Many of these series found their way into our hearts because of their emotional heart or their wit.

Some we’ve loved for decades, and others are newer favorites, but the TV Fanatic staff wished that many of these shows had gotten better resolutions or a fairer chance.

There are so many one-season wonders that never received a fair chance.

While we’d love to showcase all of them, here are nine that remain in our hearts.

Related: The Girls of the Brat Pack: Becoming Overnight Brats

My So-Called Life (ABC)

When My So-Called Life premiered in 1994, it faced heavy competition. Time slot-wise, it was up against Friends and other great shows of the period.

In terms of similar shows that aired on different days but were aimed at teens, the biggest competition was probably from Beverly Hills 90210.

However, it was quite groundbreaking because it felt more like a portrayal of real teens than the pretty and privileged.

The show also covered many tough topics, considering how short-lived it was. It was nice to see kids we could relate to going through things we were going through as teens back then.

Red Band Society ( FOX)

The Red Band Society was almost like a newer Breakfast Club, with the unlikeliest of friends banding together as several teens coped in a pediatric hospital.

There were the popular kids like Leo and Kara, who couldn’t wait to return to their former lives, and others like Emma, who had an eating disorder and who was safer at the hospital.

Their lives were thrown upside down when newcomers Jordi and Hunter joined them as relationships changed.

Related: 13 Deeply Flawed Characters We Can't Get Out of Our Heads

The series ended way too soon as some teens were still recovering, and we needed updates.

Spinning Out (Netflix)

Spinning Oout was like a breath of fresh air for figure skating fans. It featured breath-taking routines, romance, and family drama.

It was so much more than that. It also showed Kat’s (Kaya Scodelario) mental health issues as she grew overwhelmed, which happens often in sports.

The series ended just after Kat revealed to Justin that she had bipolar, and they were about to start their final Sectional routine in hopes of getting to the Winter Olympics.

Carol also stepped up as mom after learning Dr. Parker was involved with Serena, Kat’s younger sister. A second season would have explored these family dynamics and Kat’s skating dreams.

Black Box ( ABC)

We have a passion for TV series that deal with mental health issues.

Another one, many years ago, was Black Box, starring Kelly Reilly (best known as Yellowstone's Beth Dutton) as a psychiatrist who was bipolar and suffering in silence because admitting it would mean losing her job.

Related: TV’s Best, Most Passionate (Fictional) On-Screen Breakdowns

It was a medical drama before we were inundated with them and tried to do for bipolar disorder what The Good Doctor did for autism.

Crashing (Netflix)

Crashing was a great one from Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

The show was hilarious and dealt with serious issues surrounding relationships, sexuality, finances, etc.

It featured a group of unlikely friends living together in an abandoned hospital.

There were only six episodes, so it’s a quick binge!

The Society (Netflix)

Netflix had something magical when they took on The Society, which pulled themes from a classic such as Lord of the Flies by placing a bunch of teens in a parallel universe of their hometown by themselves.

Watching these students build their own community and government while falling victim to the apocalyptic plights of betrayal, establishing morality and survival, and fighting to maintain their humanity was utterly fascinating.

Netflix renewed the series but then reneged on it, ironically, during our global apocalypse of sorts, the COVID pandemic.

Related: Practical Magic Sequel In Development; Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman In Talks to Star

And thus, we were robbed.

Bunheads (ABC Family)

Bunheads is An Amy Sherman-Palladino show about a ballet dancer who fails in NYC and ends up as a showgirl in Vegas. There, she has a quickie marriage—literally, the guy dies after one day.

But as his legal widow, she moves into her legal mother-in-law’s garden shed and teaches ballet to private school teens.

It’s like Gilmore Girls in a blender, with Kelly Bishop as the MIL and Sutton Foster standing in for Lauren Graham as the Lauren Graham character.

You think it will undoubtedly implode under all the surrounding Sherman-Palladino-ness, but it is poignant and funny with a sharper bite than expected.

Once Upon A Time in Wonderland (ABC)

Once Upon A Time's flagship series succeeded, so ABC tried a spin-off series focusing on Alice, Cyrus, Will, and Anastasia with Once Upon a Time in Wonderland.

Will and Anstasia's relationship delighted viewers since it was angsty as they struggled to survive.

When she chose to become the Red Queen, she gave up love but thought she'd reunite with him later.

Related: Jensen Ackles Cop Drama Countdown In Development at Prime Video

Will and Alice became friends partly because they both hated Anastasia until she kept popping up, rescuing him, and revealing her true feelings.

ABC screwed up when they brought Will over to the main series without Anastasia.

They were charming together, and we wanted to follow their journey together.

Deception (ABC)

We acknowledge that Deception didn't reinvent the wheel by having a quirky police consultant help a team of law enforcement solve crimes.

However, they presented us with an unusual and original version of that formula by involving a magician, Cameron Black.

The series was fun, like a White Collar, with surprising depth and intriguing twists.

Rebel (ABC)

The life of Erin Brockovich loosely inspired Rebel, a Krista Vernoff series.

It differed from many other legal shows because Annie Bello fought for others as a legal advocate without an official law degree.

Related: 21 Cult TV Shows We'll Never Get Over

She had passion and drive, and her adopted daughter, Ziggy, strived to be just like her, especially when she saw her sue Stonemore Medical because many patients received faulty heart valves and were having side effects.

The problem was her legal case was against her ex-husband and her other daughter.

The series was filled with dysfunctional family dynamics as the characters hunted to determine whether the medical company was guilty. Rebel Annie needed more time and more people to fight for.

East New York (CBS)

We are heartbroken that in 2023, CBS canceled East New York after one season.

Yes, there are many cop shows on the air, but this one was different because it mainly featured people of color and took place in lower-income, predominantly minority areas.

The main character was the first Black female deputy inspector in the precinct, trying to reform things from the inside and was pressured not to stand up for too much too fast.

