Profit

Profit

A demented corporate melodrama that aired on FOX(!) in 1996.

The Set-Up: Adrian Pasdar plays Jim Profit, a newly hired executive at Gracen & Gracen. Nursing an extreme Oedipal complex, he sets into motion a Machiavellian plane to climb as high as on the corporate ladder as he can get, by any means necessary – including blackmail, bribery, fraud, forgery, seduction, pick-pocketing and murder among other things. Those who go against him end up in jail, with a gun in their mouth, or even in a box to China. It’s a cross of Wall Street and American Psycho.

Typical episode: Someone is onto Jim Profit and his insidious plans. They think they have the upper hand. But Profit, with the aid of his poor blackmailed secretary Gail, is always one step ahead – knocking out executives one by one on his way to the top.

His secretary does his bidding and laments the day when she could actually live with herself. Head-of-security Joanne tries to expose Profit for the fraud he is. Profit’s mother helps him out on a scheme in order to further her own agenda. And Profit plays with corporate wife Nora’s emotions. Along the way, he blackmails someone for stalking, contemplating suicide, stealing, child molestation, rape or a lesbian affair. At the end of the day, Profit retires to a secret black room with a computer, where he sits naked as fish shadows float over his face. When he gets tired of that, he retires to a big cardboard box, curls up and drifts off to sleep.

Typical dialogue: “The day he gets hit by a bus, I believe in God again.”

My favorite episodes:

• 1.1: The Pilot: Profit walks into a room and greets an attractive woman with a hot and heavy kiss. As they pull out of the kiss, Profit says, “Hello, Mother.” According to legend, that’s when the ratings plummeted – never to rise again. After failing to knock one executive out of the picture, Joanne starts digging into Profit’s past and is shocked by what she finds. Murder ensues.
  
• 1.4: “Healing” Profit blackmails Joanne’s therapist into hypnotizing Joanne and completely fucking her up by drudging up the memory of her finding her daddy’s dead body hanging from the rafters.
  
• 1.6 : “Chinese Box” Profit must deliver a top secret chip developed by a mad genius to a Chinese company. The mad genius is awesome. A creep who sits in a room full of monitors while stroking a kitty in his lap. Or sitting on a rocking horse in front of a giant clock next to a big ceramic frog. This episode is Gail-centric. Special guest star: Dr. Marvin Candle/Mark Wickman.
  
• 1.8 “Forgiveness” The final episode. Profit prevents the merger, and murders the pedophile uncle before he can take the little girl scout out on his yacht.
  

Least Favorite:

• 1.3 “Sykes” Corporate lawyer Sykes joins the show. He becomes the first formidable opponent for Profit. This episode is less fun only because Profit does not emerge triumphant. He is actually given pause by this kid he never saw coming.
  

How many episodes were produced? 8. Only four aired.

Is there much continuity? Yes, there is an ongoing story following Profit’s exploits and pieces of his past slowly come to light.

Why was it canceled? The ratings were dismal.

Was there closure? Kind of. Profit rises to the position he wants. Most of the subplots come to an end.

Any unattended issues? Oh, yes. Most particularly, Joanne’s investigation has taken her to Ireland, where she has learned the real Jim Profit may still be alive. Both she and Sykes are onto him. Still.

The verdict: Awesome. Radically diabolical. Adrian Pasdar’s performance is steely and sinister. The humor is twisted. And the amorality is shocking. There are some technical aspects that have dated the show badly – like the very cheesy computer effects and the silly, whispery narration. But the story-telling is top notch. The “good guys” are so unlikable, while the bad guy reeks of charisma. The score is kick ass and moody. It is slimy, evil fun to watch Profit knock out each trusting victim one by one.