Greg Berlanti, whose DC Comics resume includes writing the Ryan Reynolds “Green Lantern” movie as well as creating The CW’s “Arrow” and “The Flash” – to say nothing of CBS’ “Supergirl” project or the CW spinoff “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow” starring Brandon Routh as Ray “The Atom” Palmer – has a new series launching Monday night.
Belanti’s “Blindspot” is not, however, a superhero show. It’s a about a hot amnesic with a body of crime. NBC explains:
"From executive producer Greg Berlanti comes "Blindspot": A vast international plot explodes when a beautiful Jane Doe is discovered naked in Times Square, completely covered in mysterious, intricate tattoos with no memory of who she is or how she got there. There's one that's very clear, however: the name of FBI agent Kurt Weller, emblazoned across her back. "Jane," Agent Weller and rest of the FBI quickly realize that each mark on her body is a crime to solve, leading them closer to the truth about her identity and the mysteries to be revealed. The cast includes Sullivan Stapleton, Jaimie Alexander, Audrey Esparza, Rob Brown, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Ukweli Roach and Ashley Johnson."
Martin Gero (“Stargate Atlantis,” “The L.A. Complex”) penned the “Blindspot” pilot.
NBC’s other Berlanti show, “Mysteries of Laura,” got terrible ratings last season and raised lots of eyebrows when the network gave it a second season.
Berlanti’s other credits include “Dawson’s Creek,” “Jack & Bobby,” “Dirty Sexy Money,” “Everwood,” “Eli Stone,” “Brothers & Sisters,” “Political Animals,” “Golden Boy” and “The Tomorrow People.”
I like how the series’ brainiest-seeming characters appear to think Jane Doe is a Navy SEAL, even though there are no female Navy SEALs. Not even one. Google it. Maybe “Blindspot” takes place in the future?
… Because she doesn't know who she is, Jane is less a character than a plot device. Between her tattoos and her skills, she becomes the cause of, and solution to, all of the task force's problems, and sucks the tension out of most scenes because it's inevitable that she'll display the right ability of piece of knowledge at the exact moment it's needed. The mythology feels like mystery for its own sake, and even the characters on the show start wondering why whoever inked up Jane didn't just call the FBI anonymously to tell them about the terror threat she leads them to in the pilot. I imagine creator Martin Gero ("The L.A. Complex") has an elaborate plan for how Jane ended up in this predicament and what all the tattoos mean, but if the characters don't pop, none of it matters. …
... allows Alexander and Stapleton, both appealing enough in their own right, to execute some basic action-adventure moves, though their characters have no discernible chemistry as yet. The “Blindspot” pilot is more or less efficient enough, even though few aspects of the premise make any real sense …
... The series is manipulative in that some of the tried-and-true high-tension moments it serves up at a steady pace are red herrings. … If that’s all this is — someone playing a game — that will be a big letdown. But with a good cast and crisp delivery, “Blindspot” should at least compel you to stick around for a few more episodes to see where it’s going.
… It's all completely absurd, of course, but smoothly so... it needs to have main characters we care about, and if none appear as darkly complicated and contrary as James Spader's Red Reddington, Alexander's Jane quickly goes from captive to captivating. …
D+ ... a textbook TV exercise in the preposterous. …
... One of the best new dramas of fall …
... How much you enjoy Blindspot (*** stars out of four) may depend on how high you set your bar for preposterousness. … Why watch a show this silly? In part because Alexander is able to make us empathize with Jane's emotional upheaval while still creating a heroine who is believably feisty and capable. In part because the writers wisely allow Weller to be both intrigued and sympathetic — kindness and sympathy often being in short supply in shows like Blindspot. And partly because despite its silliness, the premiere is well-paced, and may even leave you curious. …
... has enough going for it early on — despite some real bouts of silliness — that it’s one of those few and elusive pilots that can be endorsed for at least initial evaluation. The reward for spending an hour is mostly worth it. …
... for a show that prominently features tattoos, “Blindspot” doesn’t leave much of an impression. … the leads are certainly attractive. Still, based on how generic and derivative the pilot feels, such a happy outcome certainly isn’t in the bag.
10 p.m. Monday. NBC.
