Skip to main content

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.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

EPISODE GUIDES: That 70s Show Season Seven

On Thursdays, I go through classic series with a critical look at each season. Today I am looking at Season Seven of  That 70s Show ! THAT 70s SHOW: SEASON SEVEN 2004-2005 25 episodes The seventh season of  That 70s Show  is the final season with Topher Grace as a series regular and also the final full season for Ashton Kutcher. Despite still having both of those cast member, the show finds itself flailing especially with Topher Grace's Eric, who is stuck in a terrible arc for most of the season. The show also brings many characters back at one point or another but everything just feels tired. This season actually graded out the worst for me. Even worse than the often maligned final season (more on that next week). Every title this season is named for a Rolling Stones song. Starring Topher Grace as Eric Forman  (25 episodes) Mila Kunis as Jackie Burkhart  (25 episodes) Ashton Kutcher as Michael Kelso  (25 episodes) Danny Masterson as Steven Hyde  (25 e...

EPISODE GUIDES: Rhoda Season Five

On Thursdays, I go through classic series with a critical look at each season. Today I am looking at Season Five (the final season) of  Rhoda ! RHODA: SEASON FIVE 1978 13 episodes Rhoda' s final season was a truncated one as the show was cancelled in December 1978 after only 13 episodes had been produced (and only nine had aired). This feels like a continuation from season four in many ways except with the ill-advised split between Ida and Martin (more on that below). While  Rhoda  has an occasional good moment and even a couple decent episodes, it is a show that seems so wildly different from season one and not in a good way.  Rhoda  could never figure out what it fully wanted to be and only made it four and a half seasons as a result. Starring Valerie Harper as Rhoda Morgenstern  (13 episodes) Julie Kavner as Brenda Morgenstern  (13 episodes) Ray Buktenica as Benny Goodwin  (11 episodes) Kenneth McMillan as Jack Doyle  (9 episodes) Nancy Wa...

SCHEDULES OF THE PAST: 1995-1996 Thursdays

On Tuesdays, I take a look at schedules from yesteryear. Here's a look at Thursdays in the 1995-96 season! ABC 8:00 8:30 9:00 10:00 Sep Charlie Grace The Monroes Various Programs Oct Murder One Nov Various Programs Dec Various Programs Thursday Night Movie Jan Feb World’s Funniest Videos Before They Were Stars! Mar Apr May NBC was the powerhouse on Thursday nights but ABC still gave it the old college try in the Fall of 1995 with a trio of new dramas that they hoped would help them cut into the Peacock's dominance. Headlining their night was Murder One , a high profile new show from Steven Bochco that received much of the network's attention before the season started. The series focused on one murder case for an entire season, whi...