A family of law enforcement agents investigate a double homicide involving a U.S. Marshal. A mysterious murder hits close to home, forcing the Hollingsworths to focus on protecting each other as a family.
Every member of the Hollingsworth family works for the federal government. They are each incapable of having a healthy personal life. They are too committed to their jobs. They prioritize work above all else. It's been drilled into them that they have the responsibility to be noble and heroic. They are built differently. They have to use their skills for good. It would be a waste otherwise. All of this comes at an awkward time for the real-life federal government. Public trust in the competence of federal agencies is at an all-time low. It's been dragged down by scandals and unprofessional conduct. Career staff have been forced out because they refused to bend the knee to partisan pursuits. The image of the federal government has been remade. This story behaves in contrast to that. It treats these professions as if they are still the peak of honorable service. Plenty of these noble individuals are able to find positions elsewhere that help support their communities. One aspect of service has been corrupted. Plenty of wonderful examples have stepped up to show a different path. This story aims to treat these government agencies as if nothing has changed over the last two years. In fact, a Homeland Security agent is meant to be treated as a legitimate source who welcomes the family into the grand conspiracy that will fuel the narrative moving forward. That's laughable given the priorities for the agency in real-life.
All of this requires the viewer to suspend their disbelief. It's more than just the unfortunate parallels with the world we are all living through right now. The story itself follows some familiar plot devices that struggle to make the viewer care about the characters. It never works when the first episode suggests one of the characters will be leaving the position that gives them prominence within the story. Here, the narrative tries to compensate that by saying Mike's retirement will have to be delayed because of the conspiracy. It's not his choice. He's not happy about being forced out of his position anyway. He didn't feel like celebrating. It symbolized a loss of control. He would no longer be able to do the thing he devoted his life to. Instead, he had to find new purpose. There was excitement in that. He's only able to confide in Jane about his fears. That will have to wait. His country still needs him to serve. The government doesn't know if he was the target within the family. It's all obviously connected. But it also allows Mike to sit comfortably after an episode where he isn't even allowed to showcase his experience within the Secret Service.
Clare has the most active investigation. She has to figure out why someone would stage a crime scene involving a U.S. Marshal. Jane has the same suspicions. She also forces Clare to prove herself. It's clear they've been through this routine before. Jane feels spurned by her daughter not following in her footsteps. Clare's aggrieved because her mother doesn't trust her judgment. It's all more complicated than that. They eventually arrive at the same place. Secrets are still being kept. Jane is moving in with her new boyfriend even though the passion has reignited with Mike. Clare was dating someone for six months without telling her family. She didn't want to subject Logan to the pressure that comes from her loved ones. The siblings are functional. Not every discussion turns into a battlefield. Everything still combusts. They are each too committed to their jobs to offer much consistency when Logan shows up for dinner. He carries his own agenda. He returned later on for some mysterious reason. As such, the breakup between him and Clare isn't allowed to stick either. That's not a whole lot of consistency offered up for the viewer to trust that the creative team has a vision.
Moreover, the twist ending only works if the viewer wasn't wondering why Charlie Barnett was cast in such a minor role. He appeared as Logan's neighbor. He was disappointed over constantly missing Clare. Too many jokes come at the expense of this couple. No one believes it's actually real. The deception is the point. Nothing about this show should be seen as romantic. Of course, those elements are still included. Mike and Jane are interrupted during an intimate moment. Meanwhile, Micah panics over the possibility that he was recorded having sex with the President's daughter. This family aims to preserve their own interests. That's the priority above their own service. It's enough to send a warning when Russ gets a job at the Justice Department. He has to keep his work separate from the rest of the family. Nevertheless, Mike demands a favor on Russ' first day. These lines are blurred. Again, that could be fascinating to explore given how the independence of these agencies has been degraded in real life. Instead, the show takes the expected turn of some grand conspiracy that only this family can solve because they are personally involved. Jack is actually the son the family believes to be dead. He's targeting high-ranking federal officials. He may have protected the family from whatever Logan was up to. He may just be making his presence known now after he's already had a couple successful kills. The death of the U.S. Marshal seems like an extraneous connection at best. It's all too opaque without enough specificity. Nothing is allowed to be consistent. And so, this first episode does very little in establishing what to expect moving forward. That's lame instead of intriguing.
