Review - The Chicago Code Season 1 Episode 13 Mike Royko's Revenge

Sadly, The Chicago Code was canceled, and unless a miracle happens, this is the last we'll see of it. There was a conclusion to the series, albeit a hasty and somewhat unsatisfying one. I guess that would be expected given how many plot threads were developed and needed to be tied up, so my quibbles are purely structural. The quest to bring down alderman Ronin Gibbons comes to an end, leaving him in a prison cell to rot. This is a satisfying conclusion given all the bad things he's done and after thwarting the main characters.

There is a lot going on in the episode and all the characters get a send-off for the most part. After Teresa is reminded how little of a personal life is, she starts a relationship and relocates to Denver; Wysocki reconnects with his fiancee (I have a feeling she wouldn't have returned had this not been the series finale); Vonda and Isaac are still good.

The plot is resolved conveniently when Jarek discovers Vincent's (his brother) box on evidence and gets all the dirt on Gibbons from the past, which leads to a conviction. The biggest fallout from the episode is the revelation that Vincent was a dirty cop, casting his character in another life. Maybe he was a bad husband before, but now he's a bad cop. And Vonda, who took her father's lead, is devastated. Still, everything is partially saved in the end.

Score: 8.7/10

Review - The Chicago Code Season 1 Episode 12 Greylord & Gambat

The Chicago Code was canceled last week, sadly. Before anyone complains about Fox "only canceling good shows," the ratings sucked and declined over the course of the season. Luckily, "Greylord & Gambat" is a very strong episode and leads right into the season finale which may see the end of Gibbons.

This isn't typical procedural stuff, afraid to do something bold and move ahead. Shawn Ryan is perfectly fine putting all the cards on the table--people are shot, the grand jury begins, and Gibbons is cornered. All the pieces in place for a major confrontation. Now, all Teresa has to do is calmly collect the evidence and present her case. There doesn't seem to be too many strings that could hold her back, but we never know.

Score: 9.2/10

All missed reviews

Here are the short reviews for shows I missed through the week. I included reviews for shows I've stopped reviewing to balance things out. Also, you might have notice that reviews for Breaking In and The Good Wife are still missing. Blogger still hasn't restored them, but since the Glee review was restored, I assume the other posts should follow. If that does not happen by Monday, I repost them. (If you really want to read them, they're on Insidepulse TV.)

Body of Proof Season 1 Episode 8 Buried Secrets: "Buried Secrets" is a reminder that Body of Proof is a mash up of different shows. Every part of the episode has been done before in large amounts, but Body of Proof does them well, which makes the show worth watching.

Modern Family Season 2 Episode 22 Good Cop Bad Dog: I normally find plots of Modern Family to be somewhat realistic, but Jay and Gloria’s plot with Guillermo and the dog seemed like it belonged on Breaking In instead of Modern Family. But Phil and Claire were great in the episode, and realistic, so it mostly balanced out.

The Chicago Code Season 1 Episode 11 Black Sox: I’m not particularly interested in Jarek and his lady problems, especially since it’s been one of the least developed plots. It looks like Gibbons is finally making his move, whatever that they be. We originally thought he put a hit out on Teresa, but that turned out wrong. Is he capable of ordering her murder if she gets too close?

House Season 7 Episode 21 The Fix: It was really out of the blue for House to suddenly decide to fix himself with an experimental rat drug. But this contrivance does put House in some kind of danger. That’s better than nothing, right? OK, maybe not, but we should see what the writers do first before casting too much judgment.

The Big Bang Theory Season 3 Episode 23 The Engagement Reaction: Priya wasn’t mean in this episode for once. She talks to Penny without being bitchy and is actually fine with Leonard being near Penny. The Raj stuff was again weak and random, but that’s to be expected. As far as the main story goes, the stuff between Howard and his mother was hilariously creepy, especially when Bernadette yelling reminded me of Howard’s mother while Howard thought it was sexy.

Parks and Recreation Season 3 Episode 13 The Fight / 14 Road Trip: Two episodes of Parks and Recreations!! And if that wasn't good enough, next week has two more episodes! While I enjoyed both episodes, I would give the edge to “The Fight.” There were so many great moments with the actual fight, Snake Juice, and Ron. Ben and Leslie finally make out in “Road Trip,” so there was development on that front for once.

