On Call
By Sioph W. Leal
Police dramas aren’t exactly hard to come by, and very few offer anything different from the ones that came before, but Amazon takes a chance with On Call, and even though it sticks to a familiar formula, it manages to find something new to make sure that On Call stands on its own.
At first, the episodes having a short run time of twenty to thirty minutes (aside from the pilot) or less can be alarming, but the short runtime ensures no time is wasted and every second is utilised to keep the urgency of the show while having two fully developed leads in veteran officer Traci Harmon (Troian Bellisario) and new rookie Alex Diaz (Brandon Larracuente), whose growth is executed in perfect tandem with each other and with the fast-paced plot. Even when the episodes seem to slow down, it never takes away from the action but allows it to build that doesn’t drag on thanks to the runtime. There’s enough in the episodes to keep you gripped for the next part of the story. No time is wasted, and right off the bat, On Call makes every effort to immerse you into the violence and the moral dilemmas the characters face as they navigate gangs, threats, and sabotage from their own careers.
On Call has a fresh feel to it and does so by using a mix of bodycam, hand-held, and dash cameras that make you feel part of the world and give an almost visceral reaction to the violence and danger shown on the screen. Those moments are woven perfectly with the rest of the show and give it something to stand out against the many police dramas already in existence. The camera work is expert at placing the viewer in the moment and deepening the character development on their own but also as their bond deepens.
Harmon struggles with her reputation in the department while grieving the loss of a friend and must train the next generation of officers, Alex Diaz being one. He’s an ambitious rookie with an optimistic outlook and a human-driven approach to his work, while Harmon has an experienced and hardened outlook on the world. It's not cheesy, and you can see them both develop and adapt to the challenges they face in the climate of their work. Right away there’s a nice banter between the two of them, and as the episodes progress and they see how their approaches work for different situations, walls come down, and the two help each other with situations and problems their work and dedication to their job have caused. It's interesting to see moments when Diaz starts to be seduced by police brutality only to be pulled back by Harmon; the camera work and actors make certain that the moment hits as they drive through the neighbourhood and see the consequences of police actions.
As a police drama, On Call utilises technical aspects to ensure that it stands apart from other titles in the genre and uses creative camera work to make you feel the weight of every action and decision made by the characters. The short episode runtime makes for a well-paced and action-driven series led by Troian Bellisario and Brandon Larracuente. They work great together, and there’s a balance to their characters that offers new perspectives every episode as Diaz learns what it's like to be a cop, to navigate gangs, and to keep to your morals, led and tutored by Harmon, who has her own burdens.