I love a man, that Raines

It usually doesn't take me long to decide whether I like something. In the case of the new TV show "Raines", starring Jeff Goldblum, it took me exactly 1 minute and 3 seconds. 1 minute and 3 seconds, that is, before I paused the pilot and started downloading episode 2.

I'm a sucker for noir, what can I say. So when this started with jazz, a smart-ass voice-over, and the gloss of the first shot quickly replaced by something more gritty, I loved it. I think I even let an "awh!" escape me. And when the story moved, after this first impression, to an appartment just like the one from Altman's "the Big Sleep", and the detective started seeing dead people, I was sold.

Don't worry, this isn't "Medium". There isn't much of the supernatural here. Our hero's just gone a little crazy, that's all, as he is quick to aknowledge himself. This means it's always clear that what he's seeing is just in his head. It also means that the victim doesn't know any more than the detective, and is little more than a blank filled in as we get more information. Also, the way Raines sees the victim reflects his own prejudices and flaws, and he has more than a couple.

It's a gimmick, I'll grant that. But it's one that works for me.

I'd sign "the Shamus", but the blogger formerly known as the little round headed boy beat me to it ;-) Plus, I tried writing noir-speak. Let's just say it increased my respect for those who can.