He proves to have some great screen chemistry with Christian Slater, who has delivered solid performances in shows like Breaking In and My Own Worst Enemy, but whose efforts to find a starring vehicle in television with lasting power haven't succeeded yet. I love Steve Zahn in pretty much everything (opens in new tab), so a small part of my optimism about Mind Games may stem from my hope that he'll be sticking around the small screen. Clark's true passion is in the science and psychology of what they're doing with their clients, but his own personal issues factor in to his devotion to seeing a job through, sometimes to a fault. "Personal" is key here, especially as it relates to Zahn's character. The fifth episode has Edwards and Associates dealing with a reporter who's looking to do a story on the business, and a young client who's trying to get his politician-father to change his mind about a gun-control law that involves a very personal, tragic back-story.
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In the meantime, the benefit of getting to see Episode 5 is that it demonstrates the presumed week-to-week format of this series once it settles in, which blends the characters personal situations and their efforts to turn con-artistry into a legitimate business. I'm assuming these are the result of a bit of post-pilot concept tweaking and will hopefully be explained in the episodes between 1 and 5. The fish that can actually pay.ĪBC gave us the first and fifth episode to screen, and there are some notable disruptions in continuity there, largely involving the introduction to Sam and the absence of two characters who are introduced in the pilot but don't appear in Episode 5.
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Clark and Ross hope that the pro bono case will give them a bit more exposure, which ideally will lead to helping them catch some bigger fish.
So there's a balance that needs to be found here between these two brothers if their business is going to work as a legitimate operation, and we get a better demonstration of that as they attempt to help a sick kid get the care he's being denied. Ross' criminal past indicates that he's willing to cross the line to reach a goal, even if it means outright deceiving people. Slater's Ross is more reserved but conniving, and it's evident that his issues are less about monitoring his own behavior as they are about ethical boundaries. Zahn plays this really well, as Clark is funny at times and simply unnerving to watch at others. For all his knowledge of human behavior, he's not always tuned into to his own, and his refusal to medicate makes him unpredictable, to say the least. The series premiere begins with Clark and Ross pitching their business to a potential client, but it becomes evident early on that Clark has trouble controlling his enthusiasm. If someone tells you know, these guys will find a way to get them to tell you yes. Clark's brother Ross (Christian Slater) is more of a con-man/criminal type, who's making efforts to turn his and his brothers' skills at human behavior and manipulation into a business that helps people fix their problems, make their dreams come true or generally get what they want through the power of influence. He's a genius when it comes to understanding how people operate, which proves useful in the business he and his brother are trying to operate. The series stars Steve Zahn as a former psych professors whose bipolar behavioral issues make him a loose canon. Take both concepts, mash them together and add a lighter tone and you'll get a bit closer to where Mind Games lives, as it emphasizes a unique kind of business merged with a deep understanding of human behavior and psychology. While Scandal focuses on a group of "fixers" who use their legal smarts to help Washington DC's elite deal with publicity issues, Lie To Me's focus is on a psychologist's abilities to use body language and other behaviors to find the truth in the situation, usually as it relates to crimes. It seems necessary to point out that basic premise of both Lie to Me and Scandal share some loose connections with Mind Games.
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