Equation explains TNT’s new show ‘Perception’

We all know math explains everything – that CBS show Numb3rs taught us that!  Well, math has come through for us again!  Below is a simple equation that completely explains TNT’s new show Perception.

We’ve got a neuroscience professor with a is-it-a-person-or-a-hallucination problem à la A Beautiful Mind.  Like Raines’ ghosts, case-related hallicinations don’t disappear until the prof has cracked the case.  What’s a neuroscience prof doing solving crimes?  He’s a consultant to law enforcement who is a bit Sherlock-y with a dollop Monk-ishness and a helping of Wire In The Blood’s Dr. Tony Hill.   Think Numb3rs, but instead of the prof’s brother being a law enforcement agent, it’s an attractive woman à la Eleventh Hour or Wire In The Blood – with a tiny bit of Criminal Minds profiling thrown in for flavor.  He’s got a nerdy student teaching assistant (TA) with a penchant for gaming and Star Wars,  a bit more The Big Bang than Numb3rs.  

Reminiscent of Watson, it’s the TA’s (Max Lewicki) job to keep the Preception’s Sherlock (Dr. Daniel Pierce) “in line and on task“.  In case you were wondering, that’s totally outside the job description for a typical TA.  What is typical is that the law enforcement part of our cop-consultant duo is a sassy, sarcastic, lovely (and yes, single) lady (FBI Agent Kate Moretti) who’s main job seems to be understanding the genius and doing some crime fighting action sequences.  Oh, and Moretti also keeps Pierce ”in line and on task“.  In fact Pierce has a few handlers to keep him ”in line and on task“.  Another Pierce babysitter is university dean Paul Haley (played by LeVar Burton!!).  Keeping faculty ”in line and on task” actually does sound like something a university dean would do.

Pierce requires lots of handling, which is supposedly made-up for by his crime-solving abilities.  Just how does the prof crack cases?  No worries!  Perception illustrates how Pierce puts it all together à la Sherlock’s floating text and Unforgettable’s flashbacks.

What’s this all add up to?  A bad show with nothing new to offer.

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Editorial Materials & MethodsmThe author watched the first episode of Perception.  Unfortunately, the author was totally sober at the time.