Welcome to Pilot Perception, our feature in which we break down the first episode of each new show in order to help you decide whether it’s worth your time.
The Show: Gang Related, FOX in the U.S. and CTV in Canada, Thursdays at 9/8c
The Pedigree: The show was created by Chris Morgan (The Troop, the Fast & Furious series), who executive produces and wrote the pilot. Scott Rosenbaum (Chuck, The Shield) is also an executive producer. The pilot was directed by Allan Hughes (Broken City).
The Cast & How You Know Them: The show stars Ramon Rodriguez (The Wire), RZA (Californication), Cliff Curtis (Missing), Jay Hernandez (Nashville), Rey Gallegos (Sons of Anarchy), Sung Kang (Fast Five), Inbar Lavi (Underemployed), Terry O’Quinn (Lost), and Shantel VanSanten (One Tree Hill).
The Premise: Ryan Lopez is a young star member of the LAPD’s Gang Task Force, but he’s also still secretly working for the gang he grew up with. As the war between the LAPD and the gangs intensifies, he has to figure out where his allegiances really lie.
A Taste:
What Works: The pilot drew me in immediately, and several of the characters, not just the protagonist, clearly have interesting histories that I’d like to see explored. I’m a sucker for this kind of premise of complicated families and loyalties. And the show was very well filmed, with impressive action sequences and explosions.
What Doesn’t: The writing is serviceable at best and painfully cliched at worst. And the “who’s he actually loyal to?” tension could get old quickly, so the show will need to branch out to other sources of drama to keep things interesting.
Our Favorite Line: “You doubted me?” “On a daily basis.”
You Might Like This if you like crime shows with serialized elements and some flashy explosions.
If You’re Interested: Gang Related premieres tonight on FOX and CTV at 9/8c.
(Photo courtesy of FOX.)