Review: 'The Chicago Code' - 'Blackhand and the Shotgun Man': Proof of life
Jarek and Caleb work a kidnapping, while Liam gets to know Alderman Gibbons
Delroy Lindo and Billy Lush on "The Chicago Code."
A review of last night's "The Chicago Code" coming up just as soon as I keep track of your energy drink consumption...
"Welcome to the family." -Gibbons
"Blackhand and the Shotgun Man" was another episode where the central case itself wasn't that interesting - in particular, I don't feel like the story made the necessary transition from Romero the defiantly evil mastermind with no need for law-enforcement to Romero the guy willing to go to prison forever for the sake of his family - but where the personal material and arc stuff made up for that.
The highlight, as per usual, involved Alderman Gibbons, here working a number on Liam without realizing exactly who his new driver is. It was about time these two characters got put together, as it finally makes Liam feel like an essential part of the show, and the arson murder issue gives everything far greater emotional stakes than the familiar question of whether Liam's cover will be blown. And I think Billy Lush's nervous energy makes a great contrast to the smooth, calculated power of Delroy Lindo.
(*) Between the follow-up on that and Vonda and Isaac still on punishment detail for the gun incident, it's clear that this episode was designed to air soon after last week's. Last week's, though, still fits uncomfortably into the chronology, even if Ryan, Minear and company decided after the fact that that's where they wanted to place it.
I'm never a huge fan of cop shows where our local heroes immediately hate the feds (or vice versa), so I was glad to see Adam Arkin's character turn out to be reasonable in the end. Arkin can be very professionally charming, and it certainly seems they're setting up some kind of ongoing relationship between him and Teresa - even if it's just two professional equals who enjoy flirting - which I would welcome.
What did everybody else think?
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March 22, 2011 at 10:06AM EST Reply to Comment"...Alderman Gibbons, here working a number on Liam without realizing exactly who his new driver is."
i got the distinct impression that he knew *exactly* who his driver was and that's why he took him along. all that talk of "the family" and "shared experience".
i though that's what the drink was about in his office afterward. kind of an "are you in or out" type of thing.
sepinwall By "exactly," I meant Gibbons didn't know Liam is a cop. He knows Liam was the guy who torched the house, is a promising young prospect in the Irish mob, etc. And if Liam were who he pretended to be, that whole move would've worked perfectly. But this is one time where I think Gibbons is behind the curve on what's really happening.
March 22, 2011 at 10:10AM ESTDonBoy That whole thing reminded me how much I liked Wiseguy, over 20 (!) years ago.
March 22, 2011 at 10:17AM ESTconrad thx alan. i misread what you meant by "exactly".
March 22, 2011 at 10:24AM ESTyes, it's interesting to see gibbons behind the curve. can't wait to see how/if he catches on to liam. my guess is he wouldn't get off as easily as being framed with child porn.
Tausif Khan I don't think I necessarily agree with Alan. I can see how he can be completely correct. However, the show has left some room open for us to think that Alderman Gibbons knows "exactly" who Liam is.
March 22, 2011 at 12:01PM ESTIn the first few episodes immediately upon meeting Liam, Caleb is able to figure out that he is an under cover cop. This moment was used to show how intelligent Caleb is.
Alderman Ronin Gibbons is a political mastermind. Given how easily people on the inside have been able to figure out Liam I am wondering whether Gibbons "exactly" knows who he is dealing with.
Chrissy I can't quite figure out the dynamic that would make it feasible for Gibbons to be associating with guys like the guy Liam is supposed to be. I get him doing business with higher level folks, but isn't Liam's cover sort of a scummy bottom feeder on the mob? Maybe I need to know more about how the mob integrates with city politics to understand this relationship. If anyone else can spin it in a way that would make more sense, I'd appreciate it.
March 22, 2011 at 12:40PM ESTconrad i don't know that i buy gibbons being *that* omniscient. if that's the way ryan goes with the series i'd have to call shenanigans.
March 22, 2011 at 12:54PM ESTi think his world is too big to have picked up on liam at this point.
