Deception
NBC | Release Date: January 7, 2013
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
52
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 26 Critic Reviews
Positive:
8
Mixed:
15
Negative:
3
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
New York Daily NewsDavid HinckleyJan 7, 2013
Season 1 Review: Long-arc storylines usually need some immediate or fresh hook. Deception doesn't have that, instead reshuffling familiar pieces into a new puzzle. Read full review
60
VarietyBrian LowryJan 3, 2013
Season 1 Review: Viewed charitably, the series isn't bad as a sort-of "Dallas" knockoff, though it's worth noting TNT's rebooted "Dallas" covers similar territory in a more satisfying manner. Read full review
58
Uncle BarkyEd BarkJan 4, 2013
Season 1 Review: Some of this is diverting or at least laughable enough to play along. Read full review
50
Zap2it (Inside the Box)Rick PorterJan 7, 2013
Season 1 Review: The cast is good enough and the premise strong enough to carry it. Right now, though, Deception is a show that doesn't know what it is. Read full review
50
New York Magazine (Vulture)Matt Zoller SeitzJan 7, 2013
Season 1 Review: It lacks momentum and nerve, and it's sitting on a wellspring of meaning that it's too polite to tap. Read full review
50
Boston HeraldMark A. PerigardJan 7, 2013
Season 1 Review: Vivian's secrets are predictable. Judging from the first two episodes, Joanna is not much of a sleuth. Scene set-ups go nowhere. Minor characters are brought in, disposed of, and the show bumps along to another complication. Read full review
50
USA TodayRobert BiancoJan 7, 2013
Season 1 Review: While the show makes almost no sense, it is pretty to look at. And it does have a few good actors in its mix, even if they're not particularly well served by the scripts. Read full review
50
Washington PostEmily YahrJan 4, 2013
Season 1 Review: Deception falls prey to the exhaustive method of too-much-storytelling, adding layer upon layer of mini-mysteries and twists until the weary viewer needs a detailed map to keep track--or turns off the show entirely. Read full review
50
Slant MagazineDaniel GoldbergJan 3, 2013
Season 1 Review: The writers, for their part, certainly inspire confidence when it comes to the sturdiness of their vehicle, and that's no small feat. It's the intervals between the intrigue, however, that feel regrettably squandered, and the characters' rare moments alone reveal little more than the actors' lack of direction. Read full review
40
Boston GlobeMatthew GilbertJan 7, 2013
Season 1 Review: Even the actors seem grudging as they play their predictable parts. They never succeed in creating a sense of ensemble, enabling us to feel how these characters have known one another for decades. Read full review
40
Denver PostJoanne OstrowJan 7, 2013
Season 1 Review: Judging by the first two hours, Deception is not as seductive as "Revenge" and contains even more clunky acting and just as much melodramatic music. Read full review
40
Los Angeles TimesRobert LloydJan 7, 2013
Season 1 Review: Deception, in trying for something more "real" and not quite getting there, feels fake. There is little chemistry between the people who are supposed to have it. Read full review
40
Philadelphia Daily NewsEllen GrayJan 7, 2013
Season 1 Review: As long as the network realizes it's deceiving no one if it pretends Deception is anything but what it is: far-fetched, formulaic and maybe a little late to the party. Read full review
40
The New York TimesNeil GenzlingerJan 7, 2013
Season 1 Review: If your taste runs to old formulas slickly employed, Deception will hold your interest. If you prefer innovation, it probably won't. Read full review
40
TV Guide MagazineMatt RoushJan 7, 2013
Season 1 Review: The pacing is sluggish, the twists telegraphed and rarely shocking, turning this whodunit into a "who cares?" Deception gets NBC's midseason off to a dreary start. Read full review
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