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Fastlane was Buddy Cop Show that ran on FOX from September 2002 to May 2003. It was centered around the Candy Store, a base of operations for deep-undercover cops with access to the most impressive cars, weapons, and other confiscated toys. Their motto: Everything we seize, we keep; everything we keep, we use. Their goal: infiltrate various big-name crime organizations and take down their leaders. Pretty much like Miami Vice, but in the City of Angels.

The show is notable for its licensed soundtrack, laundry list of guest stars, unconventional cinematography, and impressive pyrotechnics. Unfortunately, all of that contributed to the show's ludicrously high production costs, averaging at about $2.6 million per episode. That coupled with the dip in ratings from the move to the Friday Night Death Slot ensured its swift cancellation.

The cast included:

  • Peter Facinelli as Donavan "Van" Ray, a Cowboy Cop for the LAPD who was roped into working for the Candy Store after stealing a hundred grand for a botched car deal that ended with the murder of his partner, Andre Hayes.
  • Bill Bellamy as Deaqon "Deaq" Hayes, an ex-gangbanger turned narcotics detective for the NYPD. Returned to Los Angeles after his brother Andre was killed.
  • Tiffani Thiessen as Wilhemina "Billie" Chambers, the lieutenant in charge of the Candy Store.
  • Big Boy as Aquarius, Deaqon's link to the streets. If the Candy Store needs information or credibility, he's the one they turn to.

This show provides examples of:

  • Action Girl: While Billie usually just plays the Mission Control for most episode, she still is a trained police lieutenant and can handle herself in a shootout just as well as her boys can.
  • Actor Allusion: In one episode, Deaq quips that "this Dennehy guy has seen In the Name of the Father too many times."
  • Always Someone Better: "Gone Native" has the protagonists dealing with Dallas, an ATF undercover Super Cop who is much better at their job than they are, and does it all by himself. By the end, they find out he's a Broken Ace who lives a terribly lonely life and is struggling with his latest job because he's In Love with the Mark.
  • Ambiguously Bi: Van often thinks Billie is a lesbian due to her Tomboy hobbies, like liking cars and smoking. She refuses to answer him, but in one episode has to go undercover to expose some lesbian criminals, which includes seducing one of them. But the plot still keeps ambiguous whether or not she was just playing a long, is a lesbian or a bisexual.
  • Arms Dealer: In "Gone Native", the Villain of the Week is a Sibling Team who works as Russian arms dealers.
  • Asshole Victim: "Monster" has a nasty gang member murdered by a psychopath, and Deaq and Van only care about getting his killer because of the gang war it might create.
  • Badass Biker: The trio of female diamond capers in "Girl's Own Juice", who make their getaways riding bikes and easily outmaneuvering any pursuer.
  • Big Fun: Aquarius isn't known as "Big Boy' for nothing, and he often has a jovial attitude and played for comedy relief.
  • The Brute: A Giant Mook known as "God" serves as the main muscle for Cyrus' criminal empire in "Defense/Offense". At first he's treated as Dumb Muscle, but it's later revealed he's the only one really aware that Skylar in the one who's running the entire outfit and is actually serving as her Number Two. He also ends up being the final physical challenge Deaq has to overcome to bring down Skylar.
  • Buddy Cop Show: Van and Deaq's dynamic in their partnership at the Candy Store is the bread and butter of the show.
  • Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Billie's superiors aren't happy with the unconventional way she runs the Candy Store, but they let her get away with it as long as she brings them results.
  • Career-Revealing Trait: Super Cop Dallas is able to tell Van and Deaq and LPD cops just by the way they hold their guns.
  • The Casanova: Van is a huge flirt who is often hitting on women, and is usually very successful. This can sometimes help him on the job when he needs to seduce a mark, but more often than not it ends up getting him into trouble when he catches feelings. Deaq is often frustrated by his behavior.
  • Catapult Nightmare: "Wet" has Van having a nightmare of Sophia sneaking up on his bed to kill him, and he wakes up sitting up in a panic just as she shoots him.
  • The Cavalry: Some episodes have Deaq and Van being rescued at the last second by Billie leading a SWAT team.
  • Celebrity Cameo: As expected from a Fox show, most episodes have a least one celebrity playing a one-shot character or having a cameo role.
