Kevin (Probably) Saves the World

Ritter brings solid appeal to the title role while Herbert Gregory has a strong grip on her “warrior for God.” Even so, Saves the World can be overly goofy at times and remains murky in terms of just what Kevin represents or is supposed to do as “the last of the righteous.” Whatever the potholes in the plot, Saves the World commendably aspires to be bracing and uplifting in times when a second coming of Touched By An Angel might just do a world of good.

The whole cast is solid and Ritter is the perfect choice to play Kevin Finn. He is as convincing in the dramatic moments as he is in the more comedic moments of the show.

This sounds sappy, but this series doesn't pontificate. Inspirational and playful, it teaches its endearing lessons in an entertaining way. Filled with light humor and heart, Kevin (Probably) Saves the World is a show with potential.

Accepting the celestial quirk takes a leap, but Kevin's dynamic with his grieving twin (JoAnna Garcia Swisher) anchors the tale and Ritter's charisma elevates it. [6 Oct 2017, p.53]

Kevin‘s dialogue is sprinkled with doses of biting humor that cut through all the self-help schmaltz. Ritter and Garcia Swisher have a genuine, combative brother-sister chemistry together, and glimmers of actual spiritual insight peek through at times.

We know this is sappy stuff, potentially, but it can be funny, too! Whether “Kevin (Probably) Saves the World” can walk that line is a question later episodes will have to answer. Meanwhile, for all its weird mythology, the values it espouses are simple: Be good, and if you can't be good, act good, which will lead eventually to being good.

Our Kevin here is played by Jason Ritter, scrappy and sincere, and strong enough to keep the whole thing afloat despite tonal inconsistencies that would sink other shows.

If you can stomach the feel-goodery of connecting to people through embrace, Kevin’s crash course in appreciating the wonders of shared humanity is a little sweet and a little funny--and best of all, original.

Quibbles about the premise aside, Ritter makes and sells this show. He balances the pathos and the comedy. In lesser hands, this hour just would not be appealing.

A huggable charmer with a big heart that can’t decide whether to go deep or skim the surface.

The rules explained by the angel (Kimberly Hebert Gregory, replacing Cristela Alonso from the pilot) are both complicated and nebulous, and it’s not clear what Kevin is supposed to do beyond being a do-gooder. Maybe “Touched by a Guy Touched by an Angel” is what this show is going for?

The specifics of Kevin's mission are fuzzy and the execution of how he goes about trying it are clunky and the last 10 minutes are such hokey schmaltz it would take a brilliant first 30 minutes to support them. The first 30 minutes aren't brilliant.

The problem is that there is so much stone-skipping across tones in the first episode that it’s hard to settle in and get a feel for what kind of show Kevin (Probably) Saves the World, co-created by former Agent Carter showrunners Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters, is going to be. ... For now, based solely on the pilot, I’d say Kevin (Probably) Saves the World is (probably) not worth the space it’s going to take up on your DVR.

Quibble over the categorization all you like, but that won't make Kevin any less of a chore to watch. A variant of the tasked-by-an-angel genre that stretches back to It's a Wonderful Life and perhaps beyond, the show is theologically unglued and emotionally dopey.

The spiritually focused series aims for feel-good with a story about a down-and-out man doing good, but it inevitably misses the mark. The end result is sappy, confusing and often dull.

A plot hackneyed enough to be absolutely confounding. ... The cast is its strongest point: Only Ritter’s charm as Kevin makes this show watchable at all; JoAnna Garcia Swisher, who also deserves a better TV series, and Chloe East are his able counterparts. (The banter between Kevin and his niece is the best part of the series.) But even with their considerable efforts, it’s not enough.