The Chicago Code: "Hog Butcher"

Once I determine the validity of a piece of sausage as historical evidence, I'll offer up a review of last nights episode, after the jump....

It is a truism in television that if the pilot episode of a series is meant to inform us how the show would operate week-to-week, then the second episode is the place where the characters get filled in, and their dynamics become clear. This isn't to say that things don't change from the second episode, but that it should be seen as the second step in introducing an audience to the show's world.

Tonight The Chicago Code gave us that next step, starting with Alderman Gibbons. Gibbons was the most one-sided character in the pilot, just generally being a malevolent presence. Nor was this helped by his extremely one-note voice over. I'm not going to say that this changed any tonight, but we did get to see how he operates, and thankfully it goes beyond the image of evil emperor firing off marching order from his fortress of doom. No, instead we got to see Gibbons as a smooth yet detached operator, weaseling his way into the home of Antonio's mother, and using this as a power play to both screw over Teresa and get her in his corner.

Beyond this, the rest of their characters had their dynamics expanded, presumably to set the stage for upcoming story arcs:

• Jarek and Caleb solidify their mentor/mentee relationship. Though the show makes it clear that Caleb is a skilled cop (and unlike Jarek, I'm guessing her got a “Extremely Qualified” on his academy exam), it's equally apparent that there is still much Caleb had to learn, and some things that he had to change, in order to stay Jarek's partner. It's clear at this point that they will remain partners – at least for the foreseeable future – but it's nice that the show seems committed to showing us the process, regardless of the certainty of the outcome. (Though using Twitter to show us the difference between these two? That's just hacky.) 
• Jarek and Teresa become far less compatible cohorts, as their differing styles bump up against one another. While both are abrasive and strong-willed, always seeking to mete out justice, it would make sense that they would have differing viewpoints about how to get things done. But what I really liked was that the show doesn't make this about morality – i.e. how far does one go to bring down criminal – more than it does their general M.O.'s. Even better, the show doesn't let just one of them be a loose cannon and the other the voice of reason. Tonight, Jarek got riled up and the sight of Gibbons, and Teresa gets worked up when dealing with Worling. They show lets both characters be both right and wrong in the same hour, and it shows us that though they have the same goal, it going to be a bumpy ride, and their contentious give and take is going to drive a lot of the drama going forward. 
• Isaac and Vonda were established as partners and “partners” in the pilot, but I'm not sure if we got a real glimpse of what they are like together. While we still don't know how they work as a couple, we got a better idea of how they work as crime fighting duo. The real question now is what's going to happened when things get tough for Teresa in the Organized Crime Division?(You know that's where this is headed.) 
• Jarek and Vonda begin drifting apart, as she is forced to choose between her partner and her uncle. This I think is going to be a slow-burner, as it usually takes some time for show to realistically show two people lose their connection with one another. But my main concern is how many more times are we going to be subjected to mentions of Vincer, Jarek's brother and Vonda's dad. Their sadness at his death worked well in the pilot, but here I found it to be shoehorned in, and I get the feeling that this is going to be one of those things that only get more grating with each mention. 
• We got to see how Liam works with everyone he interacts with. Okay, so we still don't know enough about this guy, but with this large of cast, these things take time, right? Liam is not only the most worrisome as a character, but I also fear the show doesn't know what to do with him just yet. How many more times is he going to get arrested? And how long before more cops find out about that he is working undercover. They need to give him more interesting things to do (preferably on the criminal side) or his strorylines are going to get old, fast. 
• Jarek and God. Okay, so God isn't a character in this series (because last time I checked, David Milch isn't running this show), but I like when shows take religion seriously. Not in a “this is the true path” way, or even in a “God really does exist way,” as these usually end up being overly preachy. No, I like when shows understand how religion affects people as individuals, as it drives their actions and behaviors, for both the good and the bad. I hope the show keeps this element around, because Jarek's tenious relationship with the church could provide some great internal drama for the series. 

So while all of this character building was going on, their was still a little room left over for the story. (I kid, the story was well served tonight.) When shows shift from pilot to second episode, they also have to switch from short-run to long haul, as they did tonight with the bit of misdirection of Gibbon's role in attempt on Teresa's life. I don't want to get into it too much, but I like how the show played the larger arc and this shorter narrative off of one another, and I hope we see that kind of action in the future.

What did everybody else think?

Additional Thoughts:

That was a pretty decent credit sequence, complete with a song performed (but not written) by Billy Corgan

Tim Minear is a producer? I can't wait for the inevitable origins episode. Also, this has just increased the show's potential to be both awesome and canceled.

How long is the show going to make a big deal out of Teresa being the first female superintendent? Maybe it's just my upbringing, but is misogyny still that big of an issue in a urban area like Chicago?