Moral of the Story
The plot of the show focuses on the social evils that challenge the collective development of society, aiming to desist young minds from venturing into crime for the purpose of obtaining wealth quickly. It also advises the rising users of roads and their families to exercise maximum caution while in their new cars, which may cut short their lives within seconds. This show aims to curb the escalating incidences of road accidents, especially involving new cars, which the owners might manhandle. The explicit meaning addresses the demographic ranging from youthful adults to middle-aged viewers, cutting across both genders. This is implied by the majority of the characters, who are aged roughly along these lines. …show more content…
It is these employed individuals who have the propensity to afford vehicles for private use. It is also clear that the show focused on the family set-up, showing that the loss of a family member is distressing, especially when they lose a member through the actions of others (Jackson, 2014).
The show also addresses the fact that law enforcement agencies always win in their duels with criminal segments of society since all of the felons are ultimately brought to book by the end of the contemporary episodes. It teaches the youthful generation that crime does not pay; in fact, it is the society itself which faces the full brunt of delinquency as unfortunate characters even lose their lives for the sake of the selfish gains of the perpetrators. The series of shows inform the public that the state’s resources are infinite, especially when it comes to the realization that crime is caused by the same members of the community. It is up to local leaders to emphasize the safety and concerns of the public such that vile attempts to distort enjoyable lifestyles are dealt with in the most serious ways possible (Jackson, 2014).
Referential Meaning
The show is meant to portray the availability of resources available to the state governments countrywide, especially those designed to protect the public from harm. It is this sense of security that is the overlying theme of the development of the show. It is solely positioning the law enforcement agencies as the ideal institution to tackle crime. The equipment used by the cast in their endeavors to investigate crimes and bring the offender to book is relatively state of the art by their contemporary standards then. The utilization of lie detector instruments to question suspects was a new phenomenon, giving rise the now popular crime detection techniques that are utilized in most detective shows (Newman, 2014).
Proper crime detection is only useful when the law enforcers are communicating with each other, hence the use of the two-way radios that co-ordinate operations between the headquarters and the detective within the confines of the precinct.
The utilization of this medium of communication allows for instantaneous decision making relevant to the situation at hand. In fact, it is due to these interactions that the audience realizes the scope of the crime and its implications to society. Another referential meaning regards the state of the economy of the state agencies, which are portrayed utilizing powerful motorcycle and gleaming vehicles in the crime prevention and investigation activities. These vehicles can easily chase after evading criminals with ease no matter the location. The vehicles are properly branded to ease recognition. The Buicks were expensive vehicles meant for the affluent, implying that the state was well endowed to procure these cars and motorcycle within their budgets (Jenner, 2016).
Also, the series often used backdrops such as institutions and highways, giving the impression that the state of infrastructure throughout the country was immaculate. The roads were well paved, tarmacked and aesthetically designed such that the show’s producers found it fitting for scenes to be shot in these places. It is the mandate of the state to provide these facilities from taxpayers’ contributions, making their input to the economy of the American feasible. It is worthy to note that the star is always impeccably dressed, implying that the officers get reasonable salaries and wages that make them stand out from other civil servants. The provision of a multitude of junior officers seeking the decisions made by the lead-detective offers an interesting outlook about the state of human resources at the disposal of the police stations countrywide. All these instruments serve to highlight the ability of the state to provide security services to their residents.
The inclusion of the police as the protagonists of the plot aim to highlight their effectiveness when dealing with crime in the various states as well as the methods used to tackle crime.
The shows begin by noting the extent of crime within the society, which bases the line of thinking that all crime is within the jurisdiction of the law enforcement agencies. Their efficiency is solving these issues works to promote the mutual existence of communities that suffer from crime and other instigators of torment. The show depicts Dan Mathews as a dedicated officer, who is rarely off-duty, implying the sacrifice that law enforcement officers make in pursuit of a crimeless society. He is also seen to spend Christmas Eve, which is a holiday, searching for a lost six-year-old girl. The theme of insecurity is great evidence about the turn of events in America due to the rising economy of America that made people want to protect their possessions at all costs. This fear is what led to the popularity of the show, exuding confidence with the states apparatus in the endeavors to deal with unscrupulous sections of the public. Through various prison breaks, the show attempts to explain that even cunning criminals and convicts cannot defeat the state machinery since one weakness in the system may allow these individuals access back to the
society.
It is the responsibility of the officers to look for the escaped convicts, where most of these characters end up being arrested again to face many strict convictions. It places due confidence in enhancing justice to all societies. Since cars enhanced the mobility of the American population, it would have been easier for criminals to use these vehicles to make away from police but the superior vehicles at their disposal render the escapes futile. The show also aims to portray the nature of criminals as common folk who otherwise would be good citizens of the country. The eloquence of the officers also shows that they are highly educated and skilled to deal even with white-collar crime that involves fraudulent insurance claims by the society. They are widely seen to take command of every crime scene, following the protocols of the state through ensuring non-contamination of the scenes, where suspects may tamper with evidence with the ultimate aim of escaping culpability (Jenner, 2016). It is important to note the cooperation between the law enforcement agencies and the judicial systems, which work hand in hand to ensure the safety of the American public throughout the course of their lives. The suspects are arraigned before the courts of law after their subsequent arrest, where the evidence collected by the officers is enough to grant maximum convictions, ensuring that undesirable elements of the society face the full brunt of the law after leading to the suffering of innocent communities within the country (Newman, 2014).
