Barnes & Noble
Ensemble cop shows from Hill Street Blues to NYPD Blue have pushed the frontiers of TV drama, but FX’s The Shield marks a vital, visceral next step for the genre, bulldozing the Hollywood fiction of the cop-as-saint. Although the camera gives eight regular characters their turns in a churn of subplots, all the strands lead back to an icy cat-and-mouse game between the precinct’s hotshot narcotics detective, Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis) and the new captain, David Aceveda (Benito Martinez), who is unafraid to challenge the notorious Blue Wall of Silence. It is ostensibly a case of the white knight versus the man tainted by his demons, but exec producer Shawn Ryan doesn’t settle for such cartoon simplicity. Mackey’s corruption is never in question; he does everything from pocketing coke to blackmailing a closeted gay rookie. What becomes less clear as the series unfolds is whether that Machiavellian tilt is simply a prerequisite for anyone in the war zone of America’s forsaken inner cities. Regardless of whether cops spurn Mackey’s charms or are caught in his web, we get the sense that no one here gets out clean -- even Aceveda. The Shield, for which Chiklis earned a well-deserved Emmy and a Golden Globe nomination, has drawn attention for breaking new basic-cable ground with its raw-nerve imagery, which reflects a worldly, urban Inferno. But what makes it superior entertainment is the anxious unpredictability of these characters, which keeps viewers enticingly off balance. Matthew Grimm
Barnes & Noble
This gritty, intense, made-for-cable series redefines the cop show for the cable era -- a tribute to the fantastic work done by creator-chief writer Shawn Ryan and star Michael Chiklis, whose characterization of crooked L.A. police detective Vic Mackey earned him an Emmy in Season 1. After that groundbreaking first season (which began with Mackey's cold-blooded murder of an undercover cop who had infiltrated his corrupt task force), The Shield reached greater heights in the 13 episodes of Season 2. The overriding plotline centered around Vic's discovery of a drug ring's secret "money train" and his squad's preparations to take it down and divide the spoils among themselves. But equally compelling themes evolve: Captain David Acevada (Benito Martinez) makes a Faustian alliance with Mackey in an attempt to bolster his political ambitions; Vic makes increasingly desperate attempts to reconcile with his estranged wife; Detective Claudette Wyms (CCH Pounder) increasingly suspects that Mackey's squad is involved in drug-related crimes; and Vic's fellow officer and former mistress, Danielle Sofer (Catherine Dent), gradually becomes disenchanted. All this -- plus the relentless interference of a grandstanding civilian adviser (Lucinda Jenney) -- is played out in a style that vaults clear over NYPD Blue into Sopranos territory. The Shield brims with graphic violence, coarse language, seedy characters, and steamy sex scenes. But nothing is done solely to be exploitive or sensational: Ryan and his fellow writers have tried to create a realistically rendered, deftly shaded picture of contemporary police work in a dangerous inner-city environment. And the extent to which they have succeeded is what makes The Shield one of television's most compelling series. Ed Hulse
Barnes & Noble
The most compelling cop show on television enters its fourth year with a dramatic shift in direction that creates a new dynamic in L.A.'s Farmington District and presents corrupt cop Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis) with his toughest challenge to date. With the previous precinct commander beginning his first term as a city councilman, hard-charging detective Monica Rawling (Glenn Close) is named captain and assigned to "the Barn." Her number one target is Antwon Mitchell (Anthony Anderson), a drug-running thug who camouflages his criminal activities with high-profile community activism. What makes the season's unified plotline so strong is the relationship Rawling establishes with Vic: she suspects he's dirty, but she also knows that he's effective, and that his Strike Team can surreptitiously accomplish things she can't attempt out in the open. Close makes a great addition to the cast, limning a well-rounded portrait of an ambitious but deeply committed professional. As in previous seasons, the 2005 episodes of this lavishly praised series juggle numerous subplots with admirable dexterity while maintaining the crackling pace and nail-biting suspense its fans have come to expect. Ed Hulse
All Movie Guide
