TV-Series :: The Job

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cindy

Reviews: 4

Great show that ended before its timeRating: 2 likes, 1 dislikes

The Job was an excellent show that ABC pulled before it had the chance to cultivate the fan following it deserved. A comedy about a group of New York City cops, it focused on the professional and personal life of Mike McNeil, played by Denis Leary. It was funny WITHOUT the laugh track you expect with a comedy - The Job scrapped the laugh track before it was trendy for sitcoms to do so.

A lot of its appeal lies with Denis Leary's personality. If you like Leary, with his sarcasm and sass, you'll like The Job. It is very similar to the F/X firefighter show, Rescue Me (also starring Leary). But while Rescue Me is a gritty drama with moments of comedy, The Job was a comedy with moments of gritty drama.

Leary's McNeil is a hard-drinking, wife-cheating, cough-syrup guzzling jerk, and yet he is still sympathetic because he' so vulnerable. He's the most imperfect cop you can imagine, even though he's intelligent and dedicated to fighting crime. His personal problems just keep getting in the way, but he makes a great anti-hero. When he starts a group brawl in his anger management class and sits back to watch the chaos he's created, you can't help but cheer. You know you should hate this guy, but you can't.

The supporting characters are just as funny, and all are perfectly cast. The dialogue, mostly consisting of banter in the police precinct, is witty and sharp, and none of it feels forced. The writers definitely did an excellent job.

The entire series is available on DVD, and I highly recommend it.

Review posted on Sunday, November 11th 2007 at 12:50 am