Pilot Review: Gang Related

Gang Related (FOX)
Premiered May 23 at 9pm

We’re now that time where new show premieres are technically part of the next seasons, which officially begins on June 1st. Such shows are usually doomed to be forgotten altogether after a brief run, but the recent success of summer-only series on multiple broadcast networks suggests that may no longer be exclusively the case. I’m not sure that this one, however, will follow in the footsteps of “Under the Dome” and “Mistresses,” mainly because, unlike those two, this one has a relatively conventional, familiar premise. It’s two-fold, of course, featuring a joint task force made up of members of different law enforcement agencies dealing with gangs in Los Angeles, and also the twist that its star member just happens to be a member of the “family,” loyal to those he is sworn to take down. Shows about conflicted moles can be interesting – like “Alias” – and they can also be pointless and ineffective – like “The Mob Doctor.” This show straddles the line between those two, but the writing is far from good and its characters aren’t great either. Star Ramon Rodriguez should be familiar to audiences for his short role as Bosley on ABC’s reboot of “Charlie’s Angels,” and Jay Hernandez has been all over TV the past few years, mainly recurring on “Nashville” and “Last Resort.” Cliff Curtis, whose last TV regular role was on “Missing,” is a fine choice to play the mob boss, but two other casting choices are disappointing given what the actors have demonstrated themselves capable of in the past. The first is RZA, who was ridiculous and out-of-control on a season of “Californication,” as a techie, and the second, and far more offensive, is Terry O’Quinn, on Emmy-winning “Lost” fame, who is wasted here as the commander of the task force. Most things about this show have been seen before, and nothing about it suggests that it possesses originality or appeal.

How will it work as a series? Ryan has indicated to the family that he isn’t going to be okay with cold-blooded murder, but that didn’t stop him from picking up a gun to protect someone when he was about to be charged with murder. The predictable conflicts of interest will surely emerge, and it can’t be long before someone catches on to the fact that he’s playing for both teams. Hardly sounds enticing.
How long will it last? It’s hard to know what is necessary to keep a summer show like this alive, especially since FOX hasn’t had a comparable scripted hit in the recent past. This doesn’t strike me as an enduring show that’s going to last, and so I think this initial summer run will be more than enough.

Pilot grade: D-