Crisis is a fairly unique show these days. I like it and look forward to seeing it each week. My biggest critique with this show is the production staff's lack of volume control. It's loud.. it's soft.. it's loud again. Constantly. Good plot, good cast - moves along really well but I'm forever having to adjust the blasted volume.. background music should be just that.. in the background. I can understand the need to do that with a really slow moving plot, you know, just to keep viewers awake but it's not needed with crisis. Sure, some may be unrealistic but I am not turning on a documentary - it's entertainment. I'm also really enjoying the interior shots of the "mansion". Good camera work on top of a good plot. I think we will see some of the younger actors go further once this story plays out.
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opalsmail4 June 2014
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I accidental watched Crises and liked it, and will watch the next episode also, and i actually like the concept of Crisis, but pushing it much further then 6 to 8 episodes will be hard, and the planed 13 is stretching it!
So i don't get what the studio's are thinking, when they OK'ed a project like this as a series, when everyone knows it will properly bleed to dead in the first season.
So for me it was fun to watch, and will see how far i can go before i zone out of the series.
I liked most of the of the acting even do some of it was a little bid over the top, but then a series like these, you must not compare it with series like "White Collar", "Person of Interest" or Gillian Anderson small pearl "The Fall" ware i cant wait to see the next season of on the BBC. -
Crisis, seemed to me initially to be another conspiracy-laden tale about professional mercenaries kidnapping the children of powerful individuals in society, and holding them hostage as cliché, and too similar to shows like 24. But regardless I gave it a go, after seeing the rating it received on IMDb.
As the Pilot opened, I saw it was very cliché in terms of what school children in America face, being popular and small gripes that they make out as being far worse than they are. But then we see the premise of the show played out, and we see that those responsible for the kidnapping have almost every outcome planned out.
We see that the main prize of the children on board the bus going on a school trip, is the very son of the President of the United States of America. However he's not alone, as there are children on board who's parents are CEO's of major corporations, and computer experts who can hack into security systems, and pretty much bring the country to it's knees.
We're led to believe the father of one of the children, who has come on the trip for the purpose of helping out is innocent, but he proves us wrong after being dragged out of the room by the armed kidnappers and shown to be the mastermind behind the kidnapping.
His reason? He's a burnt out CIA operative who was blackmailed into taking responsibility for a failed operation a year previously. He took the blame for it for the sake of his daughter, who was threatened by his former colleagues. Now he's out for revenge, to expose the operation and those who turned on him through holding hostage the children of some of the most powerful people in the country.
The action is well shot, with a Secret Service agent who was injured during the kidnapping, coming after the kidnappers to save the children. There are some great revelations, that perhaps were revealed too early in the Pilot episode. But it makes me wonder about the military operation that (Dermot Mulroney) took the fall for, and how his former colleagues in the CIA could get away with threatening his daughter's life to silence him.
Gillian Anderson as the mother of one of the children on the school trip, being a powerful CEO of a mega corporation has secrets of her own; being that her daughter is really the daughter of her younger sister who is the FBI agent in charge of the investigation into the kidnappings.
All in all, Crisis is still in it's early days but for a Pilot it was enjoyable, and I hope it continues to lure me in every week to watch it. -
a333814022 June 2014I'm disappointed they canceled this great and exciting show, while other TV series go on season by season and have really nothing to tell.
Just saw the last 2 of the only 13 episodes and think these were the best of the whole season. The Story was very thrilling and original and had a great cast with many well known actors (like Rachael Taylor, Gillian Anderson (who seems to become even prettier with every year) and the fantastic Dermot Mulroney).
I enjoyed watching this series very much and recommend it to everyone who likes crime, action and twisted plots and doesn't wanna have to stick to a show to for too long. -
Just finished a marathon run of this series (at only 13 episodes, it wasn't exactly a challenge) after a friend recommended it to me.
I must say that the pilot and first two episodes were gripping, tightly written and showed great potential, but mid-way through the season the plot just gets too muddled, as if the writers were trying to utilize every twist in their bag in as short a time period as possible - I'm sure NBC's mid-season cancellation of the series probably has something to do with it.
