Cop procedural East New York reveals the flaws within the force

When you start watching a series you enjoy it’s only natural to ask the internet if there’ll be a second season when you’re barely a few episodes in. At the time of writing, East New York has neither been renewed nor cancelled. Thirteen of its 14 episodes have aired Stateside, reviews and ratings have been quite respectable but CBS remains silent. Let us hope.

Here on Showmax, new episodes are landing every Thursday. As far as law enforcement procedurals go, it tackles some grimy cases that go beyond the puffery of a 40-minute resolution of a crime, but perhaps more importantly, it takes a hard look at the shortcomings within the force - such as not enough detectives to investigate all cases equally, and how the smarmy politicians put pressure on the ones that will get them the best press.

The ensemble cast is headed by Amanda Warren as Deputy Inspector Regina Haywood, recently appointed commanding officer of the 74th precinct (they call it “the seven-four”). She’s a woman, she’s Black, and she has some very firm ideas of how to improve policing in a high crime area. Coming up against seasoned cops at the precinct, she needs to win them over before solutions can be implemented, while at the same time navigating the political minefield. Her hands-on approach is not always appreciated.

5 reasons to watch new weekly episodes of East New York

1. Deputy Inspector Regina Haywood

She is highly likeable, and it’s easy to take her side and root for her. Tough but fair. She wants to make positive changes where she sees shortcomings. The law is important to her, and she wants to build a relationship of trust between her colleagues and the citizens they serve and protect. There’s a hint at something dark-ish in her past.

2. The rest of the cast

It’s a joy to see Jimmy Smits back in blue in a supporting role. We know and love him for his roles in Law & Order and NYPD Blue, as well as legal parts - Bluff City Law, and ADA Miguel Prado in Dexter (although he wasn’t a good guy). In Sons of Anarchy, as Nero Padilla he got cosy with Gemma Teller (Katey Sagal) and became a mentor for her son Max (Charlie Hunnam). Here he is Regina’s mentor, her confidante, and her friend. He supports her in what she’s trying to do and runs interference when her actions are going to be detrimental to her career. Fun fact: Smits was Sonny Crockett's original partner on the first episode of Miami Vice in 1984. In the first five minutes of the episode he is killed by a car bomb.

3. Richard Kind in his first main cast role

Also in the cast is Richard Kind, a well-known comedy character actor (Mad About You, Spin City and Curb Your Enthusiasm). More recently you’ll recognise him as one of the judges from The Good Fight. Because of this, and his distinctive looks and voice, it’s difficult to re-imagine him in a more serious role - even though he has played many - but the writers have written him some lines that soften the edges. His career has been long and busy; this is his first main cast role. Other familiar faces are Elizabeth Rodriguez (Orange Is The New Black) as Detective Second Grade Crystal Morales, CS Lee (Dexter) as Desk Sergeant Jimmy Kee; and guests Lauren Velez (Dexter) as Tamika Martin, and Lee Tergesen (OZ, Homicide Life On The Street back in the day, still two of the best series) as US Marshall David Westlake.

4. Episode 12, featuring comedy duo Cheech and Chong

The penultimate episode is directed by Lou Diamond Phillips, whom we adore because he has five Maine Coon cats in his family. And the episode I’m living for right now is number 12, titled Up In Smoke, mainly because the internet has inserted a synopsis for the 1978 cult stoner movie of the same name starring the legendary Cheech and Chong. The actual episode is way more serious: “it pays lip service to the recent changes in New York's [marijuana] laws, acknowledging the effort to make amends for those most impacted by the War on Drugs,” says Celeb Stoner. Jack Ori at TV Fanatic has very strong feelings about the episode. (Spoiler alert: These links contain spoilers.)

5. A different view of New York City

We’re already intimately familiar with New York City from movies and television but here, along with the intelligent procedural format, we see a different aspect - or one that is not as common. “Filming of East New York occurs in New York City’s Brooklyn borough. More specifically, the police procedural series takes place in East New York, Brooklyn’s most eastern residential neighborhood. Situated on the water, East New York is a small community with eclectic businesses, parks, restaurants, and more,” Distractify tells us.

Some residents are not too happy about it and how their beloved ‘hood is portrayed, but Smits, who plays Chief Johnny Suarez, grew up in the area and sees it differently, says the article. “This is kind of like the ode to Brooklyn in general but specifically when I heard when they were doing something that was called East New York, there’s a lot that I connect with in terms of the area and what it means to me and the framework in terms of what the story is about in this present time that we're in,” he said.

While you wait for new episodes of East New York every Thursday, also check these procedurals out on Showmax: Law & Order Special Victims Unit, Law & Order Organized Crime, and The Night Of.