I hate to say it but The Catch is crap and doesn't actually deserve a second season. I also love Scandal and HTGAWM, and I wanted to like The Catch (I don't even mind that it's lighter and flashy), but the plot and characters are so bad and full of holes that I can't even watch it as a guilty pleasure anymore. I forced myself through the whole of season 1 but I won't be back for season 2.
Just one example for the many (way too many) lackluster story turns: The main character, Alice, is supposed to be the leader of the hippest PI firm in town -- smart people who magically know how to hack into secure software and trick the FBI and whatnot. And yet, when one of the antagonists escapes from prison and at the same time Alice gets taken hostage in her own home by the antagonist's brother, all she has to do to ease her colleagues when they call her is to say (while held at gunpoint), "sorry, I'm not coming to work today. I'm not feeling well." They don't have any secret code for "help me, I can't talk openly and I'm in danger" or similar. But that's not all. Then the guy holding her hostage (who shot somebody else in cold blood in an earlier episode simply for shock value) lets her get dressed and pick a handbag without even checking for any weapons or other tools to escape, and then he takes her for a casual walk downtown (who knows why?!), and of course, Alice suddenly reveals a gun that she had in her bag all the time, and he walks away and lets her go just like that.
There was absolutely no point to the whole hostage thing. It wasn't gripping, it wasn't believable, and it ended without any kind of fight or danger.
And the whole first season has been like that. Characters acting super smart in one scene and then super dumb in the next. Or antagonists being presented as cold-blooded in one episode and then as clumsy idiots in the next.
It's just awful.
I wanted to like this. I'm a big fan of Mireille Enos and I also think that Peter Krause and Sonya Walger could've made this show work. But the writing and all the other supporting characters -- nope. Just a big NOPE for me. :-(
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dobie_close
8 years ago
I am loving this show.
How believable do you want it to be?
My life is believable......but you probably wouldn't watch my show.
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ct780
8 years ago
Like I said, when (among other plot issues) a character goes from cold-blooded killer to complete doofus from one episode to the next, or when a supposedly top PI can't figure out the most obvious things, the whole show loses its credibility.
It's fine that some people love this show. I kinda feel sorry for some of the actors who could do so much more and are underutilized here, but as long as people keep watching, at least it won't be a complete disaster. So that's cool.
But the original poster mentioned Scandal and HTGAWM, and from my own experience with these shows, I have to say that The Catch plays in a much, much lower league.
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Irish_Moon
8 years ago
I think there is nothing wrong with people who want a little escapism. It's meant to be Tongue-in-cheek. Again not meat and potatoes but a unhealthy snake. There is no way in H3LL the writer or actors are thinking this is to be taken seriously. Is this the best camp or kitsch show????? Noooo.....it needs to be fleshed out for sure but even when done well, camp or kitsch show are not for everyone. One of the best I've watch was Blackpool UK version. I mean they went all out as far as being over the top. Look my favorite shows are British period dramas. LOVE Poldark.....this show just is what it is. This wasn't meant to be The Night Manager.....lol It's escapism. A bit of fun. People are TRYING to take is way too seriously. I think you like it or you don't. NO it is NOT Scandal BUT it isn't meant to be.
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ct780
8 years ago
Well, you and me might think this show doesn't take itself too serious, but I'm not so sure about the writers. Watch the original trailers. Even though the new trailer after the re-casting toned the seriousness down a bit, it still has a much more professional feel than what actually ended up on our screens. And the focus was supposed to be on Alice and Ben. But what did we get? A British mommy's boy who randomly shoots people but then messes up the easiest things... An immature love triangle between the cheap version of Noah Wyle, some Mary Sue and Mr Muscle who turns out to be a gay joke... Random cases of the week which were so insignificant that I can't even remember what they were about... Some wacko old lady who hijacked the last few episodes... and so on.
Remember, this is coming out of Shondaland and part of TGIT. I'm pretty sure the current writers are taking this more serious than the viewers. And nobody said that escapism was bad. Again, the only reason I responded to OP is because this stuff won't provide the same excitement and twists and turns as Scandal or HTGAWM. If the OP is looking for something silly where you can leave your brain at the doorstep, sure, go ahead. The Catch will do. ;-)
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Irish_Moon
8 years ago
WE are so in agreement with that. NOOOOo the original trailer before they recast the whole show, was NOT the show they made. That was not campy at all. Like you said they made a WHOLE different shows. No brain needed. BUT with that being said nothing wrong with that. AND again not saying what they came up with is the best it's every been done. No brains needed doesn't mean it's not been done WAY better. It will be interesting to see where they go with it. No matter what they have to step up their game. It's not my thing but yet there was some enjoyment.
I REALLY think the ONLY reason it did get picked up was because it is from Shondaland.
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