It's actually a pretty interesting premise but unfortunately it's let down by shoddy pacing, the twist-a-minute approach quickly saps out any emotional weight from the story and becomes increasingly absurd. The twists sometimes rely on lazy storytelling devices (such as the Chinese kid's mom revealing out of nowhere that she's a secret spy) or implausible situations (like most of the parents' drastic actions), but since this is a TV thriller after all it would be fine and well it there was a payoff to it but there simply isn't - even when one of the main characters kills off a student hostage, it lacks the emotional impact that it should have and feels like a rushed explanation to sprint towards the conclusion.
The acting - except for Dermot Mulroney's troubled portrayal of the morally ambiguous anti-hero father Francis Gibson - is also mediocre, and Agent Finley for some reason reminded me of Chris Tucker's character from Rush Hour (if he was transplanted in a political thriller). Likewise, the characters (except for perhaps Francis Gibson) are also largely one-dimensional, unengaging and unconvincing.
Worse still, the story rapidly veers off from what made it engaging in the first place (the hostage students) to a convoluted political thriller involving the CIA, shady corporates, powerful unknown people not limited by seemingly anything and governments. It reminded me of Prison Break in that sense (and the choppy acting, too).
Fortunately, it's only 13 episodes and the first few episodes are suspenseful enough to make you want to see how it ends (hint: not very neatly and a bit open-ended), but had NBC not cancelled it (along with a bunch of other programs) I'm sure it would have been a pretty good thriller drama. -
SeaWalker224 February 2014the pilot episode has a great potentials but a lot of series recently had that but never made it so what sets this one different from the other *** cough *** last resort *** ? well its smart it doesn't treat you like you have a 6 years old intelligence although it has many peaces as most plots does for obvious reasons but it doesn't feel chaotic . i think you will enjoy the plot and might even be interested about what will happen next , the only reason i reduced my vote was that the visuals were way off which killed my mood but still the high paced events directed my attention away from that . overall good pilot , check it out .
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mellitafernando16 July 2014I thought Crisis was an awesome show. Every episode kept me on the edge of my seat and wanting more. I loved the story line and the cast were amazing. I particularly liked the chemistry between Rachel Taylor and Lance Gross. I would've liked to have seen a romantic relationship develop between the two. I thought Dermot Mulroney's acting was flawless. I'm used to seeing him in more comedic roles, my favorite being Michael O'Neal in My Best Friend's Wedding. But after seeing his portrayal of Francis Gibson, I realize he is so versatile and talented and I think he should act in more of these action thriller type series. I was a bit disappointed that they killed off James Lafferty's character Mr Nash. It was great seeing him on TV again after One Tree Hill and I would have liked to have seen him play more of a pivotal role. This show appeals to a wide range of audience from teenagers to adults. I know because I have a big family and we were all so addicted to this show. I have no idea why it got canceled! Please bring it back!
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yustinus_h23 June 2014I watch this series only for 4 episodes and I think this is a good series.
The story is good, fresh and entertaining. The conflict is good and the actors are also good.
the minus part of this series is the main character agent Susie Dunn played by Rachel Taylor. she lack the emotion and couldn't bring the character more.
I'm not a feminist or else but the cast for agent Susie Dunn should be someone with more emotion to the story, knows about government agent stuff and etc. I also think that Rachel Taylor is more suited in other role than becoming the main character.
If only the main character was played by other female actor it would make a better show. -
jaysheyi12 June 2014although this series received a lot of awful reviews, it actually has a good plot. The acting is not bad. i actually do not recognize anything wrong with the show. Character development is just fine. It is a good crime show that kinda seems like a mixture of 24 and saw which is actually fun. This show really has potential so please just be patient and reply when the "I told you so" is imminent. The writer is actually good. The actors are just fine and this does not seem like a tele novela. it has a nice story with Gibson being the bad guy and finley being good. nice twist! NBC should definitely reconsider canceling it. Kudos to the cast and crew!
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Terryfan15 September 2015Crisis did have something that you don't see too much anymore: Original.
