Public Morals doesn’t have the substance to match the style
|||BY DEBASHINE THANGEVELO
THE GANGSTER world of Public Morals is not unfamiliar to viewers, especially those who love the theme.
This crime noir is set in New York City in the 1960s. In many ways, it has shades of Gangs of New York, The Godfather and Boardwalk Empire. This 10-part series, which stars Edward Burns (pictured) as Officer Terry Muldoon, is written, directed and executive produced by him. And he has even got Steven Spielberg, Justin Falvey and Aaron Lubin to come on board.
Burns explores the streets of New York through the eyes of his character Muldoon, his big-hearted partner, Charlie Bullman (played by Justified’s Michael Rapaport) and the rest of the Public Morals Division. The first episode offers an introduction to a sort of unspoken truce between the Irish Mob in the ‘hood and the cops.
It also provides context to the unfolding narrative. Bullman and Muldoon follow up on a complaint about a women turning tricks in her flat. When they arrive to make an arrest, Bullman takes pity on her, while Muldoon diplomatically wrestles a bribe out of the unlucky guy with her, played by How to Get Away with Murder’s Matt McGorry. Muldoon then offers the cash to Bullman for his kids. This act can be viewed as corrupt. However, Muldoon justifies it in a chat-cum-induction of a newbie on the team. He says: “Well, let me put it this way. There are the laws, and there are the rules. And over time, you will learn to identify the difference. We manage the city. We are like the landlords. There is no reason to pursue victimless crimes, now is there?”
That statement draws parallels with how they approach real crimes. And when it comes to that, the officers don’t turn a blind eye. Amid the demands of the job, their personal lives come to the fore. Muldoon seems to have his hands full with his 13-year-old son, who has comedic aspirations that often get him in trouble with the nun at school. At his wits’ end, Muldoon gives him a serious talking to and says: “I want you to know, I’m proud of you. You know, when you were born, my dream was that you, my oldest son, would grow up to be... an asshole.” However, his wife doesn’t take too kindly to him coming down so hard on his son.
Then there is Officer Sean O’Bannon, the son of Mob boss, Mr O’Bannon, who has beef with his father for beating his mother. Amid all of this, there are other deals going down in Muldoon’s Hell’s Kitchen neighbourhood. And Mr O’Bannon is not too impressed by this. Muldoon cautions him against taking any action, saying: “We don’t need to rock the boat right now. Everyone is making money and no one needs to get hurt.”
O’Bannon replies: “In my business, sometimes people get hurt.”
With corruption, gambling, prostitution and drug deals festering in New York’s underbelly, the murder of O’Bannon triggers a course of events that severs the long-running truce. The war also hits close to home for the Public Morals Division, with clear fractures within the unit.
Public Morals boasts some incredible lines and cannot be faulted on the period backdrop. Where it fails, and it probably explains why the series only lasted one season, is in the narrative. It is too bogged down by ambiguity and often long-winded, to the point where it becomes convoluted. I think Burns might have got a little ambitious and carried away with trying to cram too much into his storytelling.That said, the heavyweight cast deliver stellar performances worth watching.
Public Morals airs on M-Net Edge ?(DStv channel 102) on Fridays at 7pm.