Collection of dark, chilling crimes
Top team’s hunt is on for elusive killer
Lincoln Rhyme: HFTBC Sky Witness Being a big fan of the 1999 movie The Bone Collector starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie, I was excited to check this television adaptation out when it was announced.
Clocking in at 10 episodes, The Hunt for the Bone Collector follows Lincoln Rhyme (Russell Hornsby) collaborating with the police and forensics team he has developed, as well as engaging with the titular villain himself as they play a cat and mouse game with each other.
Hornsby is best known for playing Detective Hank Griffin in the TV series Grimm, alongside Claire Coffee who also pops up here as the Bone Collector’s oblivious wife Danielle.
Lincoln, paralysed in one of the Bone Collector’s traps, uses rookie cop Amelia Sachs (Arielle Kebbel) as his eyes and ears in the field.
Kebbel brings some of the moxie and forthrightness she displayed in her standout turn in Midnight, Texas to her performance, and shines in her own right.
It’s never an easy task stepping into Washington’s sizeable shoes but Hornsby makes a very good fist of it.
Michael Imperioli (Detective Sellitto), well known for playing both criminals and detectives alike, from Christopher in The Sopranos to Detective Ray Carling in the US version of Life on Mars, offers great support.
The team come together to investigate a high-profile, long-term case, which is the show’s overriding story arc, but their bond grows while solving more immediate crimes.
Creators Mark Bianculli and VJ Boyd take inspiration from Jeffery Deaver’s novels but put their own stamp on proceedings; the pair do what many TV programmes shy away from by also focusing on their antagonist as they peel behind the mask of the chilling Bone Collector.
The relationship between Lincoln and his nemesis is reminiscent of Lecter and Will Graham’s rivalry in NBC’S too hastily cancelled Hannibal.
We await conformation on whether The Hunt for the Bone Collector will be renewed for a second season.
I for one would love to see Hornsby, Kebbel and the rest of their team put their heads together to interpret clues and solve more crimes.
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