Take Two Review: Pilot (Season 1 Episode 1)

There’s no shortage of unlikely pairs teaming up to fight crime on TV.

Take Two is nothing new, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t fun. It’s certainly a good sign that it’s written by Andrew W. Marlowe and Terri Edda Miller, the husband and wife team behind ABC’s Castle.

Let’s review real quick.

Castle was about a best-selling novelist shadowing a detective to lend authenticity to his new book series about an NYPD cop. Take Two is about a famous actress shadowing a private investigator to lend authenticity to her new movie role as a PI.

So if it worked the first time, it will work the second time, right? Not so much.

While Take Two is light and comedic, it’s missing that chemistry and wit that had me eagerly tuning into Castle week after week for eight years (well seven years, but that’s a different story).

When we first meet Sam Swift, she is fresh out of rehab and ready to get her life back. She begins shadowing Eddie Valetik, a PI that owes her agent a favor, to make sure she gets the details right for her comeback role. Of course, Eddie is not too happy about this.

Sam has years worth of experience playing a cop on TV to help her solve crimes. She knows what questions to ask and how to tell when someone was shot at close range. She’s a (not at all) surprisingly good partner to Eddie.

However, I don’t see the chemistry between Eddie and Sam. I know it’s supposed to be there, but I’m not feeling it. They seem to work the case almost separately instead of building ideas off of each other. The thoughts and leads come to each one independently, and the other simply agrees.

This is partially because Eddie does not take Sam seriously enough to build a theory with her. Hopefully, this will change. After all, Eddie is a fan of Sam’s old show, even if he doesn’t find it the most accurate portrayal of police work.

Eddie: None of the cops I know wear designer clothes and 5-inch heels.

I realize that is a slam on Kate Beckett. It still makes me laugh.

Is Sam’s fame going to be a problem as she and Eddie continue to work together? Nearly every person they encounter recognizes her. This is going to make it hard to remain under the radar while on cases.

Det. Rollins: The last thing you need is some fake cop getting you real dead.

Eddie clearly has a soft spot for Sam. He lets her talk him into some dangerous situations.

The case has just enough twists and turns to keep things interesting without getting too ridiculous. When Eddie wants to close it without investigating, Sam pushes him forward.

She randomly brings up his still largely unknown, tragic backstory to motivate him to not give up. It feels forced, but we get the point. Sam isn’t going to let Eddie coast by in life anymore.

Although Sam is comparing her breakdown and addiction to Eddie’s violent loss of a client, it doesn’t really seem like the best way to say they both need to move on from their pasts.

Eddie needs Sam’s cheesy jokes and excitement for crime fighting to wake him up and help him find some passion again.

Take Two is not necessarily high-quality TV, but I am curious to see how it pans out. It’s light and doesn’t make you think too hard, but there might be some substance buried in there.

I have high hopes that this show will develop into something much better than its pilot. I know MilMar can do better than this, so I’m not done watching yet.

Castle 2.0:

• “Spoiled, overprivileged, out of control ego.” = “Egotistical, immature, self-centered.”
• Eddie threatening to handcuff Sam to the steering wheel if she doesn’t stay in the car.
• Eddie threatening to shoot Sam if she interferes with the investigation.
• Sam calling her connections to get information faster and speed up the investigation.
• Eddie is a fan of Sam’s show.
• The case is basically the same as the Castle episode “The Blue Butterfly,” with an impostor posing as concerned family member hires a PI to help them track someone down only to try and kill them.
• Sam uses exact dialogue from her show to stop a suspect. The Castle episode “Nikki Heat” also opens on a scene from a movie/show that will then be used word for word by the actor to stop a crime.
• Please tell me Eddie and Mick English are friends because I need Jordan Gavaris playing Lanie Parish.
• Familiar names: Andrew W. Marlowe, Terri Edda Miller, David Amann, John Terlesky, Robert Duncan, and Luke Reichle.

What did you think of this episode of Take Two? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Take Two airs Thursdays at 10/9c on ABC.

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