We Own This City Review

Every now and again a series completely immerses you because it tackles real world stories that need to be told. We Own This City is one of those such series that relies on the true events it details to show both the ins and outs of systemic corruption.

Led by Jon Bernthal in what may be his finest acting to date, We Own This City is a resounding success because Bernthal is able to do his thing and fully trust that everyone else will do the same. They definitely do, and there is a reason why this has not fully happened since The Wire 20 years ago. The series is produced by the same crew and uses the setting of Baltimore police.

We Own This City shows just how far police units are willing to go in order to abuse the power that comes with a badge. It truly is the first show in a long time that goes to great lengths to fill in the smaller details. These are the types of shows that are enjoyable because they are pushing boundaries without the over the top shenanigans that come with most modern films and television. It showcases a series of events that unfold over a 15 year time frame all which are integral to how a series of actions have a set of consequences.

That is one of my favorite elements of this series. Comparing it to The Wire which is tense because it unfolds in a linear fashion, this series opts to show us from the past how our sins will always catch up with us if we don't follow the rules. It shows how easily one can be influenced by the questionable behavior that is on display around them. What that leads to is the majority of a system becoming corrupt because it is the easy way out and standing up against it is the harder option in most cases. We should never settle for the Status Quo if we know the bar being set is wrong. We need more of these stories so we can hold people accountable for their crimes and their actions that affect many. How many innocent lives did these cops ruin? Just to line their own pockets. We need to start thinking collectively about how we want our society to grow and how we want to handle things like mental health, overworked staff and lines of work that are lacking in the recruitment department. This show highlights a few of these issues and really drives home why taking the route some of these characters did felt like the only option.

Had there been more time to explore the fallout on the street level this show could have been even better and it already is the best show of 2022 without a doubt. It does all the things right that a drama should do. It builds around a morally bankrupt character who was not always that way. It shows how those around him even at times tried to distance themselves from that but never quite could. It truly should make you think we as a society can treat people better. We can stop marginalizing people into two categories. Cops or criminals. Everything runs much deeper than that and we need to do better and hold everyone accountable. The world sees too much death and destruction and too much finger pointing instead of figuring out a way to make things better for everyone. Deep within this series are hidden messages and it truly does shine light on a subject more people need to educate themselves on. Please do yourself a favor and go check this one out.