PILOT REVIEW: The Chicago Code

THE CHICAGO CODE

Starring: Jason Clarke, Jennifer Beals, Matt Lauria, Devin Kelley, Todd Williams, Billy Lush, and Delroy Lindo

Created by Shawn Ryan
Written by Shawn Ryan, Directed by Charles McDougall

FOX's new drama The Chicago Code is the third new cop show of the season. Detroit 1-8-7 captured the grittiness of a troubled city, Blue Bloods captures the power and glamor of the nation's biggest city, and now The Chicago Code captures the corruption and headstrong tendencies of its title city. There are signs of promise but also kinks to be worked out in this newest entry which centers on a new corruption-fighting superintendent of police Teresa Colvin (Jennifer Beals), a veteran cop, Jarek Wysocki, who's not easy to work with but on the right side of the law (Jason Clarke), and a powerful figure who has built an "empire of corruption" - Ronin Gibbons (Delroy Lindo).

The show was better as it went along. It started a bit disjointed though it began to set up the stories well. But by the end, the characters were clicking better, the story got more interesting, and it left me wanting to see more. Beals was believable as a headstrong superintendent. Clarke seemed a bit too put-upon at the beginning of the episode but was stronger by the end. He had a great scene with his latest partner Caleb Evers (Matt Lauria) that involved pulling a fire alarm. Other interesting but so far underdeveloped characters include undercover cop Liam Hennessey (Billy Lush) and Wysocki's sister and fellow cop Vonda (Devin Kelley). But the most interesting character might be the powerful but very corrupt Gibbons. Hopefully the show just brushed the surface of Delroy Lindo's character in the pilot.

It's not a perfectly put together show yet but it has a good foundation that might allow it to stand out among cop shows. Even as other cases come up, the serialized aspect of the show involving Gibbons and the corruption should be at the forefront because that is when the show is strongest. A surprise ending to the pilot made for an intriguing set up for future episodes. Jarek and Caleb seem to be a strong cop partnership and there's much to explore among the characters whose back stories we were briefly introduced to. This show has potential but it needs to be developed. If it does, it can be a strong new look at an old genre. If it doesn't, it will be a mundane cop show. Time will tell.