What does it take to make a great MV episode? Solid, complex writing and tight direction are two obvious steps in the right direction. Over the 4 seasons I've watched, another trend of variables seems to keep popping up: a plot involving drug traffickers, effective use of real locations, and no love story.
"Badge of Dishonor" meets all of the required criteria and, if it wasn't for one poorly written scene and a sloppily directed climax, this would be a great episode. The bad scene in question involves a (reluctantly) crooked female cop up on her soapbox, yammering on about the value of her charity work as her excuse for being on the take. Not only was her speech nothing more than heavy-handed moralizing, her performance was so over the top the double barreled excessiveness could have only been appropriately accompanied by weeping violins.
First of all, this scene should have never taken place. In the previous scene this crooked cop is behind bars after being booked for countless crimes including accessory to the murder of a police officer. Prompted by Tubbs' question of "why" she would do what she did, she offers not an explanation, but instead asks for the opportunity to show him. Then we cut to the scene in question, with her uncuffed, in civilian clothes and up on her soapbox at her dirty money financed homeless shelter.
Take a second and imagine a guy in jail for attempting to kill his wife. Then the same guy is freed so that he can take the arresting officer to show him how much of a hag his wife was and how her being a hag justified his attempt to murder her. Yes, it's completely ridiculous and it's an insult for the writers of MV to think we might buy it.
"Badge of Dishonor" meets all of the required criteria and, if it wasn't for one poorly written scene and a sloppily directed climax, this would be a great episode. The bad scene in question involves a (reluctantly) crooked female cop up on her soapbox, yammering on about the value of her charity work as her excuse for being on the take. Not only was her speech nothing more than heavy-handed moralizing, her performance was so over the top the double barreled excessiveness could have only been appropriately accompanied by weeping violins.
First of all, this scene should have never taken place. In the previous scene this crooked cop is behind bars after being booked for countless crimes including accessory to the murder of a police officer. Prompted by Tubbs' question of "why" she would do what she did, she offers not an explanation, but instead asks for the opportunity to show him. Then we cut to the scene in question, with her uncuffed, in civilian clothes and up on her soapbox at her dirty money financed homeless shelter.
Take a second and imagine a guy in jail for attempting to kill his wife. Then the same guy is freed so that he can take the arresting officer to show him how much of a hag his wife was and how her being a hag justified his attempt to murder her. Yes, it's completely ridiculous and it's an insult for the writers of MV to think we might buy it.