Nick Barron is going through a difficult time following his partner, Harvey, getting shot while on the job. When new addition Ben Chartier is placed with him as his partner, he is immediately adverse to the idea, not wanting to play babysitter. However, Ben Chartier has been a cop for some 8 years and he quickly proves himself, but that doesn't mean Barron is going to accept him.
Other members at the precinct include Sgt. Houle (Conrad Pla), who really looks out for and cares for his team, amidst ridiculous budget cuts inflicted by bureaucratic jerk Commander Gendron (Bruce Ramsay), a man not only watching out for his own butt, but also eyeing that of the lovely Isabelle "Izzy" Latendresse (Maxim Roy), a cop on the rise in the department who also happens to be Nick Barron's estranged wife. J.M. Brouillard (Dan Petronijevic) is the resident loud-mouth chauvinist pig, Tyler Joseph (Benz Antoine) is the lovable teddy bear with a drinking problem, Beatrice "Bear" Hamelin (Mylène Dinh-Robic) is the smokin' hot lesbian that all the guys wish wasn't, and Audrey Pouliot (Laurence Lebeouf) is the adorable red-headed new transfer from nights who has fallen hard for Nick amidst his split from Izzy. As you can imagine, each member of the squad has their own issues and each will go through a lot in this season.
19-2: Season 1 handles things a lot like Southland did - you follow the beat cops and what they do, so you don't always get to see the outcome or solving of a crime. Certain things happen and clues are left and I would find myself wondering if they related to something earlier that happened in the season, but eventually I had to let the cases go, just like the patrol cops do. Some things just don't get solved. On the other hand, there are certain things that happen that continue to be a part of the running storyline, such as Nick's partner getting shot and the aftermath of that case on both the squad and Nick, personally. There are a lot of scenes that occur and you're not sure whether they have just happened, are happening in the minds of Nick or Ben as they mull an event over, or perhaps even happened in the past. It's an interesting and surreal take on the things that might just cross the mind of someone whose job it is to risk their life every single day for the benefit of others.
Nick and Ben clash a good bit in the beginning, because Ben is very by-the books in this behavior, whereas Nick has been around the block a few times and knows when to let something go. When Comm. Gendron is looking for someone to spy on Nick, he comes to Ben, but is Ben too straight-arrow to be a snitch? Things grow more complicated when Ben's longtime girlfriend struggles with his move from their country home to the big city of Montreal and she is not sure whether she wants to leave her home. But then, Ben has cause to meet a lovely social worker named Amelie (Tattiawna Jones) and she turns his head, but damn if she isn't Nick's half-sister! Talk about an awkward situation between partners that just got more weird. And then there's Nick, who still loves wife Izzy and wants to work things out for the sake of their son Theo, but he just can't seem to stay out of Audrey's bed. A devastating blow to the squad may force him to re-evaluate his priorities and a shocking season finale surprise for Ben may change the entire dynamic of the squad in the coming seasons.
19-2: Season 1 is a good cop drama, but it's not quite great. I really enjoy the characters and the actors that play them, but I didn't find myself deeply invested during most of the season. However, I am excited to see where the show goes, because there were a few serious curve balls that get thrown in the last couple of episodes of the season that not only make me want to see what happens next, but made me care a great deal more for specific characters. If you are looking for a Canadian cop drama that highlights both the beauty and the gritty underbelly of Montreal, while mixing in a bit of romance and comedy as well, check out 19-2: Season 1.
