‘Doubt’ is the perfect TV show for Heigl because it’s totally fine but passionless
THE OPENING scene of CBS’ new legal drama “Doubt” fi nds attorney Sadie Ellis ( Katherine Heigl) haphazardly careening through New York City on a bicycle. When she finally stops on a crowded sidewalk, she banters with her colleague Albert ( Dule Hill) while changing into more professional attire. “You’re a menace,” he tells her. We could take the scene as a winking reference to “Doubt’s” leading lady. Aside from a stint as a CIA agent in the short-lived NBC drama “State of Affairs,” Heigl hasn’t had a steady presence on prime-time since her messy exit from ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy.” In 2008, she withdrew herself from Emmy consideration, citing issues with her character’s story line. Her public comments caused a rift with creator Shonda Rhimes.
The “Grey’s Anatomy” fallout, coupled with a weird Duane Reade lawsuit and the fact that Heigl had also aired public grievances with her role in Judd Apatow’s 2007 romcom “Knocked Up,” earned Heigl a reputation as a “difficult” actress.
“Doubt,” which premieres on Wednesday, is a double- edged sword. It reminds us that Heigl is a talented actress, but won’t let us forget “Grey’s Anatomy.” To start, “Doubt” is created by “Grey’s” alums Tony Phelan and Joan Rater. The husband-wife duo were executive producers on the Shondaland drama for nine seasons and spent three seasons as co-showrunners. “Doubt” also bears a few striking narrative similarities to “Grey’s Anatomy.” Like Meredith Grey, Sadie has an infamous mother (Judith Light) with personal connections to Sadie’s legendary boss and father figure Isaiah Roth ( Elliott Gould), who founded the boutique law fi rm where she works. There is also sweeping dialogue about practising law that might induce an eye roll, but will be familiar to anyone who has seen the doctors on “Grey’s” get philosophical Th e pilot feels more focused on introducing names and faces than actual characters worthy of our investment. The cases feel like standard “Law & Order” fare, which is fi ne on “Law & Order” but less compelling here.
There is promise in the ensemble cast: Laverne Cox, lauded for her role as transgender inmate Sophia Burset on “Orange Is the New Black,” plays Cameron Wirth, a dedicated attorney who looks up to Isaiah. The role makes Cox the fi rst transgender person to be a series regular on a primetime show. Her character is also a transgender woman, though the show wisely doesn’t limit her story to her gender identity.
But the show doesn’t know exactly what to do with other characters, like the doe- eyed Iowa transplant played by Dreama Walker.
The biggest issue, though, is Sadie’s burgeoning romance with Billy, which is meant to be the source of “Doubt’s” juiciest drama. Honestly there’s more chemistry in the work spouse relationship between Sadie and Albert. And Sadie doesn’t present the most convincing case for her attraction to her client.
But regardless, this romance is happening — Billy and Sadie share their fi rst kiss before the pilot episode credits roll. The good news is that Billy’s murder case starts to get interesting in the second episode, when it becomes clear that he’s hiding something. — WP-Bloomberg