'LA's Finest' Season 2 Review: Jen's killer reveal and Koreatown's crime wave can't save the bland cop drama
After a rather clunky first season, 'LA's Finest' returned for a round two, which at first glance was even clunkier than Season 1. The cop drama hadn't inspired much confidence earlier and it seemed to be struggling to find a foothold by the second season. It picked up where it had left off — unraveling the mysterious murder of Jen, Syd Burnett's (Gabrielle Union) best friend. However, this wasn't the only plotline. While Syd worked hard to cope with the death as well as investigate the murder, a raging crime wave in Koreatown takes precedence in the storyline and the LAPD set about trying to solve that mystery as well. Nothing is as it seems. There are a lot of intricate personal connections that finally result in the death of a loved one, with regard to Nancy McKenna (Jessica Alba).
The first five episodes are downright sloppy, for the lack of a better word. In their attempt to keep the writing humorous and less dark, the showrunners appeared to have been at a loss on how the story should progress. It was slow and to say the least, rather dull and no amount of window-pane smashings or gunshots could gloss over that. Nevertheless, by the seventh episode, things picked up. Don't get us wrong, it's not as if the cop drama magically manifested into a slick thriller, but at least you could finally see beyond the congealed messes of several storylines merging.
Nancy's marriage hits rock bottom and the only saving grace in her life is her step-daughter Izzie (Sophie Rose), who at points tends to be your average snarky teenager. Izzie's dialogues are plain trite and contrived as she uses the same lines we've heard everywhere... making an identity for herself and trying to avoid being "just the girl who was kidnapped", you get the drift. Nancy and Patrick realize that they have more chemistry with wine bottles than with each other and decide to call it quits. They try to save it but it's too late at the end. Nancy's storyline was an interesting one this season, but the execution was downright shoddy. Here's a woman whose marriage is breaking down, her relationship with a step-daughter is fractured but none of that emotion came across. Jessica Alba plays the tough cop but doesn't seem to be sinking into the greys of her own character. Why should anyone be invested in Nancy at all?
Meanwhile, Syd's grief over losing a close friend is more prominent. During the course of the season, Syd makes a rash decision to cover up for someone, that almost puts her career on the line, but somehow that is wrapped up rather easily at the end of the last episode, after much preachy sermonising of truth. Syd's emotional and sexual relationship with her boss Jason Calloway is barely explored before it is suddenly dropped like a hot cake. Sometimes, you start wondering whether the writers start something and then just dismiss it because they lost interest in the plotline.
Jason disappears for a while too and doesn't seem to have much of a major say when there's a massive shootout going on either. Regarding the rest of the characters, Ben Baines and Ben Walker continue to add to the humor of a humorless show, and at times, it's enjoyable. We got an insight into Ben Walker's backstory when he gets abducted and tortured, and he remembers his mother, who was a drug addict.
Nevertheless, after much heartbreak, all seems sorted at the end of Season 2 except we realize someone is trying to kill Syd and Nancy, and they're next on the hitlist.
The end of the season promises a Season 3 (groan) because two weren't enough?
All in all, Season 2 of 'LA's Finest' is like a cucumber sandwich. You eat it when there's nothing else in the fridge. The show is streaming on Spectrum.