Let me begin with the bad(-ish) news. If you've seen the promos for "Gang Related," you'll know that it's not the most innovative TV show. It's a little "The Departed" meets the "Fast And The Furious" movies meets "The Shield" meets network television -- but just because it isn't super-original doesn't mean it isn't good. On the contrary, it's very, very good.
The "Fast and the Furious"-ness of it all is thanks to creator and executive producer Chris Morgan, who has written all of the franchise's flicks from "Tokyo Drift" onwards. It may not centre on street racing and heists, but it is equally fun, action-packed and entertaining, and balances grit and fluff the way only a network cop show can.
At the heart of "Gang Related" is Ryan Lopez (Ramon Rodriguez), a detective in Los Angeles' elite Gang Task Force. If grades were given to these guys, Lopez would get an A+ because he's bright, has a good head on his shoulders and, most importantly, gets the job done. He's well-liked and respected by his co-workers -- including leader Sam Chapel (Terry O'Quinn), longtime member Cassius Green (RZA), and fellow detectives Tae Kim (Sung Kang) and Veronica "Vee" Dotsen (Inbar Lavi) -- and if the team battling gangs on the streets of L.A. was the entire premise of the show, that would have been enough. But "Gang Related" ups the ante hard, because most people don't know that Ryan is a product of those rough L.A. streets and has an allegiance to powerful Latino gang Los Angelicos.
The gang's leader, Javier Acosta (Cliff Curtis), is the dad Ryan never had, and also happens to be the guy who scored Lopez a spot in the police force. The only other people who know about Ryan's double life (aside from Ryan and Javier, of course) are Javier's two sons, the gang's No. 2 Carlos (Rey Gallegos), and Ryan's childhood best friend and by-the-book banker Daniel (Jay Hernandez).
The problem for Ryan is that while he started off his gig in law enforcement to make his father figure proud, he has grown to realize that he actually likes being a cop. And it's that Sophie's Choice, the tough choices, figuring out who he is and who he wants to be that makes this show so special. I did wonder a number of times how no one has realized he's essentially a double agent. I mean, not one random punk Lopez and his team have put away hasn't recognized him from his Los Angelicos days? Come on! But with Chapel's daughter, Jessica (Shantel VanSanten), who just happens to be the city's Assistant District Attorney becoming increasingly suspicious of Ryan, it looks like she may be what blows the lid off of his decade-long secret.
But what happens if his secret comes out? The gang will make it their mission to off him; the task force won't want anything to do with him. So that's not going to happen anytime soon. For now, we get to watch Ryan wrestle with his emotions as he balances two families, trying to figure out to whom he is most loyal and, essentially, how he can keep going on with this double life. What's also great about "Gang Related" is how quickly things can change in an instant -- but it's not all wild and frenzied. There's heart and humanity to it from both sides. It's easy to hate the bad guys, but it's also easy to see why Ryan is so torn.
Like most pilots, "Gang Related" crams a lot into its first episode, of which I am of two minds. It can be overwhelming for viewers, getting to know new characters and figuring out what makes them tick. At times, we need that information rammed down our throats so we understand why they're doing what they're doing. But, at the same time, it isn't always necessary. For a show like "Gang Related," however, it's needed. The stuff that gets thrown at us in the pilot is vital to where the series goes from here so if you felt it was too much, too fast, it eases up in the following episodes. But only a little. So just buckle your seat belt, sit back and enjoy the ride. Because it's a good one.
"Gang Related" premieres Thursday, May 22 at 9 p.m. ET on CTV and Fox.
