Legends - Pilot - Review

Pilots are often among my least favorite episodes of a series. If I’ve missed it when it first premiered, I tend to not go back and watch it until I’ve caught up on everything else, and that’s because pilots are usually full of character and story set up, and a pale comparison to the layered story the show eventually grows into, if it survives. Pilots often feel a little bumpy. Everyone – the actors, writers, producers – are still getting a feel for who the characters are and what the show is, and sometimes seen in retrospect, those characters and the show feel a little off.

So how did the Legends pilot do? It had a lot of character and story set up, it was a little bumpy, but in some areas it was full of promise. Legends is a new spy drama from TNT which aired on network TV for the first time last night, although it was released earlier in the US via cable. It’s a spy story starring Sean Bean, who plays a Jack Bauer type character – an older, seasoned undercover agent has spent so much time in the field that he’s become dysfunctional and his personal life is a wreck. But he’s also the guy everyone knows they can count on to save the day.

In some ways, though, the story bears more semblance to the Jason Bourne stories. Martin Odum, the Bean character, is suffering from an identity crisis of sorts. With his many legends (or personas) he assumes while going undercover, he is losing track of who he really is.

In addition, a mysterious hooded figure tells Odum that he doesn’t know where the legend begins, and that Martin Odum (what Odum believes to be his true identity) is actually a legend. That man is subsequently murdered on a crowded train track and dies in Odum’s arms, but not before passing on a book that he claims has answers.

Both the Bourne stories and Legends are based on popular novels (Bourne by Robert Ludlum and Legends by Robert Littell). Nicely planned, TNT aired The Bourne Legacy movie prior to the Legends premiere.

I’ve had the opportunity to preview the first two Legends episodes – so first I want to say that some of my issues with the first one worked better in the second. But we’re discussing the pilot now, so let’s begin.

Martin Odum – Bean’s performance as Odum stole the show for me. He plays the character with so much depth, and the right balance of deflection, confidence, and vulnerability to make him a very sympathetic character. We meet his ex-wife (Sonya) and son (Aiden) and see that he loves them and feels he failed them. His job prevents him from being the father his son needs, yet his son is still remarkably well-adjusted. Given what’s hinted at by the hooded man – that Odum is just a legend – I can’t stop from drawing connections to Jack Shephard’s imaginary and perfect teenage son David on LOST. If Aiden isn’t actually Martin’s son, I wonder how this revelation will affect the already unraveling mind of our hero.

The standout moment of this episode for me is when Odum describing to his team his current legend, Lincoln Dittmann, an unemployed construction worker whose wife left him, and starts to subconsciously transform into this personality. The subtle changes in Bean’s demeanor, the introduction of a stutter (a Dittmann characteristic), and the stunned looks of the agency team as he makes this transformation make this a powerful scene.

Crystal – Played by Ali Larter, this character is set up as Odum’s field supervisor. She’s an attractive blond with a past history with Odum, and an axe to grind because Odum went off the grid while undercover, making her look bad as she runs the field ops. Her character is a little stereotypical, and the choice to sex her up in a stripper outfit in the pilot flattens her character, but Larter is a good actress, and her character becomes a little more interesting in the second episode.

Yates – We don’t learn much about him in the pilot. Played by Steve Harris, he’s the director of the task force – the boss of both Crystal and Martin – and seems to be a good guy. But his insistence on keeping Martin in the field despite Crystal’s logical arguments about Martin’s mental stability make him suspicious to me. I may be reading too much into this at this point, but I’m keeping my eye on him.

The hooded figure – Early in the episode, Martin realizes he’s being followed. He confronts the man and is told annoyingly cryptic comments before the man is killed, such as “You don’t know where your life begins and your legend ends.” “There is no Martin Odum. He’s a legend,” and “Trust no one.” For a man who obviously wanted to make contact and had something to say, his inability to spit out something helpful in the several minutes the two characters interact lacks believability. But it serves its purpose in setting up the mystery without giving away too much too early. And the man has amazingly creepy teeth.

Bobby – We barely knew you. This young member of the ops team helps Martin out by researching the hooded figure. He became the first casualty in the missing identity plot.  His murder was somewhat predictable, but it served its purpose in legitimizing the cryptic comments made the by hooded figure.

The undercover case of the week – The first case, dealing with domestic terrorism, was a little weak. It took a backseat to introducing the characters and the mystery of Odum’s identity. The show scored in casting an excellent guest star Zeljko Ivanek, recently seen as Dr. Horn on Revolution. But given the actor's potential, his presence was squandered in a forgettable role – the “Founding Father” of the terror group. But maybe we’ll see more of him, as the episode ended with him alive and in the custody of the authorities. The case the group tackles next week is more action-packed, and that gives me hope about the undercover portion of the series – which will really need to carry the series until the mytharc is ready to pick up more momentum.

What did you think of the show so far? Share your thoughts in the comments below.