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The Irrational

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The Irrational
Genre
Created byArika Mittman
Based onPredictably Irrational
by Dan Ariely
Starring
ComposerDanny Lux
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes16
Production
Executive producers
ProducerJesse L. Martin
Running time42 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseSeptember 25, 2023 (2023-09-25) –
present

The Irrational is an American crime drama television series created by Arika Mittman. It is loosely based on the life of Dan Ariely, a behavioral economist and professor at Duke University, and his 2008 non-fiction book Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions.[1] The show features Jesse L. Martin in the role of Alec Mercer, and a behavioral scientist who, like Ariely, lends his expertise to governments, law enforcement, and corporations to solve complex issues; Molly Kunz as Pheobe, Alec's grad student; and Maahra Hill as Special Agent Marisa Clark.

Season One of The Irrational premiered on September 25, 2023, on NBC, and Season Two aired a year later, on October 8, 2024. With the series' premiere attracting over 3.8 million viewers, it received good reviews from critics and a 5.1/10 rating on Rotten Tomatoes.[2]

Premise

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Professor Alec Mercer is a professor of behavioral psychology, whose interests, human irrationality in particular, reflect Ariely’s own work in behavioral economics. Like his prototype, Mercer demonstrates how unconscious biases and emotional impulses influence decision-making, often in ways that defy logical reasoning. Throughout the show, Mercer applies his insights into human nature to helpcooperates with the police and the FBI solve high-stake criminal cases, including murders, plane crashes, and kidnappings. This echoes Ariely’s real-life role as a consultant to governments and corporations, where he leverages his expertise in behavioral science to address complex societal challenges such as policy-making, health decisions, and fraud detection Additionally, Mercer's personal backstory, including the life-changing injury that left him physically scarred, mirrors Ariely’s experience of suffering injuries after an explosion–an accident that aroused his interest in understanding the emotional and psychological dimensions of pain and human behavior.[3]

Cast

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Main

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  • Jesse L. Martin as Professor Alec Mercer, an expert in behavioral science
  • Maahra Hill as Special Agent Marisa Clark, an FBI agent and Alec's ex-wife
  • Arash DeMaxi as Rizwan, Alec's newest grad student
  • Molly Kunz as Phoebe, Alec's grad student assistant
  • Travina Springer as Kylie, Alec's younger sister

Recurring

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  • Brian King as Special Agent Jace Richards, an FBI agent and Marisa's new boyfriend
  • Karen David as Rose Dinshaw, a crisis management professional, and Alec's new girlfriend
  • Ben Cotton as Wes Banning, a criminal convicted of the bombing that injured Alec

Episodes

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Series overview

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SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
111September 25, 2023 (2023-09-25)February 19, 2024 (2024-02-19)
2TBAOctober 8, 2024 (2024-10-08)TBA

Season 1 (2023–24)

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No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateU.S. viewers
(millions)		Rating/share
(18-49)
11"Pilot"David FrankelArika Lisanne MittmanSeptember 25, 2023 (2023-09-25)3.81[4]0.34/3[4]
22"Dead Woman Walking"Jesse WarnArika Lisanne MittmanOctober 2, 2023 (2023-10-02)3.98[5]0.29/3[5]
33"The Barnum Effect"John TerleskyMark GoffmanOctober 9, 2023 (2023-10-09)3.94[6]0.31/3[6]
44"Zero Sum"Janice CookeRobert Hewitt WolfeOctober 16, 2023 (2023-10-16)3.50[7]0.24/2[7]
55"Lucky Charms"Amanda TappingLydia TefferaOctober 23, 2023 (2023-10-23)3.73[8]0.29/3[8]
66"Point and Shoot"Ernest DickersonTeleplay by : Kirk Moore
Story by : Kirk Moore & Jordan Rosenberg		October 30, 2023 (2023-10-30)3.54[9]0.27/3[9]
77"The Real Deal"Jesse WarnMira Z. BarnumNovember 6, 2023 (2023-11-06)3.74[10]0.28/3[10]
88"Scorched Earth"Maja VrviloJordan RosenbergJanuary 29, 2024 (2024-01-29)3.18[11]0.28/3[11]
99"Cheating Life"Carl SeatonJordan Rosenberg & Mira Z. BarnumFebruary 5, 2024 (2024-02-05)3.30[12]0.26/3[12]
1010"Bombshell"Jesse WarnMark Goffman & Robert Hewitt WolfeFebruary 12, 2024 (2024-02-12)2.60[13]0.19/2[13]
1111"Reciprocity"Ernest DickersonArika Lisanne MittmanFebruary 19, 2024 (2024-02-19)2.42[14]0.18/2[14]

Season 2 (2024)

