The action-packed cop drama, The Chicago Code, immediately starts off with a thrilling ride, literally. In its third episode, Detective Jarek Wysocki (Clarke) and his rather youthful partner, Caleb Evers (Lauria), rush to a bank that is currently being robbed. Teresa Colvin (Beals), police superintendent and resident tough girl, sternly reports the address of the armed robbery over the police radio. With their guns drawn, Jarek and Caleb enter the bank with out an ounce of hesitation. The energy of the fast-paced introduction to the show definitely grabs you immediately.
Jarek and Caleb are in the midst of a game of cat and mouse. We receive snapshots of their chaotic hunt: a quick drive in the cop car to a ride on the subway to a good old-fashioned chase. The trail ends on a street corner; a man who has just been shot in the head is lying there surrounded by a pool of blood. Jarek soon notices the tracking device on the floor, too. Uh-oh, it looks like these cops are now flying blind. Roll the credits.
The episode centers around a delusional, mentally ill bank robber who seemingly has no qualms with shooting anyone that crosses him. Armed with a machine gun, the man is extremely perilous and a huge threat to the city of Chicago.
Our leading lady, Teresa, is hard at work in trying to clean up the city. But, as always, Teresa is never able to avoid conflict. It seems as if her favoritism towards Jarek as well as her hard-ass reputation is undeniably affecting the outcome of many situations.
Though, I must say, her close-knit bond with Jarek is quite endearing. I am beginning to feel much adulation for these two. Of course, that is, a professional adulation…for now. I suspect (and secretly hope) for some romantic story line to emerge between them. Romance aside, Jarek and Teresa have such a strong foundation of trust that you begin to wonder if that kind of bond exists in your own life. As magnificent as that may be, however, their relationship is also the basis for much trouble. Even though they seem like some of the only people who actually give a damn, many are not the biggest fans of Jarek and Teresa.
Due to Caleb being Jarek’s partner, he is also on the outskirts of the police family. They are considered to be the best in the city of Chicago, but not even their own people want to be associated with them. Caleb wonders if it is all worth it. He is with the legendary Jarek; Teresa gives Jarek his own personal choice of cases to be assigned to, which in turn, benefits Caleb. Not too shabby, eh? So he wonders, stay with Jarek and forfeit the benefits of camaraderie and protection, or walk away from quite possibly the best partner and job opportunity he may ever encounter?
The show is definitely picking up steam. The third episode is my favorite by far, and it does a wonderful job of adding layers to each character. The more we know about these people, the more we invest in them. And, oh boy, does this episode get interesting. For the past two episodes we have seen very little of Alderman Gibbon. But what we have seen is this: Teresa is extremely wary of this guy. She is convinced that he is shady and lends a helping hand to the crime world. Well, episode three definitely tackles our suspicions. Gibbon is officially the villain of the show. He is evil, corrupt, fearless, and will virtually do anything in order to uphold his power. What do you know, Teresa is spot on. Operation: Destroy Gibbon is green lighted.
After Teresa’s suspicions are more or less confirmed, she and Jarek hound a dominant man involved in the Irish mob. They want him to spill the beans on Gibbon. Of course, he doesn’t. Though, a few scenes later, he threatens to ruin Gibbon. Bad move, man. Gibbon let’s the guy walk away. At first, I think, wow, Gibbon is kind of weak here. Not much like the monster I expect him to be. I embarrassedly underestimate the guy. Planting a box full of grotesque child pornography in the man’s garage certainly makes me see his true colors. It doesn’t stop there. When Teresa’s Chief of Staff offers his services to Gibbon he accepts it whole-heartedly. The deal: in exchange for an added stipend as well as Teresa’s job once she leaves, he will keep Gibbon updated on everything going on in Teresa’s office. Well, that whole idea can be a bit frustrating and cliché, right? The writers thinks so, too. By the end of the episode, we soon learn that Gibbon recorded the entire conversation and reveals it to the press. Teresa’s office takes a huge blow. Sneaky, sneaky. It seems as if no one can stop him.
We find out that Gibbon even has an ulterior motive in appointing Teresa to superintendent. He thinks she will be easy to control. We can finally take a breather, because Gibbon is certainly wrong about that. A few glitches in the road, yes. Many more to come, of course. It’s only the third episode. But Teresa is one tough lady. She knows that this man needs to be destroyed, and this episode further proves how motivated she is to do so. Plus, it doesn’t hurt to have hunky Jarek on your side. He undoubtedly has his former partners back until the end.
The show mostly avoids your typical cop show clichés; it truly brings in some fresh ideas. Due to the show possessing an extreme high-intensity within most scenes, sometimes it does not always breath. Despite that, though, it keeps us interested and involved. My attention is always on that television screen. The characters are really starting to develop nicely. The show does not solely focus on crime. It gives these people a voice as well as opinions. It is a nice departure from the usual fictional shows we have been seeing. I think I will officially go on record and say that I am a fan. When I am officially hooked on something, I know it because I season pass it on TiVo. Well, full series is now recorded.
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