[scoobyju1]

Big fan of the Shield (& I'm a girl!)

I had finished the Wire which I struggled with at times (S2 & S3 I think) but I finished the Series & was offered the Shield by a colleague at work.

I loved it! One of the best shows I've ever seen & I can't believe it took so long to watch it. The whole cast were amazing, I also particularly liked Dutch.

Being a girl...I cried when Shane killed Lem & even when Shane died. That's the thing with the Shield, it makes you care about everyone, even the bad guys.

I'm now working my way through Dexter. S3 here I come!

[Servalan]

The Shield is pretty much genius from start to finish and definitely the best cop drama ever. Bar none.

The writing and directing are superb and the show should have been showered with awards. I think it rather got stuck in the shadow of The Sopranos but is actually better - it was certainly never afraid of saying something about the world we live in.

It has a brilliant set of very well-drawn characters and while I'd agree with all the bouquets on here for Michael Chiklis, Jay Karnes and Walton Goggins, I have to add CCH Pounder to that list for her portrayal of Claudette. The chemistry between her and Karnes, plus her and Chiklis is just flawless - and the scene in which she lambasts a young homie for his use of the N-word is one of the most perceptive and brilliantly written pieces of television you are ever likely to see.

One word for The Shield: genius.

[NoEntry2k]

I watch a lot of TV, and I’ve watched every other programme mentioned in this thread so far.

But, in my opinion, The Shield is the best programme ever.

This thread speaks for itself, not may old programmes generate as many replies as this thread has in 24 hours.

[Hackney1]

glad someone started this thread!

add me to the growing list of those who rate The Shield as one of/the best programmes ever made.

don't understand why it's never repeated?

watched every episode of the Wire always wondering why it was lauded as the best programme ever made and all the time comparing it unfavourably to the shield. although i accept they were different formats of the same genre.

Really want to re-watch The Shield now!

[SuperAPJ]

Originally Posted by Hackney1

don't understand why it's never repeated?

Hallmark (Sky) used to show repeats but this was a few years ago so I don't know if they still do.

[EVILSPEAK]

Easily in my top 5 favourite programmes ever. It's well worth investing the time to wade through all 7 seasons for the pay-off in the final episode. I can't recall ever being so excited and riveted to the screen, the finale gives you everything you expect and more. Horrifying and gut-wrenching pretty much sums it up. Rarely does TV deliver something as perfect as this.

[Heavenly]

I missed this so I just bought the first season. Have just watched the first episode and loved it.

I have a whole 9 seasons to watch - yippee!!

[Momento]

Definitely one of the best TV series ever produced and a series that (in my opinion) maintained a consistently high quality during it's entire run.

The final episode, especially the scenes with Ronnie in the Barn towards the end, still sticks in my head due to the raw emotion, power of the script and note perfect performances. I've watched the series many times from start to finish on DVD and never get tired of sitting through the episodes.

There were also times when the series had me laughing out loud, specifically Vic's Robert De Niro impression which completely cracked me up!

I could bore for England on the high quality of The Shield and probably will on this thread.

Another poster has already stated that the show's natural successor seems to be Southland. I've seen all three seasons of this so far and would have to agree.

[doffer]

Originally Posted by Heavenly

I have a whole 9 seasons to watch - yippee!!

Did I miss 2 seasons somewhere?

[Heavenly]

Originally Posted by doffer

Did I miss 2 seasons somewhere?

I'm sure I read 9.........oh well, 7 will have to do then.

[Roobarb.]

Another huge Shield fan here via the medium of the DVD boxsets.

Just finished the final season and was left with the usual melancholy that the closure of a brilliant TV show brings. Wanting to keep watching to find out how it plays out, but counting the shows until the end and dreading having no more.

The show as a whole had many,many moments of genius, but the last two seasons where the strike team begins to unravel fully were full of jaw dropping moments and the conclusion of the storylines was suitably devastating.

