19-2: Season 1

A series about cops working in a rough neighborhood of Montreal—the second most populated city in Canada—19-2 is a gritty drama in the vein of American shows like Southland and NYPD Blue. Adrian Holmes stars as Nick Barron, a street cop with a reputation for being reckless and getting his partners hurt, which is what he does in the opening scene, rushing into a building without backup. Jared Keeso is his new partner, Ben Chartier, newly arrived from the sticks and treated as a rookie and rube despite his eight years on the job. Nick would rather go solo and gives the new guy the silent treatment but Ben proves himself to both a good cop and a loyal partner over the course of the season as the pair deal with everything from domestic abuse and petty crimes, to a manhunt for a pedophile with a kidnapped child, and the attempted murder of a fellow officer (which rouses the squad to turn vigilante and deliver their own justice). There is plenty of internal conflict in the department, as well as a frank presentation of real-life issues common to police officers—from alcoholism and anger management to divorce and violence. Not well known outside of Canada, 19-2 is a solid drama with intelligent writing, complex characters, and a realistic portrait of police work. Compiling all 10 episodes from the 2014 debut season, extras include a behind-the-scenes featurette. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)