The Rookie: Feds

I love The Rookie. It's an underrated show. When Niecy Nash guested, I found her to much more digestible than her normally irritating persona. That said, it was a decent arc/guest spot, but not worthy of a spin off.

The pilot was not strong and it lacked all of the elements that made her guest spot entertaining. I like her Felix, could have used much more of him and s and James Lesure, but Britt didn't come close to fitting in and the Vampire Cop stuff was 100% disposable. I'm already tired of the dynamic between Niecy and her dad. If they want this to be a series and not a gimmick, that won't last. Make Niecy the Underdog like Nathan was on the original. Dial the dizziness down and make her legitimately bright, verse this streetwise hustler and give Felix and James more to do. I think Niecy may be far too petite to buy in this roles and with her curvaceous figure, I don't see her running or appearing tough, so it's really going to be a hard sell. This would have been a much better fit for a Regina Hall, but based on what I have seen so far, I'd be surprised if we get an entire season.

Where to start. We have 2 people that would never be selected for mall security much lest the FBI. Neither are very likeable and their training agents have so much baggage that it detracts from what little the show offers. Drawing on past experiences is one thing... having to listen to how the smell of a high school locker room could compare to the decomposing bodies in a morgue or being able to profile everything because you figured out what's on a 16 year old boys mind gets old fast. The unorganic way that social issues pop into the show make it feel more like an infomercial for the cause of the day. All in all, simply a poor spinoff.

OK. It's a clever idea to make a series about an annoying person who nonetheless delivers the goods. The opportunities for comedy and irony are limitless. The problem is, if the person is really so annoying, then it's annoying to watch. That's the problem here. The central character does such a good job it's hard to watch.

There isn't much support from her fellow actors, none of whom stand out and all of whom just fade into the background. And the script contusions necessary to allow her to succeed are just too contrived, not merely in quantity but in quality as well.

All told, a good idea, but the inherent problem is not overcome.

When the backdoor pilot for Feds played on The Rookie, my original intention was to give the show no attention, if it was picked up. However, as they started casting, I saw a number of actors that I enjoyed, so I gave it a try.

Now I find myself enjoy watching the secondary characters and aggressively hate watching the lead. Don't get me wrong, Niecy Nash is fine in the right environment. She is great on something like Reno 911 where she is in an ensemble and where the whole concept is goofy. But her obnoxious portrayal of an obnoxious character is so irritating, it makes it nearly impossibly to watch.

The Simone Clark character walks in, specifically into a group that was harnessed with her against their will in the backdoor pilot, and is basically the Messiah of the FBI, telling everyone exactly how to do their jobs, while also comporting herself any way she pleases.

I find myself still watching for the other characters and storylines I find more interesting, as well as for the interaction between the parent series and the spinoff characters, but every time she is focus, I'm completely pulled out of the moment. This is one of those times that a shock move like removing the main character would be a huge boost to a decent show.

I actually like the rest of the cast and their dynamics. Niecy Nash distracts from the rest of the show; her acting is bad and over the top.

Think part of the problem is how the character is written especially, as there is no way a rookie agent would get away with her insubordination.

Many times, the lead is written to have a sudden "insight" to solve the crime whereas the rest of the crew is doing the real work. The lazy writing gets annoying fast.

I enjoy the performance of the actor who plays her father, but I don't know how you would keep him in the show while writing her out of the series.

The Rookie works because Nathan Fillion is believable and likeable, none of which applies to the lead of this spinoff.