CBS' Intelligence is a cheesy, vanilla-flavored cyber thriller that manages to be both laughably bad and completely inoffensive.
The show's concept is simple: Gabriel Black (Josh Holloway) is a U.S. intelligence agent with a microchip implanted in his brain. It allows him to access nearly unlimited information. Basically, he's a computer with a body and WiFi. Gabriel uses his manufactured abilities for good as part of an elite team helping the government track down bad guys.
The idea is interesting. Too bad the show is not.
Intelligence fails first because of its writing. The dialogue is bogged down by exposition and forced intrigue, while the plot is about as unpredictable as a game of peekaboo. It's not hard to see the twists coming, unless you've been bored to sleep by background information.
The show isn't helped by its mediocre actors. One-dimensional characters and uninspired line readings abound.
Some cast members downright embarrass themselves. Like Marg Helgenberger as agency director Lillian Strand. Helgenberger takes on a so-so script and makes things even worse with her complete lack of imagination. Her performance is just what you would expect -- professional, confident, forceful -- and nothing else.
Meghan Ory is another disappointment. She plays Riley Neal, a former Secret Service agent now responsible for protecting Gabriel. This should be a likeable character, as she makes up half of the show's leading odd couple. Instead, she comes off as a brat. Her acting is not as empty as Helgenberger's, but it's certainly misjudged.
Then there's Holloway, who is essentially playing a nicer version of Sawyer from Lost. Talk about typecasting. At least he does a fine job portraying his gruff and sarcastic machine man. Though the performance is nothing to write home about from a desert island, Holloway has enough charisma to carry the show. And he'll have to, thanks to the dead-eyed supporting cast.
If there's one thing Intelligience gets right, it's the presentation of Gabriel's cyber vision. It is spectacular. There's nothing cooler on the show than when viewers get to see the world the way Gabriel does. Hi-tech and stylish, these shots work because they illustrate the magnitude of Gabriel's capabilities. This is what can pull viewers into the show. What's the point of having a character with a digital mind if you can't share his experience?
Despite awesome visuals and a neat plotline, Intelligence is just plain and pointless, unable to rise above its idiotic execution.
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