Frankly, I usually don’t get into cop TV shows all that much. They all seem the same to me. Then again, I don’t watch them all that much, so how would I know? I did love ‘NYPD Blue’ and ‘Miami Vice’ and ‘CSI: Miami,’ but only because I like watching David Caruso take his shades off when he gets serious.
Now that I think about it, the cop shows I watch always have something unique and interesting about them. ‘[amazon_link id=”B004BZ5AFU” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Wire[/amazon_link]’ is just awesome overall. ‘[amazon_link id=”B003L77G2Y” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Fringe[/amazon_link]’ has the alternate reality and Walter Bishop’s mad scientist shenanigans. ‘[amazon_link id=”B003L77GRO” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Dexter[/amazon_link]’ features a main character who’s a killer. You can see where I’m going with this.
I didn’t plan on liking ‘The Glades,’ but after watching a few episodes of the A&E show, now I’m hooked. As with the other cop shows I like, it’s all about the characters. Aussie actor Matt Passmore plays Jim Longworth, a Chicago cop who moves to Florida and joins the state police. You get a feel for the character with his narration over the opening title sequence:
“Some say I don’t play well with others. I was a damned good detective in Chicago until a disagreement with my boss encouraged me to pack it up and make a change. So I put the Windy City in my rearview and headed to the Sunshine State to kick back, play some golf, work on my tan, maybe write the occasional speeding ticket. Yeah, well, that didn’t work out.”
The “disagreement” involved being wrongfully accused of sleeping with his former captain’s wife, so he relocated to the sleepy town of Palm Glade, Florida. Unfortunately, his dreams of hitting golf balls and catching a few rays every day are interrupted when people keep turning up dead.
There are a few reasons why ‘The Glades’ stands out from the stable of cop shows on TV. The first is Matt Passmore. He’s not hard to look at, and he’s funny and witty, to boot. You don’t feel like he’s working too hard to be smart and amusing. Another is the Florida glades, which are not only beautiful, but offer plenty of awesome places to dump a body.
And the rest of the cast works well with Passmore. Carlos Gomez plays his primary confidante Carlos Sanchez. You’ve probably seen him in bit parts here and there on ‘Boston Legal,’ ‘Weeds,’ ‘Burn Notice’ and ‘Medium.’ He had a pretty good run as Mayor Delgado on James Woods’ ‘Shark,’ which ran from 2006 to 2008.
Kiele Sanchez plays local med student Callie, who’s raising a son (Uriah Shelton) alone while the boy’s father is locked up. Passmore gets to play surrogate dad, and things heat up between he and Callie. Also in the cast are Jordan Wall, Alexis Martinez and Michelle Hurd.
‘[amazon_link id=”B004TJ1GY2″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Glades: The Complete First Season[/amazon_link]’ is out on DVD this Tuesday, June 14, 2011. It includes plenty of special features, including:
- Deleted scenes
- Gag reel
- Audio commentary on selected episodes
- ‘Sunshine State of Mind: Casting The Glades’
- ‘A Location for Murder: Filming the Glades’
Catch new episodes of ‘The Glades’ every Sunday at 10/9c on A&E.
Also check out these reviews of ‘The Glades’:
New York Daily News, David Hinckley: “The cop is a little too snarky, the nurse is a little too cavalier and the 16-year-old doesn’t look a day under 21. That said, A&E’s new Florida police drama, The Glades, still has some juice.”
Deseret News, Scott D. Pierce: “With a show like this — a show about a super-smart, super smart-alecky police detective — it’s not about the concept, it’s about the execution. The characters. The actors. And The Glades looks like a winner on those counts.”
Miami Herald, Glenn Garvin: “With enough chemistry between its stars to power a DuPont lab and a wise use of off-the-beaten-path South Florida shooting locations — it goes for a fetid swamp over South Beach every time — The Glades is thoroughly enjoyable.”
Variety, Brian Lowry: “The payoff, alas, proves a little too pat to be wholly satisfying, but the fun is in watching Longworth stagger around this somewhat novel setting.”
Philadelphia Inquirer, Jonathan Storm: “‘Cool,’ says he, as, most likely, will all sorts of viewers from 12 to 92 who are looking for a pleasant way to pass a late-evening hour at the end of a summer weekend.”
Burn Notice has something for everybody, regardless of taste. It is well written, the cast is superb and the writing has stayed fresh throughout the length of the program. This is fhe finest American TV I have seen to date. Few programs measure up to the standards set here.
I’m late to the Burn Notice party, but have all the previous seasons here on DVD. Good summer viewing, I say. Great time to get caught up to season five.