Tonight marks the halfway point for season one of AMC's new Detroit cop show, "Low Winter Sun."
So far, what we know is that Detroit homicide cops Frank Agnew and Joe Geddes have murdered fellow cop Brendan McCann. Both cops are now investigating the murder, acting as if they're trying to track a suspect.
All the while, the question is: Will they just investigate the case til it goes cold, or will they frame someone?
Tonight is the fifth episode. In all, there are 10.
Tonight, Deadline's Darrell Dawsey, Jeff Wattrick and Allan Lengel will live blog the show and provide a rolling commentary.
Darrell: I really shouldn't watch Breaking Bad before LWS. Probably creates unrealistic expectations.
Jeff : So let's start this way: We're entering episode of five of a ten episode season and while I want to give this show every break, not only because it's local, but also because the concept of a cop investigating a murder he committed is intriguing. But how long do we hang on waiting for action?
Jeff: Hey, that's the Steak Hut on Trumbull and Fort!
Allan: Det. Geddes is up to no good, trying to say that he's found Brendan McCann's murder site. This could be an interesting thread. McCann is the cop who was killed in the first episode.
Darrell: Agreed. But it's a nice twist. I'm sure the escape hatch won't get them out, but I want to see how far they can take it.
Allan: Things really have to start rocking in this episode.
You can't spend too much of the season setting up everything and developing sympathetic characters.
Jeff: This is supposed to be the primary conflict between Geddes and Agnew. Frame someone or let the case go cold.
The mayor's aide character is inspired by Christine Beatty, right?
Darrell: Beatty!
Allan: I like this ex-cop turned skid row dude.
Darrell: The show seems to take a cynical approach toward Detroit preachers.
Jeff: "Next time bring child support!" So skid row cop has kids with blonde bartender?
Allan: Must be
Allan: I agree with Darrell. It's tough comparing this after having just watched Breaking Bad, where the action is very intense.
Lennie James in "Low Winter Sun." [Photo by Alicia Gbur of AMC]
Jeff: Way too much exposition. We're still learning essential aspects of essential characters. Also, what's up with this sudden boxer subplot. It that going to become a thing?
Darrell: I'm sure, Jeff. You don't throw a robe inscribed with homicide on a boxer who's in deep to crooked cops and not expect an explosion somewhere down the line.
Plus, that photo op was chock full of foreboding.
Allan: Don't know how that's going to work. We'll see if they can pull it off without distracting from the main plot.
Jeff: So let's see. We have the dirty homicide cops. The clean homicides cops. The IAD cop. The white dealers from the bar. The "Greeks." The black gangs. A cop turned hobo. And a boxer who is somehow involved in something. I need one of them to do something at some point.
Allan: I agree. No murders of late. No romantic break ups. Something big must happen.
Allan: Just as an aside. Poppa T is a local actor. Spoke to him for a while at the sneak preview in Ann Arbor. Very nice guy.
Darrell: Can this show just stay out of the hood?? "Lookouts on Grand River, Jefferson and Mack???" Lol
Jeff: Low Winter Sun is like Mike Duggan: Every neighborhood has a future.
Allan: Love that remark
Darrell: And, apparently, a spy boy.
Jeff: Or...Low Winter Sun is Benny Napoleon: On look-out for every square mile.
Darrell: Menthols? Detroiters are known by their brands and packaging: He smoked Newports, short box
Allan: I like the reference to the Free Press. I like the plotting between Geddes and Agnew. This is taking some shape.
Jeff: I like this scene too. This is the strongest element of the story.
Darrell: I agree. This scene is good.
Jeff: At the risky of sounding petty, they've been so careful about including Detroit cultural cues through the show but they're eating thin crust pizza.
Darrell : This is the first episode where I can actually see a future for this show beyond the killer-cop scandal.
Allan: Supino's Pizza possibly?
Darrell : Thing is, though, I still don't like Agnew. Especially when he gets preachy about stuff like having no problem taking down killers.
Jeff : Michael Corleone: Where does it say that you can't kill a cop? Tom Hagen: Come on, Mikey...
Michael Corleone: Tom, wait a minute. I'm talking about a cop that's mixed up in drugs. I'm talking about a - a - a dishonest cop - a crooked cop who got mixed up in the rackets and got what was coming to him. That's a terrific story. And we have newspaper people on the payroll, don't we, Tom?
[Tom nods]
Michael Corleone: And they might like a story like that.
Tom Hagen: They might, they just might.
