`KIDNAPPED' IS CLUED IN TO WHAT VIEWERS WANT.Byline: - David Kronke Conrad Cain (Timothy Hutton) and his wife, Ellie (Dana Delany), seem to have the proverbial everything: untold wealth, high standing in New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of society, self-satisfied pretensions (they speak French to one another, at least before reporters), gorgeous views from their big-bucks condo, accomplished progeny. Yet, in the first eight minutes of NBC's new serialized procedural ``Kidnapped,'' all comes unraveled. New York, N.Y. Their precocious 15-year-old son, Leopold (Will Denton), is abducted abducted Distal angulation of an extremity away from the midline of the body in a transverse plane and away from a sagittal plane passing through the proximal aspect of the foot or part, or away from some other specified reference point in an audacious, violent midcity conflagration. (In this, and other, scenes, Manhattanites seem awfully blase bla·sé adj. 1. Uninterested because of frequent exposure or indulgence. 2. Unconcerned; nonchalant: had a blasé attitude about housecleaning. 3. Very sophisticated. , scarcely reacting to flagrant gunfire in public places.) The mastermind's demands are precise yet obfuscating. Nothing left to do but bring in the mysterious Knapp (Jeremy Sisto), a freelance investigator with a decidedly gruff manner, yet a spotless resume in this sort of thing -- except for the requisite cast that haunts him to this day (echoing Fox's similar new show, ``Vanished''). ``You're not very good with people, are you?'' Ellie asks him. ``No, but I'm good at finding them,'' Knapp deadpans. He warns the Cains not to contact the authorities. Hot on the trail Too late: Knapp's former colleague, FBI agent Latimer King (Delroy Lindo), has already caught the mystery's scent, and they'll have to play nice, or compete, or both. ``Kidnapped's'' story line is designed to run through the entire season, and while it's not as overheated o·ver·heat v. o·ver·heat·ed, o·ver·heat·ing, o·ver·heats v.tr. 1. To heat too much. 2. To cause to become excited, agitated, or overstimulated. v.intr. and over-the-top as ``Vanished,'' it's serviceably absorbing, boasting both excellent work from the respected cast and nice dialogue from series creator Jason Smilovic. Characters in shows like these invariably in·var·i·a·ble adj. Not changing or subject to change; constant. in·var  i·a·bil have dark secrets, and in two episodes, ``Kidnapped'' has planted clues that Cain and his wife are able to harbor more than a few. It's plenty intriguing; it's up to viewers to decide whether, in a season glutted with serialized programs, this is one of them to which they want to be addicted. KIDNAPPED - Three stars What: When the scion sci·on n. 1. A descendant or heir. 2. also ci·on A detached shoot or twig containing buds from a woody plant, used in grafting. of New York socialites is abducted, a fed (Delroy Lindo) and a mercenary freelancer (Jeremy Sisto) vie to retrieve him. Where: NBC NBC in full National Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. commercial broadcasting company. It was formed in 1926 by RCA Corp., General Electric Co. (GE), and Westinghouse and was the first U.S. company to operate a broadcast network. (Channel 4). When: 10 tonight. In a nutshell: Intriguing mystery and characters. |
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