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Thomas & Friends
Over 24 seasons, Thomas & Friends has taught young viewers important lessons about being helpful, teamwork and admitting your mistakes.
Sergeant Henry “Hank” Voight is a no-nonsense kinda guy, but don’t let that fool you.
Hank’s tough on the outside, but he loves his fictional 21st District, and he’d do anything for the people he works for—including the victims of the crimes his district takes on. You see, Hank loves justice, and Chicago’s sorely lacking in it. Crime runs rampant, gangs walk the streets and victims are left undefended. He’s going to make sure justice is served—even if it means breaking a few pesky laws along the way.
Many in the 21st District act the same, for good reasons and bad. Some of his coworkers have their own crimes they’ve hidden away, and others face repercussions when their secrets come to light. By the start of season nine, Hank and Detective Hailey Upton have tortured and killed a rampant criminal, and due to the illegal nature of their actions, they’ve opted to bury the body and hide the evidence, hoping no one will start asking questions.
The 21st District certainly doesn’t do things by the book in the Windy City.
Chicago P.D. is one of the trifecta of NBC dramas regarding emergency services based in Chicago—the other two being Chicago Fire and Chicago Med. And just like these other two shows, Chicago P.D.’s 21st District would lead you to believe that there’s no place more action-packed and exciting than within its doors.
To be fair, no one sits down to watch a police show because they’re riveted by hours of processing and paperwork. No, people watch because there’s a feel-good sense of justice we get as the bad guy gets taken down by the good guy.
But there aren’t really any good guys in this show. They’re instead more … those who side with the general public. Yeah, Hank is a “good guy” in the sense that he solves crimes and stops criminals, but he’s got quite a few asterisks on his permanent record, as do many in the 21st. Let’s put it another way: If this were another sort of show about police officers, Hank’s character could easily show up as the bad guy of that one.
And, well, he does, actually. Except it’s not about cops. Hank’s first appearance was in Chicago Fire, where he attempts to prevent his son Justin from being charged after Justin causes a car accident while under the influence. And in that show, Hank threatens violence when things start going badly for Justin. He’s eventually arrested, but he’s later released and reinstated. And though he’s generally stayed out of trouble since, Hank has never really quenched those violent tendencies. In all respects, Hank may wear the title of police sergeant, but he’s more akin to a vigilante dishing out his own form of gray-area justice. So, Batman but without the butler.
And so, in this dark cousin to Brooklyn Nine-Nine, be on the lookout for violence, because the gritty reality of crime will be quite evident in this show. Bloody bodies, bullet holes and severed limbs will grace your screen. Characters kiss, and we hear references to sexual activity. Drugs are also a prominent recurring issue.
Sergeant Hank Voight and crew search for the leader of a violent gang called Los Temidos. In order to do that, they enlist the help of confidential informant Anna, who has tragic ties to the group.
Multiple dead bodies are seen throughout the episode. In one case, a man’s body is found in a junkyard with bullet holes and a stab wound from an ice pick in it. Another is found shot in the stomach, as well as a wound to the head from the same ice pick. The body of a woman is found in a car, dead from a bullet to the head, and blood is seen on the roof of the car.
A suspect named Paco shoves the barrel of a gun down a man’s throat offscreen, and he is later referenced to have done the same with a loaded M16 to his sergeant when he was in the military. Paco shoots at police, and he holds a gun up to Anna’s head. Anna tells Hank that, in an initiation for Los Temidos, gang members drugged, beat and raped her. Hank gets a text informing him that Paco has been killed.
A stolen car is tested positive for traces of heroin. Anna and Hank talk about cocaine, and we later see a man prepare to use cocaine. People drink at a house party. Anna claims to have had too much to drink at a party, and she later claims she was drunk.
A man runs from police while holding a kitchen knife. Another man jokingly concurs with Hank by saying, “Amen.”
We hear nine uses of “h—.” In addition, we hear multiple uses of “d–n,” “a–” and “b–ch.” We hear someone say “p-ssed,” and someone is called an idiot. God’s name is misused twice. Jesus’ name is inappropriately used twice.
Kennedy Unthank studied journalism at the University of Missouri. He knew he wanted to write for a living when he won a contest for “best fantasy story” while in the 4th grade. What he didn’t know at the time, however, was that he was the only person to submit a story. Regardless, the seed was planted. Kennedy collects and plays board games in his free time, and he loves to talk about biblical apologetics. He’s also an avid cook. He thinks the ending of Lost “wasn’t that bad.”
Over 24 seasons, Thomas & Friends has taught young viewers important lessons about being helpful, teamwork and admitting your mistakes.
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