Pilot Review: Mysteries of Laura

I’m choosing which TV pilot I watch very carefully and strategically: by the names that sound cool! Then I watch the trailer, followed by the pilot itself.

The cut and dry on Mysteries of Laura: I like it! I feel like I should preface this with I love crime shows – but this is more of a drama/comedy. I’d give it a few episodes during the Fall release to win me over completely.

First impressions

Spoiler alert: the trailer is a huge spoiler and gives away the murderer of the first episode! Ugh, I was so mad.

Maybe because of this, maybe not, but I just wasn’t hyped about this show from the trailer. My favorite moment is probably when we see Deborah Messing in Spanks and Uggs, yelling. This is a hilariously real moment, and luckily a glimpse into the character we’ll be seeing more of this season.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkN7P08_oYM]

Think crime-drama humorous like ‘Castle‘

Mysteries of Laura is a crime solving show interspersed with humor. In a different, more layered manner than Castle, Mysteries of Laura is a smorgasbord of detective work, parenting, and laughs. It’s the dry, straight-face humor that makes the difference in this show, allowing Deborah’s character to be sincere and taken seriously, without making her boring or bringing the audience’s mood down.

I really appreciated the announcement of the killer at the end of the episode. A somber affair, the dialogue Deborah lends creates a subtle humor during the event. Somehow this show seems to handle both murder and comedy in stride, in a complementary way that I haven’t quite come across before.

Only it’s a mom show

I like this aspect! Deborah plays a wonderfully messy, working mom. The crime mysteries combined with Laura running around trying to get a handle on her life is portrayed in a light-hearted manner that is enjoyable to experience. I’m not a mom, but I can appreciate the empowered character NBC is giving its viewers.

Sure, some of the stereotypes are tiring… tightly wound up mom and laid back, useless father? Still, if it weren’t a real situation, people wouldn’t be able to relate to Laura or appreciate her struggles. On the other hand, I’m really beginning to notice a ridiculous amount of black, male “side-kicks” in these crime dramas. The first ones that jump to mind are Elementary and Rizzoli & Isles. I really didn’t think anything of it, until now.

Give it a go

I wasn’t instantly in love with this show, but it had me pleasantly surprised after the trailer, and I think it has potential. It’s definitely on my watch list, if only to determine if it deserves a permanent position there.