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No.
overall		No. in
season		Title [15]Directed byWritten by [16][17]Original air date [15]U.S. viewers
(millions)		Rating/share
(18-49)
121"Collateral Damage"John TerleskyArika Lisanne MittmanOctober 8, 2024 (2024-10-08)3.09[18]0.31/4[18]
132"A Kick in the Teeth"Ernest DickersonLydia TefferaOctober 15, 2024 (2024-10-15)2.63[19]0.26/3[19]
143"Bad Blood"Jeff W. ByrdMark Goffman & Robert Hewitt Wolfe & Jojo S. WrightOctober 22, 2024 (2024-10-22)2.41[20]0.19/3[20]
154"Formal Ties"Jesse WarnKatie WechOctober 29, 2024 (2024-10-29)2.29[21]0.19/2[21]
165"Anatomy of a Fall"Darnell MartinMira Z. BarnumNovember 12, 2024 (2024-11-12)2.19[22]0.17/2[22]
176"The Wrong Side of Maybe"TBAJordan RosenbergNovember 26, 2024 (2024-11-26)TBDTBA

Production

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Development

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In November 2021, NBC announced it had given a put pilot commitment to The Irrational, and Arika Mittman stepped in as the show's writer and executive producer.[1] So did Mark Goffman, Samuel Baum, David Frankel, and Dan Ariely.[1] In February 2022, The Irrational received a pilot order. In April 2022, Jesse L. Martin was cast as the show's lead character, Alec Mercer, and also helped produce the pilot. In September 2022, NBC commissioned a mini-room to produce a couple of backup scripts to go with the well-received pilot.[23] In April 2022, it was announced Jesse L. Martin had been cast as the show's lead character, Alec Mercer, and would also serve as a producer for the pilot. It was also announced that the series would be written by Arika Mittman, with Dan Ariely serving as consultant.[24] In October 2022, NBC extended its options on the cast, which were due to expire in October, to that December.[25] In December 2022, NBC picked up The Irrational pilot and gave it a series order. It was revealed at this time that David Frankel was the director and would also be serving as an executive producer along with Mittman, Mark Goffman and Samuel Baum.[26] On November 17, 2023, NBC ordered an extra episode for the series, bringing the first-season order to a total of 11 episodes.[27] On November 29, 2023, NBC renewed the series for a second season.[28]

Casting

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In May 2022, it was announced that Maahra Hill would join the cast in a lead role opposite Jesse L. Martin.[29] In June 2022, Travina Springer, Molly Kunz, and Arash DeMaxi were added to the cast. In June 2023, Brian King joined the cast in a recurring role.[30]

Season 2 featured the same actors, along with Ariely himself, who joined the cast as a psychiatric patient.

Filming

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Filming of the pilot took place from late May to early June 2022 in Vancouver, British Columbia,[29] standing in for Washington, D.C., and the adjoining Virginia area.[31] After seven episodes were filmed, production stopped due to the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.[32] Filming for the second season began on March 11, 2024 and is scheduled to conclude on November 2, 2024.[33]

Release

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The Irrational premiered on September 25, 2023, on NBC. It is available to stream on Peacock.[34] The pilot episode of The Irrational then premiered on September 27, 2023, on USA Network.[35] The second season premiered on October 8, 2024 on NBC.[36]

