Rookie Blue

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.

Please continue reading the full review at: http://goo.gl/3VH68

New cop dramas come out every year or two and most are hit or miss, but there is something to this show that leaves me hoping it gets picked up again for another season. The show follows a group of fresh rookies trying to find their way on the force through mistakes and errors in judgement. It's filmed and set in Toronto, with its share of Canadian actors so that hit home with me. I read a review of this show that was very harsh and was disappointed that the show wasn't accurate in terms of what actual police work is like for rookies in terms of the amount of freedom they have in this show and the ability to make decisions. TV is meant for entertainment so I'm glad they don't have it accurate to a tee. But the emotions, fears, camaraderie, and pain these characters go through while trying to find their bearings in a new career are very real I think and contributes to the strength of the show.

Frankly, I agree with some of the reviewers from the US. After all, I'm a superhero and I have yet to see a show or movie that I felt properly demonstrated what the life of a superhero is like, I mean a 3 year old evil genius could invent better gadgets than what the movies or shows give Batman. ;) Seriously though, I've never seen any promotional material stating that this show was supposed to be real...but it is really entertaining. Yes, there are moments when I'm yelling at the screen because one of the "rookies" completely disregarded all common sense, never mind their training. Truthfully though, these characters are all young (well, compared to me) and I'm perfectly willing to admit that I didn't always show the most common sense when I was that age, so these blunders don't bother me. I'm not expecting a perfect recreation of life on the force, I'm just expecting some entertaining stories that are well delivered and that's what I'm getting.

As for my fellow Canadians, the best praise I can give this show, is that I didn't realize it WAS Canadian until some Canadian cities were mentioned in the show. Let's face it, our comedies are generally very good, but our dramas have some times been rather lacking. This one isn't.

OK the main reason I even gave this show a go was the 2 women from the ad, Missy Peregrym and Charlotte Sullivan. With that admission, the show was actually still watchable.

All of the characters are at least tolerable, there is not too much angst and relationship drama, there is action and most of the plots were at least enough to hold the viewers interest. Sure some of the situations portrayed were over the top, with the mistakes the rookies made, but it also gave the characters a chance to learn from them and progress. As for the people who complained about such minor issues as belts etc, well who cares tbh! I for one never noticed them, and couldn't care less.

The show is basically a good way to spend an hour, it won't change your life, but on the other hand you won't think it was a total waste. The show is not a serious gritty ultra realistic drama, it's light entertainment, and that's what it does. As Swarek says: "It is what it is".

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!