Necessary Roughness Review: A Premiere with Potential

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There are lots of things to like about USA's new original series, Necessary Roughness, but at the top of my list is seeing Callie Thorne playing a character that isn't a nutcase.

After her stint on Rescue Me and her guest spots on Burn Notice, I know that Thorne is an actress I enjoy watching. It's just nice to see her portray the role of a therapist instead of a person in need of one.

Dani and Matthew


The series premiere showed a lot of promise and kept me engaged despite its hour and fifteen minute length. Dr. Dani (Thorne) has the right balance of grit and vulnerability for a woman divorcing her sleazy husband and starting over.


The supporting cast was also likable, though the characters certainly need more substance. Because you can only pack so much into a pilot episode, I'm willing to give that a pass and see where they take Dani's troublesome teens and vapid best friend.

Her mother also came across as more caricature than character but, again, I'm hoping the role will grow with time.

Dani's soon-to-be ex is so sleazy it's hard to believe a smart woman like Dani remained married with her head in the sand for so many years.

I'm thrilled to see Marc Blucas as Dani's one-time/potential love interest but it's Nico, the team's fixer played by Scott Cohen, who really captures my interest here.

Will he be a competitor for Dani's affections or turn out to be the best friend she didn't know she needed? Either way, there's a unique connection there and I can't wait to see it explored.

The biggest risk for this show is what I saw in the Terrence King storyline. Will Dani's pop psychology be able to fix every problem in 43 minutes or less each week? That can get tiresome, formulaic, and boring.  

Because Terrence is supposed to come back for further sessions I'm hoping the issues get a little more complex.

Necessary Roughness has a great cast and plenty of potentially intriguing characters. If the story can keep up with them, I think we can look forward to various sessions each week.

Pilot Review

Editor Rating: 4.1 / 5.0
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User Rating:

Rating: 4.4 / 5.0 (67 Votes)

C. Orlando was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.

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Necessary Roughness Season 1 Episode 1 Quotes

When you are making a living as a hooker, then you can dig this out of storage.

Dani

No matter who you are, no matter how much protective gear you wear, at some point you're gonna get the living crap kicked out of you.

Dani