The show dealt with heavy topics while still being entertaining. Plus, it had Jimmy Smits.

There are many other one-season shows. Please share some of your favorites with us below.

The post Single-Season Shows That Live On in Our Hearts appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Since the network announced that the freshman cop drama was canceled, fan groups have organized petition signing and social media campaigns to save their beloved show.

It's a long shot, but let's hope it works. There are a ton of reasons East New York has a dedicated fan base; this show deserves an 11th-hour reprieve.

While there are many cop shows on the air, none was quite like this one.

Rather than focusing on the parts of the Big Apple that tourists usually frequent, this series took place in a lower-income, majority Black and Brown neighborhood.

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This led to one of the most diverse casts on television and storylines many shows don't address.

Gentrification, political pressure to prioritize the needs of wealthier white people over those of neighborhood residents, and the difficulty inherent in trying to change police culture from the inside were regular features on East New York.

Yet they did it without being preachy or one-sided.

The best thing about this series was its well-rounded characters. Everyone from the newest officers to the precinct leaders had a distinct personality, complete with flaws and quirks.

Whether it was Sandeford's constant quest to educate Bentley about classic TV and music, Yenko's random interests and knowledge, or Quinlan's stories about her colorful past, every character made an impression.

Although the series often revolved around Regina's attempts to reform the system and the NYPD administration pushing back, this was no one-woman show. Every character was meaningful and memorable; viewers often felt they were visiting with friends on Sunday nights.

The stories were memorable and often kept fans talking all week long.

Quinlan's attempt to fit in at the projects was my favorite continuing arc. She volunteered to live there to make a difference, but she didn't consider how a white cop entering a predominantly Black space might come across.

If the story had ended with Regina calling Quinlan out on her motives for taking this assignment, it still would have made a strong point. Many people want to help marginalized people but go about it the wrong way.

But the story continued, and Quinlan learned how to be a neighbor rather than the cop living in a complex full of people who were not like her.

She stopped treating inconsiderate neighbors as if they were criminals and learned to approach them as people, not problems. As a result, she developed a friendship with Thora, a woman in her building who initially told Quinlan she was a nuisance who needed to move out.

This was an authentic story about people from very different backgrounds learning to get along and eventually care for each other, which is sorely missing in today's polarized world.

Aren't those the kinds of stories we need more of on TV?

Not every minute was about race relations, nor should it have been. People are a lot more than their racial identity, after all.

There was a lot of typical cop fare, some of which led to solid performances for the actors.

Who could forget Ruben Santiago-Hudson's portrayal of Sandeford's guilt and anger after Bentley got shot while riding together? Lavel Schley's performance as a traumatized Bentley was equally powerful.

And leaving all that aside, viewers enjoyed guessing the solutions to each week's homicide. Sometimes we were ahead of the cops, and other times East New York threw a twist no one saw coming.

The series had a stellar cast, too.

Amanda Warren gave an incredible performance, letting viewers in on Regina's vulnerability and fear of intimacy alongside her determination to make unpopular changes that would benefit East New York residents but not politicians.

All the series regulars were great, but I especially loved that veteran actors Richard Kind and Jimmy Smits rounded out the cast.

Kind's Stan Yenko often provided comic relief, but could also be serious — will anyone ever forget the time he tried to get his agoraphobic wife to leave the house?

And Smits was Regina's main foil, the senior detective who was better at playing political games and understood the stakes but sometimes erred too much on the side of pleasing politicians.

East New York was one of CBS' highest-rated series, showing viewers want this show.

It wasn't easy to watch this series live. Predicting when any given episode would start was often challenging, thanks to Sunday Night Football.

Sometimes it was on time; other times, it aired anywhere from five to 40 minutes late on the East Coast.

Yet fans set their DVRs for extra time or waited patiently by the TV for the series to begin. Some checked CBS's Twitter feed obsessively on Sunday nights for updated start times.

That's how much we loved this show.

People don't put that much effort into finding out when any old series begins — that's reserved for especially beloved shows, and we did it week after week. And we want to do it again and are holding out hope that somehow we can.

What about you, TV Fanatics? Did you watch East New York? Will you miss it now that it's gone?

Hit the big, blue SHOW COMMENTS button and let us know.

The post Why We Hope CBS Reconsiders Canceling East New York appeared first on TV Fanatic.

East New York Season 1 Episode 21, they ended the official police business a few minutes early so that it could end with the 7-4 celebrating being together and the work they each do to make a difference in their community.

It underscored how important this series was and how huge a hole it'll leave in our hearts.

Throughout the hour, I was scared that Donaldson might get his way now that the series was ending. Thankfully, East New York ended on a happier note than that!

But could that man have been any more of an asshole? He claimed that Reigna was a "divisive" figure, but the only one doing any dividing was him (and his buddy Sharpe, I suppose).

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At least Sharpe wanted to give Regina a promotion — it was an effort to render her useless, but it was still nicer than trying to strip her of her command as punishment for attempting to reform the system.

I don't think I've ever loathed a TV character as much as I did Donaldson. He represents everyone who fears changing the status quo and thinks it somehow takes something away from him for others to have the same opportunities in life he does.

Regina wasn't afraid to stand up to him, and I think that's what he hated so much about her. He couldn't use protocol or respect to keep her from doing what she was doing.

To him, a tragic shooting was merely a means of achieving his political objectives. How disgusting is that?

Donaldson lost in the end, and what he will never get is that Regina will always attract the support of the right people. Sharpe's threat to put Donaldson in as PC is mostly empty — even if Donaldson tries to get rid of all the people who supported Regina, more will pop up.

Numbers don't lie, either. The stats showed that Regina's programs work, and now she's been tapped to implement them throughout nine other precincts. That'll make it hard to get rid of those changes even if Donaldson and Sharpe manage to get her fired someday.

Suarez: I feel as much of an obligation as you do. I just don’t drape myself in moral purpose.

