At the end of September, CBS released a new crime TV show called FBI. The series follows two young agents who are apart of the New York City FBI field office. The pilot opens with a bang, literally, as the first scene depicts an explosion that decimates an apartment building in the Bronx. The show is now on its fifth episode, and has depicted many different crimes, ranging from murderers to low levels of terrorism. While the show is fast paced and interesting, FBI does lack a large distinction from other popular crime TV shows like “Law and Order” and “Quantico.”
A large portion of TV series today are crime shows, and while these shows attract audiences, they are not that different from one another. Some of them follow different branches of law enforcement, like the FBI, CIA and local police departments. All of them revolve around different teams with different back stories, which does add a little differentiation. However, many of the crimes depicted are very similar to those of other shows. With the large amount of crime TV shows available to watch, it is obvious that the storylines of these shows will overlap. However, it’s hard to enjoy a show with such a repetitive plot.
Although “FBI” does have a similar plot to other series, it does one of the best jobs in accurately portraying the FBI. The fictional agents in the show conduct investigations and procedure very similar to how they are done in reality. Along with correctly showing what a branch of the FBI does on a daily basis, the show does a really good job of incorporating different programs and methods that the FBI uses. Unlike the basic methods used in most crime shows, like facial recognition, “FBI” shows new and different ways that the FBI uses technology when investigating crimes. The series also briefly illustrates some of the real life challenges that agents go through. The series is an accurate representation of what it would be like to be an FBI agent.
All in all, while it does have a generic plot line, the show itself is very interesting and informative. For those who enjoy crime TV and are looking for a new show to binge, check out FBI Tuesday nights on CBS.
