If you’re thinking about checking out Rosewood and you like fun and exciting medical dramas, this is the show for you!
Photo Credit: Justin Stephens/FOX
SYNOPSIS
Set against the vibrant backdrop of one of the world’s hottest cities – Miami – new medical procedural from executive producer Todd Harthan (“Psych,” “Dominion”), ROSEWOOD is the story of DR. BEAUMONT ROSEWOOD, JR. (Morris Chestnut, “Nurse Jackie,” “The Best Man” franchise), the city’s top private pathologist. Brilliant, cool with tons of charisma, Rosewood teams up with the tough-as-nails DETECTIVE ANNALISE VILLA (Jaina Lee Ortiz, “The After”), to uncover clues no one else sees and help the Miami PD solve the city’s most challenging cases. While she’s impressed by Rosewood’s incredible abilities, his constant optimism is more annoying than it is infectious. But somehow, week-to-week, this unlikely tag team will solve many crimes together.
Joining Rosewood in his practice are his sister and “toxicology queen,” PIPPY (Gabrielle Dennis, “The Game”); and DNA specialist TARA MILLY IZIKOFF aka TMI (Anna Konkle, “Man Seeking Woman,” “Betas”), who is Pippy’s fiancée. Rosewood’s mom, DONNA (Lorraine Toussaint, “Orange is the New Black”), is on the cusp of some major life changes that will affect her children profoundly. A matriarch with a lot of strong opinions, Shirley holds family gatherings sacred and makes Rosewood’s love life a regular topic of conversation. Rounding out the cast is Miami PD’s CAPTAIN IRA HORNSTOCK (Domenick Lombardozzi, “The Wire”) who is a great team leader but is terrible at managing his own life. Hornstock and Rosewood have a complicated relationship: while he can’t stand Rosewood’s big personality and sunny disposition, he acknowledges Rosewood’s stellar contributions to the department.
Plagued with his own set of medical ailments, Rosewood believes that every moment of life, no matter how small, should be embraced and lived to the fullest. This heightened awareness allows him to see details on bodies that others cannot. But what drives him most are the victims who are stripped of life’s moments.
Photo Credit: Rod Millington/FOX
Visually, Rosewood reminds me of CSI:Miami and even a bit of Dexter, both of which were also set in the sunny Florida state. It’s very pink and bright and fun. I love it. Then there are the characters. Rosewood is great! He’s so well developed and very entertaining as are all of the characters, major and minor. The chemistry between Morris Chestnut and Jaina Lee Ortiz is strong which is great to see right off the bat. That’s not easy to find. It’s magic is what it is. It was also a treat to see Lorraine Toussaint (Orange is the New Black) in a motherly role that doesn’t make me hate her. And and and I really appreciate that the show is a realistic representation of the people in the world both when it comes to race and sexual orientation. Rosewood’s sister is in a romantic relationship with her female co-worker, prepping to get married. I wonder if we’ll get to see the wedding this season? Regardless, yay for accurate portrayals of everyday people. Inclusion for the win!
I love the tone of the show. It’s as light hearted as a medical/crime drama can be. It’s very relaxed and more often than not, humorous which is refreshing. Morris Chestnut will bring a smile to your face all throughout the Pilot and I’m sure all throughout the season. Story wise, the conflicts are solid whodunits but the plot here wasn’t exactly mind blowing. In the Pilot, a 23 year old blond who is connected to Rosewood’s mother, is murdered but it’s not immediately pegged as a murder which is why she goes to Rosewood, a private pathologist to crack the case. Then we meet Jaina Lee Ortiz’s character, a new detective that Rosewood hopes to work with…and then the episode really takes off as he pushes and she pulls. Predictable in this regard but still executed very well.
Still, there’s nothing particularly wrong with Rosewood, it’s just that I’m not moved to watch this show religiously, week to week. I may catch up on the show on the DVR or On Demand every few weeks but the conflicts here aren’t pressing enough for me to need to carve out time each week to watch it when it originally airs. The show is good. It’s solid. Captivating. But in an over saturated genre, it’s simply not captivating enough.
So if you like medical dramas and are looking for a lighter drama for your watch list, this is it. Otherwise, put this one on the DVR.