Regina: The only thing I drape myself in is my uniform.

_{🔗 permalink: The only thing I drape myself in is my uniform.}

The story was never about them. It was about Regina and Suarez approaching police reform from opposite ends. Suarez thought getting in with local politicians would allow him to gain the power to enact more significant reforms, but that had been leading him down the wrong path all season long.

He FINALLY took a stand. Doing the right thing lost him his bid for commissioner, at least with Sharpe at the helm, but it made him into a true leader. I was proud of him.

I'm not sure why Sharpe was so shocked by this. Suarez told him and Donaldson that pushing Regina out would not work and that he didn't support it. Then Sharpe acted as if Suarez betrayed him at the 11th hour.

I wonder who is opposing Sharpe for mayor and whether Suarez might be more interested in courting that person since Sharpe is running around making idle threats now.

Regina: Quinlan, I don’t know whether you’re going to survive this. There are people in this department gunning for you just like there are people gunning for me. Don’t make it easy for them.

_{🔗 permalink: Quinlan, I don’t know whether you’re going to survive this. There are people in this…}

Brandy's storyline also came full circle as the series ended. When she moved into Ruskin Gardens, she was trying too hard to be a cop living among the residents rather than a beloved neighbor, and it kept blowing up in her face.

But now, she was able to use her relationships with the residents to find out who the real killer was and advise the cops as to the layout of the projects when they went after Duane.

Those neighbors didn't want her to move. The only one who did was her mother.

Brandy explained how proud she was of helping keep the projects safe, but I wish she'd said one other thing: they aren't nearly as dangerous as the media tells people they are.

There are shootings, robberies, and drug crimes there, but there are also neighbors looking out for each other, kids playing together, and senior citizens enjoying the sunshine. The news never reports on that, reinforcing the idea that the projects are dangerous places.

I don't know if it's racism, classism, or both that make people believe the projects are hotbeds of crime where nobody can feel safe for a second. But I believe Regina's intent in placing cops there is to help change these negative ideas.

By becoming part of the community, Brandy has learned that the people who live there are PEOPLE, not crime statistics.

The 7-4 engaged in solid police work as usual to find the actual shooter. However, I wonder what damage it will do to Thora's relationship with Brandy that Morales and Killian treated her like a suspect.

The sequence in which Bentley had to shoot to kill was well done. He suffered so much trauma after he was shot, and now he had to shoot someone else, all in slow motion to underscore how difficult this split-second decision was for him.

He also told Ingrid that he had been shot and knew how painful it was. That was a small moment demonstrating how he had transcended the initial pain and was helping others in a similar situation.

The only story left semi-open was the DOJ's investigation into Killian. Ultimately, Morales didn't follow orders and tipped Killian off while being annoyed with him for getting into this mess.

Killian didn't get on that plane, but if another network does pick up East New York, his and Morales' choices could come back to haunt them.

If the series had to end, though, the toasts Regina and Yenko made, and the various conversations at the bar were the best way to do it.

Regina: I’m sorry, John [that Sharpe won’t consider him for PC].

Suarez: It’s okay. I’ve made my peace with it. I’ll stay right here and keep doing what we do.

Regina: As long as they let us.

_{🔗 permalink: As long as they let us.}

As we faded to black, the team was enjoying each other's company, celebrating the difference they made, and relaxing before another day of working at the 7-4.

Yenko was not the only one crying, and I'm sure I wasn't either.

21 Characters Who Work Way Too Hard

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Over to you one last time, East New  York fanatics.

Hit the big, blue SHOW COMMENTS button and let us know how you felt about the finale.

The series is over now, but you can watch East New York online whenever you'd like.

The post East New York Season 1 Episode 21 Review: Ruskin Roulette appeared first on TV Fanatic.

But with the sad news that East New York has been canceled despite performing well in a difficult time slot, East New York Season 1 Episode 21 will now be its swan song.

It sucks that this gritty cop drama will soon be gone, but at least we get to spend one last hour with the cops of the 7-4.

The conflict between Regina and Suarez, brewing all season, will come to a head after a tragic shooting.

Spoilers say this incident will lead higher-ups to question Regina's leadership. If the series were returning, I'd guess Regina would win this battle — if not now, then in the fall.

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But with this episode serving as a series finale, we may be in for a sad ending. Logically, if Regina is fired or suspended from the 7-4, that's the end of the story.

After all, the premise was that she would butt heads with political figures who resisted the reforms she was making. Firing her would be a massive loss to the neighborhood but great news for those who want to maintain the status quo and ensure that inequities in policing stay the way they are.

Since this story involves a tragic shooting, it's probably the fallout from the cliffhanger on East New York Season 1 Episode 20. That hour ended with Quinlan and Bentley calling for backup after a shooting at Raskin Gardens.

The shooting involved Thora's nephew, who was staying there illegally and is likely the shooter. He had a beef with a local gang leader, but their conflict resulted in a child getting shot.

Violence in the projects doesn't help Deputy Mayor Sharpe's campaign, so he and others in powerful positions may be eager to deflect blame. And since two of Regina's cops live in the projects yet were unable to prevent gun violence there, those higher-ups might choose to blame Regina's policies for this tragedy.

After all, Regina put two cops in the projects, which changed nothing. To them, that's failed leadership.

Never mind that whenever Regina proposed a policy to help residents, Sharpe interfered, and Suarez undermined Regina to stay in good with the Deputy Mayor.

Or that Sharpe wanted resources diverted from East New York so that wealthy constituents would feel safe after a string of robberies elsewhere.

Sharpe often views the people who live in Regina's precinct as expendable. If he takes action against her instead of giving her the resources she needs to solve this murder, that won't sit well with her.

And Regina will explode if Suarez goes along with it in any way, shape, or form. That could explain the clip in the spoiler video where she has it out with Suarez once and for all.

