Sean Bean
Ali Larter
Morris Chestnut
Amber Valletta
Tina Majorino
Steve Harris
Mason Cook

Developed by:
Howard Gordon
Jeffrey Nachmanoff
Mark Bomback

2014-
Action, Crime, Drama
TNT
TV-14

TNT’s “Legends” allows Sean Bean to show that he has acting chops, but the dull writing threatens to swallow him whole. Plus, we already know that about Bean. That’s no revelation.

A “legend” is U.S. undercover-government-worker speak for a fabricated identity. So, Bean portrays different legends throughout the show; that’s the fun of it. But the rest of this show is pretty standard. Frankly, it’s insipid. It has the look of many other police-crime drama-thrillers: the result of gritty, hand-held camerawork. In that respect, it reminded me a little of Showtime’s “Homeland,” which was also co-created and developed by Howard Gordon. But this show lacks the insistent pulse of “Homeland.” Where’s the spice, the jolts, the pacing, the distinctive personality? You don’t have to reinvent the wheel, but give us a different take on it in some way.

It’s capably produced, but that’s about it. That’s unfortunate, because Bean immediately shows that he knows what he’s doing through his portrayal of his character’s first legend. But he’s thrust into story lines that we’ve seen and heard before: His ex-wife has custody of his adoring son; he has a tenuous grip on reality; and he appears to be one thing, but may be another.

In subsequent episodes, the creative team may attempt to ratchet-up the tension and pacing, but the pilot shows no promise of that. “Legends” just needs a good kick in the pants. For now, I’d rather watch “Homeland” or FX’s “Justified,” which blends this genre with the western genre to create something that doesn’t seem old-hat. …

I’m done. Two episodes are enough for me. The writing just causes too many timing problems. Plus, who knew that a show about undercover agents could be so ho-hum?

Verdict: OK, Barely

About: (Source: legends)

Based on the award-winning book by master spy novelist Robert Littell, Legends stars Sean Bean (Game of Thrones, The Lord of the Rings) as Martin Odum, a FBI agent with the ability to transform himself into a different person for each job.