“Trust Me” premieres Monday, January 26, 2009 at 10/9c on TNT.
After quickly falling in love with “Leverage” I couldn’t wait to check out TNT’s latest drama “Trust Me.” While it doesn’t compare to the network’s previous drama (it would be pretty hard to since “Leverage” is already one of my top 10 shows), there is a lot to like and I can definitely see the makings of another great show. With a few minor changes and some patience, I think “Trust Me” could be another great find by TNT.
Story: “Trust Me” focuses on the world of advertising specifically Mason (Eric McCormack) and his partner and friend Conner (Tom Cavanagh). The two make a great team but when their firm suffers a loss and Mason is promoted over Conner, their relationship breaks down. Will the two best friends be able to work together with this new arrangement?
“Trust Me” focuses on both the problems advertisers face (creating exciting ads, coming up with taglines, etc.) and the relationship between Mason and Conner. As someone who has always been interested in business, I thought the advertising storylines were actually pretty interesting. I’m sure those stories won’t appeal to the masses though. However, everyone can enjoy the great chemistry between McCormack and Cavanagh. They already seem like they are best buddies even after just the first two episodes.
I do like the mix “Trust Me” brings to the table but there are still some problems that need to be fixed. For one, I think the show could have done a better job introducing viewers to the advertising industry. I had no idea that advertisers worked in pairs and I didn’t know what the heck a copywriter was until late in the first episode. I also think the show has to focus on Mason and Conner’s relationship just a bit more each episode. At least in the first two episodes, the advertising stories ran a bit too long. The buddy aspect of the show has a more universal appeal and thus should be used a bit more.
Characters/Acting:
Mason McGuire (played by Eric McCormack): The new hard-working creative director of the firm. He is a devout family man and is very loyal to his best friend Conner. The role is rather boring but McCormack does what he can with it.
Conner (played by Tom Cavanagh): Conner is pretty much the polar opposite of Mason. He does the least work he can possibly do, has no drive whatsoever, and sleeps with any hot woman he sees. He is also much more entertaining than Mason, cracking jokes right and left. Cavanagh knocks the role out of the park. He has great comedic timing and is instantly likable.
Sarah Krajicek-Hunter (played by Monica Potter): Ugh, this show would be so much better without her. When the show begins, Sarah has just joined the firm after a 7-year stint with another agency. She has won awards as a copywriter but often rubs people the wrong way, including me. Her character is just so irritating that I almost had to stop watching her scenes. It isn’t really Potter’s fault, the character is just written that way. Hopefully the character will be turned down a notch or written off completely.
Erin McGuire (played by Sarah Clarke): Mason’s wife who plays a very small part on the show. After doing a great job as Nina Meyers on “24,” I’m a bit disappointed that Clarke hasn’t gotten a good role yet. Her talents are pretty much wasted here as she wasn’t even in the pilot and she only had 2 or 3 scenes in the second episode.
Tom (played by Mike Damus) and Hector (Geffory Arend): A junior creative team that acts more like a stand-up duo than a pair of advertisers. While they aren’t a major part of the show, they make most of the scenes they are in funny.
Tony Mink (played by Griffin Dunne): Mason’s boss and the group’s creative director. He’s in very few scenes and doesn’t make much of a difference to the story.
Even though he isn’t a series regular, I also have to point out that “Life on Mars” star Jason O’Mara plays a large part in the first fifteen minutes or so. He did such a good job as a world class jerk that I wish he could have been retained. Other than Conner, he was the most interesting character of the first two episodes.
Conclusion: With some small changes (minimizing or eliminating the Sarah character, explaining the advertising world a bit better, and focusing a little more on the characters instead of the advertising), “Trust Me” could definitely become great. It’s still a solid show that I can recommend to most fans of dramas. Just don’t expect it to be as good as “Leverage” and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.
Episode 1 Synopsis: Rothman, Greene, & Mohr art director Mason McGuire and copywriter Conner are called back to Chicago from a business trip in Los Angeles to rush a new campaign into production. The product they are selling is a new Arc Mobile cell phone, and their quick-tempered boss, Stu, is determined to present a campaign that will blow the client’s socks off. But when fate steps in, Mason and Conner find themselves competing with other creative groups within the agency for dibs on the account. Complicating their creative flow is the fact that Stu’s boss, Tony Mink, has chosen to promote Mason, which doesn’t sit well with Conner. meanwhile new girl on the block Sarah Krajicek-Hunter, an award-winning copywriter who was supposed to be partnered with Stu, feels a drift without the office she was promised or an assignment worthy of her talents.
Episode 2 Synopsis: Mason is under pressure to get his team to come up with a new tagline for Arc Mobile after the first line was rejected by the client. But the replacement line Conner feeds Mason, a line that the client loves, is fraught with problems that could cost Mason’s new position and damage his trust for Conner. Sarah is determined to get the office she was promised, but she’s not too keen on the partner Mason wants to foist on her.
Episode 1 Gallery (click the thumbnail for a larger image):
Episode 2 Gallery (click the thumbnail for a larger image):
I have to disagee with you on Sarah. Granted in the first episode she seemed like she could have been a throw away charachter as the writers had to spend more time on the Will & Ed dynamic to set up the show. But she definately got a better showing in the second and it should only get better because there is something between her and Will that they haven’t told us about yet that should make working together more interesting. Plus Potter has a comedic gift that very few actresses have and she can get a laugh where other wouldn’t have gotten. Her facial expressions when she tried to get her old job back were classic.
Scooter McGavins last blog post..Previewing Trust Me