Line of Fire

I don't know what to really say about this show. I loved the adds for it, and I'm a sucker for gangster movies and the like. I never would have pictured David Paymer as a mob boss, but he does a fine job. I felt like--and this is just after watching one episode--the mob syndicate aspect of the show has yet to fully develop its characters into three-dimensional people, unlike the FBI, who seem much more real so far. I really hope this doesn't become a kind of cops-and-robbers thing, following two opposite sides, yet always making you want the "good guys" to win, and bring down the "bad guys."

I would have never figured Richmond, Virginia for the setting of a long, drawn-out mob sting operation, but I like the idea for a change. Rather than the cold streets of New York or Chicago, or flashy environs of, say, Miami, they put a bunch of syndicate crooks in one-time capital of the Confederate States.

So far, while in pursuit of a low-level mob affiliate, an FBI agent exchanges shots with the crook and both are killed, right in front of the agent's partner. A young widow has just graduated Quantico, all in an effort to eventually make it to anti-terrorism and avenge the death of her husband in the Pentagon of 9-11. She's about to fill the shoes left behind by the afore-mentioned dead agent. Two agents inform a petty crack dealer his life may be in danger because of a tape taken from four days prior, when Malloy (Paymer) interrogated a man, beating him savagely with a lead pipe, learned he worked for the crack dealer, "Crazy Jazz," dealing drugs to Malloy's nephew, Jimmy. (The scene is probably the reason there's a "Viewer Discretion Advised" on this show.) Later on, newly recruited ex-con Roy, in a mad dash, shoots Crazy Jazz, threatens his buddy, and kills an innocent bystander, much to the chagrin of Malloy, and his lieutenant, Donovan Stubbin, who stood by as his friend went nuts. But apparently Roy is actually undercover, and it was all just a way of getting the dealer into Witness Protection.

The show definitely has potential, but only time (and ratings) can tell.

This show is as good as anything on American TV at the moment. But alas it seems to be getting shot down for reasons that people don't worry about in shows like 'The Sopranos'. Yeah Cohen is out of control. But wait a minute don't we read about high ranking Law Enforcement officials screwing up all the time? Sampson has a family and is trying to balance FBI life with being a parent in an increasingly loveless marriage. But wait a minute. Isn't Tony Soprano trying to manage his family life and fragile marriage with his violent crime life? It is more likely to me that a leading FBI agent could have a sex and alcohol problem than it is that a Mob boss openly goes to see a shrink twice a week and has been doing so for years. And Malloy's muscle. Hell they are actually quietly sinister. Not like the Sopranos where everyone of Tony's crew are bad-a-bing stand up comedians from Bensonhurst.

And Paymer as Malloy is frickin' marvelous. Lets face it if you had never seen him in anything before you would be impressed. But like i predicted 'Car Pool' will always be held against him. I'm sorry but if a 5ft tall Joe Pesci can be a tough guy then so can Paymer. I think its called acting. Anyway so what if Malloy isn't hard. He's evil and real smart and to be a crime boss thats all you need.

I'm happy to see a new take on organized crime that offers a more modest look on the life than the wisecracking 'Sopranos'. Hopefully this show will be given the time and scope to reach the potential it undoubtedly has.

Will it reach the heights of the Sopranos? No chance. Infact its probably reaping the backlash of that show's popularity and dominance. But would Donovan Stubbins kick the $hit out of Tony Sope and his crew. NO doubt.

This show has alot going for it, and could have produced some very compelling television. But, it appears political correctness, and image enhancement are more important these days.

For one, the characters are unbelievable to the point of absurdity. In the most recent episode, the female special-agent-in-charge of the Richmond field office, visits a bar (which she, apparently, does every night), drinks herself silly, picks up a guy and takes him home and lets him tie her up during sex, without ever knowing what his name is.

The next morning, she cannot remember much about the encounter, including whether he used a condom or not. It turns out, the guy she picked up could have been somebody wanted for serial rape in Florida. She confesses all this to a high ranking official of the Richmond police department, himself a former lover. He tells her he needs her to recover the man's used condom in order to identify him. It turns out he wasn't the serial rapist.

Apparently, the high ranking official of the Richmond police department doesn't seem to be concerned that her behavior disqualifies her for her position, and could very well cause serious problems for the agents working for her. I watched all this, and felt she didn't deserve to carry an FBI agent's badge, let alone be placed in charge of a major metropolitan field office. She's a freaking barfly.

The absurdity goes on and on: A female agent physically accosting a guy on the street because her and her husband are late dropping their kids off - this agent cries at the drop of a hat, yet she's telling another female agent "I'd go through a door with you anytime" (what a ridiculous cliche to be dropped in here);, the "cute & plucky" little female agent disobeying orders at the academy to overcome her fears, and the all important victim-sympathy angle - her young husband was killed on 9/11 at the pentagon. I mean, nothing wrong with stuffing in as many 9/11 references to ensure success, huh?

My god, why don't you just hit us over the head with a sledgehammer and call it a day? What is the point here? The over-the-top machismo behavior exhibited by the females in this show is just laugh-out-loud ridiculous. What is someone trying to prove here? And why are they trying this hard? Television shows are supposed to entertain us. It seems as if someone here is trying to "educate" us. The whole premise with the female agents in this show is done based on someone's political agenda, and far too many television shows are taking this route.

And as for the undercover agent - "Roy"; any half-decent crime organization is understandably overly paranoid about being infiltrated by undercover agents. Yet, here we seem to have this guy pretty much just show up, with very little suspicion or distrust evident. Criminal types would have seen and smelled this guy a mile away. He seems to look and act suspiciously when he is caught in a difficult situation.

This had real possibilities; a great look and feel to it. There was some very entertaining and gritty television possible here. Yet this is all frittered away by horrendous writing ,laughable characters and an out-of-control, over-the-top political correctness.

Unless this shows undergoes a major overhaul, I'm pretty much done with this mess.

"That's that with that"

This could develop into an interesting program. The use of Richmond as a backdrop is refreshing. The city offers locations more interesting than the housing projects of Baltimore. So far, the location scenes and the references to Richmond have been accurate. I hope this continues.

Believability suffers when you see an FBI killed while standing straight up in front of a bad guy with a gun instead of going for cover. And later when, a bunch of bad guys jump out of car with guns on what should be a busy dock, but there is no one to notice.

Leslie Hope as the SAC, could become one of the best female police characters currently on TV if given the chance. The female trainee agent is made to hate. I hope she becomes a more believeable character.

Now that February sweeps are upon us, it appears that "Line of Fire" has been put on the injured reserve list for awhile if not banished from the airways permanently. It's too bad, because its 9th episode, (broadcast on on Feb. 3) "The Senator," is the best in the series so far, in my opinion. All three of the major story lines were compelling, and it's nice to see Jonah be a part owner of a minor league baseball team. I guess good things happen to those that are bent on revenge, I guess. Maybe he will be the George Steinbrenner of the bush leagues. I don't know if it's coincidence or what, but another factor that made this episode so good was the near or complete absence of the show's most annoying characters: chain-smoker Lisa, mother-to-the-world-Paige, puncher of the heavy bag Jennifer, and the one FBI dude who's always mad about everything. Hopefully, we'll see a new and improved version of this show in the future.