TV Review: Detroit 1-8-7 (2010)

Cops shows on TV are a dime a dozen, from the various CSI series to the boy/girl shows such as Castle and Bones.

I've never gotten into the CSI shows or Law and Order, assuming that they're all essentially the same basic plot repeated over and over, which is why I avoided similar shows in years gone by, such as Barnaby Jones, Ironside and the original Hawaii 5-0. However, I was a fan of NYPD Blues because of its gritty realism and complicated relationships, so I never completely avoided cop shows.

Detroit 1-8-7 was not on my radar when it originally aired in 2010, but I decided to give it a try since it's one and only season is out on DVD. I've now watched all 18 episodes and, to my surprise, I was quite taken by the cast of characters and how they managed to come across as real people with real
problems that aren't always solved during the shows 42 minute run time.

What really sets a cop show apart from all the others, aside from the basic murder mystery plot, is its characters. They don't have to all be likeable, but it helps if they're at least unique and interesting.

Detective Louis Fitch played by Michael Imperioli is one of the most compelling characters on any show I've watched in recent years. There's a mystery going on with Fitch that slowly reveals itself over the course of the 18 episodes that helps keep the plots from getting too predictable and cliché. Fitch is, at first, very much a loner who seems to have trouble developing relationships within the rest of the precinct. However, as the show progresses, we get to gradually understand the dilemma he's facing and how he finally deals with a difficult situation that wraps up, fortunately, before the series' final episode.

The show has at least two storylines in each episode, sometimes three, as each team works on their current case. Finch, the veteran cop, is partnered with Detective Damon Washington (John Michael Hill), a rookie, and their relationship stumbles through a several episodes as Washington tries to figure out how to deal with Finch's quirky, isolationist personality. He never truly succeeds, but they do find a harmonious, though frustrating, way to work together. Both actors do a great job of developing their partnership so that it feels realistic and, by the end of the series, they've come to a workable understanding once Finch's situation is worked out.

Sergeant Jesse Longford (James McDaniel), the veteran cop who is close to retirement, is dealing with the sudden death of his wife and is partnered with Detective Vikram Mahajan (Shaun Majumder). Detective Ariana Sanchz (Natalie Martinez) and Detective John Stone (D.J. Controna) are partners who develop an intimate relationship that creates some sticky situations within the precinct. All three teams have their moments through out the series. Lieutenant Maureen Wilson, as played by Aisha Hinds, is the den mother of all three teams and fills out the ensemble cast as a strong, but caring leader as she jugglles raising her teenage daughter with the stress of police work.

The problem with a lot of cop shows is the plots become too predictable. No matter how much danger the lead characters have to face, they always win in the end, so much of the drama is mute. Therefore, it was a nice surprise when one of the main characters gets gunned down unexpectedly. No spoilers here. You'll have to watch the show to find out which one. This alone puts Detroit 1-8-7 a step ahead of many other similar types of shows.

Finally, for once a show that is set in a city is actually shot in that city. Detroit plays an integral part of the atmosphere, especially with the soundtrack and music selections. Having grown up across the river from Detroit, it's sad to see the city having so many problems. Detroit 1-8-7 makes you
realize that with all the crime and financial difficulties, there are still people in the city who care.

Unfortunately, quality shows like Detroit 1-8-7 all too often don't get high enough ratings to keep them on the air for very long. However, with 18 episodes, there's enough to enjoy what could have been a long term stalwart for the network if only they had given the show a bit more time and publicity to catch on with the TV viewing public.

Note: Reviewing cancelled TV shows that are available on DVD will be a regular feature.

Detroit 1-8-7  Trailer

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Damages: The Face of Evil?

This is the face of evil. Take a close look. Glenn Close plays super lawyer Patty Hewes in the series Damages and this is the final shot of the series finale which ended in 2012. The camera lingers on her face for a full 40 seconds, and it's quite fascinating to watch since those viewers of all five seasons of Damages know without a doubt that she really is the personification of evil.

Glenn Close has one of those scary faces that just screams "WITCH" don't you think? The hair and makeup and that mouth! Evil, for sure.

What else can you see in that face? Arrogance. Of course. During the course of 59 episodes, this character has done everything possible to win her court cases. Manipulate judges, have rivals murdered, lie whenever it benefited her case as well as pull off some slick manoeuvring that allowed her to always come out on top. Corruption at the highest level of the law. And yet, no one in authority ever takes action against her. In fact, during the fifth and last season she's asked to consider becoming a judge on the Supreme Court. What is even more scary is that she showed no genuine remorse or guilt for all her evil doing throughout the entire five seasons.

If there truly are people and lawyers in the world like this character, then all I can say is, no wonder the world we live in is so messed up.

Herein lies the main problem with Damages. The writers have created a really nasty villain, but there is never any truly strong character to oppose her. Patty's main rival is Ellen Parsons, played by Australian actress Rose Byrne. Ellen is supposed to be an ambitious, up and coming, hot shot lawyer, but she is so meek and almost ditzy when up against Patty Hewes, it plays out like one of those nature films that show a big, rambling lion taking down a frantic gazelle in the plains of Africa. This is especially true during the final season when Ellen and Patty go head to head in a court battle over a Wikileaks type of web site that accidently leaked personal information that lead to the (supposed) suicide of one of their whistleblowers.

Watching Ellen Parsons stumble through the season trying to outwit Patty Hewes was, at times, difficult to watch. Lack of a strong character to oppose such complete evil was so frustrating, I'm not sure why I bothered to watch to the very end. I guess I wanted to believe the writers would finally create a situation that allowed Ellen to shine, but the opposite eventually played out.

My initial attraction to Damages was the way the storylines throughout each season were based on real current events, from the Enron scandal to a Bernie Madoff Ponzi Scheme situation and so on. Unfortunately, the writing throughout was under par for the most part. The use of constant flashbacks as a device to manipulate and trick the viewer never really worked because the clues given were often totally misleading. This is especially true of the 5th season series finale, where the flashback implies something that is so sneaky, when the truth was revealed I wanted to throw my shoe at the TV screen.

Flashbacks can be a good device when handled with care, but this show used this technique in almost every episode to the point where it got to be a bore and it didn't take long to figure out after a season or two what was going on. When laying down clues, a good mystery plays fair with the audience. Not so with Damages.

Finally, I hate shows that seem to have scenes that do little to move the story forward. It's like the writer's are just killing time so they can fill the 42 minutes of each episode without having to work too hard. There were many scenes like this throughout Damages, where I thought, "Move on! I don't care about this sideshow!"

Is there anything positive to say about Damages? Yes, one season had a character played by Timothy Oliphant. I was so taken by him, that I started searching out other shows he's been on. This led to HBO's Deadwood, and his current show, Justified, both excellent dramas and Justified has quickly become one of my favorite shows of all time.

Damages (2007–2012 )
TV Series

Cast:
Glenn Close  ...  Patty Hewes 
Rose Byrne  ...  Ellen Parsons

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