RAINES 1.7 – "Closure"

Writer: David Andron
Director: Guy Ferland

Cast: Jeff Goldblum (Detective Michael Raines), Nicole Sullivan (Carolyn Crumley), Matt Craven (Captain Daniel Lewis), Cynthia Watros (Sarah Carver), Malik Yoba (Charlie Lincoln), Linda Park (Sally Lance), Dov Davidoff (Remi Boyer), Geoffrey Blake (Richard Billings), Jodi Lyn O'Keefe (Angelina Billings), Richard Cox (Richard Billings), Michael Mantell (Marshall Bracken), Stephen Lee (Joe Podalski), David Jean Thomas (Pilot #1), Christopher Goodman (Pilot #2), Rachel Vacca (Assistant Kara), Ben Bonnet (Guy), Chris Diamantopoulos (Andrew Carver) & James Martin Kelly (California Highway Patrolman Jones)

Michael has some soul-searching to do when his ex-wife requests his help in proving her husband was murdered...

"I know what you're looking for. Some sort of closure. Something
to ease your pain. But closure doesn't exist. You're gonna feel this
in some form or another forever -- 'cause that's how it feels when
you lose the love of your life..."

-- Detective Michael Raines (Jeff Goldblum)

Raines comes to its untimely end by providing welcome insight into Raines' private life; mixed with a mildly-engaging investigation into a plane crash that ensures this axed drama series leaves the airwaves with some semblance of closure...

This week's case is more personal for Raines (Jeff Goldblum), as it concerns his ex-wife Sarah (Cynthia Watros) personally requesting his help to investigate her husband's death aboard a plane that crashed into the ocean, after the 4 passengers and crew were knocked unconscious by fumes. Three months later, Sarah still suspects foul play. The crash also has a degree of fame, as one of the deceased (and owner of the aircraft) was millionaire Richard Billings (Richard Cox).

Raines agrees to take on Sarah's case; despite the fact his imagination immediately "resurrects" his ex's lawyer now-dead husband Andrew Carver (Chris Diamantopoulos) to be his new "partner". As Raines delves into specifics regarding the air-crash, including any chance of sabotage before it took off, Andrew's presence begins to reawaken feelings and grievances Raines has kept buried since his divorce.

David Andron's script benefits from its involvement of more unique "murder scene", while the multiple deaths certainly ups the stakes for Raines. There's also a juiciness to everything when it becomes clear the plot involves millionaires, tragic romances, and Raines' own buttoned-up emotions. It's also great fun to spot Lost's Cynthia Watros (involved in another airline disaster story!) and Prison Break's Jodi Lyn O'Keefe as Angelina Billings, another of those beautifully sneery bitches O'Keefe seems to specialize in. Fans will enjoy her poolside swimsuit scene, too.

This is the first episode where the subplot is more interesting than the main story, primarily because investigative TV shows (particularly US ones) are rather formulaic and neatly wrapped up. Raines had the interesting device of fleshing out its victims' personalities via Raines' imaginings, themselves based on accumulated facts, but the presence of vision-Andrew isn't really required here. Sarah is a much better source of knowledge (regarding her husband's death and her relationships with Raines and Andrew), so my attention naturally settled on her.

But, that's not to say the aircraft investigation is totally boring. It's not. It's just nowhere near as exciting as you imagine it will be. It all pans out quit well and resolves itself unexpectedly, but I found more to savour watching Raines and Sarah in their brief scenes, and gaining more insight into why Raines' marriage fell apart.

Overall, Closure was an okay episode with a more interesting character-based subplot for Raines. In some ways, it's a shame Raines can't move out of its "detective drama" to pursue other things, as Goldblum ensures you want to spend more time getting to know how Raines ticks, and find youeself increasingly less enthusiastic about the investigations. But it’s not worth getting worked up about now, as Closure was the last episode produced before NBC pulled the plug on Raines' imagination.

After 7 fairly enjoyable episodes (but no truly memorable ones), I can understand why it didn't attract a sizeable crowd. Goldblum's an acquired taste, but I think he did well to show subtle depths in-between more kooky mannerisms and always seemed very truthful. Madeleine Stowe (absent here) was also pretty solid as his shrink, in a recurring role.

