What I’m Watching: The Chicago Code

The Chicago Code: Season 1, Episode 5 “O’Leary’s Cow” (B+)

Ironically enough, I watched this episode while aboard the 7 train from Manhattan to Flushing, and finished it just as I stepped off the train and into Chinatown. Fortunately, my visit to Chinatown didn’t prove deadly and I still have all my limbs intact. I’m glad that Wysocki’s trip to Chinatown gave Francois Chau his second TV guest spot in just over a week as the mayor of Chinatown, who seemed all diplomatic and non-threatening, only to reveal his cards just as he got arrested and faced a harsh sentence. Seeing Wysocki in action and doing his best to hold true to his promise to a grieving husband and father helped to add some three-dimensionality to our temper-prone protagonist, and I enjoyed seeing Caleb struggle to process his rejection by the nurse he met in the emergency room. There were certainly no holds barred when it came to Theresa’s storyline, as a potentially obnoxious request from her brother-in-law leads to an intensely illegal bribery attempt and her own decision to turn him into the FBI to face prosecution for his actions. Most shockingly, her sister was completely against her and on her husband’s side, failing to recognize the illegality of his acts and simply sticking by her family. Theresa also did a commendable job of reaching out to the alderman and having him use his influence over the mayor to expedite their search. The use of the desk-bound officer was also clever on Wysocki’s part, and I’m very nervous about the effects Liam’s latest actions will have on his livelihood.