Shades of Blue: NBCs New Gem, Hidden in Plain Sight

By Malach Campbell
After watching a television show air for several years, one may start to question the reasons
behind that very same shows apparent downfall. Staff, such as writers and directors, are often
the first blamed for the loss of realism or originality of which the show garnered in its inception.
Yet, looking closer, one may realize that the writing and directing staff may not be the initial
sources of incessant inanity or lack of authenticity, as more than a few times, shows have been
forced by the murderous hand of change off of the cliff, and into the oblivion of a different
schedule, and it networks own altering habits.
Though an extremely popular network, NBC has proven its complete loss of realistic
storylines and characters, most of which focus on the rough lives and intricate crimes of
police officers and criminals in cities like New York and Chicago. Dick Wolf, ever since his
ingenious creation Law and Order, has been pumping out one show after another into NBC
nightly time slots, including Chicago P.D., Chicago Fire, and Chicago Med, all of which have
failed miserably in their uses of intriguing dialogue, characters, events, plotlines, or
performances (forget realism completely). Currently, Dick Wolfs creative brilliance exists only
within the fact that he has mastered the general viewers desires for entertainment, which dont
include slow paced, deeply troubled, genuinely complex crimes and characters, seen most often
on more sophisticated networks, such as HBO or Showtime.
Almost monthly, it seems one crime drama after another most set in New York tries
its luck on the NBC network, most of which dont last more than a couple of seasons, if that. Its
shows have all become so similar in both conception and execution that most who have become
more accustomed to simply, better T.V., dont bat an eye at even the advertisements for a new
NBC show. However, with almost every network, there is always an exception, and with

expectations as low as they can be for a new NBC cop drama, Shades of Blue has gone far
beyond the unremitting banality of its network siblings, proving with its strong female, yet
slightly anti-heroic lead, and its new and unique plot its place among those exceptions.
The show, premiering on January 7th, contains two well known veteran actors. Jennifer
Lopez stars as single-mother Harlee Santos, a corrupt Brooklyn detective who is found out by the
FBI. She is forced to slowly and carefully gather information on her coworkers and boss, who is
also her closest friend, Matt Wozniak, play by Ray Liotta. Problems arise when Wozniak
discovers that theres an informant within his task crew, and takes Santos under his wing to find
and kill them. The plotline becomes evidently adroit towards the end of the episode, when Santos
is arrested by the young FBI agent Stahl and given two options: go to prison for a decade to
protect her friends, or sell them out for full immunity. Ultimately, yet doubtfully, Santos agrees,
but she quickly wants out after she has a conversation with Wozniak, who informs her that he
knows theres a rat on his team, yet he does not know who it is, and he wants her to help him
dispose of it. The complications that arise out of this ordeal force Santos to lie pathologically, all
of which overtly lead to more lies and genuinely nerveracking moments of narrow escape from
Wozniaks gut senses and terrifying stares.
Being a program of the NBC network, Shades of Blues possibly most confounding, yet
captivating element are the aspects that surround the main character. A fictional female lead cop
is not entirely unheard of these days, but unlike several male lead films and shows a fictional
lead female cop who is not a complete hero, is. Santos is nothing of a complete antihero,
however she appeals to the viewer naturally due to her position as the main character, inducing
bias. In reality, she is police officer who has abused her power for personal gain (she owns
maybe one of the nicest brownstones in Brooklyn, while her daughter attends an expensive

private high school). More notably, when pressured to decide whether or not to go to jail, Santos
places herself atop her friends in terms of importance, confirming the belief that her life matters
more than theirs, using her daughter as the one reason she can not go to prison. As harsh as this
may seem, it is undeniably compelling for a story, and works perfectly as Santos is pressured by
Wozniak to help find the rat, and by Stahl to bring down Wozniak and others.
By the third episode, writers of the show have carefully crafted each character, separating
Shades of Blue from the expected NBC-styled lack of attempt in character development. Many
of the characters are there only to fill in for the empty spots of the episodes, or more importantly,
to contrast with Santos and flourish the growing intensity of her predicament. Warren Kole, who
plays FBI Agent Stahl, does an excellent job in establishing the banality, irritability, and subtle,
creepy attraction he has toward Santos, who despises him yet has no choice but to work for.
Their relationship is one that drives the show forward, with Stahl constantly trying to get Santos
to dig deeper in order to uncover more evidence, while Santos does not shy away from
expressing her disgust for him, seen most shockingly in the conclusion of the third episode, in
which Santos leaves her hidden mic on as she (loudly) sleeps with a coworker, forcing Stahl to
listen with overt resentment.
Like Warren Kole, obviously Jennifer Lopez and Ray Liotta completely steal the show.
With his old age having seeped into his already evil stricken countenance, Liotta is able to
legitimately scare not only Santos, but viewers as well. Lopez gives a tight, consistent
performance which doesnt completely avoid awkwardly and forcibly executed lines, of which
many are unrealistic and poorly written. The most captivating scenes of dialogue exist in relation
to either a Stahl and Santos conversation, or one between Santos and Wozniak. Lopez and Liotta
work well in bouncing lines off one another, as with every episode Santos becomes more and

more of a pathological liar, many times having to do so on command to both her daughter and
her boss, who is slowly becoming more congested with suspicion.
Shades of Blue will air well into March, with its last episode set for the 31st. Hopes are
strongest for the writers to deliver throughout the rest of the season as they have so far, with
good pacing and an avoidance of the ridiculous. Yet, again, its hard to picture a network of
anything-but realistic fiction working to follow realitys path within a show, and instead to veer
directly toward the laughable, the foolish the absurd. Many will walk by the posters, or see the
advertisements, and think this of the show already, but it has shown potential as a legitimately
unique television program, maybe failing (as most shows these days) as a sophisticated drama,
but succeeds indefinitely as a highly entertaining one.

Shades of Blue airs Thursdays at 10pm. It stars Jennifer Lopez and Ray Liotta.