As someone with a background in law enforcement, nothing frustrates me more than when TV glamorizes the profession. One of the things that drew me to The Chicago Code is that it’s never been that kind of show. Starting its last episode of the season — and entering the month in which we’ll learn about its fate — it gave us an episode that not only set up the conclusion to its major story arc but also showed us just how much several characters have sacrificed to get to this point.
On paper, this was an episode about jury tampering in the trial of a corrupt city official, but it was actually a lot more than that. Seriously, I’m considering just ignoring the synopses for this show, because they only scratch the surface of what the episodes entail. By episode’s end, thanks to Liam sticking his neck out in a major way, Jarek and Teresa were able to squeeze a truck driver into rolling on Irish mobster Hugh Killian, which was enough to get them papers for a “secret investigation” of Alderman Gibbons. (I use quotes because, as said in the episode, we know it won’t be secret for very long.) Everyone is officially on a collision course and not a moment too soon. I’ve seen a lot of shows drag out plots, especially season-long plots, for everything they’re worth, but so far it seems like this one will pay off. Thank heaven for that, because I can’t wait.
More importantly, though, the installment was about prying into the minds of our coppers, in particular Jarek and Liam. Through flashbacks, we get our first glimpse of Jarek’s brother Vincent — as a child, as an adult, and as a corpse. The scene in which Jarek arrives to find his brother’s body is heartwrenching: There’s not a single line of dialogue, but Jason Clarke conveys everything so powerfully through his facial expressions and body language. With just a few moments, we’re treated to a better understanding of his mindset. It’s easy to draw the line between the information we’re given (much of it fittingly by Jarek’s voiceover) and how Jarek handles undercover cop Liam. He might bust Liam’s chops, but it’s because he doesn’t want Liam to turn into the next Vincent.
As for Liam, this may be Billy Lush‘s best episode yet. He’s been doing a relatively slow burn all season long, showing us how being deep undercover has eaten away at Liam on a daily basis. Make no mistake, this isn’t the sexy TV version of undercover work; we’ve seen the small tribulations just as much as the big trials, and Lush has conveyed his character’s struggles very well. This week, Liam gets a double whammy. For one, his cover is nearly blown by a guy who recognizes him in the bar. This allows us to find out that his real name is Chris, and in more flashbacks we learn about his family life, and how much he misses it.
The bigger blow comes voluntarily. In order to land the crushing blow that he knows is what it’s all for, he’s willing to put himself on the line by setting up a sting operation to bust Killian, who’s behind the whole thing: he tampered with the jury to save the corrupt official who was letting him use city vehicles for trafficking. Not only does Liam witness Killian murdering the bought-off juror in front of him, but he’s briefly in hot water when he meets Killian himself and is ordered to prove he’s not wearing a wire. In the end, the operation is a success, but that’s twice he’s potentially outed in one episode and the second death that he’s somehow been involved with (the first being the fatality in the arson he set). It’s not a good couple of days for Liam at all, and we see him once again struggle with what he has to see and be a part of, but he keeps his resolve because it will all be worth it in the end – and conversely, if he fails, he knows it’s all for nothing.
Law enforcement is one of those fields where you will never completely understand what it’s like unless you’ve done it for yourself. I can talk about my experience, but I can’t properly articulate the stress I was under, the emotional duress that I endured, or the moral quandaries that didn’t have easy answers. Principally because it’s so hard to quantify, most TV shows miss the mark when it comes to that element. The Chicago Code is one of the more authentic portrayals of what it takes, mentally and emotionally, to be a cop. As much as I love this show for being great entertainment, it means a lot to me that it feels right. There’s not much more I can ask for from this show that it hasn’t already given me.
Clacked by Brittany Frederick 
on May 03, 2011 @ 14:00 EST5EDT
