2017 is getting a revival of a cult classic film from 2001: Training Day, from Director Antoine Fuqua and the pen of David Ayer, he film starred rookie narc officer played by Ethan Hawke joining forces with rogue detective portraed by Denzel Washington.
Even though this series does not seem to pick up or retell the story of the same characters, it follows the same premise, with Bill Paxton playing Detective Frank Rourke and Justin Cornwell playing the rookie.
This version comes from Jerry Bruckheimer Television company and Warner Bros and airs on CBS and was developed for television by Will Beall.
The show underwent some changes since early development, as the idea was that the story would follow Jake Hoyt, Ethan Hawke´s character 16 years later, now a veteran; but since Hawke declined the role, a revision had to be made thus bringing Paxton in.
Besides Paxton and Marianne Jean-Baptiste as Deputy Chief Joy Lockhart, there are no big names among the regulars, with perhaps the exception of Julie Benz and maybe Katrina Law.
The show picks up 15 years after the events of the film. In the series, Detective Frank Rourke is the maverick head of the Special Investigation Section (S.I.S.) that hunts the city’s most dangerous criminals, and one of the finest investigators the department has ever produced. However, when the LAPD brass notices Rourke’s penchant for operating in a gray area to fight the war on crime, they assign Kyle Craig, a heroic, untarnished cop, to pose as Frank’s trainee to spy on him and report on his off-book methods.
Of course… to start things of we get to see the character of Kyle Craig, a bonafide hero cop; and we get to start learning about his father, and how he molded him to be the kind of cop and man he is; but of course, we also learn that we was killed in the line of duty and the crime was never solved, thus making Kyle chase a ghost.
Then, right after Kyle gets assinged to spying on Rourke, we get to start knowing Rourke… and that´s where things get interesting. His methods may not be protocol, that´s for sure…
Frank Rourke does not hesitate on shooting first… as his motto says: “Better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6”.
I feel optimistic about this show; it comes from a good film, from good pedigree in police shows, and it has Bill Paxton headlining it. So far so good.
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