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Advance Review: Necessary Roughness, S1, E1 – “Pilot”

  • By

  • June 27, 2011

  • 6 mins to read

Marc Blucas as Matthew, Callie Thorne as Danielle Santino, Scott Cohen as Nico, Mehcad Brooks as TK -- Photo by: Justin Stephens/USA Network

Airdate: Wednesday, June 29, 2011, 10:00 pm ET/PT on USA

Rating: ★★★★★

Callie Thorne as psychologist Dr. Dani Santino - photo by Quantrell Colbert

I have followed the career of Callie Thorne since she and my niece Jennifer graduated from Wheaton College in Massachusetts together. From the moment I saw her first performance, I knew she was bound for something big. After honing her skills in such shows as Homicide: Life on the Streets, Prison Break, The Wire and Rescue Me, she has finally been awarded a much-deserved starring role in Necessary Roughness as psychologist Dr. Dani Santino.

Leading a seemingly happy life, one day Dani realizes her attorney husband (Craig Bierko) has been having an affair – or should I say affairs, if you go by the amount of sexy pictures stored in his cell phone. I don’t blame her one bit for throwing his clothes out the window as he and their teenage kids Lindsay and Ray J (Hannah Marks, Patrick Johnson) watch. Making matters worse, he contests the divorce she’s filed for, cuts off her credit cards and closes the bank accounts.

Dani accusing husband (Craig Bierko) of cheating - photo by Quantrell Colbert

Concetta Tomei plays Dani’s somewhat out there mom, a woman who smokes and loves to gamble – on anything. Tomei provides a good deal of the comic relief in the Pilot – I love the advice she gives Dani.

Mom: “There’s only one thing you can do – take him back.”

Dani: “Ma, he cheated on me – more than once!”

Mom: “But less than Tiger Woods.”

Dani and her girlfriend Jeanette (Amanda Detmer) - photo by Quantrell Colbert

Joining the cast as Dani’s free-spirited gal pal is Jeanette (Amanda Detmer), who takes her out and succeeds in hooking her up with Matthew (Marc Blucas), the trainer for the local NFL team, the New York Hawks. She cures him of smoking and one thing leads to another and, well, I don’t need to tell you what happens next <big grin>.

Thorne sets the tone of her character perfectly with her speech to Head Coach Pat Pernell (Greg Alan Williams) when he asks her why he should hire her. “Here’s what your Google search didn’t tell you. I’m a licensed therapist, a hypnotherapist, a substance abuse counselor. I was accepted both by NYU and Colombia into their doctorate programs, but declined because I had two small children to carpool and a husband who expected dinner on the table every night. My specialties include chicken parmesan, cognitive behavioral therapy, hypnosis and kicking my patients’ butts. Beyond that, if you would like a money back guarantee, then you should go buy a washing machine.”

Mehcad Brooks as "TK" talking to Dr. Dani (Callie Thorne)

And so Dani begins her new life as psychotherapist for the NY Hawks. The first job given her by the coach, who is totally at wit’s end, is to treat Terrence “TK” King (Mehcad Brooks, True Blood), a superstar who is no longer so super. As Coach puts it, “I got me a superstar wide receiver dropping balls faster than an epileptic juggler.” Watching out for her and the team along the way is Nico (Scott Cohen), a brooding and intimidating guy who, nonetheless, always seems to say exactly what she needs to hear.

The show does a great job of blending Dani’s family and professional life, giving us an intimate look at each. There’s the contentious divorce, serious problems with both kids—especially Lindsay who seems hell bent and determined to destroy her life—a budding romance, and an uncooperative football player with mega anger management issues. Bierko does a wonderful job of playing the cheating husband, making him seem less of a sleeze than he is. Thorne, who has mostly played very overtly sexual characters, tones it down perfectly in Necessary Roughness, bringing a certain amount of vulnerability to her role while, at the same time, maintaining the rough and tough exterior a mom and therapist needs to head up this motley crew. This is the first time Thorne has had to carry a show and she does it perfectly. I can’t wait to see how she deals with the kids, the romantic relationship with Matthew, and the problems the rest of the team will undoubtedly come up with.

Dr. Dani with trainer Matthew (Marc Blucas)

Written by Liz Kruger and Craig Shapiro, and directed by Kevin Dowling, Necessary Roughness is filled with wry sarcasm, a decent amount of humor in contrast to the serious dramatic elements, sharp and witty dialogue, and is beautifully acted by all involved. USA has definitely scored a touchdown with another character-driven series, which so perfectly fits its brand.

Tune in to the series premiere of Necessary Roughness Wednesday, June 29, 10:00 pm ET/PT only on USA – Characters Welcome.

Photos © 2011 NBC Universal/USA.

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Linda

Love TV, movies, and books--mostly mysteries, with a good love story thrown in every now and then. I have four adopted dogs who I adore. I love trying new recipes, and enjoy eating what I make. English language perfectionist. Reading in bed, Italian food, warm weather, the beach, all types of games = favs!

Linda

Love TV, movies, and books--mostly mysteries, with a good love story thrown in every now and then. I have four adopted dogs who I adore. I love trying new recipes, and enjoy eating what I make. English language perfectionist. Reading in bed, Italian food, warm weather, the beach, all types of games = favs!