I've finished watching series one (I know I'm so behind when it comes to some shows!) and it was pretty awesome, it's no holds barred and it has the same kind of edge The Wire used to have. One thing I'm still split on is Vic Mackey, the main man of the show. The problem with Mackey is, he doesn't just bend the rules, he's a law unto himself and in the very first episode he shoots dead a cop. Later on we find that he has links with local drug lord Rondell. My favourite ever cop has to be Jimmy McNulty, he liked to bend the rules in order to get the job done and he was a pain in the ass but he never over stepped the mark. Mackey has his good qualities, he looks out for his boys, he's a family man and he does more good than bad.
His war with Aceveda is an interesting one, even though Aceveda is looking to get Vic by the balls, he's having to work with Mackey because he knows, Vic is one of his best cops and without him Farmington would be a very dangerous place.
Personally my favourite character has to be Dutch, he's a bit of a nerd (Like Prez and Lester of The Wire) but he's damn good too! When he busted the serial killer, it was a defining moment for his character.
Just finished watching Series 4 and 5 of the Shield and I have to say they were amazing. At the start of Season 4 we find the Strike Team have split up and gone their own way and Aceveda has now moved on to the council. The new captain of Farmington, Monica Rawling comes in and puts her faith in Vic Mackey to head up her new street team. I think season 4 definitely defined two characters that I was a bit undecided on. Firstly Aceveda showed his true colours and his deal with Antoine Mitchell showed that his ambition of becoming mayor was more important than that of the death of two police officers. Meanwhile, Shane Vendrell proved him to be a prize jack ass. Shane got himself mixed up with Antoine Mitchell and had to be bailed out by Vic otherwise he would have been toast. Glen Close was absolutely brilliant in her role as Monica Rawling and the scene where she realises Aceveda and Phillips have canned her is superb.
Season 5 saw the arrival of Forest Whitaker as IAD officer Kavanagh who turns out to be one of the most hated indiviuals in the history of the Shield and that is all down to Whitakers performance. The war between Whittaker and Mackey is epic and each episode the tension is cranked up a little bit more. The final episode where Lem is killed by Shane was emotional in so many ways, you hated Shane for doing it, but you could also feel his anguish as he felt he had no choice. The Shield is only second to the Wire when it comes to cop shows. And to think, I was brought up watching the Bill!
