BWW Recap: Action Packed SCORPION Premieres

I will sadly (and regrettably) admit that I am a talk-show addict. Seriously, I can't get enough. Maybe it's because I myself like to talk and enjoy a good conversation? Either way, I can tell you that I watch a lot of them, and I can also tell you that the stars of CBS's new primetime action drama SCORPION have been everywhere. It seems whatever show you turn on, they're somewhere promoting the show; needless to say CBS really wants this to be a hit. The show is selling itself as being "inspired by a true story" which already has me hooked.

Focused on the real life story of super genius Walter O'Brien, the fast paced procedural drama centers itself on Walter (played by Elyse Gabel previously seen on GAME OF THRONES) and his band of insanely smart yet incredibly misfit team of geniuses. Now I'm going to be honest, CBS has a tendency to start out their shows strong, let them get astray, and then cancel them when they have no clue what to do. Not to mention, the pilot episodes of shows are usually good so there is hope. After all, they are the pilot episodes that are done in hopes of being picked up by networks. But SCORPION shows some promise for the network.

The show hits the ground running. Three helicopters swoop in on a quaint town in Ireland with intent of arresting a computer hacker who just happens to a kid, this being the kid who hacked into NASA. By doing so we are introduced to our main character Walter. He may be a little socially odd but it's clear he's a genius with a good heart. After all he was efficient with his time, scheduling a break up with his girlfriend at a diner he had a job at. Speaking of that diner, enter Katherine McPhee who plays Paige. Her son, who she thinks has a learning disability, actually ends up being a genius as well we find out in the premiere episode.

Walter leads a team comprised of Happy Quinn, a mechanical prodigy who works well under pressure; Toby Curtis, an expert who specializes in body language and can read anyone; and Sylvester Dodd, a statistics specialist. When an automatic software upgrade happens at LAX it triggers a communication shutdown with fifty-six planes that are attempting to descend with absolutely no guidance, Agent Cabe Gallo asks Walter and his team to assist with the landings. These two have a past, as Agent Gallo was the one who attempted to arrest Walter as a kid. Reluctantly Walter and his team agree to assist the Department of Homeland Security. In a race against the clock Walter and his team must get LAX's control towers back in working order. Needing a place to work with a good wireless connection the team takes home in the diner Walter met Paige in.

To counteract the new software Walter needs the former software used by the airport, Happy and Toby are sent to a warehouse looking for the backup hard-drive. When the software needed becomes damaged Walter goes into panic mode, as it seems he's out of options. But before giving up Walter comes up with the brilliant plan of connecting to the software through one of the planes. But how will he do it? The plan is to connect with one of the abandoned plane as it barely dodges touching down. Seems simple enough right? With a plan in place it's time to take action. Picture it, a black Porsche flies down a runway, Walter in the drive seat with Paige standing up, arm stretched out trying to grab a cord from one of the pilots. With hearts racing she reaches out to grab the cord, the computer beings downloading the software. The plane risking a crash on the runway is their only hope. Every second matters and it's then that with the pressure of fifty-six planes on their shoulders LAX successfully downloads the former software putting them back on track to land planes safely. Seriously it was a great few minutes of television. I'll admit, it had my undivided attention and felt like a great movie scene. With a successful mission Agent Gallo offers Walter and his team a full time job assisting the Department of Homeland Security. After Walter accepts the offer for his team, he offers a job to one other person; Paige. Is this the start of another personal relationship for Walter? We shall see.

My overall consensus? When SCORPION focuses on the heart racing, fast paced action scenes it's great TV. Though there seems to be an interesting backstory that's being hinted at between Walter and Agent Gallo that I'm interested to learn about. However, it's when it's dialogue between characters that it starts to slow down and even tiptoes on the brink of being stale, cheesy, and forced.

What did you think of SCORPION? Did it bring enough "sting" to get you hooked?

PHOTO CREDIT: CBS

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