I've seen two episodes of "Detroit 187" starring Michael Imperioli (Chris-ta-fah from "Sopranos.") I couldn't put my finger on what I thought the problems were with this show until I watched the second ep. Now I think I see why I probably won't watch this show going forward.
187 is the code for homicide - murder - the "sexiest" of the detective bureaus - at least according to Hollywood since there are so many shows about it. Detroit is the setting - at least in title.
The first issue is that even though it's called "Detroit 187" there is nothing unique so far about the setting. In a recent review I did of the new "Law And Order: Los Angeles" I mentioned that this version of the famed series had a uniquely L.A. flavor as opposed to the typical street grittiness of the all the previous L&O's which were set in New York city. And it worked well. Detroit should provide a unique flavor to the narrative of this show and it just doesn't. The dark streets and gritty urban environment could be Anywhere U.S.A. - what do detectives and people in Detroit feel about their city and the way the cops operate? Detroit has one of the highest crime rates in the U.S. and that is never drawn into the show. It's too generic - in fact, in general, the show feels like it's written by someone from Brentwood who watched too many cop shows.
From Wikipedia this note: The show's executive producer, David Zabel stated, "This is a crime show but we will explore various nooks and crannies in the communities and within that context there's a lot of opportunity to see what's positive in the city and see what's heroic about the people fighting for what’s best for the city of Detroit."
Well, good thought but not yet they don't. I saw nothing of why this show shouldn't
be called "Atlanta 187" - which is where it was actually shot.
Another huge problem is the format. The show follows two different murders with two different teams of detectives. This keeps the viewer from getting bored (I guess) but it also prevents us from becoming engaged. It also prevents the characters from displaying real emotions. This came to the fore in the 2nd ep when a newish detective and his partner team up with Imperioli who is temporarily partner-less because the partner was shot in the 1st episode (now where have I seen that before? Oh, yeah - "Hill Street Blues," first episode.)
The newbie detective has to arrest the brother of a murder victim who has himself shot the man he thought killed his football-star sibling. Instead of going into the community to see how important this kid would be to his "hood," the writers focus on the false notes of the white detective who has no connection (or little) to this kid.
To make matters worse, the detective suddenly has adopted fraternal feelings for the dead star's brother based on...what? One conversation? Because that's all that precedes this sudden emotional connection. What happens is a tragedy, sure, but these guys see this kind of thing all the time. Any patrol cop, before he or she becomes a detective, will have experienced their share of this street drama (see below when this exact same problem manifests differently.). There is simply not enough time, because of the dual investigation format, to establish why this case would be different to this cop and why he's take such a personal interest in this particular murder. The writers may know it - but they aren't saying and the whole segment felt false and silly to me.
Weak writing shows itself especially in the false moments - the times where you should be moved but aren't because the writers haven't worked hard enough or been clever enough to get you emotionally engaged. Lines spoken through clenched teeth like "Why couldn't you just trust me?" have little or no impact if you don't understand why those lines should have impact. They are probably the right emotion intended but the weak setups or false notes of the setup make the lines seem forced and silly. No actor in the world can make those moments have impact if there isn't the right amount or type of setup.
Another non-starter for me is the Imperioli character. Detective Fitch is abrasive, quirky, funny and just weird at times. In fact you are told "he's just weird." Told not shown - an issue in and of itself. But why is he that way is the operative question. Give me a hint, a clue, a breadcrumb trail I can follow and I'll go anywhere you lead.
Imperioli is able to infuse this character with some real charisma - but the moments where he's supposed to be inward and thoughtful fall flat because we know nothing about Fitch or why he is this way. Not even the writer's shorthand (drugs, missing parents, ex-wife, alcohol, etc.) is used here. Fitch is the way he is just because.
This show is generally filled with these false notes. I almost shut it off during the first ten minutes of the first episode when Fitch's brand new partner (there's a lot of them floating around apparently) rolled with him to a liquor store shooting.
One of the victims was shot in the head. We're shown the victim and his bloody head on the floor of the store - TV style. Anyone who gets shot in the head has brains spilling out normally. Lots of blood here but no brains in sight.
There are patrol cops there reporting to the detectives - which is what always happens - beat cops roll to the scene first. They see the worst of it. It's only after they report in that detectives come on the scene to pursue the investigation.
But Fitch's new partner is in the corner vomiting because supposedly he can't handle what he's seeing.
Really? A detective becomes a detective only after being a beat cop for years - the same type of cops who respond to these calls by the dozens a week. So, this new detective is suddenly seeing something he's never seen before? A victim shot in the head? Again, really? Okay, so let's stretch credulity and say he's never actually seen a head wound before - he's still seen enough violence and results of violence to steel himself against suddenly yacking all over the crime scene. Which he does to my head-shaking amazement.
Now any of this stuff I'm mentioning can work - it's all in what the writers make us believe. I could understand a detective responding in any way you can imagine if you set that up correctly. As written, these moments feel like they were put in there because there are certain "rules" to gritty homicide cop dramas according to an arbitrary TV bible of some sort, or that the writers just didn't have the strength or skill to find a reason for that detective to vomit other than the scene looked gross. Use the guy's newborn - that he had this sudden realization at how fleeting life can be and what would his son do without him. Anything. Something. Please!
Perhaps the creators of the show figured they'd get us engaged over a period of time - fine, I get that. We get to know the characters slowly, understand them as we watch them go from ep to ep. But the first episode of shows like "NYPD Blue" (a show this one is being compared to which is really an insult to both shows) had me from the opening moments and never let me go because real or not it felt real - or real enough.
There is some information that this show had to undergo a transformation from a "mockumentary" (which I think is the wrong term here but it's used regarding this) to what it is now, but that's no excuse for putting this out the way it is.
Do the homework. Talk to cops. Include the city. Set your characters up properly and maybe this show will work. As it stands now, despite strong performances by the ensemble cast, it doesn't work and I won't be tuning in again.
