Whiskey Cavalier

:

Season 1
  • Network: ABC
  • Series Premiere Date: Feb 27, 2019
Metascore
64

Generally favorable reviews - based on 17 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 17
  3. Negative: 0 out of 17
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Critic Reviews

  1. TV Guide Magazine
    Reviewed by: Matt Roush
    Feb 28, 2019
    60
    As sleek as it is silly, Whiskey goes down smoothly if pure escapism is your tonic of choice. [4-17 Mar 2019, p.11]
    All this critic's reviews
  2. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Mike Hale
    Feb 25, 2019
    60
    In the early episodes Cohan looks capable but not entirely comfortable with the fast-paced comedy. She’s surrounded by people who are at home with the show’s rhythms, though.
  3. Variety
    Reviewed by: Caroline Framke
    Feb 22, 2019
    60
    Yes, it’s cheesy, but it’s hard to hold that against the show too much when it’s also half the point. ... It also keeps insisting that Will and Frankie have undeniable sexual chemistry, but at least in the two episodes screened for critics, that has yet to prove itself.
  5. Rolling Stone
    Reviewed by: Alan Sepinwall
    Feb 22, 2019
    60
    This is a show like they used to make ’em. But it’s also one that needs to relax a bit and trust that its leads are as appealing together as the other characters keep telling us that they are.
  6. Collider
    Reviewed by: Allison Keene
    Feb 22, 2019
    60
    Whiskey Cavalier could turn into a solid procedural for ABC, as both Foley and Cohan have enough charm to see it through its weaker moments. There may not be anything particularly new about what the show does or how it does it, but it checks the right boxes.
  7. USA Today
    Reviewed by: Kelly Lawler
    Feb 22, 2019
    50
    All flash, very little substance. For some, that will work. But plenty of shows (including CBS's "Elementary") manage to do both.
  8. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Tim Surette
    Feb 21, 2019
    50
    It's not bad, but it's not good. It's ABC's idea of fun. And that means the pilot ends with Will and Frankie arguing about who the leader of the squad is while Portugal, The Man plays them off.
  9. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Robert Rorke
    Feb 19, 2019
    50
    There’s nothing wrong with the casting but there’s nothing dynamic about it, either. ... Whiskey Cavalier may use terms like “retinal scans” in its storylines in order to sound like the espionage dialogue is up to date, but make no mistake: you’ve seen this show a dozen times before.

Awards & Rankings

58
#58 Most Discussed TV Season of 2019
24
#24 Most Shared TV Season of 2019

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
6.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 42 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 42
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 42
  3. Negative: 6 out of 42
  1. Bilabrin
    Mar 14, 2019
    3
    Remember Castle? It was a great show. Whiskey Cavelier remembers. A goofy but cunning older guy, a shrewd and passionate badass lady-cop and aRemember Castle? It was a great show. Whiskey Cavelier remembers. A goofy but cunning older guy, a shrewd and passionate badass lady-cop and a whole ton of fun sexual tension kept that show watchable for 8 awesome seasons.

    With Whiskey Cavalier I'm tapping out after episode 3. The show has tried to capture the feeing of Castle but with a twist, bad writing and unlikable charachters. The three main leads are fine and have a good chemistry but tack on a socially awkward and inherently unlikable duo of support staff and shoehorn them into every scene formulaically and you have a recipe for disaster. It's like getting spinach sprinkled on your ice cream.

    The psycologist charachter has a dour and negative comment in literally every scene she's cast in and the gadget guy feels like the guy who nobody invited to the party but showed up anyway trying to seem cool.

    Even were we to overlook these two "turds in the punchbowl" the dialog between the two leads is forced, cheesy and unsubtle.

    Overall this show is not fun, its a dour slog. The pilot was okay and the second episode was almost as good, with the third episode I've realized there's not enough here to like to justify my time.    … Full Review »
  2. Gmg
    Apr 5, 2019
    6
    There's no chemistry between the two leads. The three co-stars on the team are great together. I don't think the show will last too long.
  3. Disco
    Mar 17, 2019
    5
    Different but the same. I feels like they essentially took a bunch of cliche characters, tossed them in a pot, added some not horrible comedyDifferent but the same. I feels like they essentially took a bunch of cliche characters, tossed them in a pot, added some not horrible comedy writers, poured it out and thought a funny spy was worth a shot.

    I'm onboard just to see what happens with the idea but it is tough sledding so far. Everything shows promise but the show really feels like a bunch of experiments with blending the characters, quirks and spy stuff that so far, have little cohesion. There is a nugget of promise here but after just three episodes, it has yet to find any footing. What particularly disappointed me in the last episode was Tyler James Williams' character being written even more as a tired old cliche of the fast-talking, often inept black comic relief. A true 'ugh' moment because it is such a predictable, dull and musty concept. A couple more laugh out loud moments was in there this week which I appreciated. Again, there is something buried here that is worth sticking it out for at least a few more episodes to see if they can figure out how to put it on screen. So far, my optimism is shakier but we'll see what happens.    … Full Review »
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