Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector (TV Series 2020) Poster

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8/10
Very rough start but improving steadily
tamra28 January 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Slight spoilers.

UPDATE: As of episode 7, the series is improving steadily and I am now enjoying it. The writers have corrected some of the problems. They are no longer spoon feeding the audience, and the actors seem more comfortable in their roles. Time will tell if the very rough start doomed this one. -- ORIGINAL REVIEW I don't care if this faithfully follows the books or the films. The issue is that the writers of this adaptation have a very poor opinion of their audience. In episode 2 Rhyme mentions saltpeter and a colleague asks, "salt what?" Rhyme is then obliged state the name of the well-known substance a second time and then to explain what it is. When a social media-obsessed girl's murder is linked to Narcissus most viewers would get the connection right away, but just to be sure Rhyme quickly explains the Narcissus myth. At this point pretty much anyone would be on board, yet a few moments later, the writers feel it necessary to have our apparently clueless heroine ask "so the victim was killed for posting selfies and that makes her Narcissus?" to which Rhyme sagely explains, "Narcissistic. Self absorbed." Rhyme even has to explain that a painting of Narcissus with an X through it indicates that the victim has been killed. Rhyme is supposed to be a genius, but a child could follow the killer's clues.

These are just two examples but the script is laden with exposition to spoon feed the audience what should be bleeding obvious. The Lincoln Rhyme movies were OK because they gave the viewer an opportunity to think but this show is so dumbed down that I can't decide if it's more boring or insulting. Either way, it lost my interest almost immediately. Intelligent writing would make this worthwhile.
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8/10
GIVE IT A CHANCE PLEASE! Fabulous Cast But...
catfanatic88819 January 2020
I realize a lot of viewers probably also read Jeffrey Deaver's bestselling books so they will have preconceived notions before watching this. It's not PERFECT but it's good. The cast is terrific but I think it's a bit too ambitious in the pilot episode and it was a bit overwhelming. But episode two is better and more evenly paced. Let's try to judge it based on the SHOW not the books However. I think it has definite potential if it continues getting better. It's interesting.
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8/10
Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it
Ed-Shullivan11 January 2020
Let's give this series a few more episodes to gain some of that valuable (writing) experience before assessing whether this new crime/mystery series is worthy of support from a mandatory sized audience to extend the series into a second season.

I liked the lead actors/actresses and how each person(s) old baggage is introduced to the audience in this pilot episode. It is a lot of information to pack into a 45 minute TV episode. Let's not try and compare the two (2) hour major motion picture of 1999 The Bone Collector, starring Denzel Washington, Angelina Jolie, Queen Latifah with this new TV crime series.

I give credit to Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector for bringing to the small screen a new crime/mystery series with some depth of character and story line. Actor Brían F. O'Byrne who plays the serial killer that Lincoln Rhyme (Russell Hornsby ) is chasing are both perfectly cast as the illusive bone collector and as the confined to a bed serial killer investigator.

I am optimistic that the future story lines of Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector will be a cut above the other standard crime TV series that should have been taken off the air some several seasons ago. (You know which crime series I am referring to).

