The Beat delves into the personal and professional lives of two young police recruits who patrol New York's streets. The city's daily machinations are seen through the often bloodshot eyes of Officers Mike Dorigan and Zane Marinelli, two youthful, irreverent partners who are truly products of their generation and unique urban environment. Issues of race, excessive police force, and the unpredictable quirkiness of New York's outspoken locals, compel both men to rely on their sense of humor just to make it to the end of their shift.