McBride: Anybody Here Murder Marty?

Although the actual mystery in this episode wasn't as bad as the last McBride I saw, it made for pretty dull viewing nonetheless. It's a shame they can't combine the elements more, i.e., humor, energy, and a good story. The show had some decent pieces to it, but they weren't pulled together.

It was great to see Harold Gould in the beginning as an alleged counterfeiter being defended by McBride and handsome Jack Scalia as a Jerry Springer type TV talk host. Scalia and his TV antics weren't on long enough for this viewer; he winds up dead very soon after the start of the show. The accused murderer is an ex-client of McBride's, so McBride goes to his aid. Because this is a high profile case, Liz Torres is brought in as a temp in McBride's office to handle the calls. Much more humor could have been mined from her part as well as Gould's.

Laroquette is a wonderful actor, but really, anyone could play McBride. The character should be more tailored to Laroquette's talent, and the pace of the show picked way up. This particular episode dragged noticeably. The series needs more colorful character types like Torres and Gould and less blandness. Marta Dubois and Laroquette had a sparring, flirtatious relationship, but now they seem to be just friends. And it's boring.

"McBride" can do better and it has.