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.

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.

There are only two things this show has in common with the show it "spun off from," and neither of those things are enough for the majority of Rookie fans to even begin to enjoy this show.

Like the ROOKIE, the main character made a career change late in life, etc., and

The basic premise of the show and the writing feels similar to the original except it veers off like a caricature drawing of someone you know: in a good caricature drawing you can clearly recognize the person in the drawing, but every feature on the person's face is ridiculously exaggerated.

I believe, having watched SIX FULL EPISODES, I gave the show more of a chance than the other ROOKIE fans that quite FAIRLY gave the show a low rating. When I came here to rate the show I planned on giving it THREE STARS, and then leaving. But I became curious and began reading reviews.

The first couple dozen I read were all negative reviews and were in line with some of my thoughts on the series. I decided to head to the opposite end of the reviews and had IMBD show me positive reviews. I found it difficult to believe at first that ANYONE BELIEVED THE SHOW DESERVED 10 STARS, but I began to notice those reviews were from FANS OF MS. NASH, aaaaahhhhh. They were not fans of the original show!

Those people knew what they were getting into when they tuned in, THEY WERE NOT MISLEAD by the creators of the show!

I guess the creators wanted things both ways, or to STACK THE VIEWERSHIP DECK. I decided to give it one extra star for fans of Ms Nash, but rookie fans: SKIP IT.

I just removed it from HULU "My Stuff" list so I won't waste my time just because it's there telling me a new episode is available!

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.

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.