Fans of The Shield were outraged when, at the end of the series' second season, it looked as if popular supporting character Officer Danielle "Danny" Sofer (Catherine Dent) had been fired from the Farmington District Strike Force. But when season three rolled around, it was revealed that Danny's termination was merely a publicity stunt to hype interest in the series during its summer hiatus. That said, there is definitely quite a change in the Strike Force as season three gets under way. Led by head honcho Detective Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis), the force seems determined to forsake its flouting of the law, as well as its major and minor digressions from honesty and ethics, and to play things strictly "by the book." This resolve, however, lasts only as long as the first episode: Upon discovering that two vicious rival street gangs have purchased powerful assault weapons, Mackey realizes that his old ways are the best ways, and before long he is back to breaking every rule in the book - and not a few skulls in the process. Among the developments occurring during this season is the simmering feud between the Strike Force and the newly formed Decoy Squad, who squabble over every procedural matter and who have a habit of causing more trouble for themselves than for the "perps." Also, Vic is steamed that his former subordinate, Claudette Wyms (CCH Pounder), has been made supervisor of the Strike Force. And along the way, one-time force member Julian Lowe (Michael Jace) makes a return appearance to clear a former partner of a murder charge. In the two-part season finale, the force is stalked by a relentless Armenian hit man; Vic Mackey's longtime nemesis, Captain Aceveda (Benito Martinez), once again thinks he has enough evidence to bring Mackey down for good; and Claudette is ensnared in a crisis of conscience - a real rarity for this series! Hal Erickson
All Movie Guide
Season Six of The Shield opens as Detective Vic Mackey (Michael Chilkis) and the rest of the Farmington District Strike Force mourn the death of their colleague Curtis Lemensky (Kenneth Johnson), who was killed by a hand grenade just before he was to be shipped out of the country to prevent his revealing all of the Force's past peccadilloes to relentless Internal Affairs investigator Lt. Jon Kanvanagh (Forest Whitaker). Upon discovering that he is slated to be forcibly retired from the force, the embittered Mackey embarks upon a personal vendetta, bent upon killing the man responsible for "Lem"'s demise--never suspecting that the person he seeks is his own best friend and colleague, Det. Shane Vendrell (Waylon Goggins). . .who may well beat Vic to the punch by committing suicide. His one best chance of destroying the Strike Force gone, Kavanagh becomes more obsessively unhinged than ever, resorting to strongarming witnesses and tampering with evidence to bring Mackey down. This puts Kavanagh on the outs with his two most fervent supporters (and the only thoroughly honest members of the Force), Dutch Wagenbach (Jay Karnes) and newly promoted Claudette Wyms (CCH Pounder). Wyms in fact is so disillusioned by Kavanagh's tactics that she puts her animosity toward Mackey on the shelf and affords Vic an opportunity to save his job. Other developments this season include the ever-growing (and ever-threatenng) political ambitions of Mackey's old adversary, Councilman Aceveda (Benito Martinez); and Off. Danielle Sofer's (Catherine Dent) revelation of the identity of her child's father (to no one's surprise, the man in question is her erstwhile lover Vic Mackey).
Hal Erickson
From the Studio
Now, after seven edge-of-your-seat seasons, you can finally see how this award-winning FX network drama turns out. Shane (Walt Goggins) resorts to kidnapping in his dangerous dance with the Armenian mob; Dutch (Jay Karnes) risks everything by becoming personally involved in a homicide investigation; the Strike Team mobilizes to free a drug lord's daughter -- but it all comes down to Det. Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis) confronting his greatest adversary: himself. Pressured to take down Pezuela (F.J. Rio), Vic negotiates an immunity deal with ICE to vanquish Beltran (Francesco Quinn) at last, and the skeletons come tumbling out of the closet. Will Vic pay for his sins in the end? The answer lies in the ultimate betrayals, climactic action, and devastating series finale. The final season of The Shield aired in 2008.
From the Studio
As the Strike Team battles racial tensions in the city, friction inside the Barn escalates with the arrival of Lieutenant Jon Kavanaugh (Forest Whitaker), a dogged Internal Affairs cop obsessed with taking down Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis). Kavanaugh squeezes Vic's ex-wife, Corrine (Cathy Cahlin Ryan), to get to him. In the midst of this chaos, Dutch (Jay Karnes) and Claudette's (CCH Pounder) work relationship grows strained; Danny (Catherine Dent) refuses to reveal the father of her baby; and Julien (Michael Jace) contends with an attractive rookie partner. This four-disc edition includes all 11 Season 5 episodes; audio commentary on all episodes; 25 deleted scenes with optional commentary; behind-the-scenes featurettes; and a Season 6 "prequel" feature.
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