We Own This City

Sometimes you just know a show is going to be great. 5 minutes in, the dialogue rings clear, and you just know the cast has it. I had high expectations from this series and it did not disappoint.

Though the non-linear aspects aren't that well handled, with this terrible time sheet thing being used, for some reason-the rest of it is rock solid, I think. Absolutely a spiritual successor of The Wire; even some of the same actors appearing, writers, producers, etc.. It delivers. And what's more, it actually feels quite nice to have the write be on cops. What a terrifyingly corrupt organization the Baltimore police are. If it weren't based on a nonfiction book, I'd have absolutely thought it was fiction. Scary. Excellent. Tight, at 6 episodes. Great plotting, good information, fantastic acting.

No reason not to give it a go.

It's 2017 Baltimore. The Freddie Gray killing has put police brutality on the front pages. The Gun Trace Task Force has been using questionable tactics to take out guns and drugs. Most of all, they are stealing from criminals and regular folks alike. Sgt. Wayne Jenkins (Jon Bernthal) is a central figure in the ensuing scandal.

It's another Baltimore crime drama from David Simon. This one is really ripped from the headlines. It's a little more contained than The Wire. It's only six episodes long. As always, it is an interconnected story with the reality of the world. This is a must-see for fans of The Wire.

Based on the nonfiction novel by Baltimore Sun reporter Justin Fenton, We Own This City centers on the infamous Gun Trace Task Force from the Baltimore Police Department and the illegal and corrupt behaviour of the officers involved, most of whom are now in prison. The Baltimore Police Department Gun Trace Task Force was created to combat Baltimore's high crime rate involving drugs and firearms however the officers involved exploited it instead by robbing criminals they stopped on the streets and during raids, planting evidence such as drugs and guns on innocent people, brutalising and assaulting suspects, and fraudulently claiming overtime. Though it was a small group of officers, their corrupt actions was a black eye for the Baltimore Police Department and the city.

Jon Bernthal was fantastic as Sergeant Wayne Jenkins who was entrusted to take charge of the Baltimore Police Department's Gun Trace Task Force. Joining the Baltimore Police Department in 2003, Wayne Jenkins had a reputation as a hard charger and a good officer who was well respected by fellow officers and upper rank and file. After he was arrested, he turned out to be the one of the worst officers after his illegal actions were exposed.

Sergeant Wayne Jenkins felt he could act with impunity and took advantage of the task force for his personal gain while arresting criminals and taking them off the street, though innocent people were caught up in the middle by being framed or harmed or killed. Following an investigation by the FBI, Wayne Jenkins along with other corrupt police officers who were involved were convicted and are now serving prison sentences.

Jon Bernthal is always enjoyable to watch on screen especially for his roles in the TV series The Walking Dead and The Punisher as well as other movies such as The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), Fury (2014), The Accountant (2016), and Ford v Ferrari (2019). Though he often plays volatile anti heroes, Jon Bernthal's portrayal of Sergeant Wayne Jenkins shows that he is a very unlikeable brute who thought he was untouchable and thought he could act with impunity.

The mini series also stars Josh Charles, Jamie Hector, Don Harvey, Wunmi Mosaku, Gabrielle Carteris, Domenick Lombardozzi, Dagmara Dominicczyk, Delaney Williams, Treat Williams, McKinley Belcher III, Darrell Britt-Gibson, Rob Brown, Bobby J. Brown, Jermaine Crawford, Larry Mitchell, Lucas Van Engen, and David Corenswet.

David Simon and George Pelecanos who both were producers for another HBO TV series The Wire, also set in Baltimore, did a great job bringing the mini series to life on the big screen.

One criticism I have however is that the show should have kept it straightforward instead of jumping around all over the place, which can make it tricky to keep following who's who and what's occurring.

If you are a fan of crime shows, nonfiction shows, or even The Wire, you will enjoy We Own This City.

8/10.

The shadow of "The Wire" looms large on this 2022 miniseries both in setting and in terms of creative and casting crossover. David Simon produces the series, based on the book by journalist Justin Fenton.

Two FBI agents, John Sieracki (Don Harvey) and Ericka Jensen (Dagmara Dominczyk) launch in investigations into the actions of the Gun Trace Task Force, a lauded Baltimore unit that is given wide remit to take guns and drugs off the street. The task force is led by Wayne Jenkins (Jon Bernthal) a charismatic officer, and who believes firmly that his success rate will cover any sins. Faith in the Baltimore police department is at an all-time low, following the killing of Freddie Gray. Nicole Steele (Wunmi Mosaku) an attorney in the civil rights division tries to instigate change within the department as a whole and, though she finds support, comes up against a system seemingly designed to maintain the status quo.

Excellent, if mortally depressing, series with a number of fabulous performances, but anchored but a truly great one from Jon Bernthal. Jenkins is another in TV's long line of charismatic villains, whose insecurities push him to commit greater and greater crimes, whilst the overall corruption of the department, the legal system and the conflicting priorities of politicians empower him, as his arrest rate is so good. Two of the many "The Wire" alumni also give strong performances, Darrell Britt-Gibson and Jamie Hector play two cops, caught up in the investigation, to various degrees.

The time jumping and the conceit of the computer screen being filled out to explain when we are, can prove a little confusing at first but if you just let the wash over you in the first couple of episodes, by the end the timeline is laid out for you again and scenes are revisited and, for me, everything made sense.

It's not light-hearted escapism. It's hard not to come away with the idea that, Baltimore at least, is broken beyond repair and its not a unique story but it terms of quality, of performance and story, it's excellent stuff.