The Chicago Code "O'Craley's Cow" Review

Maybe I had a bad day today, which is affecting my thoughts on The Chicago Code but I enjoyed the last 8 minutes I saw of the CAA final so my day isn't limiting my enjoyment of all television. After a spectacular pilot, I've disliked each of the following episodes more and more. "O'Craley's Cow" further decreased my enjoyment of the show. Now, procedural cop dramas have never been in my wheelhouse. The "Pilot" gave the impression that The Chicago Code had more ambition that the typical network drama. I believe Shawn Ryan and the writers had more ambition, and maybe the rest of the season will be better than the recent string of episodes; however, it's a troubling trend. Tonight's episode was the most formulaic and uninteresting one of the series.

Teresa was involved in the most frustrating story of the episode. Terriers' own Rockmund Dunbar couldn't even save the trainwreck of the B story because he was saddled with a character common in the procedural world. I always wonder why characters who clearly violate and break the law are dumbstruck when they get in trouble for breaking said law. Dunbar's character, Robert, is married to Teresa's sister-in-law so Teresa had a personal connection to Robert's plight. The story's good in theory, too. It has potential on the white board and in the outline. Maybe the direction was unfocused or lacked confidence. The story made Teresa face issues that she's fought others in Chicago for. Issues such as bribery and cover-up. Would Teresa sacrifice her own integrity as well as her force for her family? Obviously, Teresa couldn't make that decision because she'd lose the trust of the audience. If she sacrificed her principles for family, it wouldn't make her more interesting or complex. It'd just make her inconsistent and unlikable. The writers didn't travel down that road. Teresa makes an equally hard choice in her decision not to help her sister and brother-in-law out of a messy situation.

I disliked the guest characters because their motivations and actions felt false. It felt like their motivations came from the plot rather than the character. Robert told his wife and Teresa that he took the money for house payments and to make up for money he lost in stock. Such truths don't evoke sympathy for a character. The episode wanted sympathy based on Beals' acting. It just fell flat. I didn't care whether or not Robert went to federal prison or how the incident would fracture Teresa's relationship with her them. I just didn't care about the story at all.

In the A story, a local youth preaching the word of God was murdered in Chinatown. Jarek and Caleb were on the case. Jarek had history with the unofficial mayor of Chinatown after a murder went unsolved five years ago because the "mayor" covered up the tracks of the killer to protect his people. The story was simple enough. African-American youths terrorized and robbed a few elderly Asian women in the neighborhood so the neighborhood retaliated by murdering someone they thought was involved in the attack. Mr. Lao (portrayed by LOST's own Francois Chao), the "mayor," doesn't part with information easily. The conflict makes it easy for characters to yell and behave in heightened ways but, again, the emotion felt forced. Lao clearly killed the youth based on his race. He's arrested but he'll be set free once he gives Jarek the name of the man who killed the woman and child five years ago (the case Jarek was never able to solve because of Lao). The story didn't really accomplish anything. Sure Jarek solved the case he couldn't five years ago. One of the guest characters received emotional closure about his wife and child. Overall, though, the story didn't do anything long-term for Jarek or Caleb.

Caleb tried to woo a pretty nurse named Natalie but she's reluctant to date a police officer after her experience informing the wives of two dead cops about their husbands death. Again, the motivation for Natalie seems somehow off. Nothing felt natural in "O'Craley's Cow."

Meanwhile, the undercover cop arc with Liam's getting worse by the week. It's so contrived and lazy. After talking with Jarek, Liam decides to follow the crew and take illegal side gigs. His gig involves burning a house down. Of course, a body's discovered at the scene and he decides the job is making him a killer but Jarek reminds him of the sacrifices of the job. The story of the undercover cop-who-goes-too-deep is a tired story. It's been done many times each and every decade, in both film and television. I want more imagination.

Overall, the episode has a few issues that may or may not be corrected in the episodes to come. TCC's starting to slump. Hopefully, they avoid a 2011 Villanova slump. The characters seemed weaker this week all-around. Maybe the story dictated it or maybe the show's becoming a more traditional, forgettable cop drama. I trust that it's not because of Shawn Ryan and Tim Minear.

Other notes:

-Jarek asked Lao about the electromagnetic occurrences in a security camera. I guess any time an actor involved in LOST appears on any other show, there will be a LOST reference. It makes sense. LOST is the greatest television show ever produced.

-Kevin Townsley wrote the episode. Clark Johnson directed it. Better luck next time.

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