Police Procedural and Medical Dramas have become the kings and queens of television. You would find it hard pressed to turn on your TV at any given hour and not find one or two of each on. But there is something about these shows that never connected with me. I missed out on the Law and Order craze. I have no desire to watch one CSI a week, let alone three. A good private investigator show though, that's a different story. There is something grittier about the PI, more exciting. A good PI show is less about the crimes being solved and more about the people solving them. Its about working outside the rules. Its about overcoming ones glaring shortcomings. There's just more meat there. With all the focus on the police side of things, television had seemed to forget about the police procedural's rebel cousin. The last PI show I remember watching was Veronica Mars, and as much as I loved that show, it was still a glossed over look at the world. But the arrival of FX's Terriers may have just changed that.
The Terriers pilot was a wonderfully gritty look into the world of two private investigators, Hank Dolworth played by Donald Logue (The Tao Of Steve, Grounded For Life) and Britt Pollack played by Michael Raymond-James (True Blood), neither on the upside of life. Dolworth is an ex-cop with a drinking past and an ex-wife. Pollack is a lovable loser whose girlfriend can't seem to pressure into growing up. What sells this show right from the first scene is the chemistry between the two partners. You can't help but love the two men as their funny banter and playful nature carry you through the heavy and sometimes brutally violent messes they get themselves into. The pilot episode finds the two getting in over there heads with a local real estate developer with tons of money and power. Though the episode comes to a resolution, we are given the feeling that the two will run into further problems with the man and his shady associates, most likely giving us a storyline that will run throughout the season.
Even though the show will only remain interesting as long as Logue and Raymond-James relationship feels fresh, there are other performances that spice up the story. Rockmond Dunbar's (Prison Break, Soul Food) turn as Dolworth's ex-police partner, Mark Gustafson, added more depth to the shows world as a whole. His obvious frustration dealing with Dolworth and his bullshit felt as painful, if not more, then Dolworth's dealings with his ex-wife, Gretchen (Kimberly Quinn). The fact that either of the two continue to put up with him, even at a distance, makes you realize there is something worthwhile to the character, even if he has fallen far from grace. Laura Allen (Mona Lisa Smile) does much the same for Britt as his girlfriend, Katie Nichols. Katie is obviously looking for more from her boyfriend, stability, commitment, a kid, but none of it appears to be in the immediate future. So, she puts up with Britt's childish behavior and his loser sidekick in hopes that things will change. The question the show will probably address at some point, though, is how long is she willing to put up with it?
I have high hopes for Terriers. The witty writing and solid acting is enough to keep me watching. It will now be seen how fresh they can keep the story lines and the great chemistry between the two leads.
I watched this show as well, I would say first off that the FX network should look into hiring you to spin the show and make people want to watch it. I watch a lot of cop shows and found the plot to this one to be slow at best, with a super boring chaser in worst moments. I think it has potential though. The 2 leads are fun and seem to have a good relationship. It's not the best but there is a lot to build on. If the show got a writer to inject a little more story into the show, like a more involved plot for the weekly who done it, this could be a fun weekly shindig. As it is now though I doubt I would season pass it, it would be more of an, :oh this is on? ok I will watch it," kind of situation. I give it a B- with growth potential. The writers have some stuff right sometimes but other times it dragged like a beer can.
ReplyDeleteAgain, what I like about it is that it's not a "cop show", it's a PI show. I'm more interested in the characters then I am the weekly who done it and I think the writers have, in one episode, established a bunch of interesting characters that I want to know more about. If you're looking for crime investigation, certainly watch CSI or NCSI or Criminal Minds or whatever happens to be on CBS, but I'm willing to sacrifice the crime for some drama. Also, I think the pilot was trying to establish a crime that was going to last the whole season, so the pay off may not have been as big as later episodes that will be in a more one off style.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I should have said Crime drama, because while they are all cop shows to me, others may feel the need to classify their viewing into smaller categories. Basically if they solve some sort of crime, mystery, whodoneit, non legal hyjinx in a nice 1 hour package, I say cop show. Regardless if the characters in the show are PI's, agents, cops, forensic annalists, or the county coroners. I understand what you're saying in the whole, 'it's a PI show', is where I was going with that malarkey. However, I still think the story was light even in the information the writers gave us on the characters. I thought the show was lacking, not to say I won't watch it again because, again, I think they have a lot to build on. I think the interpersonal relationships are awesome in a PI, Cop, FBI or whatever show, but they need to be built like any relationship, make me care about the characters outside the job or crime solving apparatus. Alas FX is always the same they throw you in the show like it's season 3, there were a lot of WTF moments for me in Terriers. It was like watching a movie based on a book I haven't read, I feel like I am outside the joke, or missing something.
ReplyDeleteI don't know, I never felt lost or on the outside. They did throw you right into the middle of the relationship, but I feel that is just a storytelling device. I find it much more interesting to just get thrown into a situation. It gets you more involved as the viewer, trying to figure out what a joke means or why the characters are acting a certain way. It also opens up the story for more back story, which again, i find more interesting. Why is he not a cop anymore? Why did he get divorced? How did these two meet? If you start at point A, the story stays liner and to me that's not very compelling storytelling. By the way, I don't think I've seen a show on FX I haven't liked.
ReplyDeletewell it's on tonight so... I suppose only time will tell.
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