Then again, I got a peek at some upcoming episodes and Delroy Lindo turns into a total evil badass, which is great. I just wish this cop show that bears similarities to several other currently airing shows had a premiere that did a better job knocking people's socks off, and this one really didn't. It's well acted and sets up a solid storyline, but it's not captivating the way that Southland was. And it doesn't have the luxury of having someone like Michael Imperioli or Tom Selleck who viewers know well and might cut some slack. I don't think Jennifer Beals can pull in a fanbase the way that Christofah or Magnum can, particularly if she's not flashdancing or enjoying lesbian romances. Although she's at least far more appealing here than she was as Lightman's ex-wife on Lie to Me (a show that Ryan briefly worked on, too).

The gist of The Chicago Code is that Jennifer Beals is the youngest police superintendent in the history of the Windy City, a drug-busting podigy who got the job when the other candidate for the gig died unexpectedly. And instead of playing nice with the alderman who helped her land the position, she's made it her goal to take him down (at least when she's not demoting lazy cops who have been on the force for decades). She enlists the help of the curmudgeonly Det. Wysocki, who is good at his job, but can't deal with partners (much like Imperioli's character on Detriot 1-8-7... actually, remarkably like that character). He agrees that he'll help her, as long as he can pick and choose his cases, but that rubs some of his fellow officers the wrong way. His niece (who he basically adopted when her dad died) is also on the force, and he's quite the protective uncle. Delroy Lindo plays the dirty Alderman Gibbons, who is working with the Irish mob and getting nicely rewarded for his efforts. Wysocki realizes that Gibbons is more powerful than the mayor and has the power to destroy careers and lives. And then there's Det. Caleb Evers (Matt Lauria from Friday Night Lights), a fresh-faced kid who is eager to work with a notable cop like Wysocki, even if his role model is kind of an ass.

The biggest problem with this show is that it's on Fox, instead of FX. And yes, FX is the station that just cancelled Terriers, but it's also where The Shield had a nice long run. A show about corrupt cops and politicians needs to be grittier than network television allows, or you get Blue Bloods, which ends up skewing its focus to the character's personal lives and case-of-the-week plots. That's not a bad thing, per se, but it lacks the "must-see" quality that a show like The Shield provided. I don't think my mind is going to be blown by something that Wysocki does, yet Vic Mackey shocked me on a weekly basis. On FX, they wouldn't have had to make up a preposterous reason for the lack of profanity (it apparently offends Wysocki's delicate sensibilities). On FX, it probably wouldn't have taken three episodes before Gibbons revealed his truly menacing abilities. Hell, on FX, Delroy Lindo would probably be the star of this show instead of the supporting villain. Beals' character is just too much of a principled "good guy," and unless she's got a heaping helping of skeletons hidden in her closet, she's just boring. And who wants to root for someone boring? Wysocki is sort of interesting, with his young fiancé and his secret fling with his ex-wife, but the show seems to be building to be more about her and less about him. It seems like a bizarre choice, especially for Ryan, who is known for creating complicated and layered characters. Here, it seems like what you see is what you get. And that's fine for a certain portion of the audience. You know, those who happily watch Human Target and The Good Guys. They'll be easily entertained, but real Shawn Ryan fans have come to expect a bit more.

Is this show really just a lite version of The Wire? Our vlogger Sean Crespo investigates in this video:

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