In a period of history, corruption and racism were prevalent in Boston. Over time, an African-American lawyer decided to go into a new experiment in order to defend change. This man appeared to be forming an unlikely alliance with an FBI veteran. Now, both are facing a series of challenges facing a group of thieves in a case that ultimately leads to the criminal justice system being lifted and the path completely changed.
A showy command performance by Kevin Bacon won't be taking City on a Hill to new heights. It's enough, however, to give Showtime another Ray Donovan in terms of watchable, serviceable, jut-jawed crime hours.
Other than the series's insistence on beating the viewer over the head about its setting, it's a solid Boston crime drama, at least based on the pilot.
The action in City on a Hill is staged competently enough, but it's nothing you haven't seen before in half a dozen or more premium cable shows. What makes City on a Hill go is the performances, especially those of Bacon and Hodge.
Considering the breadth of the series' narrative ambitions, as laid out by the premiere, there's a good chance that City on a Hill will find a way to dig deep and offer up the sort of character drama that may well make it a standout on Showtime.
Just as the main characters in City on a Hill fight against the status quo of corruption, Fontana, as a writer and producer, has fought just as diligently against the bland status quo of television.
