The Shield: Season Two Reviews

• Brilliant acting and more

  
  By on 2003-07-26
  Critics are a lot like infants. They want new toys, and they want them now, because none of the old ones is good enough. The sophomore backlash against The Shield began on schedule with the first published reviews of Season 2: One-dimensional performances, excessive violence, blah blah blah.

  If only they had watched more than two episodes. The first two episodes of S2 were distinguished by brilliant writing and acting, but episode 3, Partners, was the best of the season. Partners is proof positive that Chiklis deserves his Emmy nomination (and that co-star Benito Martinez and guest star Carl Weathers should have been nominated as well).

  The critics were outraged over Chiklis' repeat Emmy nomination, but, as rogue detective, Vic Mackey, Chiklis is even better this time around, trying to set limits on a life gone out of control. His scenes with guest stars Weathers and Mark Rolston, Cathy Cahlin Ryan (as estranged wife, Corinne), and Walton Goggins (both appealing and scary as Vic's partner, Shane), were masterful.

  Even better is Benito Martinez, subtle, volcanic, and fiercely intelligent as the reviled, ambitious City Council candidate Capt. David Aceveda. Martinez is heartbreakingly adept at letting silence speak for him. The look in his eyes, whether he is defying his campaign manager or having a showdown with his new boss, conveys all the moral struggle, passion for justice, and yearning for something better that are The Shield's major themes. Michael Jace also brings a quiet strength and deep, abiding kindness to his role as closeted beat cop, Julien Lowe. These two were the best actors on the show this season, and my only complaint about Season 2 is that they didn't get more screen time. Both bring awsome natural talent and presence to their roles.

  Kenneth Johnson's Lem is likeable, as is new Strike Teamer, Brian White (Tavon Garris), and I look forward to seeing more of these watchable actors next season. Jay Karnes is always on the money as Dutch, the squad room scapegoat with daddy issues.

  The Shield has always featured outstanding guest performances and S2 is no exception. The astounding Jamie Brown as hooker/informant, Connie; Danny Pino as the relentless drug lord, Armadillo; Weathers as Vic's down-and-out ex-partner, Joe Clark; the terrific Camilla Sanes as Capt. Aceveda's pragmatic, politically savvy wife, Aurora; and Rolston as a P.I. who turns emotional baggage into a contagious disease, are all superb.

  The Shield's music supervisor, Evyen Klean, is in top form, too. The S2 soundtrack features brilliant scene-to-song matches, and other, larger networks are taking notice. The transcendent 'Aleluia Melisma', from unsigned artist, Steve Edwards, isn't available commercially. Yet, a few months after it was featured in S2's soundtrack, it showed up on one of the hottest new shows from one of the Big Three networks. S2's final montage -- set to Live's "Overcome" -- is every bit as good as last season's capper, and recalls Miami Vice in its brilliant fusion of music and images.

  As usual, The Shield was there first. Ignore the critics and check it out.
  
  

• The best show on TV gets a second DVD treatment!

  
  By AO9J9F3O1BT7B on 2003-03-31
  Only when I thought this show could bot get any better --- it did. Not only did it get better, it got absolutly riveting. Not only have the characters developed further, the enemies have too. Things have changed in "The Shield" over the course of its second season, and all for the better.

  It has become much more unpredictable. What was thought to be the seasons big bad guy, actually gets what a sane audience would want, his death in the worst way. He got it. Vic has gotten somewhat out of the rut he was in last season, but it is constantly huanting him with the presence of Claudette, a fellow detective. Not only does she know of his past, she knows how to take him down. But she knows without him, the presinct would fall.

  The strike team is running and is more action packed than ever. Now with a new fifth member, things get more interesting on each bust.

  Vics personal side gets more screwed up with every episode. Now his wife, again, has basically banished him from the house, his duaghter no longer cares for him, and his son has slipped further into autism.

  If you watch this show, you know why it won a Emmy and two Golden Globes. This defines great TV. Hopefully the DVD is as good as the last one, maybe with somE more interesting menus please? Fox, this time you have no excuse about "not enough time".
  
  

• Best show on TV, PERIOD!

