The opening scene of Cuffs uses diegetic sound and this is used to create authenticity. The intercom is used to show a one on one conversation to create tension, as Ryan is about to start to fight a crime. The police sirens are used to signify what type of show it is, that is a police procedural, as police sirens has connotations of crime and drama. The non-diegetic sound (the soundtrack) begins the scene with pace, and a fast and quick introduction that brings momentum to the opening scene. Percussion is used to show that you are in a dramatic scene, as it is fast and loud. The superintendent's speech creates a sound bridge over the main scene of Ryan, and the scene that quickly follows on the beach. In this scene, we meet the different social groups that are typical of Brighton, or that are made out to be typical.
Cuffs reflects the social and historical contexts of its time. Modern Brighton is shown as having diversity of different social groups. There are different genders, friends, ethnic backgrounds and races. It is very modern in terms of how different social groups are represented; having a female police chief, and a black and gay officer. A social group of family is shown in the opening scene with the beach, when a family is all together nude fighting. Also, when Vikors is giving his speech the group of co-workers are all aligned standing with each other, congratulating Jake on his newest promotion. In the course of this episode, the speech is challenged and he is always tested as he does not always earn the respect from the public that he usually gets. For example, the scene on the beach when Ryan is beaten up, when Benson threatens Ryan to kill him with a screwdriver. Also, the lack of support from public, with the amount of people that commit crimes and do not submit evidence.
For Blumler and Katz, audiences use media to gratify needs. For example, audience pleasure comes from empathising and identifying with characters or content represented in them. Getting to know the officers as fully rounded characters, with whom we can empathise can offer these types of audiences these types of entertainment. We learn that Jake is a very friendly person towards society. By opening up to Ryan about himself about how he is gay and is a police officer, shows that he wants to make changes in Brighton. This shows how much of a humble person he is, it also appears he is a brave person. Ryan is very angry with Jake because he believes he only got into the police team because of his father. In addition, he messes up his first job as an officer, which makes Ryan even more angry. We learn that Ryan is bemused by Jake as he has no practice in the policing world. Ryan feels that he has earned his job and where he has got to today. In contrast, Jake has had the fast way ticket to his career, and Ryan can recognise that.
When we are near the end of the 3rd chapter, a pleasant Asian man cycles into a local shop where he proceeds to get stabbed with a screwdriver by a group of 3 people. In the store music is playing that is fast paced and trendy. As soon as the racists enter the story and we get the Asians reaction ship, it immediately switches to dark and scary music. The music gradually gets more intense and shaky as the racists proceed to corner the Asian and stab him. This then draws tension to the viewer as they are aware of what they are about to see. As soon as he is stabbed, it switches straight to a kid having his day, drowning the scary music as he is laying in a pool of blood.
The camera work shows in which way the bully approaches Amit, trying to pick out his curry from the shop for his family and this therefore makes us feel scared and shivered by him. In addition, it can cause us to feel anxious about what he will do to him. It also does not expose his full body, so we are not aware what has happened to him and we want to find out, but the way he falls makes us realise he is dead. also the way that the camera follows his body as it gradually drops to the ground. The camerawork building up to it is slow paced and slightly smooth, to help build tension for the viewers at home. The camerawork is used specifically so it does not reveal the attack that happens. This is because these types of violent crimes cannot be shown before 9pm, because it is a family friendly show. The camerawork shows the racists slowly moving down the aisle, revealing each one as they corner Amit from escaping, which builds more tension for the viewer.
When you are policing in a modern world, you are required to put up with a lot of hatred from the public as they see you with disgust and many people do not trust the police. This is shown in the start of chapter 5 when the good guys go up to students when they on their study period who are bursting around the area and hurt the police when they go up to them. The police may have not helped them in the past so they may not be relentless to help them in the future. We see this towards the end of chapter 5 when a guys shop is vandalised and it takes the police 3 days to respond; therefore when his son is a main witness in an assault case, he does not allow him to be interviewed. This portrays the policing system as corrupt and they do not believe it in.
At the end of the extract, there is a crucial scene in which Jo is with St. Vickors, and they handle a press briefing with the racists that stabbed the Asian. Us, as an audience, learn about as much as her as a person, as we understand how she handles her professional life. We can see this in the two shot when we focus on Jo eyeing superintendant Vickors during their press conference. The body language is shown with a close up shot of their hands together, and it slowly zooms upwards, and Jo's eyes are focused on his wedding ring, and she snaps out of it and looks up instantly with a formal and professional smile. Also, when the word 'whiteness' is spoken, she immediately drops expression, because she knows that is not going to happen with the Asian's family. We see Jo at the TV screen performing in front of a camera. She is very sympathetic for the crime that was committed, as she says 'he had his whole life ahead of him'. We also can notice that Jo is very brave, when she enters the racist's home before back up comes, in case she gets in any trouble.
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