1.13.2014

Television: Intelligence, "Red X"

Okay, so Gabriel = walking Internet. And Riley = his cheeky sidekick/bodyguard. They work for the government but are also looking for Gabriel's MIA wife Amelia who is considered both dead and a traitor. Except Chinese intelligence suggests she recently boarded a plane to [I don't remember where].

That's the setup, more or less.

Riley has moved into an apartment across from and above Gabriel's. "Overlook." So she can keep an eye on him.

Today's problem to solve: How did a terrorist get past all the sophisticated equipment and still manage to get explosives into a military base? Additionally, what to do about a terrorist that has just arrived in Washington D.C.?

Ah, the undetectable explosive is "experimental." But clearly the wrong people have managed to get ahold of it.

I'll say I am enjoying John Billingsley as Dr. Cassidy. Yeah, it's a total cliché to have some old guy mentor/wizard, but . . . Some do it better than others. I liked Cassidy in the pilot and am happy to see he's a regular. I think it's the fact that he looks like someone who belongs in a library. His appearance soothes my natural literariness, yet his character appeals to my logical and analytical side. Good balance. For me, anyway.

Okay, so the explosive requires two people. One to carry it in, another to act as the detonator. Fun!

Obligatory Gabriel-walks-out-in-a-huff moment followed by equally obligatory Riley-reminds-him-of-his-duty moment. (She guilts him into coming back by telling him stories of people who have lost loved ones to Red X.)

They track the bomb guy to a highrise. Gabriel tracks the bomb while Riley lands the button. She's not fast enough to stop him, but his detonator ends up being a dud anyway. He gets away—and Amelia is the one driving the getaway car.

One can tell much of this series will hinge on tracking Amelia and trying to determine which side she's really on. Is she just deep undercover? Or is she really a traitor? And my big question: How long before this gets old?

Gabriel is really angry Riley shot at his wife, and he takes Lillian (that's the boss lady) to task for it. Cassidy and Cassidy Jr. (Nelson, actually, so technically not Jr.) must remove the Red X from the dead bomb guy. Then they deduce the detonator guy who got away has even more Red X somewhere and will surely be planning another attack.

Geez, not even a "thank you" to the kid who gave you the big clue on where the bad guys were going to hit next? You just get what you want and quit being nice the minute you have it? Gabriel and Riley are assholes to kids.

It's a hospital, btw.

And Amelia is the bomb.

Well, at least they didn't drag that out like I worried they would.

Gabriel tries to reason with Amelia while Riley threatens to shoot her. Then decides to knock Gabriel through a window so they can both go flying into a handily place canal. Right before the hospital explodes. Good thing they'd been able to evacuate the hospital first.

So now Amelia is dead for sure? I'm not clear how shooting her would have done any good; no one said Red X only worked in living tissue, did they? If so, I missed it.

Oh, good. At least Lillian went to thank the kid. And pump him for more info. Turns out the clue that led to the hospital (and Amelia) was given to the kid by Amelia to give to Gabriel. So . . . Traitor/Not a Traitor?

So far I'm finding Intelligence mildly entertaining. It's paced out like any other of this kind of show, and the characters are pretty standard, but at least the plots have held my attention. That's more than many shows can say. If next week holds up, this one may make my regular viewing list.

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