She was an American Girl, raised on promises… We see a lot of promises broken this episode, ones made to others and to themselves. Maggie Gyllenhaal breaks our hearts as Elaine runs from stoop to lamppost to corner fleeing Method Man Rodney’s best game after a robbery and a beating from a john leaves her…
The last shot of the wonderful opening credits sequence always makes me gag; that barefoot splashing into a filthy Times Square puddle. Walking in sandals in New York City is still a gamble, and I wonder if podiatrists have to treat rare bacterial diseases of those who dare. But enough about feet, this episode is…
They found the smoke! Abby needs a job. She’s following the want-ads, and the office she interviews at is full of old white men and looks hazier than a dirty fish tank. But I’m getting ahead of myself. This is another fine episode that gives us a look into the power structure of ‘70s New…
“There’s not enough smoke.” That’s one criticism I overheard about The Deuce, HBO’s 8-episode series set on 42nd Street in the ‘70s. Everyone lights up, but there’s no cancerous haze across the barroom; you can actually see people. That’s one thing I don’t miss. I’ll admit, I never frequented bars in Times Square back in…
As nostalgic as I am for the '70s and ‘80s Times Square, I’m glad that George Pelecanos and David Simon’s new show The Deuce wastes no time getting the first mugging out of the way. Vinnie Martino is dropping the bar receipts in the night deposit box when two goons in a Barracuda shake him…
With only two episodes left of Season 7 of Game of Thrones, people are starting to wonder what their next Sunday night show will be. Well, don’t change the channel because HBO is bringing a new David Simon and George Pelecanos-created show called The Deuce! Premiering Sunday, September 10th, The Deuce explores the rise of…
Today marks the 40th anniversary of the NYC Blackout, so we're giving you a little sneak peak of Rich Zahradnik's latest novel—Lights Out Summer—set during the spring and summer of 1977. This special excerpt takes place during the blackout. Lights Out Summer is available October 1st! In March 1977, ballistics link murders going back six…
SoHo Sins by Richard Vine is an intriguing debut novel about the underworld of the New York art scene (now available in paperback!). Read David Cranmer's review of SoHo Sins by Richard Vine, and then make sure to sign in and comment below for a chance to win a paperback copy! “You can’t deal successfully…
Every Wednesday, we here at Criminal Element will put together a list of Staff Picks of the books that published the day before—sharing the ones that we are looking forward to reading the most! A new Don Winslow and the 7th Dewey Andreas thriller by Ben Coes highlight a great week of books! See what…
The Force by Don Winslow is a haunting and heartbreaking story of greed and violence, inequality and race, crime and injustice, retribution and redemption that reveals the seemingly insurmountable tensions between the police and the diverse citizens they serve. His old priests might have told him that there are sins of commission and sins of omission,…
