The Shield: A Study in Duality - A Review of the Emmy Award-winning "The Shield"

There's a new sheriff, well - at least a new cop in town, with his own custom made "Strike Team" and his name is Vic Mackey. Together with his merry band of twisted and multi-skilled partners, The Strike Team take on Farmington, California's gang and vice problem each week in a show on FX called "The Shield" which starts it's fourth season this next week Tuesday, March 15th.

Those of you that have long come to love the "cop/crime show genre" are in for a very wild and unanticipated ride with "The Shield." My initial draw to the show was a now completely bald Michael Chiklis, who's been on the acting radar for sometime with me since his acting debut in 1989 in "Wired" - a very dark and sad portrayal of John Belushi's life and eventual downfall. His participation in the critically-received show. "The Commish" (also now available on DVD) was also a strike of unabated talent which follows him to a new level in "The Shield." His character, Vic Mackey is unlike any cop model used in modern television. He is both "the hero" of the show, but is also riding a very thick line of what needs to be done to not only benefit the community at large, but what will also get himself satiated. Often his choices lean heavily toward the latter. Vic's family life is less than stellar: a soon-to-be-ex wife, a teenage daughter (portrayed by Chiklis' real-life daughter, Autumn Chiklis) dealing with their ensuing divorce, a 5 year-old autistic son, and a 2 year-old daughter who was also just recently diagnosed with the same condition.

Let me be frank about "The Shield" and it's content: If you thought the occasional crime scene review or zoom-in-tech shot on any of the CSI incarnations was "raw" you can look forward to something very different with "The Shield." Murder, Rape, Serial Killers, Gangland clashes, Extortion, Community Political Intrigue, Internal Police Department Politics and more are all very common with many episodes featuring more than just the "two vein" treatment that most cop shows have today. The detail in the show is extraordinary and offers some real insight into how things work in a police station, in city government, and more importantly, in relationships where you literally have someone else's life in your hands. There is also a solid propensity for strong language that isn't usually captured on network television cop portrayals. While many would say that only adds shock value, I believe that it adds even more to the twisted nature of the show and lends credibility to many of the story lines that are conveyed through the eyes of the many directors that take the mantle of control for "The Shield."

The extras on any of the first three seasons of DVD's for "The Shield" feature a great many viewpoints from over 10 different directors who have all adopted "the style" of filming that "The Shield" offers. For those of you that see a new episode of "Law & Order" you're seeing a show that is produced over a series of 2-3 weeks. "The Shield" episodes are filmed in 7 days. This again adds a flavor, style and viewpoint that carries you thru the episode at a rapid pace, and reminds me greatly of the pace of the military intrigue novels I read back in the mid-80's. Speedy, to-the-point, and absolutely upfront with no holds barred.

The Shield is more than "just a cop show" and while I am able to compare a variety of details of it and the other cop shows above, there really isn't a way to quantify why The Shield is better than any other law-drama on television other than to watch it. The newest season, with new regular cast member Glenn Close starts on March 15th on FX and you may consider this a personal invitation to jump into the Barn (the departmental name for the station house in "The Shield") and see what you're missing.