The Mysteries of Laura

:

Season 1
  • Network: NBC
  • Series Premiere Date: Sep 17, 2014
Season #: 2, 1
Metascore
37

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 28 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 28
  3. Negative: 13 out of 28
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Critic Reviews

  1. Philadelphia Daily News
    Reviewed by: Ellen Gray
    Sep 17, 2014
    30
    The real mystery of Laura is why Debra Messing ("Will & Grace") would have chosen this particular adventure after the crash and slow burn of NBC's "Smash."... Because it can't be that what she thought was missing from television were depictions of successful women whose personal lives are a hot mess.
  2. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Mary McNamara
    Sep 17, 2014
    30
    Unfortunately, Messing, though talented in many ways, is absolutely and completely unbelievable as a homicide detective. Even this stretched-to-ditziness-but-still-tough-enough-to-get-the-job-done version.
  3. Variety
    Reviewed by: Brian Lowry
    Sep 16, 2014
    30
    Whatever good will the series musters with its easy-going tone--which, the grimmer cop stuff notwithstanding, comes through in the family scenes and Laura’s banter with her partner (Laz Alonzo)--is squandered not only by the familiarity of its story beats but the haphazard way they’re thrown together, courtesy of writer-showrunner Jeff Rake, who adapted a Spanish series; and director McG, whose fast-paced style seems wasted on this material.
  5. Time
    Reviewed by: James Poniewozik
    Sep 15, 2014
    30
    To be generous, the pilot of Mysteries is bad in ordinary ways that might eventually be fixed by better scripts. The inaugural mystery is forgettable. There are stereotypes galore.
  6. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Lori Rackl
    Sep 17, 2014
    25
    It’s pretty awful. Debra Messing deserves better than this trench coat cloaked detective who, in the premiere, solves what might be The Most Inane Murder Mystery in the History of Television.
  7. Newark Star-Ledger
    Reviewed by: Vicki Hyman
    Sep 16, 2014
    25
    It's a bizarro comedy-cop procedural-mommy drama that does nothing well, and the murder mystery exceptionally badly.
  8. Hitfix
    Reviewed by: Alan Sepinwall
    Sep 15, 2014
    25
    In a fall season with a lot of mediocre shows ... here's one of the few truly awful ones.
  9. The Huffington Post
    Reviewed by: Maureen Ryan
    Sep 17, 2014
    20
    What a big mess, and what a disappointing waste of Debra Messing.
  10. TV Guide Magazine
    Reviewed by: Matt Roush
    Sep 17, 2014
    20
    It's two bad shows in one and feels like a USA Network castoff.
  11. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    Reviewed by: Margaret Lyons
    Sep 17, 2014
    20
    The mystery is bad, the police work is bad, the home-life stories are bad, everything is bad. This is a bad, bad show.
  12. Slate
    Reviewed by: Willa Paskin
    Sep 16, 2014
    20
    Mysteries of Laura has pretty successfully convinced us that Laura’s not a mystery. She’s just unbearable.
  13. Denver Post
    Reviewed by: Joanne Ostrow
    Sep 17, 2014
    10
    The adaptation fails spectacularly.
  14. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Tim Goodman
    Sep 17, 2014
    10
    It would be a maddening exercise to list all the elements in The Mysteries of Laura that are, at their core, asinine. Suffice it to say, avoid this at all costs. In a fall filled with bad new shows, it's one of the worst.

Awards & Rankings

51
#51 Most Discussed TV Season of 2014
77
#77 Most Shared TV Season of 2014

User Reviews

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User Score
5.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 76 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 41 out of 76
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 76
  3. Negative: 30 out of 76
  1. EmmyPaden
    Sep 19, 2014
    10
    I know I can't be the only one that loved the Pilot! Maybe it is because I understand and have been in her shoes, juggling work, kids,I know I can't be the only one that loved the Pilot! Maybe it is because I understand and have been in her shoes, juggling work, kids, husband, work, cheating husband, work, divorce and work... I will admit that I am already a Debra Messing uber fan from Will and Grace. I was afraid that the new character would be like the old, but it isn't! She is funny and professional at the same time.... but then she is also frantic and worried about her kids. She is a great mom from what was in the Pilot! The divorce/possible reconciliation, her position on the police force while having style and GREAT SHOES and the new promotion of her husband are just three reasons I want to see Episode 2!! I believe we have a modern day Colombo flipped upside down!! If you didn't like the pilot, perhaps you should give it a second chance... Pilots are generally not as great as the rest of the premier season... I'll be watching!!!… Full Review »
  2. PennyPenny
    Sep 19, 2014
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. Don't want to take the time to even attempt to get a search warrant? Break the law.

    Don't want to go to the trouble of finding a Pre-K that might help your very, very disturbed, one dimensional demons you have been saddled with as offspring? Try illegal record searches and extortion.

    Afraid those kids won't make it through the resulting interview? Drug them.

    Thinking some of this might have been funny given a great script or proper delivery? Maybe, but unfortunately this desperate, throw everything at the wall (including feces, urine and soup) and see what sticks dramedy fails the viewer. If you are expecting entertainment, or even mild amusement, then you will be left disappointed.

    This heavy handed show is self consciously disrespectful and clumsy in its attempt to wrap itself in the crumpled overcoat of Columbo. She's sloppy! See! She's eating days old food off her desk! See!? She's spilling soup on a cadaver! Soup! (Insert yucks here). Her desk isn't just messy or cluttered, it's filthy! See how Columbo-like she is?

    No. Columbo was a capable, rules following (called douche bags in this show), detective that methodically moved towards solving a mystery while being consistently underestimated by his suspects. He didn't break the law for his convenience or for selfish reasons or to "find a place to dump off my kids at 8 and pick them up at 5". He didn't chew cheesecake with his mouth open and use cadavers as tablecloths. Yet somehow we still got it. He was a slob.

    The world has moved on, but really, have we really lost so much that writers feel comfortable in skipping the whole mystery concept and instead offer up cliches, neon signs and outrageously over-the-top antics to make a point? The mystery concept here was abandoned in favor of attempts at humorous or shocking interactions between characters largely outside of the mystery's setting. We are treated to watching an unlikeable, callous, grossly selfish woman chew, snort, bully and stomp her way through a silly story. And not in a good way. She wants place to shelve her children. This insult to working Moms everywhere was a bitter disappointment.

    I wanted this to be a fantastic show. A few minutes in I was hoping it could be an okay show, then a not-awful show, but in the end I fear it is not even a salvageable show. Though it may make a comfortable addition to a compost pile.    … Full Review »
  3. tvnewsguido
    Sep 18, 2014
    1
    "The Mysteries of Laura" is, quite frankly, unbelievably bad.

    In a world with "Fargo" and "True Detective" - hell even with stuff like    "The Mysteries of Laura" is, quite frankly, unbelievably bad.

    In a world with "Fargo" and "True Detective" - hell even with stuff like "Bones" and "Castle" available - just don't "The Mysteries of Laura" ever.    … Full Review »
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