[3] The series follows the meteoric rise—from age 27 to 34—of Walter Clark, an ambitious cop who becomes the youngest Police Commissioner in New York City history.

[4] Now: Clark, of humble origins and living with a troubled sister, becomes a hero by killing two assailants and saving the life of his partner, who was shot in the process.

Arroyo interrogates the burglar, assaulting her in the process; he then forces her to wear a wire and plead for Clark to give her money from evidence, which he does.

Now: A high-profile investigation into a star basketball player's murder makes Clark think about his past; after learning that Arroyo lied, McKenzie threatens to end their partnership.

"[19] Alan Sepinwall of HitFix called the series "a solid, meat-and-potatoes police procedural, and one that could potentially evolve into more depending on how the flash-forwards are used down the road.

He added: "The best stuff in Golden Boy is the little stuff—sharp, brittle dialogue, nice performances and a street cred that's a cut above average.

"[22] The New York Times' Mike Hale stated the series "is a smoothly made but entirely generic show that rides the squad-room-as-family metaphor hard.