The Glades is a confusing show. Is it a drama? Is it a comedy? Is it a dramedy? It’s billed as a drama, but it doesn’t feel dramatic. Jim is evidently supposed to be a detective version of House, but is far too one note to fill that role. I have never been big into medical dramas, but enjoyed watching House in syndication. The formula for each episode was the same: patient came in with mysterious symptoms, there were a series of misdiagnoses along with snide comments by House, and then at the end, House had an epiphany and identified the source of the ailment. Even though it was incredibly formulaic, it was still enjoyable. So why isn’t The Glades?
There are a couple flaws in the show that keep it from the category of compelling drama. First, unlike the interesting, rare diseases of House, The Glades has cheesy crimes. Last week it was paranormal related, this week it is a bikini-clad shot girl. Second, Jim lacks moments of any emotional significance. He shuffles through the episode with one sarcastic accusation after the next, before making a triumphant “ah-ha†when he identifies the killer. Compare with House, who was a complex man with a drug problem, relationship issues, and emotional angst. Third, the personal moments that the show tries to create between Callie and Jim, Callie and Jeff, and Callie and Miranda (see a common denominator?) are so short and sparse, that they can’t create any real impact.
It feels like The Glades is heading down the path of Ri oli & Isles and that is not a good path to go down. In that show, you get similar cheesy crimes, and a couple minutes of Angie Harmon tearless crying. Kiele Sanche can at least shed some tears, which makes me think that perhaps her potential is not being fully utili ed this season. It’s also suprising given the quality of other shows on A&E like Longmire and Bates Motel that The Glades is falling short.
This week the crime involved boobs, bikinis, and boo e. Meghan, a Velvet Cherry shot girl, is found murdered on the beach. Jim begins his interviews with possible suspects, including Meghan’s boss JoJo, JoJo’s husband, and fellow shot girl Ashley. As Jim makes the rounds with his accusations and theories, you can almost hear the rhythm of the show – wrong, wrong, wrong, right. Jim doesn’t solve the crime based on his own deductive skills; he solves it after being spoon fed the facts by coworkers like on an episode of CSI.
I could’ve saved myself some time and just skipped to the last 15 minutes, when the entire motive and details of the crime would be revealed. If I had done that, what information would I have missed relating to Jim as a character? Nothing. That is the fundamental problem.
Callie’s storyline tries to pump some meaning into the otherwise cardboard story. She struggles with raising a teenage son who is angry about the instability she creates. She can see that she’s made things hard for Jeff by being indecisive in what she wants – love versus career. Now that she has decided on love, she can focus on creating a true family environment for him. Callie also struggles with what it means to leave her job and friend behind to return to Jim. She is sacrificing her independence and changing her life to accommodate Jim. Is he going to do the same?
Ultimately, Callie is brought in every 10 minutes or so to infuse some character development, but because she carries this burden alone, it’s not very successful. I could go through and recap the superficial twists and turns of the plot, but that seems unnecessary. After several false accusations, Jim determines JoJo’s husband is the killer. Stick a fork in it.
The Glades Season 4 Review “Shot Girls”
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