Quinlan knew that Tyson was living in the projects illegally and tried to handle it privately, which could also be a source of trouble.

She didn't uphold the law even though the purpose of her living in the projects was to be more neighbor than a cop. Thora hated her when she policed residents for minor violations of the law, and immediately moving to remove Tyson would have undone all the progress Quinlan had made.

You can't expect Sharpe to understand that. All he cares about is getting votes, and if manipulating Suarez into forcing Regina to take disciplinary action against Quinlan is the way to do that, so be it.

Quinlan's mother is also set to return — will she understand this issue more?

She was sharply critical of her daughter and the environment in the projects before. That isn't likely to change now, especially since Quinlan had previously treated her mother like a perp.

Quinlan's living situation is a loose end that may be tied up by the end of this final hour, but what about her relationship with Bentley?

The two broke up earlier in the season but have drifted back toward each other ever since. Now that Bentley doesn't appear to be suffering from acute symptoms of PTSD anymore, will these two get another shot?

Romance isn't strictly necessary in cop shows and not all viewers care who is dating who. But with the ending of the series, it'd be nice to have closure on this relationship.

Conversely, Regina's relationship with Sean is likely permanently over after her decision last week. There isn't time for a miracle change of heart here, and even if they did reconcile, it would be hard to trust that it would last.

But with Regina on the outs with Suarez, will she end the series isolated and alone?

She and Suarez have been friends for a long time. It would be a shame if it ended with no chance of their relationship being fixed.

That idea is depressing. Let's hope these two aren't still on the outs when the ending credits roll!

At least Regina still has a friendship with Yenko. He's loyal, eccentric, and fun.

What do you think, East New York fanatics?

Hit the big, blue SHOW COMMENTS button and let us know.

This may be the final all-new episode,  but you can watch East New York online whenever you'd like.

East New York airs on CBS on Sundays at 9 PM EST / PST.

The post East New York Season 1 Episode 21 Spoilers: Will The Series Go Out With a Bang? appeared first on TV Fanatic.

East New York and True Lies have been canceled after their freshman seasons and will wrap up for good this month.

The Amanda Warren-led East New York ends its run on May 14, while True Lies will follow on May 17.

Out of the two, East New York was the only one that really had a chance at renewal.

East New York is currently averaging 6.8 million viewers and a 0.6 rating in the demo with a week of DVR playback factored.

The numbers are on par with S.W.A.T., which was canceled on Friday and picked up for a surprise seventh — and final — season on Monday evening.

East New York hailed from Warner Bros. Television, which complicated a renewal as CBS has been tightening the budgets for much of its series.

The cast of Blue Bloods reportedly took a pay cut to secure the recent renewal for next season, while Bob Hearts Abishola demoted more than ten series regulars to recurring status.

We'll say it once, and we'll say it again: Broadcast TV is changing.

S.W.A.T.'s performance signaled renewal, but reports stated the show was not making financial sense for CBS or Sony Pictures Television.

Thankfully, a deal has been ironed out and that show will be back.

True Lies never really got off the ground, with the freshman season averaging an anemic 4.5 million viewers and a 0.4 rating in the demo with a wee of DVR included.

Those numbers are too soft to keep around, especially given that shows lose viewers between seasons.

S.W.A.T. was the exception to that rule, showing some growth year-to-year.

CBS previously renewed Young Sheldon, Ghosts, the FBI franchise, Fire Country, The Neighborhood, The Equalizer, NCIS, NCIS: Hawaii, Bob Hearts Abishola, Blue Bloods, So Help Me Todd, and CSI: Vegas.

What are your thoughts on the cancellations?

Hit the comments.

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The post East New York, True Lies Canceled as CBS Revives S.W.A.T. appeared first on TV Fanatic.

I knew there had to be a reason Quinlan and Bentley kept running into Lorenzo and his young daughter. The encounters seemed random, but nothing on East New York is ever meaningless.

We found out what was happening during the final moments of East New York Season 1 Episode 20 when Ingrid got hit by a stray bullet during a shooting. The little girl will probably be all right, but now the shooter's on the run — and it appears he's Thora's nephew. What a lead-in to the season finale!

Brandy's instincts were correct unless there's a last-minute twist, and Tyson's not the shooter.

I wasn't sure that confronting Thora about Tyson was a good idea. Brandy's worked hard to gain Thora's trust after a rocky start, and coming at her hard about her nephew's record could have undone all the progress made over the year.

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Thora might have known her nephew was bad news from the get-go. She made a point of introducing him to her neighbors, Officers Quinlan and Bentley.

It was almost an unspoken warning: be good because the cops are watching.

If you consider that introduction, Thora's final conversation with Quinlan about her nephew made sense.

She knew he had a record and wanted to encourage him to stay on the straight and narrow. But she didn't think he was messing around with Orlando and putting the whole complex in danger.

In a way, the rule against ex-cons living in public housing seemed unfair and counterproductive. How are people supposed to reboot their lives and stay on the right path if they can't even get housing?

But the shootout demonstrated the purpose of the rule. The idea was that people like Tyson represented a security risk — they may have ties to gang members or other unsavory types and bring violence and drugs to the projects.

That's unfair to formerly incarcerated people who are serious about making a better future for themselves, but it's understandable why this rule exists.

Of course, ANY tenant who hasn't been vetted can pose the same risk, so Thora allowing her nephew to stay with her without getting permission from the housing authority was problematic whether or not he had a criminal record.

Thora's reactions as Quinlan and Bentley search for Tyson will be interesting. Will she stand by her nephew even though he brought Orlando and associated gun violence to the projects?

Hopefully, Ingrid and Lorenzo will be all right. Quinlan may get pressure from both sides — Lorenzo wanting the shooter caught yesterday and Thora wanting her nephew left alone.

Elsewhere, the investigation into Rusty's death went more smoothly than I expected.

Donna: I can’t believe this is happening again.

Sandeford: What’s happening again?

