He sees dead people, I just see a dumb show...

I’ve always liked Jeff Goldblum. He’s got that bumbling quality that makes his characters so loveable.

But in the case of “Raines,” that quality handicaps the entire show. As does the premise, the plot, and pretty much everything else…

Goldblum is LAPD Detective Michael Raines. Raines sees dead people—but not ghosts. Raines has such an active imagination that the victims of the murders he’s investigating become real in his mind, making him see them. But because they are only in his imagination, they can only tell him what he already knows. In fact, in many cases they just repeat what he says. And yes, that is as annoying as it sounds…

In the premiere, Raines is investigating the murder of Sandy Boudreaux (Alexa Davalos of “Reunion”), a young woman with a tawdry secret. He’s just back to work after he and his partner were both shot. In fact, his now ex-partner, Charlie (Malik Yoba), is the only one he has confided in about his secret. At first, Raines thinks he’s going crazy, but then he relies on the victim more and more as he puts the pieces together (even though they can’t give him any new information).

My question is since the victim represents Raines’ own imagination then why does he need to see them anyway? Why can’t he just solve the case on his own?

I know. Then there wouldn’t be any show…

Which leads me to the case itself. I’m not sure it made complete sense and the resolution was way too neat and a little too insulting to my intelligence. I think maybe the writers need to concentrate a little less on the imaginative ways that Raines sees the victims and concentrate a little more on the plot.

But even if all of that was fixed, there’s still the problem of Goldblum himself. I just didn’t believe him as a cop. Maybe it was that bumbling personality, or maybe it was the fact that with his height he towers over everyone. Whatever it was, I just couldn’t buy it.

However, for me, the saddest thing of all is that the one real twist in the premiere that might have made me leave the show feeling a little better was given away in the preview on the Netflix disc NBC did (You can also see it online.). I guess they thought no one would pay that close of attention (although I thought it was pretty obvious.).

Some day Jeff Goldblum will make a great TV leading man, but this is not the vehicle for him to do it in…

“Raines” premieres Thursday, March 15th at 10 p.m. on NBC…