Rookie Blue

I've watched every episode. I judge a movie or TV show by how much I care about what happens to the character. Andy has grown in so many ways as a cop since the series began. Of course, this is the writing. Unlike so much crap on TV today, the writing and character development has been excellent. These guys really have matured from rookies to (at least) sophomores. What's great is that they haven't been written as knowing it all -- yet. But, am I the only one who sees -- and feels -- that the entire 15th has become a big family, all having each others' backs? I care about these people, and I hope ABC sees fit to renew it to fill in for the soon-to-be-history fall show that fails first.

Come on, people. It's entertainment, it's a story, it's neither a police procedural manual nor a 'reality' show (as if those are 'real'). I know firsthand that the courtroom drama shows are also very unrealistic, but most trials actually get very boring, and who wants to watch that? For those who are carping about the acting, I wonder which shows you usually watch. With a heck of lot of training and performing under my belt, I'm very impatient with poor acting, but I find these characters very engaging, which is a good sign that the acting chops are there. My suggestion: Either don't watch it, or relax and enjoy it for what it is. I, for one, hope it stays on the air.

This was a little gem I found in the beginning of summer. Despite being aired on Showcase, Global and ABC, I didn't really hear too much about this show until the first season was done. With the series being filmed and set in Toronto, I was surprised it took me so long to watch it. This show might be old news to a lot of people but personally, I only know a handful of people who have seen this. So let me give a brief synopsis before getting into the review.

On the surface, Rookie Blue looks nothing more than a typical police drama with hardly any big name actors (No offence to Missy Peregrym and Gregory Smith) but it is so much more than that. Perhaps it holds a special place in my heart because of its Toronto and Canadian connections. The best way to describe this show is Grey's Anatomy with cops instead of surgeons. Replace the interns with rookies and Seattle Grace with 15 Division and you got yourself, Rookie Blue. The story is focused on 5 rookies (All Canadian actors btw) that just graduated from the academy, and follows their young careers as they experience the hardships of being a police officer both, on and off duty. Each rookie is assigned with a training officer and its a treat to watch the different dynamics of each pair, as well as the dynamics among the rookies as a group - learning together yet competing with one another to gain attention from the top dogs.

The main star of the show is rookie Andy McNally portrayed by the Montreal beauty, Missy Peregrym (Stick It), she's a cop that has a lot to prove because she carries the baggage of her father, a worn out, burnt out homicide detective. Other rookies include, over achiever, Dov Epstein (Gregory Smith, Everwood), nice-by-the-book-guy, Chris Diaz (Travis Mine), tough girl with an attitude, Gail Peck (Charlotte Sullivan), and the responsible single mother, Traci Nash (Enuka Okuma). Some of the veteran cops include, McNally's training officer, Sam Swarek (Ben Bass) - who's the direct opposite of her, goes by instinct and tends to break the rules to get the job done, homicide detective, Luke Callaghan (Eric Johnson) and Nash's training officer, Noelle Wlliams (Melanie Nicholls-King). With such a big ensemble cast of interesting characters, I need to cut myself short, or I'd be typing forever.

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With all of the reality shows polluting television stations everywhere these days, shows like this are what keep me from turning off my TV permanently.

Rookie blue is exactly what you think it is: a cop show. It's got action, drama, and even has it's comedic moments. It has a variety of characters, the main ones being the five rookies, and chronicles the goings-on in and around the team.

The main characters are Andy, the good cop who rarely lets anyone in, Epstein, the smart dork from a broken family (that he never really talks about), Peck, the mean girl whose mother was a well-known and well-respected cop on the force, Diaz, the good Catholic boy who seems to want to break free of that image, and Nash, the single mother who's been trying to balance work and motherhood without anyone's help. They're all, at times, naive and still have so much to learn but isn't that what being a rookie is all about? You're trained according to what might happen but that almost never completely prepares you for the real world.

I think the problem many viewers have with this show is that it's been done before but, like I said , this is a cop show and that's what it's promised to be. If you know you don't like the genre, that's fine, but it isn't the show's fault. I'm venting a bit, but it's just frustrating when the advice being given is to not give the show a chance because there have been similar shows before. If you're looking for something completely different from anything you've ever seen before, you'll be looking for quite some time so, in the meantime, give this show a chance. It has real characters: ones everyone can relate to in some way or another, and the stories continue to unravel every week. Each episode has stories of their own, but there are also overarching story lines that regular viewers can become attached to.

It recently got renewed for a second season (Congratulations!), so it'll be around for a while. It really is a good show. The kind that I, personally, have been wanting to see but didn't expect in the summer (how often do good summer shows come on?). So, if you can, check it out. The episodes also get posted on Global TV and ABC's sites, so if you can't see it when it airs, it'll also be there. Hope you all enjoy it as much as I do!

I want to take a moment to defend this show, and I will defend it mightily. Yes, there are some unresolved issues that the creators would benefit from paying some attention to. Yes, the show can be much better than it is. Yet, that in itself is kind of inspiring, and certainly enough to keep this show around for more than one season. I would be willing to see a LOT more of it, in fact. It has so much opportunity to address so many issues with its fantastic premise. If it bobbles every once in a while like with the third, so what? It's only four episodes in. Every show's team makes mistakes sometimes. The point is whether or not they learn from their mistakes. The episode that came on after the third was infinitely better than the previous one. The lead characters seem to be having a BALL, always an important aspect of what makes a show watchable. There are a myriad of possibilities left to explore. The lead actors and actresses are excellent and perfectly cast, Mr. Sam whatchamacallit is an excellent handsome lead I promised myself I would not fawn, and Andie is a very compelling character in herself. I would prefer a voice over from her so that her behavior made more sense why be so mean to Sam because of rules that are not under his control? Why can't she just TALK to him about it? Is she actually not interested?. I would also prefer that she be a bit more approachable, and please God, better at her job. Right now she SEEMS every bit the bumbling intern, and is clearly not doing as well as everyone else. Yet that gives her the opportunity to redeem herself. Many shows begin with a much less interesting premise and get less interesting as they go along. This show is better than at least half the shows on television, including those that have somehow like a certain criminal investigation show, anyone? persisted for a good three years longer than they should have with critics' inexplicable approval. This show is fun, it is real, it is a look at a world we have only seen from the rosy point of view of the very best. We have never seen the criminal justice system deeply challenged from the inside, which Andie seems poised to do. We have never seen the rules of engagement actively challenged, which Sam seems poised to do. We have never had any writers tackle the very real problem of special treatment in selecting new candidates for the force and offering promotions. We have never seen people of different races work together and address misunderstandings, like Andie's best friend and her paramour. This is very good television, AND it is very female-friendly television. Men, shut up. This show is not for you. This time, it is not ABOUT you!