Kim Clements Movies

Something of an Irish variation on The Sopranos with a considerably younger cast, NBC's weekly, hour-long The Black Donnellys was reportedly inspired on the exploits of an actual family (also named Donnelly) who were involved in a notoriously bloody fued in the Ontario of the 1880s. The TV series, however, was set in the present, and took place in the Hell's Kitchen district of New York City, specifically a patch of territory controlled by four tough young Irish-Americans with mob connections. The eldest of the four Donnelly brothers was the hotheaded, antagonistic Jimmy (Thomas Guiry), the leader of the gang and owner of the bar where the family all hung out. Jimmy's second-in-command was his brother Tommy (Jonathan Tucker), a former art student who occasionally suffered pangs of conscience over the Donnelly's dubious ethics and business practices. The third brother, Kevin (Bill Lush), was a compulsive gambler, while youngest brother Sean (Michael Stahl-David) was a weak-willed ladies' man. The series was narrated by family friend Joey "Ice Cream" (Keith Nobbs), a combination hatchet man and court jester. Created by the same people responsible for the Oscar-winning feature films Million Dollar Baby and Crash, The Black Donnellys debuted February 19, 2007, as a ten-week replacement for the floundering NBC dramedy Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Tommy (Matt Gerald), Julien's (Michael Jace) old partner, gets word that his ex-wife and son have been found murdered in their home. A detective from Wilshire division, where the crime was committed, is questioning Tommy as though he were a suspect. This enrages Vic (Michael Chiklis), who sees it as a territorial pissing match between the Wilshire captain and Aceveda (Benito Martinez), so Vic gets Julien and Danny (Catherine Dent) to join him in going "off the grid" to find the killer. This leads to some complications, as they find out that Tommy may actually have been involved in the deaths. Danny threatens to report them to Aceveda when Vic's tactics go too far. Vic also learns that Corrine (Cathy Cahlin Ryan) has more than a professional relationship with Matthew's (Joel Rosenthal) therapist, Owen (Vincent Angell). Aceveda orders Dutch (Jay Karnes) to give a press conference about the serial rapists, despite his protestations. Forced to talk to the press without having made much headway in the case, Dutch decides to bait the rapist by questioning his virility. It seems to work, as the criminal contacts a reporter, offering to talk with Dutch face to face, on camera. Aceveda gets an unhappy visit from his wife, Aurora (Camilia Sanes), who, unaware that he's recently been sexually assaulted, wonders why he hasn't come home for a few days. The Strike Team and the Decoy Squad team up again, this time to catch local thugs who have been assaulting gay hustlers. When Shane (Walton Goggins) asks why he's been singled out to go undercover as a decoy, Trish (Nicki Micheaux) tells him that none of the other cops "look gay enough." ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

Mackey (Michael Chiklis) and Shane (Walton Goggins) tell the team about their plans to take down the money train. Lem (Kenny Johnson) thinks it's a bad idea to take on the Armenian mob, and he bows out, making Shane and Mackey question his loyalty to them. Connie (Jamie Brown) shows up with a tip about a guy, Felipe (Jonathan Hernandez), who's giving heroin to school kids. Vic ends up giving her a CI contract. It turns out that Felipe is handing out free samples at schools throughout Farmington, and he's working for Armadillo (Danny Pinto). Armadillo approaches Danny (Catherine Dent) on the street with a message for Mackey. He threatens to tell what he knows about Mackey's drug connections if he gets caught. Julien (Michael Jace) invites Danny to his wedding to Vanessa (Monnae McHaell), and Danny feels compelled to point out that Julien is gay. He insists that he's "reformed." Claudette (CCH Pounder) and Dutch (Jay Karnes) go looking for an old woman with Alzheimer's who's wandered off, and Dutch's newfound cynicism rears its head again. When Mackey decides to use Felipe as an undercover informant even though he's underage, Aceveda (Benito Martinez) objects. But when a three-year-old dies after ingesting the heroin he found in his brother's backpack, the captain knows he has to turn Mackey loose. The Strike Team decides that they have to get to Armadillo first and kill him before he can talk, but their sting doesn't go according to plan. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

Julien (Michael Jace) single-handedly takes down an armed suspect in a department store, but his triumph is short-lived, as Tomas (Brent Roam) returns, and threatens to expose his recent sexual past to his new family. Aceveda's (Benito Martinez) city council campaign is losing steam, and Mackey (Michael Chiklis) suggests they could both use a major bust to boost their public image. He learns that a major gang leader, also wanted by the feds, is in town. Ronnie (David Rees Snell) is out of the hospital, and anxious to get back to work, including hitting the Armenian "money train." Lannie (Lucinda Jenney) is working all the angles trying to nail Mackey, including having him tailed, and trying to get the newest Strike Team member, Tavon (Brian White), to turn on him. Tavon is proving himself in the field, but Shane (Walton Goggins) doesn't trust him. Mackey uses Kern Little (Sticky Fingaz) to help find the gang leader, but Kern wants a lot in return, and Mackey has decided that the Strike Team, at least temporarily, is no longer in the drug trade. Dutch (Jay Karnes) and Claudette (CCH Pounder) try to sort out a promiscuous teenage girl's (Ashley Bashioum) claim that she was raped by her boss (Jeff Kober). This episode was directed by Brad Anderson (Next Stop Wonderland). ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide