Thief
FX | Release Date: March 28, 2006
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
71
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 25 Critic Reviews
Positive:
18
Mixed:
5
Negative:
2

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
New York PostLinda Stasi
Season 1 Review: So what is there to like about this show? The same thing there was to like about "The Sopranos" and "The Shield" - great writing, insanely good acting, deeply troubled and deeply layered characters and a plot that will keep you glued to your seat. Read full review
90
The Hollywood ReporterBarry Garron
Season 1 Review: Creator-writer Norman Morrill's drama is so taut and his approach to the genre so sharp that the only significant complaint is that the first "season" is only six episodes. Read full review
90
The New York TimesAlessandra Stanley
Season 1 Review: "Thief" pays homage to all the conventions of a traditional thriller and weaves into it complicated issues of guilt, race and family. It's a little like some of the better dramas on HBO, but finds its own unorthodox way. Read full review
90
Washington PostTom Shales
Season 1 Review: A stand-up, standout piece of work, one that works wonders on a seemingly tired genre. Read full review
88
New York Daily NewsDavid Hinckley
Season 1 Review: "Thief" brims with strong, potent performances. Read full review
83
Entertainment WeeklyGillian Flynn
Season 1 Review: Braugher [has] never been better... rarely has a character hopped onto the screen feeling so completely real. [31 Mar 2006, p.51]
80
Seattle Post-IntelligencerMelanie McFarland
Season 1 Review: The storytelling and performances are peerless in their intensity.... At the same time, there may be too much going on here for six episodes to do this show justice. Read full review
80
Baltimore SunDavid Zurawik
Season 1 Review: Braugher's performance as Atwater is intense, scary, seductive and astonishing in its range of emotions. It leaves little doubt that he is still among the best actors ever to grace the medium. Read full review
80
Philadelphia InquirerJonathan Storm
Season 1 Review: Thief is in a different league, simultaneously intense and flamboyant, propelled by Braugher, who's even better here than in Homicide: Life on the Street. Read full review
80
VarietyPhil Gallo
Season 1 Review: Like plots on "Hustle," "24" and "The Shield," there's a bit of incredulousness that comes with each caper. But with persuasive writing, sharp visuals and editing, as well as a steady directorial hand, "Thief" is always convincing. Read full review
75
San Jose Mercury News/Contra Costa TimesCharlie McCollum
Season 1 Review: "Thief" is a worthy addition to [FX's] schedule. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleTim Goodman
Season 1 Review: "Thief" doesn't levitate with genre-busting genius, but it is very FX, which means it's very real and well executed, a series that doesn't pander. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesDoug Elfman
Season 1 Review: The minute "Thief" begins running tonight on cable's FX, television reclaims its best actor. Read full review
75
Detroit Free PressMike Duffy
Season 1 Review: [A] smart, hard-edged new crime drama. Read full review
70
Village VoiceJoy Press
Season 1 Review: Hopefully this overkill of plot twists is just series finale syndrome in reverse--an opening-episode gambit to snag viewers--and the show will settle down to work on its more subtle elements. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesRobert Lloyd
Season 1 Review: It benefits immensely from the presence of Braugher, at long last in a role that, like that of Det. Frank Pembleton on "Homicide: Life on the Street," suits his particular intensity. Read full review
70
Pittsburgh Post-GazetteRob Owen
Season 1 Review: "Thief" offers strong moments aplenty, but what it lacks are strong connections, both between those moments and among some of its characters. Read full review
63
People WeeklyTom Gliatto
Season 1 Review: This is all well done, and it's a great-looking production, but the weight of the drama keeps tugging toward a side plot about Braugher's 14-year-old stepdaughter. [10 Apr 2006, p.35]
60
SalonHeather Havrilesky
Season 1 Review: As a character study of one man, "Thief" works, but it's going to take a lot more than that to pull us into this very dark, very unforgiving story. Read full review
60
Wall Street JournalDorothy Rabinowitz
Season 1 Review: It requires a certain patience to stay with "Thief." Read full review
60
Orlando SentinelHal Boedeker
Season 1 Review: Watching Braugher, who won an Emmy for Homicide, proves highly satisfying. But there's a big hitch: the maddening show around him. Read full review
60
SlateTroy Patterson
Season 1 Review: The show would probably be too ponderous to enjoy if Braugher weren't an actor of tremendous restraint. Read full review
50
New York Magazine (Vulture)John Leonard
Season 1 Review: We don’t yet know if Thief will go anywhere surprising. Read full review
30
TV Guide MagazineMatt Roush
Season 1 Review: Bores by being relentlessly glum. Read full review
30
Boston GlobeMatthew Gilbert
Season 1 Review: It walks the walk of Important Series Television, but no matter how hard it tries to be gutsy and existential, it rings hollow. Read full review
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