  
  By A1EOKFMULF19RM on 2003-06-07
  As a police officer myself, I find some of the things Mackey does a little hard to swallow, but it's the things most of us have wanted to do to a thug on the street, but we can't. I can relate to each character on the show, and compare him to a cop I know . That is what makes great TV, being able to relate all the people and experiences to yourself. I feel that in Season 3, Mackey is going to learn there are consequences and reprocussions for his actions. But these past 2 seasons have been as well-written, finely acted, and superbly directed as any police show I have ever seen. The use of the hand held cameras just adds to the grittiness of the show. Clark Johnson (himself a fine actor in his own right on Homicide)brings a superb touch to every episode he directs. Can't wait for season 3.
  
  

• Second season shines for "The Shield" series

  
  By A1JKNVM6NAU13V on 2006-06-16
  he second season, like the second album, second playoff game, second chance, or second anything, is sometimes more important than the first. In the TV series "The Shield" starring Michael Chiklis, it does not fail, but assembles with the steam that rolled out of its debut season to shine in the second. Ongoing storylines get deeper, more intense, and more dramatic. Lives are changed forever, and the beat rolls on. The street crimes are still there, but become less singular and more solid. Overall a fantastic season!
  
  RECAP: The Shield is a series about LAPD police officers and detectives who are part of the Farmington District. They're headquarters are in an old renovated horse stable that is called "the barn". Farmington is very vivid with tough streets, shady characters, and injustices all around. The centerpiece of the show is Detective Vic Mackey (played by Michael Chiklis). Mackey leads a special unit whose job is to bring down the dirtiest of the dirt: The drug dealers, the rapists, and the killers. There is a catch though, in order for Mackey to lure in the mouse, he has to play house with other mice, and therefore many of his actions, which are executed by himself and his crewmembers, are deemed as "dirty" in their own right. Mackey Views it as doing anything to get the job done. The captain said in season one "He's not a cop, he's Al Capone with a badge". Well, he's not far off, but the truth is, its a fictional show, so we aren't worried about the "Strike Teams" outcome being harmful on society since no matter what they do, the ratings of this show continue to increase.
  
  SUBSTANCE: The Shield, as I mentioned in my review of season 1, is very well filmed. Cinematically speaking I think its one of the best series I've seen in a long time. Considering all of the cop series that have come out over the years, that's a great title, though it is just one person's opinion. The Shield shows us the cops and the robbers close up, and the whole time the backdrop of the streets of Farmington go by unnoticed. This is where I, the reviewer, am coming in to say that whether its a rich house, poor house, drug house, car chase, jail cell, drug bust, bank heist, or any other medium this show has in the camera lens, it comes through extremely vivid. Colors are sharper. Dialogue is crisp, or gritty, or gurgling at times in blood. However way you want Action Drama dished up, the shield prepares it in a 3-course meal...L.A. city water not included. Okay, time for me to tell you what you are in for in Season 2. First of all just a disclaimer: If you have not seen season one please do before seeing season 2. This show is linear in storyline and plot and has taken time to build up its characters and multiple ongoing plots. It won't be as special or make much sense if you start here!
  
  SEASON 2: Your going to be exposed to the villain known as Armadillo. He's a bad dude. He puts tires around people and soaks them with gasoline before lighting them on fire. Other bad things he does I won't mention, but suffice to say that he has a major role in season 2. You'll also see a lot going on with the cops of Farmington. Julien, as you know from season one, is trying to change some major things in his life, and though he does so, it comes with paying a high price in humiliation and cruelty delivered by the people of his own department. Vic Mackay has his own troubles at home as you know, from season one. The entire cast is afraid for their jobs after an auditor from the city council is put into the barn to try and expose the corruption that is ultimately centered on Mackey's "Strike Team". Dane tries helping Julien through his troubles but suddenly seems to be faced with many of her own. By the end of this season, nearly every one of these peoples personal lives will be dumped upside down...oh and speaking of upside down, yeah that was them. If you saw the previews it was Shane and Lemon in the back of that garbage truck. What are they doing there?
  
  THE CRIMES: They are there because they have to be. They are hiding. Waiting for an opportunity to strike on of the biggest busts they will ever make. Its called the "Money Train" and its all over season 2. The Armenian mob is moving large amounts of cash out of L.A. to various banks for it to be "washed" before being re circulated. Mackey and the Strike team know that if they can pull off the job, they're retirement will be set. And as you will soon find out, as much that is going on in their personal lives, they may need it! Another great storyline is carried over from season 1 and that is Gilroy, The captain's boss who is ultimately friends with Vic and who got Vic Mackey the job at Farmington in the first place. In season one we learned that Gilroy was purposefully taking police away from a certain part of town to cause crime to go up, sinking the real estate value. In turn he was buying it low and of course in time, to sell high and make a fortune. In season 2 we see Gilroy again, only this time he's escaped house arrest and come to Vic for one final favor: To get him out of the country. Can Vic trust him? The end of this one is intense and also justice in an ironic sort of way. An end to a great little plot that really was very mysterious and showed a lot of themes in terms of loyalty and betrayal.
  