Vic and Shane were brought to life by two perfect portrayals by the actors concerned and they deserve continued recognition for the superb acting throughout. It is testament to them that even with the essentially loathesome characters they were playing, they still made you care about them. Discovering what had happened in the off-screen real life of one of the actors, i was amazed he was able to follow his storyline to its bitter end. He alludes to the incident in question in the extras section when the cast are all in the 'Barn' as he gives his thank-you speech.

Add to that the superb supporting cast and you had the perfect TV police drama. The shift in focus to Ronnie and the extra dimensions, depth and the hints of darkness to his character were sublime also as arguably he was less than a dominant team member in the earlier years of the show. His final scenes were mesmerising also.

I only ever disliked one character. The wife/ex wife of Vic. Her hysteria tended to grate whenever she was on screen......

I miss the show already.

EDIT: Just noticed the massive spoilers in an earlier posting above, can they be edited out? I know the show is old, but one poster here has just started watching it.

[Heavenly]

Originally Posted by Roobarb.

EDIT: Just noticed the massive spoilers in an earlier posting above, can they be edited out? I know the show is old, but one poster here has just started watching it.

Thank you, I am trying to avoid them.

[Ambiorix]

The Shield is my favourite cop show of all time. They seemed to continually get themselves out of one inescapable hole only to end up in a bigger one. If the show had been restricted to the main storyline of the 4 members of the Strike Team it would still have been a great show, but the stories involving the other officers were enthralling as well.

[NoEntry2k]

Originally Posted by Momento

Another poster has already stated that the show's natural successor seems to be Southland. I've seen all three seasons of this so far and would have to agree.

Southland is indeed an amazing programme, the best drama in years I think. But I see Southland as a successor to NYPD Blue (and I mean that as a huge compliment). But I’d recommend both for fans of The Shield.

The Shield stands on its own as the best programme ever for me.

[DJ Slipmatt]

Originally Posted by redandwhiterob

Still got season 5 of The Wire to watch then think I will give this a try

IMO The Shield is THE best cop drama available, closely followed up by Between The Lines and then Justified.

The Wire would be fourth on my COP dramas.

I found The Wire more a political drama. It is also IMO THE most overrated show ever made.

It constantly gets touted as the PERFECT show but then recently the BBCs SHERLOCK has also been touted as PERFECT!?

Not too sure what is up with these moronic critics.

The ONLY shows that I have seen that deserve a perfect score are Breaking Bad - by a long way and Curb.

Nearly perfect would be This Life, The Shield and the first series of Between The Lines.

Nudging that are The Sopranos, Parks and Rec, The Simpsons, The American Office and State of Play and Oz.

Just my opinion - you don't have to agree and I care even less about your opinion about my opinion than I do!

The Wire ain't near the top. Because it is overwraught, overrated "hipster" rubbish. Sorry....

[DJ Slipmatt]

Originally Posted by Servalan

The Shield is pretty much genius from start to finish and definitely the best cop drama ever. Bar none.

The writing and directing are superb and the show should have been showered with awards. I think it rather got stuck in the shadow of The Sopranos but is actually better - it was certainly never afraid of saying something about the world we live in.

One word for The Shield: genius.

Agree with this completely. Personally I really disliked Pounder and the character she played - but maybe that was the point?

One clever thing about The Shield was the way it portrayed the very fine line line between good and bad.

Because whatever way you look at it, even the "good" characters ended up doing something "bad" or immoral.

I did HATE the character Forest Whitaker played and that was my worst season by far. I had to keep rewinding and putting up subtitles as I just thought the guy mumbled.

Unfortunately this is not unique. He is the only mainstream actor that I struggle to even understand what he is mumbling.

Bit of an overrated actor IMO.

