Nothing sets up the new NBC/Peacock series “Line of Fire” better than the tagline, Every Case Hits Home. Except, of course, for one quote from the first episode: “a family full of people who will stop at nothing to protect literal strangers but are unable to stop hurting each other.”
From creator Joshua Safran, known for “Quantico” and “Gossip Girl,” and executive producers Jenna Bush Hager and Ben Spector, “Line of Fire” draws on work and life experiences both on screen and behind the scenes. With shows like “Blue Bloods” and “Matlock” already serving up the hard knocks and winking humor of working alongside family, it took some clever genre blending to create a new series that feels both familiar and fresh. But they’ve done it.
The Hollingsworth Family has law enforcement in their DNA: The matriarch, Jane (Hope Davis), is a high-ranking U.S. Marshal, while the patriarch, Mike (Peter Krause), is retiring from the Secret Service. Meanwhile, their eldest daughter, Clare (Kat Cunning), is a sharp-eyed FBI agent, and the middle son, Mike Jr. (Tommy O’Brien), serves as a rule-breaking Secret Service agent like his dad. Then there’s the youngest son and family fixer, Russ (Taylor Bloom), who’s trying to forge his own path at the DOJ.
That’s right—the firstborn is missing from the roll call. We can’t reveal anything about him, but let’s just say Charlie Barnett is the mystery character to blame.
The Hollingsworths are the best at their jobs. They see things no one else does, and they get personal in ways no one should. But this isn’t a typical case-of-the-week procedural where the crimes set the stage for the dysfunction. Nope, the Hollingsworths are the central mystery, and solving the case will either bring them together or crack open the fissures in their relationships. They’re dealing with a serial killer wrapped up in a conspiracy that spans civilian lives and political intrigue, and enough family bickering to make audiences grin while the family members suffer through it.
Breaking protocol? Check. Hiding the silver origami cranes that keep popping up at crime scenes? Check. Messy love lives? Oh yes. Family gatherings that play out like comedies of manners and wars of words? Another yes. While watching, you must pay attention to even the most innocuous bits of conversation. Everything matters, and for the super sleuths out there, the clues keep piling up, allowing us to play along at home.
Another character who brings the procedural elements into sharp focus is Antoinette Crowe-Legacy as Homeland Security Agent Nia Wallace. With her eye for detail and instincts, she could be a Hollingsworth. After two episodes, I’m hoping their survival will depend on working together.
The cast list is another clue that these actors deliver. It’s easy to believe they are family. The banter and bickering are snappy, and the tactile performances make it hard to tell who to love and who to dropkick. Arrogance is a Hollingsworth family trait, but when it’s paired with their genuine love for justice and each other, it makes the thrills and drama even more enthralling.
The parents have relationship drama. The kids have classic mommy/daddy issues. The sons are trying to shake their dad off their backs, and the daughter is dealing with a mother she doesn’t think respects her. Silly girl.
Then there are the supporting characters, who hold as much interest as the leading family. Interestingly, we see Hager’s influence when we meet the First Daughter of the United States and get a peek into her daily dilemmas. Cheers, too, to the creatives who made the President’s daughter (Savannah Lee Smith’s Sydney) a senior at Howard University, highlighting that storied DC institution that’s close to my heart.
“Line of Fire” is a multigenerational family drama, a procedural, and a law enforcement thriller all in one. Honestly, that sounds like an extended family dinner, fraught with secrets, resentment, and competition, but with an infusion of high-stakes crime. Paired with incisive, witty insights into family dynamics, the mysteries are sharp as blades and prickly as barbed wire. I cannot wait to see how this family gets tangled up, bruised, and bloodied, but hopefully takes more wins than losses this season. It’ll be watchworthy either way.
First two episodes screened for review. “Line of Fire” premieres tonight, September 21 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on NBC and streams the next day on Peacock.
