Let me start off by saying that this show is not for everyone. It's more drama than action and anyone going in this expecting Lethal Weapon divided into episodes with lots of explosions is going to be disappointed. This show is about rookies struggling to find their way as cops.
Their 'growing pains' are recognisable and that's what makes it fun. All the characters have their insecurities and even the veterans have their vulnerabilities, just like in real life. After setting up the characters and the atmosphere, it starts revealing the romantic angle, which makes it a bit like the police version of Grey's Anatomy. It's a character centric show, which means the case or issues always come second and that, to me, isn't a bad thing as long as the actors pull it off.
And they do. The cast is led by the vibrant, likable Missy Peregrym (Andy McNally) with strong performances from Gregory Smith (Dov Epstein) and Ben Bass (Sam Swarek) among others. In the first season, you see them struggle, fall, succeed, fall in love and deal with hardships. It's never so much that you think "man, can they dump even more on this character" but enough to keep your attention. In the second season, you see them find their footing, only to find out that more experience doesn't necessarily make things easier and less complicated.
That doesn't mean the show is flawless. It isn't. Sometimes, there is lack of context to explain why a certain character is behaving the way they do. Sometimes a case gets resolved too neatly. Sometimes things are predictable. But the show's saving grace is it's heart. The characters feel genuine, which is why I've stuck with them for 2 seasons and am anticipating season 3.
My 8 star rating is a rating on my entertainment value scale. It's a good way to spend an hour and it's addictive. I value quality movies like The Shawshank Redemption, but too much of that can wear you down. This is exactly the tasty snack I'm looking for when I come home from a busy day. Give it a shot.
Their 'growing pains' are recognisable and that's what makes it fun. All the characters have their insecurities and even the veterans have their vulnerabilities, just like in real life. After setting up the characters and the atmosphere, it starts revealing the romantic angle, which makes it a bit like the police version of Grey's Anatomy. It's a character centric show, which means the case or issues always come second and that, to me, isn't a bad thing as long as the actors pull it off.
And they do. The cast is led by the vibrant, likable Missy Peregrym (Andy McNally) with strong performances from Gregory Smith (Dov Epstein) and Ben Bass (Sam Swarek) among others. In the first season, you see them struggle, fall, succeed, fall in love and deal with hardships. It's never so much that you think "man, can they dump even more on this character" but enough to keep your attention. In the second season, you see them find their footing, only to find out that more experience doesn't necessarily make things easier and less complicated.
That doesn't mean the show is flawless. It isn't. Sometimes, there is lack of context to explain why a certain character is behaving the way they do. Sometimes a case gets resolved too neatly. Sometimes things are predictable. But the show's saving grace is it's heart. The characters feel genuine, which is why I've stuck with them for 2 seasons and am anticipating season 3.
My 8 star rating is a rating on my entertainment value scale. It's a good way to spend an hour and it's addictive. I value quality movies like The Shawshank Redemption, but too much of that can wear you down. This is exactly the tasty snack I'm looking for when I come home from a busy day. Give it a shot.