Sadly, all the supporting cast were totally wasted, meaning the series was always a one-man show for Goldblum (accompanied by hallucinations that served their purpose for an episode, and vanished forever.) Every other detective series involves a two-person partnership to build camaraderie and friendship around, but Raines could never have that luxury, by virtue of the show's premise. It was necessary, but I don’t think Jeff Goldblum quite had the strength of presence to make up for it.

The storylines were generally effective enough and occasionally hit emotive moments, but most lacked punch and pace. The hallucinations idea worked well most of the time (sometimes quite brilliantly), but there were times when the imagined victims were redundant and useless, or the writers used them to stray into areas of bad-taste, or just paste over cracks in an otherwise humdrum procedural.

But I'm glad I stuck with Raines for its measly 7 episodes, if only for Jeff Goldblum's solid performance -- although the show's premise would have made a better movie. The novelty of the hallucinations wore off by episode 4 and there wasn't too much to get excited about plot-wise each week. Ultimately, Raines was a great premise, given okay treatment by its writers. It had potential to improve, certainly – but that will sadly go unexplored now...


10 March 2008
ITV3, 9.00 pm

RAINES 1.6 – "Inner Child"

Writer: Josh Singer
Director: Felix Enriquez Alcalá

Cast: Jeff Goldblum (Detective Michael Raines), Dov Davidoff (Remi Boyer), Madeleine Stowe (Dr. Kohl), Linda Park (Sally Lance), Nicole Sullivan (Carolyn Crumley), Matt Craven (Captain Daniel Lewis), David Eigenberg (Charles Newman), Bob Pescovitz (Mr. Tobin), Ashlyn Sanchez (Grace Tobin), Andrew Borba (Henry Strong), Zoe Stone-Molloy (Emily Strong), Troy Cephers (Bruce Rasmussen), Colette O'Connell (Betty), Mya Michaels (Jane Tobman), K. T. Thangavelu (M. E. Stein), Tony Vera (Tony Vera) & Julia Prud'homme (Judy Strong)

"You don't want to tell her that 65% of sexual solicitations occur through
IM and chat. What exactly is a sexual solicitation anyway?"

-- Emily (Zoe Stone-Molloy)

It's the penultimate episode of this short-lived drama series, and Raines (Jeff Goldblum) is investigating child sexual abuse and murder. Inner Child manages to be quite sensitive at times, with Goldblum giving a heartfelt performance, but a few of Raines imaginings devalued the serious issue of paedopholia...

The victim this week is 10-year-old Emily (Zoe Stone-Molloy), who once again appears as a vision for the "mentally haunted" Raines; a young presence that makes him very uincomfortable throughout his investigation. It's an interesting twist on the established formula for the series, with Raines trying to keep the grizzly details of Emily's death away from "herself".

For awhile, Inner Child deftly tackles a crime that's in the public consciousness these days, but it eventually becomes the first episode where Raines "unique perspective" seemed to cheapen the reality of such cases. I could cope with Raines seeing "Emily", as those scenes were played well, but a warning sign arrived when Raines imagined a group of clichéd paedophiles sat hunched at their computers, after he realized Emily had an internet connection.

It's a pity the vision element became increasingly distasteful, as the storyline is otherwise quite engaging, Andrew Borba gives a good performances as Emily's grieving father Henry (who exacts vigilante justice on his daughter's killer half-way through the episode) and Goldblum rises to the acting challenge – looking appropriately disgusted and determined by the awful case.

But, honestly – when Raines started imagining Emily's killer Charlie (David Eigenberg) resuming his attack on the hapless girl at his own murder scene, culminating in Raines "imagining" Emily shooting Charlie dead with a make-believe handgun – it signalled a twist into fantasy that diminished the reality of these cases. Then the script awkwardly tried its hand at "black comedy" -- with Emily sharing a car journey, with Charlie in the backseat, as Raines drives and tries to keep the peace.

For me, such moments seemed designed to provoke blunt reactions, but I thought it was disappointing writer Josh Singer chose to have Raines imagine such simple-minded stuff. Mind you, it was interesting to see Raines get a little frayed around the edges this week -- struggling to keep his imagination under control in the presence of colleagues. If only the script had been a bit more sensitive in how it deal with his visions.

Elsewhere, I'm really enjoying the sessions Raines has with Dr Kohl (Madeleine Stowe), particularly now he seems to actually be enjoying them. But it was odd to see him dodge the fact he "sees" victims in his mind, as he quite clearly told Dr Kohl that's what happens a few episodes ago. A small goof there, methinks.

