The Catch

Season 1 – 60% – The pilot is a bit misleading because it has refinement, swiftness, and style. However, it also reveals its greatest ace in the hole, namely the identity of the extra cunning perpetrator. Suddenly, there is nothing to figure out and the whole fraudulent charade collapses temporarily. The episodic format doesn't work, the corporate plots reliably put you to sleep, and the acting isn't great either, mainly because the office cast is mostly desperately uninteresting (I can't remember such a consistently bad performance as Jay Hayden's as Danny). Fortunately, right on the edge of both sides of the barricade stands the central anti-hero, who captivates with Peter Krause's charm and no matter who he lies to, I buy it wholeheartedly. Even the unnecessary deception plays out much better and when the unpredictable Rhys, played by the ever-enchanting John Simm, gets involved, everything works a bit better, and in the final two episodes, it even reaches a solid A+. The fact that beneath all the razzle-dazzle is nothing but a romantic drama is, in its essence, more than appealing to me, but I remain sober in my evaluation. I still fear that the second season may stretch something that was already struggling heavily in the ten-episode format. Season 2 – 70% – In interviews, Peter Krause promised that he sat down with the writers and agreed to move away from the weekly agency plots (because they bored the creators, actors, and ultimately even the viewers) and focus on a long-term storyline and the definitive transformation of the series into a fraud-filled romance spectacle. All credit to them because they fulfilled it to the dot. The story rolls smoothly, the new characters portrayed by proven TV faces (T.R. Knight!) fit into the plot, maybe with one exception. According to the storytelling, the menacing thug Ethan is ultimately an interchangeable pseudo-handsome guy without a hint of charisma. His storyline with Alice further increases my antipathy towards the main female character, for which Mireille Enos is also to blame as I believe her chattering less and less. Similarly transparent is the attempt to make Danny an action hero and a first-class lover, which is undoubtedly the biggest joke of the entire The Catch. However, this time there are significantly more positives, paradoxically precisely because the series has finally detached from reality. With each new storyline and twist, I stop caring about the logical mistakes and simply enjoy the freshness of the plot and the chemistry between selected characters (the bromance between Ben and Rhys still takes the lead, followed by the interactions of newcomer Tess with practically anyone). I have to let go of the desired fourth star due to the last episode. As a season finale, it works well, changes the balance of power, and promises more than decent things for the future. However, it desperately fails as a series finale, whether due to the inexplicable absence of one recurring character or because of how much was promised to us in the last minutes. Unfortunately, this situation also reflects the insatiability of the creators, who, instead of offering a satisfying conclusion, arrogantly stepped into unknown waters even when the ratings alerted to almost zero interest from the audience. I, for one, would have gladly had at least one more batch of sophisticated escapades, as assembling such a star-studded cast will be difficult. (05.06.2016) (vähemmän) (lisää)