On Feb. 6, aTVfest gave Atlantans a sneak peek at ABC’s upcoming new series, “The Catch,” produced by none other than Shonda Rhimes. The show is another foray into what’s become known as “ShondaLand,” an empire built on beloved ABC shows created and/or produced by Rhimes. First it was doctors in “Grey’s Anatomy,” then it was politicians in “Scandal,” then lawyers in “How to Get Away with Murder” and now it’s con artists. As the fourth series this television season that will be under the ShondaLand banner, “The Catch” is evidence that Rhimes’ shows have common elements. Strong and independent female lead? Check. Handsome male co-star? Check. Premise filled with secrets, sex and suspense? Check, check, check. Rhimes’ shows all share a similar formula, but all indications on this fourth go-around prove that fans can’t get enough.
Alice Vaughan (Mireille Enos, “The Killing”) is a private investigator in Los Angeles, specializing in fraud. Her specialty is catching thieves trying to steal artifacts from big corporations. She and her team have been unable to catch one particular thief, known only as Mr. X, who always seems to be just one step ahead of them. Little does Alice know that Mr. X is none other than her own fiance, Christopher (Peter Krause, “Parenthood”). Turns out Christopher is not who he says he is — he’s a con man who was hired to get close to Alice as a way of obtaining her corporate clients’ secrets. Christopher not only disappears but takes everything Alice has, leaving her with nothing except a desire to find and take down Christopher.
The first half of the pilot played out as nothing particularly special. Sure, it looked fun and sexy revolving around people who chase thieves for a living, but it wasn’t until the second half of the pilot, after Christopher’s betrayal serving as the catalyst for the series, that “The Catch” got interesting. Christopher may be a con man who’s ruined Alice’s life and is now on the run from her, but there is a catch (sorry, just had to), which I won’t spoil, though I will say that once ShondaLand fans see it, they won’t be too surprised. And so the chase is on as Alice continues her pursuit in this cat-and-mouse caper.
Being that only the pilot was screened at aTVfest, there’s no telling whether or not the series will get better or worse in following episodes, but for a first impression, “The Catch” is a solid show. Fans of Shonda Rhimes will not be disappointed, and the series may even bring in new fans. It has all the soap-opera elements seen in other ShondaLand shows, but as of the first episode it doesn’t start off too melodramatic. At the same time, however, it is clear from this new entry that ShondaLand shows follow certain criteria for characters and story elements. The formula works well, but at the same time it shows that Rhimes’ creative vision is limited, bringing to mind the possibility that this series could be nothing more than a caper version of “Scandal.” But perhaps that is all fans need to enjoy this new series. For other fans, here’s hoping that “The Catch” manages to stick out from the pack.
“The Catch” premieres March 24 at 10 p.m. on ABC.