Overall, this was a half-decent story with welcome development for Raines' mental health issues, a few tidbits of information to relish (Raines didn't have toys as a kid; perhaps a factor in his over-active imagination?), and strong acting from all involved. It's just a shame the handling of Raines' mental frailty was treated insensitively on occasion – leaving a bitter taste in the mouth.


3 March 2008
ITV3, 9.00 pm

RAINES 1.5 – "The Fifth Step"

Writer: Taylor Elmore
Director: Paul Michael Glaser

Cast: Jeff Goldblum (Detective Michael Raines), Nicole Sullivan (Carolyn Crumley), Matt Craven (Captain Daniel Lewis), Malik Yoba (Charlie Lincoln), Linda Park (Sally Lance), Dov Davidoff (Remi Boyer), Felice Heather Monteith (Theresa), Blake Gibbons (Marcus), Melinda Page Hamilton (Conny Webb), Mark Harelik (Lionel Webb), Luba Mason (Svetlana Uzdanov), Markus Foster (Conor), Michael Maize (Dexter/Skeezy Guy), Patrick Hume (J. P. LeVay) & Teddy Sears (Mitchell Parks)

The wife of one of Raines' friends is found dead with Aryan Nation insignia cut into her body – and Raines discovers disturbing lies, cover-ups, and misguided good intentions...

Connie: This is a much better look for me, don't you think?
Raines: Any image of you with a head is a good
one as far as I'm concerned.

Raines hits its stride with its fifth episode, giving us a compelling mystery that lacks a lightness of touch, but at least manages to provide a stronger sense of resolution...

In contrast to its preceding episode, The Fifth Step is a more serious affair, particularly for Raines (Jeff Goldblum), who finds himself leading the investigation into the death of a friend's wife, Conny Webb (Melinda Page Hamilton). Her husband, court judge Lionel Webb (Mark Harelik) has known Raines for years, and his wife's death was particularly gruesome: decapitated by a gunshot and with Aryan Nation insignia carved into her flesh...

It's a nice idea to make Raines' case more personal – although the show has yet to pair Raines with an imaginary victim he knew well personally (Charlie doesn't count). There are some moments of ghoulish fun, as Conny starts the show wandering around her house headless, before Raines corrects her after seeing a photograph.

Conny's a beautiful woman in a flowing white dress, and Raines immediately takes a shine to his "fantasy lady", making him very determined to bring her killer to justice. The episode once again spends its opening chunk investigating a dead-end, as the quite hardcore notion of a white-supremacist-themed episode doesn't quite come to fruition.

However, Taylor Elmore's script does takes some corkscrew twists into less inflammatory territory – eventually having Raines deduce that Conny and husband Lionel dabbled with a sexy escort girl called Svetlana (Luba Mason) -- prompting some girl-on-girl fantasy imaginings by the smitten detective. In fact, the episode does a great job at keeping you interested in the actual investigation, rather than being pulled along by Goldblum's quirky performance and the "imaginary victims" gimmick.

It was also good to see the supporting cast have a marginally bigger role to play – even if it consisted of a rather half-hearted subplot for Sally (Linda Park) over the psychological ramifications of shooting a man dead, and irritant Boyer (Dov Davidoff) still doing his utmost to provide unfunny "comic relief". It's a shame the show is having problems with its cast, as I get the sense there's missed opportunities with actors like winsome Park and character actor Matt Craven.

The Fifth Step isn't a revelation for the series, but there's a more compelling plot to draw you along, and the eventual resolution about who killed Conny, and why, is unpredictable and desperately tragic. There's a slightly awkward final race to stop a contract killer who's yet to complete his job, but that's a relatively small complaint for an episode that weaves a strong murder mystery together. I've yet to be blown away by an episode of Raines -- and it's yet to decide if it's a kooky detective drama, or a melancholy crime drama -- but recent episodes have been told well, regardless.


