Review of APB

APB (2017)
5/10
Another glorification of weapons, private capital over public policies, and a video game approach to criminology (and it isn't even a good TV show!)
7 February 2017
In purely performative terms, this show does not bring anything new, innovative or memorable to the American police series landscape. I have found it elementary and ridiculously flat, lacking in good performances, skilled characterization, credible plot lines or intelligent script-writing, portraying one-dimensional roles who are meant to look smart but instead feel and act dumb.

However, the worst of all is the ideology the show perspires and the values it promotes, without any complexity or respect to the realities of crime and criminology in our world. In this regard, it is a very ignorant approach of the world it intends to recreate.

The whole thing is a glorification of mega-weapons, armaments industry, surveillance technologies and destructive power over citizens, on the premise that criminality will be solved by increasing the private corporate investment (and involvement) in drones, tasers, racing cars and Batman-like shields to police precincts, with the corresponding transference of control, championing a virtual "privatization" of urban law-enforcement forces.

The plot line infers that public policies and social approaches are useless, a waste of "citizen's money", and treats the problem of crime in terms of a video game match, where approaches and consequences are solved by increasing lethal power or inserting a new coin into the slot.

More than 10 years ago, two geniuses with real knowledge of police work, true writing talent, and a deep outlook of crime complexity wrote a jewel titled "The Wire". APB is to The Wire as an internet meme is to Da Vinci's Mona Lisa.

Unless you are a fan of all the above and truly believe this is the way to battle criminality or the way to produce a TV show, my suggestion is to spend your watching time in better efforts and avoid this clumsy, forgettable show.
44 out of 95 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Recently Viewed