Donna: A few years ago, someone was killing homeless people on Pennsylvania Avenue. It took the cops forever to respond.

_{🔗 permalink: A few years ago, someone was killing homeless people on Pennsylvania Avenue. It took the cops…}

Regina promised Donna that Rusty's death would be taken seriously. But crimes against the homeless are often low-priority because these people have little money, power, or resources.

Regina wouldn't accept her officers treating homeless people as expendable. Still, Sharpe might have had a problem with it if he thought his constituents would object to the police putting more resources into the death of a homeless man than into more wealthy residents' issues.

Fortunately, this case didn't become a political issue, so that the team could put the pieces together relatively quickly.

Nursing shortage or not, it was unbelievable that Alex Garcia was able to keep getting work in hospitals when he had a history of stealing opioids and other heavily controlled substances! I'd think that history would make him a liability to any medical facility.

It led to two tragic deaths. He'd better get a hefty sentence for killing Terrance and Rusty!

The saddest thing was that Rusty's mother never had a chance to develop a relationship with her adult son and didn't realize how much love the homeless community had for him.

Although people often think of those lacking homes as transients, they often develop their communities and families out on the streets.

People need to join forces to protect and help each other. Homeless communities often have their own culture and rules (such as Donna explaining that it was considered inappropriate to ask anyone about medical issues.)

Rusty's mother seemed touched by the outpouring of love and grief after Rusty's murder. Still, it was a damn shame that her son's mental illness and her difficulty understanding how to relate to him led to them not having much of a relationship.

Meanwhile, Yenko's experiment with assigning newbies to Sandeford and Bentley flopped dismally.

For the record, I'm with Sandeford — Homicide: Life on the Streets is one of the best cop shows ever made. But I'm surprised he didn't mention NYPD Blue as a nod to Jimmy Smits!

Sandeford's new partner was too squeamish for homicide work, but Bentley's crossed the line. Where does a cop who's been on the beat for two days get off telling his training officer who to date?

This silly story provided some much-needed comic relief, but sheesh!

Finally, Regina's decision to dump Sean felt like a load of BS.

Did Sean lie, or did he struggle with telling Regina about a part of his past and not do it until she forced the issue?

I was glad she asked him who Caroline was instead of jumping to conclusions for the entire hour. Her reaction when he answered the question was out of proportion.

Her reason for breaking up with him merely solidified my belief that this is about her anger toward her father for lying to her about where he was on her sixteenth birthday. Like Mo, Sean led a double life while undercover, and at first, it seemed like he'd gotten a target of the investigation pregnant.

That had to have reminded Regina of the situation with her dad.

Plus, her decision made no sense. Sean can be there for his daughter AND date Regina. It doesn't have to be an either-or, especially since he doesn't live with his daughter.

Your turn, East New York fanatics! Hit the big, blue SHOW COMMENTS button and let us know your thoughts!

Don't forget you can watch East New York online while waiting for the season finale to air.

East New York airs on CBS on Sundays at 9 PM EST / PST.

The post East New York Season 1 Episode 20 Review: A Humbling Blues appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Brandy briefs Regina and Suarez. Regina is angry that Brandy told Thora that Tyson could stay a few days. Suarez and Regina talk privately and say that Regina didn't supervise enough. This may be the end of all their careers.

The next morning, Regina briefs the cops. She wants them to all be careful and to search for Tyson.

Killian talks to the victims. Ingrid doesn't recognize any of the mug shots. Another guy IDs Tyson.

Thora talks to Morales and says Tyson was reformed and staying away from trouble. Killian takes over asking the same questions. Suarez asks Morales in Sapnish and she believves THora. Also he wants her to meet his contact at Special Victims.

Some higher-ups bother Regina about how her "ridiculous" ideas led to a shooting. She kicks them out.

Mroales goes up a freight eleator to meet an Agent DeSantos. He says he is not here to talk about Special Victims. He wants to talk to her about Killian and his work with Azeroff. Mroales knows nothing about this. She says he is hardworking and she doesn't know him to have anything illegal. They want her to keep it to herself that they had this conversation.

Suarez stops by to see Regina. He says Donaldson told him he met with her. Regina says Donaldson is interfering and someone nees to set him straight. Suarez says no one will and Regina should do what Donaldson wants to kepe her job. Regina is sick of all these politicians.

Brandy is packing as she is being forced to move. DUke and her mother show up. Her mother blabbers on about how great it is for her to live her in a safer place. Sandeford interrupts. Ms. Alberta aaw something. Ms. Alberta says she saw the boys hiding a gun in the laundry room.

Sandeford helps them break in and they find the gun.

The parole officer says Tyson had no place to live or a job, which he was required to have but his supervisors ignored it. He finds an address that Tyson may be staying with him.

The cops come in with guns drawn and arrest Tyson and the woman who owns the house.

Suarez doesn't agree with Donaldson and Sharpe that they should get rid of Regina. Donaldoson has all sorts of reasons. Sharpe insists they get rid of Regina.

The cops question Tyson who claims he was looking for places to live. He claims he has learned to not be consumed by what others think of him and it's up to Allah. Regina believes him but says a jury won't.

Bentley and Quinlan got security footage showing the shooter.

Lorenzo wants to take care of the shooter himself. Sandeford convinces him not to and he eventually tells them a name.

The cops arrests Latrell. Meanwhile Winston tells Quinlan that the shooting had nothing to do with Tyson Orlando stopped doing business at the projects once the cops moved and instead took over a lot of turf.

Latrelle says Dwayne wanted to kill Orlando for taking too big a cut. Duane has been released from hospital.

The cops raid the projects trying to get Duane.  Duane shoots at a cop and runs away.  He points his gun at Bentley who shoots him.

Regina finds the brass in her office. She points out that the homicide had nothing to do with the cops who lived there.

