"Wanted: Dead or Alive" Lame

[Cosmoline]

I've now watched the second episode of the new TNT series "Wanted: Dead or Alive." The series is supposed to be a balance to their less violent cop show "The Closer." The actors play agents and cops from various state and federal agencies who are brought together in a special rag tag task force to hunt down the 100 worst suspects in LA.

The show is violent, but for the most part the gunplay is silly and a long way from the glory of "Heat." My favorite scenes from this episode include:

--Gaining access to an FFL's sales records by stopping up his toilet and sneaking behind the counter.
--At an active crime scene, grabbing a bank robber's subgun (modified to full auto, of course) with bare hands, messing with it, then pointing it at three other agents while discussing matters.
--Their first rundown gave me some hope, since they went in with at least some long guns. But for the climactic scene it was back to handguns, including the new one that shoots around corners.
--One agent telling another that she was trying to "put the recoil spring in upside down" I'm sorry, how can you put a coil spring into a semiautomatic handgun "upside down"? Backwards, maybe.

I'm still waiting for teflon bullets to rear their heads.

 

[Black Majik]

I posted a thread about this show also, might as well combine it to one.

The show is about a team of LEO's made up of LAPD, Naval Intelligence, ATF, US Marshalls etc... and they go around and hunt down the 100 most wanted.

Now for this 2nd episode, 3 guys go into a bank to assassinate someone, which I dont think I caught WHY they assassinated the person. The 3 BG's go into the store with M4's and AKs and shoot the place up. Whats the point?! Then they get into a gunfight with the police and escape, killing officers and bystanders. Police dont bother giving chase.

Now my observations:

- The girl in the show is hot!

- The shootout scene sucked. Kinda like "Over There", they made it slow motioned and changed the colors for different effects. Grr... it coulda been a fun shootout scene to watch.

- In the bank, the US Marshal finds a full magazine for the M4. Wow, what chance that the BG's would leave a full magazine behind.

- The serial number on one of the M4's that was left behind had the serial numbers filed off. So the ATF guy uses a "acid test" for the serial number to show up. Anyone know if this thing works?

- The M4 that was found was "modified" for full auto. It was a AR-15. Now... in the show, since its based in Los Angeles, it shows that we're SUPPOSE to be able to buy AR's and AK's in California with detachable magazines.

- None of the people in the "task force" get along. How are they suppose to work together if they cant get along with each other. Everyone just makes fun of each other. Doesn't seem like any teamwork goin' on. Got some funny lines though, "Viagra and policework dont mix, hard-on."

- "Who's the waitress" (referring to the girl)
- "Your lips, my ass"

- What gun does the girl use? Looks like a HK USP, but I kinda wanna say its the P2000?

- One of the BG's uses a stainless 1911. Well they go to kill one someone, and the guy cocks the hammer with his thumb. That made me cringe!

- The same bad guy goes face to face with one of the US Marshalls, and he pulls out his uncocked 1911. Well what do you know, the gun goes off!

- The M4 was converted to full auto by a "mail order upper barrel receiver parts kit." LOL....

- At least this is the first time in the show I see someones hearing become affected by a gunshot indoors.

- The 2nd bad guy with the 1911 is being chased and gets hit by the car. He has LEO's after him and he takes the time to beat the crap out of the driver that ran him over. LOL ***.

- The last BG never gets caught, watched the scenes for the next episode and they dont bother going after this last guy.

- What was the Sniper Rifle they used? Looked like a SIG Blaser. Confirm?

- Same scene in the warehouse when they have a shootout with the 1st badguy, what guns were the ATF and LT using? Looked like modified SIG 552s? different handguard I've never seen before. Kinda cool.

- They had cool guns in the show. The LT uses a Kimber TLE. One of the other cop uses a S&W autoloader and the girl carries that HK.

- I am suprised to see they use the gun that shoots around corners in this show. Kinda cool.

- The sniper follows the US Marshal with his scope. Hmm... Yeah, I'll point my fully loaded readied sniper rifle at my teamate while you walk around.

