Many viewers and reviews this year have pointed out that this batch of new shows have been disappointing and that there are no great shows (besides Boardwalk Empire). However, I have to disagree. Detroit 1-8-7 is a great show that is tense, dramatic, and takes a mostly realistic look at the crime in Detroit.
This show has seven characters that get their fair of screen time. There are three pairs of partners and the lieutenant that dominate the show. While that does seem like the show would be crammed and would move to quickly, the pacing is great.
The most well known actor in the show is Michael Imperioli, who plays Louis Fitch, the very serious cop who sometimes disobeys orders. His partner, Damon Washington played by Jon Michael Hill, is a rookie cop who was shot at the end of the pilot, but he returned and is doing great.
The second set of partners is Vikram Mahajan, played by Shaun Majumder, and Jesse Longford, played by James McDaniel. They are very different in that Vikram is younger and comes from an immigrant family, while Jesse is the old veteran. However, they both love Detroit and they have some good chemistry.
The last set of partners is Ariana Sanchez, played by Natalie Martinez, and John Stone, played by D.J. Cotrona. They are a little less in the spotlight, but they have been pretty good so far.
The last character is the lieutenant, Maureen Mason played by Aisha Hinds, who is much more hands on than the average lieutenant that I have seen in most cop shows. Normally, the detectives have their case and they do it without speaking to the lieutenant much, but Maureen is heavily involved with both of the cases each week.
With some of the bigger cop shows over the years (NYPD Blue, etc.) lieutenants have had bigger roles, but with many of the shows that I have seen, they are more minor characters.
Most recently, The Good Guys and Memphis Beat have had lieutenants in minor roles, but with Detroit 1-8-7, Maureen has a much bigger role.
The best thing about this show is that they cover two cases a week. This week, there were two murders. One was a young girl at a school, while the other was in a restaurant. Each week, one set of the partners take on one case, while the other two take on the other.
The other thing that is great about this show is the setting. Just like with Hawaii Five-0, they make Detroit a character, with all the scenery and the Motown music. I couldn’t really think of too many other places that would be a great place to do a cop show, and they have done an excellent job with it.
While I am sure that there are probably a few mistakes they have made, this show seems very realistic and I think that is what they were going for.
The cast is great, the setting couldn’t be better, and the gritty, realistic feel of crime in Detroit makes this program another great new show.
College Couch Potato Grade: B+
Yes, this is the best new show this year…so far. While I like Boardwalk Empire, it, like most HBO dramas, tends to get caught up in character development some weeks. I know this is a good thing to do, and I have always disliked shows and movies that give us nothing to care about, but sometimes its nice to just get to the show and proceed to a climax. Detroit 1-8-7 does that, while it does find a moment, here and there, to expound upon character and site. Another thing I like is that we can miss an episode if we need to. Unlike most shows of the past 10 years or so, this week’s episode does not all depend on the fact that I saw last week’s episode. This is how shows use to always be, and it gave viewers the option of having a life outside of watching TV shows. Anyway, characters are great, Detroit seems to be well-represented and the story lines, thus far, have been interesting.