25 February 2008
ITV3, 9.00 pm

RAINES 1.4 – "Stone Dead"

Writer: Bruce Rasmussen
Director: Felix Enriquez Alcala

Cast: Jeff Goldblum (Detective Michael Raines), Nicole Sullivan (Carolyn Crumley), Matt Craven (Captain Daniel Lewis), Malik Yoba (Charlie Lincoln), Madeleine Stowe (Dr. Kohl), Linda Park (Sally Lance), Dov Davidoff (Remi Boyer), Matt Malloy (Stan Rastow), Gina Ravera (Lisa Lincoln), Scott Halberstadt (Roger), Jeanette Brox (Jolie), Pat Crawford Brown (Margo), Owen Beckman (Jimmy Davis), Jermaine "Scooter" Smith (Jack Lincoln), Stephen Tobolowsky (Wally Anderson), Greg Cipes (Hunter), John Dennis (Glenn "Surfer" Bassett), Derek Carter (Jake), Sven Holmberg (Sergei), Romeo Brown (Trey) & Stephen Fuil (Desi)

A young drug dealer, with aspirations to become a comic book illustrator and change his life, is found dead. Meanwhile, Raines is concerned about Charlie's son and agrees to let Samantha try and help him...

"I came out here thinking I was gonna be the next Raymond Chandler.
I figured, you live here, you write like him. 'Dead men are heavier than broken hearts.'"

-- Michael Raines (Jeff Goldblum)

This was the first episode since the intriguing Pilot that I can honestly say I enjoyed watching all the way through, even if the eventual resolution was a bit silly. I think the reason it was an easier watch boils down to genial moments of comedy in the script by Bruce Rasmussen – who once won a Golden Globe for his work on early-90s sitcom Roseanne.

Stone Dead finds Raines (Jeff Goldblum) trying to solve the murder of a 20-year-old comic-book illustrator called Jimmy (Owen Beckman) who was also a drug dealer, after his body is discovered with two stab wounds.

There's an engaging melancholy about the show, as Raines' chatting away to his "imaginary Jimmy" serves to remind you how the boy is ultimately lost and deserving of justice. It's a nice change from other shows, where psychic mediums actually converse with ghosts – as that offers immediate assurance of an afterlife to the viewer. But in Raines, the dead are dead, and we feel empathy exclusively through Raines overactive imagination, and desire to bring those responsible to justice...

Rasmussen gives star Jeff Goldblum more opportunities to be funny here, which is definitely the way to go. Earlier episodes hinted at Raines' humour and off-kilter attitude, but Stone Dead is the first episode that really makes him an enjoyably "kooky detective". A scene where he makes tough-looking black gang members crack a smile by wiggling his ears, is the best example of this. Goldblum is an odd, but engaging screen presence, and this episode full exploits his personality.

Given Jimmy's hobby, the episode also explores the subculture of geeks (comic-book stores and prissy collectors) and chilled-out stoners (a group of pot-head teens and a weed-smoking granny). Raines is amusingly befuddled by this geeky world, although his relaxed attitude to drugs is fun to play with – as one youth hilariously bails through a window seconds after Raines arrives on their doorstep and shows his police badge.

The supporting cast are still not being used, which is a shame when you Matt Craven makes his small appearances as Captain Lewis count for so much, and Madeleine Stowe is really quite splendid as the kindly psychiatrist Dr Kohl.

A subplot about Raines' involvement in his dead partner Charlie's home-life is also very welcome, as it's revealed he's taken it upon himself to help Charlie's family cope with their grief. He picks up Charlie's son Jack (Jermaine Scooter Smith) from school most days, and tries to be a "surrogate father" as best he can at their home, with the blessing of Charlie's widow Lisa (Gina Ravera).

There are some problems with Stone Dead towards the end, though. The killer's identity isn't as easy to guess (thankfully), but it was quite a stretch the way Raines solved the case using Jimmy's artwork (which spilled out his unconscious feelings an gave clues to what happened to cause his death). I didn't think the circumstances surrounding Jimmy's death rang very true, and the episode ended on a few yucky notes at the comic-book store – displaying Jimmy's artwork in testament to the loss of his talent. It was all a bit too wholesome and neatly tied together for my taste, particularly with Jimmy's gawky girlfriend being drawn as a beautiful archangel.

There were also a few times when Rasmussen's background in comedy became a bit too overt for a crime drama – with the arrival of a blind sniffer dog, in a scene played entirely for laughs, being the worst offender. And I could have done without the cliché of a middle-aged police sketch artist still living at home with his (unseen) battleaxe mother! But, for the most part, the comedy/drama balance was maintained very well, with this episode evoking a similar vibe to Monk at times – complete with that show's tendency to end with faintly-silly resolutions!

It was an enjoyable story, with a strong subplot with Jack to boost its focus on the amusing (if never riveting, or ultimately rewarding) investigation. I certainly found it entertaining to watch, and Goldblum was on top form throughout.


