Copper - Justice is brutal

When I first saw the trailer for Copper, I figured it would be like a continuation of 'Gangs of New York.' How wrong I was. Though the setting of Copper mimics that of 'Gangs,' it goes further beyond into the seedy underbelly of the Five Points. It focuses not on revenge or the Civil War, but rather what problems plagued the detectives that tried to keep order in a lawless town.

On its own, Copper is a unique perspective on how justice was done in America. Essentially, the show is about Kevin Corcoran, a detective in the Five Points who stops at nothing to get his man, even the ones that think they are above the law. He relies heavily on his partner, Francis Maguire, during the inevitable trouble that follows them wherever they go. Kevin also invokes the help of a black doctor, Matthew Freeman, whose brilliant mind helps the detectives identify certain characteristics of victims that will lead to the killer. But their relationship is tricky due to the fresh wounds that are present from a recovering nation after the Civil War.

This show is not at all shy or subtle in its approach as to how things were back then. From the issues of race, class, peer pressure, and the common practice of child prostitution, nothing is left untouched by Copper. This show is certainly not afraid of offending people and you know what? That's what makes it so good to watch.

Tom Weston-Jones commands the screen from the first glance and refuses to let go as we are introduced to more characters. He gives an air of mystery and respectability to his role as Kevin Corcoran. He and his co-stars are able to carry the load of heavy scenes that might otherwise make viewers uncomfortable in an understated way. The fact that the bulk of them are complete unknowns (at least in America) allows the audience to watch without any preconceived notions about what to expect.

Overall, I really liked the pilot. It has serious potential as it was able to balance a certain number of characters with intertwining story lines that make sense. It would be easy for the writers to back away from the uncomfortable situations that the characters get into, but I hope they don't. The raw talk and bold themes are what make this show unique.

I love this show it has absolutely fascinated me with the story. I want to know what happened to Ellen, what will happen to everyone in it.

Everything that you think you know, you have to just throw it out when the next show comes on and it all changes. There is something so wonderful about watching it unfold.

The characters are so interesting; dark and deep. I cannot begin to know what will happen and that cannot be said for much that is on television. I love the unique flavour of this show,the gritty reality. So often people have romanticized the roles of saloon girls and cops and this show does not do that at all, sure some might find that too explicit but they can go watch the regular formula stuff on the bland networks.I find this whole series absolutely perfect. Can't wait to see it each week.

What the Hell's kitchen were they thinking of cancelling Copper? A third season shelved on such a cliff hanger, when the story was really gaining momentum, and just as Billy Baldwin showed up and confirmed he hadn't flat lined. Maybe a new TV commercial for a network provider beckons for Kevin Bacon's best mate, know what I mean? Anyway it was good to see his sleazy return to our screens, if only for a short while.

Copper was a great series, not as hard edged as Deadwood, or as sophisticated as Boardwalk Empire, however it was good fun. The violence was a little cartoonish at times and it certainly became a bit modest just when you thought something really awful or exciting should have happened. That said, it really left the viewer wanting to know more about the characters and indeed the actors, who more or less did a great job, especially Kevin Ryan, who plays Detective Francis Maguire. He displayed just the right mix of brooding malice and dogmatic honour that made him really fun and interesting to watch.

The first series starts off well and builds a good story, complete with a few historical inaccuracies and misplaced modern attitudes, but remember this is no Deadwood! Apart from a bit of violence, this was something your mother could probably tolerate. Then came the second season, which obviously must have caught a negative whiff about re-commissioning for a third, because the violence and the nudity are certainly ramped up. Now your mother may have a thing or two to say and you'd best watch it on your own first.

This is a fun and lively series if you fancy a bit of period drama, that is gritty at times but never really shocking or uncomfortable to watch for anyone with a medium strength stomach. However, be warned that you will probably really enjoy it, and will need to be prepared for the disappointment of not seeing a third series!

Ladies and Gentlemen, I want SOMEONE preferable the director, producer, cinematographer, somebody to explain why they took a captivating story- line cast, and perfect momentum and made several radical departures that obviously hurt the show so much that led to it's ultimate demise...

Where somebody working on Season 2 screwed up - perfect examples:

#1) Season 2 - Episode 1: Why would you start developing an absolutely maniacal antagonist in the first episode who carved up Franka Potente's back in over-gruesome fashion only to have him killed later in the same episode?

#2) The basic camera filter used to shoot Season 1 depicted a period piece beautifully, and you could tell in the first 3 minutes of the first episode in season 2, that awful over-sepia-toned filter would throw audiences immediately off who had been eagerly anticipating the show to pickup right where it left off at the end of season 1.

#3) Kiara Glasco...this young lady playing Annie Reilly was brilliant in playing a very difficult young character, and she held her own in nearly ever episode. Her role was minimized in season 2 and an obvious void was apparent.

I could go on but these are my top 3, and they are absolutely inexcusable. Whoever deviated so drastically from the success of season 1 should be ashamed of themselves, and they owe Tom Weston Jones a HUGE apology for taking away one of the new great period characters American audiences have seen and will see, in a long damn time.

Just a shame.

-DSC

Copper came out of the gate a bit slowly, and that turned out to be a good thing. It's written to give a good, solid character development that really comes in handy as the show progresses and avoids the usual 2 dimensional "good guy/bad guy" stuff where so many characters usually become boring in similar types of drama.

Tom Weston-Jones is solid as Irish American copper Kevin "Corky" Corcoran and he's completely believable as a 19th century law officer in the Five Points area of New York City trying to do the job as honorably as he can, as well as locate his missing wife and find the murderer of his young daughter, amongst other things. An added bit of gritty reality finds that he's human and sometimes finds himself tempted by stuff (and occasionally partakes in certain acts) that most viewers today know are pretty much illegal or at least borderline not lawful. That's what makes this series so good is that it plays on a part of 19th century history that was pretty messed up due to the tumult caused by the civil war, but not touched on too often in television, anyway, from the gritty appearances of the cast and the scenery, to the questionable law practices. That's what makes this show a standout.

BBC America has got a winner in this one and it just keeps getting better as the storyline is fleshed out a little more with each episode. I can see why Barry Levinson is not afraid to attach his moniker to this show as an executive producer. It's that good.