Shades of Blue Review: “Fall of Man”…Literally

Shades of Blue has now completed its sixth episode, and the plot begins to thicken. Just when you thought Harlee couldn’t get in any deeper, things start to veer out of control. This show is much more of a drama series than a procedural, and the plot continues to thicken every week. Normally, I would quit watching a show by now if I was disinterested, so obviously Shades has been able to keep my attention. And that ending? Whoa.

This week on Shades of Blue: Wozniak is 100% sure that Saperstein is mole. Harlee catches wind of that inkling, and tries to intervene, but ends up getting the feds involved. Saperstein, not sure how the feds got to him, attempts to escape federal custody. Harlee pursues a parolee affiliated with the murder she framed her ex for. Since her ex is at the forefront of the drama, Harlee tells Christina the truth about her father. Loman’s love interest discovers the truth about him. Tess plans to tell her husband about her indiscretion with Carlos, but can’t go through with it.

The first few episodes of Shades of Blue were clunky and uneven in pace. The plot, as it continues to thicken, was what kept me watching the show. I kept wondering to myself (especially after summarizing the episodes) if the plot was TOO thick, as it seems like a lot happens in each episode. “Fall of Man”, however, felt a lot tighter and more focused. There was still a lot of exposition and plot, but it centered around 1 or 2 main themes. Now that the characters are introduced properly, more plot driven story can be told.

I’d be lying if I said I thought there were no pacing issues, because there are still plenty. It felt pretty tight and focused by the end, but the beginning was a mess like the first few episodes were. I was having a real hard time caring about who Wozniak suspected (this time), and what felt like a pretty loose reason to chase down a parolee. When the storylines collided, it felt much more like a show as it was focused and entertaining. Every character was involved and predictability was low. I hate predictable shows, but Shades continues to surprise me.

Some of the dramatic stories don’t carry any weight with me. I find myself caring a little about Harlee’s ex, but only because Jennifer Lopez is owning that part of it. She’s really the only reason I was able to stick it out this long. She’s smart, doesn’t try too hard, and is a compelling lead. But I don’t care a thing about Tess and her affair. I actually cared a surprising amount about Loman and his predicament. I feel bad because he’s not voluntarily involved in the corruption, so it’s easy to think of him as innocent. He made a mistake, and the actor is doing an excellent job bringing that part to life.

Largely, I’m surprised that I’m still watching this show. I value shows that are unpredictable much more than I should, and so when a show surprises me (like the ending of this one did. WOW!), I’m more inclined to keep watching. Despite some dramatic shortcomings, it still has quite a few tools of success, and could still find itself among television elite. After all, it was renewed for a second season, so there will be plenty of time to tighten the story.

What did you guys think? Did you enjoy the episode? Let us know!!

Shades of Blue airs Thursdays at 10/9c on NBC