Review: ‘Life’

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The great mystery of “Life” is why it isn’t a big fat hit. The cop-drama/transcendence tale that comes to its seasonal, and perhaps (cue critical wailing and gnashing of teeth) final, end tonight has all the ingredients of a successful show.

There’s the now-requisite quirky setup: Charlie Crews (Damian Lewis) is a cop wrongfully convicted of a hideous murder and is now back on the force with millions in settlement money, a fresh-fruit habit and an equal need for Zen and revenge.

There’s the terrific writing that can pull off both a series of murder victims found all over Los Angeles in trunks and a very funny ongoing Sharpie joke.

And, of course, there’s the great cast: Lewis is a marvel, with credits that include “Band of Brothers” and “Masterpiece Theater”; Sarah Shahi, as his partner, Dani Reese, pulls off a glorious balancing act of super cool and super hot; and Adam Arkin, though not on screen nearly enough, is pitch perfect as criminally ruined Chief Executive Ted Earley, now Crews’ housemate, business advisor and general foil. Even Donal Logue, whom it took some time to get used to as New York export Capt. Kevin Tidwell, got a better haircut and settled into the groove.

So how is it that this show founders while over at CBS, “The Mentalist,” which is also good and smart but not nearly as sophisticated, soars? Seriously, I want to know. I’m sure “Life” creator Rand Ravich has some ideas, and no doubt the good folks at NBC Universal have others. So if, as rumor has it, this is it for “Life,” I invite representatives from all sides of the issue to chat with me, in these pages, about what the heck went wrong.

(Photo courtesy NBC Universal)

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