Its an intersting show. I watch it for entertainment. But the gun goofs galore. Actually I just watch it for the girl.

 

[Tag]

The girl in the show is hot!

Taken with the other observations, I need cable.

 

[Joejojoba111]

"- The sniper follows the US Marshal with his scope. Hmm... Yeah, I'll point my fully loaded readied sniper rifle at my teamate while you walk around."

Lol I'm stiff laughing. Maybe that's how he checks the time too, just find someone with a wristwatch.

But seriously don't worry the upper barrel receiver kit makes it impossible to go off unless... oh damn.

And ironically they could have just had Glocks and said they modified them with a mail-order slide kit, simpler, more people would understand, practical, and real.

 

[Bill2k1]

I watched it tonight for the first time. It struck me as a clone of The Shield. I will be watching it for entertainment since there is nothing on really in that time slot that I enjoy.

Best part is, Eraser was on after it

 

[Parker Dean]

None of the people in the "task force" get along. How are they suppose to work together if they cant get along with each other. Everyone just makes fun of each other. Doesn't seem like any teamwork goin' on.

It must really suck to work in Hollywood. I mean, since this is the only way they seem to know to write about teams, it must be what they see all the time and think it's normal.

 

[iiibdsiil]

I saw this show tonight also, it was relatively entertaining. For being a cop show, and my limited knowledge on firearms, it was eh, but I try not to expect too much outta these shows anyways.

 

[JohnBT]

Season 1 is only $29 and change at Amazon...

 

[BowStreetRunner]

they did mention teflon bullets....the US Marshal (at the scene of the bank assasination) picked up some spent shelled and remarked they were "teflon coated....cop killers..." or something of the sort.....
I also noticed the recoil sprong upside down ??? fiasco......
it seemed like they were trying really hard to make the gun stuff look accurate but they just cant get past the hollywierdness....
BSR

 

[Jim Watson]

Cosmoline, they already had Teflon bullets, "cop killers" stripped out of a dropped magazine in the bank; along with the rest of the anti-gun propaganda and errors.

I agree with Majik, I have worked on a lot of teams, even if none in pursuit of the 100 most wanted, and I have not seen the constant bickering that Hollywood shows as standard for any group, especially M&P.

Closer is more fun, even though my late Mother always ranted against Hollywood portrayal of Southerners.

 

[Checkman]

In my experience nobody likes working with an officer who's always griping and moaning. The job is hard enough without having to be around a wet rag. Instead of arguing and fighting the officers I work with go out of their way to crack jokes and be wiseguys. I've been to a couple of homicide scenes where more jokes are made then at a party where everyone is supposedly having a good time. If I was working on a team like that I would request a transfer back to my regular assignment. In reality if you had that many violatile folks working together, and carrying guns, somebody would end up getting killed.Television. I prefer The Closer.

 

[Father Knows Best]

The serial number on one of the M4's that was left behind had the serial numbers filed off. So the ATF guy uses a "acid test" for the serial number to show up. Anyone know if this thing works?

Caveat: I haven't seen the show. I will say that it is sometimes possible to read serial numbers that have been "filed off." It depends a lot on the specific alloy and how the serial number was initially put on the part. The process of stamping a serial number, however, does change the structure of the metal. It's a form of cold working, really. With the right equipment, you can "see" those changes even if the top layer has been removed and the number is no longer visible to the naked eye.

 

[Cosmoline]

Cosmoline, they already had Teflon bullets, "cop killers" stripped out of a dropped magazine in the bank; along with the rest of the anti-gun propaganda and errors.

LOL Well I figured it was bound to come up. I must have been doing something more important when it came on screen, like cleaning the drapes.

 

[Derek Zeanah]

Anyone know if this thing works?

My understanding is that the metal underneath where the serial number was stamped is a bit denser than the surrounding metal, because it was stamped. If you file off the serial number, you may be able to recover it using a method like this.

This is why people use punches to obliterate serial numbers, rather than scratching them off.