Reception

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The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 47% with an average rating of 5.1/10, based on 17 critic reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "The Irrational could've used a lot more originality to live up to its promise, although Jesse L. Martin's shrewd presence makes even the utterly conventional pretty watchable."[37] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 55 out of 100 based on 14 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[38]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Andreeva, Nellie (November 30, 2021). "NBC Nabs 'The Irrational' Drama From Arika Lisanne Mittman Inspired By Dan Ariely's Book As Put Pilot". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  2. ^ https://www.thewrap.com/the-irrational-the-voice-nbc-ratings-viewership
  3. ^ https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/learned-about-motivation-teenage-burn-victim
  4. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (September 26, 2023). "Monday Ratings: Decent Results for The Voice 24th Season Premiere and The Irrational Debut on NBC". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on October 7, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  5. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (October 3, 2023). "Monday Ratings: CBS Debuted Game Show Loteria Loca". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on October 7, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  6. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (October 10, 2023). "Monday Ratings: The Irrational on NBC Remains a Decent Draw in Total Viewers in Week Three". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on October 10, 2023. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  7. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (October 17, 2023). "Monday Ratings: ABC and ESPN's NFL Monday Night Football and MLB's NLCS Game 1 on TBS and truTV Dominate in Prime Time Key Demos". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on October 18, 2023. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  8. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (October 26, 2023). "Monday Ratings: Fox and FS1 Earn Decent Numbers with Game 7 of MLB's ALCS Despite Opposite the NFL". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on October 26, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  9. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (October 31, 2023). "Monday Ratings: NFL Monday Night Football on ABC and ESPN Unsurprisingly Tops MLB World Series Game Three on Fox". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on November 1, 2023. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  10. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (November 8, 2023). "Monday Ratings: ABC and ESPN Share Prime Time Leadership with NFL". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on November 8, 2023. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  11. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (January 30, 2024). "Monday Ratings: NBC's The Irrational Wins its Hour Among Broadcast Nets Upon its Return". Programming Insider. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  12. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (February 6, 2024). "Monday Ratings: NBC and USA Share Prime Time Victory". Programming Insider. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  13. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (February 13, 2024). "Monday Ratings: CBS Leads All in Total Viewers with Season Premieres of its Regular Lineup". Programming Insider. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  14. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (February 20, 2024). "Monday Ratings: NCIS on CBS Pays Tribute to 'Ducky' a.k.a. the Late David McCallum". Programming Insider. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  15. ^ a b "Shows A-Z - irrational, the on nbc". The Futon Critic. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  16. ^ "The Irrational: Season 2". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  17. ^ "The Irrational". Writers Guild of America West. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
  18. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (October 9, 2024). "Tuesday Ratings: The Irrational Returns Okay for NBC, Airing Out of The Voice the Most-Watched Telecast in Prime Time". Programming Insider. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  19. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (October 16, 2024). "Tuesday Ratings: New York Yankees Propel TBS to Top FBI-Fueled CBS in Total Viewers and Win Prime Time Overall". Programming Insider. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  20. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (October 23, 2024). "Tuesday Ratings: TNT Leads Prime Time Demos with NBA Season Tip-Off Doubleheader". Programming Insider. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
  21. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (October 30, 2024). "Tuesday Ratings: MLB World Series Ascends in Game 4 for Fox". Programming Insider. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  22. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (November 13, 2024). "Tuesday Ratings: NBC Comedy 'St. Denis Medical' Delivers Solid Demos in Debut". Programming Insider. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
  23. ^ White, Peter (February 4, 2022). "Dean Georgaris' 'Blank Slate' & Arika Mittman's 'The Irrational' Land Pilot Orders At NBC". Deadline. Archived from the original on September 24, 2023. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  24. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (April 13, 2022). "Jesse L. Martin Departs 'The Flash' As Series Regular After 8 Seasons, Will Headline NBC Pilot 'The Irrational'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 14, 2022. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  25. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (October 27, 2022). "NBC Pilot 'The Irrational' Extends Options On Cast Led By Jesse L. Martin". Deadline. Archived from the original on October 3, 2023. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  26. ^ Petski, Denise (December 27, 2022). "'The Irrational' Drama Starring Jesse L. Martin Lands NBC Series Order". Deadline. Archived from the original on August 30, 2023. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  27. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (November 17, 2023). "NBC's 'The Irrational' Gets Extra Episode, 'Lopez vs. Lopez' Order Is Trimmed As Network Finalizes Midseason Schedule". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  28. ^ White, Peter (November 29, 2023). "'Found' & 'The Irrational' Renewed For Season 2 At NBC". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  29. ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (May 19, 2022). "'Delilah's Maahra Hill To Star In NBC Pilot 'The Irrational' As OWN Series Has Ended". Deadline. Archived from the original on April 23, 2023. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  30. ^ Petski, Denise (June 7, 2023). "'The Irrational': Brian King Joins NBC Drama Series As Recurring". Deadline. Archived from the original on October 3, 2023. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  31. ^ Gomulka, Stephanie (2023-10-03). "Where Does The Irrational Starring Jesse L. Martin Take Place, and Where Did it Film?". NBC Insider. Archived from the original on 2023-10-08. Retrieved 2023-10-07.
  32. ^ Roots, Kimberly (2023-11-13). "The Irrational's Next Episode Won't Air for a While — Here's Why".
  33. ^ "DGC BC Production List". Directors Guild of Canada. October 25, 2024. Archived from the original on October 28, 2024. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  34. ^ Petski, Denise (August 28, 2023). "'The Irrational' Trailer: 'Law & Order' Alum Jesse L. Martin Is Back To Crime-Solving In NBC Procedural". Deadline. Archived from the original on September 2, 2023. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  35. ^ "The Irrational on USA Network". USA Network. Archived from the original on September 28, 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  36. ^ Schwartz, Ryan; Mitovich, Matt Webb (August 20, 2024). "The Irrational Among Fall TV Premieres Delayed by Vice Presidential Debate". TVLine. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  37. ^ "The Irrational: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  38. ^ "The Irrational: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
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