Review of Fastlane

Fastlane (2002–2003)
Top-notch action drama unjustly canceled.
1 May 2011
This show could have been to the 00's what Miami Vice was to the 80's. A hip, highly stylized, well-written, action-packed police drama with characters that you actually care about, and enough pop culture references to be timely.

The show centers around a couple of deep-cover detectives from opposite coasts who work for a vixen police lieutenant who arms her UC's with flashy cars, tons of cash, and seized contraband in order to entice LA's highest rolling criminals into stings operations. Complications and emotional conflicts inevitably occur on their assignments together, along with car chases, gunfights, and a little romance.

The plots were usually pretty lightweight but emotionally engaging, and there was genuine chemistry with the three main leads. The highly stylized action scenes with their trademark slow-motion and up-to-date soundtracks feel almost like music videos. Impressive guest stars showed up weekly, the latest hits played in the background, and the stories were set against a rich, flashy, glamorous background that you can't help but enjoy watching.

The show went for a full season until being canceled due to high production costs. Part of me thinks that the expenses would not have been a problem if the FOX network had not habitually changed what night and time it aired, costing the show countless viewers (especially when they gave it the Friday Night Death Slot).

The show lives on in DVDs, but they do not quite do the show justice since the music has since been changed. Many scenes were cut specifically to go with the music, and the soundtracks themselves were highly appealing. With this element removed and replaced with generic music, the show feels a little more ordinary than it rightly would in its original form.

An under-appreciated gem of a show.
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