  THE ACTION: The shield is known for being wide open in both the character development as well as the realm of not giving a damn about political correctness. It brings out what it should: That this show is not like other shows, and that these situations need a second glance sometimes before being judged. You'll see bad guys do good, you'll see good cops go bad, and the fireworks that happen in the middle are just as mesmerizing if not magnificent. A mans face pushed onto a range oven grill. Severed limbs. Blood, guts, and beatings, the violence is there, but not in a Rambo or Friday the 13th sort of way. Its done in a way that makes you feel like it is real, or at least convincing. No Hollywood chop shop here, if they say your getting stir-fry, it comes out in flames! You'll see the officer of the strike team known as "Lemon" or "Lemonhead" take a bad, bad fall. And in this happening, the revenge meter reaches level 10. The outcome of this again, is very different than what you would expect. In the meantime the strike team has to deal with a new member. Can they trust him? Will he be the rat that brings Mackey's house of cards down?
  
  Season 2 of the Shield includes 13 action packed episodes. Also featured of course is a special features segment. I found this very compelling as we are shown the cast behind the scenes, and also shown the production and making of the final episode. Its really remarkable to see how much work goes into this show, but also how these everyday people who are actors, are able to mold themselves into a character that is convincing. They do it with conviction and purpose.
  
  In closing, Season 2 for me gets five stars. Singular storylines or ongoing ones blend with a persona of impending doom that creeps in during every episode. Though I mentioned a lot of the things that are going on in the cops personal lives, don't let that description fool you into thinking this is "Melrose Place"...its not, its Farmington district, where the cops can be bad, the villains can be evil, and the corruption heavy. It doesn't mean though that good doesn't show up and cast some white light on things now and again, and with that happening it again shows us just how complex human nature can be. Season 2 is a masterpiece of character development and dramatic action.
  
  

• The Best Show Ever on any Medium!!!!

  
  By A1B59G4C8AKZFK on 2003-04-05
  This is the greatest show ever made. Every week you find yourself stopping everything around you and you have to watch this show. The first season was awesome and the second season did not disappoint. This is the first time in years that I have found that everyone who has the talk "around the water cooler" wants to talk about the show when it was on the night before. Hands down best thing ever to hit the small screen!
  
  
• I had my doubts...
  By A37F8W82A1E6L7 on 2003-10-04
  To be honest, I never thought that The Shield could live up to the expectations set by the premier episode. I was so incredibly wrong. The first year of The Shield completely blew my doors off. Non stop action, great plotting, dialogue and the acting was top notch. Other than the birth of my sons, those thirteen hours were the best I spent that year. It had to go downhill though, right? The second season would be the one where Ryan and company would resort to the tired conventions of police drama and my new favorite show would lose it's edge. Happily- Wrong again.

  Season two developed the characters of Mackey and his crew to new levels. If you haven't seen the show I won't ruin anything for you, but everyone is put through the wringer in these thirteen episodes. We get political intrigue, interoffice machinations, great police drama with healthy doses of sex and violence. Unfortunately that's what most people focus on.

  Chicklis deserved the Emmy for the quiet moments as well as the brutal ones. This actor has got a slow burn like no other. There are moments where he says nothing but we can tell all the alternatives he is running through his head by simply looking at his eyes and physicality. This season brings Mackey to a crossroads where he has to make some serious decisions about where his life is headed and we feel every emotion he is going through thanks to this beautiful, bald man.

  That having been said, this is not a series for the faint of heart. There are scenes of physical torture, violence against women, hostage situations and raw sex. You are forewarned.

  If your stomach can take a brutal, skillfully written, brilliantly acted police drama there is no better way to take up space in your DVD player than The Shield.
  
  

• It's not better or worse than Season One; it's "more." Which is perfect.
  By A25AXWGBGJ5KBS on 2005-08-30
  Trying to compare this to the first season is pointless...they are clearly parts of an amazing whole. It's not better, nor worse. It's "more." Which is perfect.
  
