The Rookie: Feds

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.

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.

I love the original Rookie though in the past couple series it has veered too much into melodrama/soapy territory and has lost its way a tad.

The first thing about 'Feds' is that it poorly cast. I found the lead irritating in her guest spot on Rookie and wonder whose bright idea it was to give the character her own show.

There is no chemistry between any of the characters and the acting is mostly sub-standard. The pilot failed to engage in any way and I wasn't sure if it was trying to be a comedy or serious drama.

The show has cancellation written all over it. This was a great opportunity to develop the Rookie franchise but this is really an epic fail.

I'm a big fan of Nathan Fillion since his Buffy days and through Firefly so when he became The Rookie I was all in. It's an enjoyable show. A bit farfetched for all that his particular character has gone through but it's still good.

When Rookie: Feds came along I gave it a shot because of the crossover.

This could be such a great show with a few character changes.

Niecy Nash's character Simone grates on the nerves. She comes across as fake as a person acting a part, badly I might add. She's really not useful to most of the episodes and she's supposed to be the central character.

Frank Faison's Cutty is also unbearable and the acting is horrible.

Minus these two characters the show could really be something.

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.