This was hardly a satisfying finale since the system has clearly not been fixed, and even those who seemed moderately willing to do something about it knew their time was limited, like Kevin, who was indeed fired shortly after his press conference. Seeing how his replacement did exactly the opposite of what he had promised and that the mayor by his side was also indicted for corruption was disheartening, especially since this investigation did take down some of the more problematic elements. Erika and John seemed legitimately shocked by Jenkins cockily asserting his innocence, something that wasn’t even on the table given the evidence they had. Watching his former colleagues slowly stop talking only to start again when it benefited them was fascinating, and it does seem like the only thing more appealing than skimming off the top is making sure the blame falls squarely on someone else. Hersl’s defense was particularly weak, arguing that he did commit some of the crimes suggested but not to the severity alleged. Ending on that seizure and then the big speech by Jenkins about all the things they shouldn’t do that they very much did was harrowing and haunting, and the idea that he still thought he shouldn’t have been held accountable is astonishing. I wasn’t sure throughout if these people all existed, and, thanks to a bit of research now, it seems they did, which makes this show all the more powerful and important. I also appreciated that I had my captions on while watching that identified Justin Fenton, the author of the book this show is based on, as playing himself and asking a question during the press conference. This has been an unsettling but very worthwhile series with some very strong performances.
Series grade: B+
Series MVP: Jon Bernthal as Jenkins
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