I know SWAT stands for Special Weapons and Tactics and that is the real name of the show, but after watching the first episode, I had to rename it.
Based in the 1970’s series which I was a fan, the new version is as unreal and even insulting to not only the viewers but to LAPD in general. The department’s demographics is portrayed as mostly white male with a tendency if not being a member of the KKK, pretty close to White Supremacist. And if we want to follow the LAPD’s demographics, half the cast should be Latino, but it is not so they are failing already in their SJWAT.
One of the negative things the old series had was that about half the bad guys were returning Vietnam Veterans. The Liberal consensus back in the day was that all Vietnam Vets were either crazy or about to snap and take a bus full of handicapped children if a meeting with the President was not forthcoming or a plane with a million dollars was ready for them to retire in Cuba. I am sad to say that SJWAT went back to the old scripts and offer us in the first show a band of Veterans ready to create mayhem and revolution.
There are a boatload of things so out of touch with reality, it is not even funny: A cop gets fired without following procedure in less than four hours, SJWAT is not only a door kicking organization, but an investigative one plus this new one will now do full on community relations. And this particular team must have Star Trek’s Transporter Room available because when they call for them, they are on scene within 30 seconds and even ahead of the bad guys no matter if they are across town. But the one that took the cake? The weapon’s blue laser. Not a red laser, not the green laser but blue laser, Holy shit! They are super advanced!. I was informed by a hardcore follower of G.I. Joe that only Cobra minions use the blue laser in their weapons, so I expect this SJWAT to go “Hail Cobra!” in the next two episodes.
I usually give a new show two or three episodes before I render a decision. No need with SJWAT as I rather use my DVR space to record reruns of Parking Wars.
PS: I suspect there is a lot (and I mean a lot) wrong with the tactics part of the show, but I will rather concede the floor to people who know rather than be as bad as the writers, producers and director and come u with bullshit because it looks pretty.
I loved the original show, and was skeptical about a remake.
Thanks for taking one for the team, so to speak, and reviewing it. Now I won’t have to suffer through it. I hate shows that make me scream profanities at the TV. ?
My pleasure.
Nothing beats Dragnet (the revival series 1967-1970) and Adam-12. Only the early seasons of Law&Order hold a candle to them, done back in the early 90s when the episodes were still about the dangers of old, grungy, crack epidemic NYC.
I gave up Law and Order when McCoy was more dirty with his tactics than the defendants and he was all self righteous about it
The post 9/11 years were terrible at that. The show started doing more political conspiracy type crimes. I liked the good old fashioned crack head shoots a guy story lines.
Not to mention the bad guys using some kind of full auto pistols in the opening scenes – they must have had at least 100 round magazines as they shot at the cops. Then the new guy trying to get in on time, riding a bike through town like a crazy man, running red lights, popping wheelies, etc. with the police right on his tail in a car. That was when I switched channels.