Pilot (9 Jul. 2012)

Dr. Daniel Pierce is an eccentric neuroscientist who uses his unique outlook to help the federal government solve complex criminal cases.

Director:

Alan Poul

Writers:

Kenneth Biller (creator), Michael Sussman (creator),

Stars:

Eric McCormack, Rachael Leigh Cook, Kelly Rowan

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Eric McCormack	...	Daniel Pierce
Rachael Leigh Cook	...	Kate Moretti
Kelly Rowan	...	Natalie Vincent
Arjay Smith	...	Max Lewicki
Jonathan Scarfe	...	Roger Probert
Jeremy Ratchford	...	Detective Hammond
LeVar Burton	...	Paul Haley
Colin Cunningham	...	Gerard Permut
Ravi Patel	...	Dr. Harvey Kapoor
Debra McCabe	...	Pamela Weilman (as Debra Lynne McCabe)
Rick Roberts	...	Philip Klane
Paul Essiembre	...	Alan Dirk
Joanna Douglas	...	Valerie Nelson
Paulino Nunes	...	Dr. Martin Bryant
Kevin Hare	...	Clark Weilman

Storyline

Dr. Daniel Pierce is an eccentric neuroscientist who uses his unique outlook to help the federal government solve complex criminal cases.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 July 2012 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Canada

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

At one point Dr. Pierce is shown watching what is supposed to be a Chicago Cubs spring training game on his TV. However, the game he is watching is actually being played in Wrigley Field in Chicago, with the ivy on the outfield wall in full bloom. He would have to be watching a game being played in the summertime during the regular season, in direct contradiction of the winter weather seen during the rest of the show.

User Reviews

Convincing lead, audience magnet protagonist, fascinating and refreshing neuroscience, reality-bended story but disappointing RLC, episodic format and déjà vu ?

Rachael Leigh Cook was the only excuse I needed to check out Perception. Indeed its concept sounded just like all these other cop shows trying to bend things with edgy characters and unorthodox experts. However in the end it's not the actress who stole my heart in 1999, the year She's All That was released, but Eric McCormack's performance as Doctor Daniel Pierce. As expected RLC was cute as a button but she didn't convince me at all as a FBI agent. So don't expect her to pull a Dana Scully or anything exciting because sadly her character, Kate Moretti, was written by the book and couldn't be more normal. However I suspect it was intentional because it magnified the Doctor's eccentricity but still it's definitely a lazy solution to design characters. Otherwise the story is really about Daniel, from his life as a teacher and how he deals with his condition. What's reality ? He asks the question to his neuroscience students and then give a quite shaking answer, as fascinating as the Allegory of the Cave. During the episode many other interesting and surprising topics are also covered, from lie human detectors to medicine side effects. Hallucinations are also part of the experience so you're constantly bouncing between realities. Add mind puzzles, special senses with a twisted investigation and you can't help comparing it to Mental or Person of Interest's pilots. It's also possible to associate attributes from the Doctor's profile to Benjamin Harmon from American Horror Story even if Daniel doesn't act like a psycho. Sadly I doubt following his unconventional adventure will make us forget that the series format can only be episodic. Sure his best friend has an undeniable potential and the ending made me very curious about what's coming but I don't have much hope. Therefore I'll give it an other chance and probably move on.

Note : This review was first posted on Kritikenstein, my weblog.