The Shield

The story lines weave in and out and stretch from one season to the next, always leaving a little tension.... The characters are more real in their foibles than one usually expects from television fare, and this is probably what makes the series watchable over a long period. The viewer lives along with them, the ups, the downs, the quirkiness (Dutchboy is a little too quirky)... And the acting and language is by and large excellent. Hand-held cameras make the whole thing immediate.

The positives actually manage to drown out the negatives, namely the unreal emotional instability of Vic's crowd, and the contrived emotional structures... Tina and Julian's interactions are exaggerated (no one would stick around Julian the way she does, and her reference to his gayness is simply too much cherry on top of her lack of tact... As for Julian, he is permanently grumpy and his character is, indeed, too 2D for my taste, he never loosens up).

Maybe it's really like that at a precinct, but the tendency of American producers and directors to want to create supermen and -women and then try to introduce failings in their character appears irresistible. These men blow up at the slightest provocation, and my main thought is "They should never wear guns..." .... That is the star that is missing in the line up.

But these are minor errors, and they are natural for a series that is so long. The characters do at least remain consistent, and that does allow them to grow on us.... Chiklis' performance is excellent. Brilliant appearances by Glenn Close and Forest Whitaker... I wonder how many doors were destroyed during the filming .... I lost count.

What can I say about The Shield that hasn't already been said? It was absolutely brilliant! It was so far ahead of its time when it came out from 2002-2006 and has been copied many times since. The writing and acting is what makes this show so special. It follows a rogue cop in the Los Angeles police department named Vic Makey (Michael Chilkis), who leads a criminal division task force that will do anything possible and go to any lengths to take down the criminals they're chasing, including breaking the law or working with other criminals. The Shield is one of the best to ever do it. It's one of the most compelling police dramas to ever be on television.

The shield is one of the best cop shows of all time, only behind "The Wire." The story line is rich and the cast is just brilliant. Michael Chiklis had a career defining role as the brutal Vic Mackey. Chiklis is so good that somehow you continue to root for the guy after all of the brutal crimes he has committed. He truly played that role to perfection. The show continues to get better as the seasons progress. They build on each other perfectly which sets up the epic and heart-wrenching series finale.

As the seasons build, life truly seems to be on the line for every member of the strike team. Walton Goggins, who plays Detective Shane Vendrell, continually got better as the show progressed and gave mind blowing performance in the last two seasons.

What also makes The Shield so rich are the other characters on the show other than the Strike Team. CCH Pounder was brilliant throughout the series and Detective Dutch Waggenbach and Steve Billings both helped balance out the show.

Season long guest stints from stars Forrest Whitaker and Glenn Close helped make this show a top 10 drama of the decade.

If you like "The Wire" or "The Sopranos" then you need to check this show out...It will be worth your time

I never wrote a review on IMDb, but after reading that many bad reviews about The Shield i felt i had to do this. In fact all that reviews kept me from seeing The Shield for a long time.

But now that i am through with all Lost and 24 Seasons, seen The Wire twice, had a good time with Oz it was time for something new, so i finally gave The Shield a chance.

And i can tell you it's one hell of a ride, i was hooked after seeing the first episode. I would even compare the series to The Wire, it is different of course and doesn't focus so much on the social aspects, it goes more for the action.

It's got all you need, corrupt cops, drugs, violence, betrayal, good detective work (homicide team) and even some hot chicks occasionally ;) So my conclusion is that if you like quality series with a persistent plot and cliffhangers like The Wire, Lost, Sopranos or Oz go for this one you won't regret it! It will keep you on the edge of your seat for a long time.

And i really can't understand where all those bad reviews are coming from... go check The Shield out for yourself!

I just finished this series today on July 2020 and all I have to say is that it does not look cheap, old or non interesting, just keeping in mind this was filmed between 2002-2008. First, most of the main cast are extremely good actors. Vic, Aceveda and Shane were the most powerful. Second, the storyline and the length of the chapters are quite good too. Probably the story could have been told with 4-5 seasons easily. But it is what it is. Last, camera work, make up and sound are pretty cool. I can't believe this show started on 2002. On the other hand, seems some characters were not fully developed or look like the writers didn't want to give them credit. But not a big thing. So, overall if you're looking for an excellent cops show, brutal, raw and almost perfect, this one is for you. Now, I'm going to watch The Wire. I want to compare both shows and see which one is better.