Save This Show: Why You Should Be Watching 'Backstrom'

When it comes to genres of television, procedurals don't get a lot of love from TV critics. Partly it's because the success of a procedural can hinge as much on the likeability and chemistry of the cast as the excellence of the acting or the sharpness of the writing. The other problem with procedurals is that they're generally written to be viewed as stand-alone episodes. The perception is that format means the show's episodes doesn't have the complexity of a series that spreads its story arc over an entire season.

But the best procedurals have a complexity that is often under-appreciated by critics. On the face of it, having a series with mostly self-contained episodes sounds as if it would be easier than having an over-arching storyline. And in the worst of the procedurals, that laziness does come into place. But the best procedurals work because of the chemistry of the cast and the ability of the writers to subtly grow the characters in ways that viewers might not recognize at first viewing.

Everyone appreciates the success of NCIS, but if you want to see a big part of why it's still a huge ratings bulldozer, go back and look at the show's pilot. Then take a look at the first episode of this season. That earlier version of the show is so far from what you'll see today that it might as well be some pilot for an NCIS spin-off. Sure, some of the characters are in place and the general dynamics of the chemistry is there. But it took a couple of seasons for the writers and cast of NCIS to find their ground. And you could argue that one of the reasons that the show is still a success is because NCIS is never a static show. Even though the episodes are generally entertaining as a standalone viewing experience, the characters have an arc that spans across the entire run of the show. That's why the reruns are so popular. Even if you've seen the older episodes, seeing them again after you've seen additional seasons gives the episodes a context and meaning that's new.

So when I'm taking a look at a procedural show towards the end of its first season, I'm looking for that growth. Have the writers dialed in the best ways for each character to interact in the ensemble? Does the backstory they've developed for the characters make sense and leave room for growth? Or does it just seem like there have been a lot of frantic changes made in the show to try and address some central problems with the premise? Because at the end of the day, the best shows continue to grow creatively throughout their run. But the worst procedurals just seem clunky and awkward, with episodes that work fine by themselves, but don't stand up well when you aggregate them together over the season.

I think it's fair to say that BACKSTROM has had its share of challenges in its rookie season. As the show's creator Hart Hanson told me recently, the series is in a tough timeslot and it has just been getting slaughtered. Among other things, it's aired opposite HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER, the series finale of TWO AND A HALF MEN and college basketball. The way things have been going, if aliens came to Earth, they'd land at about 8:59 p.m. ET on a Thursday.

But the other challenge for the show has been creative and that's partly a function of the complexity of Rainn Wilson's Det. Everett Backstrom. Much was made of the fact that Backstrom's comments in the pilot were rude, sometimes bordering on racist. And given that it was a pilot, the rest of the ensemble wasn't developed enough to provide the counterweight to Backstrom's asshat behavior. But as the season has progressed, the roles have become more defined and the characters have each developed their own storylines and personalities. The best procedural ensembles function as a surrogate family, but many of them stay in the creative realm of the Jackson Family. The cast has a Michael and a Janet, but the rest of the ensemble are interchangeable Jermaines and Titos.

For me, BACKSTROM firmly clicked into place with episode five. "Bogeyman" was a relatively straight-forward story about the squad's efforts to track down an online predator. But in some ways, the clarity of the plot meant the scenes had to be more disciplined and that helped gel the overall episode. For the first time, Everett Backstrom had a depth and back story that was both loathsome and understandable. At this point in the season the rest of the cast was better defined and everything fit together like a well-oiled procedural machine.

Each episode since has improved on the proceeding weeks and this week's episode is no exception. "Inescapable Truth" is nominally about the disappearance and murder of a singer who escaped from rehab. But it's also about the inescapable truth that no one can live completely alone. That we influence those around us just by taking in air and breathing. And that as humans we have the unspoken compulsion to live in tribes and families. For some of us, that means a strong home life and a happy upbringing. But if that's not an option, we'll subconsciously assemble our family from whomever will have us. Whether it's the people we work with or just those who seem at first glance to be tangential people in our lives. We don't have to love our non-biological family and often we don't especially like them. But they're still our support system and the recipients of our often hidden hearts.

I don't have the space to highlight every member of the cast, but they are all at the top of their form in this week's episode. Much has been said about the wonder of Dennis Haysbert's Det. Sgt. John Almond and I'll agree with all those thoughts. A detective who is also a practicing minister would be a cheap shorthand gimmick in many actor's hands. But Haysbert's grace and strength makes the character so three-dimensional that it's no wonder some fans have already suggested he deserves a show of his own.

But I also wanted to point out two very different actors who have shown extraordinary grace and depth over this first season. On paper, a character who is both Backstrom's roommate as well as a somewhat promiscuous gay thief would come off like some Frankenstein-like assemblage of cliches. But while it took a couple of episodes to get there, Thomas Dekker has brought Gregory Valentine to life. He's found just the right mix of scoundrel and friend to make his presence in Backstrom's life seem logical and true. And while Page Kennedy's Officer Moto only tends to have a couple of real scenes in each episode, he makes the most of every moment. There isn't a wasted beat or extraneous movement in any of his scenes. He's one of those actors who has had a long career but isn't a household name - even though he deserves to be.

As much as it pains me to say it, the possibility of a second season of BACKSTROM seems less likely each week. The audience still hasn't found the show and it won't be any consolation to the cast when people start coming up to them years from now, recounting how they've fallen in love with the show's lone season when they watched it on Netflix. If you like a good procedural, if you enjoy a bit of complexity and emotion with your crime-solving I'd like you to watch this show. It deserves to survive and when it does, I'll celebrate your good taste Backstrom style, with a couple of beers and a late night nap in my favorite chair.

And by the way, if you're already a fan of this show, you're going to love tonight's episode. After weeks of hints, you'll learn precisely how Backstrom and Valentine are connected. And believe me, you'll never see it coming.

BACKSTROM airs on Fox Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. ET.