When it comes to pulling heists, Nick Atwater is a master. But when it comes to his family life he is not as successful. But there are far bigger problems ahead, will he and his team be able to make a clean getaway?
As a criminal mastermind, Braugher can do no wrong... It's doubtful, though, whether his skill can earn this bleak show a run longer than six episodes. The disappointing Thief represents a step back for FX.
The show's cast is terrific and helps make things continually watchable, and the Nick/Tammy relationship is a great idea, but there is a lack of urgency to the proceedings.
The show would probably be too ponderous to enjoy if Braugher weren't an actor of tremendous restraint. His performance is about his potential energy and his scenes with Mae Whitman, who plays Tammi, have a fantastic tension.
With strong writing and acting, and the rich atmospheric setting of post-Katrina New Orleans, "Thief" is not only a worthy successor this season to "The Shield" but a serious and solid series.
Thief is headed toward solid ground and a nimbly sustained plot. By the end of its first episode, the series has taken on the complexities of domestic drama.
This is all well done, and it's a great-looking production, but the weight of the drama keeps tugging toward a side plot about Braugher's 14-year-old stepdaughter... The growing suspense over the fate of this girl is a bit creepy.
