The problem with launching a television series based on an well-known film, is people arrive at it with preconceived ideas.
Major complaints and reviews seem to focus on the fact that they can't believe that Clarice Starling is suffering from a post traumatic stress disorder after taking down the serial killer Buffalo Bill. According to them the outcome of the silence of the lambs, most to give Starling strength and self belief that follows on in the subsequent films.
But of course her PTSD is very believable and very relevant. None of the reviews seem to think about the affects the film had on its major victim, the senators daughter Catherine. One perfectly relevant moment focuses on Buffalo Bills last, near, victim Catherine. It's perfectly believable but she is now obsessed with her weight and finding it hard to get over the trauma from the film.
It's also just as believable but Clarice is also struggling look at past trauma of catching and killing a serial killer, straight out of training. There's nothing here that isn't completely believable.
Add the odious Paul Krendler from Silence and Hannibal and you get a perfect villain to add done spice to matters.
Pilot episode are notoriously to pull off. You've got 45 minutes to an hour to crab your interest and lay the foundations of a 9 to 24 episode run?
Clarice is solid enough, nice enough subtlety and nuance to give you hope that this will be a solid behavioural crime thriller show.
Don't go into this expecting a follow-on to be Oscar-winning film. If you're expecting Oscar-winning performances, from Oscar winning actors, you're going to be sorely disappointed... But then again you always would be. This is television, it's an ongoing, procedural episodic crime drama and in that aspect Clarice shows tremendous promise.
Review of Clarice