  What you need to know is that the stellar acting continues unabated; you are just less amazed about it. Chiklis is the white-hot centerpiece. Everybody else maintains their excellence, Benito Martinez and CCH Pounder somehow are even better.
  
  The plot and dialogue are still amongst the best on TV; again, you've come to expect that. These stories hurtle along at breakneck pace. I almost hold my breath watching them. The new bad guy, "Armadillo", is a wonder.
  
  The plot surprises and developments are still whoppers (many will simply blow you away); but you watch this show for that exact reason.
  
  The cinematography...the sets...the LOOK of the show remains a singular creation.
  
  You get thirteen excellent hours of television, period. Just what you're expecting.
  
  "The Shield" continues on in it's unfettered, gleefully decadent, morally ambiguous glory.
  
  
• Best show on cable?
  By A31XYY4VJSKZNK on 2004-02-20
  I watched The Shield one night on FX after hearing some good news. I was amazed. I then watched almost all of season 1 and got the DVD set of Season 1 for christmas. I finished it and was sproud to be a fan of it. I told my friends. I got season 2 and it was even better. There is a great blend of drama and action with the money train and Mackey's family. I cant wait for season 3 on March 9th im expecting great things.
  
  
• Throw out your tapes!
  By on 2004-01-14
  You've seen the plots recapped by other Amazon.com reviewers. You've read that the acting, the music, and the writing are brilliant. Maybe you've even caught some of the repeats on TV. You're fast becoming a hardcore fan of The Shield, but you have one question: Is the Season 2 DVD set worth the money?

  The answer is yes, not only because the show is brilliant, but because, with this set, you'll get insight into what makes it brilliant. The Shield Second Season is packed with commentary and special features. Season 1's deleted scenes were interesting. Season 2's 38 deleted scenes include some that are so rich with character and detail that you'll feel frustrated over their deletion. Remember the gas station attendant (with the "fingerprints" on the $3 change) from Season 1's "Cherrypoppers" episode? He's back again in Season 2', working his clueless magic at the Toys for Guns drive in a deleted scene from "Carte Blanche", and he is not to be missed.

  In the Writers' Roundtable (accompanying the chilling "Homewrecker"), the writers are candid about Season 2's highs and lows, and fans will appreciate their honesty. Elsewhere in the Writer's Roundtable, you'll hear about two of the show's most beloved recurring characters, Connie the hooker, and Tio the drug dealer, and why the writers handled them the way they did. Fan questions from the official message board are answered by the Director's Roundtable. "Wrap Day" features some humorous moments as the cast rings the curtain down on Season 2. Aspiring TV/film crew members are sure to be fascinated by the special features in which the set designer, sound crew, and editors have their say.

  The most entertaining feature, hands down, is the commentary over "The Quick Fix", featuring Emmy and Golden Globe winning star, Michael Chiklis; Shield creator and exec producer, Shawn Ryan; and able co-star, Benito Martinez.. The easy rapport between these three makes for commentary that is non-stop funny and insightful. The three could have filled every commentary-free episode with anecdotes and insights, and I wish that Fox had let them do it. By the time the closing credits roll, you get the sense that Chiklis, Ryan, and Martinez have much more to tell us. I hope the powers that be at Fox will bring this fascinating trio back for more than one commentary track on the Season 3 DVD. It is a thrill and an honor to listen to them talk about their work.

  The fate of every show hangs on its star, and the enthusiastic Chiklis gives us proof positive that Season 3 will be the best ever. After listening to him, hardcore fans and everyone else will be gnawing their fingernails and waiting on the edges of their seats for Season 3. The Shield is the most brilliant show on TV, and it's only gonna get better.
  
  

• Just as amazing as season one...
  By A3HDK95LUFV76X on 2003-04-15
  This is one of the best television series I have seen in a long time. I know the show has its detractors, saying that it resorts to gratuitous sex and violence too much, but I feel that it is a valid portrayal of police officers fighting real life crime in the mean city streets. Every episode had me sitting on the edge of the seat the entire time, wondering what would happen next. That is what makes this such a great show, you can't possibly predict where it will go next. I am very much anticipating the release of the DVD set this october.
  
