Though the cases themselves are often convoluted beyond reason, the character stories outside the cases mesh together very well. It’s actually interesting to see how Lizzie and Dylan’s relationship might evolve, even and especially if there is no romantic undertone to it. Instinct isn’t exactly a reinvention of the form, but it’s solid, fun mystery storytelling.

Cumming is believable as a college professor, but not so much as a spy.

It's all pleasant enough fare, but here we have a lead performance that demands better than fair.

The premise may not sound shopworn. But CBS’ Instinct otherwise is extraordinarily ordinary at best as a midseason replacement for the failed Wisdom of the Crowd.

By-the-numbers procedural with a pair of appealing leads. Otherwise, by-the-book bland.

In spite of its overall lack of imagination, Instinct has promise, but more important, it has Alan Cumming.

It’s unabashedly rote. ... Attempts to mask Instinct’s shortcomings with Cumming’s dapper, devilish manner don’t help all that much.

luv Instinct and intelligent show and still a lot of fun. looks forward to this every week

I find it uncannily resembles Castle. The good part is that there is no predictable romantic line to run out. The bad part is that the murder mysteries themselves are not that interesting and do not involve a deep exploration of the human emotional deviations the show seems to promise with the lead's expertise. So far the most interesting things were shown during the lecture cameos.

Are the writers of Instinct confused? Are there too many of them to develop a leading character that makes sense? Alan Cumming does his best, and is delightful as always, to bring to life a simultaneously brilliant and idiotic former CIA agent turned book author turned NYPD consultant. There are times in every episode I've seen so far where Dylan (Cummings character) offers brilliant insights to the criminal mind, and then asks ridiculous simplistic questions that anyone who was former CIA would surely know! Some of the dialog is so contrived, it's painful to watch. It's one thing to have a dynamic character with multiple layers to their personality, but there needs to be continuity and common sense when depicting someone with his background. Besides the frustrating character development and lackluster scripts, the overall feel of the show is pretty good. The actors, the sets, the plot lines themselves are all enjoyable and deserving of much more than what the show actually delivers. It's worth watching if you love crime dramas, or Alan Cumming, as long as you go into it understanding you're not getting the best of either of them.

Seems to be trying to compete with Elementary but not doing very well. Hopefully CBS will not make the mistake of canceling Elementary for this poor comparison.

Not totally without charm and wit, but uneven and predictable. Their ripoff of the plot of an old Bones episode shows just how unoriginal this series is. Not the worst thing on Sunday night, but close. I predict this one will lose my interest in short order. Both APB and Wisdom of the Crowd were better than this!