The Portland Police Bureau's Elite Special Crimes Unit is led by Det. Lt. Everett Backstrom, an alcoholic and smoker who is in failing health, but takes on cases in special circumstances.
This is one of those shows where one starts to feel bad for the ensemble, as they trudge through bad scripts, doing all they can to elevate it but sinking into the generic quicksand as Wilson over-acts his way into cancellation.
It's not the character work or the performances that take Backstrom in the occasional wrong direction. The evidence convicts the writing, which is suspect in each of the three episodes sent to critics.
On Backstrom, neither the character-driven byplay nor the mystery-driven suspense is award worthy, but together they kill an hour pleasantly. Is that a crime?
If given the chance, there's a real possibility for the show to become a decent hit with a passionate fan-base that will follow it to the depths of hell.
What you'll see is the best broadcast TV cop drama of the season, with a dirty-to-the-touch sleuth played to the hilt by an actor who's very much up for this. Rainn Wilson has found a role that fits him like an ugly, stretched-out poncho.
