Critics Clash Over Patrick Dempsey’s Memory of a Killer: Standout Thriller or Fundamentally Lazy?

Patrick Dempsey used to be the guy trying to save brains on Grey's Anatomy. Now he might be losing his own on Fox. In Memory of a Killer, he plays Angelo, a professional hitman who suspects he has early onset dementia. He has always kept the job and the home life in separate boxes — until the symptoms start messing with both.

The setup (and when to watch)

Memory of a Killer is loosely adapted from the 2003 Belgian film The Alzheimer’s Case. Fox is launching it with a two-night premiere: Sunday, January 25, 2026 at 9 p.m. ET — scheduled to run after the NFC Championship — and Monday, January 26, 2026 at 9 p.m. ET. Both episodes hit Hulu the following day.

What critics saw in the first two episodes

Fox sent out the opening pair of episodes, and the reactions land all over the map — from 'promising and pulpy' to 'this should have been a movie.'

• The Wrap (Liam Matthews): Says the show is juggling a lot of plot, but it moves fast. It’s a kick seeing Dempsey lean into vicious action — a sharp turn from his rom-com wheelhouse — and the series could work if it doesn’t overstuff itself. He thinks Dempsey can carry the thing, notes the character isn’t big on emotion yet (maybe by design), and frames Angelo as a bad man papering over his choices with flimsy justifications. Verdict: not must-see TV yet, but it has potential as a dark antihero thriller in the Dexter lane.
• Collider (Billy Fellows) — 8/10: Calls the dementia angle a fresh twist on the killer-whose-work-invades-home-life trope. Editing gets a little ambiguous here and there, but it’s rare and easy to accept. Dempsey sells the seasoned hitman vibe, the plot keeps turning, the action pops, and overall it’s a standout for anyone wanting a new spin on a familiar story.
• The Hollywood Reporter (Daniel Fienberg): Thinks the series gets too silly too fast, with Dempsey coming off too slick to feel like a real assassin. On a broadcast network, with language/sex/violence sanded down, it’s less fun than it should be. He also flags the neurodegenerative disease being used mostly as a tidy plot lever — which feels a little icky — and argues the premise fits a two-hour film or limited season, not an open-ended network run.
• RogerEbert.com (Brian Tallerico): Finds little character shading beyond 'assassin, father, patient' and doubts the early issues will magically smooth out. He calls the writing uninspired with clunky dialogue and empty character details. The pilot looks fine, but the second hour is visually flat. There’s even a poolside shootout cut together so haphazardly it plays like the show didn’t have the right coverage.
• TV Guide (Keith Phipps) — 6.4/10: Fast-paced with sturdy production values and a solid cast, but the handling of dementia feels tentative in the opener and its follow-up. So far it’s watchable, not essential. Dempsey remains a reliable lead, though the first two episodes don’t push him very far. Michael Imperioli provides strong support; Richard Harmon plays Joe, Dutch’s untested nephew itching to join the family business; and Gina Torres shows up in episode 2.

'Memory of a Killer isn’t must-see TV, but it has potential as a darkly entertaining antihero thriller.'

'Two hours? Sure... An ongoing broadcast show in which the language, sex and violence all have to be sanitized to the point of nothingness? Nah.'

Bottom line

The hook is strong, and Dempsey clearly enjoys playing against type. Whether the show can keep a network-friendly assassin-with-dementia story compelling past a couple of hours is the big question critics are split on. If you’re curious, the two-night premiere starts Sunday, January 25 at 9 p.m. ET after the NFC title game and continues Monday at 9 p.m. ET on Fox, with both episodes streaming on Hulu the next day.