Perception TV Show

Neuroscience law on TV? Yep. TNT has been known for its long-term Law & Order reruns and other dramas for a long while, but they are also introducing us to new characters more often. They have gone outside the box in the creation and airing of their new show "Perception".

As the last season of "The Closer" draws to... well, a close, TNT needed an intriguing new show to fill the void, and that has certainly happened with "Perception", starring Eric McCormack.

Dr. Daniel Pierce has all the eccentricities of Monk and all the intuitive genius of Bobby Goren from Law & Order: Criminal Intent. Pierce has all that and more.

"Perception", it's safe to say, may need a bit more time to hit its stride, but it has made quite a respectable start on the network. The show is built along lines that may seem a bit familiar if you are or were a fan of Fox's hit show "House". And, like Detective Goren from Criminal Intent, Dr. Pierce is a bit Sherlock Holmes-ish.

The character is a professor at Chicago University, as well as a neuroscientist. His methods are more than a little unorthodox, so it's not hard to see why he sometimes irritates people. His rather anti-social habits and his strange affect have a way of impacting on the other characters surrounding him as he uses his neuroscience education to help uphold the law.

Kate Moretti, played by Rachel Leigh Cook, used to study under Dr. Pierce, and she is now an agent with the FBI. She is continuously bringing Pierce into her more difficult cases, knowing that he will be able to notice important details that everyone else might miss. His work is centered on cognition, and his brain reconstructs reality with uncanny detail.

Dr. Pierce has an assistant, too, Max Lewicki, played by Arjay Smith. He keeps a watchful eye on Pierce and makes sure he doesn't step over the line of sanity. Lewicki was initially seen as just an earnest side-kick, although his character has developed since the beginning of the show.

Pierce struggles with mental health issues of his own, and they actually turn out to be helpful to the cases he works on. He is forever noticing important or minute clues that other people miss. Some of these clues are manifested in ways that do seem a bit convenient to the progress of the cases he assists with.

Eric McCormack does bring a strong commitment to his unsurprising and super-smart role. He's not as abrasive a genius as Doctor Gregory House, but really, who is? Still, his character brings an energy to the storylines and the cast around him are not outstanding, but they are interesting. It's not a show that many people have their DVR set to record yet, but it just might get there. Meanwhile, it serves well the people who are interested in procedural shows.

The "lesser" stars on "Perception" have largely been interesting as they portray the people that Pierce works with, and those he helps to apprehend. His quirky ways are more than a little intriguing, and if you like the Holmes-based characters from other shows, you will probably enjoy "Perception", too.