  
• Simply astonishing, breathtaking
  By A2OK6KW8NLG7EV on 2003-04-02
  I first started watching the shield when it won the award, but the first time i watched it it was not because of the award but by chance. since then i have not missed a single episode from the second season. the second season was very tense in the sense that you get sucked up in all the problems faced in the episodes. you get to experience things that would seem imposible to get out of, like a murder or money laundering. i would recomend this DVD because the acting from all the people in the series is great and shows that non-recognized actors can take the steps of hollywood anyday!.
  
  
• A fascinating series...
  By AY69ZK7G6CNYJ on 2005-07-19
  Nominated for 4 Emmys and 4 Golden Globes, including Best Television Series - Drama, The Shield is one of the top police dramas of the past decade. The brainchild of creator Shawn Ryan, writer for such hit shows as Nash Bridges (1996) and Angel (1999), The Shield made history in 2003 by becoming the first basic cable series to win a Golden Globe for Best Drama Series (in the past, only non-ad supported shows such as The Sopranos and Sex And The City have done so well). The hour-long drama boasts a strong, well-rounded cast who, along with the writers/producers, have managed to make The Shield the longest running series on the FX Network...
  
  The Shield centers around an inner-city Los Angeles police precinct where the lines between right and wrong are often blurred. An ongoing power struggle between a group of corrupt, yet effective, cops and their new boss, Capt. David Aceveda (Benito Martinez), remains the focal point of the show. Det. Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis, of The Commish) heads up an elite unit known as the Strike Team. An effective leader who bends the rules when they fit his aims, Mackey often butts heads with the by-the-book Aceveda who weighs his own political ambitions against the cost of bringing down Mackey and his associates. Veteran Det. Claudette Wyms (CCH Pounder, of ER) knows the ropes, admires Mackey, but also knows how to play sides of the game. For the 2005 season, Glenn Close - star of such films as The Natural (1984), Fatal Attraction (1987), and Air Force One (1997) - joined the cast as Capt. Monica Rawling. Together, this celebrated cast maintains an internal tension among themselves while carrying out a unified fight against the criminal element - a fight that keeps the streets of L.A. safe...
  
  The Shield (Season 2) DVD features a number of exciting episodes including the season premiere "The Quick Fix" in which Vic searches feverishly for the whereabouts of his wife and children. In his absence, the Strike Team allows a shipment of cocaine into Farmington that turns out to be bad, prompting the team to enter Tijuana in search of the culprits. Meanwhile, Detectives Wyms and Wagenbach attempt to solve a series of gangland assaults... Other notable episodes from Season 2 include "Homewrecker" in which Mackey, Wyms, and Wagenbach investigate several murders at a women's shelter, and "Breakpoint" in which Mackey secretly works with Dutch and Claudette to uncover the whereabouts of a missing kid...
  
  Below is a list of episodes included on The Shield (Season 2) DVD:
  
  Episode 14 (The Quick Fix)
  Episode 15 (Dead Soldiers)
  Episode 16 (Partners)
  Episode 17 (Carte Blanche)
  Episode 18 (Greenlit)
  Episode 19 (Homewrecker)
  Episode 20 (Barnstormers)
  Episode 21 (Scar Tissue)
  Episode 22 (Co-Pilot)
  Episode 23 (Coyotes)
  Episode 24 (Inferno)
  Episode 25 (Breakpoint)
  Episode 26 (Dominoes Falling)
  
  The DVD Report
  
  
• Compelling TV
  By A3E54ZXMP27850 on 2005-01-04
  The Shield is a series that will satisfy your craving for gritty crime drama. Fans of The Sopranos, 24 and similar shows will quickly get caught up in its compelling storylines and characters. I personally found Season Two to be a bit more violent than the first, as the writers and cast continue to push the drama to new heights. Some scenes might not be for the faint of heart. However, the violence just one aspect of a well-incorporated show and though it is shocking at times, it does not overpower the other equally-interesting themes of politics, race/ gender/ sexuality, and the grey area between righteousness and corruption. I eagerly await the release of Season Three on DVD, and the premiere of Season Four on FX.
  
  
• Second Chapter in One of Television's Greatest Series
  By A3RTMB76CJWY9U on 2006-07-10
  The Shield is a series of the highest-order. I could use this review to compare Season 2 to Season 1 (or those that come later), but whatever their individual strengths or weaknesses, they are all great. The acting in the Shield, especially Chiklis, is phenomenal, and the plotlines are all hard-hitting.
  