  • Chained to a Bed: In "Slippery Slope", when Sophia busts in on Van and Cassidy during their Shower of Love session, she kidnaps Cassidy and leaves a naked Van handcuffed to a bed. When Deaq happens upon him in that state, he's livid.
  • Cigarette of Anxiety: Billie quit smoking, so whenever she does smoke, Van and Deaq know she's either stressed or really mad.
  • Clear My Name: Billie is accused of murdering a supposedly unarmed kingpin in the two-parter "Defense/Offense", leading Van and Deaq to have to clear her name.
  • Cliffhanger: And an infuriating one at that. The Candy Store is dismantled while Billie is kidnapped and tortured, being forced back into her heroin addiction.
  • Cool Garage: The "Candy Store", loaded with cool cars and other equipment, all of it seized from arrested criminals and used for undercover purposes.
  • Cool Old Guy: Ray Ray, Van's father. Who happens to be a Con Man that exploits said coolness to make people drop their guard around him (Van has been around him long enough to develop savviness and keep his guard up, but the plot constantly conspires to have him Made Out to Be a Jerkass when he orders his own father to assume the position for frisking, for example (turns out he got a gun from a contact).
  • Cop Killer Manhunt: "Defense" starts with a crime lord Cyrus ordering hits all police officers in LA, leading to him being targeted by the Candy Store crew.
  • Counterfeit Cash: One episode dealt with one of the Buddy Cops' father's old profession as a counterfeiter as a part of an infiltration job.
  • Cowboy Cop: Both Van and Deaq. They're supposed "51% cop and 49% criminal", being permanent undercover cops who live like gangsters.
    Billie: This is a life of crime, 24/7. You don't drop cover, you never flash a badge.
  • Da Chief: Being a woman doesn't stop Billie from having the stereotypical chewing out scenes with Van and Deaq whenever their Cowboy Cop behaviour gets out of hand.
  • Dark Action Girl: Sophia Jones, an ex-special forces sharpshooter who now works as a hitman, and the Villain of the Week in "Wet" and "Slippery Slope". She can walk up to a party unarmed and, steal the guns from a bodyguard and kill a dozen of bodyguards all by herself and escapes arrest by killing the transport guards while handcuffed.
  • Dark Reprise: In "Defense", Van and Deaq have to participate in a street race against The Vamp and one brutal boxing match against The Brute, respectively, to gain the trust of a crime kingpin. Cut to the next episode, Van has to chase down the same villainess who's revealed to have been a rogue FBI agent while Deaq has to face off with the same monster boxer, but with hooks!
  • Dating Catwoman: A recurring plotline with Van.
    • Cassidy and Van both know they're using each other and are on opposite sides of the law, but can't seem to help themselves and end up in bed whenever they meet.
    • In "Wet", Van is tasked with seducing Sophia Jones in order to find out if she's the hitman they're looking for. She not only is a hitman, but is one who does is for the thrill, so when she ends up falling in love with Van, they end up having a bizarre and darker romantic dynamic. Unlike Cassidy, it comes to an abrupt end when he's forced to kill her for Deaq's sake.
  • Dead Partner: Van's partner Andre is killed in the pilot episode, leading him to partner up with Andre's brother Deaq in order to get Andre's killer. Deaq ends up taking Andre's place as Van's partner in the Candy Store operation.
  • Death by Origin Story: Andre's death is what leads to the main leads meeting and joining the Candy Store.
  • Description Cut: In "Defense", Billie is having an argument with Internal Affairs and claims that her boys never do any "shenanigans". The scene then immediately cuts to Van doing an illegal street race while Deaq is in an illegal boxing match.
  • Dirty Cop:
    • Adam Kane, the Starter Villain is a corrupt DEA officer who runs a drug ring.
    • Skyler Kase is an evil FBI Agent who uses her police and criminal connections to try to make herself The Queenpin of Los Angeles in "Defense" and "Offense".
  • Exact Eavesdropping: Van and Deaq start off on the wrong foot when Deaq overhears Van making light out of Andre's death to Cassidy. He's only lying to convince her, but Deaq doesn't know it.
