CHICAGO PD Rescues Crime Genre From Procedural

Article first published as CHICAGO P.D. Review on Seat42F.

For those of you who read my reviews even semi-regularly, you likely know that I am against procedural dramas, and have often railed at the overstuffed crime genre. So it may surprise you to learn that I enjoy NBC’s CHICAGO P.D. A lot, and am looking forward to watching it on a regular basis.

CHICAGO P.D. is a spin-off of Chicago Fire, and features several recurring characters from the mother ship, now in a main cast member role. Sergeant Hank Voight (Jason Behge), Detective Antonio Dawson (Jon Seda), and Detective Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer) are already very familiar to viewers, having appeared in sizable arcs and many installments. Other cops that were in Chicago Fire only once or twice are included, too, although not every police officer in that series is in CHICAGO PD. In fact, some people set up for this spin-off are no longer involved, which one doesn’t really notice because the cast that is present is full and enjoyable.

Besides those mentioned above, the pilot introduces us to Detective Erin Lindsay (Sophia Bush, One Tree Hill), who has a past with Voight, Adam Ruzak (Patrick John Flueger, The 4400), an eager newcomer, Alvin Olinsky (Elias Koteas, The Killing), who can get things done, Officer Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati, Gossip Girl), who may not be as much of a pushover as she first seems, Sheldon Jin (Archie Kao, CSI), the tech guy, and others.

Like Chicago Fire, CHICAGO P.D. is must more focused on the characters than the crimes, which is the key thing that sets it apart from its peers, and the main reason I am tuning in. The first episode immediately sets about fleshing out all of the people above (plus other characters), giving them varied personalities and backgrounds. These should clash in interesting ways as the series goes on.

CHICAGO P.D. is not quite a soapy as Chicago Fire (which my wife fittingly refers to as Grey’s Anatomy: Firefighter Style). In the initial hour, there is a major crime lord who the good guys are after. But while he is being hunted, there are lots of great interactions between characters, setting up the overall dynamic, and these overwhelm connecting clues in screen time. It’s this mixture that is so important to making the show interesting.

The Intelligence team is bound to be one rife with drama. We know Voight crosses the line a lot, and may just be evil. Even if you haven’t watched Chicago Fire, that much is evident right away. And we know Antonio is a good guy, someone concerned with what is right, and a man who is not afraid to stand up to those who are selfish or crooked. Add a bunch of other ingredients to the mix, and it’s unlikely the main group will be stagnant, as is often the case in other cop shows.

There’s also an incredibly cool twist late in the episode that kind of sets the tone of what CHICAGO P.D. will be. It is a similar plot device to what Chicago Fire had in its pilot, but carried out in a different manner to make an even bigger impact, and one sure to have lasting consequences. In fact, I dare predict that this show will have many long arcs, and a criminal will not be brought to justice every week. At least, that’s the hope, and the early signs are good.

If you are a Chicago Fire fan, the connections are present very strongly in the pilot, which should help CHICAGO P.D. retain the same audience, at minimum. Gabriela (Monica Raymund) is there, of course, being Antonio’s sister, but so are Shay (Lauren German), Otis (Yuri Sardarov), and Hermann (David Eigenberg), as well as Molly’s, the bar. I hope more of these cross overs occur frequently, since both series are set in the same place and time, giving more opportunity for such things than other spin-offs usually have.

In short, the first hour is excellent. It’s got enticing performances, a terrific cast, and an interesting story, with hints of good things to come. CHICAGO P.D. premieres Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET on NBC.

I like CHICAGO FIRE "In My Face"

Article first published as I like CHICAGO FIRE "In My Face" on TheTVKing.

Just ahead of its spinoff debut, NBC's Chicago Fire returns for the back half of its second season with "Shoved in My Face." Some time has passed since the fall finale, though how much is not clear. As the episode begins, Casey (Jesse Spencer) is able to resume work, healed from the incident. But has he fully recovered?

Casey is one of the most central players, so fans had to have known he wasn't dead, despite the cliffhanger we were left on. However, some might not expect the consequences of the injuries. Casey seems fine to most of his friends, but there's something a little off and unstable about him that begins to rear its head.

For most jobs, making mistakes is no big deal. For a firefighter, where lives are on the line every day, this isn't good. Mouch (Christian Stolte), who witnesses the danger Casey poses first hand, hasn't told on Casey yet, out of loyalty, but if Casey doesn't figure out how to fix the problem, there will be further ramifications, and none of them will be good.

Casey is trying to move on by asking Dawson (Monica Raymund) to live with him. It's about time the two were officially an item. They dance around each other for a season and a half before this comes about, and viewers and characters alike are happy that they have gotten together. But it's not a good sign that Casey isn't even confiding his issues with Dawson, beginning their relationship on a rocky path.

Dawson can be forgiven for not hounding Casey too hard about how he's feeling as she's now quite busy as a cadet in the firefighter school. She doesn't have the easiest start to classes, especially when she is around 51, as her instinct is to act like a member of the team. There will definitely be some adjustment time for her to step back and move away. But that should only be temporary, so it's all good.

Shay (Lauren German) also has to adjust to the new arrangement, as a new woman, Allison Rafferty (Christine Evangelista, Lucky 7), takes over Dawson's spot as Shay's partner and boss. This dynamic is very shaky at first, and there's a point in "Shoved in My Face" where it doesn't look like things are going to work out. Then Shay breaks through the new woman's armor, and they seem to get along.

