- Network: NBC
- Series Premiere Date: Jan 7, 2013
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Critic Reviews
- Critic score
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Long-arc storylines usually need some immediate or fresh hook. Deception doesn't have that, instead reshuffling familiar pieces into a new puzzle.
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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.
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Some of this is diverting or at least laughable enough to play along.
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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.
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It lacks momentum and nerve, and it's sitting on a wellspring of meaning that it's too polite to tap.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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If your taste runs to old formulas slickly employed, Deception will hold your interest. If you prefer innovation, it probably won't.
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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.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 14 out of 31
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Mixed: 8 out of 31
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Negative: 9 out of 31
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Jun 24, 2014
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Apr 15, 2013
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Jan 31, 2013