K-Ville Pilot Episode Review
New Fox Cop Series Serves Up Drama and Angst
Post-Katrina New Orleans adds a new spark to the cop drama genre, but it may not be enough to hook viewers.
The Story's Premise
The show opens in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans cop Marlin Boulet (Anthony Anderson) is helping with the rescue of survivors when his partner freaks out and drives off in their squad car, never to be heard again.
Fast forward two years to Boulet trying to rebuild his community and his city. He's partnered with Trevor Cobb (Cole Hauser), a Special Ops-trained transfer from Cincinnati. Tensions are bubbling in the city and as members of the NOPD’s Felony Action Squad, the specialized unit that targets the most-wanted criminals, Boulet and Cobb have to keep the city safe, no matter what the cost.
Boulet, brash and unapologetic about what he feels he has to do, and Cobb, dark and mysterious, trying to find his way in a new locale, rub each other wrong from the start.
About the First Episode
Their first assignment together is to guard a charity event for the 9th Ward. Cobb immediately gets on Boulet for drinking bourbon on the job, saying he worries that Boulet might be too impaired to watch his back. The argument is cut short when the singer at the benefit is shot.
The two cops set off on foot in chase. But wait, now they're in a car giving chase. When did they get in their car? They round a corner and their suspect's car is upside down. No crash to be seen, just the aftermath. And that scene kind of sums up this first episode. Lots of build up. Lots of tension and character conflict. But often the payoff is disjointed and quick. Even in a scene where the two cops come to blows and Boulet pulls a gun on Cobb. A few terse words and voila! Tension diffused. Uh-uh. My partner slams me on the hood of a car and puts his gun in my face, it's gonna take more than a few words to smooth things over.
The small cast is rounded out by fellow squad members Jeff Gooden (Blake Shields), Ginger LeBeau (Tawny Cypress) and Captain James Embry (John Carroll Lynch). Boulet also has a wife and daughter, who are recurring characters, as is his former partner, who secretly helps Boulet, even if he doesn't want it. It may be just because it was the first episode, but it felt like the show expected a lot of leaps of faith when it comes to the characters and why they do what they do. Like "we're not going to explain why this guy does this, just go along with it."
Why the Show Doesn't Quite Work
There is a potential for this series to hook viewers, but the editing needs to be more fluid. There needs to be a bit more action in the chase scenes, not just smoke and mirrors. And the characters definitely need to be fleshed out more, for us to care about them.
Because after watching this pilot, I'm just not completely sold on returning to K-Ville.
Showtimes
K-Ville airs on the Fox Network Mondays at 9pm (ET/PT)
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