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.

Fix up The Mob Doctor

Grade: 80%

FOX has a new drama called THE MOB DOCTOR. Starring Jordana Spiro (My Boys) as Grace Devlin, a promising young surgeon who agrees to do work for the mob to pay off her brother, Danny’s (Jesse Lee Soffer, As the World Turns), debt, the series finds the protagonist bouncing between two worlds. In one, she has a bright career ahead of her and a wonderful boyfriend, Dr. Brett Robinson (Zach Gilford, Friday Night Lights, Off the Map). In the other, she pulls screwdrivers out of heads in the back room at a veterinary clinic.

As the “Pilot” begins, it almost looks like Grace enjoys the double life. She handles a thug with ease, not cruel, but not flappable, either. We learn that she grew up around criminals, and one of her earliest memories is finding a dead body. This sets the stage for a main character of questionable morals, something that does very well on cable, but is rarely seen successfully done on broadcast TV.

But as the hour plays out, it soon becomes apparent that Grace is not a common criminal. She is helping out her family, making her the kind of bright and shiny hero that populates many a series. This actually makes her a bit less interesting, as now we assume that she will always do the right thing. After all, her involvement in this mess of a situation is just stemming from loyal to her family, not out of a desire to do wrong or protect guys that should be behind bars. Should the writing stray from such a predictable formula, it would be neat and fresh. As it stands, Grace may quickly become rote and boring.

What gives me hope is Spiro herself. Her excellent work on her previous sitcom starring role over several years proved and honed her comedy chops. She dipped her toe into light drama with a recurring role on Harry’s Law more recently. Now, with THE MOB DOCTOR, she is given more to work with than ever, and the entire hour seems to hang on her, since she is in every scene. Spiro doesn’t flinch, and stays compelling through it all.

Another positive element is the writing. It’s hard to tell in which direction the series intends to go from just the “Pilot” because it is mostly setting things up. But there is no obvious patient of the week, with Grace treating several people throughout. And because the show is on FOX, not CBS, it may very well be allowed to explore large arcs, rather than being stuck in a formula. Or, if it does follow a weekly pattern, it may get to depart from that more than many other shows.

Spiro is surrounded by a talented, proven cast. Besides Gilford, there’s Zeljko Ivanek (The Event, Damages) as the hospital boss, William Forsythe (Boardwalk Empire, The Rock) playing the counterpart man in charge, James Carpinello (Rock of Ages), Floriana Lima (Poor Paul), Wendy Makkena (Sister Act, Listen Up), and Jaime Lee Kirchner (Mercy). This means that, if the writers decide not to make Spiro carry the show by herself, which they should, despite her talent, there is an already-built support system in place to sustain a quality series.

I don’t want to give away the ending of episode one, but suffice it to say, the balance of power is not established until the very last minutes of the episode. It makes it a little hard to talk about what to expect, going forward. A lot of the “Pilot” does a fine job establishing the characters and the setting, but it’s hard to say what kind of series THE MOB DOCTOR wants to be until we see how things play out past this first installment.

Another thing that happens very late is telling about Grace herself, painting some of her attitudes and actions in a different light. As a character, she does a handful of things that didn’t quite add up to me until that revelation. Had the twist been missing, it’s likely this would be a very different review.

THE MOB DOCTOR premieres Monday, September 17th on FOX.