- Network: CBS
- Series Premiere Date: Jan 7, 2014
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Critic Reviews
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I want a show like this to be ridiculous and Intelligence is at its most enjoyable when it embraces the B-movie silliness of its concept. When it takes itself as seriously as it too often does, it ends up failing dramatically.
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A proficient if initially perfunctory action thriller that benefits immeasurably from its star's gruff, bluff machismo.
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The producers provide plenty of action, much of it triggered by the understandable fact that every enemy on Earth would like to get hold of Gabriel’s microchip, or find one of his own. In keeping with CBS’ tradition of action procedurals, Intelligence will solve cases of the week as well as grapple with longer-term dramas.
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For his first Monday night face-off against those two dramas, Holloway strips down to a glistening muscular torso while taking out his frustrations on a heavy boxing bag. But any visual stimulus is countered by Helgenberger’s continued struggles with the clunky lines given her.
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On the whole, Intelligence trafficks in the usual request to suspend your disbelief and then some, but it’s also mildly intriguing--especially in the idea that its macho lead character is also treated as a vulnerable prize who needs to be protected at all costs.
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Let's just call Intelligence competently made.... It's just fundamentally impossible to care about.
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There are nice moments, especially from Holloway, whose quips are vastly more clever than the rest of the show.
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Intelligence feels more like a dumb action movie.
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It feels cobbled together, from the premise of “Chuck,” “Jake 2.0” and other shows to scenes and situations that recall better productions like “Person of Interest,” “Homeland” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”
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The show's special effects are relatively decent, especially when Gabriel activates his chip and can re-create events as his own personal hologram. But the stock prickly relationship between Gabriel and Riley, which will undoubtedly lead to trust and maybe something more, is tiresome as soon as it begins.
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Lots of cartoon violence mixed with--irony alert--not enough intelligence.
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Both ["Killer Women" on ABC, Intelligence on CBS] feel like paint-by-numbers hours, unsatisfying offerings that are difficult to recall an hour after you've watched them.
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Gabriel's super powers are the thing meant to set the show apart, but the Intelligence writers frequently do a poor job of differentiating how he's any different from someone wearing Google Glass.... That said, Holloway's charm did not get chopped away with his long hair.
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Intelligence might probe these questions more, and so become richer than the latest show about a tortured male genius outsmarting the bad guys. Or it might just settle for flashy graphics, great action scenes, and underused actors looking good.
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The action sequences that ensue are intriguing enough. The trouble is that the show doesn't trust the viewer's capacity to infer. Nor does it tolerate the slightest ambiguity. Thus we get long, dull passages of dialogue.
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It’s always possible that Intelligence might warm to its subject, giving Holloway more to do than look morose and occasionally quip. As it stands now, though, Intelligence is a title that serves as a punchline.
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The attempt to ground the show in reality feels unnecessary and not fun, because nothing here is all that unbelievable.
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Maybe there’s an audience for this kind of thing--even though that audience would be better served watching Almost Human on Fox.
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Networks want their shows to look like movies these days, but the Intelligence pilot makes the border of Pakistan and Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C., both look like Vancouver, where the pilot was filmed. It's a minor but telling detail in this unimaginative rehash.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 42 out of 79
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Mixed: 25 out of 79
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Negative: 12 out of 79
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Jan 12, 2014This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view.
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Jan 20, 2014
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Jan 8, 2014