User Reviews

William Tate (Jake McLaughlin) is a death row inmate. Mysterious Dr. Milton Winter (Delroy Lindo) gives him a choice and breaks him out of prison. Winter puts Tate in charge of Bo (Johnny Sequoyah) who is a little girl with supernatural powers and it turns out she's actually his daughter. Winter leads a team of former colleagues who let Bo escape from the tyrannical Roman Skouras (Kyle MacLachlan). Now the powerful Skouras is using police resources and other supernaturals to track down Bo.

This show starts off with some problems. I never understood why Winter couldn't be more hands on with Tate and Bo. They're thrown to the wolves for no good reason. The good part is that Tate and Bo get to spend time alone together. Their chemistry is so much fun. The other problem is that the world is clueless to the supernatural powers. It is unlikely but more important, the show loses Believe-ability. It's also so derivative to so many other sci-fi shows. It's not a good thing to twist the show to bend the concept to fit this box. I do love the father daughter chemistry. If they could work out a simpler way to get to that point, the show would have worked out better. It's a midseason replacement that got cut rather early. I wish this could have lasted longer.

At first glance I felt like I was watching a young Olivia Dunham's story-ish from the show Fringe... (sorry JJ Abrams) but Bo's character is quite similar to Olive's story so far. Given that I am such a huge fan of Fringe, I cannot wait to see if more develops with THIS show than just a "running from either side that wants to use the little girl for her powers or protect her from the government" etc.

Have viewed episodes 1 and 2...am not completely enamored with any character thus far - would like to see more explanation in the "Gift" department. If there is more focus on these abilities and these abilities in "others" to also do this - then this show may make it in my eyes! Am optimistic and will continue to watch at least a couple more episodes to see how the storyline develops! - Angel

***May Contain Spoilers*** Though in reality I don't know what else could spoil this show more. I wish I knew whether the problem was the writing or the directing, but something is terribly wrong with this show. So, much takes place that we're just supposed to accept. Understand, the main characters, Bo (a little girl with 'special powers) and Tate (a man wrongly convicted of murder) are on the run with nothing ... no money. OK, I'm sure someone will be extra 'picky' and say they had money ... yah, but it was like only $20 or $40. Tate had left a duffel bag full of thousands of dollars behind in the 'pilot' episode. Really? And, even if he did leave it behind, once they got away from the 'bad girl' they could have gone back for it. And, from the the writing of Tate's 'character' I'm sure he would have! Yet, magically whenever they need money ... it's there. They buy bus tickets, train tickets ... kinda like the gun that never runs out of bullets. Their pictures are posted everywhere via an 'Amber Alert', so they hide in a bathroom where Tate 'magically' has electric hair clippers and shaves off his hair. Where'd they come from? What!? When they were getting ready to run and grabbed some clothes, Tate made sure he had his hair clippers? Bo has major kinetic powers ... she can move cars, but when the 'bad guy' grabs her she does nothing. In her words, "I was scared." Again ... REALLY? Tate is laying on the ground with fuel all around him ... and again, she does nothing to help him? I can go on, but what's the point. The plot isn't bad, therefore, the show 'could' be good ... but, we need the writers/director to pay a little more attention to 'believe ... able' detail, and not take us, the watchers, as being so ignorant there's no way we wouldn't BELIEVE these inconsistencies!

I adore this show right now. I find the whole dynamic of the main protagonists relationship refreshing, a welcome break from the romantic "will-they-won't-they" (and they will) relationship that leads so many other shows. It has a great ensemble cast, with Johnny Sequoyah (Bo Adams) being a great up and coming star with such an expressive face and conviction in her acting. Add to that the connection that her and Jake McLaughlin (Tate) share that makes their story all the more (dare I say it) believable. A mention also has to be made to "Once Upon A Time"'s Jamie Chung and Delroy Lindo that make such likable and highly watchable characters in this show. "Believe" reminds me in so many ways of the TV show "Touch". And sure, it may not be the most popular, it may not have brooding thirty-year olds playing star-crossed teenage lovers, or big named stars, but it has something. It's charming. And I deeply hope that it is renewed for a second season. It deserves a much larger fan base than it has.

Believe it a story about a little girl with special powers being hunted by a big evil corporation while being protected by a small good one, paired up with a angry middle aged man they run from the evil corporation helping people along the way. Sound familiar? thats because this plots been done to death, though knowing the plot of the story from 10 minuets into the pilot doesn't necessarily make a show bad, no its the bad acting, directing and story writing that do that. Believes tactic seems to be to employ Jake McLaughlin for the lead role and hope that nobody notices the other actors. The fight scenes look like their practicing and may be decent if they were sped up two or three times. And then theirs the bad writing like how in one episode they have a bag with thousands of dollars in and in the next they have like fifty bucks, are we supposed to believe that they didn't go back for it, they know one of their characters is a ex-con right? and the girl who's apparently clairvoyant and can move cars with her mind but can't stop her self getting kidnapped or in any practical way at all really. Needless to say i will not be watching this show.

This review is written after the fourth episode.

"Believe" was released with much fanfare. With Alfonso Cuarón and J.J. Abrams on-board and a very pretty trailer to wet audience's appetites, it looked like this couldn't fail. However, within a few episodes the same complaint seemed to be levelled against it time and time again: too formulaic.

