The first fandom that I ever became invested in was CSI: New York.

I know what you’re thinking. CSI: New York had a fandom? Why yes, dear friends, there used to be message boards (back when message boards were the only way you had to really communicate with your fandom friends – none of this Twitter and Tumblr nonsense) devoted to every spin-off in the CSI franchise. I loved it and so did a lot of other fans who used the boards to create friendships. And the funny thing is that the original series is still on the air today.

This is all to say that I appreciate CBS in knowing what works for them, as a network. They are the home of multi-cam comedies (The Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men, Mom, 2 Broke Girls, etc.) and the home of crime procedurals (NCIS and its spinoffs, Elementary, Criminal Minds, CSI, etc.). Where other networks flounder to determine what exactly they represent and what they want to be known for – looking at you, NBC – CBS excels. You can hate them and their shows all you want, but when you’re the network with the #1 comedy AND the #1 drama on television each week… well, you may be doing something right.

Scorpion is one of the newer additions to the CBS criminal procedurals, and honestly, it’s a show that has continued to impress me. If you aren’t watching it yet, you definitely should. In addition to being quite compelling, the series has also impressed me in terms of its character development and heart within the course of just a few episodes.

And, if you will allow me, I’ll detail a few reasons why Scorpion is a CBS procedural that deserves your time:

1. It’s an ensemble-centric series.

I love ensemble series and Scorpion is most definitely an ensemble show that centers on not just a team of geniuses, but everyone that their lives intersect with. Paige and Cabe aren’t geniuses, not in the ways that Walter, Toby, Happy, and Sylvester are, but that doesn’t negate their importance in the team. Paige and Cabe remind the others of their humanity – that they are human beings with emotions and feelings, not genius robots. I really and truly love that there is always a balance in the team and that everyone on it needs everyone else, even when they cannot acknowledge it. Team Scorpion can function without all of the members, but it doesn’t function at its best unless everyone is a part of a mission and trusting and relying on everyone else for support.

2. It’s dramatic and action-packed, but not always in the way you expect.

I love that the pilot for Scorpion was essentially a miniature movie. It was probably the most dramatic, action-packed pilot I’ve watched in recent years and its intention was clearly to draw in viewers with how grandiose and flashy it was. And though a lot of the episodes that followed featured that same format – car chases and explosions and gunfire – what really impressed me about this series was that it extended far beyond just the typical “action.”

What makes this show action-packed a vast majority of the time is not the explosions or the chases, but the stakes. This show’s stakes aren’t always just physical: there are emotional and mental and relational stakes that are always present. There is a constant dichotomy between leadership and rebellion. The group doesn’t always listen to Cabe and his advice and they suffer because of that sometimes. Walter does not always trust others or play well with them, which causes the team to suffer occasionally. And the group doesn’t always remember their humanity and the humanity of others (including their emotions), which can lead to friction. The beauty of Scorpion is that it is a series with literal and metaphorical action, which I love and appreciate. It’s what separates this show from other procedurals that strictly rely on special effects to create an impact on their viewers.

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3. There is an emotional core.

Okay, I will admit that Scorpion has made me cry. I definitely wasn’t expecting to be moved by a scene between Cabe and Walter, but then – before I knew what was happening – I was in tears as I watched their relationship repair itself. Additionally, “Talismans” was such a stellar emotional episode that allowed us to see not just the depth of Walter’s love for his sister (and revelation that he kept a talisman from his youth despite denouncing their importance in the episode), but the more vulnerable sides of Sylvester, Happy, and Toby. I really loved the back-story that we got in regard to Sylvester. And as for Happy and Toby, I’ve come to enjoy their banter and Toby’s pursuit of Happy.

But what really struck me in this episode particularly was the fact that these two characters who irritate each other but also occasionally flirt, was how guarded they were around everyone and yet how well they understood each other. This show isn’t just The Big Bang Theory for drama lovers. It would be easy to call it that and dismiss it as something not worthwhile. But in half a season, we’ve been able to see people like Walter and Toby and Happy and Sylvester who are guarded and standoff-ish because of their intelligence openly embrace Paige’s son and genuinely care for him. That this is what makes the series such a stand-out to me thus far: the team may be emotionally stunted around adults, but they are far from it when it comes to interacting with Ralph. If you don’t watch for any other reason I already listed, watch because of the emotional support that this show is propped up on. The cast really does do an exceptional job at conveying the genuine emotion in scenes when necessary. And I think that this element – the intentional interjection of gravitas to a procedural – is what sets the series apart for me.

4. It genuinely contains humor, too.

Toby is the sarcastic, joke-reliant member of the team and he is absolutely perfect because of it. There can be humor in drama, too, and Scorpion is definitely a procedural that doesn’t take itself too seriously the vast majority of the time. Paige rolls her eyes. Walter comedically pauses. Happy’s words drip with sarcasm. Cabe’s gruff attitude is endearing and funny. I really enjoy dramas, but I love that this show is willing to interject some levity into the drama as well.

5. Each character is nuanced and layered.

What I love about Scorpion already is partially what I noted above: these aren’t stock characters or flat characters. Already, the show is allowing these individuals to grow and to change and to genuinely start becoming better versions of themselves. Each character on the team is extremely nuanced and they have unique voices, which I think is a mark of great writing. Though there are clichés peppered throughout the episodes, those are to be expected, and they are usually not as dominant as these characters’ individual traits and voices. The way that you can tell if an episode is written well (in any show, really) is if you take a line of dialogue and assert that it could only be delivered by the character it is assigned to. When lines aren’t generic, you have the opportunity for characters to become more than just props – they become round, dynamic, individuals. And that is when shows really shine.





Jennifer Stasak Jennifer is a writer living in Central Florida. Her work has been previously published in The Anemone Sidecar, Epiphany Magazine, Bone Parade, and Foliate Oak Literary Magazine, among others. She currently serves as an Assistant Editor for Narrative Magazine, and this marks the fourth literary journal she has served alongside. Jennifer's additionally passionate about television and blogs about it weekly at her website Just About Write. When she's not writing, Jennifer enjoys binge-watching shows on Netflix, distance-running, and volunteering.

If you’re in the market for a new television procedural drama, or if you’re simply looking for a show to catch up on during Christmas break while everything else is on hiatus, seriously consider adding Scorpion to your schedule! I can’t promise you that it is perfect – no show is – but I CAN tell you that with my busy blogging and TV-watching schedule, I have still managed to set aside time each week to catch up on this new CBS show. If you do too, you might just be pleasantly surprised at what you find.