An excellent start to the year 2020
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6/10
Just stop! Over-wrought and predictable.
virtual-9388811 January 2020
I watch a lot of the European crime mini series genre and I think it's ruining me for American tv. Much like last season's "Prodigal Son" I was eager to watch the premier of this new serial killer hunt show and, just like "Prodigal Son" I was very disappointed. So many of these shows attempt to be all things to all people and take their design from 10 other shows all combined and repackaged as a "new" show. I'm not going to go into a plot synopsis as I think it's been covered here and in the book and film, so I will get straight to my impressions of the show. First of all - too much cast. It's hard work keeping track of all of them. Way too many background players, "team" members in various roles assisting the bed-bound Lincoln Rhyme. Other shows do these various roles with one person per job - this has at least 2 per. The exception being Rhyme's hovering nurse who spends her time pursing her lips and shaking her head while she takes Rhyme's vital signs. (Prediction, she will either end up needing to be being rescued or will surprise us all with her previously unforeseen toughness.) Next, the show foreshadows way too heavily and loudly. If you are introduced to a new character who is emotionally connected to main cast, odds are really good that they will need to be saved within the next 15 minutes. The use of "emotional flaws" to humanize main characters is also telegraphed loudly and comes into use as a plot device within the next 15 minutes also. Lastly, and I have seen this mentioned in other online reviews, this show is crazily unbelievable. There is no reality to their portrayal of the NYC police and it seems to exist in some alternative dimension. It actually has the feel of a super hero/comic book movie with the rapid fire clue, chase, find, repeat activity that occurs. I'd also like to mention that the over-use of CGI to illustrate Lincoln Rhyme's thought processes is boring and uninteresting. Taking a page from "The Alienist" Rhyme has pre-1900's New York City maps, geology and history in a giant library inside his head so every clue must be sketched out to demonstrate it's source. If there was any explanation as to why the main protagonist The Bone Collector uses these points of reference and is thus so clearly matched with nemesis Rhyme I missed it. I know I will watch a few more episodes to see if it improves and I hope it does. If it does I will edit this, but like "Prodigal Son" I do not hold out great hope.
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Too fast pased!
scorpiogemini14 March 2020
NBC did bad with this one. Real bad. Its such a shame. The atmosphere, the slow build up, the dark and gritty sides of New york its all non-existent. The show is so fast pased things just swoshes by. It all becomes unreal and even cheesy at many points. So thats the key words here; TOO FAST! This story would have been awesome on the hand of for ex HBO...
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6/10
Lincoln Rhyme is the worst part of the Bone Collector
sisdog-7 February 2020
The way the character is written and acted is really annoying. I like the show at certain levels but overall not great.
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8/10
Why all the negative reviews for this show?
mariokartlover27 January 2020
I am only one episode into the show and am already hooked. It has a very promising start, I can only hope the rest of the episodes are like this. Very well done show.
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6/10
Disappointing and painful to watch
lilamcgrew19 February 2020
I loved the books, and the Denzel movie was entertaining, but the TV show disappoints.

Russell Hornsby's Lincoln is one dimensional - intensely angry - All. The. Time. I've seen him play other roles with much more depth, so I can only assume it's directing.

Then there's the story. There were so many directions this show could have taken, but instead 'they' decided to rehash "The Bone Collector" and make a mockery of it.
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10/10
Did NOT Disappoint!
seattlesnob11 January 2020
I have a very low tolerance for slow pacing, shallow characters and predictable plots. Fortunately, none of these are issues with this show! I'm genuinely impressed and look forward to seeing more. Worth watching!
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6/10
Shakey Start
schubej-111 January 2020
I like many of the actors in this Serial but some of the storyline seems either improbable or lacking development as well as sometimes cheesey. Also, it is one more show on commercial tv in which the dramatic background music often overwhelms the dialogue. But, there is enough promise to give it another viewing. Often, first episodes can be disappointing but can improve with subsequent shows, which must be determined.
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3/10
Disappointing
dtdenver-987-92554611 January 2020
Why bother to trade on a popular book series and then change half the characters? What possible difference could it have made to keep the caregiver Thom, the forensic guru Mel, the police officer Ron? Why change Sachs' back story to a generic TV show drama trope? And especially the beginning - made up and completely different than the book. Deaver evidently sold out to change not just the characters but his carefully crafted portrayal of a quadriplegic. This show's version has Lincoln all but get up out of bed and dance a jig.
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10/10
Great Start!
princessgia0711 January 2020
One of my favorite movies so I figured the show either would be good or just a copy of the movie. I was wrong. The first episode was really good for a start. They changed alot so far so your not watching a repeat if your a fan of the movie. Its great acting and keeps you at your seat with out already knowing whats going to happen. Keeping the story base in tact with their own spin. Looking forward to this new show!
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6/10
A missed opportunity
notanaxkiller-107-28791122 January 2020
Warning: Spoilers
All that the show had to do was follow the example set by the book, OR the movie. It did neither. The characters are bad....the writing is bad.... the plots are bad. The actors are even bad...in THIS. Not everyone can be Denzel Washington...but Russell Hornsby was a bad choice for Rhyme. Not only his body is paralyzed, but his acting abilities too. He's just a bad fit for this. Laurence Fishburne, or even Morgan Freeman would have been much more intense. Forest Whitaker would have been perfect. The rest of the cast doesn't fit either. Michael Imperioli looks like he forgot HOW to act. Either that, or the writing is that bad. This is a one season show. Too bad. It could have been great.
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3/10
So many bones to pick
jcaldwell50823129 February 2020
I keep watching the next episode hoping that my ambivalence to this show will dissipate. It has yet to do so. I loved the movie, I never read the books to be honest, so my critiques is less regarding source material and more the show. At first I couldn't put my finger on what bothers me about the show...but unfortunately it comes down to Russel Hornsby. His portrayal of the main character is painful to watch. The timing feels strange, the writing for him is terrible. His stoicism is almost annoying. He is really hard to watch. (This isnt to say I haven't liked Hornsby in other roles, I really blame the back room for this mess)

