Network: USA; Genre: Remake, Crime/Mystery; Content Rating: TV-14 (violence, language, adult content); Available: Universal HD; Perspective: Contemporary (content rating: 1 – 4);
Seasons Reviewed: Series (1 season)
"Touching Evil" has got to be the bleakest and most depressing crime series since "Wire in the Blood". From executive producers Bruce Willis (who may have instilled the unorthodox cop element), the Hughes Brothers (looks like they gave it the stylish visual flair) and based on the UK series of the same name, "Evil" is a grim mood piece washed in blue hues, somber music and populated with characters full of grief and misery. You could argue that despite the numerous more light-hearted TV examples to the contrary, this is the way to do a series about murder and crime justice.
Jeffrey Donovan stars as David Creegan a former cop who was shot in the head, nearly died and is reinstated on the force in an elite crime-solving division (headed by desk jocky boss Zach Grenier) now without inhibitions. His partner, straight-man female cop Vera Farmiga is there to keep him in line. TV is always trying to find a way to infuse a unique character into the well-established formula of the self-contained crime series. From the aforementioned "Wire" (which "Evil" shares a lot of its style and tone with) to "Monk" to "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" to Fearless in "Boomtown" to the more recent medical mystery "House" and "Life". "Evil" lies smack in the middle of these shows. Despite the potential gimmick, "Evil's" Creegan doesn't have a drop the personality of any of the eccentric detectives of those shows. Which is problem one for "Touching Evil".
"Touching Evil" is a well made, well acted series. It's a ready-made star turn for Donovan. His quirks as Creegan are subtle, veiled in drama and constantly require him to live in past trauma instead of using it to move his life forward in an interesting way. It's a textbook good performance. The mood, the look, the complexity of the mysteries. The show is different enough in the genre to inspire a following; no doubt on several lists of great shows that were canceled before their time for its realistically downbeat endings.
My personal reaction to it was not an entertaining one. It employs one of my least favorite TV writing devises: the client based story, in which our leads are more often than not just a pathway to get into the lives of new characters we have never met before, will never meet again but are the episode's real story focus. "Evil" follows the tried-and-true format of using the clients to bring out some tacked on moment of reflection for Creegan or his partner. The characters are just figures to advance the crime story, which is the paramount concern of this show and many like it. There is nothing really fascinating about them, and they rarely have anything really interesting to say. Conversation that isn't about the case is almost non- existent. That's its style.
True, it's different than any other genre mystery on the air. It's a crime series that lacks shocking twists, big reveals and clever little bits of evidence to follow. Some will find it refreshing, I found it dull. It doesn't need a gimmick, but it does need something to pull me in. I want action, not inaction or reaction. Despite Creegan's supposed lack of inhibitions, he doesn't do much of anything eccentric, out-of-the-box or that anyone else would do. The show's premise quickly becomes wasted. When confronted with a child abductor, Creegan attempts some vigilante justice, yet his priorities always lie with doing the right thing, the measured thing, the predictable thing. And for that, I couldn't get into it. Sometimes, that's all there is. Despite its viciousness, "Evil" pulls off the feat of lulling the viewer into a disaffected sleep.
The show almost suffocates in a relentless atmosphere of tragic human insanity. The world is a dangerous place, where terrible things happen to good people and something is out to get you around every corner. It's not an easy show to watch each week and it's also not a particularly compelling one. Lots of grieving, crying parents and spouses herein. Bodies in trunks, kidnapped and murdered kids. The show wallows in itself. It's a slow burn of depression. I don't need or want all my TV shows happy-go-lucky, particularly my dramas. But I do want compelling thought provoking drama with meat and substance. There is something about "Evil" that always feels unsatisfying to me. "Wire in the Blood" which is a grim 2-hour watch gives us a satisfying payoff, even if that payoff is that the killer gets away or the victim dies. "Evil" doesn't feel punctuated. It just burns out. It curls up on the floor in the fetal position in defeat.
* * / 4
Seasons Reviewed: Series (1 season)
"Touching Evil" has got to be the bleakest and most depressing crime series since "Wire in the Blood". From executive producers Bruce Willis (who may have instilled the unorthodox cop element), the Hughes Brothers (looks like they gave it the stylish visual flair) and based on the UK series of the same name, "Evil" is a grim mood piece washed in blue hues, somber music and populated with characters full of grief and misery. You could argue that despite the numerous more light-hearted TV examples to the contrary, this is the way to do a series about murder and crime justice.
Jeffrey Donovan stars as David Creegan a former cop who was shot in the head, nearly died and is reinstated on the force in an elite crime-solving division (headed by desk jocky boss Zach Grenier) now without inhibitions. His partner, straight-man female cop Vera Farmiga is there to keep him in line. TV is always trying to find a way to infuse a unique character into the well-established formula of the self-contained crime series. From the aforementioned "Wire" (which "Evil" shares a lot of its style and tone with) to "Monk" to "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" to Fearless in "Boomtown" to the more recent medical mystery "House" and "Life". "Evil" lies smack in the middle of these shows. Despite the potential gimmick, "Evil's" Creegan doesn't have a drop the personality of any of the eccentric detectives of those shows. Which is problem one for "Touching Evil".
"Touching Evil" is a well made, well acted series. It's a ready-made star turn for Donovan. His quirks as Creegan are subtle, veiled in drama and constantly require him to live in past trauma instead of using it to move his life forward in an interesting way. It's a textbook good performance. The mood, the look, the complexity of the mysteries. The show is different enough in the genre to inspire a following; no doubt on several lists of great shows that were canceled before their time for its realistically downbeat endings.
My personal reaction to it was not an entertaining one. It employs one of my least favorite TV writing devises: the client based story, in which our leads are more often than not just a pathway to get into the lives of new characters we have never met before, will never meet again but are the episode's real story focus. "Evil" follows the tried-and-true format of using the clients to bring out some tacked on moment of reflection for Creegan or his partner. The characters are just figures to advance the crime story, which is the paramount concern of this show and many like it. There is nothing really fascinating about them, and they rarely have anything really interesting to say. Conversation that isn't about the case is almost non- existent. That's its style.
True, it's different than any other genre mystery on the air. It's a crime series that lacks shocking twists, big reveals and clever little bits of evidence to follow. Some will find it refreshing, I found it dull. It doesn't need a gimmick, but it does need something to pull me in. I want action, not inaction or reaction. Despite Creegan's supposed lack of inhibitions, he doesn't do much of anything eccentric, out-of-the-box or that anyone else would do. The show's premise quickly becomes wasted. When confronted with a child abductor, Creegan attempts some vigilante justice, yet his priorities always lie with doing the right thing, the measured thing, the predictable thing. And for that, I couldn't get into it. Sometimes, that's all there is. Despite its viciousness, "Evil" pulls off the feat of lulling the viewer into a disaffected sleep.
The show almost suffocates in a relentless atmosphere of tragic human insanity. The world is a dangerous place, where terrible things happen to good people and something is out to get you around every corner. It's not an easy show to watch each week and it's also not a particularly compelling one. Lots of grieving, crying parents and spouses herein. Bodies in trunks, kidnapped and murdered kids. The show wallows in itself. It's a slow burn of depression. I don't need or want all my TV shows happy-go-lucky, particularly my dramas. But I do want compelling thought provoking drama with meat and substance. There is something about "Evil" that always feels unsatisfying to me. "Wire in the Blood" which is a grim 2-hour watch gives us a satisfying payoff, even if that payoff is that the killer gets away or the victim dies. "Evil" doesn't feel punctuated. It just burns out. It curls up on the floor in the fetal position in defeat.
* * / 4