Common Sense Media Review
Social issues mix with guns in gritty police drama.
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East New York
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 1 parent review
What's the Story?
In EAST NEW YORK, the creators of NYPD Blue have teamed up to take a stab at a police drama in a changing world. Deputy Inspector Regina Haywood (Amanda Warren, Dickinson) is taking a big risk becoming the commanding officer of Precinct 74. She's a veteran cop who's pretty familiar with the demands of the high-crime area of Brooklyn, New York, having grown up visiting relatives there. But she doesn't expect a shooting outside a nail salon to draw her into a drama that polarizes politicians and the officers awaiting her leadership. Can she get the force to keep pace with the changes she wants to put into place? Or will her desire to create a community-centered police force get her fired?
Is It Any Good?
Times have changed for U.S. police forces, and the creators of CBS's 2022 police drama are betting the genre is ready for a change, too. In East New York, when detectives deny a perpetrator his right to a lawyer during an interrogation, a sharp knock from inside the two-way mirror stops them mid-sentence. The new C.O. asks cops from her team to move into local government housing to get to know their neighbors. The mayor shows up at a crime scene to check in on things. Everyone is on edge.
Things wrap up pretty handily by the end of the hour; the script does feel confined to the commercial format. On the other hand, the acting is poised to soar. Jimmy Smits (Obi-Wan Kenobi, In the Heights) doesn't mess around, and veteran character actors like Richard Kind (Inside Out) and Michael Potts (The Wire) can be relied upon to bring intensity and humor. With its quick-cut editing and a decent soundtrack, this show may signal a new day for network police dramas.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about communication in East New York. How do officers communicate their morals and ethics to one another and to their community? Why is good communication crucial?
After the killing of George Floyd in 2020, U.S. police forces have been under scrutiny, and it also bolstered the Black Lives Matter movement. Can you see the influence of this social shift in this show?
The lead character in this show is a woman who has faced challenges in her career based on her gender and race. Which role models do you think might be an inspiration for someone in her position?
TV Details
- Premiere date : October 4, 2022
- Cast : Jimmy Smits , Lavel Schley , Amanda Warren , Ruben Santiago-Hudson
- Network : CBS
- Genre : Drama
- TV rating : TV-14
- Last updated : May 20, 2023
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