There seems to be a trend in television mysteries, a solid, no-nonsense, female professional law-enforcement officer finds herself partnered with a free-wheeling, usually good-looking, male amateur. "Remington Steele," "Castle," "The Mentalist," the latest being "Lucifer." (I would have thought the "free-wheeling" amateur being Satan incarnate would have been the last word on the concept.) All these shows have found some success with the format. Now we have "Deception."

Cameron Black is a top-level Vegas magician who's biggest secret is revealed after a car crash leaves a dead woman.

Cameron realizes that he's been set up by a master illusionist, who, a year later, helps a cartel drug-lord escape from the FBI by apparently making the jet plane explode! Cameron shows that the plane DIDN'T explode, but was towed out a secret door in the back. (Recreating an illusion Cameron had done years ago.)

Cameron and his team, a female producer, a gruff Scottish engineer and a plucky sidekick work with the FBI to find the drug-lord, and the illusionist who helped him escape.

After a number of false starts, a major magical "sting" brings in the drug-lord and, while celebrating, the FBI agent points out that Cameron's version of the jet vanish had left a deck of cards behind were the jet had been. She then shows Cameron a deck of cards that was found at the "explosion" and inside is a cell phone.

Taking the phone out of the deck activates it and it connects to the illusionist! Cameron asks who is there and the illusionist states; "You don't remember? Well, it's hardly surprising. You have no idea where I am." Cameron puts the phone on speaker and points out that the illusionist is clearly at the Munich Airport, the "Musak" gives it away. ("They play Beethoven like they're afraid you'll forget he's German!") And Cameron ends the episode with; "Are you used to looking over your shoulder yet?" Looks at FBI agent "We're coming after you!")

All in all, it was an entertaining episode and a fun introduction to the magician, his team and the FBI group he'll be working with.

My one problem with the show is the arc about finding the illusionist. Once they've done that, there would be no reason for Cameron to stay with the FBI and work on crimes, there can only be so long before the audience gets tired of the cat and mouse with the illusionist constantly getting away.

But, I will be watching this.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6461812/ful......_sm#cast

Sounds fun. Thanks for the detailed review.

I tried to minimize spoilers. I'm glad you liked it.

They had a deck of cards in evidence for a year, and no one looked inside it? Or if they had looked inside it, they had never previously taken the cell out?

What? You've never heard of a dramatic pause?

LOL!!!!!

Ron

No. The car accident that left the dead girl was a year ago. The vanishing plane that helped drug-lord to escape was set up by the same illusionist that set up the car accident that left the dead girl. That happened a day or so previously.

I really liked it. There was a bit of exposure I was not pleased with, and one bit of false exposure, (the method not accurate) but overall I liked it. I do have concerns about this premise being able to carry an entire season of a show. Time will tell.

My wife tells me “The Mentalist “ took eight seasons to wrap up its story arc.

Deception has been cancelled. Wonder if Black will ever get out of prison. Hmmm.

That's what they'd like you to believe...

Shoot! “Deception,” And “Lucifer.” I am extremely unhappy!

Would you recommend someone to start watching Deception now (knowing that it ends prematurely)?

I didn't care for it, but you wouldn't lose much checking it out. It's on ABCGO.com, without commercials.

I watched the entire series, not for the magic for just for entertainment purposes. The season ended last night and I can say I was disappointed. If the show hadn't been cancelled, I could understand if it was a lead in to a new season but to end as it did with open issues just made the whole thing pointless to me.

I agree, but it's possible they had the arc planned before cancellation and didn't have time to develop a new script.

As you say, as a season ender, the cliff hangers were incredible. Knowing there isn't going to be a resolution left me annoyed!

The fan base for "Lucifer" is trying to get it renewed. I wish them luck. They put a two episode show together which was very odd.

One had the forensic scientist, struggling with a decision whether or not to leave the group and go back home, has a visitation from a friend that no one else can see. (I thought "imaginary friend" at first) turns out she'd been in a bad car accident as a child and met, what she believes is a ghost. Turned out to be someone Lucifer knew.

The second story had a opening/closing tag by Neil Gaimen, the man who actually created "Lucifer" as a comic character seen in "Sandman." The main story has the detective (Chloe), who had been a B-movie actress, become a police officer and rise to detective after her father was killed in the line of duty. In this story, God (voiced by Gaimen, appropriate) shows what would happen if the father DIDN'T die, Chole stayed an actress and was a major star in a series of "super cop" films. A stunt man friend of hers gets killed and the police are ready to write it off as a bar room fight. She begins investigating (annoying her father by using her prop badge as if it were a real one) and bumps into Lucifer (since it was HIS bar the body was found in, he want the "bar fight" theory removed as well.

Ed - Where did you see those episodes? I haven't kept up with Lucifer but I'm a sucker for anything involving Gaimen.

I want to say Tuesday, but I have no sense of time these days. Go on the website for Fox Television and see if they have the episodes available.

Https://www.fox.com/watch/2fa20f02bd5cd592072a507a73c0fe1d/

The description says Luci’s mom creates the alternate universe, but when we saw it, Neil was the narrator and it was clear he was supposed to be God,

Lucifer is saved as star Tom Ellis confirms the show will move to Netflix for season 4:

http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/news/a......m-ellis/

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-f......-1120632