If you’re not watching JLo’s Shades of Blue, you need to rectify that immediately.
Jennifer Lopez is getting all serious for her latest role in the NBC cop drama Shades of Blue. Gone are the long honey blonde streaked hair and the Versace gowns. Replacing them is true grit. Lopez plays NYPD Detective Harlee Santos, a single mother who works in a circle of shady cops. Leading the circle is Lt. Matt Wozniak played by Ray Liotta. Together with Lopez and Drea De Mateo, these NYPD cops cash in when it comes to bribes.
When she’s nabbed by the FBI in an anti-corruption sting, Santos is forced to choose between her loyalty to her “family” and doing the right thing for her daughter by staying alive. The final episode of season one airs Thursday, March 31, on NBC at 10pm. Here are seven reasons why you should binge watch Shades of Blue right now.
1. Jennifer Lopez…
Jennifer Lopez, Latina in a lead role. Jennifer Lopez, Executive Producer. Jennifer Lopez, NYPD Detective. She kicks butt in this role and takes no prisoners. This is Lopez’s best dramatic performance since Out of Sight.
… and, more importantly, Jennifer Lopez’s hair.
This is the Jennifer Lopez we know with the glam hair…
Lopez chopped off her flowing locks to get serious for this role. It’s messy. It’s single mom. It’s short. Paired with those pant suits, it needs a side note of its own.
2. Ray Liotta is the shit!
Liotta has played bad guys. He’s played tough cops. In Shades of Blue, Liotta gives new definition to the word “shady.” His stares are so intense that you would never want to cross him. But what more do we need to say? Liotta’s presence alone guarantees twists, intensity, and very dark moments.
3. The Return of Drea De Matteo
Drea De Mateo is back on TV! If you were a fan of The Sopranos, then you need to be tuning in. Drea De Matteo gives Adriana La Cerva a run for her tough money. In one scene, she literally beats the crap out of another woman for cheating on her husband. De Matteo shines in the ensemble along with the rest of the cast, and we need to see more of her in season two. Drea De Matteo is fierce, and she’s back!
4. The tunes.
You won’t hear JLo sing in this show, but you will hear music by SIA, Kanye West, and Jay-Z. That’s just the first episode.
5. Warren Kole
Warren Kole plays Robert Stahl, the FBI Agent who nabs Harlee Santos. Stahl wants to bring down Wozniak, and each week his character sets Twitter alight with fans reacting like this:
No Stahl you promised her! #ShadesOfBlue
— Josefine (@Josefiine_) March 25, 2016
Harlee should drop kick Stahl in the head. 🙂 I hate him. #shadesofblue #askjlo @JLo
— gracie (@Gorgeous_jlo_) March 25, 2016
@Warren_Kole Detective Stahl makes the show. Another great role, Warren. You’re the reason I tune in every week. #ShadesOfBlue
— Frank Pimentel (@FrankBostonTank) March 25, 2016
Stahl is someone you love to hate. Yet Stahl and Harlee have such intense chemistry that it’s hard not to ship them. Like every couple you want to hook up, you’ll experience feelings like this:
Agent Stahl just broke my heart. How do I go back to shipping him with Harlee? 💔💔💔 #ShadesOfBlue
— Euvee ❤❤❤#Apasionada (@Vjustoneminute) March 19, 2016
Harlee and Stahl also have scenes like this:
Did we mention that Warren Kole is hot?
6. The script.
You also have delectable lines like these:
“I always wanted to be a good cop. There’s no straight line to that.”
“Predictable defect of human nature: money almost always trumps pride.”
“Let go. Let go so I don’t have to kill you twice.”
“That loser is not her boyfriend. That’s a lapse in judgement.”
7. And that ensemble cast!
The supporting cast all deliver fantastic performances. Dayo Okeniyi, Michael Esper, and Lolita Davidovich all are worthy of reasons why you need to be watching, providing excellent back up to the main stars.
Shades of Blue is fierce, fantastic, and quite the ride. It leaves you breathless with twists, turns, and jaw-dropping “I never saw that coming” moments. It’s the perfectly gritty cop show.
The season one finale for Shades of Blue airs this Thursday 10pm on NBC.
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