This. Show. Is. The. TRUTH. Literally, ha ha…
For homicide detectives, the clock starts ticking the moment they are called. Their chance of solving a case is cut in half if they don't get a lead in THE FIRST 48. dunt dunt.
The show follows around homicide detectives in cities like Miami, Las Vegas & Detroit as they try to solve murders. There are usually two murders per show and they switch back and forth between the cities as the detectives arrive on the scene, investigate and try to catch the killers.
I started watching it in the summer of ‘06 when I was studying for my first bar exam…lol, who knew. Anyway, that summer I tried not to watch any tv but one day after a boring-as-usual bar.bri class, I was layin on my friend’s couch flipping through and this show caught my attention.
A reality show. Dead Bodies. Drama. Mystery. Sign me up. It’s law and order without the filter and I love it for a few reasons.
Sgt. Caroline Mason. She cracks me up. showing up at crime scenes wit stilettos on, her weave swinging, nails and make-up some crazy shade of red, she chats up the folks in the hood using what she calls “her ghetto pass.” and she usually gets the goods. I just love her.
Now ya’ll know I’m more defense minded. Well, very, totally and completely but whatever. For some reason, I find it so fascinating to watch the process from the other side. Of course, it burns me up when people go into the interview room and after a couple of pointed questions, jokers start pouring they hearts out.
Okay okay, you want me to tell you what really happened? I’ma tell you the real truth. This the truth right here. What had happened was…
Damn damn damn suspect, keep your mouth shut. Ask for a lawyer
But at the same time, I’m happy when people tell the truth, that they did it (but they do “deserve” and have a right to a competent defense) because the show is so good at humanizing the victims.
Dude mighta been standing on the corner slanging when he got shot, but announcer guy will say some shit like, Darnell Jenkins, the father of two small children, grew up in the neighborhood, everybody knew him… AS A DRUG DEALER. But still, every person that dies is treated with respect no matter the circumstances of their death and you see that in the back story of their lives, the moments when the detectives go to their families and break the news that they have passed, and the pain and emotion in the detectives faces as a trail goes cold.
Which leads me to my last point. The detectives involved are actually pretty decent. I don’t know if it’s because they are on camera but they do aight. I am by no means a cop-lover and I especially dislike the regular beat cops who often terrorize our neighborhoods unjustifiably. I’ve ridden along with the NYPD so I know of which I speak. They’re glorified cowboys, wielding way too much power and way too little understanding about our communities. But that’s for another day. The first 48 detectives are truth-seekers. I can’t recall a time when I’ve seen them lie to a suspect to get a confession. And that generally goes down on the regular in interrogation rooms around the country.
See for yourself. Check out my girl Mason in action tonight at 10 on A&E.
