Against the Wall

Abby Kowalski (Rachael Carpani) comes from a long line of policemen. Her father (Treat Williams) and three brothers are all cops. She is frustrated with the lack of opportunities and takes a job in Internal Affairs which causes a rift in the family. She investigates police misconduct with partner Lina Flores (Marisa Ramirez).

Lifetime attempts do something here. Maybe the problem is that they didn't take on more risk. Or else they could have more than 13 episodes. The acting is good. There is some good family drama along with the standard police procedural. The two female police partners may be the pitch for Lifetime. This is a good show but I don't know how committed is the network. It just doesn't feel like a Lifetime show.

Another reviewer has panned this show purely because the backgrounds aren't Chicago. Whilst any person proud of their city may be remotely offended...it isn't a valid reason to pan the show. Also the premise of a heavily pregnant woman on the streets wielding her weapon is probably a little hard to believe...at the same time it was probably done as an experiment to do something different and create interest.

The pilot was a bit rocky and occasionally so was the scripting here and there. But that is usually true for the first seasons of most shows and the characters and acting really stands out in this show. Racheal Carpani does really well to charm the viewers and as a young almost newcomer she holds the show together really well with the help of a very charming and talented ensemble cast. The choice of Kathy Baker and Treat Williams for her parents was a good one to back the show up so to speak with some star value....but I agree with other reviewers that Papadol could be either strengthened or lost completely.

So far I am entirely charmed and think this show is certainly worth seeing how season 2 fairs. It is a step apart from the regular action packed hard-ass cop dramas which is why it has a freshness to it. Racheal Carpani is absolutely one to watch which being a fan of hers from McLeod's Daughters is the only reason I set out to watch this show in the first place.

I downloaded this mainly to see how homegrown gal Rachel Carpani is faring in the US - she does her best with the lousy scripts and their eye-rolling predictability, but has not so far shone. A shame, as she's a pretty good actress when given decent material. Sadly if this show is going to be her leg up into the US TV scene it won't lift her far. I haven't been surprised or even entertained to any great degree by an episode yet, but as I firmly believe 95% of TV series suffer first season growing and adjusting pains for both the actors and the script writers, I am prepared to give Season 2 a try. (A classic example of growing pains is The Shield - the first season reeked, but it ended up being one of the most excellent police dramas ever.)

Also, this show smacks of being an attempt at a female-oriented version of Blue Bloods, which is an infinitely better show. The premise of one member of a family of cops going into IA is full of potential, but regrettably, so far, Against the Wall fails to deliver, for me.

I have been watching this since the beginning, coming from Australia I have to download this show and I look forward to it each week.

I have been a big fan of Treat Williams since he starred in DB Cooper many years ago, so seeing a show with him in is a bonus for me even if he is just a bit part.

The show revolves around a family of cops, similar to Blue Bloods, but only in that regard. Abby is the only daughter of the family and she joins Internal Affairs because that is the only detective posting available. This is much to the disgust of her brothers and father, but they get over it as they love their sibling more than they hate IA.

While some of the scraps she and her partner, a pregnant Lina get into are a bit over the top, it is still mostly believable and very entertaining. The show is a police show that adds a lot of family drama and I enjoy watching it very much and recommend it. I look forward to this being on air for a long time to come.

8 out of 10 for me.

This show was a breath of fresh air in the midst of pointless and scripted "reality" shows as well as the numerous male dominated cop shows. It had a great cast, many of which were newcomers and a great storyline that always left you waiting for more. Abby goes into internal affairs a temporary position as she awaits a detective spot to open and ends up really finding her place in IA. Her family is a close knit family in Chicago and makes you feel like you are one of them while watching. Plus, the love triangle that Abby gets herself into is a fun side plot to watch. All the characters are interesting and all the stories leave you wanting more. It is a great show and great job to Lifetime for airing such a great story.