The centerpiece of this show is Patrick Wilson. Besides being one of the most handsome men ever to step in front of a camera, he has shown real acting ability in films like Hard Candy, Lakeview Terrace, and Little Children. He has done some fine acting in this show as well, and his supporting cast does a good job as well. But that can't make up for repetitiveness and predictability. For several weeks, every episode has featured Dr. Holt saving a poor patient at the clinic and a rich patient at Holt Neuro. (I also can't help but notice the curious epidemiology of neurological conditions in this show's New York; they seem to afflict predominantly teenage daughters of overcontrolling parents.) There are two operation scenes in each episode, and they are almost interchangeable with each other and with every operation scene in every other episode. The show has failed to develop some promising themes from the pilot and the first two episodes. Its focus seems to narrow each week. Among the themes AGM could follow but hasn't yet: At the core of Dr. Holt's being is positivism. He is a deep believer in "the scientific materialist rationalism that is the unofficial religion of America's elite" (as Paul Campos put it). It might be interesting for Anna or Dr. Sykora, or a recurring patent to challenge that belief. This would take more learning and wit than the writers have displayed so far. Another tack would be to follow up on the theme hinted at by AGM's poster art and explore Dr. Holt's as illustrative of the professional white male who feels he has to bear the burden of less gifted and less dedicated folks. Clearly a very risky option. If this is not done with surgical precision, the whole cast could be consigned to the entertainment equivalent of Point Barrow, Alaska, for political reeducation. Less ambitious options include having Dr. Holt lose a patient now and then, in more ambiguous circumstances than infection by rabies or another invariably terminal illness. How about a patient who simply fails to respond, which happens all the time with skilled doctors who treat serious illnesses. Or he loses a patient at Holt Medical because he's treating a patient at the clinic. Or because another surgeon is performing the operation under his supervision. Or he's on vacation with a living girlfriend. Or he makes a mistake and gets sued. His activity at the clinic cuts into Neuro's income, so he has to choose between buying state of the art equipment and cutting staff. He gets a living girlfriend or indeed an interesting non work related friend of any kind. He does something actually or arguably irresponsible and faces down Anna's disappointment. (Like Bernard Show's Donna Anna, he could have been so much wickeder, and the show might be better for it.) Now since I am a big fan of Mr. Wilson's, I will continue to watch the show, at least until it becomes no more fun than a glioma, but I could not blame CBS for nonrenewing AGM. With all his admirable qualities and talents, Wilson has never shown the ability to put a production on "Cruise control." He will either have to do that and yank this show in a more productive direction, find someone who will, or run a big risk of losing his best opportunity to date.
Review of A Gifted Man
