Sunday, August 25, 2013

Crossing Lines

A special crime unit investigates serialized crimes that cross over European borders and to hunt down criminals to bring them to justice. A global FBI is born.

 
I am a big fan of William Fichtner as a character actor so I am interested in seeing him head up a special serial killer unit working throughout Europe. His character is damaged inside and can't use his right hand but still has his keen detective's mind. We are told he left New York after his superiors betrayed him. Call him the HOUSE of police investigators.
 
He also has a morphine problem and no one on his team respect nor trust him. I look forward to watching Fichtner win them over with his hang-dog approach to life and police work. The idea of a European FBI (ICC) to investigate a serial killer working in four different country is an interesting premise. The European settings are fresh.
 
There are only 10 episodes in the first season. I love that style of production. Britain does that all the time with their programing. I just finished and really enjoyed the ten episodes of Broadchurch. No room for filler when you only have ten hours in which to tell your story. Writers actually have to plan out their stories and not make them up as they go along.
 
Maybe if the Americans made half the shows they do for their networks, we would have less crappy programming filling up our airways. Hello 'Under The Doom'. I am talking directly at you.
 
Each of the members of the team are geniuses in their own respect and that will lead to some great clashes of egos as they search for the killer. I like that they don't immediately get along with each other. Everyone wants to be the smartest person in the room. I know what that is like.
 
Plus there is Donald Sutherland You can't never go wrong with Donald Sutherland.
 
 
Former NYPD officer Carl Hickman's life has fallen apart after he was injured on the job; he has become addicted to morphine and is working as a garbage collector at a carnival in the Netherlands. He is recruited to join the International Criminal Court's special crime unit, (a fictionalized unit). Based in The Hague, it investigates crimes (some serial, others not) that cross international boundaries. The unit includes an anti-mafia covert specialist from Italy, a tech specialist from Germany, a crime analyst from France, and a weapons specialist and tactical expert from Northern Ireland.
 

1 comment:

M. D. Jackson said...

I'm just about to start watching Broadchurch. Looking forward to it. This show sounds intriguing. I agree with you about American TV. Better to do 10 (or less) of your best quality episodes then spread it out over 22. Even really good shows end up with at least one "filler" episode done on the quick just to make the quota. That episode used to be the dreaded "clip show" which thankfully we see less and less of these days.