Michael Corleone: [to Sonny] It's not personal, Sonny. It's strictly business.
Darrell: He's supposed to be a "good man in a bad situation," but I see no nobility. Seen by everyone.
Jeff : Agreed, I'm still fuzzy about his motive and it was a murder in cold blood.
Darrell: Lol...So Christine works for Dave Bing in this reality?
Jeff: I could totally see Bing interrupting a homicide briefing to ask about a fighter's chances.
Darrell: If he wasn't napping already.
Jeff: Police briefings on cop killers are important, so they schedule them after naps.
Darrell : He didn't look very refreshed. Heavy is head, I suppose...
Darrell: Darrell: He didn't look very refreshed. Heavy is head, I suppose...Is "the" head
Darrell: Damn, they're going hard with this boxer subplot all of a sudden. Aren't there enough strands to develop this early?
Jeff: Wait, Agnew is this fighter's manager?
Darrell: Agnew is his sugar daddy.
Jeff: Which makes even less sense.
Darrell: Seems much of 1300 Beaubein has a stake in this guy.
Jeff: Down goes Andrew Golota.
Darrell: They gotta do more with that bullshit strip club/juke joint that guy is running. A cop used to own a place like that, called Timbo's. it was legendary. Tell the consultants to take a cue. I grew up hanging in after hours joints. That place is a sad ass facsimile.
Allan: I like some of the dialogue: trying to squeeze " a square piece of crap down a round toilet" And detective "cut the dick measuring"
Jeff: Hey, that's my old apartment! Nice set-up!
Darrel: Betrayal! Always gets shit moving! I was gonna say! No gun in the safe?? Wrong way to rob, dude!!
Allan: Agree. That's some good action
Jeff: They took a long way to get here, but I'm liking both the Agnew-Geddes plotting and the gangster war they just set up with the robbery.
Jeff: They took a long way to get here, but I'm liking both the Agnew-Geddes plotting and the gangster war they just set up with the robbery.
Darrell: Yeah, finally something to start drawing this web of characters closer.
Allan : Agree. Nice plotting. But why wait so long? About an episode or two late.
Jeff: So, if you all weren't watching this for work, or if you lived in DC or Topeka, would you still be sticking with Low Winter Sun?
Darrell: Honestly, nah. I'd have dropped it like I dropped that bad western with Common.
Allan: I have to say the Detroit thing would keep me coming back.
Jeff: And if you weren't from Detroit?
Allan: If I was in Topekak and was from Detroit... But if I wasn't from Detroit, probably more questionable.
Darrell: I will say, though, that I still see potential for this to get really interesting. I'd have dropped it, but it may still prove worth the wait.
Jeff: I think if not for the local angle, I would have dropped the show after the last episode. Tonight has me hopeful again that the second half of the season will be good.
Darrell: This guy is dying and I don't know him well enough to care like that. Poor character development or am I really that jaded? This ain't Wallace getting shot in the low rises...
Jeff: I had the same thought. That was a heavy scene and really great way to end the episode but I don't care about that guy getting shot. I'm not sure who that guy was. Poor Wallace. Seen by everyone Choose an emoticon.
Jeff : I think if not for the local angle, I would have dropped the show after the last episode. Tonight has me hopeful again that the second half of the season will be good.
Darrell: This guy is dying and I don't know him well enough to care like that. Poor character development or am I really that jaded?
This ain't Wallace getting shot in the low rises...
Allan: I agree. Hard to really care about this guy. It's not like some of the characters who were killed in The Wire. You cared.
Jeff: I had the same thought. That was a heavy scene and really great way to end the episode but I don't care about that guy getting shot. I'm not sure who that guy was.
Poor Wallace.
Darrell: See, Jeff, you still feelin Wallace's death. And I can also still feel what it did to Poot and Bodie. This? What should I feel here?
Jeff: That was Ziggy killing the appliance store guy.
Allan: Well, like I've said before, the actors have told me that the show really blows up in the 6th episode.. We shall see.
Darrell: Ziggy: the tie that binds.
Jeff: I'm definitely ready to believe it. Episode five was the strongest yet.
Darrell: All in all, a cut above the earlier episodes. I'll be around for six.
Allan: Yes, I think it's picking up some speed. But still more excited to see what happens next in Breaking Bad
Jeff: Next week is the time for people to give it a second chance, I think. If you've missed some of the first five episodes, you won't be lost. Seen by everyone
Allan: See everyone next week.
