Cheers & Jeers: Detroit 1-8-7 Shoots and Scores

Cheers to Detroit 1-8-7 for a truly brilliant — and shocking — episode.
Want more Cheers & Jeers?Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!
ABC's underrated-in-every-sense-of-the-word cop drama proved just how good it is — not just good for you — with "Stone Cold," scorchingly directed by Cadillac Records' Darnell Martin. The hour's main case started off with a coed's murder, but it sprawled to include everyone from a deep-undercover DEA Agent (The Wire's electrifying J.D. Williams) and an itchy snitch (R. Ernie Silva, a name to remember) to an Arab with terrorist ties (Spartacus' Nick Tarabay) and an ambitious politician who can only be described as an African-American Sarah Palin (A Different World grad Vanessa Bell Calloway).

That story line concluded with the fed apparently shooting DPD Det. John Stone (D.J. Cotrona), but that was a fakeout in more ways than one. The episode ended with a bang as Stone, after reuniting with partner Ariana Sanchez (Natalie Martinez) in a scene sexily scored with Otis Redding's "I've Been Loving You Too Long," got shot by his psycho ex-girlfriend, Riley (Kristina Apgar), who was promptly gunned down by Sanchez.

"There's no future in Detroit," Riley told Stone, but one hopes there's a future for Detroit 1-8-7, despite its preemption last week for 20/20's chat with Charlie Sheen (which drew three times as many viewers aged 18-49 — are you proud of yourselves, America?). At the very least, there are two more episodes, one airing next Tuesday at 10/9c (and featuring star Michael Imperioli's lookalike real-life son, Vadim, as his on-screen offspring), plus the season finale, oddly scheduled next Sunday at 10/9c. Do yourselves a favor — forget Charlie Sheen for a couple of hours and watch Detroit. It's got real tiger blood.

Have you seen Detroit 1-8-7? And if not, why not?
Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!