THE TV GUYDE – Lawman by night

Wednesdays @ 10 (A&E)

He’s Hard to Kill. He’s Marked for Death. He’s Under Siege. And while he’s usually Above the Law, this time around he IS the law. Stephen Seagal is back, folks! But this time he isn’t your badass vigilante with his own brand of fatal justice made famous in the 90s. He’s back in a television series 20 years in the making. Stephen Seagal Lawman reveals a side of the action star few know: reserve deputy for the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in Louisiana. As made-up as it sounds, it is entirely legit and airs Wednesday nights on A&E.

Stephen Seagal serving and protecting the streets of Louisiana.

Seagal – or “Stephen F. Seagal” as written on his uniform’s name tag – enrolled into the force soon after demonstrating his 7th-degree black belt training to a squad of officers down south 20 years ago. He’s as much a part of the team, and valued as such, as any other member on the force. Dude, I’m still trying to get a grip on this. I’m sitting watching as Seagal rides shotgun (uh, not literally, but could just as easily ride with a shotgun in his hands) in a high-speed pursuit down the interstate tailing an alleged carjacker. I swear I was watching Out for Justice again. I’m soon brought back to earth, however, as I watch Seagal yell, “Where he at? Where he at?” and call for his fellow officers to taze the suspect. Pure insanity.

Seagal always holds his gun ready to use it. ALWAYS.

What sets the man apart is the context in which he patrols the streets. Seagal is akin to a Zen master in his southern outfit. He doesn’t just notice what others might see. Patrolling the “Jects” (the projects), “every movement speaks to him.” The production team does what it can to provide the viewer with a glimpse into Seagal’s unique way of observing his environment, but it’s really just footage we saw earlier. Frankly, the series – nay, the MAN – is perfectly watchable and down-right captivating without the ridiculous camera tricks. For instance, take his apprenticing of his very own “grasshoppa” Capt. Alex Norman before the good Captain’s shooting qualification test. Seagal shoots a second bullet through his first bullet hole (!) and shoots the heads off of Q-Tips and matches (!!) 20 feet away. Cap says it best: “He knows how to put lead on target.”

Seagal swearing in. See? It’s completely legit.

I was never the biggest fan of Seagal back in the day, but there is no doubt in my mind that the man is the real deal. I’m still not sure what he means by “the Zen masters in archery don’t pull the arrow; they push the arrow,” but the man’s an expert marksman and I’m not. So there. At first glance the series merely looks like Cops meets Seagal, but he brings a discipline to the show that elevates the concept and mesmerizes the audience. Maybe there is a celebrity on the force in Louisiana, but it looks more like this celeb is a force to be reckoned with.

The TV Guyde