For a show named after the body part, "Eyes" doesn't wisely look forward to the future.
This has been quite the comeback season for former TV stars. Kirstie Alley made her heavy debut in "Fat Actress," John Stamos returned with "Jake in Progress," and now former "Wings" star Tim Daly returns to prime time with "Eyes." These comebacks all have one thing in common: none have been successful (yet).
While Daly tries to schmooze the camera at every opportunity in his new spy dramedy, his personality comes off as smug instead of sly. "Eyes" follows the clandestine organization called Judd Risk Management, a PI firm in an unnamed locale. Harlan Judd (Daly) is owner and manager of the firm, and breezily walks through every scene he is in. He outwits his opponents in the spy game, but not in a way that hasn't been done before.
In the premiere, Judd forges a birth certificate to blackmail an adversary into giving in to Judd's demands. Daly tries to play the character in a way that the viewers are not quite sure whether to love or loathe him. Neither is quite possible; he is conniving, but not in a charming way.
Being the focal point of the show also doesn't feel quite right with Daly. While in "Wings" he had a strong supporting cast (including recent Oscar nominee Thomas Haden Church), the "Eyes" cast is somewhat mixed. Eric Mabius plays Jeff McCann, a worker in the P.I. firm who Judd assigns to dig out a company mole who is leaking information to Judd's former boss, Clay Burgess (Gregg Henry). Mabius is also involved in a love triangle in the office. Here's the problem with the show: it jumps around too quickly between trite subplots, a dilemma that was particularly frustrating in the show's premiere.
The program itself, however, lends itself to the supporting cast evoking mixed reviews. There is a mole in the office, two different cases that Judd is focusing on, and lots of history that is never quite explained. Of course, every great spy show likes to have hidden dirt that will presumably arise in later episodes, but "Eyes" isn't subtle in the fact that there is a lot of history of which viewers are not aware. Instead, it flagrantly wears its hidden past on its sleeve, which is just another way that the show is smug with itself. "Eyes" presumably wanted to throw viewers directly into its world through very little background or explanation, but the approach comes off as tacky.
Even worse are stereotypical characters. One of Daly's co-workers and best friend (Rick Worthy) had a previous stint in a psychiatric ward, yet Daly keeps him around the office. Worthy's character is matter-of-factly gay, a contrivance that is thrown into the script to be used only when the writer needs to create a stark contrast between characters. "Eyes" is full of such contrivances, especially in today's spy-filled television programming.
One strong facet of "Eyes" is that it is a light version of these spy shows. It is neither grim like "CSI" nor serious like "Alias." The show is bright; Judd's office looks like it was furnished almost entirely from Ikea. However, in this positive there is a negative: the main character is obnoxiously smug with himself. The premiere itself showcased Judd outwitting two potential lawsuits, one for his client and one for himself, but in ways that weren't quite logical.
The show is a strange juxtaposition that doesn't quite work: a cheery first 45 minutes, but then in the last 10 there is a murder committed within the PI firm. The director and creator are clearly trying to balance out the drama with the comedy, but it comes off as hackneyed and cheap.
While "Eyes" was Daly's attempt to delve back into a weekly TV program , the show is overtly haughty and the quick-cut direction is distracting. The camera angles often come off as forced and tacky, as do the plotlines and Daly's one-liners. While Daly seems to be enjoying his time as Harlan Judd, very few others will.
