One of my favorite shows from last spring is back, and its back in fine form. The Good Guys is an action comedy that pays homage to the cop dramas of the 70s while at the same time mocks their cliche style. In the fall return for season one, Dan (Bradley Whitford) and Jack (Colin Hanks) find themselves suspended after a property damage incident downtown, which is amazing considering it hasn’t happened until now.
The main story revolves around the fact that Stark fires his gun in public, gets sprayed with pepper spray, commandeers a vehicle, and drives down the road blind and destroying a lot of property resulting in a week long suspension, or “vacation” as Dan puts it. You can’t even be surprised that that’s what Dan would do in this situation, which makes it all the more hilarious. With their “vacation” time, Jack has a chance to get away from his chaotic partner while Dan continues his renegade cop ways by “borrowing” $50,000 dollars to help out his informant and bust a loan shark. Of course he merely ends up in a situation where he has just now financed a prison break via the corrupt warden, and it’s up to Dan and Jack to get the money back. The side story involves Liz (Jenny Wade) and Jack as they continue to work though their rocky, tension filled relationship as friends wanting to be more than friends again. It doesn’t take up much of the story, but it’s a good buffer between the chaos that is Dan and Jack’s life as a detective pair.
One of the best things about The Good Guys is the great chemistry between all the characters: between Dan and Jack as reluctant and adversarial partners; between Jack and ADA Liz as former couple with plenty of left over emotional connection; and between Dan, Jack, and Lt. Ruiz (Diana-Maria Riva) and her desire to fire them with every fiber of her being but having to accept the fact that Dan always finds a way to save the day. The characters all have a lot of heart and are always likable. Over the course of this season, Dan and Jack have definitely started go get much more comfortable with each other and are turning into a great team.
Other thoughts
- “I don’t need my eyes to bust a punk. The only sense I need is my cop sense!” – Dan
- ‘I’m two thirds fun, one third danger.” – Jack
- “It’s not stealing if they don’t see you take it.” – Dan
- Milkshake – Using an spoiled jug of milk to disable a pursuing car.
- “I love the smell of teargas in the afternoon!” – Dan
