New AMC Drama ’61st Street’ Depicts Cops as Horrible Monsters

Hollywood needs to stop making anti-cop shows that put the lives and safety of heroes in blue in jeopardy and make officers look evil and preying on innocent people. But that’s exactly what AMC’s new drama 61^{It is possible to}Street It is, however.

61^{It is possible to}Street centers around black track star Moses Johnson (Tosin Cole), a good kid with a promising future despite growing up in Chicago’s impoverished South Side. Michael Rossi (Patrick Mulvey) appears to be the only good cop on the show who’s secretly trying to uncover the bad ones.

When Rossi gets a tip from an inside source that drug gang The Nation is getting heat from police while The Faction is openly selling drugs without repercussion, it confirms Rossi’s suspicions that there’s corruption happening within the department. Rossi wears a concealed wire underneath his uniform in an attempt to capture anything that might be shady.

When he meets with his superior, Lieutenant Francis Brannigan (Holt McCallany), there are subtle hints that Brannigan is one of the bad guys, so, of course, there’s a Thin Blue Line flag with “Blue Lives Matter” written on it hanging on his wall. It’s an obvious attempt to taint such messaging, meant to defend the vast majority of good officers by tying it to a corrupt cop.

Brannigan asks for the name of Rossi’s source when Rossi informs him of the intel he received. After Rossi has left, Brannigan ordered a sting operation on The Nation. The informant is eventually killed. Moses, his brother Joshua and the informant end up being caught between the two because they are at the wrong location at the wrong time.

Once Brannigan has the name of Rossi’s informant, he plans a raid on The Nation. Moses’ younger brother Joshua is caught up in the middle because they are at the wrong moment at the wrong times.

Gang Member: What’s up, man? What are you up to over there?

JoshuaG.

Gang Member: It’s obvious that you do not walk in this manner, man.

Joshua: I am going to the crib.

Gang MemberThis is not the way you should be walking. What’s up? What do you want? Man, I have no idea what you are doing. What’s up?

Moses: Josh! Hey, Josh!

TutuMan, get up! For this, we don’t have to. Keep it going, man. These aren’t your wages.

Moses: What’s up, TJ? This is a bit early, I know.

TJ: We are being put under a lot of pressure by the cops, so it is important that we work long hours.

Tutu: How are you feeling? Huh? That is what you are saying. That is what you should do.

Moses: I am just saying it, man. Back in those days, when shorteries could go to school, the boys were a lot more successful. What do you think I am referring to?

Tutu: Boys?! “You boys”? You’re a college guy right there, huh?

TJ: Hey, Tutu. You can relax, bro.

TutuTake a look at the college boy. That’s a great idea! But, take a look at this! Hmm? Boy.

TJ: Tutu, this is not what you want.

TutuHow are you doing, Boy?

TJYou shouldn’t do this. You shouldn’t. Be there. 100-meter dash! Olympic finals! The South Side is yours! You are on your mark, so get ready…go!

PoliceNo one moves! Get to the ground! Get on the ground! Keep your hands behind you! Your feet are on the ground. Get down!

Joshua: Mo! Mo! Don’t shoot!

ManThe Black male was ours. Light-blue top…

Rossi is killed accidentally by Moses after Rossi shoved Moses while trying to flee. Moses runs for his life in terror as Logan approaches.

Back at the police station, Brannigan interrogates Joshua to get the name of the person responsible for Rossi’s death, but when he refuses to name his brother, Brannigan ominously orders two officers to take him to “the river”:

Joshua: Why are you taking me here, man? What are you taking me down there for, man? Man! I’ve already said to you that I didn’t do something. I don’t know what you are going to take me down! You didn’t have to do anything! Oh, no! Please! How are you all doing?!

CopLet’s go on a walking tour.

JoshuaI told you I wasn’t doing nothing. Please, man! Please, man! It was not my fault! Please! Please! Please! Please, stop! Stop, man! Please! Please! Please!

Yes, there’s obviously corruption in Some police departments like Chicago. It is important to expose and eliminate it. It is absurd to throw a young man in a river by corrupt officials.

Later, Brannigan and his crooked team storm into Moses’ and Joshua’s home, terrifying their innocent mother and planting drugs in the home:  

Police: Go! Go! Go! I’ll show you! Let me see those hands!

NormaIt is me! I am!

PoliceDo not move! Get down! You are now safe.

Norma: Ow! Ah! Ah! O, how you are torturing me!

BranniganCheck the bedroom. Sit down!

Norma: Ow! What is your wish?!

Brannigan:

Norma: Where’s who?

Brannigan: Your son.

Norma: Joshua?

Brannigan: Moses.

Norma: Oh. What is your name?

Brannigan: I’m Lieutenant Brannigan.

NormaHe is a great kid. He wouldn’t do any thing. Officer Brannigan, you got it wrong. It is my word.

BranniganJoshua has been quite clear about this.

Norma: Joshua? Joshua: Why are you here? Was Joshua successful? Joshua, what do you have Joshua? Please.

Brannigan: What?

NormaTake care of her.

BranniganIs it your intention to make me be cautious? Your son is an animal and one of my boys has been found dead on the streets. If you can tell me his location, I will be very careful.

NormaMy son is not an animal. He will never harm anyone.

Brannigan: Next, you will tell me that he doesn’t sell drugs.

NormaHe doesn’t make drugs.

Brannigan: But he is not related?

Norma: His family is his only affiliation.

BranniganLady, please don’t let me go.

Normahe didn’t do anything. It was the wrong boy.

Young: Lieutenant.

Brannigan: Ah, this matches the thing we grabbed on the corner.

Norma: What’s that? It’s not mine. It’s not mine, you already know. You’re planting things now, Y’all?

The Johnsons, a loving, caring, and innocent family, are adding to the anti cop sentiment. (Though Moses’s actions did lead to the death of a good cop, even if it was accidental.) But while there are of course plenty of good families in impoverished areas like Chicago’s South Side, unfortunately the majority of people the police encounter are dangerous criminals.

And of course, the show isn’t depicting how real-life corruption in Chicago happened and happens under Democrat leadership, and that the city is dealing with a severe increase in crime after leaders defunded the police. Nor are they showing how they’ve had to greatly lower their hiring standards amid staffing shortages due to attrition in the police department, resulting in a spike of applications from those who otherwise wouldn’t be qualified. Nor are they depicting how Democrat leaders spent millions on their own police protection while defunding it for the rest of Chicago’s citizens.

In other words, the Democrat-run city is a mess, and they’ve only made things worse by chasing out the good cops and enlisting lesser qualified ones. You can see more of these shows 61^{It is possible to}Street only contribute to these problems by furthering an anti-cop climate and widening this country’s racial divide while putting good officers’ safety at risk as mentioned before. Let’s hope it’s canceled before it can do more damage with a second season.

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