Raines

The average user rating for this TV Show is 8.7 out of 10 (based on 64 Votes).

Susan L. gave it a9:
"I see dead people." Crime victims, that is. Nobody does smart flakiness like Jeff Goldblum. I hope they bring it back.

Rory O. gave it a9:
Original. Believable. Easy to follow. Characters keep you very interested. Unable to guess the ending. WHERE DID IT GO? Bring it back or I could end up television set.

pam h. gave it a10:
awesome show - intriguing - something unique! please please please renew it!

jean s. gave it a10:
Raines is such an interesting show. Would love it if NBC would renew this show.

miriam h. gave it a9:
Was delightful and charming, thanks to Jeff Goldblum. NBC should have stayed with it.

Anne B. gave it a10:
Please bring back Raines! Jeff Goldblum is as outstanding as usual and the story lines and acting offer an alternative to the inane reality shows. As it is, Goldblum is dealing with his own kind of reality show! Interesting writing and twists and turns.

Jamie L. gave it a10:
This show is incredibly intelligent, not to mention well acted and scripted. I would definitely like to see NBC renew it for the Fall '07.

Joyce gave it a10:
It's too bad it wasn't renewed. I hope another network picks it up.

Jean M. gave it a9:
Well-written, well-acted shows are not all that plentiful - I sincerely hope 'Raines' returns next season, and is not elbowed aside by another awful, awful 'reality' series.

Karen W gave it a9:
This is an unusually well written show, and I've never liked Jeff Goldblum more than in this. The show about the little girl was especially riveting, and extremely involving for the viewer. I hope this gets renewed at some point in the future. I like the supporting cast, too, and it's great to see Madeleine Stowe again.

Tom P gave it a10:
Great stories. Great vehicle for Goldblum! Each victim gets great character developement, a suprise since we only see them for the one episode.

Julie A. gave it a10:
I love the show because of the uniqueness. I find it fascinating, touching, amusing with an Einstein level of genius.

Vixiana W gave it a10:
I don't have a TV, but every Friday night I go to a friends house to watch this show. I usually stay for L&O, but this is the one that caught me. Jeff is fabulously Jeff, the supporting players are brilliantly cast, it's slightly spooky, they wear reasonable clothes (but I do suggest a crossover with the Ghost Whisper girl and those dominatrix boots) and it's thoughtful and intelligent. I hope it returns for the fall season. Otherwise it's Fellini movies and season 3 of 24 for us.

Elaine R gave it a10:
love it...........

Robert L gave it a10:
I like this show. No bad laguage and fun to watch. Hope to see a lot more of this show.

Betsy Z gave it a10:
Please keep this show alive. What a treat on Friday night, after the work week, to have Jeff Goldblum ... the great writing, his great acting, the great situation he is in ... to look forward to!

Ezekiel S gave it a9:
Jeff Goldblum plays the part perfectly and its gutsy and refreshing to see a show that does not go ultra violent like Law and Order/CSI etc. and at the same time decided to not go supernatural. Further, the show focuses on the positive, what it menas to be alive... instead of how weird can we dream up somebody being killed. Hard for me to catchit on Fridays, I hope it finds a new night next season.

kary h gave it a9:
whatever writing problems the show has are more than compensated for with Goldblum's performance. I hope we get a full season of this entertaining show.

Ren A gave it a10:
Jeff Goldblum is credible and incredible. I reallly hope the show gets renewed! Any rough spots can be tweaked (remember the first season of Seinfeld?) and this one's worth staying with.

Bill L gave it a10:
hats off and cudos to writers, directors and the unbelievable Jeff Goldblum, for a great, cuttine edge tv suspense drama. acting very "now" and interesting. good work.

Don M gave it a10:
Great show. Needs a little "Colombo" flavoring to include car, coat, hair, sloppiness, dog, girl friend

John E gave it a10:
Fresh, absorbing, funny. Goldblum is brilliant.

Cecelia G gave it a10:
I am so tired of CSIs and Law and Order shows. This one is different and Jeff Goldblum's acting and the supporting cast really make it interesting. I am really unhappy there are only seven episodes. This really needs to be on NBCs schedule.

M Nelson gave it a10:
Great show with wonderful acting and great writing.

steven c gave it an8:
a fresh show with a fine lead in goldblum

alan e gave it a9:
It's fun to watch Jeff Goldblum on the show. It's wierd, but fun to watch him every week with another "hallucination?" It'll problably get cancelled, most show I enjoy either get cncelled or stay around too long and get dumb.