18 February 2008
ITV3, 9.00 pm

RAINES 1.3 – "Reconstructing Alice"

Writer: Fred Golan
Director: Peter Werner

Cast: Jeff Goldblum (Detective Michael Raines), Nicole Sullivan (Carolyn Crumley), Matt Craven (Captain Daniel Lewis), Madeleine Stowe (Dr. Kohl), Linda Park (Sally Lance), Dov Davidoff (Remi Boyer), Steve Hytner (Milt Traeger), Donna Cooper (Neighbor), Tony Rivard (Homeless Man), Andrew Patrick Ralston (Scott Bills), Riki Lindhome (Tammy), Cheryl White (Helen Mullen), Rachel Winfree (Crystal), Alejandro Furth (Sal Martinez), Christopher Shea (James Milton), Jim Parrack (Deputy Mark Jessup), Todd Giebenhain (Jason Kitman), Mike Genovese (Mickey Russo) & Laurie Metcalf (Alice Brody)

Raines investigates the shooting of a homeless woman in an alley, leasding him into more complicated areas than he first suspected...

Alice: That's about your tenth cup.
Raines: What are you, the caffeine police?

It's a funny thing to review episodes of a now defunct TV series, particularly one that only aired 7 episodes over a year ago in the US. You tend to examine each episode, looking for reasons why it didn't grab a mass audience. Is Raines' concept just too similar to shows like Dead Like Me, despite the fact Michael Raines (Jeff Goldblum) isn't actually talking to the dead, just his own imagination? Or were viewers just turned off by Goldblum himself, who's at his best when bouncing off other actors – but plays a lonesome character here?

It's probably a combination of both, really. The premise is certainly intriguing, although I'm already accustomed to Raines chattering away to "thin air", and it seems like the Pilot did pretty much everything you can with the idea. I'm just slightly intrigued about what would happen if Raines had to solve multiple murders – can the human mind hallucinate an abundance of people with as much clarity?

Reconstructing Alice is a very solid episode, certainly more appealing than last week's tepid instalment. Raines is called in to solve the murder of a homeless bag lady called Alice Brody (Laurie Metcalf), and the storyline takes you down some interesting avenues (a bank, a TV show) as Raines' investigation once again touches on Los Angeles' underclass – homeless people this week, illegal immigrants last week...

There's also an interesting subtext throughout this episode; of homeless people being "invisible" to regular people, although Raines' unique ability means he can't do anything but "see" Alice! The murdered bag lady appears as a 3D construct of his mind: first as an irritating, ugly stereotype... but eventually becoming a tragic maternal figure as the story progresses. It's this gradual transformation of imagined victims that I really like about the show. It's such a brilliantly simple idea – but one that doesn't make it easy on the writers' remit to construct a compelling mystery.

Fred Golan's script hits most of its plot marks, although there were times when the investigation got a little difficult to follow, or care about. What I enjoyed most was the more amenable performance of Goldblum after last week's lazy dip. He's given more opportunities to sidetrack himself with bumbling jokes and banter with witnesses and contacts here, delivered in his amusing staccato style.

In fact, Goldblum is so synonymous with funny eggheads that perhaps that's the reason Raines didn't connect with US audiences? The show's premise revolves around murder and mental illness, only sweetened by Goldblum's quirkiness. I'm enjoying seeing him in a fresher dramatic context, but maybe audiences just expected a lighter show because of his involvement?

The supporting cast are still thinly drawn, with Goldblum shouldering every scene, although I'm looking forward to more appearances from Madeline Stowe as Raines' psychiatrist Dr. Kohl. It's just a shame her enjoyable session with Raines is so short here. But, it's an even greater shame the plot conspired to get Linda Park into hot pants -- but only for one measly shot!

Overall, I'm beginning to sense repetition could creep into Raines, but this was an enjoyable mystery (with a fun Sherlock Holmes steal at the end), although an allusion to Alice In Wonderland didn't really work in a "mad tea party" dream sequence for Raines and Alice.

Like last week, any occasional drabness is forgotten by the time the emotional and quite touching finale arrives. Reconstructing Alice certainly did a good job keeping its storyline moving swiftly and wisely played to Goldblum's natural peculiarity.


