I rarely review TV series on old-fashioned broadcast television, and even more rarely on Fox. But Memory of a Killer is a worthy exception.
Part of its power is acting. Patrick Dempsey, who established his creds on Grey’s Anatomy (my wife has been a devoted fan for its umpteen seasons) and was excellent last year in Dexter: Original Sin, was great in the lead role of Angelo Doyle, a hit man suffering from the early symptoms of Alzheimer’s. Michael Imperioli, one of the many standouts on The Sopranos, was good to see as Angelo’s boss/senior partner. And Odeya Rush, whom I probably saw on Curb Your Enthusiasm and Law & Order: SVU, was refreshing as Angelo’s pregnant daughter Maria.
The Dexter connection is especially relevant. I've been an avid fan since the series began in 2006, and I put the series and its sequels (and one prequel) in the top 5 of all TV series ever. The key to Dexter Morgan's appeal is that he's a serial killer of serial killers and other monstrous people who deserve to die, but our police and legal system have for some reason missed. Angelo doesn't get quite the same pleasure from his work, but also takes pride in his victims being people who deserve to die.
[And there will be spoilers ahead ... ]
His unknowingly killing someone who did not deserve to die sets up the central thrilling tension of the series: the victim's mother Linda Grant (well played by Gina Torres from The Matrix sequels) is an FBI agent, and she's determined to kill not only Angelo's beloved wife, which Grant makes sure happens, but his brother Mike and daughter Maria. This turns the tables on the serial killer narrative, making the hit man's loved ones the target, and is a nice piece of storytelling,
The other leg of story, a hit man with the onset of Alzheimer’s, is also very effectively told. Angelo's brother Mike has a much more advanced condition, which adds the heart-rending element of letting us and Angelo know where he's headed. The series has been renewed for a second season, so we'll get to see some of that, and, optimist that I am, I'm hoping that Angelo finds a treatment that will further delay the progression of this crushing illness.
See also First Place to Dexter and Dexter: Original Sin: Activation of the Code
