(September
20th, 2007. - Editor)
Anthony Anderson, Cole Hauser,
Maximiliano Hernández, Blake Shields, Tawny Cypress and John Carroll Lynch
star in the one hour drama K-Ville, airing Mondays on FOX.
Two years
after Katrina, the city of New Orleans is still in chaos. Many cops have quit, and the
jails, police stations and crime labs still haven’t been properly
rebuilt. But the cops who remain have courage to burn and a passion to
reclaim and rebuild their city. Marlin Boulet (Anderson) is a brash, funny, in-your-face veteran
of the NOPD’s Felony Action Squad, the specialized unit that targets
the most-wanted criminals. Even when his partner deserted him during the
storm, Boulet held his post, spending days in the water saving lives and
keeping order. Now he’s unapologetic about bending the rules when it
comes to collaring bad guys. Boulet’s new partner, Trevor Cobb (Hauser), was a soldier in Afghanistan
before joining the NOPD. He’s tough and committed, but if he’s less
than comfortable with Boulet’s methods, it’s because he’s
harboring a dark secret. Cobb has come to New Orleans seeking
redemption, but redemption can be dangerous.
I completely understand the motives of writer and executive producer
Jonathan Lisco (NYPD Blue, The District) behind creating a television
drama that focuses on the very deep problems in the City of New Orleans.
Not only can the events on screen bring attention to the need for more
help for the city, but a television crew shooting 22 episodes of a
series there will spend millions of dollars on everything from
locations, to extras, to meals. That sounds like a win-win situation to
me.
My concern is that after we all do the right thing and tune in to this
very gritty and real drama, it may be more than many members of the
public are willing to take. Devastated homes and businesses serve as the
background for a very human drama that follows a man who has endured his
own private hell as well as a very public one. As he balances on the
edge between sanity and a complete loss of control, he struggles to hold
on the at least a little bit of what once was the heart of the city. The
music, the food and the people.
Full marks go to series star Anthony Anderson for his emotional
portrayal officer Marlin Boulet. The reality he brings to his role is
enough to win him an Emmy Award, if the show lasts long enough to be
nominated. Supporting actor Cole Hauser and the rest of the cast deliver
solid acting and credible characters that bring a depth to this series
that is admirable, but their subject matter and setting are working
against them.
I would like to see this hard-hitting police drama in a later time slot
where at lease some of the young eyes will not see it. That would help
this show find an audience, but I doubt if it would be enough. Look the
this one to be an early casualty.
-- Editor --