11 February 2008
ITV3, 9.00 pm

RAINES 1.2 – "Meet Juan Doe"

Writer: Graham Yost

Director: Fred Keller

Cast: Jeff Goldblum (Detective Michael Raines), Nicole Sullivan (Carolyn Crumley), Matt Craven (Captain Daniel Lewis), Malik Yoba (Charlie Lincoln), Madeleine Stowe (Dr. Kohl), Linda Park (Sally Lance), Dov Davidoff (Remi Boyer), Nicholas Gonzalez (Julio Santiago), Carlos Lacamara (Ramon Fuentes), A. Martinez (Aurelio Sanchez), Jay Malack (Young Guy) & Carmen Corral (Maria Santiago)

Raines investigates the decomposing body of an illegal immigrant in the Venice canals, and Captain Lewis orders him to see a psychiatrist…

"Oh yeah, says it right here on the card: 'Therapist'. I... I thought it was
'The Rapist' -- which would be such a strange thing to put on a card."

-- Michael Raines (Jeff Goldblum)

The second episode of Raines is noticeably more straight-forward with the investigation, seemingly to prove the show can cut it as a typical murder mystery show without relying on its lead character's hallucinations. That's commendable, but Meet Juan Doe is so slothful in its telling that the occasional appearances of this week's dead body come as major relief – particularly when the typically measured performance of Jeff Goldblum isn't being countered by a fast-paced storyline.

Meet Juan Doe focuses on Julio Santiago (Nicholas Gonzalez), a Mexican whose dead body is found in the Venice canals, triggering a case for Raines that digs into Los Angeles' immigrant population. Graham Yost's script neatly underlines Raines' tendency to imagine the deceased are talking to him, whilst throwing in some curveballs (Santiago didn't speak English, but his hallucination does), and comparing Raines' ability to that of a forensic sketch artist – who approximates everything from what he knows. It's just that Raines' own "drawings" have to be illustrated internally as well as externally.

The case itself is intriguing for awhile, but quickly becomes rather tedious. American dramas like to stick to hour-long episodes (43 minutes minus adverts), and murder mysteries usually suffer from that time-span. There isn’t time to weave much characterisation into the story, particularly when there's a subplot to cram in… so the culprit is typically the only character we get to know that well.

Regardless, Jeff Goldblum is still good fun to watch as Raines, although his eccentric mannerisms are kept in check for this episode. I'm not sensing much chemistry from the supporting cast, although Carolyn Crumley (Nicole Sullivan) got a few amusing lines. Other characters, like Kim Lance (Star Trek Enterprise's Linda Park), don't seem like an integrated part of the series yet, which is probably because Raines himself is such a lone wolf character.

However, Captain Daniel Lewis (Matt Craven) is being nicely written against the usual stereotype of an irritating, loudmouth, troublesome boss. Instead, Lewis is actually a considerate and well-intentioned person, who suggests Raines have 10 sessions with a psychiatrist Dr Samantha Kohl (Madeleine Stowe), to help him get over his partner Charlie's (Malik Yoba) death, and stop him "talking to himself".

The resulting patient/doctor scene, between Raines and Kohl, is worth waiting for – even if it does go down the predictable avenue of Raines avoiding his mental health issues and playing games with Kohl, who reveals she's one-step ahead of his diversionary tactics. I'm hoping Goldblum and Stowe will build a strong chemistry together in their "sessions" – perhaps even a romance could come of it? Yes, I know this series got canned in the US stupidly early, but it would still be nice to see developments in the episodes that were made.

While I can't say my attention didn't wander off at times, I was glad the episode managed to add a decent sting to its tail. I'm not going to ruin the surprise, but while the murderer's identity is quite obvious towards the end… the impact of how devastating the crime was isn't clear until it's revealed by Raines.

Overall, Raines is a detective drama with a smart gimmick – but when it admirably refuses to use the "ghostly hallucinations" as a storytelling crutch, it needs to ensure its plots move quicker and lighter. Goldblum isn't the most energetic of performers, and there were times when his laconic delivery, coupled with the easygoing storyline, just began to test my patience.

I'm not saying the series needs to overload itself with hallucinations… just that the stories need to move with more sense of urgency, if they're not to be missed. And Goldblum, while intriguing and wry throughout, could do with unleashing more of his kooky energy if the script becomes too leisurely.


