Crime dramedy investigates some unusual suspects

    ABC's newest crime drama about the NYPD, "The Unusuals," follows in the footsteps of many other shows about life as a New York City police officer. The show twists the formula by making the cases its characters investigate ridiculous and absurd, and "The Unusuals" ends up successfully walking a fine line, working as both a comedy and a drama.
    Casey Shraeger (played by Amber Tamblyn) is transferred to the homicide unit after Jason Walsh's (Jeremy Renner) partner is murdered. Casey and Jason become partners and try to search for the killer.
    The cops that Casey works with are incredibly eccentric. Partners Eric Delahoy (Adam Goldberg) and Leo Banks (Harold Perrineau) are complete opposites in that Eric is trying to get killed and Leo is so terrified of dying that he sleeps in a bulletproof vest. Eddie Alvarez (Kai Lennox) is in constant competition with other cops for a promotion, but his lack of street smarts holds him back.
    As the show progresses, the character of each cop is further developed and their secrets come out one by one. It turns out that the sergeant of the unit (Terry Kinney) had Casey transferred so that she could help him clean up the highly corrupted unit.
    The show seamlessly combines elements of drama and comedy. The writers swing the mood from serious to absurd, going from intense interrogations to the arrest of a serial cat killer. This is reflected in the show's characters as well: The real fears and dangers that cops face mean they must have a twisted sense of humor to get through the day.
    The acting on the show is top-notch. Though it may not seem difficult to play a cop, "The Unusuals" sets the characters up to have multiple layers and sordid pasts that they must deal with.
    Tamblyn's character was a troubled teenager from a rich family, a past that she must hide from the others in order to be accepted. Tamblyn is known for playing disgruntled teenage girls in shows and movies like "Joan of Arcadia" (2003) and "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" (2005). Here though, she has accepted a more grown-up role, perhaps trying to break out of her pigeonhole.
    Renner's Jason is mysterious and tough, the kind of character that viewers want to know more about. Goldberg and Perrineau portray incredibly interesting supporting characters, and they play off each other well to create the ideal best-friend partnership. Lennox plays Eddie Alvarez as an obnoxious suck-up that audiences will love to hate.
    The writers do their best to show the bizarre underbelly of the world of crime. In the pilot episode alone, the cops arrested a man dressed up as a hot dog, a man who kills cats and two elderly twin sisters dressed in matching outfits. While this element of ridiculousness seems a little forced since the cases are announced as formal-sounding broadcasts during transitions between scenes, one can't deny that life can be crazy.
    What makes this show great and unlike many other police procedurals is that it leaves the viewer wanting more. Not only will audiences be interested in the bizarre cases and the police action, but each cop has his or her separate life which will also engross viewers. The show is less about crime and more about the drama that can be found within the police unit.
    "The Unusuals" will appeal to almost all potential viewers: It has comedy, drama and action packed into one neat hour of television. Hopefully the show will succeed on ABC, and it has a great timeslot appearing Wednesday nights at 10 p.m. just after "Lost," one of the most popular shows on television.
    Networks keep making crime dramas because people respond to the universal appeal of police officers' lives. As one of the best new shows on TV, "The Unusuals" seems primed to keep attracting viewers and have a long, entertaining run.