The Chicago Code

This show is just going to get better and better. How do I know that? Because Jason Clarke, who played Red in Johnny Depp's Dillinger movie "Public Enemy" and also played the "good" political brother on the series "Providence" is a wonderful actor and Jennifer Beals and DelRoy Lindo aren't too shabby, either. Plus, you've got Chicago, the city of big shoulder and beautiful skylines. As creator Shawn Ryan (who grew up in nearby Rockford) said: "Chicago is the center of the universe." And, as the script on Tuesday, February 7, premiere night, put it: "If you can't love Chicago, you can't love anything. This city survived the Chicago fire and ended up building the world's most beautiful skyline. If it's one thing Chicago knows, it's how to hit back." The city of Chicago is a big part of this storyline, as many of the scenes were filmed in the streets and alleys and byways (my son walked in on one in a Bridgeport bar last summer). Trust me: This series is only going to get better and better. The anti-profanity cop who changes partners almost daily. The crusading female police Superintendent who came up as a beat cop. The 114 real Chicago policemen who have appeared in episodes so far: they're all going to come through, as long as the writing continues to have lines like, "Why are you sweating like we just entered you in a spelling bee." (See my full review at Associated Content).

I really enjoyed the premiere episode of this new cop series. Going in I had no idea what to expect and having very little knowledge of Chicago I had no bias.

Let's be clear; this is no hard hitting show. This is no Southland. It's not the opposite in complete nonsensical fluff and action scenes in Hawaii Five O either. It's a show based on the incredible power of great acting and the dynamic characters that are created because of it. It uses quick and interesting flashbacks that allow you to immediately connect with the characters, as well as establish unity amongst the rest of the cast.

The first episode started off the series in perfect fashion, grabbing my attention and initiating multiple story lines while throwing in a ton of action sequences and great dialogue. The main three characters are tremendous. Jennifer Beals is completely believable as the hard hitting, straight and narrow first female Superintendent who is transforming the entire force. Delroy Lindo was made for the role of Alderman Ronin Gibbons. Jason Clark plays the perfect intense Jarek Wysocki.

I can't wait for the next episode and hope this show gains a lot of heat as it was thoroughly entertaining and left me wanting for more.

Give it a shot if you're on the fence and enjoy shows based on solid characters and quick flowing episodes.

There have only been two episodes so far, but I love the overall direction of the story line, as well as the writing.

I spent the first 6 years of my life in Chicago, and returned many times after that until I was around 30 or so. It's now been a couple decades plus since I've been back. Nonetheless, the city is instantly recognizable here--even though it seems to be shot so far mostly on the south side, and I've spent all my time there as a kid and young adult on the north side.

Chicago has a very distinctive visual personality made from a mix of fairly unique residential architecture, back alleys and of course, the omnipresent El, threading it's way through, and connecting together, various areas of the city. That so much of every episode is shot on location really helps give this story about the mix of corrupt politics with cops + robbers an anchor in reality--even if some reviewers here consider the plot line itself a bit light on reality, or even disrespectful to the real memory of the officers with whom they themselves served.

While I can't comment on that aspect, so far I love it for what it is--a thoughtful, fun and well acted action police drama with an exciting visual style. This one should be a winner for Fox.

Ron H

I didn't watch this show much when it started but after I caught a few episodes here and there throughout the season, I wish I had watched the entire season. I found each of the episodes I watched to be very entertaining and exciting. I watched the last 4 or 5 episodes regularly, which was very easy since I was watching House in the time slot immediately before Chicago Code. While watching the final episodes, particularly the episodes during the last 2 weeks of the season, I couldn't help feeling extremely frustrated that the show had been cancelled by Fox. I think it had a lot of promise and that promise was thrown aside. I wish that Fox would have taken a chance on a show like this and ditched some of the stupid reality shows that seem to permeate every network's schedule now-a-days. Hopefully Fox will replace it with an equally entertaining or more exciting show next season and not more of that BS reality garbage. R.I.P. The Chicago Code

Being from Chicago and a fan of cop dramas, I had high hopes for this show. I admit, I was initially disappointed. It seemed to be a bit cheesy and ridiculous, emphasizing things such as the "Irish mob" and other Chicago stereotypes. The last couple of episodes have gotten away from that and there are some promising story lines. If they keep it on track and don't stray off in too many directions, I think this is a promising show with a chance for renewal. As other viewers have mentioned, the accents do seem off at times. I think they were trying too hard and ended up making them sound worse. Overall, I enjoy watching this show and hope it continues to improve.