  I especially appreciate how nearly every main cast member gets their own plot arc which runs throughout the season, all tying up in the thrilling finale.
  
  Specifically, this season deals with the crafty gang leader Armadillo who puts a hit out on Mackey and his strike team; Vic trying to keep his family from spiralling further apart; Dutch's dealing with his shortcomings as a detective; Julian's struggle against his homosexual nature; Captain Aceveda's compromising with Mackey's questionable methods in his pursuit of political success; Danny's being targeted by a civilian with a grudge; and, finally, the strike team's plot to rob the Armenian mob.
  
  If you read the above list, which is not comprehensive, you'll realize that this season does a lot (especially given that it only runs 13 episodes long). Most television shows take much more time to achieve much less. This show does all of that with power, reality, emotion and offers three or four compelling crime-drama plotlines for all of its individual episodes, besides. Also, I should specifically mention that there is a "prequel" episode included, which takes place before the pilot episode. Pure brilliance.
  
  The Shield is one of the best shows television has to offer. Its Second Season, however it might relate to the others, is a quality part of the series. Five stars.
  
  
• the show's prime
  By A23HPTS88WWMHT on 2005-07-05
  This in a close match with the 4th season is arguably the creme of the crop we've seen from shawn ryan. The mistake that many cliffhanger season finales make is the conflict they propose is resolved within the first couple episodes of the next season. The tremors of the season 1 finale ripple through every last episode of the Shield's second season. This collection of episodes features perhaps the most nefarious, most intelligent, and most engaging villain of the series thusfar in the drug and gang lord Armadillo. We see Vic's theshold's pushed further than they ever were in season 1 and the results that follow. The magnitudes of his personal conflicts force him to accept and forge an uneasy alliance with Aceveda - an alliance almost as dramatically engaging as Vic's new conflict in the precinct with Veteran detective Claudette Wymms. There are few actors who can walk toe to toe with an intimidating Chilkis. Benito Martinez brought such a prescence in the first season. CCH Pounder by no means fails to deliver either.
  
  
• ADDICTIVE ENTERTAINMENT
  By A3BUFAGPDKONX1 on 2005-04-05
  OK, I admit it, I'm addicted to this show and watching one episode right after another is the way to enjoy it most. All of the subplots get full exposure this way. You don't have time to forget what happened in the week preceding because that was a couple of minutes ago.
  
  What I like about the second season of discs over the first is the addition of scenes from previous episodes to refresh the memory. Very helpful and much appreciated. Of all of the episodes I felt CO-PILOT was the weakest. Though interesting it was a throw away. I liked seeing the origin of the Strike Team, but I did not feel it rang true to the very first episode. It implied that the malfeasance of the team only began a few days before the first episode, though the first episode implied their antics had been going on for quite some time.
  
  Season two is more violent than season one and the Strike Team makes quite a few new enemies. Teasing us with the Money Train throughout left me salivating at the end in anticipation of the big heist. The more Mackey tries to start doing things right the more things get screwed up. I'm even warming to Shane.
  
  Great, great show and a must see for cop show fanatics.
  
  
• The Best Darn Show On Television Bar None!!
  By A2TAV6XYP1UB4P on 2005-03-24
  After wacthing the first season of this groundbreaking, amazing show The Shield's second season in an explosive fashion with hard hitting storylines delivered by the finest group of actors i have ever seen on television & told with gritty realism and out right in your face style of acting never seen anywhere else. Michael Chilklis does an amazing job & desreves the numerous awards given to him as a member of an elite strike team who will make deal with drug dealers, kill to protect each other anything to get the job done. This show has too many amazing qualites to mention but it makes me watch every epidsode compulslvey that i cannot miss a single episode. Quite simply once you seen The Shield your'e hooked and there is no turning back that's how good this program really is. With it's plots, profanity ,humor and and amazing characters with so much internal conflict with themselves.From season 1-3 which i have seen all the episodes countless times i never really get tired of it. Can hardly wait to get season 4 on DVD.The Shield really is the best darn shown on televison.
  
