Intelligence

After reading a very un-intelligent review on here, I'll just say this: The title "intelligence" wasn't about the guy's intelligence, it was about spying and collecting "intelligence" on "bad guys".

It wasn't supposed to be about a super-smart person, it was supposed to be about a person who had access to more data than anyone else, without the need of a computer.

That said, I loved the show. Seems like most of the ones I like get canceled these days...

I would like to know why it was canceled. Was it ratings? If so, was it mid-season ratings...when they only play re-runs? Pretty stupid reason to cancel a show, but it's happened before...

I'm a big fan in general of spy dramas (counting "Nikita", "Covert Affairs", "Alias", and "Chuck" among my favourite TV shows), so maybe I was biased towards this show from the outset, but I found it to be a very enjoyable and solid spy show. It had somewhat of a slow start for me and I hope to see more from Meghan Ory's character, who I have a feeling has a lot more to give on this show, but I think I'll be with this series for the long haul, as it has a charismatic leading man in Josh Holloway, an attractive and gifted female lead in Ory, and a good supporting role for Marg Helgenberger.

I look forward to what this show has to offer in future episodes.

A great show with a strong cast, a well implemented intriguing concept and fabulous action. I thoroughly enjoyed this, it will not win any awards, but it is an entertaining and enjoyable watch. Very disappointing that it was discontinued after only one season, there is plenty left to explore which could well have been even better than the first season.

Steve Austin meets Sherlock Holmes in a secret agent character (portrayed by Josh Holloway) and his adventures which capture the excitement of the very best of episodic television during its years before the medium became dominated by 'reality show' piffle.

This is a bold attempt at bringing back the kind of series which used to be a consistent ratings winner. This show, with stereotypical casting and solid (but unoriginal) writing touches all the bases adequately showing promise without reaching its full potential in its debut. It will get better via the ground laid by its premiere episode. The first episode is a field-goal. Touchdowns will follow.

Where it may grow tiresome is in the contrived relationship between hero Gabriel and his female partner which appears to be heading in the formulaic direction of so many other shows i.e. sexual tension interspersed with moments of grudging professional admiration and wisecracking camaraderie. Shows feature it because audiences still like it even though a lot of us have seen it so often.

High-minded viewers won't see the human insight of 'Game of Thrones', exploration of class consciousness in 'Downton Abbey' or sophisticated examination of power dynamics of 'the Borgias'. What they will get is a fun show they can watch with their kids.

I really liked the Intelligence pilot but, on the other hand, I also like Nikita, Alias, Covert Affairs, Person of Interest, Numb3rs, Burn Notice, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Arrow, Tomorrow People, The Blacklist, Orphan Black, Torchwood, The Unit, Almost Human, Homeland, 24... basically, all shows about espionage or spies, either as part of the higher level government security agencies (often secret ones) or free agent spies, trying to combat sinister terrorist organizations, corrupt governments and evil multinational corporations, with individuals who frequently have enhanced abilities (knowledge, fighting skills or super powers).

So, this show is right up my alley. But the question isn't if Intelligence is good, it's is it good enough in 2014 to not be canceled? Will the plots and characters be distinctive enough to distinguish this show from many other series that have the same episodic structure and design? And this question just considers spy-oriented shows, this series also has similarities to cop shows like Elementary or even procedural crime series that are basically 60 minute mysteries with, often, a long- arc story tying the season together.

After just seeing the pilot, I like the characters (or, at least, the actors) well enough but for this show to succeed, it will really rely on the talent of the writers and production crew. Espionage shows already demand a great suspension of disbelief because they reside in a world of secrets and lies that are hidden from ordinary citizens. Viewers won't compare Intelligence to life but to other espionage series and whether the world it creates is consistent to the one we have come to know in similar shows.

Right now, besides a likable cast of actors, Intelligence is trying to distinguish itself through the premise that a computer chip implanted in his brain enables the Gabriel Vaughn character to somehow download every fact that exists anywhere online, even behind firewalls and, seemingly on hard drives as well. It's accepting this premise that seems to be the main dividing line in user reviews of whether people like or dislike this show. While visually, it's stunning to watch Gabriel "cyber-render" a scenario, this show will succeed or fail on whether this goes beyond science fiction into fantasy territory. Will viewers buy this?

The other factor is scheduling and Monday nights at 10 pm is a tough time slot with audience-pleaser Castle and the very promising The Blacklist as opposition. It's hard to see the mid-season Intelligence ranking anywhere other than #3 and it would be wise for CBS to move the series to a less competitive night like Wednesdays or, even Friday nights where it will be more likely to develop an audience. I see this program as one that people DVR and may (or may not) ever watch later. While other shows survive being second choice viewing, it's not a good place for a new series to start from.

Personally, I hope the series last more than 10 or 14 episodes and lasts to a second season, hopefully on a different night of the week.