The plot for the series was pretty original as Crisis center around FBI Special Agent Susie Dunn (Rachael Taylor) and Secret Service Special Agent Marcus Finley (Lance Gross) have to join forces to help find and save students of Washington,D.C. children who were kidnapped.
With the rest of the cast being Dermot Mulroney, James Lafferty, Stevie Lynn Jones, Halston Sage, Michael Beach, Max Martini, Gillian Anderson.
The show is interesting that it feature some good acting and some interesting character development and tense moments.
But the show lack on some of the story because you can't always focus on one type of story line and why NBC cancelled the show.
But still Crisis did feature some good thing such as the music in the series was pretty good, the characters become more interesting as you watch the show, some plot twist you won't see coming and sometimes you'll be wondering the good guys from the bad.
The show did feature some psychological factors that would play tricks on your mind.
Each character bring something to the show which is now a rare thing so actually Crisis did have some promises it's just that it lasted for one season.
But with the story being what it is I would consider this to be like a mini series of course.
Just give Crisis some time you'll be surprise -
exphilesphan27 April 2014We often look to TV and movies for escapism. Escape to a land where anything is possible: people are larger than life, circumstances are at the fringe of the impossible. But Crisis is just nonsense. The children of our most powerful and richest citizens have been kidnapped, not for ransom, but to have leverage over their parents. The kidnappers proceed to utilize the parents for their own bidding. The purpose seems to be revenge for something the government sanctioned years ago. As horrible things happen to the parents, FBI, CIA and Secret Service, the children are held captive in a mansion, playing out some version of Peyton Place, seemingly unaware that they have been kidnapped and their lives are in danger. None of these children seem very frightened. It's just more of the petty garbage you'd expect in the halls of their over-privileged high school. As for the parents and the government agents: not a one does anything according to plan. They all seem to think they have to take matters into their own hands. The lead FBI and CIA agents are now working with the kidnappers, unbeknownst to their superiors. And the female kidnapper at the computer seems to have an enormous amount of access to everything. The original premise was interesting, although an obvious attempt to capitalize of the success of similar (and far superior shows). The journey the show is taking as a result of the pilot has swayed far beyond the limits of believable. That is the real crisis.
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nickyfall090126 March 2014I am like super hooked can't wait until the next episode . I have never did a review , but watching this show just got me hyped. I have been glued to both episodes so far , since seeing the preview. Tune in people it's something worth watching thus far ;-). This show seems like there are definitely going to be more twist to come . The preview for next week looks like it's going to be good . I hope this show can keep the interest there , and not go off on the deep end too much . Not really sure how many directions you can take this plot , but who knows I've seen screen writers pull rabbits out of almost anything , so il be waiting .
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The kids of some powerful people are on a field trip. Their bus is hijacked. Secret service agent Marcus Finley (Lance Gross) is given a new assignment to protect the president's son. He manages to rescue one kid and he's teamed up with FBI agent Susie Dunn (Rachael Taylor). She has a secret daughter who's on the bus. Her sister Meg Fitch (Gillian Anderson) is a powerful woman who assumed the mother role for the girl. Francis Gibson (Dermot Mulroney) is a father of one of the kids and is secretly the brains behind the kidnappings. He's on a vendetta against a mysterious scheme from CIA head.
This is a very unbelievable unreasonable show. The only thing is that I could buy into it because people would do anything to get their kids back. That's the point that I could always cling to. The scheme and the action moves fast enough that I don't dwell on any clunky moments. It's definitely better than another similar show 'Hostages'. It has its moments as long as you don't think about it too much. It's a midseason replacement that was canceled before it finished its first half season. -
I loved this show from the get-go. The first couple episodes were amazingly captivating. The plot, the story, the overall concept of what was developing and the promise of what could happen to the kids and government agencies was great. Then all of a sudden something went terribly wrong. The series became a train-wreck of total impossibilities. At first the abilities of Gibson and his kidnapping team to remain a step ahead were filled with great "Aw dang! They got em!" moments into just absurd, ridiculous, "gee, what unclever, obvious way did they hack into "agency's" systems THIS time???" The never-ending, continuous, made-up-on-the-fly obstacles (resolved and totally forgotten) the protagonists face have turned this show into a mess. I love mysteries and detective shows, but they've got to have just an ounce of realism to keep an audience interested. The only reason I've held on through to the end is because I'm hoping with all my might everything gets resolved and these darn kids get rescued - but I'm putting my money on some sort twist ending with one of the side characters leading into, you guessed it, another unresolved angle.