4 February 2008
ITV3, 9.00 pm

RAINES 1.1 – "Pilot"

Writers: Graham Yost
Director: Frank Darabont

Cast: Jeff Goldblum (Detective Michael Raines), Matt Craven (Captain Daniel Lewis), Linda Park (Sally Lance), Dov Davidoff (Remi Boyer), Nicole Sullivan (Carolyn Crumley), Malik Yoba (Charlie Lincoln), Alexa Davalos (Sandy Boudreau), Paul Scheer (Motel Clerk), Tara Price (Crime Tech #1), Jeff Perry (Harry Tucker), Ashley Gardner (Wendy Tucker), V. J. Foster (Anthony Merkin), Graham Beckel (Vernon Boudreau), Valerie Mahaffey (Sandy Boudreau's Mother), Mykelti Williamson (Bobby "Fearless" Smith) & Ryan Hurst (Marco Rossi)

When a teenage girl is found murdered, Detective Michael Raines investigates, but is tormented by hallucinations of the deceased...

"You know how I work, Charlie. I think everybody did it, then
I slowly whittle away the ones who couldn't have."

-- Michael Raines (Jeff Goldblum)

Raines straddles two "sub-genres"; the detective with a gimmick (see: Monk, Psych, et al) and the prematurely axed US drama series. Yes, after a mere 7 episodes, NBC cancelled this show. You're rarely given time to improve and build an audience in America, even if the quality of your product is a cut above. Maybe NBC should look at their marketing department if ratings don't justify continued production on quality dramas...?

Hollywood star Jeff Goldblum stars as Detective Michael Raines, another of his patented oddballs. His "quirk" here is that Raines suffers from hallucinations, although specifics about his condition are thin on the ground. But it's not something that incapacitates him, or causes anyone any danger... he just tends to imagine murder victims are his temporary "partners" during an investigation. The effect is not dissimilar to helping an amnesiac ghost solve their own murder.

Created by Graham Yost (famous for writing films like Speed, Mission To Mars and Broken Arrow), Raines seems to cover territory already being explored by Medium and Ghost Whisperer. But, of course, Raines himself isn't speaking to spirits, merely envisioning people inside his own head; effectively suffering from an overactive imagination, with these "ghosts" just a mental sounding board.

Despite some apprehension, this idea actually works surprisingly well. The Pilot, directed by Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption), focuses on the murder of teenager Sandy Boudreau (Alexa Davalos), with Raines assigned to the case and taken by surprise when "Sandy" appears to him. From there, Raines reminded me of a film noir gumshoe; an empathetic loner with an strong desire to bring killers to justice.

A lot of the show's success rests on Goldblum's shoulders, and it helps if you're a fan of his unique brand of staccato line delivery, fluttering hand gestures and lilting gait. He may be an actor who's only comfortable when using his eccentricities in his acting (meaning he's stereotyped as nutty scientists: The Fly, Jurassic Park, Independence Day), but he can now add "nutty detective" to his resume. Put simply: Goldblum's just being Goldblum here... but I like it.

The story wisely focuses on Raines and the murder, while giving us a sense of how his hallucinations "work": Sandy is unable to tell Raines what he doesn't know himself, and often changes personality/clothing to suit whatever fresh information he unearths. It's particularly amusing when she transforms into a stereotypical whore with too much make-up once Raines discovers she worked as a prostitute...

This focus does mean that the supporting cast are firmly on the sidelines -- for now. The only character worth mentioning is Charlie Lincoln (Malik Yoba, replacing Luiz Guzman from the original Pilot), a black man with a cane who has a close relationship with Raines -- acting as his friend/psychiatrist. He's the only person Raines can confide in about his visions, although I did find it strange that Charlie is so carefree about his friends' possibly serious mental condition! Fortunately, the reasons for Charlie's relaxed attitude is brilliantly revealed in the episode's denouement...

Another great thing about the idea behind Raines is that it can't use supernatural elements as a crutch. You half-expect "ghost" Sandy to start dispensing information about herself and her death (but obviously she can't), or help Raines by flitting around and warning him about situations (a la Randall & Hopkirk's ghostly partnership), but that's impossible: she sees/knows/hears only what Raines does.

Consequently, this is actually a more typical investigative drama than you may expect -- but one where a lifeless victim slowly becomes a three-dimensional person, developing a true personality as Raines' mind creates their identity through his investigation. I just love that idea.

So yes, Raines got off to a solid start here. The Pilot did a great job of explaining Raines' unusual mental state, the investigation itself was quite intriguing at times, the resolution was touching between Raines and Sandy's grieving mother, and Jeff Goldblum himself is always an engaging presence.


28 January 2008
ITV3, 9.00 pm