‘On Call’ Prime Video Series Review - An Okayish Procedural Drama But Hello, Troian Bellisario

The last time I saw Troian Bellisario, she surprised me with her appearance as a researcher named Becky in Richard Linklater's Where'd You Go, Bernadette (I went into the film blind). I first saw her in Pretty Little Liars, then in Feed, and then in Clara. But after seeing her way back in 2019, I forgot all about her, which is why I was once again surprised to see her as a police officer named Traci Harmon in On Call, Prime Video's new series. I felt as if I was meeting an old acquaintance after a very long time. How are you? Where have you been? These are the questions I wanted to ask Troian, but as Traci, the actor has little time to waste on pleasantries. Crimes keep happening, and officers like Traci are always busy and on the move. Even when Traci and her rookie partner, Alex Diaz (played by Brandon Larracuente), manage to take a break to grab a meal or discuss their personal lives, the peace is short-lived. A voice on the radio interrupts them, sending them to a crime scene. Who said being a police officer is all rosy?

Created by Tim Walsh and Elliot Wolf, On Call revels in details related to a police officer's routine. Traci starts her rounds after marking her status, through the radio, as active. At the crime scene, the officers assess the situation and then decide to either call for backup or an ambulance. While driving, Traci sometimes asks Alex to look up the license plate number of any vehicle she finds fishy. During a funeral, a sticker with the word "FUNERAL" can be observed on the windows of the police cars. The series depicts the routines almost meticulously (I am not familiar with the methods of the Long Beach Police Department, but it seems as if the show knows what it's doing). There is no trace of sensationalism in the events involving blood, drugs, self-immolation, or high-speed pursuits. This "realism" doesn't really render the show stimulating; it makes it look like a well-oiled machine. Traci and Alex do their job under a lot of stress. The cases they handle are all nerve-racking, and on top of this, they try to manage the demands of their difficult lives. And yet, the pressure is not felt but merely seen. The camera films everything obediently, not dramatically.

On Call often displays things through bodycam and mobiles, but these visual shifts only present the scene from a new camera lens instead of revealing a new or an illuminating perspective (the characters never pass any comment about their surroundings. Their thoughts, their remarks, are limited to the boundaries of the script). This style is nothing more than an ostentatious trick. It doesn't hide the fact that On Call is tethered to conventional drama and conventional techniques. There is no room for complexity in this series. Confrontations, both personal and professional, are casually brushed aside. Like the two police officers, On Call swiftly moves from one scene to another scene. One can say that this is part of the design - the creators are attempting to convey that police officers act quickly. This is why I think On Call looks more suitable as a "training/orientation video" for people dreaming of or planning to join the police. Can you tackle the stress of your home and work life simultaneously? Yes? Then come in.

Bellisario and Larracuente are fine. They establish something meaningful between their characters even though they are mostly required to do plot-related duties. But their performance, along with that of other actors, reeks of monotony. On Call is so absorbed with the ongoing action that it fails to dig deep into its characters' personalities. We are provided with just enough information to make us say things like, "Police officers are also human beings." That may be right, but this intention takes precedence over bold, original, innovative filmmaking. On Call is not admirable - it's simply okayish (it's much, much better than Uwe Boll's First Shift). It does its job with some competence and leaves.

Final Score- [4.5/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
Follow @vikasonorous on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times
Note: All 8 episodes are screened for this review.
Premiere Date: January 9, 2025, on Prime Video