The Office Season 7 Episode 24 Dwight K. Schrute, (Acting) Manager: Dwight is a guy who often expresses wacky ideas, but since he’s never in a position of power, nothing really comes of it. Well, this was Dwight’s chance to shine. Unfortunately, his excessive regulation in the office ends up with him shooting a gun in the office and eventually being demoted. The episode has the Dwight and Jim dynamic that was been lessened over the years, so that was nice to see. And as Jim tells Dwight, Dwight did one good thing in making all the orders on time.

The Mentalist Season 3 Episode 22 Rhapsody in Red: Before the two-hour season finale next week, The Mentalist dished up a fairly standard episode. Jane solves the crime while the rest of the team fills in the background. I did like, however, the increased attention on Cho, who is easily the funniest character other than Cho, and he got to tackle something close to home for once.

The Event Season 1 Episode 20 One Will Live, One Will Die: This new plot device the writer are using is the one where they show us part of what’s going on to mislead us. In the previous episode, it was the cocaine trafficker who turned out to be irrelevant, and in this episode, we only hear half of the phone call. To be honest, it’s plain stupid.

Hawaii Five-0 Season 1 Episode 23 Ua Hiki Mai Kapalena Pau: "Ua Hiki Mai Kapalena Pau" heads directly into the season finale, mixing a standard standalone plot with the only search for Wo Fat and Chin Ho’s admission of guilt to stealing the money. The episode is tense, with the whole island potentially in danger, but as always, the day is saved.

Blue Bloods Season 1 Episode 22: The first season of Blue Bloods ended with a resolution to the Blue Templar plot, which chugged slowly along as the season went. It is resolved as expected, with the acknowledgement that the Blue Templars are just a couple of bad eggs in the basket. As always, the Reagans and police department come out looking like the greatest heroes ever.

Camelot Season 1 Episode 7 The Long Night: After last week’s snoozer, Camelot came back with a fairly strong episode. Morgan had some really nefarious schemes up her sleeves, deceiving Arthu and the rest of them, while stealing Igraine’s place at the end of the episode, using her shapeshifting ability. Oh, and gratuitous nudity!

Breakout Kings Season 1 Episode 10 Paid in Full: “Paid in Full” puts all the dirty laundry out there. The cons find out that Ray is not actually a Marshall and the audience and other cons learn that Lloyd was sent to prison for writing a fake prescription which ended in a girl dying. Charlie’s big speech at the end is a tinge disingenuous with his big “revelation” of a congenital heart defect, but it makes a point: everyone has their secrets and problems, but they have to trust each other. Considering what Shea was doing in the previous episodes, there is still a lot to be resolved.

Treme Season 2 Episode 3 On Your Way Down: In an episode riddled with crime, there is an obvious standout, the rape of Ladonna, which was harrowing to say the least. The fallout is executed brilliantly with Khandi Alexander coming through. As the visible crime affects several characters, there is also an undeniable crime in the background being perpetrated against all New Orleans, Nelson’s slimy dealings with the city’s money.

Review - The Chicago Code Season 1 Episode 10 Bathhouse & Hinky Dink

"Bathhouse & Hinky Dink" isn't gamebreaking, but with three episodes left in the season, it puts the target directly on Gibbons's back as Teresa pushes for a grand jury investigation. In this episode, the good guys have the upper-hand the whole way through, and it's only time before they stop getting everything they want.

Score: 8.8/10

Review - The Chicago Code Season 1 Episode 9 St. Valentine's Day Massacre

The internal rumblings of the police department come to a head in "St. Valentine's Day Massacre," placing Teresa in possibly her most difficult position yet, facing a vote of no confidence. She's confronted from all sides--from the mayor, the media, the public, and the officers--and each move she makes can have a large effect. If there's one thing that the episode shows us, it's that doing the job the right way pays off, as the criminal is caught and Teresa handles it like any other case.

There is a small subplot with Vonda and Isaac going up a vile attorney, who is also very perceptive, and the city is forced to pay. She mentions their relationship, so they could be running into more trouble soon.

Teresa and Jarek give Deion control of the gang, assuming he'll run it into the ground. Really? The writers better have a follow-up.

