Cool News
Hercules Investigates TNT’s New Undercover Cop Drama DARK BLUE!!
SPOILER ALERT !!
I am – Hercules!!
A not very interesting new crime drama from writer-producer Doug Jung (“Big Love”), “Dark Blue” stars Dylan McDermott (“The Practice”) and Nicki Aycox (“Cold Case,” “X-Files 2”) as secret Los Angeles cops who have to do questionable things to maintain their covers.
“Wiseguy” did this sort of thing much, much better two decades ago, and some of the acting in “Dark Blue” makes me want to phone Ken Wahl and tell him how vastly I underrated his thespianic acumen.
A much better actor than McDermott, Kyle Secor of “Homicide” and “Veronica Mars” fame, shows up early on as an FBI agent, and you quickly begin to wish his was the main character. Alas, not to be.
Entertainment Weekly gives it a “C” and says:
… achieves only lukewarm clichés. ' …
USA Today gives it a star and a half (out of four) and says:
… Many things are bad, or at least painfully ordinary, about Blue, but the worst is the way it misuses Dylan McDermott, a man who once was and should still be a bankable TV star. …
The New York Times says:
… False identities are intrinsically intriguing, but on “Dark Blue” deceit lacks context and contrast; there is almost no cover atop the undercover, no monde clashing with Carter’s demimonde. …
The Los Angeles Times says:
… It is an intriguing plot formulation with just the right mixture of gunplay, slick setups and character development to promise a satisfying addition to TNT's catalog of raggedy-cool cop shows ("The Closer," "Saving Grace"). One wonders how writer Doug Jung will handle the obvious glitch -- deep undercover typically takes much more time than a weekly series can realistically portray -- but the various personal arcs seem compelling enough to compensate. …
The Chicago Tribune says:
… the show's somber tone is faintly laughable, given that it makes its cast say and do such predictable things. …
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:
… an OK but not exceptional crime drama … makes half-hearted efforts to give the characters backstories so they can grow and develop in future episodes but the script, written by Doug Jung ("Big Love"), doesn't do much to differentiate "Dark Blue" from the dozens of crime dramas that preceded it.
The Boston Herald says:
… Two episodes in, the show’s premise already seems tired. There are some worthy stories to be told about the emotional pressures on undercover agents, but “Dark Blue” isn’t equipped to tell them. For some reason, McDermott keeps getting hired for series work. As he proved on “The Practice,” he wouldn’t be convincing bagging groceries. …
The Boston Globe says:
… Alas, every newer structure TNT has put up in the past year has been kind of shaky. “Leverage,’’ “Raising the Bar,’’ and “HawthoRNe’’ are almost willfully ordinary, as if the network is afraid that a bit of originality might alienate viewers. These are shows that go halfway there, with decent casts and strong production values, but then back off into mediocrity. And, beginning tonight at 10, “Dark Blue’’ joins their ranks, an unambitious cop drama subsumed by undercover cliches. …
Variety says:
… does offer a few zestier character flourishes toward the end, but the dreary first mission is better executed than conceived. … exhibits little interest in exploring any new ground -- a meat-and-potatoes approach that has characterized most of TNT's development; rather, the cable net's formula generally relies on playing to an audience that doesn't mind soaking in shows that could just as easily be found on a 1970s or '80s primetime roster. …
The Hollywood Reporter says:
… a confusing mix of cliche and posturing that seems more interested in framing a shot than telling a story. … the narrative just grows murkier and murkier until bullets fly, people get shot, the credits roll and you're left wondering, "What the hell was that?" …
10 p.m. Wednesday. TNT.
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Lost 5.x
Lost 5.x (Blu-ray)
Lost: The Complete Fifth Season Dharma Initiation Kit
Lost: The Complete Fifth Season Dharma Initiation Kit (Blu-ray)
Lost 1.x-5.x
Lost 1.x-5.x (Blu-ray)
Wiseguy: $9.99!!
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The best undercover shit you will ever see.
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and it really wasn't that bad, although nobody watched it. The incredibly misused rap music did get annoying after 5 minutes, though.
Is this series in any way related to the movie?? -
Means I'll give this a try.
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or an mix of F/X and USA. They hire good lead actors and market their shows as gritty and morally complex like the F/X shows but in fact they are as mediocre, harmless and unoriginal as the glossy run of the mill procedural crap on USA or CBS. The Boston Globe reviewer nails it.
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Saved was excellent, gritty and complex. TNT fucking canceled it because it threatened The Closer.
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WHERE ARE THE PUBLIC ENEMIES REVIEWS?!?!? NO MORE MR. NICE GUY! I WILL HIJACK EVERY TALK BACK UNTIL I GET AN ANSWER OR AM BANNED!!!! AARRGGHH! That is all. Peace.
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WHERE ARE THE PUBLIC ENEMIES REVIEWS?!?!? NO MORE MR. NICE GUY! I WILL HIJACK EVERY TALK BACK UNTIL I GET AN ANSWER OR AM BANNED!!!! AARRGGHH! That is all. Peace.
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I thought the show was great IMO.
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a new show.
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Just reusing the title.
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But when, oh when, will the networks get off their asses and give us a show about doctors?
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A whole post and no mention of Earl!!!
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...and a classic new AICN catchphrase is born. :)
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Don't forget about the lawyers. They need their time in the spotlight also.
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The early years of The Practice was some genuinely great TV, it's too bad that thus series sounds like it'll be a step back for the guy.
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Jul 15, 2009 2:05:39 PM CDT
Show looks alright...but one problem....
by itsjust_notcool_anymore_baby
I think I heard something about KURT RUSSEL ALREADY DID IT.
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I watch enough TV shows already, which are probably too many. I don't think I'll be tuning into this.
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tonight. 9pm.
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Big Jim, you nailed it. Every one of these ridiculous cop shows does whatever it can to seem more "badass" than the last one, when all they end up being is copies that grow more and more faded and predictable. I've loved seeing the ones in the past year with the exact same advertising, all claiming that they weren't your average cop show. One was so desperate to make people believe that they weren't the same run of the mill garbage that they called the show "The Unusuals." Gimme a break! You want to be unusual or unique? How about show about something else!?!?!?!?
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I'm now in love w/ the Dharma Initiation Kit... The Practice succeeded because of great writing. Mcdermott is just not compelling in any way to me. Every TNT show just looks so damn vanilla to me. I've never even seen The Closer despite the good reviews because that network just gives off a vibe of complete mediocre crap.
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man i miss vic. mackey.
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