I really wanted to like this show - Bob De Niro and the NYPD - what could go wrong (yeah, OK, I'm not counting Righteous Kill here). Also a good 'patrol-cop' show has been needed since the departure of Third Watch (which went off-street to a degree in later shows) with only Southland (which is part detective driven) filling the void.
The first 10 minutes or so of the pilot are very good. Camera work is nothing special but they catch the first day of work nerves well, along with the edgy aggression which greets newcomers in para-military environments.
After that things go downhill.
terry-351-45582's review sums up the faults of plot logic and realism (even by TV standards) better than I could - but in summary the whole thing feels over-dramatized and exaggerated - particularly with regard to character back-story. For example, I get the feeling that Toney was originally written as a failed high-school athlete, which at some point warped into him being a former NBA star who somehow needs a city wage(say what?).
Some are comparing this unfavorably to Rookie Blue, which it certainly resembles in many ways. However it really starts to suffer when compared to Southland, which is arguably the same genre but which has managed to avoid too many clichés (and had some interesting camera work). I'll stick with it, but I'm not hopeful. Fingers crossed.
The first 10 minutes or so of the pilot are very good. Camera work is nothing special but they catch the first day of work nerves well, along with the edgy aggression which greets newcomers in para-military environments.
After that things go downhill.
terry-351-45582's review sums up the faults of plot logic and realism (even by TV standards) better than I could - but in summary the whole thing feels over-dramatized and exaggerated - particularly with regard to character back-story. For example, I get the feeling that Toney was originally written as a failed high-school athlete, which at some point warped into him being a former NBA star who somehow needs a city wage(say what?).
Some are comparing this unfavorably to Rookie Blue, which it certainly resembles in many ways. However it really starts to suffer when compared to Southland, which is arguably the same genre but which has managed to avoid too many clichés (and had some interesting camera work). I'll stick with it, but I'm not hopeful. Fingers crossed.