Elyes Gabel
Katharine McPhee
Eddie Kaye Thomas
Jadyn Wong
Ari Stidham
Robert Patrick
Riley B. Smith

Developed by:
Nick Santora

2014-
Action, Drama
CBS
TV-14

“Scorpion” (stylized as “</scorpion>”), whose pilot purposely aired after the eighth season premiere of “The Big Bang Theory,” doesn’t have the sting of its namesake. It’s full of ideas that we’ve seen before: an elite group working for the government, a team of “unique” individuals who neatly fit certain stereotypes, outsiders who agree to work within the system for some reason, geniuses who don’t know how to relate to “real” people, etc. The one saving grace is the pacing and energy; this show is excited about itself.

However, the first episode’s script socks all of that energy in the gut. That script just isn’t imaginative, not even a little. We’re introduced to the main character, Walter O’Brien (an eponym), as a kid who successfully hacked into NASA and was subsequently taken by the government. We then fast forward to the present, when the kid is all grown up: He’s now a fully functioning genius who’s seemingly incapable of relating to regular people. He’s brilliant and brusque. What a unique combination!

Elyes Gabel, who plays Walter, does a decent job, but he needs to go all in. He doesn’t seem fully committed to the part. The rest of the cast is forgettable, except for Robert Patrick. He brings some much needed gravitas to the show. (Ernie Hudson has a guest role that’s all too brief.)

The main problem, though, is the writing. The “genius” characters speak in a way that only very smart people on television speak. Some characters are guiltier of this than others. (Sylvester Dodd, stat guru, I’m talking to you.) Also, many of the moments that the creators want to come across as potent are forced. For instance, when the “genius” kid of a diner waitress whom the team encounters gives his mom keys to let her know that she should drive to help the team out, I almost laughed at the heavy-handedness of it. Also, the lines that are written to clarify simply get in the way. They’re handled bluntly and come across as unnecessary.

(On a side note, despite its depiction of the tendencies that are stereotypical of many autistic people, this show doesn’t directly reference autism. The characters say genius, high IQ, and mentally enabled, instead. It’s a clumsy way to avoid being politically incorrect.)

Essentially, if “Scorpion” were to figure out how to present a fresher take on genius instead of relying on clichés and if it were to decide to trust that its audience is smart enough to get the message, then it would turn into a capable procedural. I don’t have high hopes.

Verdict: Whatever

About: (Source: scorpion)

SCORPION, inspired by a true story, is a high-octane drama about eccentric genius Walter O’Brien and his team of brilliant misfits who comprise the last line of defense against complex, high-tech threats of the modern age. As Homeland Security’s new think tank, O’Brien’s “Scorpion” team includes Toby Curtis, an expert behaviorist who can read anyone; Happy Quinn, a mechanical prodigy; and Sylvester Dodd, a statistics guru. Pooling their extensive technological knowledge to solve mind-boggling predicaments amazes federal agent Cabe Gallo, who shares a harrowing history with O’Brien. However, while this socially awkward group is comfortable with each other’s humor and quirks, life outside their circle confounds them, so they rely on Paige Dineen, who has a young, gifted son, to translate the world for them. At last, these nerdy masterminds have found the perfect job: a place where they can apply their exceptional brainpower to solve the nation’s crises, while also helping each other learn how to fit in.