  • Femme Fatale: Cassidy Shaw is a criminal who uses her good looks and seduction skills for her criminal activities. She's introduced as a fencer for the Starter Villain, but another episode also reveals she works a thief and con-woman. And naturally, she gets into a Dating Catwoman relationship with Van.
  • Forced Addiction: Billie is a recovered heroin addict. In "Iced", Billie is kidnapped by her former protégé, who tortures her by forcing heroin into her system to get her addicted again. Unfortunately, the series was cancelled, leaving this plot ending on a Cliffhanger with no resolution to the ramifications this could have on her character.
  • Forced to Watch: Played for Laughs in "Gone Native". Van and Deaq are searching the room of a Super Cop they think might have gone rogue. To their distress, he arrives while they're in the middle of searching, and does so with his Russian lover. They managed to hide under the bed, but are then forced to listen to them have sex in the bed above them for two hours.
  • Frame-Up: In "Defense/Offense", Billie is framed for killing crime kingpin Cyrus One, when she actually killed him in self-defense, but her only witness is corrupt FBI agent Skylar Kase who is happy to lie in order to send Billie to jail and close down the Candy Store.
  • Freudian Threat:
    • Aquarius threatening to come back as a pair of pliers to yank off the nutsacks of the heavily armed, masked marauders taking him hostage in the pilot.
    • Ray Ray negotiating a deal for a counterfeiting job with a dinner knife to his crotch in "Ray Ray"
    • In "Strap On", Sara threatens to "make Van into a lady" by shooting his balls off.
  • Friend Versus Lover: In "Slippery Slope", when Sophia has Deaq at gunpoint and is about to kill him, Van doesn't hesitate in shooting and killing her, despite their romantic past.
  • Groin Attack: Van gets kicked in the sack while trying to arrest a surfing marijuana dealer in "Dogtown".
  • Guns Akimbo: Standard way to use guns by the two leads, to illustrate how they're Cowboy Cops.
  • Hairpin Lockpick: Billie is introduced by giving Van her hairpin so he can unlock his car after he accidentally locked himself out. It also involves her Shaking Her Hair Loose as she takes it off.
  • Hair-Trigger Temper: Russian arms dealer Dimitri Federov is extremely aggressive and trigger-happy, making Dallas his Hyper-Competent Sidekick because he's actually able to diffuse situations.
  • Hand-or-Object Underwear: When Sophia finds Van and Cassidy in the middle of a Shower of Love, Cassidy uses her hands to cover her breasts.
  • Hidden Wire: The series starts with Cassidy flirtatiously frisking Van for a hidden wire, mostly focusing on his groin by basically giving him a handjob. Ironically he does have a wire hidden in his underwear, but he manages to get distract her and pulls it off before she accidentally finds it.
  • Inconvenient Attraction: Van and Deaq both can't help but be attracted to Billie, especially since she's often wearing skimpy or skintight outfits around them, but know better than to make any moves on their boss.
  • If You Kill Him, You Will Be Just Like Him!:
    • In the pilot, Van implores Deaq not to kill the Dirty Cop that murdered Andre, as he would just be throwing his life away, and even quotes the line. The situation is resolved when Cassidy ends up killing the Dirty Cop instead.
    • Subverted and yet played straight in another episode. Billie has the criminal who ruined her life at gunpoint when one of her male partners arrives and yells, "Don't do it! Not like this! (Dramatic pause) Use my gun! It has a larger caliber so it will be more satisfying." Her other partner has a similar do-it-this-way comment, but they're both using reverse psychology to convince her not to kill the criminal, and it ends up working.
  • The Immodest Orgasm: In "Gone Native", Russian mobster Katiya has several loud orgasms while she's having sex with her Sex God lover Dallas. Played for Laughs since Van and Deaq are hiding under the bed and are clearly disturbed about having to listen to it.
  • Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy: In the pilot, mooks opens fire with machine pistols on both Van and Andre, but somehow misses every shot, while a single round of Andre's Guns Akimbo manages to take down both mooks.
  • I Never: Played in a bar between Van, Deaq, and Girl of the Week Simone.
  • In Love with the Mark:
    • A recurring plot with Van falling in love with a female criminal they have to arrest, such as Cassidy and Jane.
