#the poet
i made a new quiz! which lover are you?
Georg Baselitz, Der Dichter, 1962
PREMISE: As the world spins around him, one man must plumb the depths to uncover the Truth of the Human Condition. The Poet follows the travails of Devin Franklin, a writer in New York City grappling with Big Important Issues and trying to write his masterpiece. Initially a moody, meditative exploration of the interior life of a writer, the show slowly turned into a conventional police procedural as Devin discovered a series of strange occult murders that were part of a larger plot, and found himself pulled into a shady world of mystery and intrigue.
The Poet was created by the great police procedural auteur Dylan Thompson, who gained widespread renown for the classic cop shows he created as a child and teen. By the time he went to college, Thompson had grown tired of being known as “that cop show executive producer kid,” and set out to reinvent himself by creating a show that had nothing to do with crime or mystery or detective work. Instead, he found that he was almost pathologically unable to keep cop show tropes and situations from creeping into his work.
CHARACTERS: Devin Franklin (believed to be a stand-in for creator Thompson) is a writer who spends his time reading and writing about Important Things like history, philosophy, sociology and political issues, not dumb cop stuff. However, bodies keep turning up in the library where he works, and Franklin can’t help but investigate–his dedication to justice keeps pulling him back in. He sees what the cops can’t, asks questions no one dares ask, and won’t rest until the case is closed. And often, it’s less time consuming for him to just solve the crime than leave it to the police. In season two, it’s revealed that he was actually a retired police officer the whole time and he gets put back on the force (S02.E22 – “I Can’t Help It”).
Professor Heinrich Stenkovich was originally Franklin’s wise, sensitive mentor, and influential Philosophy 101 professor, but as the show went on, the character became an informant and a source of broad comic relief. By the beginning of season three he was known simply as Professor Stank (S03.E01 – “Have I No Dignity? Have I No Shame?).
NOTABLE EPISODE: Franklin tries taking a trip out of the city to escape the crimes he keeps stumbling upon and solving. But as he sits down in his cabin to write the next great American epic poem, he sees a strange symbol carved into the floor. The symbol turns out to be a major clue to the occult murders, and Franklin reluctantly leaves his books behind to follow the lead, ultimately uncovering a kidnapping plot (S01.E09 – “You Can’t Escape… Yourself”).
CATCHPHRASE: “Walt Whitman wouldn’t have cared about this murder. Would he?” / “I’m gonna throw the book at him.” (Always followed by a long, weary sigh.)
TRIVIA: Dylan Thompson was credited as both Executive Producer and Intern on The Poet since he created the show for college credit.
See also: Dylan Thompson’s previous work on #035 The Dirt Bike Boys, #044 Gross Cases, #049 New York’s Finest, #053 NYPD Blues
