We Own This City

It's 2017 Baltimore. The Freddie Gray killing has put police brutality on the front pages. The Gun Trace Task Force has been using questionable tactics to take out guns and drugs. Most of all, they are stealing from criminals and regular folks alike. Sgt. Wayne Jenkins (Jon Bernthal) is a central figure in the ensuing scandal.

It's another Baltimore crime drama from David Simon. This one is really ripped from the headlines. It's a little more contained than The Wire. It's only six episodes long. As always, it is an interconnected story with the reality of the world. This is a must-see for fans of The Wire.

Though the non-linear aspects aren't that well handled, with this terrible time sheet thing being used, for some reason-the rest of it is rock solid, I think. Absolutely a spiritual successor of The Wire; even some of the same actors appearing, writers, producers, etc.. It delivers. And what's more, it actually feels quite nice to have the write be on cops. What a terrifyingly corrupt organization the Baltimore police are. If it weren't based on a nonfiction book, I'd have absolutely thought it was fiction. Scary. Excellent. Tight, at 6 episodes. Great plotting, good information, fantastic acting.

No reason not to give it a go.

Sometimes you just know a show is going to be great. 5 minutes in, the dialogue rings clear, and you just know the cast has it. I had high expectations from this series and it did not disappoint.

Based on the nonfiction novel by Baltimore Sun reporter Justin Fenton, We Own This City centers on the infamous Gun Trace Task Force from the Baltimore Police Department and the illegal and corrupt behaviour of the officers involved, most of whom are now in prison. The Baltimore Police Department Gun Trace Task Force was created to combat Baltimore's high crime rate involving drugs and firearms however the officers involved exploited it instead by robbing criminals they stopped on the streets and during raids, planting evidence such as drugs and guns on innocent people, brutalising and assaulting suspects, and fraudulently claiming overtime. Though it was a small group of officers, their corrupt actions was a black eye for the Baltimore Police Department and the city.

Jon Bernthal was fantastic as Sergeant Wayne Jenkins who was entrusted to take charge of the Baltimore Police Department's Gun Trace Task Force. Joining the Baltimore Police Department in 2003, Wayne Jenkins had a reputation as a hard charger and a good officer who was well respected by fellow officers and upper rank and file. After he was arrested, he turned out to be the one of the worst officers after his illegal actions were exposed.

Sergeant Wayne Jenkins felt he could act with impunity and took advantage of the task force for his personal gain while arresting criminals and taking them off the street, though innocent people were caught up in the middle by being framed or harmed or killed. Following an investigation by the FBI, Wayne Jenkins along with other corrupt police officers who were involved were convicted and are now serving prison sentences.

Jon Bernthal is always enjoyable to watch on screen especially for his roles in the TV series The Walking Dead and The Punisher as well as other movies such as The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), Fury (2014), The Accountant (2016), and Ford v Ferrari (2019). Though he often plays volatile anti heroes, Jon Bernthal's portrayal of Sergeant Wayne Jenkins shows that he is a very unlikeable brute who thought he was untouchable and thought he could act with impunity.

The mini series also stars Josh Charles, Jamie Hector, Don Harvey, Wunmi Mosaku, Gabrielle Carteris, Domenick Lombardozzi, Dagmara Dominicczyk, Delaney Williams, Treat Williams, McKinley Belcher III, Darrell Britt-Gibson, Rob Brown, Bobby J. Brown, Jermaine Crawford, Larry Mitchell, Lucas Van Engen, and David Corenswet.

David Simon and George Pelecanos who both were producers for another HBO TV series The Wire, also set in Baltimore, did a great job bringing the mini series to life on the big screen.

One criticism I have however is that the show should have kept it straightforward instead of jumping around all over the place, which can make it tricky to keep following who's who and what's occurring.

If you are a fan of crime shows, nonfiction shows, or even The Wire, you will enjoy We Own This City.

8/10.

Well, actually I live in a rural area in Baltimore County, but am very aware of the BCPD problems, corruption, and largely the lack of the SA (MM) input into the judicial system.

So far, (Epi 1) this is absolutely true what is being played in this 1st episode. Brutality and lack of; is the day to day 'exposed' problem that endures the lawlessness that occurs daily on the streets of Baltimore. Who REALLY owns the city? The criminals, the innocent, or the BCPD?

On top of this, you have a over zealous 'Gun Trace Task Force' that goes way beyond it's scope. Planting items, guns, drugs, to catch whoever is in their way.

You have good cops and bad cops. This has always been the case from the test of time. By in large we have police commissioners that are ineffective. How can they be? So many are here and gone before the sun sets. Heck, you can look at BC Mayor and that alone is enough to tell you that this city is ill. Just as many mayors have been corrupt, (Sheila Dixon, SRB, Catherine Pugh) gawd, the list goes on and on.

If you really want to see how Baltimore is, and other cities like NYC and Chicago, Philly, and Detroit look no further then this story. This is the story that needs to be told.

It's all there. Right in front of us.