We’ve seen for you… the first episode of Cameron Black: The Illusionist

After TF1, from April 5th, NRJ12 will broadcast the very short but fine Cameron Black series, of which we saw the first episode.

It is something Cameron Black: The Illusionist ? Cameron Black is the world’s greatest illusionist. At least, that’s what people thought of him before his biggest secret was revealed and his career ruined. Worse, Cameron has reason to believe it wasn’t an accident. So he puts his skills in deception and illusion at the service of the FBI, for which he becomes a consultant to help federal agencies catch the elusive criminals.

Cameron Black: The Illusionist is one of the novelties of the American season, canceled after only half a season. baptized illusion (which is more reflective of what the show is about), it’s a new spin on the hackneyed Correspondent TV thriller theme, helping police forces “in their own way” to solve crimes (in their own way). Castle Mentalist…)

The introduction of the first presents what will serve as a common thread: a magician, master of the great illusion, of deception, sees his twin brother (who helps him with his tricks) accuse of murder in his stead, a mysterious magician with eyes in different colours.
The pretext is found to force our magician to help the FBI solve crimes that require his talent to catch suspects. And the pilot works very well, is very efficient (just like the following episodes). Cameron Black is not the series of the century, but very entertaining.

For what Cameron Black did not work?

If the series is effective entertainment, the fact remains that what we’re seeing there is simply a concentrate of everything we’ve seen elsewhere on many series, and has been for a very long time.

1/ Cameron Black is a copy of Patrick Jane in both his looks and his characterization mentalist. If we put them together it’s because they both started out in the performing arts and the line between mentalism and magic is fluid. The two heroes are also very confident, even very arrogant, and it’s personal drama (the murder of his family for Patrick Jane) that brings them down (a bit).

2/ A team that helps the FBI investigate and catch criminals, it makes us think furiously Scorpio and his geek team.

3/ The famous dramatic spring “will they / won’t they” between Cameron and Key the FBI agent (namely whether they will sleep together or not) we see coming from afar from the start. We also confess that we can’t take it anymore.

4/ Last but not least: a troupe staging a grand deception with sets, masks and other “illusions” whose concept is executed 1000 times better Impossible Mission in the 1960s, Jim Phelps’ squad acted the same way to bring down a dictator or a drug dealer. And never Cameron Black does not reach the finesse of its illustrious ancestor.

Cameron Black does its job without revolutionizing anything and borrowing from many series, which has already worked very well. We have a good time without wasting time but also without visiting the series of the century.