Score: 9.0/10

Review - The Chicago Code Season 1 Episode 8 Wild Onions

"Wild Onions" sticks the characters in a unique situation--staggering heat and rolling blackouts--allowing them to explore situations we otherwise wouldn't see them in. The premise of the episode is that crime spikes when there is heat, thus all the officers, including Teresa, must be on hand.

Teresa gets a new driver named Ray, an unmarried Iraq vet who is eager to advance his career. He is especially attentive to his role and seems like a good fit, though he acknowledges the reason why he was chosen--he wasn't wearing a wedding ring.

Jarek and Caleb solve a murder this week, and while Caleb does have a nice moment with the boy whose father was killed, that's pretty much all that happened. Perhaps the greatest development was Vonda and Isaac hooking up after a harrowing incident (although they had been flirting so much before that I'd already assumed they were together)

Gibbons was relatively innocuous this week, helping distribute water to the community, which would be fine if he had no ulterior motives. Of course, he's thinking about votes and is willing to spend a little effort and money to draw in potential voters. And in this way, he's no different than the kids on the street increasing soda prices in times of higher demand. However, if we continue on this purely economic way of thinking, Gibbons completely ignores the numerous negative externalities which makes his actions very harmful.

Liam begins to get deeper and deeper in Gibbons's organization, only to find himself oddly sympathetic to Gibbons, seeing him distribute water. Liam hasn't been completely duped yet like all the other voters, but Gibbons clearly has the gift of connecting with people regardless of motives.

Score: 9.2/10

Review - The Chicago Code Season 1 Episode 7 Black Hand and the Shotgun Man

On a scale where shows on one end are supposed to make you feel really bad and shows on the other are supposed to make you feel really good, The Chicago Code would be situated more towards the shows that are supposed to make you feel good. It's not entirely feel-good as most network procedurals are since the events that transpire are usually morally ambiguous, but the episodes never end on a feeling of pure doom.

The Chicago Code frequently reaches an optimal solution, as shown in this week's episode.The criminal in "Black Hand and the Shotgun Man" is a drug lord who chopped up lots of bodies and even killed cops in Mexico. On paper, he's a terrible guy, but for the most part, I was rooting for him--not necessarily for him to be free but for his family to be safe. And the final deal, Romero going to prison and his family going into protection, works out perfectly for everyone. As always, there is an uneasy tension lurking beneath, but it always goes away.

But I wonder how I would feel if the writers really made a concerted effort to make Romero seem like a bad guy. Yes, he kicks the cop in the crotch, he's said to have done heinous crimes, but we never actually see him do anything bad. As far as we can see, he's a guy who cares for his family, not a bloodthirsty drug lord.

Whereas Romero finds a solution for his family after being backed into a corner, Jarek still has room to move, so he spews a bunch of bullshit about his relationship. He's still sleeping with his wife, ignoring his fiance, and yells at Caleb for talking about it. In the context of relationships, Jarek is like Gibbons, make blind justifications for all his actions.

Last but not least, Gibbons, one of my favorite characters on television. Delroy Lindo continues to impress with his lines delivered so emphatically you want to believe in Gibbons. That also raises another question which has bugged me since Gibbons started having monologues (I think I might have said this already): does Gibbons really believe what he is saying and what context is it being said? If those are his real thoughts, Gibbons is delusional. If those are thoughts he records, such as in a diary, it stands to reason that he'd put down lies to make himself look better. In any case, it's hard not to be drawn to Gibbons, who puts so much vigor in his words, and yet does crime on a daily basis.

One thing we've seen Gibbons and his cronies do on a consistent basis is underestimate the cops. Gibbons believes he can push Liam out with his insinuations, but instead, it motivates Liam to redouble his efforts.

Score: 8.9/10

Review - The Chicago Code Season 1 Episode 6 The Gold Coin Kid

As a singular episode "The Gold Coin Kid" is perhaps the least ambitious of the episodes thus far, but you could also call it the happiest episode of the series. All the good guys get exactly what they want with the small exception of Caleb, who is still on the outside.

