Produced by Ryan Seacrest and starring Jennifer Lopez, Shades of Blue is the type of show that a TV snob such as myself might not expect to be so easily pulled into. On the surface, it’s a traditional cop drama with a pop star at the helm – but if you give it a few minutes of your time, you’ll probably find yourself as quickly engrossed (or at least as pleasantly surprised) as I was.
Perhaps best known as ‘the J.Lo cop show’, Shades debuted last year on NBC with a 13-episode first season that was, by all accounts, stronger than it had any right to be. Nabbing one of the biggest celebrities on the planet to star in a broadcast drama was buzzy enough, and NBC could have easily let the show rest on those laurels alone – luckily, though, they didn’t.
Before I screened the first season last year, I was expecting some fluffy Mysteries of Laura style ‘crime-solving with heart’, where every episode would have a neat resolution and reset for next week. Shades of Blue is the exact opposite, ending each episode with more questions than answers, and thriving more in its darkest moments than when it seeks to add levity.
The angle may not be revolutionary, but not everything that’s enjoyable has to be so avant-garde. Shades uses the tried-and-true good cop / bad cop formula and shakes it up just enough to make it feel fresh, with a cast and characters that are strong enough to elevate the material.
It’s easy to take cheap shots at Lopez the actress: yes, she’s starred in a few duds and built a reputation as a leading lady in rom-coms from Maid In Manhattan to Monster-In-Law. Still, it’s unfair to count her out completely or to write off her filmography as entirely trite. Lopez has delivered a number of notably strong performances, including her star-making turn in Selena, her fierce portrayal of a battered woman taking back her life in Enough, and her much-lauded role in Out Of Sight, opposite George Clooney. There should be no doubt now that, given the right material, she can turn it on. As Harlee, Lopez has found her groove and is consistently enjoyable. Frankly, she’s fantastic here – charming, layered, and with commendable range.
Season two picks up exactly where the first left off, finding Harlee with a dead body - and a whole new batch of secrets - to hide. There’s a charged face to face between Stahl and Wozniak in the first few minutes that left me hoping to see a lot more of Kole and Liotta in scenes together. I can't think of anything more exciting than two dark, morally ambiguous characters going head-to-head, especially when the actors are this strong and committed (and, honestly, Liotta scares the shit out of me). By the end of the second episode, both men have a hand in escalating a personal war that threatens to tear their personal and professional lives apart.
In the midst of all this, the writers have been able to avoid a frequent pitfall of many series' that get as convoluted as Shades. Rather than getting lost in the story, it seems they have resolved to stay focused on the most important aspect of any series: its characters. How far will Harlee go to protect her daughter? Can Nazario trust her own crew, or even herself? What history led Wozniak to his current entanglements? How do Stahl’s proclivities affect his life outside of the FBI?
Bottom Line: Jennifer Lopez leads an enviable cast of supporting stars that are all equally worthy of praise. If you dug season one, you’ll love season two. Shades of Blue offers the type of sexy, ridiculous, fast-paced fun that made Scandal so enjoyable in its earlier seasons – full of double-crosses, close calls, and rapid twists. It may not be rewriting the rules, but it’s worth getting lost in.
For more on Shades of Blue and all my other SpoilerTV work, feel free to follow my personal Twitter. Hit the comment section below to let us know what you're most excited to see in season two.
