'The Finder' premieres to lackluster numbers, disappointed fans

As someone who doesn’t pay much attention to sports, I watch an unhealthy amount of TV. Sports and television shows provide limitless fodder for small talk. This is especially helpful in conversations with peers I meet for the first time, or with people older than me, like TAs or extended family members.

So when I heard that Fox was creating a Bones spinoff series, I knew I would probably end up watching at least the first episode. If nothing else, I have several friends who watch Bones, and I knew I would be able to discuss the new show with them.

Previews for The Finder involved an explanation of Walter Sherman’s determination to find people and items. Sherman, a decorated war veteran, suffered an injury that caused him mental damage, forcing the army to dismiss him honorably. But his brain damage allows him to observe things and make unusual mental connections, so he’s able to make a living doing unofficial jobs helping clients find what they’ve lost.

The Finder was different than what I had expected -- a substantial amount of the pilot centered on the character Willa, who wasn’t in the original Bones episode. Willa is a juvenile delinquent forced to work at the bar owned by Sherman’s bodyguard, and her character seemed out of place given the show’s advertising.

In a recent Paste BN article, Robert Bianco writes that The Finder’s success -– or lack thereof –- may depend on whether her character is developed and interesting to audiences. While her character is a bit scattered, the show’s success, at least among college students, may also depend on how much she’s featured at all.

The amount of the episode that was devoted to Willa’s story was disconcerting not only because her character wasn’t endearing, but also because of her age -- she’s a minor who’s dealing with teenage problems, and the pilot focused more on her story than on Sherman’s mental issues. If her character continues to be a prominent figure in upcoming episodes, adults may think the show is aimed at a high school audience and lose interest. And for college students, teenage relationships aren’t a great conversation piece, so if we don’t see enough of Sherman’s character to make The Finder a worthwhile discussion point, we probably won’t want to watch it.

Bones has relationship plots, but since it’s based on books written by a pathologist, there’s also a lot of actual science involved, too, which draws a mature audience. Bones gains viewers within the coveted 18-49 demographic because it’s entertaining but still intelligent, and the fact that The Finder debuted during Bones made me think it would attract a similar audience.

But The Finder only attracted roughly 5.45 million viewers during the series premiere on Thursday night, which isn’t promising for a pilot episode, especially when Thursday’s Bones episode drew about 8.63 million viewers.

Aside from the issue of The Finder’s murky target age group, the show will also have to prove its originality to succeed. Anyone who’s taken an economics class might assume by Hotelling’s law that it’s sensible to have another crime show since that’s what viewers like, but at least among college students, that might not be the case.

Since we’re busy with studying and extracurricular activities, there’s not as much time for students to find new programs to add to their weekly lineup. So unless there’s something that can distinguish The Finder from other crime shows, it probably won’t gain a following among college students. That’s one less conversation starter for times we need to make small talk, but I think we’ll manage talking about our other TV obsessions.

Meghan DeMaria is a Spring 2012 Paste BN Collegiate Correspondent. Learn more about her here.

This story originally appeared on the Paste BN College blog, a news source produced for college students by student journalists. The blog closed in September of 2017.