Chicago P.D.: Season One

Reigning mogul of network TV crime dramas Dick Wolf's latest franchise, based in the Windy City, is a solid, solemn cop saga about an elite squad of relentless street investigators that is spun-off from the unlikely hit Chicago Fire (on the dangerous lives and loves of firefighters). Some of the cops on Chicago P.D. were originally seen on Chicago Fire, and here are part of an Intelligence Unit tasked with using wily undercover operations, crack procedural techniques, and plenty of brute force to combat street crime. The boss is Sergeant Hank Voight (Jason Beghe), a former Internal Affairs investigator with a reputation for dirty dealings and cracking heads. Beghe makes him into a somewhat slimy and scary figure with a sandpaper growl and a type-A presence that defines the unit. When a perp is not forthcoming with information, his favorite line is “Gimme a room and 20 minutes.” The rest of the unit is a well-rounded posse of hard, unwavering underlings who favor black jeans and leather jackets while fighting street gangs, corruption, domestic terrorists, killers, and kidnappers. Especially notable are Elias Koteas as a grizzled undercover cop, and Jon Seda as a brash detective. This is a Dick Wolf machine that is well-oiled in all the right places, including the casting of small roles, and the consistently crisp writing. Compiling all 15 episodes from the 2014 debut season, extras include bonus episodes from Chicago Fire. Recommended. (T. Fry)