TV Review - Reckless

Anna Wood and Cam Gigandet
in a scene from "Reckless"

This is a legal drama that is taking the time-slot of The Good Wife and is perhaps attempting to be like that show only sexier. The problem is that The Good Wife is incredibly sexy, but it can be so without anyone having to take their clothes off, so that when you finally see an incredibly attractive actor like Matt Czuchry naked or even shirtless, it's only a nice topping to what has always been a treat. This show seems to need its actors to take their clothes off on day one because it doesn't have the substance to be sexy without showing skin.

Anna Wood plays Jaime Sawyer, a defense attorney in Charleston, South Carolina. Yes, she's brassy and smart. Clearly, she's a good lawyer, but writer Dana Stevens does something, which didn't endear me to Jaime. She pulls a cheap trick in court where she replaces the pens that the jury uses with ones that have no ink, so that they can't take notes.

It's a cheap trick, which she didn't even need to do. Later, she proves that she's able to dismantle the prosecution's case, which is how I prefer to see it. I want to see Jaime make a good argument using facts she's found with her assistant and investigator Vi Briggs, played by Kim Wayans. I don't want to see her pulling cheap tricks.

Cam Gigandet plays Roy Rayder, the assistant district attorney, the prosecutor for Jaime's case. He opens the pilot episode by boating to work. Apparently, people around town, those of power and importance, like him. He's even offered a cushy government job. He's even given a high-paying position at a firm because he demands it. We've seen nothing so far that indicate why, beyond him having a penis and all of Charleston being a boy's club.

What moves the show past being an exposé on police or political corruption and into sheer gross misogyny is a video depicting essentially a group rape, implicating characters who are clearly twisted but also characters who we assume to be good.

Shawn Hatosy who plays Terry McCandless seemed to jump from playing a cop in one show to another cop in this one. Previously, he was in Southland where he had some nuance and layers. Here, he's just a misogynist, a horny bastard who is a veritable rapist.

Adam Rodriguez who plays Preston Cruz also seemed to jump from playing a cop in one show to playing another cop in this one. Previously, he was in CSI: Miami. He's the boyfriend of Jaime. He comes off as the perfect boyfriend, but because Roy has lustful feelings for Jaime, and because the show wants Jaime and Roy together, obviously Preston can't be perfect.

The show doesn't even give Hatosy or Rodriguez a chance to build anything. The series simply dispenses with them right off the bat. There's really not too far for them to go. The show has already decided what they are. The show should treat them better than that.

Two Stars out of Five.
Rated TV-14-LSV.
Running Time: 1 hr.
Sundays at 9PM on CBS.