    • In "Gone Native", undercover agent Dallas fell in love with Katiya, the Russian Arms Dealer he's supposed to set up. He confesses the truth to her just before he arrests her and her family, and even though she has the opportunity to snitch on him, she doesn't, since she fell for him too.
  • Internal Affairs: "Defense/Offense" two-parter features the Candy Store being temporarily closed down by stuffy IA officer Rolland while he investigated their operation. But he turns out not to be a total Strawman and ends up siding with the protagonists against the corrupt FBI agent in the end. During the episode's climactic shootout, he even ends up saving Billie's life by shooting a bad guy who gets the drop on her.
  • Interplay of Sex and Violence:
    • When Van and Sophia sleep together in "Wet", their sex scene is intercut with images of her killing a bunch of bodyguards from the start of the episode.
    • In "Offense", the scene of Skyler Chase kissing Van is interplayed with Billie fighting off an assassination attempt in prison.
  • It's Personal:
    • The events of the pilot are personal for Van and Deaq since they're trying to avenge Andre's murder.
    • "Ryde or Die" is a personal case for Billie, since it deals with the drug dealer who got her hooked in ecstasy in her past.
  • Left Hanging: The Season Finale ends in a Cliffhanger where two major characters being taken over by Jay Mohr, and another is jabbed with a potentially-fatal overdose of drugs. The series ended up being canceled before the plotline could be resolved.
  • Literal Ass-Kicking: Van shooting Deaq in the ass to keep him from being shot by SWAT.
  • Living Lie Detector: While Van can lie to most people, Cassidy easily sees through his act, and even admonishes him when she thinks he's being particularly bad at lying.
  • The Man Behind the Man: At first, crime lord Cyrus seems like the Villain of the Week of "Defense/Offense", but then it's revealed his girlfriend Skylar is actually an undercover FBI agent who's gone rogue and is using him to build her own criminal empire. She soon not only sets up Cyrus to be killed, but also manipulates their lieutenants into killing each other until the next boss is a man who's already been seduced by her, and she keeps ruling from behind the scenes under his name.
  • Modesty Towel: In "Slippery Slope", after Cassidy is done showering in the hotel room she's staying with Van, he hears her fumbling in the bedroom and assumes she's trying to escape, only to catch her wearing just a towel and he gets distracted. She takes advantage of the situation by dropping said towel in mock surprise in an attempt to seduce him. It works.
  • Mr. Fanservice: Both male leads are attractive and muscular, and they often get gratuitous Shirtless Scenes to show off.
  • Ms. Fanservice:
    • Billie is attractive and athletic, often wearing inappropriately tight and revealing clothing and having Workout Fanservice scenes in the Candy Store.
    • Recurring character Cassidy Shaw is played for fanservice whenever she shows up, with her Dating Catwoman relationship with Van, sex scenes with Male Gaze shots of her body, skimpy outfits, and gratuitous Shower Scene.
  • "No Peeking!" Request: In "Slippery Slope", Cassidy gives a sarcastic warning for Van not to peek when she goes to take a shower at the hotel they're staying at.
  • The One That Got Away: "Things Done Changed" has Deaq reuniting with his Childhood Friend Romance ex-girlfriend he still carries a torch for, who is now in trouble due to her husband being a gang leader.
  • Plumber's Crack: In "Girl's Own Juice", Van realizes the bikers he's pursuing are girls when he sees their butt cracks and notices they're wearing panties.
  • Psycho Prototype: A rare non-technology/super-soldier example. Turns out that Van and Deaq were the second iterations of the "Candy Store" project, and Billie had tried Recruiting the Criminal to play an undercover cop. Much to her surprise, the criminal she chose turned out to be manipulative enough to not set off any of her alarms up until the moment he tried to kill her and steal the Store's contents for himself-and then ran away when Billie fought back.
  • Race Against the Clock: In "Monster", a psychopath ends up killing the brother of a gang leader, who assumes it was a hit by a rival gang. Deaq and Van have to race against the clock to find the killer before the situation becomes a full-on gang war.
  • Recovered Addict: In the past, Billie got addicted to heroin while working undercover trying to catch a drug lord. She struggles with it even in the present day.
  • Recruiting the Criminal:
    • The crook named Aquarius the boys used from time to time to "procure" certain "items;" for example, a truckful of blank US gov't paper upon which they'll counterfeit $100 bills.
