Take Two - Pilot

The first episode of Andrew W. Marlowe's Take Two feels more like Castle's troubled final seasons that the glory days of his previous series. Basically swapping the two main roles, Take Two casts Rachel Bilson as an actress recently out of rehab who enlists the help of private investigator Eddie Valetik (Eddie Cibrian) to help her land a role. Tagging along with Eddie, Sam (Bilson) proves useful to the case of a missing person on multiple occasions (and even eventually earns Eddie's grudging respect).

The new show's Pilot episode lacks both Nathan Fillion's energy and the hearty underneath Stana Katic's steely gaze (both crucial ingredients that made Castle work). Bilson and Cibrian seem like an odd pairing, and I can see why the show "earned" a summer premiere. Bilson is likable enough as Sam, but Eddie's aloofness just makes him come off like a dick, private or otherwise. Despite the episode's shaky premise, it does conclude by offering each character a reason to continuing to work together. Take Two reminds me of a lesser version of Remington Steele (with less charm). Given enough time Take Two might develop into something interesting, but its shaky foundation does make me question how well it will stand the test of time.