Mehmet T gave it a9:
I find the criticism directed towards Raines to be unfair. This show is not generic. Let me explain this a little further. Given the circumstances, the stories in the episodes are as original as possible. I mean after years of CSIs and Law and Order stuff what else is there left to portray about crimes? As such what saves the episodes from being generic is that episodes are not actually about the crimes, but they are about the Raines character. Each episode reveals a little bit more about a deeply scarred and lonely homicide detective (who is superbly portrayed by Jeff Goldblum) who is trying to cope with his situation by resorting to hallucinations, sarcasm, and humor; and clinging on to whatever shred of optimism that’s left in him. It’s fascinating to watch him interact with his co-workers (who are themselves finely written and acted) and the hallucinations of the crime victims. He is not just another know-it-all, super stoic detective; he is a vulnerable man who is deeply affected by events around him (which he hides from his peers, but the affects are revealed by his interactions with his hallucinations). On top of these, the music and the scenery of Los Angeles put you right in the mood of the show (the intro scene of the show is short, but absolutely brilliant and captivating). I think the reason why some reviewers give this show a bad rating is because they fail to understand this original nature of the show. If Raines is to be criticized properly; it has to be done on its own terms and methods, and not done by referring to other shows that don’t really apply to its case (which is what the negative critics do). It’s difficult to find any flaw in its execution of the main point of the whole show; Raines and his interactions with his psyche and his environment. As such Raines is much more similar to the show House. Would House be House without the House character? It’s the House character that sets it apart from all those other medical drama shows. I mean ER did pretty much everything about medical drams shows, but House still stands out because of the principal character that defines what the show is about. And this is exactly the case with Raines. But Raines goes one step further by focusing even more on the principal character. As such the average viewer and the critic who is not used to such in depth character analysis find it difficult to relate to the show. As such Raines gets punished not for its own failings but for its unique nature.

Teoman T gave it a9:
In the series, the events surrounding Raines (Jeff Goldblum) have been done before by other drama/crime shows. However, this show is not about the events surrounding Raines. This is not like such show as CSI or Law and Order. This show is more like Battlestar Galactica. It is a character driven show. Instead of multiple characters (like in Battlestar Galactica) there is a single character. With each episode we learn more about the inner workings of Raines. The show is slow at times, however, it compensates with geniuin deep analysis of Raines. It is a welcome change from most of the other shows that occupy the network airwaves. Unlike cable tv there are very few shows in the networks that are trully original. What I mean is, in most shows it doesnt really matter if you miss an episode (CSI, Law and Order etc). Raines is not a show, where you really do not know the characters even after 7 seasons and the characters have not changed at all. The acting is very good. Jeff Goldblum is superb. The actors who portray the hallucinations have also done a decent job. They change with every bit of information Raines learns.The music in the background is also good and enhances the emotions the creators try to disasminate. The camera work does not hurt the show in any way. If one had to compare it to similar shows such as Medium or Ghost Whisperer series it would some out on top. First it is not as predictable as Ghost Whisperer and is deeper then Medium. Not that Medium is bad. It is also a very good effort to broadcast an original show. Maybe the series would have had more chance of renewal if it was broadcasted in a cable network (Showtime etc). At the end, trully original shows such as Dexter,Six Feet Under, Battlestar Galactica were/are broadcasted by cable tv.

[Anonymous] gave it a10:
Its really good

Ray G gave it a10:
jeff goldblum is very "raymond chandleresque" in raines. the stories are good and are treated a little bit differently due to the "talk to urself" premise. i think it works and i think jeff goldblum is better in this than he was in jurasic park

Pip T gave it an8:
Weird and excellent. Jeff Goldblum is wonderful in his role. He makes the weird stuff believable.

Elizabeth H gave it a10:
Well written, good acting. Jeff Goldblum plays Raines perfectly. This is a show with heart and substance. We look forward to watching it each week -- please keep them coming.

Vicky N gave it a10:
Realy different. Very Jeff Goldblum...confused, yet extremely intelligent.

Kealan B gave it a10:
It bothers me that many of the reviews above draw comparisons with THE GHOST WHISPERER, and mention a cop who "sees ghosts" when in fact he's imagining the victim. This is evident in the way the victims change in appearance, disposition etc. the more he learns about them. I think Goldblum is perfectly cast, and the interplay between him and Craven is superb. This show deserves a renewal, or indeed a full season, but unfortunately it may be a little too kitschy for prime time, and the move to the Friday Night Death Slot certainly doesn't help matters. It would be a shame to see it canceled.

James K gave it a9:
This is a solid show, pitched at a more cerebral audience than most of what's on the air. Goldblum is, as always, effective, although his character seems has a bitterness that doesn't always ring true coming from his likeable persona. The show premise - which is admittedly uninspiring - is not what makes it good. It is good because of its complex point of view and strong cast.

