Standoff

Christian Science MonitorGloria Goodale

The series' unique angle lends itself to interesting psychological drama as it explores the hows and whys of hostage negotiation - even as it dishes out a heavy helping of FOX's de rigueur hoppin' hormones.

Entertainment WeeklyGillian Flynn

Standoff doesn't recreate the genre, but it certainly refreshes it. [15 Sep 2006, p.64]

San Francisco ChronicleTim Goodman

Can we negotiate for a better premise if we release some hostages?

Wall Street JournalNancy DeWolf Smith

The main thing in its favor is the chemical tension between its stars. That may not be enough, but it's something.

USA TodayRobert Bianco

It's hard to say what seems sillier: the show's misplaced attempts at comedy or the intuitive leaps that allow the agents to solve the case.

Detroit Free PressMike Duffy

From start to finish, "Standoff" is slickly contrived, formulaic crime drama nonsense.

NewsdayVerne Gay

"Standoff" does seem to emerge miraculously out of the fumes of '70s TV - a near-perfect reformulation of every bone-weary cliche, every hackneyed piece of cop chatter (Dan Tanna lives!) that last-century TV glorified in.

The New York TimesAlessandra Stanley

Chemistry is supposed to be the binding element of “Standoff,” and the two leads, while appealing in their own right, seem neither well matched nor sufficiently mismatched.

Newark Star-LedgerAlan Sepinwall

There's potentially a good show here; the pilot's just a miss.

Los Angeles TimesPaul Brownfield

The standoffs... are less than exhilarating thrill rides.

New York Daily NewsDavid Hinckley

These actors more than deserve a series of their own. They deserve a good one, and "Standoff" isn't it.

Chicago Sun-TimesDoug Elfman

If Matt and Emily blow up, the show doesn't get a second episode. Because they'll be dead. Keep your fingers crossed.

Chicago TribuneMaureen Ryan

"Standoff" isn't a terrible show, it's just an unnecessary one.

Boston GlobeMatthew Gilbert

The tonal dissonance in "Standoff" is deafening, like pairing up, say, Jewel and Meat Loaf for a duet.

Kansas City StarAaron Barnhart

I’m having a reverse case of Stockholm Syndrome with “Standoff”: The more time I spend with it, the less I like it.

Hollywood ReporterBarry Garron

The series premiere suffers from a catalog of problems longer than most demand lists.

Seattle Post-IntelligencerMelanie McFarland

"Standoff" fails to connect on almost every level.

VarietyPhil Gallo

An awkward pairing of adult relationship drama and procedural cop show, "Standoff" bombs on both counts.

Pittsburgh Post-GazetteRob Owen

Never mind the unbelievable premise -- the way the audience is introduced to it is so strained it's painful to watch.

Washington PostTom Shales

It's hard to imagine a civilized audience of any significant size wanting to sit through these trumped-up conflicts and lazy-daisy crises week after week.