TV Review: Police Women of Broward County

(L to R: Det. Ana Murillo, Dep. Shelunda Cooper, Det. Julie Bower, & Det. Andrea Penoyer)

After a month of seeing print promos and ads on TV for this show, I was excited to finally have a chance to sit down and catch the first and second episodes last night.

I was a little underwhelmed at first; the show resembled "Cops" in many ways, probably because of the fact that it's a bunch of police officers chasing people, pulling cars over, and taking bad guys down. But 15 minutes into the first episode, I was hooked.

I have yet to watch a show on TLC that I can't be sucked into, and sitting down deliberately and allowing myself to like a show makes it that much easier. (I usually just stumble onto something on a lazy afternoon.) I've wanted to be a cop for years, so "Police Women of Broward County" gives me a sneak-peek (albeit a reality TV sneak peek) into that kind of life. The network couldn't have asked for a more attractive, personable, or interesting set of female police officers. These women are awesome!

Let's meet the cast: First, we have Detective Julie Bower. She deals with the sex crimes. She's compassionate, yet tough, and completely human. Next, we have Shelunda Cooper, a newlywed rookie. Her no-nonsense cop-itude won me over right away, especially when she had to deal with a woman who had a breakdown over being pulled over despite the fact that she wasn't guilty of anything. Grace under fire, for sure. Third, there's Detective Ana Murillo. This is a woman who seems like life keeps throwing punches at her and she swings right back. TLC's says, "Her motto: 'Go ahead and try me.'" Finally, there's Detective Andrea Penoyer. She blonde with blue eyes and big boobs; she's freakin' Cop Barbie. Her OTFs are to die for, she is hilarious and energetic, and definitely fun to watch. There was great scene in the second episode where she's on the phone with her son talking about summer camp, and then in the next scene she's taking down a bad guy. She's tough-as-nails, a great athlete (she hopped a huge fence while chasing a bad guy!), and probably the most entertaining character on the show.

These women are incredibly intelligent, well-spoken, and very good at their jobs (Ana Murillo made a guy pee his pants when she pulled him over after suspecting he was looking for a prostitute. She was right, though she scared him so badly she decided not to arrest him that time). The show lets you see their feminine sides as well without being judgemental. Being a police officer has got to be one of the toughest jobs in the U.S., not to mention one of the most mysoginistic. There is no doubt that these women face sexual discrimination in their jobs, but the footage used in thes series, thus far, shows them facing nothing but respect from their peers. I love that.

I was never a fan of the show "Cops," one of the first docu-series ever produced (if not the first), but honestly I haven't watched it since I was a kid. It just doesn't interest me, and I found myself turned off by "Police Women of Broward County" at first. But the show has that organized reality TV touch. The suspects faces aren't blurred out (I kept wondering how the producers convinced them all to sign appearance releases!), with few exceptions, and the show follows the working lives of these four characters. You get glimpses of them at home, with their kids, and with their friends, but this is not "Real Housewives." These women work hard for their money, they're real people, and they have real lives. As of the second episode, the show has yet to probe into any personal drama, and I hope it doesn't. I don't really need to see them sitting down with their families for dinner, though I would be interested to hear them speak about how they juggle dealing with the violence and how hard it is to not bring it home with them.

We'll see what the rest of the series holds, but for now, I highly recommend "Police Women of Broward County."

Don't have cable? Check out video clips on the show's official website.