Wicked City

Kent Galloway (Ed Westwick) is a serial killer hunting the Sunset Strip in 1980s L.A. Karen McClaren (Taissa Farmiga) is an aspiring journalist who has a close encounter with him. Betty Beaumontaine (Erika Christensen) is a single mom nurse who begins a twisted affair with him. Police detectives Jack Roth (Jeremy Sisto) and Paco Contreras (Gabriel Luna) hunt for him. They track down McClaren as an witness and she's working with photographer Diver Hawkes (Evan Ross). Jack is married to Allison (Jaime Ray Newman) with a daughter and having an affair with undercover cop Dianne.

I actually like the style, the music and the killer story. I don't mind the Gossip Girl killer, and I really like Erika Christensen, Taissa Farmiga and Jeremy Sisto. A lot of things go through my mind about why this show crash and burn so badly both critically and in viewership. I have no problem with this getting canceled. There is no denying the horrendous rating. It deserves to be canceled after only 3 episodes. So what went wrong? Despite the minor success of Aquarius, I don't think this is a network show. This would work better as an 8 part serial with a lot more blood splatter. The story could move much faster. Aquarius is a summer show anyways. As for Wicked City, I don't care about Jack Roth's personal issues. I don't care about his love life. It would be better to concentrate on the killings and the investigation. I'm one of the few who actually like the show but I won't shed a tear for its cancellation.

There's an odd critic backlash against "Wicked City" because of "violence against women". Uhh... it's a show about a detective pursuing a serial killer similar to Hillside Strangler, who targeted women. It is fiction, centered around certain subject matter which alludes to, unfortunately, some real history. And when it comes to actual graphic scenes, they're tame compared to a show like "CSI" or "Bones", never even mind "Dexter". Or "Zodiac". Or "SE7EN".

So what's next, are we gonna hear that "12 Years A Slave" is racist because it shows abuse of African-Americans? Clearly, they've been singled out by that movie! Is that how low the bar has fallen, that we now want to keep storytelling on a politically-correct leash, to strip it of any edge or rawness, dare it not offend anyone? I hope not, because that will be the end.

Compared to your generic procedurals like CSI: CITY or NCIS: CITY, or Hawaii Five-O, this show's pilot was refreshing, it moved along at a brisk pace, and made me actually interested in what happens next.

Compared to throwaway skin-show-for-kids like "Quantico" this show should be a breakaway hit. At least, in a world where critics have taste.

I do enjoy the pace and the controversial matter. I also love the acting. I understand there were some rewrites and new scenes, which I am guessing had to do with the ridiculous comments from critics saying its sexually gender demoralizing??? what? has anyone seen a "true crime" show concerning serial raper/killing, and the gory scenes suggested in those shows? Yet they get kudos, and the lost in time,father knows best networks cant seem to swallow reality or a slight taste of it? These are the realities of true crime, yet this show tries to keep it lower on the "reality" or "truth telling" crime radar, than some other series? The very topic of rape and serial killing is what this kind of crime is about, power and control. That's just what happens in a rape and serial killing story. I like the truth in it, though it does deviate just enough for me to see it as entertaining cop and serial killer bad guy show, rather than horror show or another one of those gore related to SCSI kind of shows. It's just enough different and new idea that its interesting and the actors are all seasoned and seem to be doing really well in capturing the characters and their roles. I also like the way they really hit on the 1980's vibe. That is well done. Its not a ten, but close enough for me to keep watching. Why is the rating so low here on IMDb?

After 2 episodes, I think this one may turn into a winner--I'm wondering if they might get bogged down in the whole "period piece" thing of the 80's because frankly, I didn't even pick up on that until halfway through the first episode... but the entire second episode put it right in my face. I absolutely love Taissa Farmiga in everything she's done so far, but in this series, her acting is horrible. I don't know whether it's on purpose or not, but she'll say a line and THEN react to it; like, "He tried to kill me..." in a deadpan and then she'll remember she's supposed to look like she's surprised. She's a doll, though.

After watching the 8 episodes of Wicked City, I am appalled it was cancelled so hastily. In the aftermath of Ted Bundys fame, charisma, and semi-success, Kents story isn't shocking, it's appealing.

The luring intrigue of Ed Westwick as a serial killer with a misunderstood heart, holds up throughout the show, allowing mild sympathy for the killer, and growing disgust for the cops who hunt him down. The audience sees the while the killer exposes his truth, the "good-guy" cops hide theirs from all who know them.

Who will win, the good, bad, or other, and which is which?

While nearly perfect in believability, the only discouraging force in the show is Taissa Farmingas acting, parallel to her constant deer in the headlight approach to each situaion, in every other show. She is underwhelming, and distracting from the smoothness of the rest of the cast. Highly recommended, reboot desired, dvd release, a must!