I am a television viewer looking for entertainment. I decide to watch "Backstrom". Why?

Not because of the first episode, which was horrible. It presented Backstrom as a crime solver who just guesses.

Maybe because of the great cast that surrounds the star. Like Dennis Haysbert, whose role in the show is greater than the first episode showed.

Could it be because once the show gets rolling, Backstrom (Rainn Wilson) becomes more than just a misanthropic cynic with no apparent crime solving skills. In fact, later episodes show him to be a cynical realist who is able to put himself in the shoes of suspects and perps. His Special Crimes Unit works on one case at a time, allowing them to devote all their time and talents to cases that warrant special attention (or are politically important).

Backstrom is also not PC, making him more entertaining and more in tune with the truth. Like many detectives, he will do whatever is expedient if it allows him to solve a crime or convict a criminal--two goals which are sometimes mutually exclusive. This is a character with room to grow. I will watch to see where the series takes him.

Update 4/3/2015: I am changing my grade to "8". The show has been routinely entertaining and the backstory for Backstrom is addimg much more depth to the character. While he may have a dark center, there are occasional moments of enjoyment that he allows himself. I hope he learns to like himself just a little more as the episodes roll out.