The Ana Lily Amirpour directed First Time in Saint Disgrace kicks off Briarpatch with an explosive opening. When we’re introduced to police Detective Felicity Dill (Michele Weaver), for a moment, I was thinking this is someone I could grow to like. I didn’t get to know how likeable this character could have been because, less than five seconds after stepping into her police vehicle, she’s dead. The car explodes.

Allegra “Pick” Dill (Rosario Dawson), a senatorial investigator working for Senator Joseph Ramirez (Gerardo Celasco), returns home to San Bonifacio (nicknamed “Saint Disgrace”) to find her sister’s killer. After nine years away from San Bonifacio, there was more than a few surprises.

Felicity’s murder isn’t the only death the series premiere gives us. Five minutes before the closing credits roll, police Chief Calvin Strucker (Chris Mulkey) is killed when his car explodes. If it weren’t for attorney A. D. Singe (Edi Gathegi), with her putting off visiting her sister’s residence to the following morning, Pick would have been amongst the dead.

Seriously? What’s with the hotel Pick is staying at? Why doesn’t it have enough staff? A room service tray could be seen outside Pick’s room when she arrives. It’s still there a few days later. By this point, with ants crawling all over it, the only thing that’s going to want to eat the food is an escaped big cat from the local zoo.

Briarpatch, created by screenwriter Andy Greenwald, is based on the Ross Thomas written 1984 published novel of the same title. With more than a hint of naughtiness to the narrative, not that we couldn’t do with a distraction from puritanical views, there is something impurely stimulating about the characters which a lot of noir aficionados can relate to on a personal level.

Image Credit: IMDb.com

The pacing on this first episode is rapid. From scene to scene, with some aspects of the series being highly stylised, there is no time for anyone to take a breath. Pick, with a sharp tongue, cuts through unnecessary small talk like she’s wielding a professional chef’s knife. It’s a good thing Pick is quick to cut people off because getting to the crux of the matter is far more important than idle chit-chat.

Whilst there are seemingly two separate cases beginning to unfold, with how series tend to take shape, it’s likely whatever it is the senator has Pick doing for him is tied to the two murders. As the series progresses, the body count will surely increase significantly.

Even though A.D. Singe is prone to be something of a chatty-Cathy, for an attorney, he’s likeable. With how friendly such characters are in dramas like Briarpatch, not that it’s true of Singe, there is sometimes an undercurrent of unease which suggests duplicity.

Jake Spivey (Jay R. Ferguson), with more than a few secrets of his own, is definitely hiding something. When asked about his work history, he makes references which scream CIA black ops. Whilst it could be any of the other Federal agencies, the CIA is the most likely one.

Eagle-eyed Mr Robot fans will have noticed Sam Esmail’s hands all over this series. Esmail, Greenwald, and Chad Hamilton have the task of producing Briarpatch for the USA Network. Whilst Briarpatch has been referenced as a mystery crime drama, it has been suggested the Greenwald created show is an “anthology series.”

When it comes to television productions labelled “anthology series,” the ones that immediately spring to mind include American Horror Story, Creepshow, Night Gallery, The Outer Limits, and The Terror. Will, if Briarpatch makes it into a second season, keep the same on-screen talent on board for the next mystery?

Next Time …