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| Meagan Good in Deception |
I was interested in the show after reading the synopsis, because I've been trying to get into some new shows, and I do like a good cop-mystery drama. Though, I was also skeptical of the show because I felt it wouldn't capture or keep my interest. The pilot episode was OK, and I wasn't sure if a show would be able to carry on with a storyline of an undercover cop finding out who killed her socialite best friend. But I watched anyway. Slowly, but surely the show picked up, and I was slightly hooked. We got closer and closer to finding out who killed the victim and it was revealed in the finale, but as usual we were left with a major cliffhanger, with even more questions. The cancellation now means we may never know what route the show would've went upon the discovery of the killer.
Part of the reason why I peaked an interest in this show was due to my excitement that another major television network had a show with a woman of color as lead. Up until Kerry Washington debuted as Olivia Pope on ABC's Scandal, there weren't any prime-time shows with women of color (specifically Black) as the lead character. It also may have been Scandal's success that led NBC to cast Meagan Good as the lead for their show; the two shows were compared heavily even though they had completely different plots.
But unlike Kerry Washington, Meagan Good has been somewhat limited in her acting roles. And while I wasn't so crazy about Meagan's acting on the show, I'm glad Deception gave her the opportunity to show viewers that she can take on versatile roles. I've watched plenty of films starring her, and she usually plays some sexy girlfriend.
I'm not sure why they decided to cancel the show, but I don't believe it was the low ratings. NBC's Hannibal, which premiered in the same timeslot, with more competition, had even lower ratings, but the show was renewed for a second season. The writing of that show however was much better.
In summary of the show, it's about Joanna Locasto (Meagan Good), a young officer from San Francisco, who is guilted into going undercover for the murder investigation of her childhood friend Vivian Bowers. Joanna's old boyfriend Will Moreno (Laz Alonso) comes to her with the offer—we learn he is now an FBI agent and they broke up due to his workaholic ambitions. Vivian has just been found murdered in a New York motel room. Her family, the Bowers are very wealthy and Joanna used to live with them, because her mother was once a maid for the family. Will feels like Joanna's closeness to the family will help them get inside information, but Joanna has been estranged from the Vivian and the family for 15 years. The first episode was not a very good pilot, and from its wrap-up it seemed like the questions could've been answered up into a few episodes.
We follow Joanna on this investigation, which also proves to be a personal and emotional journey for her. As she attempts to gain the trust of the Bowers, she's also confronted with her feelings for her first love Julian Bowers, the middle son and playboy of the family. In flashbacks we learn they were a hot and heavy as a teen couple. Joanna and Will also rekindle their relationship, which quickly becomes a conflict of interest and hinders their investigation. Their relationship becomes an annoyance as well due to Will's character.
The best part of the show is not the two leads though, and I'm no TV show expert, but I'm sure that's bad. Meagan Good's acting is nothing to praise, and Laz Alonzo's character is just unlikable and horrible.
The saving grace of the show is Victor Garber, who plays Robert Bowers, the patriarch of the family. The self-proclaimed 'family man' is what's keeping the Bowers clan from falling apart, and is as determined as you'd expect a family leader and CEO to be. His character is more than what meets the eye. The eldest Bowers son Edward (Tate Donovan), is another interesting character. He progresses to be the best character on the show. Both characters are not who they seem to be from the start, and you'll probably be rooting hard for one of them near the end.
Overall, I liked the show. My main criticism was really the writing. I felt that in the beginning, writers attempted to make the plot seem overly mysterious, but it became suffocating. Throughout the show there's this recurring theme of mystery that the viewer won't try to care about anymore. Some of the minor characters constantly gave hinting warnings that didn't prove to be much. Then suddenly, it abruptly stopped and makes you wonder what was the purpose of it at all.
The pacing of Deception is slow, but if you're patient give it a try.
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