The Shield

[Mithandriel]

Originally Posted by frott

Saw a funny picture in the newspaper of chikliss in his tight tshirt and etc, snatching a firehose and spraying a bunch of black protestors. I'm pretty sure that'd be handled by someone other than him...

It made sense in the context of the episode. They were not protestors. They were rioters at a high school and that was his "non-lethal" method to stop some of them.

The show is amazing. Excellent character developement going on with pretty much every character. It will be interesting to see how the season plays out.

Doubtful this will be the last season unless the contract is up and Chikliss and some of the other major characters do not re-sign.

[blindeye]

Originally Posted by frott

Saw a funny picture in the newspaper of chikliss in his tight tshirt and etc, snatching a firehose and spraying a bunch of black protestors. I'm pretty sure that'd be handled by someone other than him...

[Cathan]

I've watched the shield since it premiered and it is hands down the best show tv has ever produced imo. I think it blows sopranos away as well. I've seen a thousdand mobster movies and dramas but there's only 1 strike team. The whole basis of the show hinges off that first episode where vic kills terry and from there out you're left hating him for what he did yet sympathizing and even rooting for him against all the bullshit he has to endure even with all the fucked up shit he does himself. I think the only real way they could turn the show up is if they killed some of the core actors off in very dramatic ways. Last season they killed 2 cops but that was almost like the extras that went out on star trek (original) expeditions and never came back.
This season looks awesome. If there is a series finale this year I'm glad to see forrest whitaker as part of it. He's an amazing actor himself as is evident in the season premiere.

Cathan

[Lyrical]

Since reading this thread, my wife and I have started watching this show. Its only our second show we have seen, but it seems pretty good. The only tihng is that the storyline seems hard to pick up after all the seasons we haven't seen. Can anyone tell me how Vic and his team killed a cop?

If you like this show, there is a show called "The Wire" that you may like. It is on HBO, and you can probably download it. It is shot and occurs in Baltimore (where I was born) and it is even grittier than "The Shield." I say that because on HBO they can get away with so much more than on FX. My family still lives in Baltimore, so it is like I am visiting them everytime I turn the show on.

[Kan]

In the very first episode Vic and Shane find out that Terry is undercover for the justice dept. so when they go on a raid into a dealers house they kill the dealer and take the dealers gun and kill Terry (Vic and Shane) Ronnie and Lemonhead never knew the truth about it they and along with everyone else thought it was the dealer who shot him.

[Lyrical]

Originally Posted by Kan

In the very first episode Vic and Shane find out that Terry is undercover for the justice dept. so when they go on a raid into a dealers house they kill the dealer and take the dealers gun and kill Terry (Vic and Shane) Ronnie and Lemonhead never knew the truth about it they and along with everyone else thought it was the dealer who shot him.

So let me get this straight - Vic killed a fellow officer? How are we supposed to like a police officer that killed a fellow officer and messed with evidence on a crime scene? I don't get it. If I want to see people commit crimes, I might be better off watching Soprano's.

Given that your post says that Vic kills people on his own side, what redeeming qualities does he have, and do they offset the bad things he does?

[Hateyou]

Originally Posted by Lyrical

So let me get this straight - Vic killed a fellow officer? How are we supposed to like a police officer that killed a fellow officer and messed with evidence on a crime scene? I don't get it. If I want to see people commit crimes, I might be better off watching Soprano's.

Given that your post says that Vic kills people on his own side, what redeeming qualities does he have, and do they offset the bad things he does?

You are pretty much talking about the whole point of the show. Vic and his team do pretty bad things. (Murder, theft, protecting criminals, lying, etc. They break tons of laws.) However being cops they are doing good things also, unlike the Soprano's. They do a ton more good than they do bad, but they do lots of bad shit to get it done most of the time. That's a huge part of the show... seeing what they are getting into and how they avoid being caught.

Also, unlike The Saprano's, these guys (especially Vic and Lem) struggle with thier conscience(sp?) alot. The Soprano's just kill someone and feel they are justified just because they are the Mob. I like The Soprano's alot, but they seem much more 1 dimensional and unrealistic than The Shield's characters.

I've been watching this show since it started and I've been rooting for them the whole time. They're the best badguy/goodguy group of people ever imo.

[splok]

Vic killed a fellow officer? How are we supposed to like a police officer that killed a fellow officer

The officer was planted in the team to get dirt on them. Vic found out and couldn't allow a narc to stay on the team. Narcs aren't exactly team players. The point of the show and the point of the team is doing what it takes to get shit done even if sometimes you really really wish you didn't have to do what you have to do... but of course, sometimes its pretty fun doing those things too.

[Digo]

The show isn't just about cop stuff.

Vic is going through an ugly divorce. His kids are... sick, shall we say. I don't want to spoil anything, so let's just say that the show also focuses on the human relationship problems all the cops have.

Aceveda is fucked up beyond all belief. He keeps getting more and more insane. The writers did a remarkable job with his character, seeing how you go from hating him, to sympathizing, to hating him again all in the span of 44 minutes.

[Jovec]

Originally Posted by Lyrical

Given that your post says that Vic kills people on his own side, what redeeming qualities does he have, and do they offset the bad things he does?

^^ is pretty much the main appeal of the show... you hate Vic for some of the things he does, but you are definately rooting for him when he's doing his legit cop thing and even rooting for him when he's doing *most* of his illegit things. And of course you're rooting for him to get his family stuff together.

And Forest Whitiker (sp)...is he playing one of the slimiest character's you've ever seen or what? His char is definately not someone you'd be friends with IRL, but you can't list the reasons why....it's either very good acting or very bad acting, I can't tell .

-Jovec

[Kan]

very good acting. His character is amazing and is making this season start to shape up to possibly be the best so far.

[Mithandriel]

Forest Whitaker is fantastic. He really makes you hate him. Part of that is the acting and part of it is because his character is a scumbag who is probably as dirty and morally corrupt as the people he is trying to catch. He is just on the side of the "good guys" so his actions are justified in his eyes.

Vic is not an evil person. He does more good than evil but he is still a dirty cop and is going to do what needs to be done to protect himself and his own from getting hurt. That is the major appeal of the show. Seeing him wrestle with the decisions he has made.

[Ham n Cheese]

Loving this season so far

[Lyrical]

Considering I have only seen like three episodes, I have seen very little good that any of these charachters have done. I really dislike them all and am cheering for Vic to get caught. I can't admire someone that would kill a fellow offficer (even if they are undercover). I suppose some of you fanbois may flame me for that, but I am the type that watches Sopranos to see Tony get caught or the Wire to see Stringer Bell get nabbed.

Forest Whitaker has always been a pretty good actor, but he is shining in this show. He is doing really well as coming off as a slime ball.

The last episode was funny when Vic and Forest finally meet. They were so two-faced to each other. It was hilarious. My wife and I were balling out loud at that scene.

[Ham n Cheese]

You should've watched seasons 1-4 first.