In early 90s Boston, an African-American District Attorney comes in from Brooklyn advocating change and forms an unlikely alliance with a corrupt yet venerated FBI veteran invested in maintaining the status quo. Together they take on a family of armored car robbers from Charlestown in a case that grows to encompass and eventually upend Boston’s city-wide criminal justice system.
The peaks and the valleys. Find the essential episodes — and the ones to skip.
When an unlikely source confides in Decourcy, the Massachusetts State Police hatch a plan that promises arrests without the help of the FBI. However, keeping out of the way is not exactly Jackie’s strong suit. The Genesis Coalition pitches a new strategy to curb Boston’s crime rate. Jenny opens up about her past to a sympathetic ear.
As U.S. Attorney Karen Shimizu tries to get rid of her troublesome agent once and for all, Jackie schemes his way into a new mission. At the Suffolk County Courthouse, Decourcy and Siobhan spar on opposing sides of a legal battle. Meeting dead-ends at every turn in the effort to help her son, Grace does something desperate. With a nudge from Maeve, Jenny surprises Benny with some rebellious fun. On the other side of town, Cathy re-ups her supply by going straight to the source.
As Jenny grows closer to Diarmuid Doyle, her unwitting husband Jackie is released from the hospital — and he’s after revenge. Siobhan calls on Decourcy for help cornering Needham Industries as she fights to expose the corporation’s malfeasance. After a break in the case against Sinclair Dryden, the DA’s office bumps up against an unforeseen obstacle.
As Decourcy increases pressure on the Justice Department, Jackie counters by looking into his adversary’s romantic past. While Jackie’s digging up dirt, Siobhan is planning ahead, focused on starting a family even as Decourcy remains preoccupied by the escalating conflict. Jenny realizes she can’t keep ignoring her mother after an unsettling phone call. With business at the salon all but dead, Cathy Ryan turns to an unlikely income source.
Each point is an episode, plotted in order. Colored bands mark season boundaries. Look for the rise, the plateau, or the decline.
High votes + high rating = beloved classic. High votes + low rating = notorious stinker. Low votes + high rating = hidden gem.
One point per season. Smooths out the episode-to-episode noise to reveal the bigger arc.
Did each season build or fizzle? Green means the finale outscored the premiere. Red means the opposite. Longer arrows, bigger swings.
How steady is each season? Tightly clustered dots mean reliable quality. Scattered dots mean a wild ride.
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