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tmarie-tp17 June 2014This show is amazing, I look forward to watching every week with my family and coming to work to talk about it.. Very different from the TV series that are out right now even the ones I watch. My sister told me all about the show and since then I have been hooked. It should definitely be advertised on more channels, I think if this show came on a little earlier it would have more viewers. It is such a "talk about" show, normally I wouldn't pay a show like this any mind but once you watch it you want to see more and more. I would love to see a second season, to see the outcome of the kidnappers. This storyline of the show is very interesting and leaves you craving for more.
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pontram4 May 2014Not only since Snowden, the CIA is an often recurring pool for conspirative stories about the misuse of power, inventions, soldiers and resources on USA's own soil against her own citizens. This intelligence agency seems so powerful that even the President may not be its top head.
'Crisis' is a fictional show about a man who dares to hijack the children of several very powerful people, not to blackmail them for billions of Dollars, but to force them to fulfill special tasks for him, in order to free their children.
Early in the it is obvious that those tasks are not only for the benefit of the hijackers, but do lead to an uncovering of parts of a very very bad CIA plot. The whole operation, a crime it is, seems to be the only way to find and expose evidence for this plot.
So far, up to season 1, episode 7.
'Crisis' is a fictional show for entertainment, with some notable lacks, but also some benefits. It is interesting, how we are led to sympathize with the hijacker's leader, the more it is revealed that he is basically doing every bad thing because of a higher goal, which is, to save the US people from some of their own protectors. Of course he is a mastermind who once instructed CIA members how to spy and gather intel; so he is always one or two steps ahead the authorities, he can predict most of their steps attempting to catch him. It seems that the new American Dream is to outmaneuver the authorities so that their power is taken from their hands.
While most of the perpetrator's success is based on the premise that parents, even mighty, powerful and rich parents, are completely normal and protective when it comes to their children in danger, only the president himself seems to believe that the oath he swore is worth more than the life of his son. We have to buy that, and if one doesn't, one wouldn't want to follow the story of 'crisis'.
On the other hand, the whole situation feels very constructed, full of cliché and sometimes unbelievable. I wonder, if someone could ever decide to abandon the genius-hacker-specimen for a sophisticated team of three or more, because hackers are truly working in teams even when they are attempting to break simple websites. Not necessarily from one place, but together via a network.
The bunch of hijacked children here is a kind of a mess, it never comes close to a sympathizing for any of them. Character development is not present, however hard the script tries to, and after some time the scenes from the lair where they are held captive do seem only to be a way to stretch the running time. Therefore, the script should certainly be going through modifications.
Camera, cut and music are decent and look professional. Actor's performance is like the script - they could and should be improved. I have to admit, that Ms. Anderson, yet I am a big fan of hers, is in my eyes the weakest link in the chain here. Maybe I'm wrong, but I had the impression that she is not very interested from her first scene on.
'Crisis' may not be one of the top shows in 2014, but, forgiving most of it's minor flaws, it does the job. -
cherold7 September 2015I really enjoyed the first episode of Crisis, which was well-paced, engaging and intriguing. I was honestly excited for the series. But then, after watching two more episodes plus the first ten minutes of one more, I stopped.
I stopped because the series was really not that pilot. The pilot was simply setting up the premise, which involves watching a psychopath with a possible noble aim force kidnapped kids powerful parents to do things to further his ends.
There are a few things that bothered me about this. First off, the psychopath has people working for him who don't seem to be invested in the psychopath's goal and it's unclear why they're taking orders from a guy who comes across as nuts. And the whole parents doing horrific things to save their children is a little far-fetched. Some would, some wouldn't, but the fact is, a number would be likely to look to the government to help them rather than sneak around. It just never convinced me.
Also, I really liked that black guy who was a big part of the first episode, but I saw less of him and more of that woman, and I just didn't find her that interesting a character (nor did I care about her sibling rivalry.
