Betrayal is a good companion show for ABC’s Revenge, which precedes it, because they both tackle their titles in a few different ways. Betrayal—at first glance—is about two people who are married to others, but who are drawn to each other by an undeniable attraction. It’s a dicey topic to handle, especially since neither of the married couples are particularly troubled, so the affair is all about being attracted to the new person, not about seeking an escape from a bad marriage. It may hit too close to home for some in the audience, although it may provide a fantasy element for those who enjoy thinking about the ‘what ifs’ of cheating on your spouse.
Betrayal is also about a family and the crime they are trying to cover up. When a family member (who is also a business associate) is murdered, the family tries its best to keep the truth about who the murderer really is under wraps.
What complicates things is that the man with whom the woman is cheating turns out to be a lawyer who ends up prosecuting the case against the suspect in the family. Things are bound to become more and more complicated throughout the 13-episode season.
An interesting choice for the series is that this isn’t a “whodunnit”; we find out in the first episode who the killer is. That means we are taken along for the ride as the family throws up roadblocks for the authorities, rather than having to plod through a slew of red herrings and misdirections. That’s a relief.
The show’s lead actors, (Hanna Ware and Stuart Townsend) are fairly new to American television. He was in a failed attempt to revive the series Kolchak, The Night Stalker, a few years ago. It’s interesting to note that he’s from Ireland and she’s from England, yet they are both playing Americans, and do it well.
There are two other notable cast members. James Cromwell, who has had a remarkably diverse career, from playing Stretch Cunningham on All In The Family to the farmer who owned Babe in the big-screen movies to his most recent Emmy-winning role on American Horror Story: Asylum. He is the Patriarch of the shady family, and he gives the show a good amount of its tone. Henry Thomas, who will always be remembered as young Elliot in E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, is his son, who was to be the heir apparent of the family business until an accident left him mentally disabled. He plays a pivotal role in the family drama that sets everything in motion.
ABC hasn’t had much luck launching new shows at 10pm on Sundays, and that will be this show’s biggest obstacle. If fans of this kind of show actually bother to tune in, they won’t be disappointed.
TV Gord’s verdict: Limited success (might survive a full season)