Sharpe tries to oonvince Regina to go into administrative work. Regina is not interested. They say she's too divisive. Donaldoson gets angry and threatens to strip her of her command. Sharpe asks Suarez to say what he thinks. Suarez says she should continue where she is. Another chief shows up and says he looked into the situation and that what Regina is doing is working. Suarez agrees. He asks if Regina can work with the other precincts to help get the other precincts to adopt her programs and wants a plan by the end of the week.

Quinlan comes home and says there is a change of plans — they want her to stay here. Duke wants to know what changed. Brandy explains. Duke says if it's a career move he understands. Ann-Marie doesn't understand how Brandy can sleep at night here. Brandy is grateful to be able to put the shooter away and she would like her mother to be proud of her. Ann Marie tells her to be careful.

Killian has cologne that Azeroff's girlfriend gave him. Morales takes him aside and tells him about the Feds (that she wasn't supposed to tell him). She says all she knows is DOJ is trying to put a case against Azeroff. She should have told him first thing.

Auarez comes to see Regina. He wishes he could have spared her Donaldson's nonsense. Sharpe comes along and says Suarez is no longer in the running and he's going to make Donaldson commissioner and will get rid of the people who support Regina. He storms off and Suarez wants to keep doing what they're doing.

Killian meets Azeroff and some RUssians.

Suarez goes into Goody's where Bentley already is drinking. Quinlan comes in. Morales tells Sandeford that her son still talks about Sandeford showing up. Snadeford talks to Goody about his wedding. Quinland checks on Bentley who asks what she is doing later.

Killian shows up and asks why Morales why she didn't pick up. She says she was busy. He didn't want to get on a plane when she was mad at him. Yenko wants to put the tables together. They convince Regina to come join them. Regina makes a toast to the cops and the work they did today. They didn't quit and did what they had to do.

Tenko wants to make a toast too. Eveyrone wants to run away. He says he used to love this job but then he stopped. But after he started working for Regina he started loving it.

The post East New York Season 1 Episode 21 Recap: Ruskin Roulette appeared first on TV Fanatic.

The bad news: There are only two episodes left this season, and as of now, there isn't yet any word about whether the series will be back in the fall.

Still, the penultimate hour will be explosive! East New York Season 1 Episode 20 spoilers suggest a HUGE fallout between Regina and Sean, and possibly one with Suarez.

I'm here for all this, especially the Regina/Suarez conflict. This has been building steadily throughout the season as Suarez tries to navigate his political ambitions and personal beliefs.

In a way, Regina needs him to be concerned with politics. She doesn't give a damn about elections and mayoral approval ratings, but if the powers that be hate her ideas enough, they'll replace her, and then she won't be able to reform the police department at all.

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Still, Suarez's tendency to swing too much toward the political side often leaves Regina feeling undermined. He'll stop or slow walk policies that are unpopular with the brass, even if they are exactly what neighborhood residents want or need.

Regina's been friends with Suarez enough times, and she's let a LOT go.

Suarez's decision to deny her ability to transfer a problematic officer to day shifts where she could keep an eye on him earned him glares and an aggravated comment but not much else, and she's forgiven more than one sound byte that caused trouble for the 7-4.

But this time, she may have come to the end of her rope! A clip in the spoiler video suggests she doesn't accept Suarez's explanation of the importance of political alliances — she tells him those decisions might be costing him friendships.

It's unclear what prompts this argument, but could it have to do with the main case of the hour, which involves a dead homeless man?

According to spoilers, the 7-4 faces "unexpected challenges" while investigating this suspicious death. The mayor often wants the cops to focus on crime against wealthy constituents instead of the low-income people who live in the neighborhood.

Mayor Sharpe might object strenuously to Regina putting a ton of resources into the death of a homeless man, especially if he's concerned about crime rates in wealthier areas.

Suarez has vowed not to allow Sharpe to run the police department, but will he stick to it? He often backs Sharpe's desires over REgina's when there's a conflict. That could make Regina feel that Suarez isn't truly on her side.

Suarez may believe in police reform, but he also wants to be Commissioner, and Regina may have had enough of him putting his political ambitions first.

Conversely, the fallout could be related to Regina and Sean's problems.

The official synopsis calls their conflict a "speed bump," but the spoiler video tells another story — a clip depicts Regina yelling at Sean that he's been lying to her this whole time.

Sean was undercover when Regina first met him; supposedly, he's not doing that anymore. But if he's been on a mission the whole time, Regina could have more than one reason to be upset.

She doesn't trust easily; it took a lot for her to give Sean a chance rather than run away from his advances and her attraction to him.

In addition, if Sean's so deep undercover that he couldn't tell Regina, it could potentially involve her or people close to her. She disowned her father after learning that he was sleeping with prostitutes during her sixteenth birthday — could he again be in legal trouble thanks to Sean's investigation?

Conversely, Regina might overreact to whatever Sean's secret is because of what she now knows her father did that he claims was part of his undercover assignment.

Since spoilers classify this conflict as a speed bump rather than a dealbreaker, so it may be resolved by the end of the hour or less serious than it appears in the video. Still, I can't imagine Sean's deception will be forgotten even if Regina gets past it.

Finally, Quinlan has to make a big decision related to Raskin Gardens.

Most of the time, Raskin Gardens stories revolve around Quinlan trying to be both a neighbor and a cop. She's finally stopped trying to police her neighbors for minor violations such as making too much noise, which has helped her make inroads at the projects. She's even begun to make some friends.

But since Quinlan and Bentley have supposedly broken up, and he lives in Raskin Gardens, too, Quinlan may be considering moving out.

It has to be hard to run into your ex in the halls all the time, especially if you can't escape him at work! And it would make more sense for Quinlan to move than Bentley.

Even though Bentley has a family home to move back to, he can more easily navigate life at Raskin Gardens, and Quinlan may feel that the neighbors accept him more.

