Shades of Blue

The whole cast is pretty much perfect for the story Shades of Blue is trying to tell. Lopez makes a fine lead--she's tough and unsentimental here, and even though they've made her look gorgeous, you don't necessarily think of her as a glamorous character. But it's Liotta's show.

Shades is not stellar--it’s a little over the top in playing up the conflict--it has some grit to it. If anything, it’s kind of fun seeing Lopez kick some butt and take no prisoners.

Sometimes it slips into episodic trappings inherent in most cop shows, but it mostly sticks to the mission at hand as it slowly unravels its leading lady.

Shades of Blue is reasonably compelling by that measure [helping lure viewers into the program’s serialized plot], and clips along smartly enough (eight episodes were made available) that the show should inspire some return business if it can generate the requisite sampling. Nevertheless, it’s too bad Blue couldn’t bring at least a few new, more colorful hues to a crime drama that paints, ultimately, with a rather familiar palette.

[Lopez] lights up the screen and almost manages to carry this show over its repetitive plot hurdles. But almost is not enough.

Shades of Blue moves at a brisk pace, like “Scandal” and “How to Get Away With Murder,” so that you don’t have time to think through the details. And the script is filled with bits of wit that, like ad slogans, fly by and entertain even when they’re not particularly fitting or informative.... But as the serialized plot thickens and the characters become inconsistent, the show’s flaws become unavoidable and its excesses absurd.

It’s too repetitive and lackadaisical in dealing with the premise’s been-there-done-that feel (if it ever does), and dips into dark drama are misfires nearly across the board.