[Chris65757]

There are lots of other examples, but one particular scene in The Shield made me realise how good the writing is:

Spoiler

The scene where Vic Mackey goes to the house of the Russian mafia guy to lie in wait to kill him. When the guy arrives home, there's no stand off between them as there would be in cliché cop shows, with each of them recounting their grievances against one another, rehashing parts of the plot and so on. He just steps out, shoots him quickly in the back, and leaves. That's how it would happen.

The Shield is full of that sort of realistic logic.

[Miss Haversham]

One of my top 5 shows EVER

The season 7 finale (last show ever, not sure of the season) was just superb, the final scene with Vic, no dialogue just him 'settling-in' just marvellous in its subtlety allowing the viewer to see Vic's 'caging' - reminded me of a wild animal who knows he will never run free again - just sublime

[revolver44]

Loved The Shield, bought it all on dvd after it finished in fact. It arguably had the greatest pilot of any show imo. Sadly the final episode was a major let down for me, Vic's storyline conclusion was rubbish and they left too many interesting things unresolved, like

Spoiler

Aceveda going off the rails with hookers after his awful experience, Dutch's darker side when he strangled the cat, and Julien's homosexuality.

In fact, only Shane's conclusion was truly brilliant tv imo.
Great series tho, the Armenian 'money train' story was one of the best I've seen in any show.

[Chris65757]

Originally Posted by revolver44

Loved The Shield, bought it all on dvd after it finished in fact. It arguably had the greatest pilot of any show imo. Sadly the final episode was a major let down for me, Vic's storyline conclusion was rubbish and they left too many interesting things unresolved, like

Spoiler

Aceveda going off the rails with hookers after his awful experience, Dutch's darker side when he strangled the cat, and Julien's homosexuality.

In fact, only Shane's conclusion was truly brilliant tv imo.
Great series tho, the Armenian 'money train' story was one of the best I've seen in any show.

Spoiler

I thought Julien’s homosexuality narrative was resolved after he beat the shit out of the cop who jumped him: he showed he will not be a target and will pay back anything he gets.

Dutch’s ‘darker side’ I felt really belonged only in that episode – in his attempt to see what the serial killer meant when speaking about the look in the eyes of his victims on the point of death, something he (Dutch) will never understand. It showed how driven he was to know more about the people he hunts.

I can’t remember too much of Aceveda and the hookers, only that he resolved his problem by having the guy who sexually assaulted him killed.

[NoEntry2k]

Originally Posted by Chris65757

Spoiler

I thought Julien’s homosexuality narrative was resolved after he beat the shit out of the cop who jumped him: he showed he will not be a target and will pay back anything he gets.

Dutch’s ‘darker side’ I felt really belonged only in that episode – in his attempt to see what the serial killer meant when speaking about the look in the eyes of his victims on the point of death, something he (Dutch) will never understand. It showed how driven he was to know more about the people he hunts.

I can’t remember too much of Aceveda and the hookers, only that he resolved his problem by having the guy who sexually assaulted him killed.

Kind of agree with you apart from Julien’s homosexuality - didn't he get married and that was the end of it, where as we all knew he was still secretly gay.

[SXTony]

Originally Posted by Roobarb.

Vic and Shane were brought to life by two perfect portrayals by the actors concerned and they deserve continued recognition for the superb acting throughout. It is testament to them that even with the essentially loathesome characters they were playing, they still made you care about them. Discovering what had happened in the off-screen real life of one of the actors, i was amazed he was able to follow his storyline to its bitter end. He alludes to the incident in question in the extras section when the cast are all in the 'Barn' as he gives his thank-you speech..

Can you elaborate on that a bit please?

[granted08]

I think you either love or hate it. It's very gritty but the cast are fantastic.

[NoEntry2k]

Originally Posted by SXTony

Can you elaborate on that a bit please?

Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but I think Walton Goggins (Shane) wife committed suicide, between filming of seasons five and six if I remember rightly.

[NinjyBear]

Originally Posted by NoEntry2k

Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but I think Walton Goggins (Shane) wife committed suicide

Yep. His wife jumped from a building in 2004.