The new season of A&E’s The First 48 has arrived, and Season 28 is a perfect example of how the show is entering a new phase of its life. The series is evolving, and it has to if it wants to remain the best in the true crime genre.
The First 48 has spent ages being the gold standard of crime shows, for a wide variety of reasons. From its even-handed approach to its subject matter, to the way it offers insights that no other series can give into homicide investigation and the state of policing, to the fact that it is genuinely entertaining without being forced or sensationalized, there’s a whole catalog of reasons why it stands out above the rest. But as true crime has exploded into a frankly oversaturated genre and the world in general has changed, it’s been an interesting last couple of years for the show.
There’s a constant wave of new crime TV series, some even on A&E, all of them professing to have new insights or shocking revelations about whatever their topic is. Audiences have access to more true crime content than ever before, and when most of it isn’t done very well, that can color public opinion about the entire genre. On top of that, the perception of police continues to change, leading to some sharp decisions by those in charge. The First 48 lost Mobile, one of its best departments, because of the then-police chief thinking it sent a negative message to those who lived in or wanted to visit the city.
Into all this comes The First 48 Season 28, Episode 1, “Friends No More.” On face value, it’s not one of the show’s most memorable episodes. There’s only one real suspect in the murder, and there isn’t any scene that the audience will have a hard time forgetting. What’s most interesting about it is the focus on detectives who are relatively new to the audience; they’ve been around the Tulsa Police Department for a while, but they haven’t gotten a ton of screen time. The investigation is led by Det. Vernon McNeal, with primary assists from Sgt. Jeremy Stiles and appearances by Det. Emery Ward. The most recognizable face for the bulk of the episode is unit stalwart Det. John Brown.
It’s not until the latter half of the episode that audiences start to see people that they know and love. Fan-favorite Det. Jason White shows up to provide a key break in the case, and then audiences also get to hear from Det. Max Ryden, Sgt. Nathan Schilling and Lt. Brandon Watkins. (It is genuinely bizarre to see the unit looking at surveillance video and not have Schilling be the guy behind the computer.) For a while, this episode feels like it’s following a whole new unit. And as weird as that is, it’s also very important if The First 48 is going to make it to even Season 30.
McNeal, Stiles, Ward and company may not be as well known as Brown, White, Schilling and other The First 48 icons who helped make the show the success that it is. But audiences have to remember that people like Jason White, Justin Ritter and Dave Walker were strangers to them too at first. It was getting to see them in action that made them TV heroes. “Friends No More” allows these new-ish members of Tulsa Homicide to have the spotlight all to themselves for 25-plus minutes, so the audience get to know them a little better. They need the screen time for viewers to learn how they operate and who they are as people. Being a supporting player in an earlier episode is totally different from being a featured detective. As a featured lead, the audience has to care about them as an individual and their story, not just whatever assist they’re making on the case.
With Mobile gone and the only other current department being Gwinnett County, Georgia, The First 48 is truly leaning on Tulsa to keep itself going. And to do that, it has to keep developing everyone’s stories. It’s great to see that folks like White and Ryden and Brown are still present, because the show wouldn’t be the same without them. But Season 28, Episode 1 is a wonderful stage for their colleagues, as the fans get to see McNeal hold his own in an interrogation and how he works with the rest of his team.
There’s one great camera shot that gives the audience a look at most of the team, which includes everyone from Watkins to folks like Jeff Gatwood, Matt Farrell and McNeal. That’s a pretty different lineup than The First 48 fans are used to when they see Tulsa episodes. But the beauty of the Tulsa Homicide unit and its longevity on the show is how the unit has evolved as its detectives grow, and that viewers get to see that. “Friends No More” successfully lets McNeal, Stiles and Ward shine, with just enough of an assist from beloved faces to still feel familiar. And that’s the balance The First 48 needs to keep in order to maintain its high standards.
The First 48 airs Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT and streams on the A&E app. Photo credit: Courtesy of A&E.