Now, for a TV show, formulaic isn't always a problem. Plenty of TV shows run off a formula. In fact plenty of TV shows wouldn't work if they didn't have the formula. The audience likes the formula. It comforts them, reassures them. It means that when you tune in for the show you know what you're going to get.

However, "Believe" use of the formula is flawed. Every episode has three parts to it. There's Bo and Tate's attempts to stay one step ahead of their pursuers. Then there's Bo's attempts to help someone in need. Finally there is something related to Skouras, often in the form of a flashback. There are three main problems with this. Firstly, cramming three separate story lines into a single show means there's not enough time to develop any of them properly.

Secondly, there is precious little variation in these parts, especially in what should be the most exciting part, Bo and Tate's flight from danger. A safe-house goes south, Tate has a heated phone call with Milton about getting them help, they are cornered by their pursuers, Bo uses her powers to save them, Milton comes through at the end. There's no drama or tension, no change or development in Agent Ferrel's character, nothing to make the audience intrigued.

Finally, there is no overlap between these parts. Plenty of shows have different story lines running through them. The best ones tie these story lines together, often in ways that the audience least expect. Bo's missions-of-mercy seemingly exist in a vacuum, despite everything else that is happening in her life. Agent Ferrel interacts a little with Skouras but despite all the lies she's been told and all that she's seen, she continues to act as little more than a plot device, relentlessly pursing Bo without once questioning what she's asked to do.

The other big problem "Believe" has is due to Bo's abilities. This show could work nicely if they focused on Bo's crusades and kept the other parts in the background as an ongoing storyline that could pop-up from time to time and be allowed to slowly develop over the course of the season. However, for that to succeed there needs to be some sort of mystery but with Bo's abilities that's never going to happen. She knows the resolution to the mystery even before it begins. If there was more room for Tate to play a part or if Bo's abilities weren't perfect then maybe this could work but as it stands it leaves little for the audience to engage with.

Despite all of that "Believe" isn't completely without worth. The whole concept is solid enough, the performances are good and the dialogue is better than a lot of TV shows. It's also beautiful to look at, and to listen to. It's just that, as it stands, nothing is being done with all of that. If the plot gets a work over and actually starts to develop rather than just tread water then "Believe" has the potential to be a great show. If not then this isn't going to get past season one.

This is going to be fun, If you liked Touch, and the only thing wrong with that one was that you knew you'd be caught by the tears every week, and that Kiefer was not going to stick with such a small show for as long as they needed They have the next season of 24 already filming. Well here we are again with a monster tear maker, that you will come begging for, and this time they have made a few changes that could see a much longer run, and maybe more viewers if you think that's important. Instead of the mute boy we have a very likable little girl who won't stop talking, and a man who is more in need of her than he could ever have imagined. The secret agency is out there trying to get her, and most likely exploit her "gifts" of which there appear to be a few. There is of course a secret group trying to protect the girl, who seem to really care for her, and over all the story plays out well. The Fight scenes are a little off, you just see timing issues all over the place, like they meant to speed up the film to fix them, and just forgot. I Enjoyed this show a lot, and can see them improving a few things that will make it a real Gem. I recommend it to you, and only warn once more you will get choked up, or you are missing something.

Edited March 17th: After episode #2 I have taken off 2 points from my original score, and I no longer think that this is going in the right direction at all. If you disagree then you need to watch more quality television.

Believe is like Firestarter meets Touched By An Angel – it has an adorable little girl with scary psychic powers and all the adventure associated with that, plus good deeds that no ordinary human could perform. The actress playing the show's main character is named Johnny Sequoyah, an odd name for a girl. She plays Bo, an equally odd name for a girl. But, hey, Bo knows how to read minds (maybe), Bo knows pigeons (in a way), and Bo knows the future (sort of).

Besides Bo, there are two groups of characters. One group is trying to catch Bo. We don't know why, but it can't be good. The billionaire in charge of this group doesn't have a mustache to twirl, but I'm sure he would if he had one. His main agent seems reasonably competent under normal chase and fight circumstances, but she is oddly oblivious of her ultimate quarry's powers. Didn't anyone tell her she's not chasing an ordinary child?

The other group is trying to prevent the first group from catching Bo. These are the Good guys, as in capital G good: they don't care about money, eschew the use of guns, and just generally want to make sure Bo stays free to help people. Clearly, they don't know how Bo is going to help anyone, because apparently even Bo herself doesn't understand her powers herself. But that doesn't matter, because they're Good.

The second group picks a guy named Tate to protect Bo and keep her away from the first group. Apparently, it doesn't matter that they have to pluck him off of Death Row, because, hey, he cleans up good after a shave and a haircut, and he apparently knows some Kung Fu. He also inexplicably takes an immediate shining (no pun intended) to Bo thanks to a some random butterflies, not that he would ever admit it: a recently sprung convict has to keep up his crusty, skeptical exterior (even when we can tell he has a heart of gold)!

My sarcasm may make it sound like I didn't particularly like Believe, but I did. For one thing, Alfonso Cuaron directed the first episode, and he presents us with some cinematic elements that TV rarely provides, such as an incredibly gripping car crash scene early on. But the best thing in this show is Bo. Johnny Sequoyah plays her with a wide-eyed innocence that disguises what I perceived to be a worldly and wise understanding of everything going on around her. This girl grabs your attention in every scene: I couldn't wait to see what she was going to do or say next every time she appeared on screen.

I enjoyed Believe a lot – I am very much looking forward to seeing where it goes!