 

[Zak Smith]

One agent telling another that she was trying to "put the recoil spring in upside down" I'm sorry, how can you put a coil spring into a semiautomatic handgun "upside down"?

Maybe it was a BHP.

 

[jason10mm]

I think they use some sort of x-ray device to get the imprint of the serial number. The acid thing probably came from some half-forgotten fingerprint retrieval method from one of the writers. I record it so I can skip commercials, but I did catch this line...

"I'm from the ATF! I don't need a warrrant, I can just do whatever I want!"

Ugh, at least the store owner stuck to his guns (har har) and refuces to cooperate without a warrant. Could he have been any more redneck though?

I really liked the first episode, but if this is what we can expect each week, I'm tuning out. Same with "Over There", major disappointments this summer

 

[cadfael]

I liked the line from the police captain in the beginning that the cops were met with "armor piercing" fire. It's not like all the rifles used would penetrate armor designed for pistol rounds.

More likely to mention the fully yautomatic fire.

Adam

 

[Black Majik]

Does anyone know why that guy was killed in the bank by the 3 guys? I dont think I heard them mention the reason?

 

[Cosmoline]

JohnBT has the right idea. Forget the "teflon bullets" and go with the Mare's Laig.

 

[Nightcrawler]

I saw it too.

The gun handling was better than most shows, but still. The hollywood stereotype of team members not getting along is getting tiresome. It's been done to death.

The "M16 conversion"....now, if you filed down the right parts and put on an M16 upper (which you can mail order), you will have a full auto (NOT select fire) rifle on your hands. I don't know that the M16 upper is at all necessary for this, though.

Funny that the terroists needed to go to a US gunshop to get weapons. See? Feinstein was right! Background checks will stop terrorists! If only that shady, unscrupulous dealer had followed the system!

*GROAN* Crimeny. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's a cop show where the characters are supposed to be these cynical, wisecracking badasses, but the show still has to get on it's whiny law-and-order, for-the-children soapbox.

 

[priv8ter]

Hmmm...

team of LEO's made up of LAPD, Naval Intelligence, ATF, US Marshalls etc...

So, has anyone mentioned the Posse Comitatus Act when it comes to the involvement of Naval Intelligence?

greg

 

[KriegHund]

My friend watched it and said one guy fired a shorty ak with one hand over a bed....

Yes, thats a very effective waste of ammo

 

[jefnvk]

Taken with the other observations, I need cable.

Nah, you got the internet. Plenty of hot, less clothed chicks there

 

[jason10mm]

Just watched it last night.

The bank exec (?) was assasinated because he was a witness to some sort of eastern european genocide or somehting, and was going to testify against some general. The hitmen were working for the general. No reason why they were so brazen about it, why they killed the woman outside, why they let the guy walk right past their car only to assault the bank a minute later (unless it was to conceal their act so they could go after other witnesses), or why they were willing to kill themselves and their buddies family. Nor a reason why they went through Texas (the Marshalls question was quite reasonable IMHO, the NI chick was just being a b**** at that point).

Overall the show is losing my interest FAST. The plots are pretty simple, the "shock factor" is pointless (why all the extra shots of the dead woman and the kids? WE GET IT ALREADY!), and none of the team members besides Gary Cole inspire any sympathy or interest from me.

Even without all of the retarded gun stuff (probably "intentionally" wrong so no one else can make their own FA AR from mail order kits ) it just feels like a poor, dumb mans attempt to clone the Shield.

I expect next weeks episode to be so full of racial stereotypes and asian slurs as to be almost unwatchable. Not that I mind that stuff if the story is good, but all shock and no meat make for dull viewing.

 

[mattk]

Here's my biggest beef

Ok I haven't seen the show but the ads.

The chick says"I am a fugative profiler with Naval Intelligence"

Hello!!!! Why the world would Naval Intelligence have a fugitive profiler!!
Maybe if she said NCIS but Naval Intelligence! Naval Intelligence has NOTHING not one thing to do with Law enforcement in any way shape or form.

Give me a Break.