Line Of Fire Review: NBC's New Crime Thriller Aims To Change The TV Game

Published Sep 21, 2026, 11:00 PM EDT

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Line of Fire has finally arrived and NBC is suddenly on the precipice of changing how you view network shows. It's no secret that the last decade has posed major challenges to traditional broadcasting. The changing way that people consume media coupled with the rise of streaming services and the strengthening of cable offerings have hampered its ability to draw viewers, as well as critical fan-fare.

It's worth noting that this doesn't mean that network shows have lost their appeal; it still has some of the most loyal fan communities, but it needs to evolve in one way or another. Luckily, that's exactly what NBC is attempting to do with its latest procedural. Line of Fire is described as the best of both worlds in terms of story and format. Spearheaded by Peter Krause, who comes out Bobby Nash's highly divisive 9-1-1 death, and Hope Davis, as Mike and Jane Hollingsworth, the procedural also features Kat Cunning, Tommy O'Brien, and Taylor Bloom as their kids, Clare, Micah, and Russ.

The premise of Line of Fire is quite simple — a family of government agency officers dealing with their personal and professional challenges. As with any show that puts a clan at the center of its storytelling, viewers can expect some form of dysfunction, and the show, even with just one episode out, clearly doesn't have any shortage of that. Beyond that, however, creator Josh Safran adds several twists along the way to make it one of the strongest show debuts on network TV this year.

Line Of Fire Comes Out Strong Despite A Packed Premiere

NBC

Opening NBC's fall 2026 lineup, at least with regard to scripted shows, Line of Fire episode 1, aptly titled "Pilot" inhabits the 10 PM ET slot on Monday nights for the network. This makes sense, considering the show's darker take on the procedural format. While there has been a rise in crime shows that lean more on comedy, such as ABC's High Potential and CBS's Elsbeth, Safran's new endeavor is a proper thriller with hints of humor peppered throughout it, primarily through the dysfunctionality of the Hollingsworths.

"Pilot" does a great job establishing every single family member of the clan, including where they stand, both in terms of their role in the family and the government. Mike is a long-time Secret Service agent on the cusp of retirement; Jane works for the U.S. Marshals; Clare is with the Feds, Russ is just starting with the Department of Justice, while Micah is set to follow in his dad's footsteps until the Hollingsworth patriarch's retirement gets unexpectedly delayed.

Line of Fire gives the Hollingsworths a dynamic that resonates with anyone who knows what it's like to be in a dysfunctional clan, but with a law enforecement twist.

Throughout its first hour, Line of Fire goes back-and-forth between its characters' respective personal stories and their collective one. The gathering at the Hollingsworth family house for their dinner is sequenced almost like a play, with moments of levity and tension, as each one of them size each other up, clearly uncomfortable with the gathering. The introduction of Clare's boyfriend adds an extra layer of stress. When tragedy strikes, however, the family all automatically comes together despite their previous blow out. Line of Fire gives the Hollingsworths a dynamic that resonates with anyone who knows what it's like to be in a dysfunctional clan, but with a law enforecement twist.

Hopefully, this becomes the bedrock of the series moving forward. As while weekly cases could be its main hook, especially since they work for different government agencies, the human relations at the center of the series is what grounds it, evolving the much-beloved storytelling principle of CBS's Blue Bloods. Line of Fire, however, feels more mature and darker. While there was no doubt that, at the end of the day, the Reagans would make peace and come together at the dinner table, there's a sense that the Hollingsworths could walk away from each other at any point, especially the kids from their parents.

Line Of Fire Is Rewriting The Rules Of Network TV

NBC

Safran offers an idea of what that bubbling tension might really be about with Line of Fire's biggest plot twist thus far — the developing story of Charlie Barnett's Jack. The episode tackles various stories, and understandably so, considering that it carries the pressure of introducing each character and where they stand in the story. That said, the final 10 minutes of "Pilot" goes in a totally unexpected direction, which will likely be the crux of the show's overarching narrative, at least in its first season. The twist effectively increases interest in what comes next for Line of Fire, which is a great way to end a show opener.

Per Mike, he's his first son from his previous marriage, and according to Clare, he died after coming back from Afghanistan. Clearly, that isn't the case, as Barnett's character is poised to be at the center of the show's biggest mystery. Whether Jack is Line of Fire's true villain is unclear at this point, and that's what makes the show more interesting. The fact that Safran is maintaining the familial element with his plot sets up higher stakes for the procedural.

It also sets the project apart from its peers on network TV. While it will clearly be a procedural, with the characters tackling weekly cases, the bigger mystery gives it a strong serialized story. The nature of the story is reminiscent of the thriller shows on streaming, and if Safran and NBC are able to maintain the quality of Line of Fire's storytelling, then it has the opportunity to raise the bar for traditional broadcast procedurals and change the perception that they mostly tell repetitive plots.

Beyond that, the fact that Line of Fire is on NBC means that it has time to tell its story without the constraints of a usual 8-episode season for its streaming counterparts. In the last few years, TV seasons have become shorter, which could work for projects with a clear start and end, but it also means that there are lesser avenues for longer forms of storytelling, which allows for stories to breathe and characters to fully develop.

Line of Fire - Season 1

8/10

Pros & Cons

• Great Dysfunctional Family
• Compelling Overarching Plot
• Unique Take On Procedurals