Why should we care about Lt. Carter Shaw and his band of undercover agents? What makes this group of covert officers, who are so deep under cover that most of the LAPD don’t know they exist, special? The answer is the stories.
This show has solidified itself as one of TNT’s best offerings by continually telling brilliant stories. Gritty, real life stories about four complex characters who walk the line each day between right and wrong, truth and lies, light and darkness. But, that is only the tip of the iceberg.
No matter how good the episodes are, the secret behind Dark Blue is the cast. This ensemble works together in a way that you no longer see Dylan McDermott, Omari Hardwick, Logan Marshall-Green or Nicki Aycox. What you see are the lives of Lt. Carter Shaw, Ty Curtis, Dean Bendis and Jaimie Allen. Their portrayals suck you in immediately and make you feel that you have a front row seat into the lives of real cops doing real undercover work making life and death decisions at every turn.
How do they pull this off? Teamwork. Each knows their role and have created such realistic borders and boundaries within their sphere that you actually care about them on many different levels. You are concerned for their individual well-being, their group dynamic and their work as a team overall. But, it didn’t happen overnight. Season 1 was the training ground. They each stumbled and fell and it took time for them to pull it off. They fought pacing and instincts and rough edges of backstory. But it was worth it. That’s why this new season is so important.
With pressure to bring in ratings, Season 2 of Dark Blue has to deliver. And it will. They even added Tricia Helfer to the cast which will surely add a new dimension that can further solidify this show in its mission to share the lives of these characters with us. Her role as Number Six on Battlestar Galactica was one of the driving forces behind that shows success. Teamed up with McDermott, get ready for the onscreen sizzle.
That being said, this show matters. Everyone involved with this show has helped forge a product that deserves to be seen. For those of us that have limited time but love our television, Dark Blue needs to be added to the rotation. It is worth it. We need to know if Carter can build strong personal relationships again after accepting that his life was what destroyed his marriage. We need to find out if Ty Curtis can ever truly be at peace with his job and with his personal life? Season 2 will be the lynch pin to decide that. We have to see whether or not Dean and Jaimie fall for each other? Chemistry and fate seem to say yes, but will all that come crashing down?
For fans of Dark Blue these questions must be answered. For those who are wondering if this show is worth watching, these same questions may jump start a love affair with this drama that propels it well beyond a sophomore season. There are a lot of great shows airing on TNT these days. The Closer, White Collar and Royal Pains are all great. But regardless of ratings, Dark Blue stands above them and it finding an audience matters.