Kevin Michaels
March 22, 2011 at 10:27AM EST Reply to CommentAs much as I like what Jason Clarke brings to the show (and admittedly, I was not a fan at first but I really appreciate how talented he is now and think he's excellent), this show just comes alive when Alderman Gibbons shows up. Delroy Lindo has made him such an intriguing character you can almost feel the electricity and tension in each of his scenes. I really enjoy the subplot with Billy Lush although it still seems a little forced to have him meeting the Supervisor while undercover......I know there are only a few people who know that he's undercover, but his meetings with her have been a little too public to be believable. But aside from that, this show is fast becoming my "must watch" of the week along with Justified.
Dave P Not only in public, but he seems to insist on meeting at some of the best visual backdrops in Chicago. These people can't use cell phones. Or Skype if they want a face to face? And what, exactly, was his excuse going to be for being at the police station if he was seen there? Remember what happened to Bodie...
March 22, 2011 at 10:59AM ESTI did like his final scene, where it looks like he's going to buck up and settle into his role. He's been annoying so far but I think I will like him focused and driven. Or is that focused and driving?
sepinwall Dave, he shouted out his excuse while wrestling with Jarek: he was claiming to be there to bail out a friend.
March 22, 2011 at 11:16AM EST
March 22, 2011 at 11:57AM ESTThat said I actually did find myself more invested in the Jarek character after this episode as well. It felt like a realistic note for him to really screw up the "sit down" talk with his son and have his kid essentially call him out on it. Cop stuff he does well, but life stuff not so much.
Otto Man That kills me every time -- Liam always manages to pick a meeting spot that's not only out in the open, but visible from a million different places.
March 22, 2011 at 4:13PM ESTColumbusRazor
March 22, 2011 at 10:53AM EST Reply to CommentI wholly enjoy any episode that has a lot of Gibbons. Then again, I enjoyed last week's episode that didn't have him at all. Guess you could say I just like the show.
Alan, you mentioned it a couple of weeks ago, Kevin mentions it above, and I'm starting to agree: Jarek and Teresa really need to stop meeting their undercover guy in places with such a nice view.
One thing that kept bugging me last night was Liam looking all scuzzy while chauffeuring Gibbons around the city. The Alderman always looks like a million bucks and must be, for the most part, obsessed with image. It doesn't make sense to me for him to allow a greasy looking Irish bum to be driving his shiny black Town Car. He at least could have given a look of distaste, tell him to get cleaned up or something. Even with an ill-fitting suitcoat, Liam should have looked a little more the part.
Dave P
March 22, 2011 at 10:55AM EST Reply to CommentLoved this ep. Totally agree about the central case, tho I feel this show is trying to be more like a Homicide, where it's more or less about the detectives and not the Case Of The Week. And I'm fine with that.
But it probably would have been better if instead of a major crime lord perhaps the criminal should have been more a midlevel thug. Because they went from having nothing on him to locking him up for life based on the testimony of a guy that kidnapped his son to him having no fight whatsoever and happily going to jail for life. Seems to me that no one that has the intestinal fortitude to be at the top of the drug game caves so easily.
In the back half of this season, if they started writing the show as 50%(or more) of Gibbons, that would be fine with me. Lindo is terrific. Even when he's doing something good, it seems slimy, and when he's doing something pure evil, I find myself rooting for him...or at least appreciating how good he is at being evil. Always smooth, always in control, always knows more than you do. I don't really want the cases to follow Gibbons every ep, just almost have it as a standalone, with the hint that it will all tie in 4-5 seasons down the line.
If my ex was that smolderingly hot redhead that I seemed to get along with and wanted to be with me, I would have broken my cell phone grabbing it so quick to call My Teenage Fiance and break up with her. Also, Jarek doesn't seem like the type that would suffer young women easily. When I was 27 I dated a hot 20 year old grocery clerk. I quickly realized no matter how hot she was, I couldn't stand to listen to what she wanted to talk about. And that's when we were relatively the same age group and had similar interests. Now I'm 38, about the age of Jarek, and the music, movies, and life arc of a 20-something woman would cause me to light myself on fire. Just sayin....
ZEKE "Now I'm 38, about the age of Jarek, and the music, movies, and life arc of a 20-something woman would cause me to light myself on fire. Just sayin.... " Haha classic... I think Jarek's coming around to that line of thinking, but man she's hot.
March 23, 2011 at 9:42AM ESTRobin
March 22, 2011 at 11:29AM EST Reply to CommentFinally it seems that they figured out a way to incorporate Liam into the overarching story. I think the whole thing would've worked out better if we had been introduced to Liam as Gibbons' driver in the beginning and then found out around now that he is in fact a cop.
