| Series cast summary: |
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Oscar Isaac
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Nick Wasicsko
6 episodes, 2015
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Carla Quevedo
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Nay Noe
/ ...
6 episodes, 2015
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Peter Riegert
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Oscar Newman
6 episodes, 2015
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Natalie Paul
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Doreen Henderson
6 episodes, 2015
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Ilfenesh Hadera
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Carmen Febles
6 episodes, 2015
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LaTanya Richardson Jackson
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Norma O'Neal
6 episodes, 2015
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Alfred Molina
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Hank Spallone
6 episodes, 2015
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Angela Pietropinto
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Anne Wasicsko
6 episodes, 2015
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Michael Stahl-David
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Jim Surdoval
6 episodes, 2015
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Ray Iannicelli
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Council Clerk
6 episodes, 2015
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James P. Stephens
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Courtroom Photographer
6 episodes, 2015
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Catherine Keener
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Mary Dorman
5 episodes, 2015
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Josh Salatin
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Michael Wasicsko
5 episodes, 2015
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Bruce Altman
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Buddy Dorman
5 episodes, 2015
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Danny Mastrogiorgio
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Peter Chema
5 episodes, 2015
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McKinley Belcher III
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Dwayne Meeks
5 episodes, 2015
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Brianna Horne
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Gail Henderson
5 episodes, 2015
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Laura Gómez
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Dama Montero
5 episodes, 2015
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Michael Potts
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Walter Henderson
5 episodes, 2015
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Allan Steele
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Edward Fagan
5 episodes, 2015
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Patrick Cooley
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Det. Peter Intervallo
/ ...
5 episodes, 2015
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Terry Kinney
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Peter Smith
4 episodes, 2015
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Dominique Fishback
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Billie Rowan
4 episodes, 2015
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Winona Ryder
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Vinni Restiano
4 episodes, 2015
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Jon Bernthal
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Michael H. Sussman
4 episodes, 2015
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Bob Balaban
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Judge Leonard B. Sand
4 episodes, 2015
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Kyanna Simone Simpson
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Tasha O'Neal
4 episodes, 2015
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Camilla Harden
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Older Maria
4 episodes, 2015
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David Iacono
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Older Roberto
4 episodes, 2015
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Jim Bracchitta
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Nick Longo
4 episodes, 2015
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Jeff Lima
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John Santos, Jr.
4 episodes, 2015
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Saverio Guerra
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Neil DeLuca
4 episodes, 2015
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Stephen Gevedon
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Jack O'Toole
4 episodes, 2015
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Lolita Brinkley
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Pearl Henderson
4 episodes, 2015
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Kia Goodwin
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Elaine Henderson
4 episodes, 2015
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Hilary Mann
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Kathy
4 episodes, 2015
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Shenell Edmonds
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Meeka
4 episodes, 2015
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Patricia R. Floyd
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Pat Williams
4 episodes, 2015
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Jordan Bridges
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Times Reporter
4 episodes, 2015
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Erica Camarano
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Local News Anchor
/ ...
4 episodes, 2015
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Charlie Romanelli
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Shouting Man
/ ...
4 episodes, 2015
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Alex Xenos
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Yonkers Tenant
/ ...
4 episodes, 2015
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Jim Belushi
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Angelo Martinelli
3 episodes, 2015
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Remy Auberjonois
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Michael Sculnick
3 episodes, 2015
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Peggy J. Scott
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Lucille Rizzetta-Lantz
3 episodes, 2015
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Aidan Brito
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Older Felipe
3 episodes, 2015
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Charles Brice
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Gary
3 episodes, 2015
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Dan Ziskie
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Harry Oxman
3 episodes, 2015
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Neal Huff
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Brian Heffernan
3 episodes, 2015
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Ajay J. Perez
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Young Felipe
3 episodes, 2015
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Brynn Horrocks
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Bernadette
3 episodes, 2015
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Marisol Sacramento
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Rosa Montero
3 episodes, 2015
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Melanie Nicholls-King
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Janet Rowan
3 episodes, 2015
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Alex Galper
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Teodor Feciaszko
3 episodes, 2015
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Adriana DeMeo
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Lisa
3 episodes, 2015
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Nick Mills
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Protester
3 episodes, 2015
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John Palumbo
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Shouting Man
/ ...
3 episodes, 2015
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Jessica Denson
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Gail Wasicsko
3 episodes, 2015
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Edward Sabol
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Protestor
3 episodes, 2015
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Pete Spano
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Homeowner
/ ...