The writing in general is terrible. They don't allow for any exposition to come naturally, through acting or organic story. Its all shoehorned really awkwardly into some cringe-worthy dialogue.
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Missed the boat
remotiger28 February 2020
This series really misses out on the chance to recreate some amazing people that appear in Jeffrey Deavers Lincoln Rhyme. I have no problem with changing the race of the characters but I think you need to keep it consistent If Rhyme is black I think Sachs should be black also not that there is anything wrong with interracial couples but that nowhere this story lies. None of the characters in the tv series have the little quirks that make them so compelling. Sachs has no arthritis,no Mustang that she loves to drive fast,red hair and she does not seem to falling for Rhyme the way it is in the books. And don't get me started on what they have done to poor Tom. The carekeeper they have in the series is interesting and I like her but if you are representing someone's writings don't you have an obligation to keep the people consistent with the way they are in the books. Tom from the books is one of the more interesting characters in the book and I would like to have seen him in the series. I think they have done a good job in capturing Rhymes personality,the actor does an amazing job capturing his disregard for people's feeling and over all misanthrope. Maybe going forward they will add some more depth to the characters and give Sachs the amazing personality she displays in the novels.
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7/10
Leave the movie at the door or you won't like this show!
GKoeneke19 January 2020
Warning: Spoilers
It's hard for me not to associate this show with the previous film. Not only was that cast Oscar winners and people that were at one point top actors, but the plot of the film was really good. So much so, that Hollywood studios tried to find similar plots to copy.....which is just one of Hollywood's way of acknowledging success.

That said, I've never read the book. I feel bad because I always meant to, but now I'm caught in a comparison that doesn't make sense. Which is more like the writer's original idea? I mean this one is way different from the movie.

I like that Amelia isn't a broken alcoholic sex addict in this show. A bit more put together. Lincoln Rhyme is, well, the same but a different actor who's doing a good job. Still, he's following Denzel and that is something I'm sure no actor wants to do. I'm buying his version, though.

When I catch myself comparing the plot to the movie I immediately wipe the thought. I'm not sure which is true to the book(s), but really it doesn't matter. On its own merit it can stand up to other cop/serial killer hunter shows. I also like the fact all the tech is updated to things we can do now.

We are only 2 episodes in, but it's got enough and is holding my attention enough for me to give this an entire season before I make a real call on if the series is good enough to stick around.

Similarly to Emergence, this show brings up questions and answers them quickly instead of making the audience linger around for 4-8 episodes for an answer. The pace is something I find to be a sweet spot of Emergence and hopefully a Hollywood copied paradigm from here on out.

