Fall TV 2011: Prime Suspect
SPOILERS SPOILERS AND MORE SPOILERS
Prime Suspect
So, let’s just start off and say this show in no way compares to the British series it is based off of; look, there’s no competing with a show which stars Helen Mirren, but we’re just going to pretend it doesn’t exist.
There are some severe issues with the way the sexism and misogyny is portrayed on the show. The sexual harassment moments are unbelievable and I’d like to say none of this could happen in the real world and it was just tv drama, but hell, working in the male-dominated auto business taught me otherwise.
I love Maria Bello in this role as Jane Timoney. She is professional, smart-ass like, and rightfully pissed off at her situation. I love that she dresses like an actual detective while working and not with a plunging neckline in heels that won’t work on crime scenes. Don’t quite get the fedora, but she can rock it.
So, the male homicide detectives are all good old boys douchey assholes. With raspy voices, thick accents, and yes, Kirk Acevedo is one of them. Aidan Quinn is also among them, look, for all the bullshit and issues with this show, I will keep watching it just for the cast alone. (Hopefully it will go better than the last time Aidan Quinn had a show on NBC; and the execs seem to be behind this one.) The joke about “the beef trust,” which I saw in a preview, still makes me want to punch someone in the face, but if Maria Bello’s character can restrain herself, I suppose I can as well. There is a clear sense of the detectives both doubting her abilities, fearing she will take their place on the squad, and the general bullshit that comes with a woman trying to break into a male dominated field. Which, yes, women are still not a sizeable number when it comes to detective positions in any police force.
Also, the show gets points for remembering that when you set a show in NYC, the city itself is part of a character. Also, they pull in another departments, it’s not all magically solved by one. At least one SVU cop is there.
The show is a police serial but there is character background and story. We see Jane deal with her home life. She lives with her boyfriend who is divorced and has a kid, it’s a nice shout-out to flesh out a character as more than a badge and a gun. You also see this earlier in the show, when the group of homicide detectives sings a song to one of the guys’ daughters over the phone for her birthday. It brings a sense of a family that a lot of cop shows have been lacking in the past 10 years. When one of the good old boy detectives has a heart attack and dies, you see the layers of family, all the good and the bad.
I thought the pace was pretty good. A half-hour had gone by before I even realized it. I like the way it’s shot. The acting is pretty damn good just across the board. I love the fact that the sets aren’t all shiny and slick and clean, but cluttered and lived in.
One of my favorite lines in this show, came from Kirk Acevedo’s mouth:
Do you ever worry someone is going to drop a house on you?
There is a very difficult scene where Jane gets into a fight with a suspect and gets violently beaten. It’s an unflinchingly brutal scene but also shows the dangers of pursuing a violent suspect.
So, there are some issues and definite triggers for sexual harassment, sexual violence, and the fact the first case deals with a serial rapist.
Again, I do like the fact that you see characters beyond their jobs and off the clock. That’s something that’s lacking in all the spin-offs that came after CSI started. The acting is some of the best I’ve seen in a new show and cop drama in a long time. I honestly want to see how Dect. Jane Timoney continues in her job and with her co-workers. I like the fact that it doesn’t hide the real dangers of the job. There is a mention of 9/11 at the end, a fact of history and reality that no show set with NYPD or Emergency Crews can deny. So, yes, I am going to be watching this show. Hopefully NBC won’t cancel it after five episodes.
Prime Suspect
So, let’s just start off and say this show in no way compares to the British series it is based off of; look, there’s no competing with a show which stars Helen Mirren, but we’re just going to pretend it doesn’t exist.
There are some severe issues with the way the sexism and misogyny is portrayed on the show. The sexual harassment moments are unbelievable and I’d like to say none of this could happen in the real world and it was just tv drama, but hell, working in the male-dominated auto business taught me otherwise.
I love Maria Bello in this role as Jane Timoney. She is professional, smart-ass like, and rightfully pissed off at her situation. I love that she dresses like an actual detective while working and not with a plunging neckline in heels that won’t work on crime scenes. Don’t quite get the fedora, but she can rock it.
So, the male homicide detectives are all good old boys douchey assholes. With raspy voices, thick accents, and yes, Kirk Acevedo is one of them. Aidan Quinn is also among them, look, for all the bullshit and issues with this show, I will keep watching it just for the cast alone. (Hopefully it will go better than the last time Aidan Quinn had a show on NBC; and the execs seem to be behind this one.) The joke about “the beef trust,” which I saw in a preview, still makes me want to punch someone in the face, but if Maria Bello’s character can restrain herself, I suppose I can as well. There is a clear sense of the detectives both doubting her abilities, fearing she will take their place on the squad, and the general bullshit that comes with a woman trying to break into a male dominated field. Which, yes, women are still not a sizeable number when it comes to detective positions in any police force.
Also, the show gets points for remembering that when you set a show in NYC, the city itself is part of a character. Also, they pull in another departments, it’s not all magically solved by one. At least one SVU cop is there.
The show is a police serial but there is character background and story. We see Jane deal with her home life. She lives with her boyfriend who is divorced and has a kid, it’s a nice shout-out to flesh out a character as more than a badge and a gun. You also see this earlier in the show, when the group of homicide detectives sings a song to one of the guys’ daughters over the phone for her birthday. It brings a sense of a family that a lot of cop shows have been lacking in the past 10 years. When one of the good old boy detectives has a heart attack and dies, you see the layers of family, all the good and the bad.
I thought the pace was pretty good. A half-hour had gone by before I even realized it. I like the way it’s shot. The acting is pretty damn good just across the board. I love the fact that the sets aren’t all shiny and slick and clean, but cluttered and lived in.
One of my favorite lines in this show, came from Kirk Acevedo’s mouth:
Do you ever worry someone is going to drop a house on you?
There is a very difficult scene where Jane gets into a fight with a suspect and gets violently beaten. It’s an unflinchingly brutal scene but also shows the dangers of pursuing a violent suspect.
So, there are some issues and definite triggers for sexual harassment, sexual violence, and the fact the first case deals with a serial rapist.
Again, I do like the fact that you see characters beyond their jobs and off the clock. That’s something that’s lacking in all the spin-offs that came after CSI started. The acting is some of the best I’ve seen in a new show and cop drama in a long time. I honestly want to see how Dect. Jane Timoney continues in her job and with her co-workers. I like the fact that it doesn’t hide the real dangers of the job. There is a mention of 9/11 at the end, a fact of history and reality that no show set with NYPD or Emergency Crews can deny. So, yes, I am going to be watching this show. Hopefully NBC won’t cancel it after five episodes.