Detective McLean

Detective McLean is an arresting crime drama series crafted by Reel One Entertainment and aired in 2015. The series is centered on the compelling character, Detective Allison McLean who balances her intense professional role and dramatic personal life with great zeal. This series artfully combines elements of crime investigation and family drama to create a unique blend that grips its audience from the start. It seeks to explore the effects of a cop’s work on their personal lives and how one's family becomes entangled within the snare of crime and justice.

In the show, Allison McLean, portrayed by the talented Kelli Williams, is a no-nonsense detective stationed in Seattle’s Hubbards County police department. An established homicide detective, Allison handles each case with a unique blend of determination, empathy and intelligence, making her respected among her peers. She is firm, composed, and highly dedicated to ensuring that justice prevails.

However, Detective McLean’s professional life is only a half of her story. At home, she is a dedicated wife and a doting mother of two teenagers. Her work- life balance begins to falter when she is forced to arrest her brother for aggravated assault. A trial follows, and her brother is convicted, his children left without any guardians. Allison does what she believes is right and takes her brother's two teenagers into her own home.

This sudden increase in her family's size strains Allison's family and brings about a set of challenges as they navigate living together. Her own teenagers, Jeff and Emma are forced to adjust to a new lifestyle and share their lives with their cousins. This remarkable blend of family dynamics and crime observation sets Detective McLean apart from traditional crime drama series.

Reel One Entertainment adeptly navigates the complexity and the nuances of various relationships in the series. The familial relationships are portrayed in a realistic manner, highlighting the trials and tribulations, love and arguments, disappointments and surprises that run in any average household. On the other hand, the professional relationships offer an interesting view into the world of crime investigation, portraying how the detectives on the team handle various cases while dealing with their personal baggage.

Throughout the series, Allison’s dedication to her family is repeatedly tested by her commitment to her duty as a law enforcer. Her determination to uphold justice, even if it means arresting a family member, speaks volumes about her devotion to her duty. Still, her drive to protect her family from falling apart shows her unwavering loyalty and love towards her loved ones.

Detective McLean keeps viewers on the edge of their seats as they follow Allison trying to thread the thin line between her duties as a detective and as a mother. The series wonderfully captures the struggles, sacrifices, and choices she makes on a day-to-day basis to keep her personal and professional life balanced.

On a technical aspect, the show is well-crafted with engaging dialogues and gripping storylines. Each episode meticulously unravels a fresh mystery interlinked with the main narrative, thereby keeping the audience engaged. The performance of the cast is commendable, with their convincing portrayal adding a layer of depth to their characters. Kelli Williams shines in the lead role, beautifully bringing out the various facets of Allison McLean’s character.

In essence, Detective McLean is a thought-provoking take on the classic 'cop and family drama' trope. While it fulfills every promise of a gripping detective series with its engaging crime-solving narratives and plot twists, it also delivers a potent dose of family drama. The series aids viewers in gaining an understanding of the challenges police officers face in their personal lives due to their demanding professional roles. Each twist and turn in Detective McLean’s life adds a new layer of intrigue to her character and keeps the audience engaged, leaving them yearning for more.