19-2: Season 2

The second season of this Canadian drama centering on beat cops working in one of the most dangerous districts of Montreal features a gripping and startling opening episode. Nick (Adrian Holmes) and Ben (Jared Keeso) respond to a high school shooting where an angry teenage boy with automatic weapons plans to kill as many as possible. It is a nightmare situation that follows the police (other members of the Station 19 division soon arrive) as they sweep the school to clear out students and teachers and stop the shooter. The scenario is filmed with long, handheld takes that keep the audience locked into the perspective of the cops, and the reverberations of this ordeal echo through the rest of the episodes as Ben grapples with PTSD after being the one to take down the killer. This sets the tone for the season, in which the 19 is rocked with scandals as officers are caught on camera clashing with civilians, and Ben works with the internal affairs division to find out who has been leaking information to organized crime. An investigation into teenage prostitutes leads to a child pornography ring with links to powerful officials and an unexpected partner in their own division. While there is plenty of drama on hand, the strength of the show still lies in its portrait of the dangerous nature of the job and how characters are affected (and in some cases deeply damaged) by the accompanying stress and anxiety, all the while offering a frank presentation of real-life issues common to police officers, from alcoholism and anger management to divorce and violence. Compiling all 10 episodes from the 2015 second season, extras include behind-the-scenes featurettes and interviews. (S. Axmaker)