The Irrational, Season Two, on NBC

Last season, Dr. Alec Mercer overcame his own personal biases and the “halo effect” to undercover a liberal politician’s involvement in the deadly bombing that left him physically scarred. Perhaps this season, he might heal in other ways as well. However, Dr. Mercer must first deal with the cliffhanger that ended the first season finale when creator Arika Lisanne Mittman’s Irrational returns tonight, on NBC.

One of the things that went right for Mercer last season was his increasingly romantic relationship with Dinshaw, so he would presumably be distressed to see her snatched off the street and bundled into a van. Of course, it rather follows that the kidnapping would be related to her previous work as a MI-6 agent. Fortunately for her, Mercer deduces her distress sooner rather than later. He also has a direct line into the FBI. In addition to his ex, Marisa Clark, who often calls in Mercer to consult, his formerly slacker sister Kylie also works at the Bureau as a contract cyber-crime specialist.

As a result, the season premiere, “Collateral Damage,” is less of a whodunit and more of ticking clock rescue operation. Lead Jesse L. Martin has solid chemistry with Keren David, which helps sell the drastic step Mercer takes to find Dinshaw. Meanwhile, his long-suffering teaching assistant Rizwan Asadi must endure several clinical experiments exploring the overwhelming desire for revenge.

Indeed, Mercer’s investigative methods are often the best elements of each episode. This is very definitely true of the next installment, “A Kick in the Teeth,” a crisply paced hunt for an apparent serial killer (nicely helmed by experienced horror genre director Ernest Dickerson), but the mystery is undercut by the episode’s limited cast of characters.

However, it announces an increased role for supporting character, Simon Wilton, the well-heeled replacement for Mercer’s other assistant, Phoebe Duncan, a Gen Z’er “stressed out” by Mercer’s crime-fighting productivity. Wilton both embarrasses and redeems himself. However, unlike other students of his generation, he takes responsibility in a smartly written scene, featuring Max Lloyd-Jones as Mercer’s new TA-gofer-sounding board.

The Irrational: Scorched Earth

Many hospitals simply are not equipped with full state-of-the art burn units. That is one of the important take-aways from the documentary, To Hell and Back: The Kane Hodder Story, wherein the horror icon frankly discusses his recover from severe burn injuries. Dr. Alec Mercer, the behavioral psychologist, can relate. He has returned to the unit that treated him to counsel a new burn patient. While talking to her, he concludes she was a victim of arson in “Scorched Earth,” the mid-season return of The Irrational, which premieres tonight on NBC.

Unfortunately, Mercer understands fire only too well. Even though the teen blames herself for partying in an abandoned house (with candles—always a bad idea kids), he knows the flame spread is all wrong. Once he prods the out-of-his-depth deputy fire investigator to take another look, arson is confirmed. Obviously, that prompts the question: who is the guilty culprit?

Mercer, his unpaid teaching assistants, and ex-girlfriend FBI Agent Marissa Clark duly work their way through the procedural stuff. By now, investigating with Clark is not so awkward because Mercer has a new love-interest (traveling abroad for this episode). Most viewers will start rolling their eyes when they hear a local church was interested in the torched property, but The Irrational seems to have a knack for using annoying cliches as red herrings.

In fact, this episode teases a potential plot twist that could be incredibly gutsy—and downright shocking for network television. Most critics will despise, but its inherent logic (in accordance with Mercer’s theories) is what makes it such potentially compelling drama.

The Irrational, on NBC

Dr. Alec Mercer is a behavioral psychologist, who often consults with the cops and FBI—sort of like Edward “Fitz” Fitzgerald in Cracker, but with somewhat more social grace. He could hardly have any less. Mercer still has more than his share of baggage, but it is understandable, given the tragedy he lived through. Mercer will solve fresh crimes every week, while working on the season-long (presumably) mystery of the domestic terror bombing that left him badly burned in creator Arika Mittman’s The Irrational, which premieres Monday on NBC.

Mercer’s credo is people often act irrationally, but often in a perversely predictable kind of way. He came to mild prominence through his ability to predict seemingly erratic behavior, which obviously has handy law and order applications. His incisive mind is so Cumberbatch-Sherlock-like, even his FBI Agent ex-wife, Marissa will call him in on cases. However, in the pilot, it is the mayor who requests Mercer’s assistance.

Dylan Hayes, the son of a U.S. Senator, stands accused of murdering his girlfriend and the cops are not inclined to investigate much further, because he conveniently confessed. However, Mercer suspects it is a false confession generated by suggestions (possibly planted by the real murderer) and Hayes’s persistent survivor’s guilt, as the sole survivor of an IED attack in Iraq.

It is frustrating that the only veteran’s stories Hollywood is interested in telling invariably focus on PTSD. There is more to the military experience than that, such as courage, camaraderie, sacrifice, and many days, just plain boredom. However, Caleb Ruminer’s portrayal of Hayes and Mittman’s writing display a good deal of sensitivity towards veterans.

The second episode (out of three provided for review) directly references Putin’s assassination of Alexander Litvenenko with Polonium 210, which is reasonably gutsy. In “Dead Woman Walking,” a journalist investigating a Belarusian oligarch is dosed, most likely fatally, with Polonium, but she still has time to work with Mercer to catch the killer (who might not be much of a surprise, given the limited weekly cast of characters, but decidedly does not fit the typical profile of TV villains).

The same true for the third episode, “The Barnum Effect,” in which Marissa enlists Mercer’s help diagnosing the pilot presumed responsible for a fatal plane crash. Everyone wants to write him off as a suicidal annihilator, but Mercer keeps poking holes in their assumptions.

Meanwhile, Mercer is also delving into his own murky memories of the bombing that left visibly burn scars on his face. The alleged lone bomber is coming up for parole, but Mercer and his ex both suspect it was planned by a larger cabal.  Throughout it all, he will have the assistance of his research assistants, Phoebe and Owen, who probably aren’t even making minimum wage for their efforts.

We do not know much about the two grad students yet (she has mother issues and he has difficulty expressing his emotions), but Molly Kunz and Arash DeMaxi have nice chemistry with series star Jesse L. Martin. Sometimes their vibe is a bit like the doctors doing rounds on House M.D., but far, far less caustic.