After trying his luck at bad-boy vampire and counter-terrorism expert, KeiferSutherland ("24" and "The Lost Boys) is taking on the role of a father. Sutherland stars in the new supernatural drama "Touch" on Fox . With one of Fox's biggest shows, "House," possibly ending its run after this season, the new series "Touch" shows some early promise for the network. Touching hearts at home with a wife killed on Sept. 11, 2001 and dipping its foot into the sci-fi pool, "Touch" is gliding down the right road for now.
"Touch" follows the story of widower Martin Bohm (Sutherland), whose wife died on Sept. 11, and his mute son Jake, played by newcomer David Mazouz. Jake has a knack for getting himself into strange and dangerous predicaments, which lead people to think Martin is a bad father. This brings a social worker named Clea Hopkins into the story, played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw ("Larry Crowne").
The story centers on the scientific theory known as the "string theory" which describes subatomic "strings" that connect all things together. In the first five minutes, the viewer is bombarded by statistics that Jake spouts out. He pulls viewers in, assisting them in understanding the overall theme and feel of the show, which is connected, yet separated. Jake obsesses over seemingly random numbers, writing them down constantly. Martin sees them as a code which ultimately leads him to the home of Arthur Teller, a coincidental number theory expert played by Danny Glover ("Lethal Weapon").
Sutherland commands the viewer's attention with his demanding and powerful personality. Although Mazouz never says a word other than his narration, his expressions play a key part in this show. "He sees the world in a completely different way," is how Teller explains to Martin why Jake acts the way he does. When Jake is upset or confused, the expression he gives off and the body language he sends to his father really convey his emotions. Sutherland plays the role of a confused and desperate father trying to understand his son perfectly, and this helps carry the show from scene to scene.
Aside from solid performances from the two leads, the creator of the show is another reason why the program may work. Tim Kring, whose most recent work was "Heroes," created "Touch" and gave an old story a breath of fresh air. He allows the show to take place all over the world, in Japan, Baghdad, London and Ireland, but still brings the show back to its core, which is the relationship between father and son, Martin and Jake.
A looming fear is that the storyline of "Touch" could turn a bit stale with Martin trying to decipher a new code every week. Tim Kring also has a history of canceled shows. "Crossing Jordan" was canceled after six seasons and "Heroes" was canceled after four. However, "Touch" definitely shows promise, and could have a decent run if the story does not get lost in a world of jumbled numbers.
The pilot episode can be seen on Fox.com, and the show returns to television sets on March 19.
Originally posted HERE
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