This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
ABC's new series "Conviction" (Monday, 9 p.m., Ch. 4) takes Hayley Atwell ("Agent Carter"), suppresses her English accent and makes her into Hayes Morrison, the ne'er-do-well daughter of an ex-U.S. president and a current U.S. Senate candidate. And Hayes has just been busted for cocaine possession.
But the politically ambitious district attorney (Eddie Cahill) offers her a deal. Instead of jail, she can head up his new Conviction Integrity Unit, which investigates crimes that may have ended in wrongful convictions.
Because … in TV, you can do crazy things.
But "Conviction" is basically a below-average detective show that fails partly because it can't settle on what it wants to be. Hayes is supposed to be both "dangerous and funny," in the words of executive producer Mark Gordon. The writers clearly think Hayes is a hoot.
But going for laughs at the same time you're dealing with family trauma and murder cases is awkward. And some shifts in mood are beyond awkward — from self-reflection and tears to goofy dancing in an instant.
As a detective show, "Conviction" fails. In Episode 1, Hayes makes a crazy leap of logic that — you guessed it! — breaks the case wide open. It's a complete cheat.
In Episode 2, Hayes makes an observation everyone else has missed for years.
It's like magic. It's, like, bad writing.
There are worse things on TV than "Conviction," but this is a waste of time and talent.