While its evocative title may pique viewers’ interest, the description of The CW’s new series Devils is just as likely to make eyes glaze over. Devils is set in the world of high finance in 2011 following the worldwide banking crisis that started in 2008 and centers on Massimo Ruggero (Alessandro Borghi), the Head of Trading for the fictional bank NYL, who’s described by the bank’s CEO, Dominic Morgan (Patrick Dempsey), as a shark in the world of international investing. While Ruggero’s ruthlessness is intended to intrigue, bank trading floors aren’t exactly a setting for high drama. Once upon a time Oliver Stone’s Wall Street made a splash with the ethos "greed is good," but that was the free-wheeling '80s. Things have changed a lot since, and it’s hard to see viewers being excited by a show in which rich men try to take one another down (while getting richer) by shorting stocks.

By that measure, Devils is better than it sounds, although for any audience member who doesn’t already have a fairly good understanding of finance, the show’s stock-trading mechanics are still its weakest element. Based on the Italian novel I Diavoli by Guido Maria Brera, the show starts with Massimo on the cusp of being promoted to Vice CEO. His one obstacle is Edward Stuart (Ben Miles), his only rival for the position. However, Massimo comes to believe Stuart is trying to destroy him in a plot involving his estranged wife, Carrie (Sallie Harmsen), and strikes back with brutal efficiency by passing along some damaging information to Sofia Flores (Laia Costa), a blogger for a WikiLeaks-like group.

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Soon, Stuart has taken a dive off the NYL building (don't worry, that's not a spoiler, the show flash-forwards to the event in the initial moments of the first episode) and Massimo is being investigated as a suspect in the murder. In the process of trying to clear his name and figure out what really happened to Stuart, Massimo learns things about Dominic that make him question his mentor and draw him into further financial intrigue. Along the way, his path is peppered with enough sex, drugs and manipulative behavior to keep many CW viewers happy.

Of course, the show's murder mystery is the easiest part to get on board with and what will keep most people watching. The web of intrigue surrounding this event is often interesting, if not completely enthralling. On the other hand, the show also features a decent amount of financial jargon that will only be meaningful to certain viewers. While the show does its best to organically work in explanations for investment maneuvers like stock shorting, watching the characters shout into phones and frantically type on computers to make these maneuvers happen doesn’t exactly leave you breathless. The show does its best to make these things as human and stylish as possible, using things like graphics to show the stocks being put into motion by the traders, but it requires a lot of technical detail, making it difficult to maintain any level of engagement from anyone who doesn’t find stock trading fascinating.

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That said, the cast of international actors do their best with the material, whether they’re making a trade or infiltrating a high-society party. The charismatic Borghi, an accomplished Italian actor, is especially interesting to watch as Massimo, a man who is especially good at what he does but isn’t always sure he feels good about doing it. If anything, for a show called Devils, Borghi can come off as almost too sympathetic, sometimes making it difficult to see why Massimo is the shark he’s supposedly known as. Patrick Dempsey, who will be the main draw for American audiences, also does strong work. The former McDreamy’s natural amiability makes Dominic likeable, while Dempsey also gives him an edge that makes it clear he can never be completely trusted.

So where are the devils in Devils? According to Massimo, it’s Dominic, or maybe him, or maybe everyone in high finance. One of the show’s silliest aspects is Massimo’s opening and closing voice-overs in which Massimo poetically ponders something about the Devil and darkness. They’re often eye-roll worthy interludes and don’t do anything to enhance the story. In contrast, the show swirls in real-world events, including the Greek financial crisis and declarations by the leader of the IMF, that emphasize the real-life impact of the actions of big banks like Devils’ NYL. It’s in these moments that the show feels most consequential. Ultimately though, the series is a mixed bag, and depending on your tolerance for financial mumbo-jumbo, your interest in the narrative may vary.

Devils stars Alessandro Borghi, Patrick Dempsey, Laia Costa, Kasia Smutniak, Lars Mikkelsen, Malachi Kirby, Paul Chowdhry, Pia Mechler, Harry Michell and Sallie Harmsen. It premieres on The CW on Wednesday, Oct. 7.

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