3 episodes, 2015
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Clarke Peters
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Robert Mayhawk
2 episodes, 2015
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Patrick Breen
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Paul W. Pickelle
2 episodes, 2015
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Jeremy Davidson
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John Spencer
2 episodes, 2015
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J. Mallory McCree
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Skip
2 episodes, 2015
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Kaden Amari Anderson
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Jaron
2 episodes, 2015
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Stephen DeRosa
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Nick DeSantis
2 episodes, 2015
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Clayton LeBouef
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Benjamin Hooks
2 episodes, 2015
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Daniel Oreskes
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Charles Cola
2 episodes, 2015
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Noel Dinneen
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Frank McGovern
2 episodes, 2015
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Samuel Mercedes
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Young Roberto
2 episodes, 2015
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Kayla Diaz
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Young Maria
2 episodes, 2015
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Daniel Sauli
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Terry Zaleski
2 episodes, 2015
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Jared Kemp
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Player
2 episodes, 2015
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Brandon Thomas
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Player
2 episodes, 2015
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Dominic Comperatore
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Spallone Campaign Manager
2 episodes, 2015
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Simon MacLean
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Advance Man
2 episodes, 2015
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Agatha Casiano
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Norma's Nurse
2 episodes, 2015
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Al Cerullo
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Helicopter Pilot
2 episodes, 2015
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Katira Maria
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Casielda
2 episodes, 2015
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Kimberly Faure
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Airline Attendant
2 episodes, 2015
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John Hemphill
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Pollster
2 episodes, 2015
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Josh Evans
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Moderator
2 episodes, 2015
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Danielle Lee Greaves
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Verna Earl
2 episodes, 2015
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LaTonya Borsay
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Sadie Young Jefferson
2 episodes, 2015
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Shumerria Harris
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Attendee
/ ...
2 episodes, 2015
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Kaitlyn Wylde
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Young Woman
2 episodes, 2015
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Jordan Dean
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Police Officer
2 episodes, 2015
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Evan Leone
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Police Officer
2 episodes, 2015
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Christian Keiber
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Angry Bobby
/ ...
2 episodes, 2015
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Ariela Arnon
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Receptionist
2 episodes, 2015
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Brian Patrick Sullivan
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Bill Dentzer
2 episodes, 2015
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Clark Jackson
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NAACP Counsel
2 episodes, 2015
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Jarrell Singleton
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Slinger
2 episodes, 2015
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Teddy Coluca
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Neighbor
2 episodes, 2015
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Warren Bub
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Superintendent
2 episodes, 2015
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Curtis Shumaker
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Homeowner
2 episodes, 2015
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Tyler Evans
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TV Analyst
2 episodes, 2015
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John Mazurek
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Homeowner
2 episodes, 2015
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Paul Collins
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Mr. Hobart
2 episodes, 2015
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Amber Efé
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Anchorwoman
2 episodes, 2015
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Joanna Bonaro
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Pedestrian
2 episodes, 2015
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Ingrid Saxon
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Library Protester
2 episodes, 2015
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Thomas Cannizzaro
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Ed Tagliaferri
2 episodes, 2015
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Peter Gregus
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Library Protester
2 episodes, 2015
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Ian Unterman
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Dave Hartley
2 episodes, 2015
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Barrington Walters Jr.
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Mambo
2 episodes, 2015
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Jeane Fournier
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Lynn Zaleski
2 episodes, 2015
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Rachel Deacon
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Anne-Marie
2 episodes, 2015
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Michael D. Boron
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Ophtalmologist
/ ...
2 episodes, 2015
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Darlene Violette
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Speaker
/ ...
