Storytelling incorporates noticeable progressive elements, particularly racial and social justice themes in several episodes like 'To Protect & to Serve' (murder of a young African-American man amid community tensions), 'Unraveling' (sweatshop exploitation), and 'Pariah' (gang dynamics), alongside ongoing arcs addressing addiction, homelessness, and refugee issues. Creators Shawn Ryan and Aaron Rahsaan Thomas explicitly committed post-2020 to examining race, policing, and minority community tensions, leading to dialogue-heavy moments on systemic bias that audience reviews on IMDb and Reddit criticize as preachy 'woke' lectures reducing action focus. Fan backlash labels later seasons, including 6, as 'full blown woke' with every episode touching racial hardships or reversed racism narratives, compromising entertainment value by prioritizing messaging over plot, though most episodes remain action-procedurals with drugs, gangs, and terrorists.