History Series / PublicMorals

Not to be confused with the 1996 sitcom of the same name.

Set in [[TheSixties 1965]] [[BigApplesauce New York City]], the series focuses on the Main/{{NYPD}}'s Public Morals Division as it tries to police the city's appetite for vice. The cops of the division are fairly cynical about their work, believing that the best they can do is regulate such activity rather than try to stamp it out altogether. They have no problem with letting people have their fun as long as the players pay their "rent" and don't cause too much trouble. It's when people try to shake up the status quo that the cops start cracking down.

'''''Public Morals''''' is a police drama that premiered in 2015 on TNT. It was created by Edward Burns, who also writes, directs, and stars in the series.

* AmericanDream: Joe Patton sees himself as having achieved it through his criminal enterprise, going from street thug to kingpin. Some people, including his son, believes that this made him soft. He readily admits it, saying that he worked hard in order to afford his luxuries.

'''''Public Morals''''' is a police drama that premiered in 2015 on TNT. It was created by Creator/EdwardBurns, who also writes, directs, and stars in the series.

** Shea being a college-graduate isn't just unusual, the other cops of the Public Morals Division look at him with outright suspicion because of it.

* FriendlyNeighborhoodGangster: Joe Patton sees his criminal enterprise as a money making venture and as a tool to help maintain order in the community (albeit on his terms). He maintains an agreement with the police where gambling and prostitution can operate freely as long as both sides get a share of the profits. He is, however, also a deconstruction. He's such a community institution that younger, more violent criminals perceive him as vulnerable.

* {{Nepotism}}: Public Morals is seen as a choice assignment and a stint there can fast track a cop's career. Jimmy Shea's father (an NYPD Inspector) made a deal with Capt. Johanson to get Jimmy assigned there.

* PsychopathicManChild: Rusty Patton. He has an almost uncontrollable need to prove himself to his father, which results in his death tally of five people by "A Token of Our Appreciation": [[spoiler: Mr. O, two of Rusty's low-level guys, a prostitute who witnessed Mr. O's murder, and Smitty all got whacked on Rusty's orders or by Rusty himself.]]

* WhamEpisode: The double-episode finale "Starts With a Snowflake" and "A Thought and a Soul". [[spoiler:Patton, trying to have it both ways, tells Rusty he's no longer under any protection, but refuses to admit to Muldoon that Rusty killed Mr. O. Terry Muldoon, fed up, severs the gentleman's agreement between the cops and the irish mob. Then Patton gets blown up by Rusty, ironically after The Monk killed Patton's brother.]]

* FriendlyNeighborhoodGangster: Joe Patton sees his criminal enterprise as a money making venture and as a tool to help maintain order in the community (albeit on his terms). He even maintains an agreement with the police where gambling and prostitution can operate freely as long as both sides get a share of the profits. He is, however, also a deconstruction. He's such a community institution that younger, more violent criminals perceive him as vulnerable.

* FriendlyNeighborhoodGangster: Joe Patton is a deconstruction; he's such a community institution that younger, more violent criminals perceive him as vulnerable.

* PsychopathicManChild: Rusty Patton. He has an almost uncontrollable need to prove himself to his father, which results in his death tally of four people by "A Token of Our Appreciation": [[spoiler: Mr. O, two of Rusty's low-level guys, and Smitty all got whacked on Rusty's orders or by Rusty himself.]]

* StatusQuoIsGod: This is lampshaded and invoked numerous times throughout the premiere episode. Business is good, everyone is getting paid and the cops do not want anyone to mess with their setup. Capt. Johanson makes it clear that if Jimmmy Shea tries to rock the boat he will be transferred out. Muldoon warns his uncle to not let his ambition start a MobWar. This is all ultimately subverted at the end of the episode when [[spoiler: Mr O]] is killed.

Set in 1960's [[BigApplesauce New York City]], the series focuses on the [[Main/{{NYPD}} NYPD's]] Public Morals Division as it tries to police the city's appetite for vice. The cops of the division are fairly cynical about their work, believing that the best they can do is regulate such activity rather than try to stamp it out altogether. They have no problem with letting people have their fun as long as the players pay their "rent" and don't cause too much trouble. It's when people try to shake up the status quo that the cops start cracking down.

* PsychopathicManchild: Rusty Patton. He has an almost uncontrollable need to prove himself to his father, which results in his death tally of four people by "A Token of Our Appreciation": [[spoiler: Mr. O, two of Rusty's low-level guys, and Smitty all got whacked on Rusty's orders or by Rusty himself.]]