  
• This Show Must Have Killed Off LA's Tourist Industry
  By A3H4EV4UMST3HV on 2005-01-21
  Make no mistake The Shield is first class and along with The Wire, it is the most gritty police series on TV. Set in Los Angeles, with one exception all of the police officers are various shades of grey, balancing police work with their own ambitions. In particular this is true of the main charactor, Vic Mackey. Mackey is a good if ruthless cop, brave, loyal to his men and a loving father. He is also totaly corrupt licensing the drug dealers in his area and torturing and killing anyone who gets in his way. Michael Chiklis does an excellent job of showing MacKey with all his contradictions, one minute saving a baby from drowning, the next burning a drug dealer on a hot grill.
  
  MacKey's boss, David Aceveda played by Benito Martinez is eager to catch him, but balances this against his own political ambitions. Other charactors include Julian (Michael Jace) a Christain patrolman who refuses to accept he is gay and a Dutch (Jay Karnes), a dectective who craves the admiration of his colleagues. The only person we can admire is Claudette Wyms, played by the excelent CCH Pounder. Claudette has no agenda other than to be a good cop and catch the bad guy. She is clever enough to know what both MacKey and Aceveda are up to and they in turn know not to cross the only other cop with the abilty to bring them both down.
  
  In the Shield's version of L.A. everyone is a gangster, corrupt politican, corrupt police officer, drug dealer, drug addict or psychotic killer. and often all six. I have never been to Los Angeles and the Shield does nothing to make me want to go there. This is the show's weekness. It is unremitingly grim. All right the life of an L.A. cop cannot be a bundle of laughs but it must have it's lighter moments. It is these that the Shield fails to show. An injection of the occasional bit of humour would go a long way. I am all for crime being shown in all it's horror but man does not live by gunshots and stab wounds alone.
  
  Another weakness is the number of near misses that MacKey and his crew have. Always getting away with it by the skin of your teeth gets a bit repetitive.
  
  I may be picky but why show the deleted scenes separate from the show? It would have been better to put these in the episodes so we can see them in their correct place. Having said that bring on series 3.
  
  
  
  
  
• Cable TV at it's best
  By AJKWF4W7QD4NS on 2003-12-24
  Despite what many critics stated about the second season of FX's The Shield, this season proves to be better than the first by pushing (and even breaking) the limits of what can be seen on television. The main story running throughout this season is corrupt cop Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis) and his Strike team learn of a money train and plan to hit it, but not without a few snags in the way. Julian (Michael Jace) denies his homosexuality and gets a quick marriage before he is revealed to his fellow officers, Dani (Catherine Dent) loses more and more her grip on her job and her state of mind, while Shane (Walt Goggins) forms a closer bond to Vic. Season highlights include Carl Weathers guest starring as Vic's old partner, the introduction of a drug dealer named Armadillo that would have a profound impact on the show, and a flashback type episode in which we see Vic and the Strike team join together for the first time, and we witness Vic's first corrupt act as a cop. Even though Chiklis gets most of the press for his performance on the show, the standout of season 2 was undoubtadly CCH Pounder who slowly learns the truth about Vic and his team, the culmination of which finds her in line for Aceveda's (Benito Martinez) job; the culmination of which will come to a head in the upcoming third season of the show. I had feared that after a breakout first season The Shield would become a cliche, corrupt cop drama a la NYPD Blue, but creator Shawn Ryan pulls no punches and up's the ante for on screen violence and brutality, while weaving an incredible web of story. All in all, this is cable TV at it's unprecidented best.
  
  
• the shield is grrreat
  By A1VRLRJD25TOF7 on 2008-06-22
  I watched part of one show prior to ordering the first two seasons. In one weekend my wife and watch them all. Now I have ordered 3 and 4, all I have to do is find another weekend to watch them all. Very addicting. The story line and acting is top notch. Ordering the season DVDs is the way to go. Outstanding show!!! Can't wait to see more.
  
  
• TV Can Be This Good
  By A185QFJRTB5W93 on 2008-05-05
  This series has gone and blown away the mold of the police drama. Soars FAR above everything else that is currently out there. By the time Vic and the strike team are through, police shows will never be the same. This series is a must for anyone who is starving for unpredictable, unprecedented action/drama/excitement. It is never what it seems. The Shield comes at the viewer from so many different directions that it keeps the viewer guessing to the end of each and every episode. I can only give this series the HIGHEST possible recommendation!
  
  
• Can't Miss Shield
  By A2I3PMXM1PP32V on 2008-05-04
  This is one of the best TV DVD's I've ever bought. Besides the show being incredible, the extras shine better than nearly any other TV DVD extras. You won't find short, 5 minutes extras here, you'll find a good half hour and hour extras that make this product a delight to own and enjoy. If you like the show, you really need to buy this DVD.
  
