The professional duties and personal agendas of four prominent San Francisco women seesaw between collaborators and adversaries as they battle on the tilted playing field of their male-dominated worlds. 

SYNOPSIS:

MAYOR DEBRA WALKER’S “tough on crime” stance comes under fire when a 12-year-old boy is killed during a drug raid. Precluded by previous interaction, SGT. JESSIE HERRERA butts heads with Mayor Walker and CAPT. LOWE who is assigned to the case as she uncovers inconsistencies with the investigation. ALISON PRICE’S investigation into the shooting raises the question of a corporate conspiracy involving the Winecroft Corporation headed by FREDRIC MINNEFIELD and a link within the SFPD. Alison collaborates with YURI LING, who represents the shooting victim. Yuri has a keen understanding of a bigger picture revealing itself as the case unfolds. The four women are able to tap down Minnefield’s immediate threat -- but the case unveils a deeper conflict and when push comes to shove, their collaborative pretense will challenge each one personally and professionally.

The Ensemble:

Mayor Debra Walker – (44), is African-American and the newly-elected Mayor of San Francisco. She must maneuver between the legalities and public scrutiny of her position while battling those who nefariously manipulated her election and now attempt to use her for their own gain. Armed with the biased wisdom of her late father, she is determined to honor his fortitude in life as she upholds her marriage for the sake of public appearance. Debra has faced much adversity as an African-American woman but holds true to the notion that hard work and honesty will prevail. As she journeys deeper into her political station she finds the line between right and wrong disappearing.

Sgt. Jessie Herrera – (43) holds a cynical view of obtaining justice for those on the fringe. A Hispanic single-mother to 13-year-old, Jordan, named after her brother who was killed as a bystander in a drive-by shooting, her career has stalled as Detective Sergeant of the SFPD. Her “chip-on-the-shoulder” over-aggressive tactics have resulted in tragic outcomes and her in-your-face frankness has teetered her career toward demotion or termination. The higher standard Jessie feels she must uphold and a festering secret regarding Jordan’s biological father fuels her self-destructive behavior.

Yuri Ling – (46) is an Alicia Florrick type, with a level-headed eastern philosophical demeanor but her even temperament covers a dragon within. A private practice attorney whose ancestry leads back to the Chinese Six – the group that formed the ruling order in the S.F. bay area in the 1900’s and protected the rights of immigrants as they settled in S.F. After the passing of her father, the legacy passed to Yuri has given her a prominent role in the Six, who still holds an influential presence in Chinatown today. Yuri offers a pragmatic voice of reason and is a staunch supporter of the underdog. She is conflicted by her legal responsibilities while tasked to oversee the dying Chinese legacy of the Six that pushes her outside of the law.

Alison Price – (29), is a LGBTQ newspaper journalist with all the trappings of today’s technology and social media influences. Alison stretches the boundaries as a sassy “woke” reporter who has hidden the fact that she is the heir to her father’s empire -- a secret that is uncovered when her father is killed in a plane crash. Suddenly thrust into the role of leader of a multi-national media corporation that wields great power and influence, she becomes the target of the board. Her lifestyle and viewpoints are pulled into battle with those who will go to great lengths to unseat her -- a fight she will gladly engage in.

. . . . . . . .

THE FIRST SEASON ARC:

The four women will be both collaborators and adversaries as they deal with the Winecroft exploits as it affects their professions. Debra and Jessie’s relationship has evolved as each pursued public service. Debra’s respect for Jessie is masked by her resentful treatment of Jessie that stems from a relationship Jessie had with her husband Marcus. Forced into a collaborative mindset, Debra and Jessie must put personal vendettas and agendas aside, but secrets each withhold will put them at odds throughout the season.

Alison and Yuri hold similar responsibilities within their storyline as both must craft themselves around a legacy handed to them that control many lives -- that commonality will set them on similar paths. Each is trying to pull the past into their future and today’s realities but must battle with those who are adverse to change and willing to wrestle their power by any means possible. Their power and responsibility will also put them at odds on a level neither wishes to be a part of, but a reality that is ultimately unavoidable.

SF: THE CITY