This didn't age particularly well. 

To say nothing of the stereotypes, around a year after this premiered, and five years BEFORE it ended, the war in Iraq post 9-11 started. This opened the US budget and legislative spigot for new war toys. Movies have been made about the fortunes made from the most grotesque amount of black money ever spread around a war zone that were fully based on the situation. 

All any law enforcement agency around the country had to do, to get the latest equipment prior to the war, [anything from military vehicles and weapons, to top level (prior to the USAPATRIOT ACT) surveillance gear and software], was ask for it. This really kicked off full-on militarization of municipal, county, and state police. It was eerily convenient, because in a more peaceful and informed society than after the last major wars, the only job ex- 'roided and amped-up killers can really do without getting arrested is join a police force. (They were then connected with federal military, intelligence, and law enforcement infrastructure via "fusion centers," where agencies with the legal ability to gather certain information on people without probable cause or warrants share that information with agencies and people that shouldn't have access... but I digress). 

A decade-plus after that, Snowden revealed that the capabilities were even more pervasive and invasive than even the most (reality-based) technophobic "conspiracy theorist" imagined at the time.

TLDR: this series was outdated within months, (if that), of the first episode's premier, and ugly things have happened to US policing since. Treme was Simon's masterpiece. The Baltimore shows were just natural offshoots of his work as a police/crime journalist for the Baltimore Sun. It's clear New Orleans is where his soul lives.

@perspicacia wrote:
Was really looking forward to this but what promised to be a great show is completely ruined by overdone bad language and explicit rap music for a soundtrack. Utterly Disappointing

I completely understand how the soundtrack choice can be jarring. I think, done well, it can work, but here I believe it was used to help draw in people who would otherwise not be drawn into a period drama, essentially to make it less of one, so while it may be jarring, it's understandable for a brand that doesn't want to look stuffy and old - and make no mistake, this wouldn't have been made without the Company name's rights-holders, at the very least's, blessing, (if not investment), so this serves double duty as an ad for Guinness.

On the other hand, I don't think you could make an accurate depiction of an Irish brewing family throughout the years without PLENTY of vulgarity, of many sorts. Asking for it not to be there is asking for a story about something else entirely.

Cool 1st episode, I have always paid close attention to the topic, (studied as a hobby for my entire life, staring before the 10 day Nile cruise where I kept interrupting the tour guides with excited exhortations at 9 years old), and I learned a lot. 

This isn't standard, surface-level documentary info. Some reviewers on the big "i" site tuned it out because they disagree with a certain take presented, they didn't give it enough time or credit. 

The idea is a shotgun approach to the subject, giving you ALL the info, even the controversial stuff, with varying levels of professional perspective and critique. They don't really tell you what to believe, they let you have all the info, then tell you whether it might be suspect, and why. Can't see how that harms anyone, and that it helps most who are taking the time to consider it in the first place.

Early series rating 7.5/10, for nonfiction, historical tv. Will watch more, and I'm happy it's a continuing series.

Seems to be rebooting the AMC series TURN: Washington's Spies, and reimagining it for a different war in a turbulent era to release such a thing. As far as I'm aware, it was released tonight. I suspect the timing of this and its thematic content are not coincidental. It's probably going to blow up within hours. You heard it hwere first!