The case this week begins with the overdosed son of rich parents, which leads to a nightclub operating as a brothel. There are several twists as usual and suspects, but it's wrapped up by the end of the episode. Everything goes as planned--including Jarek and Teresa's scheme to fool the chief of staff--the nightclub is taken down and the murderer is caught. Teresa gets the radios, Jarek and and unwitting Caleb get a few weeks suspension, but it's perfectly fine for the most part.

Meanwhile, Vonda shows how savvy she can be, covering for Moose's mistake so she stays on the team. It's a little too convenient, but does well in advancing Vonda's character.

I was really missing Gibbons this week. He always adds that punch to the end of the episode, the "I got you" moment with a grandiose speech brimming with hypocrisy.

Score: 8.7/10

Review - The Chicago Code Season 1 Episode 5 O'Leary's Cow

The Chicago Code, in loose terms, is the way business is done in the city--cutting deals, cutting corners, and other shady, illegal activity. That's just the way things are done. Alderman Gibbons follows the code strictly, always taking the most direct route to get what he wants, often breaking laws in the process. On the other side are the characters with principles, those who refuse to compromise, refuse to cave to the pervasive corruption.

In "O'Leary's Cow," we can see examples of the two camps very clearly. There is Gibbons, Lao, and Teresa's brother-in-law who wheel and deal like everyone else. And there's Teresa, unmoving from her position to the point where she accepts her families judgment. To a lesser degree, the nurse also holds her ground, rejecting Caleb's advances because she has a personal rule.

But as far as these hard and fast rules that Teresa and the nurse have, there is little grey area. Teresa won't be corrupt and the nurse won't get involved with a cop. It's easy for both of them to reject the offers because it is clear cut. For Liam, however, it's a different story. Undercover and being with criminals all the time, he can't have any principles other than doing his job. If he is to perform his job, then he must commit crime--even murder--and go with the flow in hope he can get higher on the crime ladder.

The crime this week is rather basic this week, with Jarek clashing with Lao in China Town, simultaneously solving the murder of a black boy and getting answers for a grieving father and widower. "O'Leary's Cow" doesn't have much in terms of Gibbons or Teresa making the next moves in their chess game, but once again we see Gibbons weaseling his way around.

Score: 8.7/10

Review - The Chicago Code Season 1 Episode 4 Cabrini-Green

So far, we've heard numerous voiceovers to explain the backstories of the good guys. "Cabrini-Green" dives into Gibbons voiceovers, spanning the entire episode. The weird thing is, everything he says in his voiceover goes contrary to his action in the episode. It also brings up another point: who are these voiceovers for? If they're actually spoken to a camera crew, you can expect Gibbons to lie, but if these are just thoughts in his head, he's either really sociopathic or just delusional.

While Gibbons talks about being a great guy who cares about the people, his intentions are exactly the opposite. Every move is intended to advance his agenda, whether it's knocking down Cabrini-Green, shooting Big Monster, or buying an X-Box for the kid he shot.

The case this week is a string of bombs left across town, which leaves everyone very tense. There are several twists and turns along the way, and like the previous cases it moves fast and is engaging.

I don't know if it's just me, but I really got a kick out of Argyle getting busted at the end. He is, of course, based off leftist scumbag Bill Ayers, who helped plan several bombings back in the day (though he always makes the lame excuses about responsibility). While it's not touched on in the episode, it's pathetic that tons of important figures and institutions have defended trash like him through the years. He's a terrorist. Why does he get a fucking pass? Rant over.

Score: 8.8/10

Review - The Chicago Code Season 1 Episode 3 Gillis, Chase, & Baby Face

After dialing back Gibbons's potential evilness last week with the revelation that another police officer had shot Antonio and Theresa for his own reasons, the writers brought Gibbons back to pure sliminess, starting what appears to be a long chess game between Theresa and the alderman. And boy was it enjoyable.

"Gillis, Chase, & Baby Face" is chalk full of political intrigue, as Theresa rattles Gibbons's cage by shutting down a project of mob boss, Hugh Killian, one of his supporters. In turn, Killian pressures Gibbons, even threatening to have him taken out once he's not useful. But Gibbons has one more move, planting child pornography on Killian. Lastly, Gibbons gets Theresa's chief of staff for attempted bribery. Gibbons, played by the wonderful Delroy Lindo, delivers a speech that is nothing short of pure brilliant, with full theatrical gestures towards the entire city, while Theresa can do nothing but watch. But again, Gibbons underestimates Theresa, placing his own guy to be her chief of staff, only Theresa does her research. Now, Theresa can funnel whatever information she wants to Gibbons--and the game is on.