2 episodes, 2015
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Harvey Jaffe
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Maury Allen
2 episodes, 2015
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Mark Moshe Bellows
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Speaker
2 episodes, 2015
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Genevieve Hudson-Price
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Maureen Aig
2 episodes, 2015
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Tom Bruno
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Supporter
2 episodes, 2015
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Anne O'Sullivan
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Voter
2 episodes, 2015
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Eboni Booth
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Woman Reporter
2 episodes, 2015
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Chad Ackerman
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Young Cop
2 episodes, 2015
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Yvonne Cecelia
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Attendee
2 episodes, 2015
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Kevin Hogan
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Voter
2 episodes, 2015
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Julito McCullum
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Caseworker
2 episodes, 2015
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Paul Borghese
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Protester
2 episodes, 2015
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Michael Kaplan
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Voter
2 episodes, 2015
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Natalie Carter
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Woman Resident
2 episodes, 2015
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Roger Wayne
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Protest Leader
2 episodes, 2015
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Guyviaud Joseph
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Young Male
2 episodes, 2015
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John Bianco
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Commissioner Joseph Fernandes
2 episodes, 2015
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Madison Cruz
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Female Resident
2 episodes, 2015
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Thedra Porter
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Female Resident
2 episodes, 2015
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Shawn Allen McLaughlin
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Local News Anchor
2 episodes, 2015
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Ann Gulian
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White Housewife
2 episodes, 2015
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Wanda Nobles Colon
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Latina Resident
2 episodes, 2015
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Brian Hutchison
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Police Captain
2 episodes, 2015
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Zenovia Gonzalez
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Latina Daughter
2 episodes, 2015
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Joniece Abbott-Pratt
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Woman
2 episodes, 2015
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Makia Martin
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Woman
2 episodes, 2015
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Maechi Aharanwa
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Woman
2 episodes, 2015
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Ilene Kristen
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Hostess
2 episodes, 2015
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Sarah Bolt
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Zaleski's Secretary
2 episodes, 2015
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Angela Cohen
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Local TV Reporter
2 episodes, 2015
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Guy Lockard
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National CBS Reporter
2 episodes, 2015
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Jeff Mantel
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Detective
2 episodes, 2015
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Tamika Lawrence
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Young Mother
2 episodes, 2015
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John Quilty
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Lawyer
2 episodes, 2015
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Johnny Mascali
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Italian Man
2 episodes, 2015
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Tyrese Muneza
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Jaron's Friend
2 episodes, 2015
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Rita Rehn
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Shouting Woman
2 episodes, 2015
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Harold Bridgeforth
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Grimey Lookout
/ ...
2 episodes, 2015
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Tyler Burness
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Police Reporter
2 episodes, 2015
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Jerry DiLeo
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Pallbearer
/ ...
2 episodes, 2015
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Mahaleia Gray
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Girl in the Neighborhood
2 episodes, 2015
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Michael Lane
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Courtroom Attendee
/ ...
2 episodes, 2015
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Zandrea Penn
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Court Room Protestor
2 episodes, 2015
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Razor Rocco Rizzotti
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Police Officer
2 episodes, 2015
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Against the tidal wave of television series released since 'the Wire' first premiered almost ten years ago, Show me a Hero quietly aims for the head and makes very few compromises to its trajectory. A show like this is way more content to jog its way steadily towards the finish line ahead of a pack of exhausted red faced sprinters who run out of steam well before the race is over. It knows that a story this fascinating but also so full of bureaucratic nitty gritty and highbrow social commentary can't start out the gate sprinting - it needs to build, and to grow, and to settle in your heart and your head in order to make its case for greatness. And it has nothing to prove. Much like the Wire and Treme, the payoff will come to those who wait it out, and unfortunately the series will probably suffer (or enjoy, depending on how you look at it) the same fate as those aforementioned shows because of it. A core group of loyal fans will stay with it from day one, and then countless other attention deficit disordered viewers will tune out until after the series has aired will come back to it later and wonder why the hell they waited so long to watch it.
Oscar Isaacs is phenomenal here, I would count this as his best work on anything, television or film or otherwise. He creates a complicated, conflicted character who gradually comes to tragic grips with his role as mayor presiding over a controversial housing development in Yonkers in the 1980's with a subtleness that I'm not sure many other actors would have delivered. Even my description doesn't really pay his character justice, it is never really made clear if he ever did grasp the importance of his political stand when he was in office. I'm not sure that is really the point. The point seems to be more that institutions can tower over men who think they control them, and that they do eventually have the power to affect positive change, in the same way that Simon's previous series showed us that institutions can be cold and inhospitable to anything but failure.
The show has a wonderful cast, and a lot of 'oh wow, I haven't seen that guy in AGES' moments - in roles that often play against type, and give these actors a lot of thoughtful, intelligent dialogue to work with.
And finally Paul Haggis. I haven't been the biggest fan of his work in the past, but paired with David Simon's wonderful naturalistic dialogue the directing feels masterful here, less gritty, more evocative than the Wire but stripped of the over the top melodrama found in Haggis's other work. There's a restraint here that I really appreciate.
I hope those people who might have tuned out after the first episode pick it up again. Show me a Hero is completely worth your full attention.