Intelligence (American TV series)

Intelligence is an American cyber-themed action-adventure television series. The series aired on CBS in the United States, and premiered on January 7, 2014.

On May 10, 2014, CBS cancelled the series after one season. The series was created by Michael Seitzman, who serves as an executive producer along with Tripp Vinson and Barry Schindel, for ABC Studios and CBS Television Studios.

Production
The series was originally scheduled to premiere on February 24, 2014.

Plot
Gabriel Vaughn is an ex-United States Army Delta Force operator and a high-tech intelligence operative enhanced with a super-computer microchip in his brain. With this implant, Gabriel is the first human ever to be connected directly into the globalized information grid. He can get into any of its data centers and access key intel files in the fight to protect the United States from its enemies. Lillian Strand, the Director of the United States Cyber Command who supports Gabriel and oversees the unit's missions, assigns United States Secret Service Special Agent Riley Neal to protect Gabriel from outside threats, as well as from his appetite for reckless, unpredictable behaviors and disregard for protocols. Meanwhile, Gabriel takes advantage of his chip to search for his wife, CIA officer Amelia Hayes, who disappeared years ago after being sent by the CIA to infiltrate and prevent the Lashkar-e-Taiba from carrying out a terrorist attack in Mumbai, India.

Main cast

 * Josh Holloway as Vaughn, an ex–Delta Force operator implanted with a chip that allows him to access the Global Information Grid.
 * Marg Helgenberger as Strand, Director of the U.S. Cyber Command.
 * Meghan Ory as U.S. CyberCom Special Agent Neal, an ex–Secret Service agent assigned to protect Gabriel from external threats.
 * Michael Rady as U.S. CyberCom Special Agent Chris
 * John Billingsley as Cassidy, the neuroscientist responsible for creating the microchip that was implanted in Gabriel's brain.
 * P. J. Byrne as Cassidy, son of Shenendoah Cassidy and one of the scientists working on the Clockwork Project.

Recurring cast

 * Tomas Arana as, Director of National Intelligence.
 * Lance Reddick as, Director of Central Intelligence
 * Peter Coyote as, father of Lillian Strand
 * Zuleikha Robinson as, Gabriel's wife and a former CIA field officer.
 * Faye Kingslee as, a Chinese national who is also implanted with a stolen chip similar to the one in Vaughn. However her chip is more advanced, allowing her to do things Gabriel cannot such as enter his mind. Grace Huang played Mei Chen in the pilot.

Cultural references

 * In episode 13, it was revealed that the name "Clockwork" was based on the 1879 short story "The Ablest Man in the World" by Edward Page Mitchell. The story is about a man who was mute and mentally handicapped and grew up in a mental asylum. His life was changed when a scientist replaced his brain with a clockwork device that intended to make the patient—who has become a Russian baron at the time of the story—become Russia's answer to Napoleon.

Inspiration
The plot is said to have been inspired by the novel Phoenix Island by John Dixon, but some critics have their reservations.

Critical response
David Hinckley of New York Daily News gave the show three out of five stars. Tim Goodman of The Hollywood Reporter said the show goes overboard on the merging of humans and computer technology. Darren Franich of Entertainment Weekly said "those hoping the show will be Sawyer, P.I. will be disappointed, but there's potential." On Rotten Tomatoes, the series has an aggregate score of 38% based on 13 positive and 21 negative critic reviews. The website consensus reads: "Intelligence fails to live up to its name, with corny dialogue and overblown violence that cannot be rescued by its capable leading actors."