HBO has had some great crime dramas in its day. The Sopranos, The Wire, and more. Now, let’s add We Own This City. With only one episode in, it may be too early to call it great, but if you’re a fan of The Wire and police dramas similar to it, you may want to check this out. In fact, We Own This City was developed and directed by David Simon and George Pelecanos, with the former having created The Wire. We Own This City is based off the nonfiction work by Justin Fenton from the Baltimore Sun and was directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green.
Plot Description
Right off the bat, We Own This City gave me Seven Seconds vibes (that’s a Netflix miniseries, in case you didn’t know). We start with a gun-ho speech by Jon Bernthal’s Sgt. Wayne Jenkins – a member of the Baltimore Gun Trace Task Force. From the beginning, we as the audience know (or at the very least, we get the feeling) that Wayne is a turbulent character in this story. After all, the show seems to be about exposing the corruption and brutality that surrounds the Baltimore Police Department’s Gun Trace Task Force. Every cop we’re exposed to is framed in a dangerous and unpredictable light. From Wayne Jenkins to Josh Charles as Officier Daniel Hersl, we are completely unsettled by the uneasiness that they exude. Just imagine walking on eggshells.
While we have these corrupt cops on one hand, we also have those who are trying to expose and take down the people who have used their authority inappropriately. Wunmi Mosaku stars as Nicole Steele, who is an attorney for the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. While someone’s civil rights should be a no-brainer, Nicole certainly has an uphill battle in this miniseries, but I look forward to watching Mosaku play Steele. To see how she can tear down the foundation that has abused its power for too long.
Rating: 4/5
The story that We Own This City is setting up is one that is still happening to this day. While we know this miniseries is based off real events, it does not mean that we still don’t see corruption every day. So, it’s a miniseries that really is pressing its thumb into real emotions and situations that people experience every day. For that, I want to see how We Own This City can remain self-aware, without compromising the truth for glamor.
Have you seen Part One of We Own This City? Let us know!
Before we let you go, we have officially launched our merch store! Check out all of our amazing apparel when you click here and type in GVN15 at checkout for a 15% discount!
Make sure to check out our podcasts each week including Geek Vibes Live, Top 10 with Tia, Wrestling Geeks Alliance and more! For major deals and money off on Amazon, make sure to use our affiliate link!
A girl with too many fandoms to count.
