Chance

One of the best new fall series and--double bonus points--it stars the great Hugh Laurie and Ethan Suplee, who ruthlessly hijacks his scenes.

A series like Chance seems natural for binge watching, and that makes Hulu's strategy of releasing episodes week by week, just like on television, seem frustrating. Fans of psychological thrillers, though, are likely to find Chance worth the wait.

The series is a slow burner, but the noir mystery and Laurie keep the flames going.

So far it’s involving to a degree but never enthralling to the max.

The question, despite the show's excellent cast and evocative setting, is whether you have any great desire to wander through this bleak universe once again.

It can’t decide whether it wants to be a drama rooted in psychologically legitimate authenticity or a fully heightened paperback mystery in streaming form whose departures from reality can be more easily forgiven.

Unfortunately, the burned-out doctor is so naive and so laughably gullible that just about every choice feels pre-determined and every consequence can be seen coming a mile away. Add several scenes of clunky, overwritten dialogue and an underwritten female lead to an almost complete lack of suspense, and the end result is a cliche-ridden drama that is a painful chore to sit through.