IR TV Review: LINE OF FIRE - EPISODE 1 (“Pilot”) [NBC]

Like one or two of Peter Krause’s other series like "Parenthood" and "Six Feet Under", the concept of what is known and not known and how it relates is key to any sector of actors. With "Line Of Fire" in its pilot, what is interesting is that he leads a broken family working in Washington DC where all exist in different sectors. He is Secret Service. His wife (sort of) played by Hope Davis is a sector head in the US Marshalls. Their daughter is a rising FBI agent. A brother is following in his dad’s footsteps at the Secret Service. And their youngest son is starting at the DOJ. There is a lot of cross pollination and nepotism but also an understanding of boundaries that sometimes get blurred easily. People want things but also want to prove things.

The writing here is fairly fast and furious, likely too quick for some people since the scenes and dialogue jump around but otherwise are kept pretty clear. There is an outsider boyfriend in the mix and that is part of the crux in the pilot alongside a murder investigation which is operating on two fronts. The episode culminates in a dinner at the house where certain things are discussed but not discussed. Simply as a character drama it moves pretty well but it depends if the drama can keep up without losing its edge. It is a family drama set behind certain closed doors in Washington. The trick as it continues is how to keep it crispy without it becoming too overdramatic. The ending of the first episode points to something higher and bigger but it depends if the series is too big for its britches so it does seem to have a plan. 82%/B

By Tim Wassberg