Jen gave it a4:
I was very interested at first, the premise was just a bit different than Ghost Whisperer and Medium, but wow it was boring and so slow!

Candace C gave it a10:
Wow! What a great show! Jeff Goldblum is in his game. There is a old black and white detective movie feel to the show, while using humor and suspense to draw you in to the story. Goldblum shows his captivating talent every show.

Adam A gave it a6:
The show has an interesting premise and a good performance, but was poorly executed. It has potential, but only if the writers can fully utilize the concept of the show.

nancy gave it an8:
Am poised to like this show. Jeff Goldblum is understated with good sardonic potential, great facial expressions (but understated as well) - nice to watch. Great potential with the dead partner and like the actor, Malik, who provids some warmth to Goldblum's coolness. Worth watching to see how they develop the show.

Jay S gave it a9:
For any reviewer out there, this is not just a rehash of old ghost invaded shows. This is a study in the inner mind of a very disturbed but functioning scizophrenic. Mr. Goldblume plays it perfectly, with a great surrounding cast. The second episode actually brought cheers to my eyes.

CHRIS T gave it a9:
One of the best shows i have seen in years please please please please make series 2!!!

P W gave it a10:
I've only seen two of these, but the writing is deft, the acting is tops, and the wit is dry. I find this serious VERY enjoyable. Look forward to more.

Jim Tim gave it a2:
Have only watched this once. Won't watch any more. Too slow, and Goldblum's character isn't very believable. Anytime the story needs to advance he gets a vision, how convienient and predictable.

Mackenzie P gave it a10:
I loved the wit and emotion demonstrated by Raines. There were laugh out loud moments and also a couple that left me really choked up. I also loved the occasional scene which played on detective show tropes, particularly the scene with the Townhouse Motel owner! Mime makeup, indeed. :-)

Josh B gave it a6:
The show was allright but arent there like a freakin milion shows on TV with this EXACT same premise.

Eric C gave it a2:
Wildly boring. Twists are dull and seen coming from miles away. The premise offers no creative possibilities for the future. And Jeff Godblum will never be the amazing and daring actor he was in The Fly.

Gloria F gave it a9:
Best cop show I've seen in a long time. Enjoyed it so much I watched the repeat the next night. The ending was superb - touching!

Ed M gave it a1:
If this show tries, it could be mediocre. As it is, just another procedural with a protagonist who is "different'. Didn't this genre die with Ironsides? Watchin g Jeff Goldblum who exudes too brainy and diffident out of the screen> Watching him lead a raid is too great a suspension of disbelief. Light comedy, yes. Homocide cop, no.

Blurb gave it an8:
Jeff Goldblum rocks! He owns Raines, quite literally. There is only one Goldblum in this world - there's no one like him. He's such a character, you gotta love him - his facial expressions say more in a fleeting moment than Wentworth Miller does in a whole hour of Prison Break. In that way, raines reminded me a bit of Dexter - it's all about the twisted hero. Sure, the show had conventional moments, stereotypes, and the pacing was off, but it's the pilot episode, so give it a break! Pilot episodes always are a bit weak, cos they introduce the characters and set up the tone, both of which I loved in Raines. I mean, it was directed by Frank "Shawshank" Darabont! There were quite cinematic moments that I loved, like the "pale L.A. beaches" conversations with Raines' dead partner (who everyone guessed was dead in the first three minutes.) The established reflective mood with a little sardonic overtone thrown in also works. And he does not see dead people - he said it himself - it's just his imagination visualizing them, and the more he finds out about the victims, the more developed they become, which I actually thought was quite inventive. Another quality show for NBC - I'm hooked! Oh, and did I mention Golblum rocks?

Leland K gave it a9:
Interesting show. The only problem is that it is overdone from CSI, Ghost Whisperer, and Monk. However, i liked Goldblum's performance as a detective with a film noir characteristic.

Lisa D gave it a10:
Quirky, funny, thoughtfully done. Loved Jeff Goldblum ...as usual he is brilliant!!!!!!

lee f gave it a6:
If they could just turn down the music so we can hear what the hell the characters are saying it would be great. Not exciting, and Goldblum seems like he's sleepwalking, but maybe it will find it way.

Sarah L gave it a7:
Wasn't a perfect first episode, but Jeff Goldblum is always worth watching!!

jacqueline w gave it a10:
Personally i love the show it was interesting, and i love watching malik yoba, and jeff was good also. it have drama, mystery and comedy a great mixture.keep it coming

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