Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Notorious’

ABC’s Thursday nights have been home to Shondaland for what seems like forever, but they’ve finally made room for new (albeit unoriginal) content with Notorious, created by Josh Berman and Allie Hagan and based loosely on the real relationship between attorney Mark Geragos and Larry King Live news producer Wendy Walker, who also executive produce. We’re here with the scoop on the show’s pilot. 

A Guide to Our Rating System

Opening Shot: The opening of a pilot can set a mood for the entire show (think Six Feet Under); thus, we examine the first shot of each pilot.
The Gist: The “who, what, where, when, why?” of the pilot.
Our Take: What did we think? Are we desperate for more or desperate to get that hour back?
Sex and Skin: That’s all you care about anyway, right? We let you know how quickly the show gets down and dirty.
Parting Shot: Where does the pilot leave us? Hanging off a cliff, or running for the hills?
Sleeper Star: Basically, someone in the cast who is not the top-billed star who shows great promise.
Most Pilot-y Line: Pilots have a lot of work to do: world building, character establishing, and stakes raising. Sometimes that results in some pretty clunky dialogue.
Our Call: We’ll let you know if you should, ahem, Stream It or Skip It.

NOTORIOUS

Opening Shot: We are introduced to our notorious protagonist Julia (Piper Perabo) mid-coitus with her boyfriend Eric (Marc Blucas – side note – hey, Riley Finn!) and she quickly redresses when she realizes it’s almost showtime.

The Gist: Julia George is a powerhouse producer for the #1 news show at the fictional World Cable News. She works with big-shot lawyer Jake Gregorian (Daniel Sunjata) to control the media and sway things in their favor. The show’s first installment deals with the complications that arise when one of Jake’s clients is accused of second-degree murder. Things evidently are not what they seem, and by the end of the episode, the body count reaches two, and the trust between Jake and Julia appears to start being tested. 

Our Take: While stocked with a strong cast and leads that have an undeniable chemistry with one another, Notorious unfortunately falls flat with the expectation of the Shondaland shows and journalism-related series that have preceded it. When Perabo and Sunjata share the screen, there are some sparks that keep things interesting, but on their own, some of their scenes border on melodrama and feel slightly forced.

There is some mystery to the show that is admirable, but the inevitable conflict (and hook up) bound to occur between Jake and Julia leaves a lot to be desired. It is exciting to see another show with a strong woman at the helm, and Julia may surely prove herself to rank among the fearless ladies of ABC’s Thursday nights, but the mediocre, predictable nature of the rest of the show makes us feel like it may not be worth the investment to stay tuned.

Sex and Skin: The show opens with Julia having sex with her boyfriend in her darkened office and Jake later sleeps with his former flame (who also happens to be his client’s wife).

Parting Shot: Julia receives an envelope full of photos revealing Jake’s affair with his client Oscar’s wife, as well as abuse she seems to have suffered at the hands of her husband, and Oscar’s affair. As Jake surprises Julia at the office to take her to breakfast, she plays it cool and locks the photos in her filing cabinet.

Sleeper Star: Ryan Guzman, who plays newly-hired production assistant Ryan Mills, carries a certain unexpected intrigue with him that makes you curious what he’s going to do next. While he is the son of Julia’s boss and people tend to write him off due to the nepotism, he clearly is willing to do what it takes to advance in the company without his father’s help, and whether or not this will end up helping or hurting Julia in the long run remains to be seen. The ambiguity with which the charming Guzman plays Mills makes him one to watch.

Most Pilot-y Line: “She decides what the country cares about. She creates heroes and monsters, victims and villains. Julia George tells the world when to pay attention and what really matters.” The new production assistant (there thanks to nepotism) is schooled on what Julia’s role is at WCN and how to advance in the company – he has to aid her. This monologue comes across fairly forced and preachy – it’s already pretty clear what Julia does. There are several lines like this attempting to sketch Julia’s character over the course of the pilot.

Our Call: Skip it. We’ve already seen The Newsroom and Scandal, and they’ve done what Notorious is attempting to do a lot better. While there are a few instances of snappy storytelling that might make viewers excited, as a whole it underwhelms.

[Stream the pilot for Notorious on ABC.]

Jade Budowski is an indecisive sometimes-writer with a knack for ruining punchlines and harboring dad-aged celebrity crushes. Follow her on Twitter: @jadebudowski.