The Shield: Seasons 1 - 7 (2002-2008)

I started watching Season 1 of The Shield in November 2009, and this week I finished the last episodes and featurettes of the 7th and final season. After watching the first 6 or so episodes I went online and ordered the complete box set and I've watched it off and on since then - it's so addictive and so brilliant, it's up there with my favourite TV shows of all time. The weird thing is, hardly anyone even knows it exists! Which is good, because that makes it one of those shows I can claim as my own, like Reaper or Medium, that don't have big audiences or even name recognition (at least in the UK) but which when you find them turn out to be absolute gems. I'm glad I watched The Shield in a complete series stretch, rather than watching a season here and there among others because it allowed me to see how intricate the plotting was, and how events in season 1 lead directly to events in season 7. 

The Shield is a 'cop show', set in the fictional division of Farmington, Los Angeles, with a strike team of cops at it's heart - this team is responsible for infiltrating and handling the area's gangs. Leader of the strike team is Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis), a short, sturdy, Grant-Mitchell-a-like (meaning he's bald and solid) and The Shield's chief protagonist. The series follows Vic and his team of Shane (Walton Goggins), Lem (Kenny Johnson), and Ronnie (David Rees Snell) as they bring their own brand of law enforcement to the drug dealers, gangs and general lowlifes of Farmington. Their actions are never less than compelling, and their lives play out like a Shakespearean drama - there are betrayals, murders, secrets and lies - and life for them is never black and white. These shades of grey that run through the series are what makes The Shield such an intriguing prospect, you're never sure how events will unfold, or what a character may do next, usually to save their own skin. 

Outside of the strike team, the Barn, police headquarters in Farmington, has had a number of powerful captains over the years, including David Aceveda (Benito Martinez), later a city councilman and mayoral candidate; Monica Rawling (Glenn Close), an excellent casting decision in Season 4; and Claudette Wyms (the astonishing CCH Pounder), previously a detective in the division. Other police include Dutch Wagenbach (Jay Karnes), who is always a delight to watch; Danny Sofer (Catherine Dent), whose sometime relationship with Vic provides some drama; her partners Julien Lowe (Michael Jace), who struggled with his sexuality in earlier seasons, and then got married and it was much referenced again, perhaps the main flaw in The Shield's history; and Tina Hanlon (Paula Garcés), a rookie cop introduced in season 5 who causes friction with Julien and Danny. Steve Billings (David Marciano) was another later addition to the cast who proved to be hilarious and a nice contrast to the heavy drama of the strike team. Vic's wife Corrine (Cathy Cahlin Ryan) had a surpising amount of screen time too - often in this kind of drama character's social lives get short shrift, but Vic's family is integral to his way of life. 

I've been amused, upset, shocked, grossed out and rivetted by The Shield. Every character is a favourite (though Claudette and Dutch are right up there) and there hasn't been much I would have changed. As I've watched every season, I've also watched every featurette and deleted scene (I've not bothered with commentaries) so I've had a great insight into the creative process behind The Shield, and it's frankly fascinating to watch the writers and directors at work. As the series went on and the strike team and Vic took up more time each episode, it unfortunately meant that Julien, Danny and occasionally Dutch and Claudette got less screen time. Thankfully, the deleted scenes provided more chances to see these characters in cut storylines, but I would have liked to have seen more of these characters. Aceveda was also sidelined somewhat after season 4 when he was no longer captain of the Barn and had fewer reasons to exist in the other characters' lives. 

Each season packed explosive revelations and events into every episode, including Aceveda's rape, Lem's death, and the degeneration of Shane and Vic's relationship, and thankfully the final season did not disappoint. If I hadn't have watched all the series in a relatively short space of time I think I would have been scratching my head a bit to remember what had happened seasons earlier - events which had direct impact on the final season, and Vic's eventual comeuppance. The last episode 2 parter was brilliant television, satisfactorily wrapping up the stories, but with some left open to show that this world would continue beyond the life span of the strike team and Vic Mackey. The final moments of The Shield were much like the previous 88 episodes worth: powerful, emotional, and generating much thought.