The first and most major thing that jumped out to me during
this week’s episode was the emphasis or importance of gang violence,
specifically related to the IRA and Hispanic community. Gang violence was a
pretty consistent theme in television dramas throughout the late eighties and
nineties. I think it shows that media likes to focus on current issues for the
country. Clearly, the use of gang violence in TV drama created a mantra that
our streets are untamed and are extremely dangerous.
The second thing I noticed was the use of costumes to give a
certain ethical appeal for characters. The accused murderer was a Hispanic male
that was relatively shabby looking. This gave off the impression that he was
both crazy and violent. Right away he seemed like the culprit. Yet in the end,
the true mastermind was a well-dressed well-mannered Irish immigrant that
killed everyone. This use goes back to the idea of what we think good and bad
should look like. In this case, the well-mannered, well-dressed individual
breaks the mold of being good.
The final thing that jumped out to me is the reoccurring
theme of conflict between local and federal officials. I am amazed how when it
comes to national security, the federal agents are willing to let them go for
crimes committed if it means that they can get their goals accomplished. This
is powerful in my opinion, because it shows that people are willing to
sacrifice their morality in order to accomplish a job.
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