More than a year after Peter Krause dramatically departed from his long-running role on ABC’s 9-1-1, where he played Firefighter Captain Bobby Nash for eight glorious seasons, the beloved Parenthood, Six Feet Under, and Sports Night star makes his highly anticipated network TV return on NBC’s new family drama: Line of Fire. The thrilling series about a family of law enforcement agents comes from creator and writer Joshua Safran (Gossip Girl, Quantico, Smash), who serves as executive producer alongside Jenna Bush Hager, whose experiences as First Daughter loosely inspired certain aspects of the show. With a stacked cast, jaw-dropping twists, and compelling mysteries, could Line of Fire become TV’s next procedural win?

LINE OF FIRE: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT? 

Opening Shot: A U.S. Marshal (an exciting pilot guest star, though don’t get too attached!) walks up to a home at night and rings the doorbell, claiming to be an Uber Eats employee.

The Gist: Krause stars as Secret Service Agent Mike Hollingsworth opposite Hope Davis (American Splendor, Succession, About Schmidt), who plays his estranged wife, U.S. Marshal Jane Hollingsworth. It’s clear the two still have feelings for each other, but the unknown reason behind their separation is on a long list of Line of Fire mysteries, along with a deadly case that takes an unexpectedly personal turn in the pilot. As the heads of the Hollingsworth family embark on a quest for truth while concealing their own family secrets, they professionally overlap with their adult children, FBI agent Clare (Kat Cunning), Secret Service agent Mike Jr. aka “Micah” (Tommy O’Brien), and DOJ agent Russell (Taylor Bloom).

With an assassin targeting federal agents, Mike struggles to shake the suspicion that former President Thomas Barnes’ (Sam Waterston) life is in danger. Meanwhile, Micah is putting his career at risk by carrying on a secret affair with Sydney (Savannah Lee Smith), daughter of current President Kayana (Chris Chalk). And U.S. Senator/Jane’s boyfriend Terry (Campbell Scott) is on his way to shake up the Hollingsworth family dynamic even more. Is that enough excitement for you?!

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? While understandable comparisons to Blue Bloods and other procedurals have swirled, in his letter to the press, Safran said, “Think of it as Six Feet Under meets The Fugitive, if the fugitive were hunting Tommy Lee Jones instead of the other way around.” The creator also added, “It’s a procedural soap, in a way that you can both binge its serialized mystery and juicy relationship dramas, while also enjoying its case-of-the-week structure. My hope is that an audience raised on Desperate Housewives, Parenthood, and This Is Us might find comfort here.” And of course, we’ve got some My Date with the President’s Daughter, First Daughter, and Chasing Liberty flashbacks from Line of Fire‘s forbidden White House romance.

Our Take: Ahead of reviews, critics were only given access to Line of Fire‘s first two episodes, which makes it hard to form a comprehensive opinion on the first season. That said, early father/son and mother/daughter dynamics between Mike and Micah and Jane and Clare are compelling enough to keep us coming back for more — as are the many lingering questions still in need of answers after Episode 2. For anyone about to take shots at Line of Fire‘s big premiere twist, let’s recall other ridiculously twisty series that found success, like the ambitious This Is Us (six seasons with a heck of a premiere twist), or Krause’s 9-1-1 (10 seasons, which regularly required viewers to suspend disbelief). These shows may have given viewers some early trepidation as well, but thanks to charming casts and time to execute their visions, they thrived. So here’s hoping Line of Fire can find its groove and follow the same path.

Safran has quite the track record for weaving gripping stories filled with scandal, delicious drama, and even moments of comedic levity — all of which are present in Line of Fire‘s first couple of episodes. So I’m eager to see how members of the Hollingsworth family navigate their professional duties and personal problems while trying to protect themselves and each other. Who’s targeting federal agents? And why?! I sure as hell plan to keep watching to find out. The show’s premise and promise are intriguing, and it’s also damn good to see Krause on my screen again in a familiar yet unique patriarchal position.

Performance Worth Watching: Right off the bat, it’s clear that Tommy O’Brien’s Micah has layers and a heck of a lot to prove. I look forward to seeing his father/son relationship with Krause’s Mike evolve. Cunning is a real standout in the first two episodes as well.

Parting Shot: After the pilot’s show-altering reveal, the shaken Hollingsworth family stands in the doorway of the home they once shared, looking out at police cars with flashing lights.

Our Call: STREAM IT. As we said, it’s hard to tell where Line of Fire is headed based on two episodes, but we have a feeling the secrecy is intentional. What we do know already is that Line of Fire takes viewers on a soapy rollercoaster ride filled with exciting twists, intriguing cases, romance, and a stacked cast. So we’re eager to see what else Season 1 has in store.