    • Candy Store leader Billie tried to recruit a criminal to play undercover cop before the series started, but the criminal she chose for the gig turned out to be a backstabbing Magnificent Bastard that tried to kill her and ran away when he couldn't, leading to her decision to recruit Cowboy Cops.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: Internal Affairs agent Rolland Hills isn't happy with the Candy's Store Cowboy Cop ways, but when he suspects a corrupt FBI agent is using him to shut them down and is framing Billie, he gives Van and Deaq leeway to try to clear Billie's name while investigating the FBI officer himself.
  • Red Oni, Blue Oni: Deaq is the blue oni to Van's red oni, with Deaq being calm, rational and level-headed while Van is passionate, emotional, and impulsive.
  • Roaring Rampage of Revenge:
    • In the pilot, Deaq travels to Los Angeles in order to avenge Andre's murder, and isn't afraid of disregarding the law to do so.
    • After the beloved brother of a gang leader is murdered by a thrill-seeking lunatic in "Monster", Van and Deaq have to find the murderer before the gang turns the city upside down.
    • Billie goes on a rampage against a Chinese Triad in "Mighty Blue" when they end up getting her Best Friend killed.
  • Scenery Porn: Was probably the most colorful show on FOX at the time of airing.
  • Sex God: In "Gone Native", as part of the Always Someone Better subplot the protagonists have with Super Cop Dallas, Van and Deaq discovered he's also a sex prodigy when they're forced to listen to him giving multiple loud orgasms to his Russian lover Katyia for two hours straight.
  • Sexy Surfacing Shot: The opening of "Defense" shows two Fanservice Extra girls surfacing out of a pool with a slow-mo Male Gaze shot in tiny bikinis.
  • Shaking Her Hair Loose: Billie is introduced offering her hairpin for Van to use as a Hairpin Lockpick, and she does so while shaking off her hair loose from the Prim and Proper Bun hairstyle she had before. Ironically she never wears her hair in a Prim and Proper Bun ever again, meaning the only reason she had it in the first place was so she could do the trope.
  • Sherlock Scan: In "Gone Native", Super Cop Dallas is able to tell right away that Van and Deaq are undercover cops, by analyzing their body language and what they have in their cars.
  • Shirtless Scene: The two male leads often get scenes where they're shirtless, almost Once per Episode. Deaq is even introduced while playing basketball shirtless. The zoom-in on his chest and the fact he's the only one who's shirtless makes it clear it was done for the Fanservice.
  • Short-Runners: The show only had one season before it was canceled due to its high costs.
  • Shower of Love: In "Slippery Slope", Cassidy and Van end up having sex in the shower of the hotel room they're staying. It turns into a Shower of Awkward when none other than Sophia, busts in on them mid-sex.
  • Shower Scene: Cassidy gets a fanservice heavy shower scene in "Slippery Slope", with several Male Gaze shots of her body as she sexy poses for nobody under the shower spray, though the camera stays above her shoulders for the most part. It is also torture for Van, who is waiting outside and has to hear her shower while not trying to think about her naked. When she comes out in just a Modesty Towel and drops it in front of him, he succumbs to her seduction and ends up sleeping with her.
  • Sibling Team: The Villain of the Week of "Gone Native" is a team of Russian siblings who works as Arms Dealers, Katiya and Dimitri Federov.
  • Soft Water: In the pilot, Van and Deaq get into a fight at a hotel and both end up falling off the balcony, but because they land on the pool, they come out of it unharmed.
  • Something Only They Would Say: Van convinces Deaq that Andre talked about him when he reveals he knows Deaqs favorite movie is The Towering Inferno.
  • Suicide by Cop: After being betrayed by her Best Friend and being cornered with no way out, Villain of the Week Jade decides she'd rather charge into the cops than be arrested and put on death row. She's promptly shot down.
  • Super Cop: Dallas in "Gone Native", is a lone wolf superstar ATF agent who cleared dozens of cases by himself, and constantly shows off to the protagonists throughout the episode.
  • Supermodel Strut: In "Offense", after the full extent of Skylar Kase's villainy is revealed, we get a shot of her confidently strutting towards the camera while flanked by mob bosses she's seduced to her side.
