ShareThisBy TERRY MORROW
Sometimes all it takes to bring us together is the right situation.
And, suddenly, we're bonded, which is the point so eloquently played out in "The Nine" (10 p.m. EDT/PDT, Wednesday, Oct. 4, ABC), the most intriguing new series of the fall.
It's about the riveting aftermath of a 52-hour hostage situation in which the captives are put through the wringer, and their lives changed dramatically.
What happened within the walls of that bank is a mystery to us. The events will unfold over the course of the series.
What makes "The Nine" such a compelling and fulfilling experience is its singular devotion to the nine principle characters. Long after the mystery of what happened within the bank is revealed, we'll still be left with nine strong and compelling characters.
Like "Lost," "The Nine" is blessed with an overabundance of strong characters, all written and performed with precision and grace. There is no series this fall driven so well by its characters.
The hostage experience brings out their guilty insecurities, acts of courage, denials and unexpected strengths.
This fall is full of star-studded ensembles ("Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," "30 Rock," "Twenty Good Years"), but "The Nine" makes the best use of its actors by giving them a reason to show up.
"The Nine's" story is told from many sides, including law enforcement, the robbers, bank employees and the caught-in-the-middle customers.
We see the perspectives of police detective Nick Cavanaugh (Tim Daly), assistant district attorney Kathryn Hale (Kim Raver), and even one of the would-be robbers, Lucas Dalton (Owain Yeoman).
Then there are the bank employees, such as Eva Rios (Lourdes Benedicto), a teller; Malcolm Jones (Chi McBride), the branch manager; and Franny (Camille Guaty), a teller who is Eva's sister.
Unfortunately, Malcolm's daughter, Felicia Jones (Dana Davis), is visiting her dad at work when the crisis comes down.
And, of course, the bystanders also are touched, including hotshot doctor Jeremy Kates (Scott Wolf), compassionate social worker Lizzie Miller (Jessica Collins) and Egan Foote (John Billingsley), a suicidal geek.
"The Nine" is like a really good first date. Yes, there is promise, but it's too early to say if it is love or luck. After all, love doesn't come that easily, especially when it comes to primetime TV.
But "The Nine" makes a great case for why we should come back next week.
