"Shut Eye," the newest psychic drama in HULU, has finally been released. Despite having an all-star cast including "Burn Notice" alum Jeffrey Donovan, "Private Practice" star KaDee Strickland, and Isabella Rossellini, the series can be a drag.
"Shut Eye" First Impressions
Numerous shows featuring con men have been making headway in television and films, making "Shut Eye" a promising franchise. The story focused on Charlie Haverford, a failed magician turned psychic con man. By some twist of fate delivered through a head injury, the fake psychic starts seeing real visions. Donovan who plays Charlie looks at home with his role, although at the start of the series his character is merely going with the flow.
In the later parts, Charlie starts using his gifts for real and Donovan pulled that off smoothly. Charlie seems to have grown some grit, and "Burn Notice" fans will see how con man Charlie morphs into Michael Westen. From the first few episodes, many viewers will get the impression that the series is quite feminist with Rossellini calling the shots. Strickland's performance as the female lead may be different from her character in "Private Practice" but her portrayal of Linda, Charlie's wife, is simply awesome.
"Shut Eye" Review
Set against Los Angeles' lucrative fortune telling industry, "Shut Eye" had an awesome backdrop to work with. The inclusion of a Romani mob and the role of the gypsies in controlling the psychics in L.A. added a unique angle to the show. Unfortunately, Les Bohem's visions for the show are too unfocused. As noted by one reviewer, the series is a "confused tale."
Most viewers agree that each episode seems to focus on a different direction, making the series feel too fragmented. The pilot episode had a sunny feel thanks to "Vikings" director Johan Renck, the next two episodes by Michael Trim and Craig Zisk veer towards a comedic direction. Meanwhile, the fourth episode by Clark Johnson changes the show's focus once again. Despite its lackluster feel, the show is successful in one thing -- allowing characters to evolve into people that viewers can care about.
Surprisingly, HULU decided to follow Netflix's method for its newest releases since all 10 episodes for "Shut Eye" were unveiled on Wednesday, Dec. 7.
