JLo's Forgotten Triumph: "Shades of Blue" Revisited
It is appropriate during this challenging time for our nation's Latina, Jennifer Lopez, to bring to the surface one of my favorite projects from her body of work: "Shades of Blue. Lopez starred alongside legendary actor Ray Liotta in this NBC drama series for three seasons, but then it suddenly disappeared. I was a fourteen-year-old curious sprout when this show was up and running, and my mom would sit down each night to watch.
The series boasted a gripping narrative. JLo portrayed Detective Harlee Santos, a single mother who led a group of corrupt cops, using their illicit gains to support her daughter. When the FBI finally apprehends Santos, she is forced to become an informant for her comrades, a decision that tests her sense of honor and her commitment to her daughter's safety.
One can only imagine JLo's pitch to NBC executives for the show: 'It's a blend of 'Enough ', 'Maid In Manhattan ', 'NYPD Blue ', and every other cop show on television.' Reflecting on the era when the show aired, it's clear that it was ahead of its time, perhaps even launched prematurely.
Think about it: in 2024, streaming services have taken over the TV and film industry, allowing for much more rich content than network television has ever been able to. If "Shades of Blue" were to have been made in today's era of streaming series, where could it have landed? I'm sure Netflix would have jumped on board and allowed her to make the same thing or even Prime Video instead of letting her make "The Greatest Love Story Never Told" or "This Is Me Now." Regarding those two passion projects - the story should not have been told then and definitely should not have been told now. Leading up to "Shades of Blue" release, JLo was busy with her music career, cranking out those catchy choruses with Pitbull and turned-out films like "The Boy Next Door" and "Lila & Eve." Safe to say, it was eleven years since the success of "Monster-in-Law," and she needed an on-screen hit.
Now, I'm all for actors taking chances, and I thought JLo did a great job playing Harlee Santos in "Shades of Blue," but at one point, the show lost me and took a weird turn, and it started with Ray Liotta's character Liuettnett Matt Wozniak.
I don't want to speak poorly of Ray Liotta because he has since passed and is one of my favorite actors. I have admired him in all of his work, so I will not blame him for any choices taken as an actor. But the guy played Henry Hill. As a young teenager with "Goodfellas" still fresh in my mind, I was thrown off watching Liotta's character receiving oral sex in a dark alley; I was not sure where the show was going - and neither did Mother after she thought we found to show to bond over. Wozniak was hiding his homosexuality from his family and coworkers, which was a plot point I don't think added to the story or made sense in the show.
Back to my point of "Shades of Blue" being better off on a streaming platform than a big-time network like NBC. Because if you will have Ray Liotta take a swing like that - don't bead around the bush.
