It was always going to be an uphill battle. How do you follow Denzel? Honestly, you basically can’t. When CBS announced they were adapting the 2001 cinematic masterpiece into a television series, the collective groan from cinephiles was audible. But then, they announced the Training Day cast, and suddenly, things got interesting. Bill Paxton—the guy from Aliens, Twister, and Big Love—was stepping into the role of the morally bankrupt veteran cop. It wasn't just a remake; it was a continuation, set fifteen years after the events of the movie.
The premise was simple enough: a bright-eyed, heroic young officer is tasked with going undercover to spy on a rogue detective. But while the movie was a tight, claustrophobic thriller over 24 hours, the show tried to be a weekly procedural. It struggled. Despite some gritty performances and a genuine attempt to bridge the gap between the film's legacy and a new narrative, the series is now remembered more for the tragic passing of its lead than for its plot twists.
The Powerhouse at the Center: Bill Paxton as Frank Roarke
Bill Paxton didn't try to play Alonzo Harris. That was his first smart move. Instead, he gave us Detective Frank Roarke, the head of the Special Investigation Section (S.I.S.). Roarke was less of a predatory wolf and more of a tired, cynical lion who had seen too much. He was a "gray" character in a world that CBS usually paints in black and white.
Paxton brought this erratic, kinetic energy to the role. One minute he’s cracking a joke that feels slightly off-color, and the next, he’s dangling a suspect off a balcony. It’s a tragedy that this ended up being his final television role. He died just a few weeks after the series premiered due to complications from surgery. This cast a massive shadow over the production. Suddenly, watching Roarke skirt the line between life and death felt uncomfortably real. Critics, including those at The Hollywood Reporter, noted that Paxton was the "main—and perhaps only—reason to watch." He had this way of making even the most clichéd "bad cop" dialogue sound like a weathered philosophy.
Justin Cornwell and the Impossible Hero Role
If Paxton was the chaos, Justin Cornwell was the anchor. Playing Officer Kyle Craig, Cornwell had the unenviable task of being the "good guy" in a show that celebrates the "bad guy." In the original film, Ethan Hawke’s Jake Hoyt was the audience surrogate, the person we rooted for to stay clean. Cornwell played Craig with a similar earnestness, but the writers gave him a personal stake: he believed Roarke might have had something to do with his father's death.
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Cornwell was a relative newcomer at the time. You might recognize him now from The Umbrella Academy or Jingle Jangle, but back in 2017, he was the fresh face meant to represent the new generation of policing. His chemistry with Paxton was surprisingly solid. They had this weird, father-son-from-hell dynamic going on.
- Kyle Craig: The idealistic rookie.
- Frank Roarke: The corrupt mentor.
- The Conflict: Can you do bad things for a good reason?
It’s a trope as old as time. Or at least as old as police procedurals. But Cornwell sold the internal struggle well, even when the scripts started leaning into "case of the week" territory that felt a bit too much like CSI.
The Supporting Players: Julie Benz and Katrina Law
Beyond the lead duo, the Training Day cast featured some heavy hitters from the world of genre TV. Julie Benz, beloved by Dexter and Buffy fans, played Holly Butler. Holly wasn't just a love interest; she was a high-end madam. This gave the show a chance to explore the "informant" side of the underworld. Benz is a pro at playing characters who are softer on the outside but have a spine of reinforced steel.
Then there was Katrina Law. If you’ve watched Arrow or Spartacus, you know she handles action better than almost anyone in the business. She played Detective Rebecca Lee. Her character was interesting because she had been "saved" by Roarke when she was a child. This created a complicated loyalty. She wasn't just his subordinate; she was his protégé and, in many ways, his daughter. This added a layer of emotional complexity that the show desperately needed. It wasn't just about drugs and money; it was about the families we build in the line of fire.
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Rounding out the squad was Drew Van Acker as Tommy Campbell. He was the surfer-boy undercover specialist. While he didn't get as much meat to chew on as Paxton or Cornwell, he provided the necessary backup for the high-stakes raids that happened in nearly every episode.
Why the Show Ultimately Faded
Why didn't it work? Honestly, the timing was cursed. Beyond the loss of Bill Paxton, the show struggled with its own identity. It wanted to be a gritty, prestige drama like The Shield, but it was airing on a network that thrives on familiar, comfortable procedural beats. You can't really do "Training Day" if you have to wrap everything up in a neat bow by the 42-minute mark.
The ratings were soft. CBS moved the show from Thursday nights to Saturday nights—often called the "death slot" in television. When Paxton passed away, the network decided not to renew the show for a second season. It felt like the right call. Continuing without Frank Roarke would have been like The Office without Michael Scott, but with more guns and less paper.
The Connection to the 2001 Film
One of the cooler aspects of the show that fans often overlook is the connective tissue. The show explicitly mentions the events of the film. There were even rumors and small hints that we might see cameos from the original movie cast, though that never fully materialized beyond some thematic nods. The shadow of Denzel Washington’s Alonzo Harris loomed large.
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The show tried to argue that the "Alonzo way" of policing didn't die in that hail of bullets in the Pacific Northwest. Instead, it mutated. It became the S.I.S. way. This nuance is what makes the Training Day cast worth looking back on. They were trying to tell a story about the systemic rot in the LAPD, not just a story about one "wolf" cop.
What You Should Watch Instead (or Next)
If you're looking for that specific vibe the Training Day series was chasing, you have a few options.
- The Original Movie: Obviously. If you haven't seen it in five years, watch it again. Denzel’s performance is a masterclass in manipulation.
- Bosch: If you want a more realistic, slow-burn look at LAPD detectives, Titus Welliver is the gold standard.
- The Shield: This is the show Training Day wanted to be. It’s brutal, uncompromising, and the cast is incredible.
- Big Love: If you want to see Bill Paxton at his absolute peak, this is the one. It shows his range in a way a cop show never could.
The Training Day TV series remains a strange footnote in television history. It’s a "what if" story. What if the show had been on FX or HBO? What if Bill Paxton had lived to see a season two? We’ll never know. But for thirteen episodes, we got to see a group of talented actors try to catch lightning in a bottle for a second time.
Key Takeaways for Fans of the Show
- Check out the pilot: It’s directed by Danny Cannon and captures the cinematic feel of the original better than the later episodes.
- Appreciate Paxton's swan song: Regardless of how you feel about the writing, Paxton's performance is magnetic and serves as a reminder of his incredible screen presence.
- Don't expect a sequel: The show was officially canceled in 2017, and there are currently no plans to reboot the reboot.
- Search for the "lost" interviews: There are several press junket interviews with the Training Day cast from early 2017 where Paxton discusses his approach to the character of Frank Roarke—it's fascinating stuff for acting nerds.
If you are diving back into this series, keep an eye on the background details. The production design team did a great job making the Los Angeles of the show feel like an extension of the Los Angeles from the film. It’s sun-drenched, dusty, and feels like it’s always on the verge of a riot. It’s that specific "L.A. Noir" aesthetic that keeps the franchise alive in the minds of fans.
To truly understand the impact of the series, look at how police dramas have shifted since 2017. We’ve moved away from the "cowboy cop" trope toward more nuanced portrayals of law enforcement. In a way, the Training Day series was one of the last of its kind—a relic of an era where we wanted our heroes to be a little bit dirty. Whether that’s a good or bad thing is up to you, but the talent of the performers involved is undeniable.