The Good Guys

As other reviewers have stated; this is a classic buddy cop show. It's funny and well executed. Don't over think the irreverent subject matter and you will have a good time. Bradley Whitford plays "bad" cop Dan Stark so well he makes you want to smack him. Stark is sexist, stubborn, arrogant and of course, clueless. Colin Hanks character, Jack Bailey, just needs a hug. Bailey attempts to reign stark in but instead gets caught up in the crazy. It is a very funny dynamic that is played out well. It all comes together in a show that has a vintage feel with a pop-culture edge. Standard characters, written for today's audience. Each episode has gotten better so, with only three in, I'm looking forward to the next. It looks good visually too and it's cool to see a show NOT set in L.A.,NY, Chicago etc...

Yes, this show shows promise, which means it will be off the air in a week. Still, Malcolm in the Middle lasted for a while, and this show really reminds me of that show, but with cops and shooting. First, wow does Colin Hanks look, speak, talk and act like Tom Hanks. So if you're not into Tom Hanks you probably won't be into this show. Second, for a while I thought the direction was a little too frenetic and Tarantino-like, but in a bad way. As if there was a good way. But eventually the captions, cutting and the non linear time lines stuff grew on me, like a fungus. Last, "Good Cop, Sick Cop"? That was funny, yes it was also stupid, but it's a treat to see Bradley Whitford act like a moron after so many straight roles. I'll watch this again.

My wife summed it up best when she said, between guffaws,"I am embarrassed to admit that I'm laughing!" And laugh we do. The flashback schtick was off-putting for the first ten minutes and then became just one more hilarious aspect of "The Good Guys". Bradley Whitford is even more irritating than he was in "The West Wing" but now he is purposefully comical. Colin Hanks is even funnier: he is so completely straight, so intentionally naive, so dull, so gormless that he is even more laughable than Whitford's overacting, if that be possible. Of course it is an odd buddy cliché but it works so very well! Straight Arrow and a time-challenged refugee from the '70s or '80s, complete with a Magnum PI moustache. Diana Maria Riva is strong as the poor boss out of her depth dealing with the madness of our oddball "heroes". It certainly helps that Jenny Wade is so sweetly pretty that I had better not complete this sentence as my wife is sitting here. If you can forgive yourself a guilty pleasure, laughing at something this preposterously silly, give yourself a treat and watch "The Good Guys". Just don't tell anyone if you want to keep your reputation intact.

I didn't like the first episode of The Good Guys and I wanted to give up on the show, but something about the characters and the pace made me give the show one more chance - and I'm glad I did.

I think you have to be in a certain mood to enjoy this show. After a long day at work, sitting on the couch and not wanting to think ruined the first episode for me because there is a lot to the plot (there are bad guys who then meet worst bad guys who decide to duke it out and the cops find themselves in the middle), and the comedy could be subtle - so when you listen and pay attention the show is a lot better.

If you didn't like an episode, try watching another when you have a lot less on your plate to deal with.

If you're an overly analytical crime drama aficionado, you won't like The Good Guys. Me, I love it. It takes so many genres, mashes them together and it works like a charm - Love the Stephen J Cannell all action no plot series of the 80's? its here. Like procedural crime drama?its here. Like tongue in cheek comedy? Its here. Like Magnum's cheesy mustache, Matt Houston, pleather jackets? Its here. Matt Nix has a winner here. Its no typical crime drama, buddy cop adventure. Its a hoot and I hope it sticks around. The cast of characters is strong, plenty of action, lots of laughs and it just doesn't take itself too seriously. You want blue light CSI special effects and Law & Order procedural drama, go watch them. You want simple action, gunfights, car chases and likable characters, watch The Good Guys.