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If there's one thing I love when sampling a television series, it's being surprised. That is exactly what CBS's freshman summer series Reckless did to me.
Reckless premiered on July 29, spending its first few weeks airing late on Sundays. The low but steady ratings resulted in a couple of schedule changes through its run, which culminated in one of the best 2 part season finales I've seen in my time following television.
The legal drama is set in South Carolina's Charleston, and stars Anna Wood and Cam Gigandet as lawyers Jamie Sawyer and Roy Rayder. An excellent story arc running the length of the season centers around the case against several members of the Charleston Police Department in their involvement in the gang rape of a female officer by the name of Lee Anne Marcus, played by Georgina Haig. Shawn Hatosy, Adam Rodriguez, Kim Wayans Michael Gladis and Gregory Harrison also make appearances in most of the episodes.
The series surprised me largely because of its beauty. The cast are all great looking people, but its is their wardrobe that steals the show for me. Every man and woman looked stunning. The dresses were all sexy and sophisticated, while the suits had the perfect blend of classic and modern. Even the casual attire didn't let the standards drop.
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The cast may have been good looking but their acting was above average for a summer series. One or two may have struggled with the southern accent but that wasn't too much of a concern for me at all. Each character that was integral to the story had the right amount of screen time and showed up on cue. I got the sense that all the characters needed to be there as well - something that cannot be said for many a summer and fall series which was pleasing to see.
Adding to the beauty was the awesome set design, locations, scenery, and directing. With the series being set in an atypical American location, the viewer is regularly treated to ample green and blue stuff, and wide open spaces void of skyscrapers. Charleston is a very old city, founded in 1670, and widely known for its period architecture, which was on show in numerous occasions in every episode. The directing was well above what's seen in many big name series, with some gorgeous camera angles right throughout the season.
A great story also goes a long way to making a series good value, and Reckless has this nailed. The story was complex enough to be compelling, but was still straightforward and easy to track. The evidence steered the ship for all the characters no matter which side of the bench they were behind. The story was expertly crafted to leverage the one of a kind, genuine chemistry between leads Jamie and Roy to keep the viewer sitting squarely on the fence. The 2 part season finale was excellent, and really leaves the door open for several potential directions for the second season.
Speaking of a second season, the ratings for Reckless haven't been all that good. The series has sat around the 0.5 to 0.7 18-49 rating level throughout, and has seen an audience low of 2.58 million viewers in the second hour of the finale, to a high of 4.68 million viewers in last Sunday's penultimate episode. The late night weekend timeslot isn't at all favorable in this respect but the series has retained its audience throughout which is good news. I am, however, glad that we weren't left with any cliffhangers, rather a myriad of opportunities should the series get a sophomore season.
All in all, Reckless was a pleasant surprise and an excellent series to wind down the summer with. You get the rare feeling of security when watching the series because you can trust the creative direction and the excellent cast. I'm definitely a fan, and I'd love to see CBS give the series another run next year. It's the perfect series to binge watch too, so if you haven't seen it, I recommend you give it a shot.
Thanks a lot for reading! Don't forget to share your own thoughts and personal highlights in the comments section below.
Jimmy.
