Golden Boy follows the story of a young ambitious New York cop (Theo James) who, in the span of seven years, rises through the ranks to become the youngest Police Commissioner in the Big Apple’s history. The cast also includes Chi McBride, Kevin Alejandro, Bonnie Somerville, Holt McCallany, and Stella Maeve.
Sound interesting? Here’s what some of the critics think:
SF Chronicle: “The problems with Golden Boy are readily apparent, and actually fixable. If Wootten and Berlanti want an idea of how to do that, they need only look to McBride, who delivers a consistently credible, complexly multilayered performance in the four episodes sent to critics for review. McBride is actually so good that we completely believe his character’s otherwise unlikely quick U-turn from dismissing Clark as an ambitious brat to deciding to mentor him. In characterization, look and feel, “Golden Boy” would do well to gain a little more tarnish in future episodes.”
LA Times: “Unfortunately, McBride is the only one able, or allowed, to do more than strike one-dimensional character poses. Which is a shame. CBS does have its fair share of highly successful, fairly workmanlike procedurals, but it also has The Good Wife, which created the template for stories that balance rich character and compelling plot. Golden Boy could have done that as well. But it doesn’t.”
Boston Herald: “Writer Nicholas Wootton wore out his first keyboards on such shows as Law & Order and Chuck, and he’s aiming for darker, richer characters here. There hasn’t been a detective squad so screwed up since NYPD Blue. In its best moments, the drama has the grit of something more likely to be found on cable channel TNT. Golden Boy should keep reaching for the brass ring.
Boston Globe: “What doesn’t work at all in the first two episodes of Golden Boy is the more familiar procedural material. The crimes of the week are just bland, late Law & Order-level stories. It must be hard to write procedurals these days, since it seems as though every possible twist on the homicide case has already been done. But a show such as The Closer managed to keep the crimes vital by hiring strong actors-of-the-week and making their characters more than types. Perhaps, with time, the writers will be able to devote more attention to that critical component. The cops on Golden Boy have too much dimension to set them against such a flat background.”
USA Today: “The flashback structure gives the show a distinctive approach while adding a layer of depth to the weekly stories. The scripts offer a well-balanced mix of office politics, underlying mystery and weekly cop procedural. And the first-rate cast ties it all together with abundant skill. No, that still isn’t enough to win the Boy a TV gold medal. But silver is nothing to sniff at.”
What do you think? Do you like the sound of Golden Boy? Will you watch the show? If you’ve already seen it, will you watch again?
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