‘SECOND CHANCE’ (2016): FOX’S CONTEMPORARY FRANKENSTEIN ENTERTAINS

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The new pilot season always arrives with a sense of intrigue and pull. I seem powerless under the sway of new stories to discover. The past winter pilot season– which is a “midseason” premiere, was no different. Fox’s modern spin on Frankenstein was something of a curiosity for a few reasons. The greatest of which involved seeing a favorite actor in another starring role.

Second Chance (2016) Fox TV Show Review

Many years ago, Ray Pritchard is respected with a family who loves him, and he has a title, of Sheriff, he’s honored by. Now, as an elderly man, the cloud of disgrace still haunts him. His resignation came under the pressure of scandal inspiring discord between he and his son, Duval (Tim DeKay). When Ray discovers men breaking into his son’s home, the result is death only his killers stage it to look like suicide.  

Otto Goodwin (Adhir Kalyan) is not normal. He has a brilliant mind and a tech company he builds all on his own to prove that, but socially he doesn’t live a full life. This is why the cancer diagnosis of his sister, Mary (Dilshad Vadsaria) is a crucial blow to Otto. He’s becomes obsessed with finding her a cure, a cure that might involve specific donor gene sequencing. Otto finds this in Ray Pritchard, and without his sister’s permission, he begins the process of bringing Ray back. Once his sequencing is complete, Ray (Robert Kazinsky) returns… only he’s nothing like the man he once was.  

In my continued interest of full disclosure, I know nothing about the classic story on which this is inspired. However I do know interesting TV (or what I coin as such) and Second Chance is exactly that. Stepping away from the story, there is a lot going on that makes this so. Perhaps part of the appeal is inside the layers of the story which bleeds into a kind of crime drama. Whereas the overreaching part of the narrative is one of compassion and contemplating human nature.  

Though there is a placement of mystery in the story, I do like the quieter urgency placed on human nature and what it might mean for someone to be gifted a second chance. It’s true this is more of a supernatural notion even still the script raised some interesting questions and queries. The theories it starts to tease are intriguing also which means for now, this is a series I can easily see myself becoming addicted to.  

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‘SECOND CHANCE’ (2016): FOX'S CONTEMPORARY FRANKENSTEIN ENTERTAINS #TVarchives Share on X

Subtle though it is, there’s a nice sense of humor and the potential complexities of Ray and Mary’s relationship sparks interest right away, as does the function of DeKay’s character. Much as I like him, he doesn’t feel a “primary” necessary to the script or perhaps his character simply doesn’t present well, and will benefit from better fleshed out characterization as the show furthers. What we do learn about his past has potential for an emotional subplot, so here’s hoping. If you’re a fan of any of the cast or mystery dramas with a lighter bent on the crime drama genre, Second Chance like its name, it’s worth a second look.  

Content: Ray is a womanizer who has a prostitute leaving his place [as an elderly man] when his son visits; later, as his younger self, he again meets up with the same woman. We see her drop a towel, inviting Ray into her room. There is a party scene and social drinking. Some minor commonplace profanity is present. The show is TV14.