Thief

New York PostLinda Stasi

So what is there to like about this show? The same thing there was to like about "The Sopranos" and "The Shield" - great writing, insanely good acting, deeply troubled and deeply layered characters and a plot that will keep you glued to your seat.

The New York TimesAlessandra Stanley

"Thief" pays homage to all the conventions of a traditional thriller and weaves into it complicated issues of guilt, race and family. It's a little like some of the better dramas on HBO, but finds its own unorthodox way.

Washington PostTom Shales

A stand-up, standout piece of work, one that works wonders on a seemingly tired genre.

Hollywood ReporterBarry Garron

Creator-writer Norman Morrill's drama is so taut and his approach to the genre so sharp that the only significant complaint is that the first "season" is only six episodes.

New York Daily NewsDavid Hinckley

"Thief" brims with strong, potent performances.

Entertainment WeeklyGillian Flynn

Braugher [has] never been better... rarely has a character hopped onto the screen feeling so completely real. [31 Mar 2006, p.51]

Seattle Post-IntelligencerMelanie McFarland

The storytelling and performances are peerless in their intensity.... At the same time, there may be too much going on here for six episodes to do this show justice.

Baltimore SunDavid Zurawik

Braugher's performance as Atwater is intense, scary, seductive and astonishing in its range of emotions. It leaves little doubt that he is still among the best actors ever to grace the medium.

VarietyPhil Gallo

Like plots on "Hustle," "24" and "The Shield," there's a bit of incredulousness that comes with each caper. But with persuasive writing, sharp visuals and editing, as well as a steady directorial hand, "Thief" is always convincing.

Philadelphia InquirerJonathan Storm

Thief is in a different league, simultaneously intense and flamboyant, propelled by Braugher, who's even better here than in Homicide: Life on the Street.

San Francisco ChronicleTim Goodman

"Thief" doesn't levitate with genre-busting genius, but it is very FX, which means it's very real and well executed, a series that doesn't pander.

Chicago Sun-TimesDoug Elfman

The minute "Thief" begins running tonight on cable's FX, television reclaims its best actor.

Detroit Free PressMike Duffy

[A] smart, hard-edged new crime drama.

San Jose Mercury NewsCharlie McCollum

"Thief" is a worthy addition to [FX's] schedule.

Village VoiceJoy Press

Hopefully this overkill of plot twists is just series finale syndrome in reverse--an opening-episode gambit to snag viewers--and the show will settle down to work on its more subtle elements.

Los Angeles TimesRobert Lloyd

It benefits immensely from the presence of Braugher, at long last in a role that, like that of Det. Frank Pembleton on "Homicide: Life on the Street," suits his particular intensity.

Pittsburgh Post-GazetteRob Owen

"Thief" offers strong moments aplenty, but what it lacks are strong connections, both between those moments and among some of its characters.

People WeeklyTom Gliatto

This is all well done, and it's a great-looking production, but the weight of the drama keeps tugging toward a side plot about Braugher's 14-year-old stepdaughter. [10 Apr 2006, p.35]

SlateTroy Patterson

The show would probably be too ponderous to enjoy if Braugher weren't an actor of tremendous restraint.

SalonHeather Havrilesky

As a character study of one man, "Thief" works, but it's going to take a lot more than that to pull us into this very dark, very unforgiving story.

Wall Street JournalDorothy Rabinowitz

It requires a certain patience to stay with "Thief."

Orlando SentinelHal Boedeker

Watching Braugher, who won an Emmy for Homicide, proves highly satisfying. But there's a big hitch: the maddening show around him.

New York MagazineJohn Leonard

We don’t yet know if Thief will go anywhere surprising.

TV GuideMatt Roush

Bores by being relentlessly glum.

Boston GlobeMatthew Gilbert

It walks the walk of Important Series Television, but no matter how hard it tries to be gutsy and existential, it rings hollow.