Take Two premieres June 21st on ABC.
By Ariba Bhuvad
When I heard Rachel Bilson would be gracing the television screen again, I was so on board, because who didn’t love the sassy, fiery Rachel on The O.C.? But Take Two, set to premiere tonight, was just a pure and simple disappointment.
Basically, for any Castle fans looking for any form of reboot, this is your show. And I loved Castle, so this is by no means an attack on it, but Take Two basically gives you the same feel, but fails to live up to those standards. It didn’t come as a surprise when I learned that Take Two is produced by the creators of Castle, Andrew Marlowe and Terri Edda Miller.
The premise of Take Two involves Eddie, a private investigator played by Eddie Cibrian (CSI Miami) and an actress, Sam Swift, played by Rachel Bilson, who once played a detective on a popular TV show. Eddie is approached by a friend to take Sam under his watch as she recovers from her stint in rehab after a very public and embarrassing downfall. Eddie agrees to let Sam learn the ins and outs of being a P.I. because it will help prepare her for the only role she has been given since rehab.
In the first two episodes made available for review, I failed to grasp how an actress was simply allowed to join and take over investigations based on her knowledge from acting. Sure, she may have some skills she obtained and a sixth sense that helped her identify things from a different perspective, but it all felt too forced to me. In fact, while watching, I kept thinking about how it reminded me of other crime shows that are so much better, and make way more sense. Take Two also has a similar vibe to ABC’s now-cancelled Deception that tried to bring in a magician to help the FBI solve crimes. It didn’t work then, and bringing on an actress to sort-of do the same isn’t working now.
It’s a bit ironic that the title of the show is Take Two because it truly feels like they are simply trying to have another go at Castle, and I’m sorry to report that it’s just not working. The show has its moments, and Rachel Bilson does put forth her best effort to shine but it isn’t enough to make the show stick or stand out. For those of you looking for a mediocre summer show while all your favorite shows are on hiatus, this could be the one to get you through–but I can’t promise it will be enough.
I give Take Two a D.
TV and City 