Take Three: We Own This City

We Own This City: Season 1, Episode 3 “Part Three” (B+)

It’s interesting to see the many layers this show has, following the investigators who are trying to determine what crimes were committed as they’re involved in active surveillance of their targets while flashing back to the misconduct that put them on their radar in the first place. I was extremely impressed by Dagmara Dominczyk when I saw her in “The Lost Daughter,” and only later realized that she’s been a consistent part of the “Succession” ensemble as well. She’s terrific in another HBO effort here alongside Don Harvey, and seeing how the two of them seize on the opportunity to observe a problematic instance as it’s happening was very worthwhile. They understand the tremendous uphill battle they’re facing, and how the blue code of silence will surely stop them from getting as far as they’d like. Domenick Lombardozzi’s union president was a great example of someone who acts as like he’s happy to cooperate but actually has his own agenda which isn’t going to let him give as much as anyone he’s speaking to wants. It’s a disturbing concept, one that we see played out on the streets when Hersl and Jenkins aren’t the only ones jumping quickly to excessive force, since it’s become so ingrained in the culture that for anyone not to do that feels like they’re not part of the team. She may be hitting up against many hurdles, but Nicole’s determination to expose what’s become all too normal and start changing things seems like it could actually have an impact.

Take Three: Your Honor

Your Honor: Season 1, Episode 3 “Part Three” (B)

There’s something excessively overdramatic about much of this show’s scenes and characters, and I feel like I might be more genuinely interested if I encountered some of them within the framework of a different plotline. Michael is taking a lot of ill-advised steps to cover up the truth, including posing as a man tracking his unfaithful wife so that he could delete the security footage at the gas station and calling the sheriff to institute protective custody for Kofi. Running and hiding nearby so that he could actually watch Rocco’s funeral seemed like the worst decision of all, though he managed to perform well under pressure when Nancy showed up at his house to fingerprint his son and get his account of what happened. Adam’s not keeping too low a profile either, identifying himself by name when he got spotted taking pictures outside of the prison and then confessing what he did to Frannie, who knew enough to tell him to stop talking since she wouldn’t be able to un-hear what he shared. Michael thinks he scored a win with Lee by getting Kofi released, but that’s just drawing too much attention to the case. Kofi going in to see Carlo was a bold move, and I’m curious what his plan is since there will definitely be more collateral damage as this process continues to play out. Charlie was certainly furious enough with being dragged into something illegal, and all these loose ends are going to catch up with him soon.

Take Three: When They See Us

When They See Us: Season 1, Episode 3 “Part Three” (B+)

I read in another review of this episode that this show’s effectiveness is only increased by the lack of any clear timeline of events, with each of the characters appearing at the beginning of their prison sentences when their families come to visit and then all of a sudden playing by another actor upon their eventual release. Only towards the end of this extended hour did we see two of them together, years after their initial conviction, now emboldened by their survival and perseverance to refuse to admit to their alleged crimes since, as they expressed, they never confessed to them previously and didn’t want to start lying now. The two performers I recognized right away were Chris Chalk, who played Walker on “Homeland,” as the adult Yusuf, and Dascha Polanco, who plays Daya on “Orange is the New Black,” as Raymond Sr.’s new wife Elena, who absolutely did not like Raymond at all and contributed strongly to his path back to jail after he poignantly expressed the impossibility of his success given the limitations of having to declare his conviction and sex offender status. One of the most powerful moments was Angela’s flirtation story behind the Thrifty counter, which started off as a helpful diversion and then underlined just how guilty she felt being happy while Kevin was behind bars. I’m intrigued and certainly invested, and I’m hopeful that the final episode will both provide more information and maybe even whatever optimism might be possible about how the mistakes made in this case might not be repeated again in the future.