review – Page 3 – ALL ABOUT MARG: a fansite devoted to CSI and China Beach actress Marg Helgenberger

As blown away as I was by the Intelligence series premiere, I thought that “Red X”, the second offering from its freshman season, was an even stronger episode. Packed with action and full of plot twists, the episode kept me on the edge of my seat from its opening sequence to the final scene.

I especially enjoyed that we were immediately plunged into some pretty major character development now that we’ve gotten through the business of explaining where everyone fits into the picture at CyberCommand. I don’t want to give anything away for those who haven’t seen the episode yet, but let’s just say we have three very strong personalities in Lillian, Gabriel, and Riley, which leads to many tense moments. I think it’s safe to say that Lillian and Riley will have their hands full each episode trying to protect Gabriel, both from terrorists and from himself.

Marg continues to impress, no surprise there. She’s very convincing in her role as the head of a federal government agency and I just love Lillian. She is downright fierce when she needs to be (i.e. when she needs to reel Gabriel back in), but she can also dial it down and be quite nurturing, such as in her scene with the little boy in the episode’s closing moments. I think she’s going to be a character with a lot of depth and I look forward to learning more about her throughout the season.

Thanks to the cast and crew for another entertaining hour of television. I can’t wait to see the next new episode, “Mei Chen Returns”, which airs on Monday, January 20 at 10PM ET.

Click thumbnails below to visit the screen capture album for this episode…

I’ll keep my remarks somewhat brief since I’m not a professional reviewer or writer and because I don’t want to spoil anyone who hasn’t yet watched the premiere, but suffice it to say, I LOVED it! From the opening sequence, it’s just packed with non-stop action, spectacular special effects, strong female characters, witty dialogue, believable chemistry between the major characters, and just a damn good storyline. I knew “Intelligence” was going to be good, but it far exceeded my expectations.

The much anticipated return of Marg to primetime television was, of course, my primary reason for tuning in to watch “Intelligence” and she does not disappoint! Marg turns in a stellar performance as Lillian Strand. As the head of CyberCom, Lillian leads the fight to protect the U.S. from its enemies and she takes her job very seriously. I really liked the complexity of Lillian and the way Marg portrayed her: she’s a total badass – no-nonsense, take charge, wicked smart, tough as nails (and let’s not forget sexy as hell!). Yet, at the same time, she clearly has empathy for Gabriel Vaughn’s plight as he is trying to discover the truth about his wife, even though it makes him reckless and insubordinate at times. I also liked that there are already several teasers regarding Lillian’s personal life — seems like there are lots of possiblities for interesting storylines to further develop Marg’s character as we move through the season. I don’t think any of Marg’s fans will be disappointed in this role. It’s a great fit for her.

Congratulations to Marg and the cast and crew of “Intelligence” for their much deserved ratings victory for such a strong series premiere. 16.6 million viewers tuned in to make “Intelligence” the “most watched new series of the season” (Credit: Intelligence CBS News Blog).

Click thumbnails to be taken to screen capture album: