New York's finest
I've got a real soft spot for this one.
"Third Watch" beamed a spotlight on the first responders of NYC (underpaid and absolutely vital) with an emphasis on their off-the-clock daily lives. It was a high-end network drama with solid action scenes, compelling characters and high emotional stakes; and I think it was the first series to really *grab* me and keep me tuned in on a weekly basis. I mean I was hooked; my admiration for these workers was through the roof. I loved the relationships between partners, and the characters certainly didn't stagnate. I think every single person had a traumatic arc, and while these storylines were often dark, they made for riveting TV. The show was also in a unique position to integrate 9/11 into its very fabric, and their handling of the tragedy was impeccable.
One criticism I've heard over the years is that it eventually became a generic cop show, and it's a fair one. You can feel the tone really start to shift right around the beginning of the fourth season when they shoehorn Sgt. Cruz into it. I'll defend the show to the death, but I have never liked her. Thankfully, the paramedics are still around, but Fire is all but gone completely. On this recent watch-through (thanks to the Roku Channel), it was the characters I'd grown to love that kept me going to the very end, tonal shift notwithstanding.
It's a phenomenal show, hard-hitting and unbelievably affective. And seeing it again reminded me of the sentimental value, and I'll have to track down the DVD sets; they only ever got around to releasing the first two seasons, which is sad, but I'll take what I can get.
"Third Watch" beamed a spotlight on the first responders of NYC (underpaid and absolutely vital) with an emphasis on their off-the-clock daily lives. It was a high-end network drama with solid action scenes, compelling characters and high emotional stakes; and I think it was the first series to really *grab* me and keep me tuned in on a weekly basis. I mean I was hooked; my admiration for these workers was through the roof. I loved the relationships between partners, and the characters certainly didn't stagnate. I think every single person had a traumatic arc, and while these storylines were often dark, they made for riveting TV. The show was also in a unique position to integrate 9/11 into its very fabric, and their handling of the tragedy was impeccable.
One criticism I've heard over the years is that it eventually became a generic cop show, and it's a fair one. You can feel the tone really start to shift right around the beginning of the fourth season when they shoehorn Sgt. Cruz into it. I'll defend the show to the death, but I have never liked her. Thankfully, the paramedics are still around, but Fire is all but gone completely. On this recent watch-through (thanks to the Roku Channel), it was the characters I'd grown to love that kept me going to the very end, tonal shift notwithstanding.
It's a phenomenal show, hard-hitting and unbelievably affective. And seeing it again reminded me of the sentimental value, and I'll have to track down the DVD sets; they only ever got around to releasing the first two seasons, which is sad, but I'll take what I can get.
- Mr-Fusion
- 27 dic 2022