Scorpion: Season One

A team of eccentric geniuses with poor social skills and (often) self-defeating impulses is recruited by a Homeland Security agent to take on high-tech threats deemed beyond the capabilities of the department. Elyes Gabel stars as Walter O'Brien, a man with an IQ of 197 who has difficulty interacting with civilians. Walter has formed Scorpion with a group of fellow misfits: Toby (Eddie Kaye Thomas), a psychiatrist with a gambling addiction; Happy (Jadyn Wong), a mechanical engineer with a surly, aggressive personality; and Sylvester (Ari Stidham), a math genius with OCD and anxiety issues. The unlikely fifth member of the team is Paige (Katharine McPhee), a waitress and single mother whose 9-year-old son is a genius, although he has problems connecting and communicating with others. As the credit sequence explains, Paige helps the team to interact with the outside world while they help her son tap into his potential. Robert Patrick rounds out the cast as Agent Cabe Gallo, a kind of father figure who defends the group from a bureaucracy that can't relate to their unconventional manner and approach. The show combines high-tech missions with character humor and the group dynamics of a dysfunctional but loyal makeshift family. It feels like a gimmick—full of jargon, exaggerated character flaws, and sentimental storylines—but works at least partially thanks to the camaraderie of the ensemble. Compiling all 22 episodes from the 2014-15 debut season, extras include behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, and a gag reel. A strong optional purchase. (S. Axmaker)