"Life" Recap & Review - "

Life
"Pilot"

Original Air Date: September 27, 2007

Maty - TwoCents Senior Staff Writer

Cop, Convict, Life

This is the greatest most original cop show ever! Well that’s not exactly true. It’s not true at all. I have to admit this show, I was looking forward to, is full of unoriginal cop clichés. Through all that muck there is something at the core of this show that will draw me back for a second and maybe third watch. That is Charlie Crews played by Damian Lewis.

I will confess that I am a crazy fan of the mini-series Band of Brothers. And Lewis’ work in the mini-series will make me a fan of his for life. So maybe I’m biased but I like what he is doing with this character. The isolation he went through in jail has affected the way he encounters people in the present and has made him an interesting character. I thought it was a realistic portrayal of a man who has spent almost a decade in prison and now has to relate to people again. I think the possibilities could go much further then the typical Cop with a special talent. To me anyway.

There is no doubt the writers are trying to get too much mileage out of the “I don’t understand modern technology” but how long can that last? They are going to have to start writing real stories. That is my real point.

The first show is a pilot and often times pilots have a different feel then the rest of the season because the writers have to do so much establishing the premise instead of storytelling. Now, great writers can do both, but how many really great shows are on TV right now? I think we are swallowing a lot more crap then greatness. What else can us TV lovers do?

I’m going to give LIFE another chance because I owe Damian Lewis the courtesy for all the hours of entertainment he’s given me. I have seen so much worse on TV that has been on years. I’m looking in your direction CSI Miami! Maybe to solve all our problems we just replace David Caruso with Damian Lewis and the world would be a much happier place.

I give the first episode of LIFE an INCOMPLETE.