  
• Oh Vic Mackey... how I hate you, but love your results..
  By A2Z0V30N2YW9MK on 2008-03-26
  Vic Mackey, played by Michael Chiklis is a phenomenal series that pushes the boundaries of primetime TV. FX has been known for putting risque shows up, but The Shield takes the cake.
  
  It is primarily about crooked cops in L.A., but you have a hard time hating them because they are so danged effective. So, buy this series, and watch for Season 7, the final season coming to TV soon!
  
  
• The Shield - The Complete Second Season
  By APY9Q2UDYNZR4 on 2007-01-28
  I am a huge fan of The Shield, and would have to say (from at least series one to four) this is absolutely the best of them! I love it, and can't recommend it to enough people!!!! One of the best DVD purchases I have made.
  
  
• the best cop show on cable
  By A3O0JSKK6Q642X on 2006-03-16
  the shield continues it fast paced non stop action, in the second season, it continues to get better each episode, it is by far the best cop show ever on tv
  
  
• The Shield, A Great Show
  By A2GTUSJHRJ0VZK on 2005-08-21
  The Shield is a Great Show. I was disappointed that Glen Close left theshow after only one season... she added greatly to the cast, and I hope that they bring her back from time to time in her same cameo role. This is a fast paced, multifasited, conflicted characters and very human story that continues from week to week, which left this viewer waiting with great anticipation for the next episode, now eagerly awaiting next season. 5 stars---YOUBETCHA!!!!!!!!!!!!
  
  
• Keeping Up with Season One
  By A5TZXWU8AALIC on 2005-03-05
  A co-worker said to me, "That show's out of control!"
  We've all been passing around THE SHIELD; first its first season, then its second. And it hasn't lost any steam. THE SHIELD still crashes and careens through the streets of L.A. like one of its wobbling-camera footchases, always managing to stun and electrify its audience.
  Staying totally out of control.
  
  I'll go as far as to say I think it's the best cop show on television.
  I love the characters and I love the care the writers put into them. The actors are all superb. THE SHIELD is harsh, violent and sometimes very ugly, but it's also funny, sometimes touching, and always very smart.
  (I'll get the third season as well and I can't wait for the upcoming fourth!).
  
  
• Best show on tv. I swear
  By A1IWK4G8P2CWVE on 2004-12-25
  This is the best show on tv. Don't doubt me. I've watched 24, The Sopranos, and The Wire, all of which some might argue are better. However all fail to meet the intensity and character development that The Shield consistently dishes out. When it comes to drama, this show is as good as it can get.
  
  You watch the first episode of the first season and you'll be hooked. The first season is just incrdible and the second season only amps up the intensity. The entire cast is amazing. Chicklis and Pounder both deserve emmys. I know Chicklis already won one but he deserves another and Pounder being passed over for actress just isn't right. These people light up the screen with their performances and I have never cared about a show as much as I do this one. Also the writing is very well done. The storylines and the way the actors carry this show make it non-stop edge of your seat entertainment.
  
  Here's the one problem with the second season. You can't jump right into it without watching the first season. Well, you can because it does stand on its own, but to get the full emotional effect that this show delivers, you really need to watch the first season first.
  
  I loved the first season and I was astonished to see this show improve on itself in the second season because I honestly felt that the first season was as good as television could get. At least rent it or download episodes or something. People who don't watch are really missing out.
  
  
• love it.
  By APFUP0O75LXRY on 2004-04-21
  if you like the shield, this season was just as good as season 1. the 3rd season is on now and it is also very good. this show rocks!
  
  
• One of the best shows in recent years
  By A1CYTBE7LLUQ8F on 2004-03-31
  For pure entertainment value The Shield on DVD was worth every dollar spent! Building on its phenomenal first season, The Shield season 2 does not disappoint. Every episode keeps you wanting more. The show continues to develop its wonderful cast characters. Vic, Aceveda, Wyms, and 'Dutch Boy' are fun to watch. I live overseas so I don't get to watch the Shield on prime time, so now I have to wait until Season 3 is released. I can't wait!!!
  
  

• The Shield - The Complete Third Season
• The Shield: Season One
• The Shield - The Complete Fourth Season
• The Shield: Season Five
• The Shield: Season Six