I am giving this a seven based on the plot material alone. This was a fair rendering of the original British pilot script with a few nods to NY society added in.
I think Jason O'Mara is wonderful, however I am worried about Harvey Keitel and Gretchen Mol being the right actors for their parts. Gene in this version is missing his snap, crackle,& pop! He is supposed to be unpredictable, and a slightly dangerous man who will do anything if he deems it necessary: he is supposed to be physically threatening and slightly out of control! Harvey on the other hand is OK, but his voice is Richard Harris' Dumbledore and I can't imagine him running down a bad guy and shoving his face into the ground. Maybe they should have kept Colm Meany, I don't know. This really concerns me because Gene Hunt is basically the second star of the show, he also carries most of the humor, but I didn't feel that he was very funny this time around.
Annie: First of all I am mad that they made her a blond. After that, Annie is supposed to be smart but subdued, a necessary evil of her times when women were supposed to stay in the background. There was supposed to be a reluctant chemistry between her and Sam, but I didn't feel that, I just saw her being resentful of her position in life, and mothering to Sam. There was a realness to Liz White's Annie; a fierceness combined with a certain innocence and deep caring. However Gretchen's performance felt forced and rushed, as though the actor hadn't really understood who Annie was supposed to be.
I thought Michael Imperioli was a good Ray. Ray is the ultimate dumb cop who makes fun of anything he doesn't understand. I love the hair too!
Jonathan Murphy was a passable Chris, who is supposed to be the bumbling new guy on the block, still impressionable and learning the ropes. He's the one who is the most interested in Sam's processes. Gene just wants whatever works, and Ray thinks he's crazy.
Finally Jason O'Mara as Sam Tyler. I think he pulled it off for me because he seems to have gone to the Mel Gibson school of acting. (Mel does a good job of suffering on screen!) That said, I think he was the one actor who made the part his own without trying to be exactly like John Simm. I would definitely watch just for him, and to see what they do with the story arch.
I also wonder if they are going to redo several or all of the scripts from the British version. Next week's episode also looks like a remake. I hope they do take it in a different direction though. All in all, I will continue watching it out of curiosity, to see if it will get better with time, we all remember favorite shows that got off to a rocky start.
If this crumbles, I highly recommend the British version, all two seasons for some of the best cop/drama/sci-fi/comedy mix you'll see this for awhile. Highly recommended
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