Rafferty comes across as a homophobe initially. She says she has no problems with lesbians, she just doesn't want the behavior shoved in her face. This is usually an excuse for those who are small-minded and trying not to appear as full of gross hate as they are. In this particular case, though, it looks like one person just did over share with Rafferty, and while its unfair to employ stereotyping, Rafferty doesn't really appear to be a bigot at her core. Thank goodness!

There's plenty of conflict without bringing a jerk into the firehouse. Molly's might be lost, as Otis (Yuri Sardarov) and Herrmann (David Eigenberg) learn about a lien on the building, Mills (Charlie Barnett) has to push Clarke (Jeff Hephner) to stop protecting his gal from a serious crime, and Severide's (Taylor Kinney) teaching career starts off bad when he tries to kick out the daughter of one of the brass, Rebecca Jones (Daisy Betts, Last Resort). That's quite enough without more discord creeping in.

Of course, there are good things in "Shoved in My Face," too. Mills is finally accepted into Squad 3, Otis has a love connection with Severide's sister, Katie (Brittany Curran), Antonio (Jon Seda) finds evidence that could clear Clarke, and most of the main characters are getting along with one another, no internal spats disrupting the tone of the house right now. That's a relief.

Chicago Fire is a prime time soap opera, along the lines of Grey's Anatomy, so the personal drama will always be a focus. But that doesn't mean everyone has to be at everyone's throats all the time, and the shift in "Shoved in My Face," from internal conflict to external, is one that will hopefully stick around for awhile.

Chicago Fire airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC, and the spin-off, Chicago PD, well worth watching, premieres tonight at 10 p.m. EST.

Chicago Fire burns

The television airwaves are flooded with police officers, doctors, and lawyers. It seems only a matter of time until fire fighters join their ranks. Sure, we had the cable series Rescue Me, but when was the last time those who put out the blazes found success on the broadcast networks? If it has ever happened, it certainly did so before my time. NBC tries its hand at making it work this week with Chicago Fire.

Now, writers of shows featuring doctors, lawyers, and cops have it easy. They can effortlessly slide into a procedural where there is a mystery or case that must be solved, and the characters can spend an hour doing so. While there are fires that require lots of time to put out (think: the forest variety), many of the incidents these brave men and women deal with just will not fill up an entire episode. Sure, it might take an hour to actually put the fire out in reality, but much of that would not make engaging television week after week. I'm sorry, because it's a noble job and those who do it deserve massive amounts of respect and credit, but it's true.

So Chicago Fire doesn't try to go down this road. Instead, it reaches for soapy drama, albeit in a slightly less sensitive way, which should appeal to male viewers more than many other soapy dramas on TV. The focus is the interaction between the characters, the emotions they must deal with, and how their lives play out. This makes for a great "Pilot," and could prove to be a highly watchable series.

At the center of Chicago Fire are Matthew Casey (Jesse Spencer, House) and Kelly Serveride (Taylor Kinney, The Vampire Diaries). Apologies if I get the details of this wrong after only one episode, as I am going by first impressions, and admittedly don't know a lot about how fire teams operate. Matt leads what seems to be the squad we would think of as the "normal" firemen, who pull people out of buildings and extinguish the flames. Kelly is in charge of a small group that do daring rescue operations. There is some obvious clash between the groups, especially the leaders.

Now, what caused this rift isn't clear. There is definitely some pain felt from the loss of a comrade a month ago, shown in the opening scene. But why Kelly seems to hate Matt isn't completely obvious, and while Matt tries to extend the olive branch, it takes another near tragedy for Kelly to even think about accepting it. This is great drama, of course, handled quite well by two fully capable leading men. Even if the specifics aren't understood (yet), one can appreciate the sentiment.

Spencer is quite surprising with an American accent. He does it well enough, to be sure, but for those who spent so long watching him on House, there will definitely be an adjustment period. Kinney cranks up the talent level a notch from his time as a werewolf, believable and solid.

There are also a number of other characters in the series. Chief Boden (Eamonn Walker, Kings) mostly leaves Kelly and Matt alone, but demands that they don't allow anger to fester. A pair of EMTs (Monica Raymond, Lie to Me, and Lauren German, Hawaii Five-0) stick together and try to restore confidence after a perceived mistake is made. Peter (Charlie Barnett) is the new guy who has yet to decide which squad he wants to be in, though if that choice is left entirely up to him isn't made clear. Christopher (David Eigenberg, Sex and the City) likes to cook and keep up on the news, providing heart at the station. Otis (Yuri Sardarov) would like his teammates to stop calling his Otis and learn his real name, hoping that Peter will soon be the new Otis. And Mouch (Christian Stolte, Prison Break) has a secret that Matt is tired of covering for.

This is a good mix of personalities, providing plenty of fodder for many a story, and without a weak link among them. It sets up Chicago Fire perfectly to be a more masculine, male-centric version of Grey's Anatomy, and that's what it should go for. The first episode has humor, and makes viewers quickly care about the characters. There's also the excitement of the actual fire fighting, which itself proves a good draw. Plus, a quick cameo by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is a nice way to kick things off.

The only complaint I have about the "Pilot" is the little tidbits of Matt's personal life. We find out he's been involved with young doctor Hallie Thomas (Teri Reeves, Battleground), but they are secretly living apart because she's not ready to start a family, and he is. While there will surely be romance on the series, these scenes seem superfluous and separate from the rest of the episode. Maybe that is the point, to show another side of Matt's life, but it just doesn't seem needed, at least not yet.

Overall, a good first effort that has the possibility to run awhile and be fairly popular. Chicago Fire is worth checking out. It airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC.

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Check out my website, JeromeWetzel.com! First posted on TheTVKing