Shades of Blue is an American crime drama television series that aired on NBC from January 7, 2016 to August 19, 2018. The show starred Jennifer Lopez as the main character Harlee Santos, a detective in New York City who is forced to work undercover for the FBI’s anti-corruption task force after being arrested herself.
The series followed Harlee as she navigated the dangerous line between the criminals she committed crimes with and the FBI agents she reported to, all while trying to protect her own family. Shades of Blue provided an inside look into the morally ambiguous world of law enforcement through Harlee’s point of view.
Over the course of its 3 season run, Shades of Blue developed a dedicated following of viewers who became invested in the twists and turns of Harlee’s undercover work. Fans of the show are often curious to know exactly how many episodes there were in total. This article will provide a definitive answer to that question.
Overview of Shades of Blue
Shades of Blue was created by Adi Hasak, who also served as executive producer and showrunner. It was produced by Ryan Seacrest Productions, Universal Television, and Nuyorican Productions.
Jennifer Lopez both starred in and executive produced the series through her production company Nuyorican Productions. Her role as Harlee Santos was Lopez’s first major starring part in a television series since she started her entertainment career.
In addition to Lopez, the main cast included Ray Liotta, Drea de Matteo, Dayo Okeniyi, Hampton Fluker, Sarah Jeffery, and Warren Kole. Liotta played Lieutenant Matt Wozniak, the leader of the corrupt crew of NYPD detectives that Harlee was a part of.
Shades of Blue premiered on January 7, 2016 to generally positive reviews from critics. Many praised the performances of Lopez and Liotta as well as the show’s take on police corruption. NBC renewed the series for a second season in March 2016 after solid ratings for the first season.
Season 2 premiered on March 5, 2017. While viewership declined in the second season, the network still renewed Shades of Blue for a third and final season in May 2017.
The third season premiered on June 17, 2018 and concluded on August 19, 2018. Over its 3 season run, Shades of Blue ultimately produced a total of 46 episodes.
Episode Count by Season
Here is a breakdown of how many episodes there were per season of Shades of Blue:
Season 1: 13 episodes
Season 1 introduced viewers to Harlee Santos and the undercover FBI task force. It aired from January to April 2016.
Season 2: 13 episodes
Season 2 picked up with Harlee continuing to work undercover while becoming even more enmeshed with the FBI. It aired from March to May 2017.
Season 3: 10 episodes
The third and final season showed Harlee seeking redemption while still dealing with the FBI. It aired from June to August 2018.
| Season | Episode Count |
|---|---|
| Season 1 | 13 |
| Season 2 | 13 |
| Season 3 | 10 |
| Total | 46 |
As this table summarizes, the episode count totaled 13 in Season 1, 13 in Season 2, 10 in Season 3, bringing the complete series episode count to 46.
Reasons for the Reduced Episode Count in Season 3
Shades of Blue’s first two seasons each had a solid 13 episode order from NBC. So why did the episode count drop to only 10 episodes for the third and final season?
There are a few likely contributing factors:
– Declining viewership – Ratings and viewership declined over the course of the show’s run. Season 2 averaged 4.4 million viewers, down over 20% from Season 1’s average of 5.7 million viewers. This drop may have led NBC to cut the episode order for Season 3.
– Production costs – Jennifer Lopez’s salary for the show was likely high given her star status. Keeping episode counts lower can help reduce production costs on more expensive shows.
– Storytelling – Showrunner Adi Hasak may have felt that 10 episodes was sufficient to bring Harlee’s story to a satisfying conclusion in Season 3. Fewer episodes allow for a tighter, more cohesive story arc.
– Lopez’s availability – As a singer and actress with many other commitments, Lopez may have had less availability for filming Season 3, necessitating a shorter 10 episode order.
So in summary, the reduced 10 episode episode count for Shades of Blue’s final season was likely due to a mix of business factors like costs and ratings as well as overall creative direction by the showrunner. Regardless of episode count, the third season provided a fitting end to Harlee’s journey.
Other Fun Facts About Shades of Blue’s Episodes
Beyond just the total episode count, here are some other interesting facts about the episodes of Shades of Blue:
– The pilot episode was titled “Pilot” and aired on January 7, 2016. It was written by series creator Adi Hasak and directed by Barry Levinson.
– The series finale was titled “Goodbye Love” and aired on August 19, 2018. It was written by showrunner Jack Orman and directed by Norberto Barba.
– Season 1 had two episodes directed by actress Anna Gunn, best known for playing Skyler White on Breaking Thrones.
– The titles of the Season 2 premiere and finale were related – “Unforgiven” and “Broken Dolls.”
– Episode directors over the series’ run included stars like Ray Liotta, Jennifer Lopez herself, and Jonathan Demme.
– Lopez sang a cover of Peggy Lee’s “Why Don’t You Do It Right” in Season 2, episode 12 titled “Clarity.”
– The highest rated episode was the series premiere with a 2.2 rating in the 18-49 demographic.
Conclusion
To answer the original question, there were a total of 46 episodes across the 3 seasons of Shades of Blue. The episode count remained steady at 13 episodes for the first two seasons before dropping to 10 for the final season in 2018.
This reduction for Season 3 was likely due to a mix of declining ratings, production costs, tighter storytelling, and Jennifer Lopez’s scheduling. Regardless of episode total, Shades of Blue provided a compelling three season run that gave fans an inside look at the moral ambiguity behind police corruption through Lopez’s complex lead character Harlee Santos. The 46 episode count may be lower than some shows, but was perfectly calibrated to tell the complete story that Shades of Blue’s creators set out to tell.