Advance Review: Common Law, S1 E1 – “Pilot”
Air Date: Friday, May 11, 2012, 10/9c on USA
Rating:
Dr. Ryan is the hard-hitting therapist who takes on Wes and Travis
USA’s newest character-driven series, Common Law, is the story of two buddies who are cops that aren’t getting along so well these days. I’d use the word “bromance” in my description but I think that’s a highly over-used term these days so I’ll just call it a “buddy show.” Besides, a bromance isn’t exactly what’s going on with these guys. As the tagline for Common Law says, “It’s like marriage only with bullets.” Detective Travis Marks (Michael Ealy) and Detective Wes Mitchell (Warren Kole) have been partners for seven years and have done a great job solving cases. But now, all they can do is bicker, which severely impedes their ability to do their job well. Captain Sutton (Jack McGee), their immediate supervisor, sends the guys to couples counseling with Dr. Ryan (Sonya Walger), an intelligent, hard-hitting, pull-no-punches sort of gal.
To be honest, Common Law is like a modern-day remake of The Odd Couple, one of the most famous movies (and subsequent TV series) about bickering buddies who are the complete opposite of each other. Wes is Jack Lemmon’s “Felix” and Travis is Walter Matthau’s “Oscar,” although this time around, they’re cops who have a lot to lose if they can’t get it together.
Travis and Wes in their first counseling session
The opening scene of the “Pilot” immediately piqued my interest with its light humor and comedic banter between the two stars during their first counseling session with Dr. Ryan. Ealy and Kole have great on-screen chemistry and play off each other beautifully, be it in a comedic scene or one more dramatic. And let me tell you, both men are easy on the eyes, especially Ealy. I could get lost in those beautiful deep blue eyes! I digress…
They don’t get too far in the session because they’re called away to handle a case involving Tobey Whitaker, a federal judge’s son who is found dead under a bridge. The prime suspect turns out to be none other than Tobey’s brother, Zach (Matt Angel).
Being raised in 18 different foster homes has made Travis unable to commit to a relationship. He fears abandonment and intimacy. Needless to say, he has his own way of getting things done. But he’s a real ladies man, having slept with almost all of the female characters in the series premiere. It’s surprising that not one of these ladies is angry with him, especially because his modus operandi is a one-night stand with no follow-up call. However, I understand. From wooing the ladies to calming a crying baby and loving a drug-sniffing German Shepherd Dog (GSD) by the name of Hudson, the man doesn’t have to do a thing—charm just oozes out of him. And oh that body! Swoon!
Fighting like this is exactly why Captain Sutton (Jack McGee) sends Wes (Warren Kole) and Travis (Michael Ealy) to couples counseling
Wes, on the other hand, is neat, methodical, compulsively organized and does everything by the book, which is the exact opposite of Travis’ way of handling things. While we don’t see a lot of Travis’ personal life, we do get to see a bit of Wes’ when he visits his ex-wife Alex (Elizabeth Chomko) to find out how Travis got his name. It’s a pretty funny story and although Wes says knowing this tidbit will bring him closer to Travis, somehow I don’t see that happening. As sure as I know my name, I know Wes is going to take every opportunity to tease Travis about it. And it’s going to be funny.
It’s obvious to me there’s still a connection between Wes and Alex. She cares a little too much about him for a divorced wife who divorced her husband because of a career change. Of course, going from a lawyer to a cop is a bit drastic and much more dangerous. I’ll be very interested to see where the writers take these two.
Observations:
Travis is so cute and comical when he sits in a Lamborghini and pretends to be driving. The “vroom-vroom” noises he makes, along with his facial expressions, gave me a good laugh. He is the epitome of a little boy all dressed up in big man clothes. How can you not love that?
Wes plugs his ears because he knows Travis is going to take a shot at the Lamborghini
Wes and Travis are experts at playing good cop/bad cop. I loved the astonished and horrified expression on the face of the owner of an expensive car dealership when Travis shoots a hole in the supposedly bad smog system on a Lamborghini that just came in, causing heroine to leak everywhere.
One of the best scenes in “Pilot” occurs when Wes and Travis stop for gas. While Wes pumps, Travis goes inside to get a snack. Two menacing looking guys come in and before they can say, “This is a stick-up,” Travis does! The way Travis and Wes stop the burglary from going down is so funny, I about spit my drink out as the scene comes to a close.
I didn’t expect the killer to be who it turns out to be, which is a good thing. I much prefer to be guessing all the way through a whodunit. But I love that they used Hudson to find the stash of drugs. Let’s face it—I’m a sucker for any dog in a TV show or movie, and particularly Hudson since he looks a lot like my handsome GSD, Prince.
Memorable lines:
Travis to a beat cop: “We’re in couples counseling…we wanted to find the magic again.”
***
Wes: “Stealing things from dead people…yuck!”
***
Blonde detective: “You guys are psycho-babbling sociopaths.”
***
Travis about girls: “Everyone I meet is either dead, a suspect, or under arrest.”
***
Travis: “You’re anal retentive.”
Wes: “You’re anal explosive!”
***
Dr. Ryan to West on what makes a lasting partnership: “You don’t have to like the same things but you have to hate the same things. And you both hate it when bad people get away with bad things.”
***
Ellen (Alicia Coppola) to Wes when he interrupts her and Travis’ lovemaking: “Did you embroider Travis’ name on your new black panties? No? I did!”
***
Common Law is thoroughly enjoyable. It’s intelligent and entertaining. It provides witty banter, sharp dialogue, and terrific acting by all involved. It also uses an uncommon way of setting up the scenario you’re about to watch—quotes from famous people. For instance, when the show first begins, on a completely black screen we see the following quote from Dr. Phil: “You may feel as though you know your partner quite well – maybe too well… But you’d be surprised at what you don’t know.” The fun, I think, will be getting to know exactly what that “what” is.
Tune in to the series premiere of Common Law, Friday, May 11, 2012, 10/9, only on USA.
Follow Common Law on Twitter using @commonlaw_usa. LIKE the show on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CommonLawUSA. And for fun stuff, like games, buddy cop trivia and buddy cop commandments, as well as full episodes and photos, visit the official Common Law page.
All photos © 2012 USA Network, an NBC Broadcasting, Inc. company. All Rights Reserved.
Linda
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