So, my family are currently addicted to the Dick Wolf (*snickers*) expanded multiverse and Chicago P.D. is the current binge victim. Looking at IMDB reviews and scores, I really struggle to see what makes this series so great or special in the majority's eyes. At its heart, it's a cliche police action drama starring a lot of raspy-voiced cops with few discernible personality traits fighting crime in Dick Wolf's favourite onion-named 'Murican metropolis. All of the main characters are beautiful and immaculate, even the older officers - it's honestly quite hard to distinguish between all the brunette-bearded white beefcake studs, sometimes.
What bothers me most about this show is how it seems to display a child's naive picture of what the police actually is. Despite being an intelligence unit, it's full of gun-toting badasses who can go anywhere and do anything with apparently unlimited jurisdiction. Despite the fact that these cops never follow any realistic procedure and constantly brutalise suspects Jack Bauer-style with little provocation, no one ever faces consequences for their actions. In fact, the show seems to glorify it. At least Chicago Fire often dealt with media reactions to Firehouse 51's actions and showed plenty of internal affairs drama.
Voight (Jason Beghe), who constantly talks like he's about to keel over from emphysema or something, is the stereotypical grizzled Cowboy Cop who will seemingly go to any legally questionable lengths to see justice delivered, up to including holding an old lady at knifepoint. Somehow, we're clearly supposed to see him as a sympathetic, admirable character in spite of his fascistic actions - "he's a rough maverick, but he gets the job done". Especially in the world we currently live in where police brutality is a tragically huge problem, it's very uncomfortable to see the characters' actions go unquestioned and unchallenged.
On the positive side, the show has well-choreographed, gripping action every episode and is nowhere near as exploitative as some of Dick Wolf's other crime shows. The crossovers and cameos between the Chicagoverse shows help to make the overall setting feel fleshed out. In many ways, P.D. is a faithful throwback to the bygone era of '80s meathead shows, but it often imitates them in the worst ways.
Series A slightly concerning bastion for police brutality
So, my family are currently addicted to the Dick Wolf (*snickers*) expanded multiverse and Chicago P.D. is the current binge victim. Looking at IMDB reviews and scores, I really struggle to see what makes this series so great or special in the majority's eyes. At its heart, it's a cliche police action drama starring a lot of raspy-voiced cops with few discernible personality traits fighting crime in Dick Wolf's favourite onion-named 'Murican metropolis. All of the main characters are beautiful and immaculate, even the older officers - it's honestly quite hard to distinguish between all the brunette-bearded white beefcake studs, sometimes.
What bothers me most about this show is how it seems to display a child's naive picture of what the police actually is. Despite being an intelligence unit, it's full of gun-toting badasses who can go anywhere and do anything with apparently unlimited jurisdiction. Despite the fact that these cops never follow any realistic procedure and constantly brutalise suspects Jack Bauer-style with little provocation, no one ever faces consequences for their actions. In fact, the show seems to glorify it. At least Chicago Fire often dealt with media reactions to Firehouse 51's actions and showed plenty of internal affairs drama.
Voight (Jason Beghe), who constantly talks like he's about to keel over from emphysema or something, is the stereotypical grizzled Cowboy Cop who will seemingly go to any legally questionable lengths to see justice delivered, up to including holding an old lady at knifepoint. Somehow, we're clearly supposed to see him as a sympathetic, admirable character in spite of his fascistic actions - "he's a rough maverick, but he gets the job done". Especially in the world we currently live in where police brutality is a tragically huge problem, it's very uncomfortable to see the characters' actions go unquestioned and unchallenged.
On the positive side, the show has well-choreographed, gripping action every episode and is nowhere near as exploitative as some of Dick Wolf's other crime shows. The crossovers and cameos between the Chicagoverse shows help to make the overall setting feel fleshed out. In many ways, P.D. is a faithful throwback to the bygone era of '80s meathead shows, but it often imitates them in the worst ways.