Winter TV Preview 2014: CBS’ Intelligence [VIDEO and PHOTOS] 

Warning: Spoilers Ahead

You had me at Josh Holloway. And Meghan Ory. And Marg Helgenberger. With a cast like this I feel like you really can’t go wrong. That being said, the pilot isn’t perfect. I’m always interested in a story where technology and humanity intersect and here they’ve essentially turned Josh Holloway into a very attractive smart device. He has access to all sorts of cool technology that helps him do his job. I’m 100% on board for that.

Series synopsis:

Intelligence is an action thriller starring Josh Holloway as a high-tech intelligence operative enhanced with a super-computer microchip in his brain. With this implant, Gabriel is the first human ever to be connected directly into the global information grid and have complete access to Internet, WiFi, telephone and satellite data.  He can hack into any data center and access key intel in the fight to protect the United States from its enemies. Leading the elite government cyber-security agency created to support him is Director Lillian Strand (Marg Helgenberger), a straightforward and efficient boss who oversees the unit’s missions. Strand assigns Riley Neal (Meghan Ory), a Secret Service agent, to protect Gabriel from outside threats, as well as from his appetite for reckless, unpredictable behavior and disregard for protocol.  Also on the team is Chris Jameson (Michael Rady), a resourceful federal investigator. The brains behind the design of the chip is Dr. Shenendoah Cassidy (John Billingsley), whose son, Nelson, is jealous of Gabriel’s prominent place in his father’s life. As the first supercomputer with a beating heart, Gabriel is the most valuable piece of technology the country has ever created and is the U.S.’s secret weapon.

Intelligence, “Pilot”
Gabriel and Riley must rescue the kidnapped member of CyberCom who invented the chip implanted in Gabriel’s brain before the top-secret technology falls into the wrong hands.  Meanwhile, Gabriel takes advantage of his chip to search for his wife who disappeared years ago.

TV Goodness Fall Preview Ratings System
Watch Live
Watch Later on DVR
Undecided — Need to Watch Some More
Not Watching at All

Holloway and Ory have great chemistry, so I can’t say I’m all that interested in Gabriel looking for and/or finding his presumed dead wife. And I’ve always loved John Billingsley. I like him better when he’s playing a bad guy, but I’ll watch him do just about anything. All the technology (how it looks, how to works) is cool and shiny and I like procedurals so I’m primed for a show like this. I will give this a Watch Later on DVR – and by that I mean I’ll probably start in about 20 minutes past the hour so I don’t have to watch the commercials. I think this is a show I’d like to watch the same night it airs.

Intelligence premieres Tuesday, January 7th at 9/8c on CBS.

VIDEO Clip 1: Clip 2: PHOTOS All photos courtesy of Chris Helcermanas-Benge/CBS and Brian Bowen Smith/CBS.