TV REVIEW: NBC’s ‘Raines’ brings a little crazy fun to the wornout cop show genre
“Raines” is a new show on NBC starring Jeff Goldblum (“Jurassic Park”), playing Detective Michael Raines, who sees the victims of the cases he is working on.
I really have to admit that I judged this show before I even saw it. I tagged it as another crime show with a detective that has some sort of bond with the supernatural. Dead people come back to talk him through the case like in the shows “Ghost Whisperer” and “Medium.”
But “Raines” has something new to offer in the supernatural crime genre – it isn’t actually supernatural at all. Detective Raines sees the victims in his cases, but they are only figments of his imagination.
Raines is borderline schizophrenic, but what sets him apart is he knows how to handle it. He knows how to channel his problem into something that can help him.
Something that really impressed me with the show was that the hallucinations Raines sees don’t actually know anything about themselves either; they only know what Raines knows. Their voices, mannerisms, clothing and personalities change as Raines finds out new information about their lives.
Another thing that adds substantially to the show is that it actually has a mystery/noir feeling about it. The music and narration are just like an old detective movie, and they suck you right into the story.
Overall, the thing that really makes “Raines” work is Jeff Goldblum. He’s as funny and quirky as ever. He talks fast and has a sarcastic wit, even when he’s talking to himself.
“Raines” is a show for people who are sick of the same old CSI formulaic shows that have clogged up the TV schedule. It’s a breath of fresh air for the crime genre. The sad thing is the promos for the show make it look like he’s talking to dead people, which could turn people off like it almost did for me.
Definitely check out “Raines” if you’re looking for something new.
“Raines” is on NBC Fridays at 8 p.m.
Aaron Peck is master of all forms of television watching. Send comments to him at aaronpeck@cc.usu.edu.