Deception Episode 1

It's that time of year again here in the States. Time when the Big Three Networks (plus FOX) try to replace their failed TV programs from the fall season with a new batch of soon-to-fail TV programs. First up is Deception, NBC's answer to ABC's Revenge.

Heiress Vivian Bowers is walking alone at night down a deserted New York City street. Because that's what heiresses do, dontcha know. A menacing form separates from the shadows and starts to follow her. Only now realizing this wasn't such a good idea on her part, Vivian starts to hustle for her sportscar, jumping inside and quickly locking the door. The Mystery Person throws themself up against the car. Vivian cracks the window a bit and scolds the Mystery Person for scaring her. Now hop in and let's go!

When next we see Vivian she's on the floor of a hotel room. Her dead eyes stare up at nothing, her face bruised. The unsuspecting maid coming in is about to discover her worst cleaning nightmare come true.

Robert Bowers is in the middle of a business meeting at his pharmaceutical company when he is given the news about his daughter Vivian's death. With tears in his eyes, he calls second wife Sophia. She in turn calls step-son Julian to rouse him out of bed with a half naked woman. She orders Julian to go to youngest sister Mia's school and tell her the news while eldest brother Edward goes down to the morgue to make an official ID of the body.

I am in Character Introduction Overload at this point and I'm barely five minutes into the show.

Meanwhile in San Francisco, police detective Joanna Locasto is surprised to have a visit from Will Moreno, her former partner who is now with the FBI. It is Will who breaks it to Joanna about her former BFF's tragic demise. The official cause of death being released is Vivian died of an overdose, but Will suspects foul play. 

The uber-rich Bowers clan has been on the FBI radar for years because of their shady business dealings. Just recently the family has been fighting over billions of dollars. Brother Edward had been trying to get Vivian taken out of the will. Oh yeah, and fifteen years ago one of Edward's lovers was found raped and strangled and left in a ditch, yet he had all charges against him dropped.

Will knows Joanna was close with the family. (Her mother - who now has Alzheimer's - used to work for the Bowers.) He wants Joanna to get back in with the group and dig up the truth.

Wearing a wire so Will can listen in, Joanna attends the memorial service at the Bowers' home. The first member of the family to recognize her is Julian, and so he should. Flashbacks tells us how teen Joanna and teen Julian liked to swap slobbers. As per her cover story, Joanna tells how she's just gotten out of an abusive relationship and is wanting a fresh start. Robert invites her to stay for dinner.

It's not a comfortable family gathering. Some nervous woman I'm assuming is Edward's wife or ex-wife is eager to get away from him and his touch. Step mom Sofia is a textbook bitch. Robert impulsively asks Joanna to live at their mansion while she looks for work in NYC. Edward and Julian exchange barbs and we learn Julian likes to do cocaine. For the second time someone in the show mentions TMZ. Are they a sponsor of this program? 

Later that evening, as Joanna is asleep in the room she was given, she hears raised voices from outside and goes to investigate. She sees Edward and Nervous Woman are arguing, with Nervous Woman wondering why Vivian had tried to contact her the night she died.

The next day Joanna snoops around the house. She remembers where teen Vivian used to hide her weed and goes to check out the hole in the wall. She finds a flash drive stashed inside. 

As the show goes on, Joanna first butts heads with people like Mia and Sofia. People who then turn right around and divulge intimate family secrets to this interloper they don't want in the house in the first place. 

Finally alone, Joanna checks to see what's on the flash drive. It's a video of Vivian and an unknown man having sex. Afterwards they converse and we learn Vivian was in love and was pregnant.

Outside on the grounds, Joanna spies what she believes is a sleazy paparazzi sneaking around. She gives chase and a tussle ensues which causes her shirt to be ripped, exposing the wire she's wearing. Seeing the wire the man, Remy Colville, correctly assumes Joanna is a cop. 

For the third time - the THIRD time - TMZ is mentioned. 

Remy claims he was working for Vivian who suspected her pharmaceutical family was about to introduce a dangerous drug to the market and she was going to blow the whistle. He suggests he and Joanna now work together to solve the murder.

Robert offers Joanna a job.

Joanna receives a call from Remy. He claims he has some new information and for her to come meet him at a parking lot next to a river. Yet when Joanna gets there she finds his car flipped over down the bank and his dead body floating in the water. 

Worried for her safety, Will takes her back to his apartment where they start to get hot and heavy. Yeah, finding a dead body will always do that to ya. 

Joanna learns Mia is actually Vivian's daughter.



I felt that too much was thrown at me at once. Plot twists that should have been stretched out over the run were instead all crammed into the first episode. The acting wasn't that great but it wasn't that terrible. The writing, however, was subpar.