Mar 25, 2005  |  By: Brian Moylan  | COMMENTS     

WATCHING ABC’S NEW spy drama “Eyes,” which debuts Wednesday, March 30, at 10 p.m., is a bit like finding a boyfriend. After years of looking and waiting, you finally land a keeper. Then you find out he’s got major issues.

That’s the case with Chris Didion, the character portrayed by Rick Worthy, who’s the rarest find on network television: a butch gay guy. Didion isn’t what the confused kids call “straight-acting,” but, as a top agent at an upscale private investigation firm, he is nonchalantly masculine — a refreshing change from the Jack McFarlands of the world.

Then we learn that Didion has recently suffered a nervous breakdown and is a little bit off his rocker. And it’s not in that cute, quirky way like Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) from “Friends” either, but in a scary and angry kind of way.
But, hey, we’ll take what we can get for now.

DIDION ACTUALLY FITS in quite well at Judd Risk Management, the upscale P.I. firm where the show is set. Run by Harlan Judd (Tim Daly of “Wings” fame), the firm specializes in tricky investigations for rich, corporate clients.

Judd is one of those slick, smart, arrogant characters you would detest if he weren’t so darn attractive and charming. Due partially to that attitude, his company is operating at a loss and is in jeopardy of going under.

Lawyer Leslie Town (Laura Leighton, who played diva Sydney on “Melrose Place”) arrives on the scene to help Judd out and their relationship, quickly and predictably, becomes fraught with romantic tension.

Also at the firm are fierce field agent Nora Gage (Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon), devious investigator Jeff McCann (Eric Mabius, who also played Tim on “The L Word”), newbie Meg Bardo (A.J. Langer) and surveillance tech Trish Agermeyer (Natalie Zea).

The show’s first episode is action-packed and depicts Judd and company: retrieving $100 million that was stolen from a company, helping a gay man being harassed by skinheads, fending off a lawsuit and fighting a hostile takeover. They also still manage to find time for lots of sex and internal politics.

Even though there’s almost too much going on, and the plot takes some really big leaps that it doesn’t really substantiate, “Eye” is fun and quick and has a lot of potential.

It’s a nice change of pace from most hour-long dramas, and the inter-office espionage could prove successful if the show has the proper gestation period.

STILL, ONE OF THE BEST aspects of the show is Didion. It’s never made clear quite why he was in a mental hospital, though Judd alludes to job stress. Didion seems to be haunted by what happened to land him there.

One subplot concerns an ex-boyfriend of his who is being harassed by skinheads so he won’t testify against them at a hate crimes trial. Didion tracks down the offender and, without drawing a gun or raising a fist, intimidates the guy into leaving his friend alone.

Didion comes across a bit scary at first. Then he becomes a vehicle for gay wish fulfillment. In one scene, he does everything that every gay man who has been called names on the street, taunted in gym class or manhandled by bullies dreams he could have done. He stands up to the bad guy with a ferocious intensity that is a scintilla away from violence. But he doesn’t go over the edge.

Our new television boyfriend may be a tad bit off his rocker, but, thankfully, the era of gay-man-as-tough-guy has finally arrived.