July 15, 2009 (2009-07-15) – September 15, 2010 (2010-09-15)
Dark Blue is an American crime drama television series that premiered on TNT on July 15, 2009 and ended its run on September 15, 2010.[1] The series is set in Los Angeles and revolves around Carter Shaw (Dylan McDermott), the leader of an undercover unit. Shaw is an officer who has dedicated his life to taking down the worst criminals in L.A., and this dedication has cost him his marriage. His team includes Ty Curtis, a newlywed who struggles between his job and his new life; Dean Bendis, an officer who is so deep in his undercover role that his team is no longer sure which side he is on; and Jaimie Allen, a green patrol cop recruited into the undercover unit because of her dark past and criminal skills. On November 16, 2010, TNT cancelled Dark Blue after two seasons.
Premise
Carter Shaw is the head of a crack undercover team of the Los Angeles Police Department that is so secret, many of the team members' own colleagues do not know they are involved. Heir to several generations of police officers and a graduate of UCLA, Shaw quickly rose through the ranks of the LAPD. He made a large number of arrests of high-profile criminals during his eighteen years on the force. Shaw frequently uses criminal contacts to further leads and add substance to his team's covers during investigations; Carter's team members are often shocked at how friendly and casual he seems with known criminals.
Carter was married with one child before he became a deep undercover officer. His ex-wife claims his double life was the reason their marriage dissolved. This earlier part of his life is sharply contrasted with the one he now leads, in which he has few personal relationships.
His team includes a recently married cop (played by Omari Hardwick from TNT's Saved) who struggles with personal relationships he developed while undercover; a shoot-from-the-hip officer (played by Logan Marshall-Green) whose activities make fellow team members wonder if he has gone over to the other side; and a callow patrolwoman (played by Nicki Aycox) brought in because of her excellent skill in lying and her shady past.[2][3]
Ty goes undercover to search for a gun trafficker, but nearly blows his cover by breaking a crucial rule and seeing his wife on her birthday. Team leader Carter must come up with $100,000 in less than 12 hours to keep Ty's mission protected...and to save his life.
A ruthless drug trafficker with a background as a lawyer proves a difficult target for the team, especially when the sting operation’s deadline gets pushed up. Jaimie is on the front lines of this case, which may be her hardest challenge yet.
Carter tries to bust a dirty cop. Ty gets transferred to the cop's unit. Meanwhile, because of Carter's actions during the case, Jaimie digs up information that links Carter to the case personally.
The team goes undercover to bust the biggest dealer on the west coast. To get dark, Jaimie has to use her real-life alias, Jaimie Anderson, and connect with an old friend. Also, she has to ask her boyfriend, a District Attorney, a favor to get what the team needs in order to complete the bust.
Carter and Ty team up to go after a local drug ring. Dean gets close to an art dealer (Jordana Brewster) whose father may be involved in drug distribution. After bringing down the main supplier, Carter and Agent Rice find out he has ties to a Mexican drug cartel.
Carter goes undercover as a porn king looking to diversify into the illegal drug business. The target of the sting is the head of a Mexican drug cartel. Dean's increasingly personal relationship with the daughter of a local drug dealer puts the undercover operation at risk.
When the team infiltrates a local casino to investigate the disappearance and presumed murder of a law-school student with a gambling problem, the case has a negative effect on Ty who runs with his high-rolling cover a little too far. Meanwhile, Alex gives Jaimie a hard time over the risks she is willing to take with their target, a no-excuses loan shark (Max Martini).
On July 6, 2011, Warner Bros. released Dark Blue: The Complete First Season on DVD in region 1 via their Warner Archive Collection. This is a Manufacture-on-Demand (MOD) release, available exclusively through Warner's online store and only in the United States.[34] The second and final season was released on May 8, 2012, once again an MOD release available via Warner Archive.[35]
Name
Region 1
Region 2
Region 4
Discs
Dark Blue: The Complete First Season
July 6, 2010
—
—
4
Dark Blue: The Complete Second Season
May 8, 2012
—
—
3
Music
Composer Graeme Revell, who frequently composes music on CSI: Miami and Eleventh Hour, along with David Russo III, who also composed Eleventh Hour.
Reception
Since the premiere, the series has gained mixed reviews.[36] Verne Gay of Newsday praised the series, saying "This is a solid and particularly well-produced cop show—and should be, with Jerry Bruckheimer topping the credits—although we take off points for extreme violence...";[37] he gave the show 83 out of 100. The Philadelphia Inquirer's Jonathan Storm gave it 70 out of 100, saying "If you're looking for unencumbered tough-guy entertainment, you won't be disappointed."[38] Mary McNamara at the Los Angeles Times also gave the series a 70, saying "It's going to take more than an unshaven cheek and a few hollow coughs to make the character real, but Dark Blue's great supporting cast and high production values may buy its star enough time to disappear as effectively into his role as his undercover team disappears into theirs."[39]The Boston Globe, however, criticized the show, saying "The characters are not especially dimensional, and McDermott's flat edginess as Carter doesn't help. But what's worse about Dark Blue is the sloppy plotting."[40]
^Berman, Marc (January 29, 2010). "Dark Blue Ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on April 18, 2010. Retrieved July 12, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
