‘Good Cop/Bad Cop’ Review: Leighton Meester Headlines The CW’s Charmingly Breezy Police Procedural

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At the outset of “Good Cop/Bad Cop” on The CW, police chief Hank Hickman (Clancy Brown) and his daughter, detective Lou (Leighton Meester), clash over what their department’s main focus should be. Lou advocates for prioritizing the safety of the community by solving crimes, while Hank proposes a different strategy.

He emphasizes that the nation is crumbling and people require a sanctuary where they feel protected. To him, instilling a sense of security is crucial: “Faith is the vital element we can provide them.” While Lou is factually accurate in all real-world scenarios, it’s Hank whose show perfectly captures this sentiment.

The nation appears to be disintegrating. We yearn for a secure haven. Perhaps an alluring investigative series on The CW could provide such escapism – despite the fact that ultimately, it’s merely a captivating fabrication.

In the game world of Good Cop/Bad Cop, I find myself immersed in a quaint, idyllic small town – Eden Vale, Washington. It’s one of those places you see on TV shows, a harmonious blend of middle-class families, diverse communities, and an overall sense of contentment that seems almost too perfect. Shows like Gilmore Girls, Schitt’s Creek, Resident Alien, and even some others, draw inspiration from such settings. It’s less like Fox’s grayer and chillier Murder in a Small Town. Here, the population of 9,347 (soon to be 9,346, as a caption hints before the first mystery) is close-knit, friendly, and generally gets along – unless the plot demands otherwise.

Inside this enclosed space, creator John Quaintance zeroes in on a tightly bonded team. In the vein of every police drama known to date, the story unfolds around an unusual crime-solving duo. Lou serves as the more conventional member, strong enough to handle a rifle with ease yet clever enough to realize that at times, the most effective way to get a suspect talking is by jovially suggesting they contact their mom. His new partner is his younger brother, Henry (Luke Cook), who has recently returned from Seattle. He embodies the Sherlock Holmes-like aspect of the pair, possessing a good heart and a keen intellect, but also, as one potential employer notes, having social skills reminiscent of a serial killer.

The series, titled “Good Cop/Bad Cop“, wouldn’t hesitate to acknowledge that it’s not breaking entirely new ground. This dramedy openly flaunts its detective origins, referencing works like “Knives Out“, “Vertigo“, and even taking a brief detour for a nod to “Twin Peaks“. The show’s interpretation of the genre is generally light-hearted and carries minimal tension; even the violent gunfight that initiates the pilot is preceded by some witty, humorous dialogue about whether a hockey mask disguise resembles “Heat” or “Friday the 13th“. The creator of this series, Quaintance, initially envisioned it as a USA Network project, and it’s not difficult to imagine it slotting seamlessly into their lineup alongside shows like “Psych” or “Monk” during their “blue sky” era.

However, what sets it apart – making it more than just another algorithmic program you may encounter and quickly forget, but rather a dependable escape that could become your regular routine – lies in the chemistry between its main characters.

As a gamer, I’ve got to say, Cook steals the show with his superhero-esque charm and the quick wit of Alan Tudyk’s characters. But Meester is equally captivating as easy-going Lou, adding a friendly vibe that softens Henry’s awkwardness. The two of them click instantly, creating that familiar mix of half-loving, half-annoyed banter reminiscent of adult siblings everywhere. This dynamic brings laughter and sometimes frustration to Frank, our local favorite who, despite his good-natured image, has a hint of vanity and corruption lurking beneath the surface.

Initially, the characters surrounding them may seem underdeveloped, yet Quaintance’s skill in crafting unique and memorable characters is such that this lack of depth hardly feels like a disadvantage. Instead, it leaves ample space for us to further explore intriguing local personalities such as Sheriff Carson (Devon Terrell), a charming divorcé who pens endearingly geeky fantasy novels in his leisure time, or Nadia (Blazey Best), the enthusiastic fan of cop shows who affectionately refers to her boyfriend Hank as “the Detective Olivia Benson housed within a handsome man’s frame.

In line with Hank’s perspective, it all seems quite secure – in a beneficial or at least intentional manner. It isn’t so devoid of life that it disregards genuine societal problems entirely. An episode portrays a pharmacist describing the past decade as “recession, pandemic, people losing their jobs, their health insurance, and now I get robbed twice in one day,” while others critique cryptocurrency, the sensationalistic tone of true-crime reporting, or Hank’s less effective strategies for manipulating office data. Generally speaking, however, the show handles the substantial, weighty, intricate issues that plague our world as distant waves. Their undercurrents may eventually reach Eden Vale, but by then they will barely be more than a splash.

In this small town, it appears that nothing truly terrible ever transpires – at least not for those we won’t miss much after the unfortunate plot-driven demises in the first six episodes. There’s enough lawlessness to keep Lou and Henry on their toes, trying to decipher who among us might have poisoned an irritating tech mogul or abducted a talentless wannabe actress. Yet, there’s not so much chaos that our understaffed police force can’t spare some resources to probe the petty theft of a few hundred dollars from the charity event collection box, an event organized by Hank to bolster his image as a philanthropist.

Instead of delivering intense action or sharp societal critique, the show Good Cop/Bad Cop provides a comforting, inviting ambiance. It’s reasonable to expect that a series centered around a family learning to collaborate will elicit warm, heartfelt feelings at some stage, especially when you realize that Mama Hickman is noticeably absent from the picture. However, it initially captivates viewers with its humor, making us fond of the Hickmans through their friendly banter or endearing us to Eden Vale through its peculiar inhabitants and their somewhat unusual predicaments – and only later, once it has earned our affections and confidence, does it start exploring more emotional or potentially ominous storylines.

The decision maintains an optimal balance for the show, preventing it from veering excessively into saccharine humor or melodramatic sentiments, while also avoiding heavy-handed scares or preachy morals. Interestingly, the show’s tone mirrors that of the Hickmans – a harmonious blend of diverse elements that surprisingly creates an atmosphere where you feel both relaxed and reassured.

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2025-02-19 21:55