TRUE JUSTICE — 10 Unforgettable Characters
Everyone knows that Steven Seagal has been a movie actor since the 1980s. But did you know that the action film icon also starred in a weekly TV series?
True Justice is a stylish police procedural that originally aired on the Reelz cable network in 2011–2012. Seagal stars as Elijah Kane, the commanding officer of an elite undercover task force in inner-city Seattle. The series was co-created by Seagal and Joe Halpin (Hawaii Five-O) and has the look of a glossy, primetime cop show, but with a twist: stories are typically told in two parts. Watched back-to-back, each True Justice story has the look and feel of a feature film — with the fast pace of an hour-long TV show.
You can see what we mean every Saturday night when getTV presents two episodes of True Justice starting at 8p ET. You might say it’s the best of both worlds for action fans: a gritty Steven Seagal movie in the bite-sized format of episodic TV!
Your first mission, getTV viewer: study this dossier of the True Justice characters (along with the episode in which they first appear):
1. Elijah Kane — Deadly Crossing (Season 1, Episode 1 — July 6, 2011)
Steven Seagal’s Cajun cop Elijah Kane is a non-traditional lawman with a shadowy past. It’s a familiar archetype for Seagal, who got his start playing similar roles in Above The Law (1988) and Hard To Kill (1990). Despite being the name-above-the-title star, Seagal is essentially a supporting player in the first season of True Justice. The 60-something actor allows a cast of dynamic younger performers take center stage while he supports them as father figure, mentor, and lethal enforcer. Seagal and his unique brand of street justice are more front and center in season two when the show switches the action from Seattle to Vancouver and embraces an international espionage vibe.
2. Sarah Montgomery — Deadly Crossing (Season 1, Episode 1 — July 6, 2011)
Sarah Lind (Fargo, Psych) plays Sarah, the Special Intelligence Unit’s newest recruit. She’s a straight-laced twenty-something with a surprising past: she was an exotic dancer in college to finance her education. Sarah’s arrival in Seattle begins the story of True Justice, and much of the first season focuses on her acclimation to her new role. She’s a green recruit, but Sarah is also dedicated and hyper-competent. Lind is really the heart and soul of the series, and the only cast member (other than Seagal) who stays around for both seasons.
3. Landon Radner — Deadly Crossing (Season 1, Episode 1 — July 6, 2011)
British actor Warren Christie (Chicago Fire, Battlestar Gallactica) plays Landon, the cocky bad boy of the S.I.U. He’s unapologetically jerky at times, especially in his inappropriate flirtation with fellow team member Sarah. He also has little use for protocol, as demonstrated by an early episode when he’s a bit too aggressive in apprehending a fleeing suspect who has roughed him up. But he’s a good cop with an unwavering commitment to the team.
4. Juliet Sanders — Deadly Crossing (Season 1, Episode 1 — July 6, 2011)
Meghan Ory —best known today as Red Riding Hood on ABC’s Once Upon A Time — plays brash Juliet, a veteran member of the S.I.U. (though still just 30-ish). She was the team’s only woman until Sarah’s arrival, and Juliet is clearly threatened by her presence in early episodes. As time passes the two develop a bond and often function as partners. Juliet is also a martial artist who can deliver a mean kick.
5. Andre Mason — Deadly Crossing (Season 1, Episode 1 — July 6, 2011)
William “Big Sleeps” Stewart (Gracepoint, The Day The Earth Stood Still) plays Mason, the S.I.U.’s second in command. He’s the quiet, by-the-books enforcer of the group. He’s older than the other team members by a few years, and the life he has chosen is taking its toll on his marriage and family.
6. Hiro — Deadly Crossing (Season 1, Episode 1 — July 6, 2011)
Alex Mallari Jr. (Dark Matter) plays Hiro, an Asian street thug who’s trying to reform with Kane’s help. He functions as the team’s mole, providing eyes and ears in places where cops can’t go. Kane has parental feelings toward Hiro, though he’s frustrated by his backsliding and tendency to lie (like when he claims to be working at the construction job Kane got for him). Seagal’s fatherly scenes with Mallari show a side of the actor we don’t often see in his action movies.
7. Marcus Mitchell — Urban Warfare (Season 1, Episode 11 — September 14, 2011)
Welsh-Canadian actor Adrian Holmes is added to the cast late in season one as Marcus, an operative with The Company, Kane’s mysterious former employer. Holmes’ arrival is a harbinger of a shift in the series, from standard police procedural to a more typically Seagalian tale of international intrigue. It’s not quite a reboot, but it’s close. In this episode it’s revealed that Kane “took out the third top Al-Qaeda guy” in his previous life as a spy/assassin/whatever he was.
8. Mark Simms — Blood Alley (Season 2, Episode 2 — July 11, 2012)
Lochlyn Munro (Riverdale, Unforgiven) joins the cast in season two as Simms, a former U.S. Military Special Forces counter-terrorism specialist. “They don’t play well with others,” C.I.A. operative Costello (undercover as a carpet and tile salesman) tells Kane when he asks for suggestions on building a new team. “They” also refers to Johnny Garcia, his 15-years-younger partner.
9. Johnny Garcia — Blood Alley (Season 2, Episode 2 — July 11, 2012)
Jesse Hutch (Arrow, Supernatural) is Garcia, ex-Special Forces and a former Navy SEAL. He was also a special reconnaissance operative in Afghanistan. Simms and Garcia spend most episodes bickering, much to the frustration and bemusement of Sarah.
10. Edi “Edward” Gogol — Blood Alley (Season 2, Episode 2 — July 11, 2012)
Zak Santiago (Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency) plays Edi, a Russian hustler and confidential informant (C.I.) who reports to Marcus (much like Hiro in season one). The presence of Edi, Tanaya Beatty as computer specialist Jessica Finch, and others help to give the show its unmistakable international flavor in season two. Think Mission: Impossible, but with a lot more kicks to the face.
Watch True Justice Saturday nights at 8p ET on getTV. For more info, visit the getTV schedule.