This show is compatible with the various security apparatus in American communities; that rely on selfless citizens to report crimes as they occur while also aiding the police in the investigation as witnesses are questioned to determine the liability of the offenders in disturbing the peaceful co-existence of American citizens. The developed economies are faced with countless instances of crime since irresponsive individuals may target gullible sections of the public’s to swindle them from their hard-earned success and money through immoral means.
Implicit Meaning
The show tackles the rising incidences of crime within the American society, which would explain that all is not rosy within the developed world that exudes affluence and success. The primary antagonists of the show seem to regular citizens. It aims to portray the society filled with unscrupulous individuals, who purport to show unethical individuals who are after quick ways to get rich and embrace lifestyles out of their normal life situations. It forms the conclusion that all the general public is exposed to crime incidences, affecting the myriad sectors of the drivers of the economy. The banking sector is mostly featured, where robbers make away with millions within minutes, which is the surest way to earn millions, however wrong. It is the responsibility of the security organs to curb these incidences while ensuring that no harm is done to civilians in the process.
It even poses the question that even female members of the public are susceptible to unethical acts, demonstrated by the featuring of a female bandit, showing that the dynamic changes to society breeds evil, no matter the gender. It leads to new crime detection mechanisms that treat every suspect the same no matter their sexual characteristics. It is highlighted in the girl and it episode, which features a lady being the leader of the gang, responsible for making the decisions regarding the next establishment to attack. Furthermore, the silent forms of criminal offenses that are discretely performed also form part of the prevalent themes in the development of the plot. The instances of fraud show the conflicting nature of the society seeking to rip off enormous insurance organizations through duplicitous machinations forms the weakness of the society.
It is also demonstrating the level of awareness of the American public regarding the malevolent use of vehicles to escape from law enforcement officers using sheer speed. Most of the criminals use motor vehicles in their criminal activities, implying that a select group of individuals in the society take advantage devious ways to use concurrent technology in crimes. The cars were a status symbol back then, which means that whoever had possession of a vehicle must be affluent and ethically inclined. However, from the story of the show, it is clear that most motor-vehicle users in the show wrongly use these speeding cars in their endeavors to escape from justice, however, futile it may be.
Furthermore, the show tends to follow the social ills that affect Americans, denoting the proliferation of motor-cycle gangs, who use their large numbers and machines to distribute narcotics throughout the country. These individuals are not wary of committing a crime, making up their rules of engagement with the civilians, which in most cases lead to the disruption of peaceful coexistence of diverse sections of the public even leading to the death of some unfortunate individuals (Glatz, 2014). The show also aims to portray the escalating immorality and vices brought about by the excesses of money, such as illicit gambling, which is unregulated and dangerous to its participants. It illustrates that the vice has led to the loss of taxes to the government, hampering its efforts to provide social amenities to the sections of the innocent public across the country. It is these vices, which are the main focus of the show; making the characters do all they can to limit the spread of these incidences to other neighboring jurisdictions. It is up to the protagonist to ensure that the incidences of crime should be on a down-sloping trend, necessary for the enjoyment of liberty across all segments of the population.
Symptomatic Meaning
The series aims to teach the viewers that wealth and its attributes may be hazardous to the welfare of the society. Most of the crimes committed throughout the development of the plot involve the accumulation of wealth, through illegitimate means. It outlines the various techniques used by these criminals in their endeavors. The series also aims to portray the dangerous nature of vehicles, which may lead to countless deaths and injuries to careless drivers, their passengers, and other road users. It focuses on this segment through customized phrases and tag lines that are explained by the star of the show, Detective Dan Mathews (Benson, 1955).
The various establishments incorporated in the show, such as insurance firms and banking are the main drivers of the American economy and are faced with challenges to their operations through criminals who target these entities in their glory for easy wealth. It also addresses the evolving nature of the crime, which targets various institutions which seem vulnerable for quick getaways. Most of the Americans work in these organizations, putting them at the fore front of the victims of the crimes. For instance, bank tellers should be given ample protection by law in the course of their endeavors, striving to protect the interests of their employers at all costs. It is ironic that the lower-level staffs are at most risk from criminals when they are not even in charge of the enormous amounts of cash and financial instruments within these establishments. Conflict in the Show
It is illustrated by the familial ties between the law enforcers and their kin, especially when these individuals are involved in crime. The show concentrates on a certain officer, part of the contingent under the detective’s domain who malevolently finds it difficult to execute their responsibilities of crime prevention. It is shown that the top officer is in conflict with his brother, who is an escaped convict. He is unable to exert all undue influence in the re-arrest of his brother, even contemplating resignation from the force in support of his criminal sibling. It is a logical conflict that addresses the plight of the officers, who are forced to forego all blood-ties with their kinfolks in the performance of their duties (Benson, 1955). There is also the conflict regarding the offenders, who exhibit criminal behavior due to their mental capacities. There are various episodes where the perpetrators of crime are found to be mentally handicapped, which offers respite as these individuals cannot be held liable by the judicial courts of contempt since they are not fit to make rational decisions that have an adverse effect on their individual welfare.
Conclusion
All these themes are highlighted by the producers of the show in response to the growing insecurity in America, especially after the country, and its allies were responsible for safeguarding the general security of the globe through world wars. It aims to show that the government and its agencies cannot fail to ensure the welfare of global citizens without addressing the problems ravaging their backyards. It is an attempt to raise the profile of the various security organs, increasing the collaboration between their officers and the general public in pursuit of equal justice for all. The nature of the long-running show is also to target influential sections of the community in discouraging the various criminal elements within the society, which may be discouraged by the rising consumerism and capitalistic society, finding ways to disrupt the mutual coexistence of the society.