The case this week isn't that important, but the specifics are about a bank robbery which leaves several people shot. More importantly, it allows us to see the dynamic between Jarek and the rest of the cops, who think he's feeding names for Theresa to get rid of. This results in Jarek and Caleb receiving no backup, Jarek eventually redeeming himself to Moosekian, and finally, Jarek getting into Moosekian's face. We see that Theresa's initiatives are have a large effect on the department, and externally, they aren't good. For now, though, Jarek, and by extension Caleb, are willing to weather the storm

I always like to comment on ratings the first couple weeks of a new show (that I like), so I'll say flat-out that The Chicago Code is in danger. Last week's episode dropped from the already lackluster premiere, so the numbers need to stay the same for the duration of its run, and that rarely happens for shows which have just begun.

Score: 9.1/10

Review - The Chicago Code Season 1 Episode 2 Hog Butcher

While "Hog Butcher" does a fair amount of recapping, it also uses the voiceovers to expand the characters. We see and hear Isaac's enthusiasm for the police, Teresa helping Antonio be an officer, and Caleb's odd idea that Jarek will help his career.

But it's not just the voiceovers which help with the characters. As the hunt for Antonio's killer goes on, there are several other dynamics going on. Isaac has an extreme dedication to Vonda, Jarek and Teresa butt heads over methods, among many interactions in the episode. The best part is that these developments always occur when something is happening. Everything moves together and the episode keeps going as the character talk, unlike Blue Bloods, which often slows to a standstill so characters can talk.

The shooter turns out to be one of Don's younger friends who he spoke to about Teresa's actions. And in one move, the writers get rid of the Don problem and completely pull back on Gibbons. Gibbons is assuredly dirty, but not a cop killer. So where does this leave us? Without the menace that Gibbons is willing to shoot cops, The Chicago Code loses that extra bit of power that could come around every corner. I'm not sure I like this development, but there's still room to grow.

Score: 8.9/10

Review - The Chicago Code Season 1 Episode 1 Pilot

When people think of Shawn Ryan, they think of The Shield. And when The Chicago Code (then named Ride-Along) was announced, bearing the name Shawn Ryan and cop show, of course everyone thought of The Shield. Now those who haven't watched The Shield probably don't care, and it's nearly indescribable in how amazing it is. I'd be tempted to call it a cross between The Wire and 24, but there's just so much more.

So the big question is: will The Chicago Code live up to its legacy? The first thing we have to remember is that this is network television where all sorts of regulations will limit the visual and auditory behavior of the characters. Second, network television heavily skews towards standalone episodes, and similar season-long arcs like the ones on The Shield may not be feasible.

Still, Shawn Ryan has done considerable work on network television, so he definitely knows his way around the block, and we can see that in the pilot. There's no use of coarse language, the main cops are on the straight and narrow, and the rougher side of town is given little exposure.

But this is a show about corruption, after all, and just enough tension is drawn from Alderman Gibbons (Delroy Lindo), who is immediately pinned as the "bad guy" who isn't afraid to play dirty, to let us know that this isn't a normal police procedural. With Teresa Colvin (Jennifer Beals), Jarek Wysocki (Jason Clarke), and Caleb Evers (Matt Lauria) on one side, and however many corrupt cops/city officials on the other, The Chicago Code has the setup to go beyond a mere police procedural.

Score: 9.0/10

Preview of Week 2/6/11 - 2/12/11

The Chicago Code - Fox,Monday, February 7, 9:00pm ET

Shawn Ryan. Cop drama. Do I need to elaborate?

Mr Sunshine - ABC, Wednesday, February 9, 9:30 ET

Matthew Perry returns to television, and with him "show killer" (not a reflection on her acting abilities, but she has starred on 3 shows which have failed to reach a third season) Andrea Anders.

Justified - FX, Wednesday, February 9, 10:00 ET

Our favorite U.S. Marshall Raylan Givens returns this week to hunt down a sex offender.