Your turn, East New York fanatics. Hit the big, blue SHOW COMMENTS button and let us know your thoughts about these spoilers!

Don't forget you can watch East New York online while waiting for the new episode to air.

East New York airs on CBS at 9 PM EST / PST.

The post East New York Season 1 Episode 20 Spoilers: Will a Homeless Man’s Death Have Political Ramifications? appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Meanwhile, Sean makes waffles for Regina. He goes in the other room and his phone rings. It's a woman's number and it has hearts next to the name. Regina doesn't tell him anything when he comes back.

Thora introduces her nephew to Brandy and Bentley, being sure to say they are cops.

Yenko assigns rookies to experienced partners. Sandeford is not happy to not be riding with Bentley and is rude to his brand-new partner. Bentley gets a rookie to train too.

Sandeford discovers the homeless man is dead. He doesn't like his new partner touching the guy. The rookie is looking for an ID and finds blood.

Killian wonders why Sandeford is with Wade instead of Bentley. Anyway Regina has a hard time focusing on the case as she's thinking about Sean's phone call. A woman comes and wants to ID the body.  The woman says his name is Rusty and he slept a few tents from her.

The cops try to talk to Peanut. They arrest him for illegal gambling an find a knife.

Peanut says that he found the victim and called 911 then left. He was with his girldriend in the Bronx. His alibi checks out.

Yenko gives everyone a lecture about the origin of the phrase Square One before the team discusses the next team. Yenko points out to Regina that there's no guarantee the victim hs a family who cares.

Sharpe goes to complain to Suarez about bothering Lustig about his brother's church. ALso Lustig will be the financial chairperson of his campaign. Suarez is not interested in apologizing. He also tries to warn Sharpe that Lustig is bad news but Sharpe isn't having it and wants Suarez to make up with Lustig for the photo op and so he can win his primary.

The cops look at the random items by Rusty's tent and search the tent itself. They find a bottle of pills. Donna says people are private about their medical conditions. She says another homeless guy, a friend of Rusty's, died last week and Rusty was upset. It's scary how in the homeless world peple pass out of the world without a ripple. The cops promise they will ask the right questions this time.

Brandy breaks up a fight between Tyson and a gangbanger she knows. Tyson doesn't appreciate her asking questions.

The cops takl to a doctor who says Rusty was schizophrenic. He oculd have got the meds anywhere. He never saw him get violent but he got freaked out by him sometimes.

The ME says the victim was not stabbed by a knife — a thick blade with a serrated edge like gardening shears.

Regina sips her wine as Sean comes in. He is sorry to carry work into their time. She asks him w ho Caroline is.  He tells her Caroline is his three-year-old daughter. Regina says and she calls you on her own? He says she was conceived the first time he was under deep cover. The mother worked in a diner a few towns away. Regina is pissed he didn't tell her. She kicks him out. (Probably because this is like her father and the prostitutes.)

Regina has a flashback of kicking Sean out and crying while waiting for a relative of Rssty's to come to the morgue. The woman cries. and asks what happened. They don't know yet. The woman says it's a blessing. Now she doesn't have to be afraid he's going to die anymore.

Sandeford tries to tell Brandy about Homicide: Life on the Streets and Brandy says she doesn't have a TV and only watches Tik Tok. Sandeford is  not happy.

Bentley struggles to get two words out of his new partner who doesn't want to lalk about anything.

The cops question a guy who works at a Home Depot type place who says Rusty asked for clay planters and cracked pots. The only thing he ever said that was personal was that his friend died.

Brandy tells Bentley about Thora's nephew. She could lose her housing because Tyson is an ex-con.

Meanwhile Suarez tells REgina about Sharpe and Lustig. He says people need to make political alliances. He says  if he becomes PC he will have a lot of influence. Reginais skeptical. Anyway Suarez wants Regina to be respectful to Lustig.

Morales comes to see Killian. Rusty was working at the nursery as a security guard. Brown failed to mention it and has a record for illegal marijuana growing and sales.

Brandey runs into Thora. She tries to talk to her and Thora doesn't appreciate it.

Bentley's new partner is driving and now he wants to tell Bentley n ot to date uinlan.

Brown says he's applying for his license. Killian asks if Rusty threatened to call the cops on him. Brown says they had a few break-ins so he hired Rusty to watch from across the street. Then Rusty stopped calling. He thought he was having an episode.

The cops find a bunch of calls to the hospital starting the night Rusty's friend died.

The doctor claims he doesn't remember. The cops ask him about Terrance. He says he doesn't recall and is called away.

Alex has bounced from hospital to hospital and keeps stealing drugs but there's a nursing shortage. Alex also treated Terrance and there was no autopsy after he died. Regina agrees that they need to look into this.

Brandy tries to confront Thora about lying to her.  Thora says he's her brother's kid who she promised to look after. She made Tyson swear on his father's grave that he wouldn't go back to that life. Tyson had Orlando's drugs when he was arrested. She begs Brandy to let him stay a week. Brandy says three days.

Alex is called in. The cops say they did a toxicology test on Terrance's body and he had a deadly combination of an animal tranquilizer and fentanyl. Alex claims he never left the hospital that night. However they have survelliance video that shows otherwise. Alex says he went to tell Rusty to leave him alone and Rusty was of fhis meds and attacked him.  Killian informs him that Rusty was not off his meds. He arrests Alex who says Rusty was going to die out there anyway.

Sandeford tells Yenko he can't stand these new recruits who only care about what's on their phone. Bentley shows up. He doesn't want to ride with Dempsey anymore either.

Donna is sitting vigil for Rusty. Regina introduces her to Rusty's mother who didn't realize he meant so much to anyone. She tells Regina she tried to raise Rusty right but it was hard as she and her husband both worked and when he was diagnosed she lost him forever.

Suarez meets Lustig and tells him about a church that may be for sale. Lustig complains that Regina has a vendetta against him. Suarez says if he is not breaking any laws he has nothing to worry about.

