Hey folks, Valkor here. When it comes to crime dramas, to me, nothing beats Season 1 of HBO's "The Wire", it had everything I was looking for, plus it was no holds barred, not limited to the restrictions of network television, so we're able to get all the swears, gore, and nudity to our content. Thanks to the folks of Warner Home, I'm able to check out TNT's latest crime drama series "Dark Blue", that has a lot of that "edge" that I've been looking for. It's a show not many have heard of (at least in my circle), but one that is a definite "can't miss". Read on.
Dark Blue stars Dylan Mcdermott who plays Carter Shaw who heads a special unit of law enforcement in L.A. The thing is, his department doesn't necessarily exist as they skirt the line between right and wrong, but ultimately doing what they need to do to take down the bad guys. And from the first season, these guys don't want the small fish, they want the big boys and when the opportunity arises where they can take down a big fish, they will. The team consists of Ty Curtis (Omari Hardwick), just recently married, also indecisive about staying with the unit. Next is Dean Bendis (Logan Marshall-Green), who is so far deep undercover, I don't think he knows where the line is anymore. But he's still toughing it out with Carter, especially in guiding newbie Jaimie Allen (Nicki Aycox), a patrol officer with a spotted past, but Carter likes he because "she knows how to lie".
The show is currently in its second season, so here is a brief synops of what you'll get with season one.
K-Town – The crew set out to bust a bunch of Korean counterfeiters. However when it's revealed they could meet with the big fish Mr. Lee, they set their sights on the even bigger prize. But Ty and Dean butt heads on how their approach.
Purity – The gang swoop down a drug dealer/defense attorney, but he proves harder to handle as his knowledge of the law gives him an edge. So Jaimie steps in to get close to one of the lawyer's men, which would get the team closer to the lawyer.
Guns, Strippers, and Wives – While in the midst of being undercover, Ty nearly blows his cover to sneak off and see his wife on her birthday. But the bad guys find him, and now they want their money sooner rather than later to prove he's on their side.
Ice – The team split up, only to come together in order to bring down money launderers who use diamonds to make the cash. Ty and Carter move in on a club owner to help get the diamonds, while Dean and Jaimie act as a couple to get in close to one of the west coast biggest buyers.
The season set doesn't contain any extras, so let's jump right to it.
The Good:
How can you not like a show that kicks things off with a guy being tortured through electric shock? Right from the door, this show kicks you in the balls and doesn't stop until the last episodes. Not many tv shows can keep that kind of energy going, but Dark Blue does just that. Its strongest points are its story telling, though sometimes spotty, is pretty solid and direct, and a ton of unpredictability. The actors are an additional selling point of the series; Dylan McDermott is tough as nails as Carter Shaw. Carter takes no guff from his team and when he wants the job done, he wants it DONE! Omari's Ty is another great actor in the show, soft yet tough at the same time. A few times his character skirts the line of cheating on his wife and I think there will have to be an ep where he finally goes through with it, dealing with the consequences. Logan's Dean and Nicki's Jamie, definitely round out the cast perfectly, especially there little "affair" - Very steamy. The show has a serious edginess and a high level of suspense that carries over episode to episode. I mean you really grow to love the characters, but you can't help but think, will this be the final episode of this character, because a few times some of these guys were getting close to death. Overall Dark Blue is a courageous, thrilling, and suspenseful series.
The Bad:
N/A
The Ugly:
N/A
Again Dark Blue is being aired weekly on TNT (check your local listings for stations and times) and its one series that really is a must see! Edgy, action packed, suspenseful, and loaded with drama. Highly recommend? Oh yes! Yes I do. Dark Blue gets a definite 5 out of 5 stars, all around perfect cop drama that's hard to pass up.
Email: valkor@the-other-view.com