Allegiance

"Allegiance", the new Canadian cop drama on CBC, transcends the typical police procedural. Set in Surrey, British Columbia, it follows Sabrina Sohal (Supinder Wraich), a fresh police academy graduate dealing with her father's arrest. The show delves into racism, class, and power, while maintaining gripping tension. With Canada's natural beauty as a backdrop, it's an intriguing watch that tackles universal issues.

Sabrina's journey is compelling, as she grapples with her duty as a cop versus personal matters. The series confronts racism head-on, challenging the "colorblind" argument and exposing the consequences of diversity efforts. Luke (Lachlan Quarmby), her white co-worker, embodies jealousy and privilege, adding depth to the narrative. Despite some predictability, "Allegiance" is an entertaining and thought-provoking addition to the genre, proudly showcasing Canada's distinctive culture and landscapes.

Allegiance is just bad. It feels less like a cop show and more like some kid's Wattpad story. Cheesy dialogue, boring camerawork, and plot holes galore. I won't fault it for trying to push a moral in each episode, whether it's about safe supply or gun control, but the execution is so crude it just comes off as either propaganda or a kids show. The way the show tackles its issues is so shallow and one-sided, we might as well be reading the local NDP candidate's Twitter threads. Whereas earlier Canadian police procedurals like Rookie Blue and Flashpoint gave us a reason to care about the guest character of the week, this show seems to use them as props for our main character to pontificate about the week's social issue. If you're looking for chase scenes or action sequences, look elsewhere. Our Mary Sue main character can't run worth anything, conveniently letting the bad guy get away every time. Every action scene consists of people pointing guns at each other, somehow not getting extra ventilation holes, and being completely charmed by our main character's cheesy recycled pseudo-profound BS speech. The acting is overwrought, but it's hard not to be for dialogue like this (and most of it is exposition). The only character with any believability is the male rookie's training officer, Gabinski, for the few scenes he appears.

There are YouTube Originals that are better than this. If CBC wants to keep its funding under a more hostile government, it needs to do better.

I am from Canada, and normally programing for shows can be not so good. With this show it has it all, Drama, Crime, Gangs, Child theft, and much more. They touch on issues that show what has happened in Canada's past, showing crimes in perspective to wrongful doing. This show gives you great acting, great indepth story lines and Characters that have deep connections. I am proud to say that this is one of Canada's better shows. Well done to the full cast and crew making such artistry.

The show itself is quite indepth, a big story line with its twists and turns and weekly smaller story lines with all the drama that leaves you wanting more.

The hero is perfect, instinctively comes to the right conclusion by guessing and always manages to get to the heart of the criminal to have them surrender. It would be okay if the supporting characters were there for any reason except to be a soundboard for her brilliant thinking (and minutely helping to connect the dots) or showcasing her superiority over her peers. There is a lot of talent that is not being used to full potential. All of the actors are good but the script is too predictable, the only character that is developing is the main character, and she is turning so cheesy perfect that she really is not likeable. I think they are using the same Artificial Intelligence script writing for Departure, another show that I initially thought would be interesting.

Enjoyed the first episode, it was engaging & interesting. The characters felt believable, the story line was something that felt plausible especially in this current climate. There's some veteran actors here who carry the story nicely, and for a Canadian show it felt like something more interesting that has some weight to it. I don't know much about Surry (sp?), but have watched many shows filmed around Vancouver, Canada and recognized some of the area. Hope the show can stay focused on the issues facing policing, and not get too bogged down by the personal lives which I also feel drags a show down. I also appreciated seeing more diverse stories in a cop show format - I'll definitely be tuning in to see what comes next.