I am – Hercules!!

They gave the guy who played Ralphie Cifaretto on “The Sopranos” a series of his own! (Cool!) He plays a Los Angeles-based FBI undercover guru with a far-less-convincing hairpiece! (Oh.)

TV Guide says:

There’s no disguising this show’s unmistakeable potential.

The Hollywood Reporter says:

To say that Pantoliano is vital to "The Handler" is to seriously understate the case. … there are few moments of genuine suspense. … There's also the problem of sending out attractive trainees like Lily (Anna Belknap) to pose as homeless vagrants. Even after a couple of days on the street, Lily's beat-up clothing remains in marked contrast to her fresh-faced appearance. … The stories are a mixed bag, from intricate to predictable. … The biggest threat to Renato and his group is … the highlights of the competition, specifically NBC's "Boomtown." If CBS was looking for counterprogramming, "The Handler" isn't it.

Variety says:

… as sharply as [Pantoliano] limns his character, there's some doubt "The Handler" will have storylines to keep auds rapt. … one of his first cases involves a rookie agent, Lily (Anna Belknap), learning the ropes by being stationed on a street corner as a homeless twentysomething. Days go by, yet Lily's appearance fails to become appropriately dogged and weary … Writers do well by Renato … Otherwise the script is uneven … Selling point is Pantoliano, and his assuredness is eye-catching. "The Handler's" competition, however, is the superior "Boomtown," which blossomed last season as the best new drama on TV.

USA Today gives it two stars (out of four) and says:

In Joe Renato, an FBI agent who trains and runs an undercover unit, Pantoliano has found a decent role. Now, they have to fix the show that surrounds him. …This hour-long crime drama has a host of characters to set up and a fairly complicated premise to establish. … But goodness, couldn't they have found a little less dreary way to go about it? … What precious little humor there is comes from Pantoliano, whose skill and confidence in the role is a relief, considering the show's struggles everywhere else. For now, he's not just the hour's best asset, he's the only asset.

The Los Angeles Times says:

"The Handler" isn't anywhere near the caliber of "The Sopranos." … With a long list of movie, television and stage credits that include the feature films "Bad Boys," "U.S. Marshals" and "The Fugitive," as well as TV's "EZ Streets" and "NYPD Blue," Pantoliano certainly knows the drill. His comfort level is extremely evident in the pilot episode. To a fault, really. Some of that has to do with the character. Renato is so consistently kind, so effortlessly considerate, so appropriately caring and concerned, he puts the viewer's mind at ease so much it tends to suck some of the drama out of the piece. … People do get hurt and die on "The Handler," but it doesn't seem as upsetting as it does on other shows…. If you're looking for excitement on a Friday night, you won't find it here.

10 p.m. Friday. CBS.