What I’m Watching: The Chicago Code

The Chicago Code: Season 1, Episode 4 “Cabrini Green” (B+)

I hadn’t really noticed this too much before, but I’m very impressed by the effectiveness of the narration that starts at the beginning of each episode and provides a spotlight on the history and background of one of the characters. Perhaps what makes it so compelling in this episode is that we get to hear from one of the characters who is a supposed villain and have him tell his own story from his viewpoint. This episode felt very much like a ticking time bomb due to the incorporation of the radical groups planting bombs in busy locations, and the editing was very sharp. Wysocki in particular is at his best when he’s fighting the clock, and I enjoyed seeing Teresa help him out when he went in for the interrogation, like they used to do back when they were partners. Those two have an extraordinarily strong and fascinating relationship, and seeing it play out, especially as they work to take down Alderman Gibbons, makes for absolutely terrific television. Watching Gibbons shoot his would-be assassin while in the middle of a haircut was one thing, and then seeing him essentially reward the kid for trying to kill him and have the man who charged him with the act made for one intense profile. Having both the attempted assassination and the bombs in one episode might feel overstuffed, but this show has done a spectacular job, coupled with the ending of the first episode, of establishing a dark, workable tone for itself.