CBS has been known for its large catalog of crime dramas over the years, from the numerous “CSI” series to “Criminal Minds.” This fall, the network decided to do a new take on an old movie.
“S.W.A.T.” is based on the 2003 movie of the same name and has new versions of the same characters. In the movie, the team, led by Sgt. Dan “Hondo” Harrelson (Samuel L. Jackson “Kong: Skull Island”), tries to stop a drug kingpin from escaping police captivity. Audiences will see a different plotline unfold in the pilot episode for the TV series, without a nod to the story told in the movie.
Still staged in Los Angeles, the team finds itself in an escalating race situation with parts of the city angry at the police for another shooting in their neighborhood. This plot is an interesting choice to start the series because of the volatile social relationships between police officers and various communities. The best line of the episode comes when the team is covering crowd control at a protest and someone tells Hondo (Shemar Moore, “Criminal Minds”) that he will have to choose between being black or blue.
Moore’s take on the character contrasts that of his predecessor. Moore, known for his role as Derek Morgan on “Criminal Minds,” plays a more level-headed Hondo, whereas Jackson was sharp, to the point and ready to fight. Then again, all the characters needed to play out a shorter timespan in the film, compared to a series where character development is crucial. This is not to say that Moore did not bring a ton of screaming “baby girl” fans with him when he signed on for the show. However, audiences may not be as pleased with his performance here as they were when he was wooing viewers on a show about serial killers.
The first episode brings a lot of thrills, though nothing like the movie, which received 48 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Also, viewers may get bored by the never-ending need to mix romance and action with the same old parlor trick of two people who cannot be together because of the work they do, but somehow still find comfort in each other’s arms. Yawn. Let’s not beat the drum dead with the relationship between Hondo and Jessica Cortez (Stephanie Sigman, “Narcos”) or the annoying flirtation that team newbie Jim Street (Alex Russel, “Only the Brave”) attempts to have with Christina Alonso (Lina Esco, “Kingdom”).
Audiences will like that the characters each bring their own to the team. Street is full of energy and always ready to fight for the team. David Kay (Jay Harrington, “Code Black”) has spent the most time on the team and is the true definition of a team player after being passed up for promotion. The other characters get overshadowed by Hondo, Street and Deacon. Alonso is quiet but has the ultimate affection for dogs. Dominique Luca (Kenneth Johnson, “Bates Motel”) will take on anyone in an arm wrestling match, and Victor Tan (David Lim, “Quantico”) was the most unheard from in the episode.
Ultimately, viewers will find that the show offers opportunity for an action-packed police drama on primetime TV. However, if it gets bogged down by romantic relationships and the storyline fades, it will just be like every other police show out there.
Image from CBS via YouTube.com
