Parents' Guide to

Shades of Blue

By Kari Croop, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Cop drama's leading lady is sexy, strong, and morally shady.

TV NBC Drama 2016
Shades of Blue Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

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age 16+

Based on 4 parent reviews

joeh6
joeh6 Adult
September 22, 2018
age 16+

Shades of excellence

I absolutely love Shades Of Blue, although I have to admit, it took me some time to get in to the series, but by the time the second season came out I was hooked and of course the show was getting better and better as it went on and it gets cancelled. I’m not kidding this show really picked up steam in the third season and I was on the edge of my seat. This is a real problem for TV shows now days, I feel that it takes time for the actors to develop and get comfortable in their roles and if the network dosen’t see numbers right away they cancel. Most people don’t watch TV anymore and certainly not Live cause life just gets in the way, so I feel like they need to give these series some time to develop. Shades of Blue had every ingredient of a great series and the acting, writing and just the whole look of the show is top notch. So I give Shades Of Blue a 9/10 The 9 for the slow build up.
Sharon H.
Sharon H. Adult
March 12, 2017
age 18+

Violent, disturbing, another way to display Lopez's body in slutty ways

Story itself moves very slowly. The only highlight of this show is Liota's acting skills. The violence and disturbing sex scenes make this inappropriate for children. The show is a real downer all the way around. Hard to believe this show came back for a second season. The ways they try to showcase Lopez's body are laughable and ridiculous; it's painfully obvious they invent any way they can think of to show her braless in low-cut or semi-transparent t-shirts, robes with slits all the way up, similar to the slutty way she dresses in public, except she's supposed to be believable as a cop with her assets on full display. The story is not engaging or compelling, but Liota's acting is excellent.
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What's the Story?

In SHADES OF BLUE, Brooklyn detective Harlee Santos (Jennifer Lopez) seems to have a good thing going, pocketing the bribe money she shares with a tight-knit pool of dirty cops (led by Ray Liotta) and using it to pay for her teenage daughter's expensive private schooling. But this single mom's corrupt web of loyalties catches fire when the FBI makes her an informant with no choice but to work against her friends.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4):
Kids say (1):

Though it sets its sights above standard police fare by focusing on cops and their moral complexities, Shades of Blue shoots itself in the foot every time it tries to push its female star's sex appeal. At times, it's almost comical, such as when a sweaty Lopez finishes up with her boxing instructor by straddling him and stripping off her shirt to make out with him ... while they're still in the ring. At other times, it's just plain annoying, like when she coyly points out to a male colleague that a flower can be "bisexual" (insert eye roll).

Thankfully, Lopez's hotness isn't an important part of the plot, and she delivers a strong performance that rises above the so-so script (and her low-cut tops). The series also sets up a compelling conflict between Lopez's character and her corrupt mentor, Liotta, a seemingly decent man who groomed her to rationalize their side business but shows a different side when he smells a rat that he vows to trap and kill.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how Shades of Blue's title ties into its major themes. Are the cops in Harlee's circle wholly good, wholly bad, or somewhere in between? Is there any real justification for breaking the law when it's your job to uphold it? Is an officer who takes bribes any better than a common criminal?

  • How does Harlee measure up as a role model? Does the fact that she's taking payoffs to make her daughter's life better make her a more sympathetic character than someone who's simply pocketing the cash? How do her motivations compare to those of the other cops she works with?

  • How does Shades of Blue use sex to sell itself and its female lead -- and is it even necessary? Would the series look the same if Harlee were, say, a single dad named Harlan?

TV Details

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