Cop or Not

I'll say it again! I used to like this show. I've watched it from the pilot That being said, it's starting to slide into some cerebral Blair witch project cop show that's about as good as that movie was. This episode opens with the kind of scene everything coming out of Hollywood these days is adding; the surprise homosexual outing of a character. And of course they take the most macho character and show us; see homosexuals can be tough too. I can easily live with that, but these stories are really becoming tedious. Every episode has become a stage for one or more of the cops being wrecked by either their own conscience or some thing their partners have done. I've worked around inner city cops and if they spent this much time soul searching they'd be completely ineffective. Abusing pain pills, and alcohol. But where is the actual crime stuff. They had the formula the first season, but they seem to have decided that making a social statement is more important then just telling a good story. They need to study The Wire, or Homicide Life on the Streets, and maybe even check out where they were going in season one.

'Cop or Not' is notable for Sammy's return to the job, in an effort to get back on the horse and find his partner's killer. But he's rushing things and finds himself emotionally compromised.This is a dark period for Sammy; estranged from his wife, filling the paternal hole in his partner's house, and going off half-cocked on the street. Shawn Hatosy really plays up the brooding intensity.

Regina King also shines as Lydia is suddenly ostracized by the department when leaked photos of a crime scene wind up in tabloid hands. All she knows is how to be a cop and without warning, that future's in jeopardy. talk about being lost at sea.

A low-key episode relative to the rest of the season.

7/10