Another strong start for Detroit 187, with James Brown’s “The Big Payback” funking up the opening scenes. Things go pretty much downhill from there.
The model-like new partners Det. Sanchez and Det. Stone (Mr. February) catch the case of Calvin Gibbs, a star football player for South Eastern Michigan University. Some Detroiters pointed out that SEMU does not actually exist. This is not an example of the writing team not doing research though. What university would want to be associated with a homicide show? Exactly. Law & Order had the fictional Hudson University and Detroit 187 has South Eastern Michigan University.
The Gibbs storyline meanders around in not-so interesting and annoyingly unbelievable ways. When Det. Fitch goes to the cheerleader’s home and he is talking to her at the front door for several minutes, it makes no sense that her abusive/psycho killer boyfriend would stay sitting at the dining room table getting his grub on while his girl talks to one time. He’s still eating when Fitch comes into the house. Yeah, no.
Another thing Detroiters pointed out was that Fitch uses the word “soda” twice in the episode. As previously noted, Detroiters say “pop” not “soda,” but in this case it makes sense. Fitch is from New York and even though he’s been in Detroit for a number of years, it is quite possible that he would keep his “soda.” I’ve been living in New York for six years and I still say “pop.”
One other part that irked me was all that exposition outside of the precinct at the end of the show. Nobody talks like that. We learn 10 different things about Det. Longford in about 45 seconds.
St. Andrew’s, the Detroit Princess and the River Walk all make appearances in this episode and it looks like the tragically beautiful Michigan Central Station will be featured in upcoming episodes. I’m really looking forward to seeing more of Detroit’s landscape and I hope other aspects of the city (the public school system, corrupt politicians) make their way into the storylines. Let’s have some layers. Still feel like I haven’t met a Detroiter yet though and I really really need Lt. Mason to start acting like she actually runs her squad room.
The other storyline in this week’s episode (besides the fact that Det. Washington and his baby are fine) deals with the death of a groom during his wedding reception. It’s another stinker as far as plot, but there was one good joke. When a group of Polish men from the reception go down to the station to talk to the detectives, Det. Mahajan says “It’s like a kielbasa convention in here.”
One very strange thing about Detroit 187 is that is doesn’t really have a theme song or a set opening montage/sequence. If you notice, the opening credits just start scrolling 15 minutes or so into the episode. I wonder why that decision was made.
I’m not loving Detroit 187 right now, but I don’t hate it either and it’s only the second episode. Gotta give it a decent shot. I’ll be tuning in next week.
Was this episode better or worse than the first one?