I would have watched the series I expected from the initial episode, but I have no interest in watching the series that followed it. -
Gamersea24 March 2014So far I like the series. It's has a very good cast with actors from The Unit, Royal Pains and other good series/movies.
Kids from very high and powerful people are getting kidnapped, nobody knows why yet. So far there are a lot of plot twists. It makes the series interesting and me curious to know how it's going to end.
Though I liked the first episode I'm not sure how long it can continue. The longer the series the worst this story can get.
So if you like spy/action/thriller series then you should definitely try this one. If you don't like the typical American storyline about the president, FBI, CIA etcetera then you should not watch this series. -
Boy was I stoked when I thought to check and see if this was available online (not having a TV). The trailer that's been circulating gave me high hopes. I'd give the trailer a 9 1/2, and as you can see, I've given the first two episodes a 7.
The first warning sign was the green-screen used early in Episode 1 when the kids are riding in the bus. \sad trombone\ And I did catch some clunky dialogue as the "Crisis" was beginning. What's bothering me the most, though, is the opportunities missed by the director. (OH MY GOD! I just looked it up! It's freaking PHILLIP NOYCE! He should know better!) How are the kidnappers not being shot in a way that makes them more menacing. (Really? No low POV or slightly slowed mo as they first enter the room? I could waste a lot of character-count with specifics about the directorial and cinematography choices.) And I do have to agree with some other posters on the cookie-cutter nature of some of the teen characters. That's tough to avoid with a bus full of high-school kids, sure...but it can be done.
I'm not going to call it a waste of time, but I am going to say I'm a little disappointed. Not a lot...yet. But still. -
dave-keeler25 September 2014I was waiting for Dillon Mcdermott to come out and kill Dermott Mulroney... it should have happened... YOU KNOW IT! other than that it was a decent show I don't know what else to say other than the whole canceling thing and postponing then coming back on out of nowhere was confusing... need to do another season. it was nice to have something to watch Sunday night after Cosmos. that is about all i have to say as far as a review.. but now i have to fill up 10 lines according to this stupid error message i keep seeing when i try to submit this review. so i guess i will just say hi to everyone and and thanks for reading, OK bye
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interstellar88887 April 2014The Crisis seems to be that all government personnel as well as the richest and most powerful citizens and their children are all idiots. This is even worse than Hostages (although it often seems like they used the same script and I do sometimes get Dylan McDermott and Dermot Mulroney mixed up). And it is nice to see that being taken hostage doesn't affect the rich kids' narcissism and self-centered sense of entitlement. None of us knows yet what the real purpose of the abduction was. But as time goes on, I care less and less. There is no one to root for here. Agencies fight with agencies. Parents fight with agencies. Parents fight with parents. Please see any BBC series where people with fundamental differences come together, over all adversity, to solve the problem. That is not the case with Crisis.
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sergiotrapani13 July 2019If you like a complex story, this is what you searched for.
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johnnymike9117 March 2014I don't know what it is about the series, if it's just poor casting, but none of the characters seem realistic in the least. Even the ones portrayed by good actors (Gillian Anderson) seem totally unrealistic. You can't take yourself into the story because everybody is acting so poorly. What's even worse about this series is the quality of cgi and effects. It looks like something that came from the SYFY channel. The violence is poorly coordinated and it's all wrapped up into a lump of coal.
This is just another series trying to get the 24 feel. Unfortunately, nothing was done right, and it ends up being a cheesy disappointment. -
timothyhulme28 April 2016Only one season and then it was cancelled in 2014. If you like 24 or Olympus/London has fallen, this 13 episode series is right up your street. Shame that there will not be a season 2. Loved it. The plot was sometimes a bit far fetched but after all this is entertainment so I do not think we should complain about that too much.
Gillian Anderson still acted a bit like Scully and I could not get that thought out of my head.
Overall though I think it was excellent.
Quite a good storyline.
Scheme its not having another series.
Never mind. -
POIguy4 April 2020I like the premise. It was pretty good but some of the acting was sub-par. I think this show could have went on further to expand the story. Overall pretty good show but not enough to be 10/10 quality.