux2007
    Jan 23, 2015
    3
    I was really hoping that I'd like this one, but it's so tonally inconsistent, terribly written, and dull. The pilot episode tried to juggle painfully unfunny jokes with uninteresting cop drama. The jokes themselves feel so forced so that it can remind the audience that this guy is your "totally relatable and silly anti-hero". Even if the insults and jives hit, Backstrom himself is just aI was really hoping that I'd like this one, but it's so tonally inconsistent, terribly written, and dull. The pilot episode tried to juggle painfully unfunny jokes with uninteresting cop drama. The jokes themselves feel so forced so that it can remind the audience that this guy is your "totally relatable and silly anti-hero". Even if the insults and jives hit, Backstrom himself is just a formulaic anti-hero. I can't see this show getting a second season unless there are HUGE turnarounds.… Expand
  5. tigerskin84
    Apr 5, 2015
    1
    didnt like it, too much racist jokes, the main character is dislikeable(is intented to do that) but is not in a cool way,it susprise the high rating here....
  6. bobbyj22
    Jan 28, 2015
    1
    He is not House. He is not Holmes. I made it through the first 5 minutes, barely. Not sure why every joke in the opening scenes had to be about race. He is very offensive to the point it flattens the senses of the audience. This type of show demands quick wit, not in your face brashness. I gave it a 1 because at least the camera was in focus.

Awards & Rankings

55
#55 Most Discussed TV Season of 2015

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
51

Mixed or average reviews - based on 31 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 21 out of 31
  3. Negative: 4 out of 31
  1. The Lincoln Journal Star
    Reviewed by: Jeff Korbelik
    Feb 19, 2015
    75
    Wilson’s Backstrom is just downright rude and in-your-face belligerent, and, at times, it can be tough to swallow. That’s where the supporting cast comes in. Polaha and Rosen are particularly winsome characters, providing additional touches of humor and helping to soften Wilson’s hard edges. A little more of them and little less of Wilson will go a long way.
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  2. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Tim Goodman
    Jan 23, 2015
    30
    Backstrom is pretty bad on a number of levels and can't ultimately be forgiven for wasting Dennis Haysbert.
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  3. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    Reviewed by: Matt Zoller Seitz
    Jan 22, 2015
    40
    There's a deeper, more original series hiding inside the predictable melange that is Backstrom, and John Almond might be the way into it.
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