Scorpion on CBS

[Textcritic]

Did anyone happen to watch this new show this past week?

http://www.cbs.com/shows/scorpion/

I was moderately intrigued by the trailer, and the tease that it was based on "actual events." And besides, I'm a junkie for spy-stories.

The pilot was predictable and generally uninteresting, but this really caught my attention yesterday:

CBS added a video short about the show called "Fact or Fiction" in which they purport: "The real Walter O'Brien explains what scenes from the premiere of Scorpion actually did happen."

Walter O'Brien is the name of the main character in the show, and I learned that he is in real life one of the exec. producers, but also the founder of an actual think tank called Scorpion Computer Services. The promotional material on the site has this to say about Mr. O'Brien:

"Walter O'Brien (hacker name: "Scorpion") was diagnosed as a child prodigy with an IQ of 197 and at 13 years old started his company ScorpionComputerServices.com. Scorpion has mitigated risk for 7 years on $1.9 trillion of investments and has invented and applied Artificial Intelligence engines to protect United States war fighters in Afghanistan...

Scorpion was born and raised in Ireland, and at 16, ranked first in national high speed computer problem solving competitions. At 18, he competed in the World Olympics in Informatics and has ranked as high as the sixth fastest programmer in the world. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence with honors from Sussex University in the United Kingdom. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has certified Scorpion as being of National Interest to the United States economy and granted him an Extraordinary Ability EB 1-1 Visa (also granted to Albert Einstein and Winston Churchill)..."

Clearly something very fishy is afoot here. Ordinarily, a show of this low calibre would not hold my attention for very long, but the real-life super-spy charlatan subtext has me hooked for now. I can't wait to see what unfolds when TV fiction attempts to retell actual fiction as reality. For more about Scorpion Computer Services founder and the real life inspiration behind the show, sheck out the following links:

https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/commen...ehind_the_cbs/
https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20...y-genius.shtml

[Ashartus]

The premise sounded interesting but the plot was so ludicrous and full of holes I don't have much interest in following the show. I'm highly skeptical about the premiere at least having much resemblance to any real events.

[OutOfTheCube]

So is the 'real life' story also fake or is he a real guy with a real company?

[GirlySports]

the first episode was terrible, but sometimes pilots have to be overdone in american shows. Will try a 2nd episode to see if it's any better.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by OutOfTheCube

So is the 'real life' story also fake or is he a real guy with a real company?

Check out the last two links I posted. I'm pretty sure the guy is a fraud who founded this "company" as part of an attempt to legitimise the show.

And yes, the show is terrible and the plot ludicrous, but the good part about it is that the storyteller is using network television to propagate his own fabricated life story.

[GGG]

Watching the second episode. It is terrible, very very terrible. The fake real life story is far more interesting then this show.

[Bobblehead]

I actually like it more than some other shows. Yeah, it is bad, but I see a bit of hope. Both episodes so far have had parts that were totally overboard schlock, but then will have a few redeeming moments. I'm hoping the good character development prevails and the crap goes to the background.

[Harry Lime]

Behind a spoiler tag, because I've developed a personal bias. I watch so few network shows, and I got drawn into this one by the commercial.

Spoiler!

I watched the first episode, and slowly began to notice a familiar pattern playing itself out over the course of the show. At first a series of characters are introduced which seem likable and intriguing. They are soon brought together in a slightly improbable, but necessary for the time constraints, way. A token female is present, and inexplicably given responsibility considering her ability relative to the other characters (she continues to be written under the editorial supervision of a 12 year old). In this pilot there are 2 token females, one who has an IQ of 160 and can open locks and stuff real good. Once established, reality loses all cohesion and series of nonsensical flashy events and action set pieces occur. All promise of the original premise and introduction is lost.

I take note of the producer of the show at the end.

This marks my third and final rant (pre Star Trek 3) on the social and intellectual infractions of the Orci/Kurtzman regime. It's not enough that they are destroying multiple beloved franchises in the motion picture industry, but like an uncontrolled virus, they are re-infecting primetime television as well.

I believe that there will be a palpable ripple through the shows quality when Orci has to leave the production in hands other than his own, to concentrate on introducing the Great Gazoo to the Star Trek universe. So there is hope.