Time to be a little Irrational here: NBC’s new fall drama is already off to an intriguing start. It’s been 15 years since Jesse L. Martin played Detective Green on Law & Order, and he’s back catching bad guys. In the first episode of The Irrational, Martin takes an unconventional approach to crime-solving as Alec Mercer, a celebrated professor of behavioral science who’s the one the police call when they can’t seem to crack the most mind-boggling cases.
Alec’s “secret power” is the ability to identify behavioral clues or psychological patterns that people usually miss. He divorces emotion from reason to catch the bad guys by any means necessary, even if that calls for him to make unorthodox choices. He’s very, very good at what he does–as evidenced in The Irrational’s opening scene, where Alec’s outside-the-box approach and brain-twisting wisecracks help turn a potentially fatal hostage situation into a huge sigh of relief.
Of course, he’s not so lucky when it comes to his personal life. Those same skills, it turns out, aren’t exactly conducive to maintaining healthy relationships. When Alec and his FBI agent ex-wife, Marisa (Maahra Hill), reunite on a case, there’s still palpable unresolved tension between the two. Expect that to be revisited down the line. After all, they’re forced to work in close proximity–an enticing recipe for drama (and rekindled romance?).
That’s all put on hold when the Greensburg mayor asks Alec to assist on a high-profile murder case. The main suspect is Dylan Hayes (guest star Caleb Ruminer), a former Marine war hero and son of a powerful senator with a spotless record–save for his issues with alcohol. He confessed to killing his ex-girlfriend Jasmine (guest star Soma Chhaya), a popular influencer, after a night out drinking. It’s an open-and-shut case, right? The police are ready to call it a day, but Alec isn’t buying it. Dylan’s inability to remember key details is enough for Alec to question everything. After all, Alec suspects Dylan was manipulated into confessing.
Later, Alec does reconnaissance work, visiting the Alcoholics Anonymous group Dylan regularly attended. Although the meeting doesn’t raise any red flags, Alec is introduced to Ray (guest star Teach Grant), Dylan’s bespectacled sponsor, who has to play into the story significantly at some point.
Meanwhile, Alec has to confront the anniversary of his own personal trauma from 20 years ago–the deadly church blast that left him physically and emotionally scarred. He learns that the bomber, Wes Banning (guest star Ben Cotton) is up for parole, dredging up regrets about what could have happened had Alec placed him at the scene. Thankfully, his supportive younger sister and voice of reason, Kylie (Travina Springer), gently reminds him that blaming himself for the past isn’t going to do any good. (She’s absolutely right!)
With all this stewing in his brain and the parallels to Dylan’s case, Alec goes to the only person he feels he can talk to: his ex-wife. (There’s just something satisfying about watching tension-filled, late-night conversations between exes.) When Alec and Marisa get together to discuss the case, their chat turns to how they first met. She was an FBI agent assigned to his case after the church bombing and they fell in love. It’s actually a cute story and judging by their longing looks, there’s plenty left unsaid.
Unfortunately for Dylan, time has run out and in a Hail Mary move, Alec visits the AA meeting one last time. Alec opens up about the night of the bombing, sharing every grisly detail he can remember. While cathartic, he’s also trying to get a leg up on the real murder suspect. The last-ditch effort leads Alec back to Ray. You’ll have to tune in to see how his plan works…
With the case wrapped, Alec gains a fan in District Attorney Elise Bowen (Sara Canning). She wants Alec to work for the department. He doesn’t say no, but doesn’t fully commit. As it’s the first episode and all, their brief interaction feels like a possible set-up for flirtation on both sides. Kylie, who’s there watching it all unfold, is still Team Marisa, so she gives Alec a good ribbing about the impending love triangle.
The day of Wes Banning’s parole hearing arrives. Alec prepares to accept that Wes will likely re-enter society, but then something unexpected happens. A mysterious figure appears outside the courtroom and Wes’ demeanor immediately changes. When the judge asks if he will commit more crimes if freed, Wes shocks everyone when he answers, “I’m kind of a bad seed, to tell you the truth. If you let me out I’ll probably bomb a couple more churches.”
Who had that much power over Wes for him to switch on a dime like that? Everything Alec thought he knew about the bombing wasn’t even close to scratching the surface. Someone bigger, perhaps more sinister, was pulling all the strings. As he continues to take on new impossible-to-solve cases, Alec will have to rely on his perceptive mind and expertise to rationalize the irrational–with the clock ticking on this particular mystery, perhaps the biggest of his career. Game on.
The Irrational airs Mondays at 10/9c on NBC. Stream the first three episodes now on Peacock.
