"Detroit 1-8-7" Review: Is There Room for One More Cop Show?

The problem with doing a top five (or any other number list) is that after you finish it, you see something else you wish you could have included.

Well the something I wish I could have included in mine is “Detroit 1-8-7”…

I know what you’re thinking because I thought the same thing. We need another cop show on TV like we all need holes in our heads. But then I watched the “Detroit” pilot and realized we do need another cop show if it’s like this one…

“Detroit” follows a Detroit homicide unit as they work to clear their cases. The unit is led by Lt. Maureen Mason (Aisha Hinds), but the unquestioned star of the unit (and the show) is Detective Louis Fitch (Michael Imperioli). He’s a well-respected detective, but he’s got quite a few quirks. And no one really knows anything about him. In the premiere, he’s paired with a new partner, Detective Damon Washington (Jon Michael Hill), who’s on his first day in homicide. Washington and Fitch clash instantly, especially when Washington gets all caught up in the impending birth of his first child.

Sergeant Jesse Longford (James McDaniel) is caught up in something else—his impending retirement. But in the meantime, he’s still solving cases with his partner, Detective Vikram Mahajan (Shaun Majumder). Also in the unit is Detective Ariana Sanchez (Natalie Martinez), who starts the pilot without a partner.

The hour follows the detectives as they work their separate cases with lots of interesting twists and turns that will eventually bring them together. But it’s that final twist in the closing minutes that will throw you for a complete loop.

The show is gritty and real, but it’s also funny and sad and shocking. The promos compare it to “NYPD Blue” and that’s an excellent comparison. In fact, I don’t think I realized just how much I’ve missed “Blue” until I saw “Detroit.”

And having already watched the first 10 minutes of the second episode, I can tell you that it doesn’t lose a step from the excellent pilot.

Yes, there are a lot of cop dramas on TV. But there is room for just one more…

“Detroit 1-8-7” premieres Tuesday, September 21st at 10 p.m…

Photo Credit: Donna Svennevik/ABC