Entertainment Extra

Even XXXXX, XXXXX XX, 2013 | TAB NAME Odd 2 TV ENCORE By Jacqueline Spendlove TV Media T elevision audiences can't seem to get enough of cops, killers, gangs and drug lords. What with your "CSIs," your "Sopranos" and more "Law & Orders" than you can shake a stick at, it's clear that, when observing it from the detached safety of the living room, people love checking out the seedy underbelly of the criminal world. You don't need to tell Fox that, though. With shows such as "Bones," "The Following" and the more lighthearted "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" on its roster, the net- work knows how to dish out a healthy dose of good guy vs. bad guy every week. This month it's adding "Gang Related" to that list to present both sides of the criminal world. The action drama follows Los Angeles' elite Gang Task Force and one of its mem- bers who, unbeknownst to his teammates, held a past life with one of the powerful gangs against whom his unit is taking aim. The series premieres Thursday, May 22, on Fox. "If you bring 'The Shield,' 'Miami Vice' and a little bit of 'The Wire' together, that's the ambition for this show," said director Allen Hughes of the new series, which comes from the "Fast and the Furious" fran- Graybeals Carpet 2 x 3" Young's Culligan 3 x 3" Harrison- Merzger 2 x 2" On the Cover chise's Chris Morgan. Indeed, "Gang Related" takes the "hero" perspective of some series and the "villain but we like him anyway" perspective of oth- ers and uses them to straddle the world of law enforcement and the gang-related world; it doesn't present a fixed idea of what makes a person good or bad. This blurring of lines is chiefly employed in the character of Ryan Lopez (Ramon Rodriguez, "Battle Los Angeles," 2011). Ryan is an up-and-comer in the Gang Task Force, but what the rest of his team doesn't know is that he has ties to one of L.A.'s toughest gangs – Los Angelicos – that go back much farther than his time as a cop. He was sent to infiltrate the police force by Angelicos leader Javier Acosta (Cliff Curtis, "Live Free or Die Hard," 2007) himself. To compli- cate things further for Ryan, Javier is not just his boss, but a father figure as well, having taken him in when Ryan's own father died. But wait a minute – Ryan also has a father figure on the Task Force. See those lines blur? He's generally respected and well- treated by his team, who, like the gang, have become his surrogate family – particularly Sam Chapel (Terry O'Quinn, "Lost"), the Task Force captain who saw the potential in Ryan and took him under his wing. Never having had a father figure growing up, Ryan is torn between the two people who have filled that role: both strong men, both leaders, but on opposite sides of the law. While Ryan is the conflicted hero in this story, struggling with two opposing loyalties, the good vs. bad dichotomy is present in other characters, too. "With Ryan, we have a chance to show the grey side to every- thing. Every hero has a dark side and every villain has a heroic side," writes Robyn Ross for "TV Guide." "Terry O'Quinn admitted that his character Sam, the task force's leader, is a terrible father, while Curtis said that Javier may have been a bad man, but an excellent dad and a great lead- er." Morgan expands on this in a promo for the series: "For all the terrible things [the gang mem- bers] do, there's also a very human side to them. They have loves and brothers and family." On the flip side, we'll also see that corruptibility exists among the law enforcers. With Ryan's strong presence in both worlds, his is a unique and honest look into the two systems. Rodriguez, who plays Ryan, is making a name for himself in 'Gang Related' looks at the crime world from both sides of the law both television and film. The Puerto Rican actor gels well with action and thriller movies and has appeared in "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3," (2009), "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" (2009) and "Need for Speed" (2014). On the small screen, he's made appearances in "Rescue Me," "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" and HBO's critically acclaimed crime drama, "The Wire." O'Quinn's role as Sam Chapel is just the latest on a very long list. He's been appearing onscreen since the '80s, but is perhaps most recently recogniz- able for his portrayal of the stoic and enigmatic John Locke in ABC's Emmy-winning drama "Lost." With old ties to his crime fami- ly and a growing connection to his Task Force family, Ryan's divided loyalties present the series with an interesting angle. Check out the premiere of "Gang Related," airing Thursday, May 22, on Fox. Terry O'Quinn and Ramon Rodriguez as seen in "Gang Related" D&J Liquors 3 x 2" MAROCCO-RANS FUNERAL CHAPEL 119 E. Market St. | Logansport, IN • 574.753.6282 www.ransfuneralhomes.com HARRISON-METZGER & RANS FUNERAL HOMES 304 S. Chicago St. | Royal Center, IN • 574.643.2265 123 E. Main Street | Kewanna, IN • 574.653.2265 • Funeral & Cremation Services • • Preplanning Options • Monument Sales • 5th & Broadway, Logansport • (574)722-2215 • 1-800-886-2215 Mon-Thurs. 9AM-6PM; Fri. 9AM-7PM; Sat. 9AM-5PM Professional Installation Available r r s TM CARPET • CERAMIC • WOOD LAMINATE • VINYL • REMNANTS ALL ON SALE Limited Time Special Financing Available!! All with EXPERT installation & many remnants to choose from. Water Softener Specials Rent a Culligan ® water conditioner or Drinking Water System $ 6 90 for the fi rst 3 months. Limited Time offer. * Some restrictions may apply. YOUNG'S WATER CONDITIONING • 722-2830 Not valid with any other offer. Offer Expires 6/7/14 per month Water Softener Salt Special SALT COUPON GOOD MON-FRI COUPON NOT NECESSARY ON SATURDAYS 40# Mini cube ....... $4.49 80# Mini Cube ...... $8.19 40# Solar Salt ....... $4.49 80# Solar Salt ....... $7.49 40# Rustbuster ..... $5.29 80# Rustbuster ...... $9.39 50# Block.............. $4.99 50# RBuster Block . $6.19 Salt Sale Every Sat. 8am-Noon 4115 E. Market St., Logansport 574-722-2830 ® Try Our Drive Up Window! YOUNG'S WATER CONDITIONING • 722-2830 Not valid with any other offer. Offer Expires 6/7/14

• Cover