Detective Jim Longsworth (Matt Passmore) relocates to Florida from Chicago following an accusation that he slept with his bossesā wife, expecting to find life in the sunshine easier and more fun. What he soon discovers is that Florida is rife with murder and itās his doorstep that the cases find their way to. Working closely with medical examiners Carlos (Carlos Gomez) and Daniel (Jordan Wall), Jim works his way through each case using his smarts and his charisma. He also meets beautiful medical student Callie (Kiele Sanchez) who he quickly forms a bond with that threatens to turn into romance.
The Glades is a procedural drama that isnāt that well known on this side of the pond. In the US itās a hit on cable station A&E and finished its third season in 2012. Here in the UK it premiered with little fanfare on Alibi and now itās getting a DVD release. The first season of the show contains 13 episodes with each focusing on an individual case that Jim must solve. Each episode has a runtime of around 40 minutes and follows a familiar format for anyone thatās seen cop dramas before. At the beginning of each episode a body is discovered and Jim spends the next 30 minutes trying to figure out who committed the crime.
Over the course of the first season Jim has to contend with a dead body in a plane (Bird in the Hand), a spree of murders in the middle of a hurricane (A Perfect Storm) and a victim who believes his doppelganger is murdering people (Doppelganger). Whilst each episode has a standalone feel to it, there is the over-arching story of Jimās burgeoning relationship with Callie. Thereās lots of talk around the subject between the two as Callieās husband is in prison and sheās trying to concentrate on raising her son. Will they get together? Youāll have to watch the season to find out.
What The Glades lacks in originality it makes up for with its cast. Australian actor Matt Passmore makes for an unconventionally god-looking and charismatic leading man. He delivers his lines with the right balance of arrogance and sarcasm that makes you root for him throughout the season. Lost graduate Kiele Sanchez gets an opportunity to develop her character playing the love interest and the female lead. Her chemistry with Passmore is the great hook of the show. The supporting players are good too. Carlos Gomez and Jordan Wall make a good double-act as Jimās unwitting side-kicks whilst Michelle Hurd has an authority about her onscreen that makes you believe sheās a ball-busting police boss.
Extras on the boxset include two audio commentaries, deleted scenes, a gag reel and two behind-the-scenes featurettes.
The Glades: The Complete First Season is an enjoyable watch but itās not as gripping or compelling as the finest TV out there. Itās the kind of show weād stick on when our favourite shows have finished and we need something to fill the gap. Itās better than a lot of police procedurals out there and its cast is definitely the showās strength. If you like your leading men charismatic and your stories suitably complicated then we think youāll love The Glades.