  • Sweeps Week Lesbian Kiss: "Strap On" has Billie seducing a lesbian criminal for the job, and the whole thing was marketed purely for the Girl on Girl Is Hot appeal of lesbians, with the scene of her making out with the Girl of the Week in a jacuzzi being the entire preview.
  • Taking the Bullet: At the end of "Gone Native", Dallas ends up taking a bullet meant for Deaq and ends up dying in his arms.
  • Taking You with Me: Villainess Skylar attempts to do this with Van at the end of "Offense". After her car crash, she pleads with Van to help her get out, but when he gets near she shoots the fuel tank so they would both die in the explosion. Van just barely manages to Outrun the Fireball.
  • Theme Tune Rap: By Snoop Dogg, no less.
  • Thrill Seeker: It's implied that hitwoman Sophia does her job partly out of a thrill to kill. She also seems to enjoy having a Dating Catwoman dynamic with Van because she enjoys how dangerous and reckless it is.
  • Tomboy with a Girly Streak: Billie frequently dresses in sporty clothing and has mostly male interests, but she has a girlish demeanor. Van is weirded out by this and assumes she must be a Lipstick Lesbian.
  • Toplessness from the Back:
    • In "Gone Native", when Katiya gets out of bed after a sex marathon with her lover, she has her bare back to the camera as she goes inside the bathroom.
    • In "Slippery Slope", when Cassidy drops her towel in front of Van, she has her naked back turned to the audience.
  • Trash Landing: In "Defense", Billie is cornered on top of a building by a couple of Mooks trying to assassinate her, but she manages to flee by jumping into a convenient nearby trash compactor.
  • The Triads and the Tongs: The episode "Mighty Blue" has the Chinese Triad gang 'Mighty Blue' as the Villain of the Week. Van is specifically afraid of going after a Chinese Triad gang due to their ruthless reputation.
  • Undercover Cop Reveal: In "Mighty Blue", when Van and Deaq confront a criminal gang, one of them reveals herself as an undercover police officer to save them.
  • The Vamp: Evil FBI Agent Skylar Kase uses seduction when dealing with criminals, manipulating them into playing them against each other for her benefit. She hides this part of her personality when she's amongst her fellow officers.
  • Vitriolic Best Buds: Van and Deaq start off as unfriendly, with the only thing they share being their connection to Andre. But they eventually progress to have something resembling a friendship, even if they still mouth off on each other.
  • Where Does He Get All Those Wonderful Toys?: The 'Candy Store' base of operations is stocked by the seizure of assets from criminals: all the best cars/weapons/designer clothes/etc that would normally go up for auction are sent to the Candy Store instead. Its motto is "Everything we seize, we keep. Everything we keep, we use." This gives an In-Universe excuse for the leads to be as glamorous as they want.
  • Wicked Cultured: Sophia uses the money she earns as a hitwoman to collect rare and expensive paintings.
  • Women Are Wiser:
    • Usually played straight with Billie, who often has sage advice for whatever personal issue the boys are going through during the episode
    • Subverted with the Russian Sibling Team in "Gone Native". At first, Katiya looks like the brain of the operation in contrast to Dimitri's Hair-Trigger Temper, but then we find out she's being easily manipulated by the undercover agent who works for them.
  • Working Out Their Emotions: The Candy Store has a punching bag that only seems to get used by one of the three leads whenever they're mad about something and need to punch out the stress. Sometimes it also doubles as a Workout Fanservice scene, due to the zoom-in camera angles.
  • Workout Fanservice: The three leads often have workout scenes at the Candy Stores that are played for fanservice, with Male Gaze or Female Gaze camera shots of their bodies.
  • Would Hit a Girl: Dirty Cop Adam Kane is portrayed as a Hate Sink when he starts beating up Cassidy on a public beach for wanting to stop working for him.
  • Would Rather Suffer: In "Mighty Blue", Van claims he'd rather be castrated with a butter knife than have to go up against a Chinese Triad gang.
  • You Never Did That for Me: Played for Laughs in "Slippery Slope" when Sophia becomes peeved when she learns that Van not only had another Dating Catwoman relationship with Cassidy, but that he let her go at the end, while he got her arrested.

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