Fox debuts new series Second Chance

With so many sitcoms and reality shows on TV, it’s refreshing to see an original idea come to the airwaves. They don’t always pan out, but they’re so few and far between that it’s good to know that originality will never be a thing of the past. Fox’s new show Second Chance is fresh with many interesting relationships, fueled by a loveable main character, and ideas to explore.

The premise of the show is intriguing, which is enough of a reason to give it a chance. Former Seattle sheriff Jimmy Pritchard (Phillip Baker Hall) is old, retired and maintains a rocky relationship with his son, Duval Pritchard (Tim DeKay). He’s a shell of what he once was, but he’s kept a few bad traits, including his womanizing, alcoholism and my-way-or-the-highway attitude. One night, he stumbles upon intruders in his son’s house, an encounter that leads to his death, officially ending his days as Jimmy Pritchard. Or so he thought. He is brought back to life by the tech-giant billionaire twins Otto (Adhir Kalyan) and Mary (Dilshad Vadsaria) in an enhanced, and much younger body (Rob Kazinsky), and his first order of business is to figure out why he was murdered.  He also seeks to protect his son.

A good premise can only carry a show so far, so it’s a good thing that the show lays down the groundwork of many plot elements to be explored later, including the dynamics of the complicated relationships that Pritchard has made over the years, especially with his family. His son wants nothing to do with him, but Pritchard is determined to keep his son out of danger now that he has a new body that allows him to keep a close eye on him. His daughter has picked up a few of his bad habits and, unlike her brother, still loves her father.

Pritchard opens another can of worms when it comes to the new relationship he shares with one of his surrogate parents, Mary. She is responsible for keeping him alive and guiding him through this new experience. It’s a learning process for both, so there are some kinks that need to be worked through. They both need each other, but it’s unclear which one needs the other more, since Mary has inoperable cancer, and the only thing that seems to be keeping her from dying is Pritchard’s blood.

This also affects Mary’s relationship with her brother, Otto, who is the brains behind their shared tech conglomerate that rivals Google and Facebook. Otto has a mental disease that prevents him from communicating with the outside world, and instead communicates through his sister. If Mary dies, his brilliance may be lost in the world, and Pritchard finds himself in an interesting position where he has a new family that depends on him, much like how his kids depended on him a long time ago. His second chance in life gives him many other second chances: the chance to be a better father, man and sheriff.

Of course, there’s also Pritchard’s relationship with himself. He’s made plenty of mistakes in his life, and he’s undoubtedly done things of which he is not proud of. The obvious being that he wasn’t the best father to his children, but also how he handled being the sheriff of the town. His work ethic of doing what needs to be done to put the bad guys away led to his inevitable and disgraceful firing, but with his new body, he has the chance to clear his name and become a better sheriff than he was before.

Kazinsky is a fantastic casting choice. He is great at playing a man who has the body of a younger man, but having the wise mind of an older man. Kazinsky looks young enough to play the part, but it’s compelling to watch his mannerisms and the delivery of his lines that are a healthy mix of youth and old age. He’s charismatic, but he can also be a grumpy old man and it’s hard not to fall in love with the character by the end of the first episode. He’s sly, he’s brash and he plans to do things differently with the new chance he’s been given.

Second Chance is an innovative idea that’s looking to break the mold of typical shows on Fox’s lineup. Whether or not it’ll do so remains to be seen, but it looks promising. The potential in its plot points and relationships and its strong lead might lead it to greatness, but only time will tell. Regardless, Second Chance is a show that should find its way into the rotation of anyone who’s looking for something new to watch this year.