The Finder raced to beat the clock on "Bullets" by recovering evidence capable of saving the life of a death row inmate. Concurrently, Walter encountered Lance Sweets, who observed him in an attempt to evaluate Walter's mental fitness to consult on federal cases.

On another front, Willa attempted to navigate the local social scene.

Sadly, while the premiere left me very excited for the future of The Finder, this episode seemed to curb some of that enthusiasm.

The Finder Scene

There are a variety of things that likely contributed to this slump. For starters, the case was too simple and yet too complicated at the same time. Cases in point:

• Simple: find the bullets to prove his innocence.
• Complicated: the way Walter had to go about it, and the suspension of disbelief necessary to buy the execution of the search.

I didn't believe how the storage facilities had been built over marsh land, let alone that the sign that the bullet pierced had been anywhere near the marsh land 20 years prior. How could it have even been erected anywhere near a marsh? That's not even mentioning how Walter came to that conclusion, half-hypnotized by Sweets, who was trying to get to the root of his intuitive abilities.

Also, come on. The Miami Vice spoof got old quick. Enough said.

I wasn't a huge fan of the storyline that included Willa this week, either. While I understand the intrigue of her being involved with rich folks, her impulse to steal the car in revenge was childish. Framing Kevin for it was necessary. What a jerk! Then again, Walter called that, didn't he?

Walter's ability to find also comes with a lot of skills integrated within it, most notably here his ability to isolate and identify Chantey Dubois's voice by comparing it with Gloria's, even within the cacophony of other sounds present. This gift, however, might also be a result of science relating to sound waves, tone, and pitch, all of which - when comparing identical voices - produces no interference.

Just a guess, but an informed one I'd like to think.

The "Beach Party talk" was a highlight of the episode. Great banter between the main cast members as observed by Sweets. That was the kind of interaction that would have me tuning in each week without fail.

Similarly, the show was saved by the appearance of John Francis Daley. Everybody loves Lance Sweets, as he was a familiar face in Hart Hanson's new world. My only wish is that he could stay there as some sort of minor anchor until we got more comfortable with Walter and company.

I only say this because I don't see a very bright future ahead for the show otherwise. Without a premiere led-in by a new episode of Bones or featuring a character from it as a guest star, I anticipate a very rough next few weeks in the ratings.

It's only the second episode, so I think we all should wait a little longer before we throw a book at The Finder or write it off. Instead, we should let it play out a little longer and see if there's not some part of Walter that we can connect with or appreciate. If not that, then maybe keep tuning in for an interesting plot to emerge.