Sean comes to see Regina. He is trying to learn how to be honest again. Regina says his daughter needs him more than he nees to be with Regina. She doesn't want to see another girl go thorugh what she did. She she's going to break both their hearts.

Bentley and Quinlan go for a walk. Among other things, Bentley might get to be with Sandeford permanently. They run into Lorenzo and his daughter who are on their way to a rehearsal .

There is a shooting and Lorenzo's daughter has been shot. Orlando is among the dead and Tyson is nowhere to be seen.

The post East New York Season 1 Episode 20 Recap: A Humbling Blues appeared first on TV Fanatic.

But did anyone expect the person with the secrets to be the Bureau Chief pulling out all the stops to help the cops investigate his ADA's murder?

East New York Season 1 Episode 19 told a story that would have fit in on Law & Order: SVU but put its own unique spin on it.

Wexler's involvement in the murder was a twist I didn't see coming! He seemed upset by Diane's death and offered to help the cops get the resources they needed to close the case without giving off any weird vibes.

But when the cops found out he had been spying on Diane, everything changed. Wexler didn't want to give them the recordings he'd gotten from the listening device, raising their hackles — and mine.

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While his excuse made sense, Regina was right. Why would a DA who wanted to catch his employee's killer be more worried about redacting information than turning over evidence that could shed some light on the murder?

It was unlikely that Diane spoke with anyone in her home about privileged information, so the chances were that Wexler was engaging in a coverup. Once the cops heard the tapes, everything made sense.

While SVU's Olivia Benson would have focused on getting this pervy DA off the streets before he could strike again, this was East New York — and true to form, the rest of the story revolved around the political ramifications of the cops' suspicions about Wexler.

Wexler: You have what you need to make an arrest, detectives?

Killian: No sir. We do not.

Wexler: Then I am going back to enjoying my evening with my wife and my friends. And unless you have appropriate attire and $1,500 a person, I suggest you go back to your squad room in East New York and search for the perp instead of making fools of yourselves here.

_{🔗 permalink: Then I am going back to enjoying my evening with my wife and my friends. And unless you have…}

The detectives wanted justice to be served, but Wexler had friends in high places, and the Deputy Mayor didn't like the idea of Wexler being investigated.

His objections to the public nature of the accusations were silly. The detectives took pains to be discreet and merely asked Wexler to come down to the station tomorrow for further questioning. Wexler was the one who pushed the issue.

Furthermore, Sharpe doesn't run the police department, no matter how much he'd like to, and he had no right to tell Suarez or Regina how to work this case.

Suarez did a better job than I'd hoped he would of shutting things down. I'd have been happier if he didn't allow Sharpe to be present at this meeting, but at least he told him in no uncertain terms to respect the police department's boundaries!

I'm unsure what Sharpe's problem was other than Wexler potentially being a campaign donor. If Sharpe came out in favor of bringing down corrupt DAs, it would make him look good!

Some people might have sided with Wexler, but time and again, the public has demonstrated its desire for sexual predators to be punished, especially if they hold high office. Politically, standing behind this investigation would have been a better idea for Sharpe than he realizes.

Anyway, now Wexler is dead, his girlfriend will likely not be charged, and the public will have to move on.

I never expected Sarah to shoot her boyfriend. When Wexler's dead body was found, I thought he probably committed suicide rather than face his career unraveling because of these credible accusations.

I agree with Suarez that the DA's office will probably want to move on so that this scandal gets out of the news. But has the damage already been done? The Bureau Chief and a popular ADA are dead, and although Wexler had a motive to kill Diane, it wasn't proven that he did it.

Regina: She’s claiming self-defense. A good prosecutor could poke holes in it.

Suarez: But would they want to?

_{🔗 permalink: But would they want to?}

Of course, now that Wexler's dead, the other women he coerced into sex might feel more comfortable coming forward. But he can't be prosecuted posthumously, and they might not want media attention. Will his secret die with him?

Elsewhere, Killian might have made another bad decision.

It's great that he wants to take care of Corinne and her father, but doesn't he realize by now that Azeroff is shady?

Taking that man's money or asking him for favors will blow up in Killian's face sooner or later. He might face his own legal problems or end up owing favors to the kind of people you never want to be in debt to!

His reconciliation with Corinne may be short-lived if she and her father end up with targets on their back because of Tommy's association with Azeroff!

Finally, Sandeford went from having cold feet to having the world's most rushed wedding.

I loved Yenko's encouragement, but coming to Goody's prepared to officiate was a bit much.

Sandeford: At the time I asked Tamika to marry me, I was all in, but I have to admit that now that I am asking people to stand up for me and to go on a honeymoon, I’m feeling a little ridiculous doing this at my age.

Yenko: I feel ridiculous sometimes. Learning Italian at my age. I still have a stamp collection. I’m auditioning for the Police Marching Band next month! But you know what doesn’t make me feel ridiculous? That I love my wife and she loves me.

_{🔗 permalink: I feel ridiculous sometimes. Learning Italian at my age. I still have a stamp collection. I’m…}

This soap opera trope has always struck me as silly. TV characters never have to worry about getting a marriage license or making any preparations for their wedding.

They can always drop everything for an impromptu wedding, and more often than not, a random person in their lives can officiate.

It could have been worse — Killian could have had Azeroff arrange for the officiant! Yenko did a fine job, but all we got from the ceremony were the traditional vows, which felt anticlimactic.

At least have a romantic wedding full of personal vows if you're going to go with the impromptu wedding trope! This one didn't feel like it was worth the build-up.

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Your turn, East New York fanatics. Hit the big, blue SHOW COMMENTS button and let us know what you think.

Don't forget you can watch East New York online whenever you'd like.

East New York airs on CBS on Sundays at 9 PM EST / PST.

The post East New York Season 1 Episode 19 Review: The Harder They Fall appeared first on TV Fanatic.