Dark Blue

I'm always wary of any production that has Jerry Bruckheimer attached to it - I never know if things will turn out for the best (CSI: Las Vegas) or for the worst (Transformers 2). When I heard Dylan McDermott was going to star, I decided to give the pilot a chance...and I'm glad I did.

The show centers around Lt. Shaw's (McDermott) undercover unit, comprised of himself and two other cops, Curtis (Hardwick) and Bendis (Marshall-Green). Along the way, Shaw recruits a bright-eyed street cop with a dubious past, Allen (Aycox). The unit walks the line between committing felonies that could land them in jail for a considerable amount of time and nailing the criminal enterprises they have infiltrated.

The writing is sharp, if a little predictable when it comes to the "Federal Bureau of Intimidation," but the show works. I hope it becomes serialized like 24 and The Shield, and not procedural like NYPD Blue, as I think that'll give the show more of a chance to delve into the psychology of what it takes to be an undercover cop and remain the person you were when you entered into a cover.

All in all, a good start with a lot of potential. I hope they focus on the characters as much as they do on plot in the episodes to come.

8/10

First off, I'd like to know how you guys were able to swipe the name I had registered for the last eight years! :) Secondly,I'd like to say congrats to your writers and actors for putting together a nice piece of work. Dark Blue clearly defines the fine line between what an 'undercover' and a 'plainclothes'cop. Most of your viewers will catch on if they haven't already. Although you've taken police genre in a new direction, I've seen several flaws in some of the action scenes. I know this because I'm an ex-NYPD undercover cop. I wonder how much more gritty your show would be if you infused outside help from someone who's actually been a real 'undercover'. Click here: Welcome to Derek Wright Associates

Great start!

When I first sat down to watch this show I was expecting another formulaic, "fast and loose with the rules but always just on the right side of the line" cop show. I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised.

Dark Blue is indeed refreshingly dark; the characters are predictably tortured souls with an interesting mix of personalities and histories that add to the depth of the plot lines, they are all superbly written and acted to the degree that sometimes the plot becomes something of a happenstance as we follow the personal journeys of the protagonists.

the plots themselves have all been seen before in numerous guises, but Dark Blue puts a new and slightly twisted slant on them that can fool you into thinking that you have never seen them before, but it is worth remembering that the case is not really the important thing here; it is what the case does to the characters that defines the show.

All in all, I would recommend this show to anyone who wants to watch a new and gritty take on a genre that has not yet been pushed to these limits.

internet haters crawl out of the woodwork on this one... wow, maybe they should watch more than 5 minutes of something before they write a comment....

most of the TV series that have been most engrossing for me have been tough to get in sync with, then after a couple of episodes, I save em on tivo and am a devoted fan for years... Dark Blue is one of these..

It's imperfect as most are, cramming a case per episode is a little contrary to the serious nature of the delivery and feels rushed for example... but everything else is spot on... the actors do themselves great credit with interesting and fresh delivery of a overdone genre...

Well shot, well acted, a better emotional hook than other TV crime shows.. can't wait to see it through.....

EDIT: Season 2 update....

With Season 2 well under way and the addition of Battlestar Galactica alumni Tricia Helfer, Dark Blue has really taken off. Season long subplot arcs have been added and it puts the show over the edge for a long run. It truly feels like a great show now...

This format works for other shows like NYPD Blue, CSI, Law & Order, etc. but I think it really limits a cop show about undercover police officers. Even more so because "Dark Blue" also promises to focus regularly on the characters' personal lives. I don't see how they can do this effectively if they rush through each and every episode. The pilot episode felt so rushed that I felt as if I could hardly keep up with what was happening. The Franzine character, who according to Detective Shaw was "a jack of all trades", could've easily lasted for several more episodes before being wiped out. The writing and the dialog seemed off! I hope the writers realize they can cover a lot more ground with story lines and characters by stretching things out a little.