I would say to watch this series, but if you saw the movie or read the book, leave it at the door when you watch it and you'll enjoy it a lot more.
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7/10
Like others I am hopeful
trudjoh11 January 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This pilot surely bit off a lot. I think during the pilot they focused on too many threads of the show. First kidnapping, introducing the crime team, his primary assistant, plus adding in a bit on his background. But why the kidnapping of the sister? A rushed solving, and not sure what point? Lost their focus I think. The thing I enjoyed about the book and the movie was the actual deciphering of the 3 clues per kidnapping. Are the script writers going to be able to carry it forward episode after episode, or are they going to lose that aspect of the book in favor of the wheat and chaff added to network TV.
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8/10
I'm enjoying this series. Hope they bring it back
dipookie6615 March 2020
Not sure why they're so many that don't like this show. If you compare it to the movie you're not giving it a fare chance.
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6/10
Won't go outta my way to watch
faithless473411 January 2020
Warning: Spoilers
So I am to believe that a woman who has gone to all the trouble to check all the boxes to become an FBI profiler, including YEARS of schooling is going to lie on her FBI application? I am to believe that she would not do the research needed to know that the PTSD and other issues she claims to have are okay to have to be in the FBI? I am to believe that she would not know that ANY LIE AT ALL would disqualify her from being accepted? Well I do not and sadly that along with several other smaller things have caused this pilot to fail the litmus test.
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10/10
Read this review
scooter106119 January 2020
I haven't read the books, or seen any other media of Lincoln Rhyme. To me, this show is better than a lot of other police shows. It's not perfect, no show truly is. But after 2 episodes, I do find it interesting. I like the character of Amelia and the actress playing her. I don't look into or watch every new show that comes out. Far from it, but this one I do find intriguing.
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7/10
book to TV
SnoopyStyle16 June 2020
Amelia Sachs (Arielle Kebbel) is an NYPD beat cop working in the subway. She takes care of her younger sister Rachel after losing her parents in a horrific killing spree. She aspires to be an FBI profiler but gets rejected. She is called upon an unusual crime scene and gets recruited to be the eyes and ears of famous profiler Lincoln Rhyme (Russell Hornsby). Three year earlier, Lincoln was paralysed by serial killer "The Bone Collector" who is now back.

The 1999 movie is fine but nothing too good. I had a similar feeling when this show first begins. Kebbel is the too hot cop and Hornsby is the intense black guy. Their chemistry is able to grow over time. The gear is a little silly. As always, the show tries to make everything a little flashy. It's trying to ramp up a lot of things unnecessarily. I do like the villain. This show was probably aiming for a new villain each year with an overarching villain puppet master. The book series has a lot of sequels and would provide material for the show. At last, it never got a second season and the show is canceled after a ten episode first season.
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5/10
There is a reason the books were so popular
razzel18 January 2020
A lot of that was the characters as Deaver wrote them. When you take away characters the (highly successful) author created that are central to the books (ie Thom, Mel) and change the ones backstories that you did keep you are left with this....yet another cop show like all the other cop shows. There is nothing interesting about this show. Putting a man in bed does not create something new or exciting. To make it worse, Russell Hornsby's portrayal of Lincoln Rhyme is just off. Sometimes I'll give shows a chance to get better, but this sadly won't be one of them.
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8/10
Very Good Start and should improve if given the chance....
mts-9131919 January 2020
Sadly, we/viewers have to always compare shows with big screen movies and/or books there based off of. This show should be given a pass as it's not like the movie nor the books just very loosely based of it which is refreshing if the viewer just watches/reviews based on what is being shown.

With that said, I enjoyed the Pilot and think the show has much promise. I like the interaction between all the characters and the suspense of the villains. The Pilot jumped right into the heart of the show and gave just enough history to make us follow why the characters are where they are which reminded me greatly of the Persons Of Interest directing style.

Hope this show is given a chance to grow and develop a following.
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6/10
well - i hesitate but it was difficult to finish this series over a one year period
memine2314 November 2021
I have reviewed a few titles and don't know if they are helpful - i enjoyed Russell H in grimm and honestly never noticed him in his other works - but for me only it was his interpretation of the character - inflection and intonation that was the killer of this story - i just found it hard to listen to the tone of his expertise and arrogance (character traits) - the bone collector as a story is very interesting as a nemesis type crime story - but easy to understand audience decline - my $0.02.
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3/10
Disappointing on so many levels..
gtenalokes18 January 2020
Terrible Casting killed it for me, from there it went down hill.. i like Sachs the rest don't fit

The suspense and thriller are none existent.. It's not dark enough for what it's trying to be..

And note to "give it a chance" folks: Watching more episode in hopes that it will improve is how networks make money from nonsense shows
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