Female characters in crime dramas are sometimes an afterthought to all the testosterone on display — unless the writing and the actress can hold her own with the bad guys.

Carmela Soprano, obviously, is the gold standard. “City on a Hill,” the new Showtime series about a group of Boston armored car robbers pursued by a jaded FBI agent and an idealistic ADA, is noteworthy for the variety of meaty parts for the women who have the fortune — and misfortune — to give birth to, marry or investigate this particular pack of bottom-feeders.

“It’s a traditional crime story, but the complexity of our female characters makes the show stand apart,” says executive producer Jennifer Todd. “It’s where some of the more original storylines are coming from.”

One of the chief beneficiaries of this development has been Jill Hennessy, who plays Jenny Rohr, wife of Kevin Bacon’s FBI agent Jackie Rohr, and has her best role in some time. Married for roughly 20 years, the Rohrs are estranged but live together, sleep together and dine together. He can’t seem to offer an encouraging word, never mind compliments, and she wants to blame him for her unfulfilled life.

“She kept thinking if she was the nice girl, if she did what the Catholic Church told her, trying to raise her daughter, things might turn around,” says Hennessy, 50. “She’s discovering that’s not happening.”

After the pilot was picked up to series, the veteran actress of such series as “Law & Order” and “Crossing Jordan,” discussed Jenny’s arc with executive producer Tom Fontana and creator Chuck MacLean, who drew on his own experiences for many of the show’s rough relationships. “I wanted to kind of see somebody hitting rock bottom, somebody who’s experiencing the uglier side of life and relationships and then getting back on her feet and standing up for herself,” Hennessy says.

Five episodes in, Jenny Rohr is far from there yet. In the TV season’s second hot priest storyline (after Amazon’s “Fleabag”), Jenny goes for counseling to her Boston parish priest, Father Doyle (Mark Ryder), a handsome Irishman who supports her desire to resume her education and offers her some volunteer teaching at the parish school. “Doyle represents the sense of hope she’s looking for. She knows Jackie’s going to keep her in the position that she’s been forced to accept and that she’s got to stop her living that way,” Hennessy says. “Doyle seems like a fairly safe bet.”

The main appeal of “City on a Hill” was the chance to work alongside Bacon. The mere mention of his name elicits a deep gasp from Hennessy, who says the challenge of acting with him was playing so many scenes of marital discord when Bacon was so humble, generous with the cast and — she won’t lie — handsome.

“I love the guy as a human being, but I have to play that I’m really hurt and angry at him,” Hennessy says. “He’s also incredibly physically attractive so it was a real obstacle for me.”

Mrs. Bacon, aka Kyra Sedgwick, was also on set — she directs Episode 7 — and Hennessy was equally impressed. “She just comes to the set with such joy,” Hennessy says. “She’ll yell, ‘Cut,” and she’ll look like she’s on cloud 9. Her attention to detail is incredible.”

Many reversals of fortune await the characters on “City on a Hill.” “You will learn in the back half of the season how Jenny got to be such a fragile creature,” says Todd. “And how she and Jackie are still together.”

Todd says production will know in the next week or so whether the show will have a second season. Hennessy is praying that it does. In her long career, she’s always followed the advice of her “L&O” co-star, the late Jerry Orbach: just keep working.

“You’ve got to keep moving forward,” she says. “Do the best work and pray it’s going to be seen.”