The Line

Dark Blue truly takes these cop shows to a whole other level. I have always found the CSI, Law & Order type series to be so dreadfully boring they could actually put me to sleep. Dark Blue makes you feel more like you are watching a movie then a series which is a unique experience. We don't have to wait 45 minutes out of the hour for only a few minutes of action and gun fire because it's always happening and they keep you interested. Unlike focusing on the typical investigate this investigate that Dark Blue is all about a deep undercover unit hitting the streets and putting themselves right into the action. The cops are the ones who are actually committing the crimes so they can make that next bust. Save the put me to sleep and do some paper work garbage for CSI I promise you this one is a big hit and will keep you entertained. I would like to add that this review only applied to season 1. Unfortunately the show took a wrong direction for season 2 resulting in an epic fail and cancel. Everything I said that lacked in the typical cop series is what they applied to season 2. It's a shame because they really had something great here.

Unconventional LAPD officer Lt. Carter Shaw (Dylan McDermott) leads an undercover unit employing questionable tactics. Ty Curtis (Omari Hardwick) is struggling to maintain both his work and his marriage to Melissa. Dean Bendis (Logan Marshall-Green) is on the edge of his dark side. Carter recruits Jaimie Allen (Nicki Aycox) into the team counting on her abilities to lie such as her new identity hiding from her criminal past. In the second season, they are joined by FBI agent Alex Rice (Tricia Helfer).

This show relies on a dark crime gangster sense in a police procedural. It's very manufactured at times. Luckily, McDermott has the intensity to pull it off. The gangster lowlife sensibility gets a bit tired. I like Nicki Aycox's storyline. However, the rest of it blends into one giant mishmash of tough guy bravado.

The script is not bad, the directing and all not bad either ... but although Dylan McDermott was brilliant--if not perfect--in playing his character in every setting in The Practice, Lt Carter Shaw in Dark Blue is one role which should never have been offered to him/which he should never have accepted.

Let us face it, nearly every actor/actress has roles they cannot possibly play convincingly--Streep can pull off Sophie's Choice, The Devil Wears Prada and Mamma Mia, but that does not mean that everyone else can.

If you adore Dylan McDermott even if he just sat there watching paint dry, then there is no reason for you not to enjoy Dark Blue. But if you are the type of viewer who is distracted by actors playing roles which do not suit them--as in Michael Weston in BURN NOTICE Season 3-Episode 5 "Signals and Codes"--then you will be distracted throughout much of Dark Blue.

This is a undercover cop show that truly takes action where its supposed to be, right back to the streets.

Carter is the head of an undercover unit of cops that are more like rogues then cops which is exactly what is needed to get the job done. False identities, resumes, all the perks you would have if you were put undercover the right way, he works entirely off the grid which makes his job both easier and harder.

This show brings to light a lot of elements which a lot of cop shows seem to miss. First and foremost they have a solid cast, people who really know what criminals/UC's would act like. Second the stories bring the characters to life making you want to both sympathize and yet see the reality of their situations. Finally there's an element mystery around every episode which makes this the show to watch. I give it a solid 10/10 for having all the key elements to a good show.

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.