Although I like the actors, and the characters are growing on me, I continue to be disappointed in the Chicago angle of the show, which is why I started watching in the first place. The city looks great, and they've gone to a lot of trouble to show neighborhoods and areas of town that aren't typically featured on TV. But I still feel like this show could take place in any city in the country. Chicago crime has unique aspects, and so far the only thing they've touched on is a corrupt alderman. Yes, that story is good, and Lindo is great, but there is a wealth of material to make interesting beat stories and let this be more than just an above average cop show.
Tausif Khan
March 22, 2011 at 11:50AM EST Reply to CommentI would watch a whole episode of Alderman Gibbons being driven around the city of Chicago talking to his driving about how he relates to his constituents.
Tausif Khan *driver
March 22, 2011 at 11:50AM ESTTausif Khan
March 22, 2011 at 11:57AM EST Reply to CommentI don't think Caleb has really been developed at all. He still seems like a sketch to me. For me he is just commenting on Wysocki's life and still not really a part of it.
DonBoy I had a theory that I'm not totally abandoning that Caleb isn't at all what he seems...like, he's deep cover FBI or something.
March 22, 2011 at 12:04PM ESTTausif Khan Hadn't thought of that. I like the idea.
March 22, 2011 at 9:42PM ESTStacy There had to be a reason why we haven't had his life story yet... It reminds me of Lost taking forever to show Hurleys story, in which we were introduced to the Numbers.
March 23, 2011 at 9:12PM ESTBut for some reason I do really like Caleb, but it could be because he's kind of cute.
March 22, 2011 at 12:16PM EST Reply to CommentI recognized Samuels right away. He is John Cassini and he's been in a lot of Canadian tv, especially 2 seasons of the missed drama Intellegence. Any fans of The Wire should check that show out.
josh
March 22, 2011 at 5:42PM EST Reply to CommentI was really encouraged by the quality of this episode, of course the increase in quality probably means a quick death by the powers that be at FOX. The fact that Delroy Lindo was a central figure again is what elevated it to above a procedural, like the way a lineup just works with a great number three hitter, Delroy lets everybody else do their jobs instead of trying to carry the show, which is a bit much for them, even the charismatic Clarke.
Looking at the ratings, this thing is probably one and done, so Ryan should consider taking a note from Arrested Development and just let the last few episodes just sing with off the wall and ballsy choices.
I'm just happy it is not The Unit.
March 22, 2011 at 7:15PM EST Reply to CommentI'm wondering if last week was really out of place. I agree with you about the partnership being fresh, but if that one was and this one was then we have to assume the arson episode was as well...
Old King Clancy
March 22, 2011 at 10:07PM EST Reply to CommentYou can feed a small village with the ham from this episode's fists. I was waiting for someone to yell, "HIS FATHER IS THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY!!!!!!"
Mick I'm just wondering how he got onto Liam to start with? If Liam is his driver as "mob Liam" is this just showing how corrupt Gibbons is by having mob people as his driver?
March 24, 2011 at 1:58AM ESTZEKE
March 23, 2011 at 9:41AM EST Reply to Comment"I don't feel like the story made the necessary transition from Romero the defiantly evil mastermind with no need for law-enforcement to Romero the guy willing to go to prison forever for the sake of his family" - that bugged me as well. I would think a guy like Romero's ego would dictate that he could not only fight and possibly beat these charges, but he could protect his family better than any govt agency/program.
I could watch Delroy Lindo read the dictionary. That guy's been at the top of my favorite actors list since Bonafide in Blood In Blood Out.
Liam is finally interesting to me and not just a whiny distraction.
Another episode in which I enjoyed everything about it besides the primary storyline/crime of the week.
7s Tim
March 23, 2011 at 3:47PM EST Reply to CommentI liked the use of reflections in the shooting of the episode. Reminded me of when the Wire would turn back to video feeds to set up scenes.
Stacy
March 23, 2011 at 9:16PM EST Reply to CommentI also hate when cop shows were characters hate the FBI, it seems like every single show does this and almost all of the time I'm on the FBIs side, because the main characters come off like hateful brats.
E.
March 24, 2011 at 7:27PM EST Reply to CommentWould it be shallow of me to mention how much hotter Jarek's ex-wife is than his fiance?