We Own This City Episode 1 review: All about the bad cops of Baltimore 

HBO is back with another true crime drama, We Own This City. The twist is that we are seeing the crimes on the other side of the fence this time.

The six-episode miniseries brings to viewers a compelling narrative of the police officers of the Baltimore Unit of Gun Trace Task Force or GTTF who ended up behind bars after the truth was revealed. They used brute force on common people, abused their job privileges and were heavily involved in criminal activities. Eight members of the GTTF were charged with federal racketeering and sent to prison.

Based on the book of the same name by Baltimore Sun reporter Justin Fenton, the miniseries chronicles the real-life events surrounding the dispersal and punishment of the Baltimore Police Department's Gun Trace Task Force (GTTF) after they exploited their authority and put the city at risk.

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How does We Own This City set the premise?

We Own This City starts off by introducing viewers to the infamous Jenkins, and goes on to tell the story of the bad cops of Baltimore using an intriguing non-linear narrative structure. This appears confusing and haphazard at first, but viewers can soon pick up on the pattern.

Shifting between the perspectives of the cops of GTTF and the lawyers investigating the case of the offending police officers in the Baltimore GTTF unit, the miniseries attempts to tell the story from the beginning. We see the latter's rise, fall and everything in between.

The series covers events starting from the early 2000s, when Jenkins first came into the force, all the way to the mid 2010s, when the FBI began its investigation in earnest after the Narcotics Task Force accidentally recovered a tracking device used by GTTF officers in one of the suspect vans.

The first episode attempts to set the premise on which the entire series will be based, and it succeeds. The incidents build upon each other, triggering the investigations that the series will cover. It also gave us a glimpse of the culture that encourages and even rewards unethical conduct with bigger promotions, resulting in widespread corruption and normalization of fraud and theft.

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What will the series bring? Assessing the impact of the first episode

We Own This City is an attempt to bring to light the misdoings of the Baltimore cops who exploited their authority to make the lives of civilians difficult. From wrongfully searching civilians and stealing money from them to harassing them by planting drugs and guns on unsuspecting innocent individuals, they did it all.

The first episode features multiple scenes showcasing the criminal activities of the police like beating up civilians and laundering mone, giving us a broad perspective of what to expect from the next five episodes. We Own This City also highlights the perspectives of the lawyers and other officials who played a pivotal role in unearthing the crimes and having the menacing officials sentenced to prison.

Viewers are also left with an interesting questions. How are police officials affected, having to deal with crime and tread dangerous crimes every day? Do they become more likely to go over to the wrong side because of the darkness they witness?

Jumping back and forth between timelines, the creators of the show have able to provide the audience with an overview of the miniseries. From the Baltimore police division getting away with their nefarious crimes to finally them being held accountable fue to the intervention of lawyers, the story will trace it all.

The series will also explore the political and judicial failures that led to such a devastating situation in the first place by letting brutality go unchecked.

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Don't miss the HBO true crime We Own This City which is now streaming on HBO Max.