Episode 1
Pilot (9-24-01)

Brief Synopsis: Medical examiner Dr. Jordan Cavanaugh returns to Boston and a former job with the Massachusetts State Coroner's Office.

So I write this first review having already seen season 2-3-and-4. I’m going to put those seasons out of my head and write from a fresh perspective. It’s interesting to see how much our characters have grown and changed from this first episode. First impressions of Bug and Lily weren’t too high when I saw the first couple episodes, yet I love those two now. They’ve become so much more than the spaced entomologist and the lovesick counselor. That said I’ll not mention future episodes anymore.

The pilot serves to introduce us to the character and establish what the show is about. It goal is to get us interested enough to come back and give it a second try next week. On that level I have to say it succeeded. The opening scene with Jordan in anger management classes was a good hook. We learned that Jordan was a medical examiner—currently without a job—she had a slight disagreement with her boss (that made me laugh). We were also given a brief background. Apparently Jordan’s mother was killed when she was ten and her father, a cop was left to raise her alone. The unsolved mystery about Jordan’s mother is compelling. Leaves us asking lots of questions and sure to come back to find out the answers.

Let’s meet the characters:
Dr. Jordan Cavanaugh: Jordan’s a fascinating character. She’s good (almost obsessive) at her job. She’s got a temper (taking anger management classes). She’s an only child raised by her father. Her mother was killed when she was ten. It’s very obvious Jordan has unsolved issues about her mother.

Interesting how for 22 years (or however long it’s been since her mother’s death) Jordan has not once cried over her mother’s death—until this episode. Jordan keeps things bottled up inside her.

It’s a bit a strange this game Jordan and Max play. One becomes the victim and one the killer—they play out the roles to determine what happened when they get stumped on a case.

Jordan gets all worked up about her cases. She cares to much and that’s why her life is (as she says) such a disaster. Her caring gets her in trouble at every job she goes to.

Dr. Garret Macy: Garret’s on the verge of a mental breakdown…it seems. His mother’s just died. He has to give a speech and apparently he doesn’t like public speaking. He’s stressed and overworked and on the verge of quitting his job. Jordan’s reappearance—so it seems—puts his resignation on hold. I think Garret has a soft spot for Jordan. He’s rehired her despite her history and she manages to put a few smiles on Garret’s face. It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out.

Max Cavanaugh: He’s an ex-cop—was kicked off the force for taking the law into his own hands a few too many times. He’s seeing a woman name Evelyn—apparently she’s the first woman he’s dated since his wife’s death. Jordan’s a bit jealous of the new women in Max’s life. Evelyn makes it very clear that she’s laid claim to Max. Jordan can be his daughter but she’s claimed him as her ‘partner’. It’ll be interesting to see how the relationship between Evelyn and Jordan plays out.

Trey Sanders: Cute, confident and not afraid to speak his mind. He’s got a great personality. He and Jordan seemed to get along. They cleared up the slight confusion of dating each other—Trey doesn’t date ‘white’ women. He’s only here for a couple more months. They consider themselves ‘low men on the totem pole.’

Gloria and Kelly were two other cast member. I’m not sure how much of a role they’ll come to play. Jordan knows both of them from her previous stint of working at the Boston morgue. They get along great with Jordan and they’re both very likable. I’ll comment more on those characters when we see more of them.

Definitely an interesting cast of characters. The case was compelling too. Interesting twist.

4 out of 5 Dead Bodies.