The Shield

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The Shield

Cast of The Shield
Genre Crime Drama
Picture format 480i (SDTV)
Running time 0:44 to 0:50
Creator(s) Shawn Ryan
Starring Michael Chiklis
Walton Goggins
Kenny Johnson (2002-2006)
Benito Martinez
CCH Pounder
Jay Karnes
Catherine Dent
Michael Jace
Cathy Cahlin Ryan
David Rees Snell
Glenn Close (2005)
Forest Whitaker (2006-)
Alex O'Loughlin (2007-)
Country of origin United States United States
Original channel FX Networks
Original run March 12, 2002–present
No. of episodes 65
IMDb profile
This article is about the television series. For the comic-book superhero, see The Shield (Archie Comics).
For other uses, see Shield (disambiguation).

The Shield is an American police-drama television series shown on FX Networks in the U.S. and other networks internationally. The show is notable for its controversial portrayal of corrupt police officers. The first season gained the most Emmy nominations for a basic cable drama. The series was created by Shawn Ryan and The Barn Productions for Fox Television Studios and Sony Pictures Television (formerly Columbia TriStar Television).

In the United States, The Shield has aired on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. Reruns of seasons one and two have aired on the basic-cable channel Spike TV, and reruns of season one begin airing weekends in national syndication in September 2006. In the United Kingdom The Shield has aired on Fridays at 11 p.m. on Five. In Ireland, The Shield has aired on Monday at 9 p.m on TV3 Ireland.

Contents

[edit] About the series

The Shield is about an experimental police division set up in the fictional Farmington district ("the Farm") of Los Angeles, using a converted church ("the Barn") as their police station, and featuring a strike team of corrupt detectives. Although Michael Chiklis has top billing with his portrayal of Strike Team leader Vic Mackey, the show has an ensemble cast that will normally run a number of separate story lines through each episode.

Detective Vic Mackey is the leader of the Strike Team, a four-man anti-gang unit based on the LAPD's real-life Rampart Division CRASH unit (Rampart was seriously considered as the series name [1]). The Strike Team uses a variety of illegal and unethical methods to maintain peace on the streets, while maintaining their own profits through illegal drug protection schemes and robbery. The Strike Team isn't above planting drugs on and coercing confessions out of gang members. Attempts to give the team a fifth member have frequently led to near-catastrophe for the group.

The Shield has a variety of subplots, notably David Aceveda's political aspirations and internal confrontation of a previous sexual assault; Vic Mackey's struggle to cope with a failing marriage; and Julien Lowe's internal conflicts between his belief in the teachings of the Bible and his homosexuality.

Common themes are the citizens' distrust of police, the social impact of drugs and gang warfare, and the conflict between ethics and political expediency. Most characters are portrayed as having both vice and virtue. For example, Vic's loving relationship with his children contrasts with his thuggish attitude towards police work.

The Shield has won critical praise[citation needed] for its naturalism, particularly in its portrayal of gang violence in Los Angeles. Although names of actual gangs are not used, the portrayals are based on real gangs [2]. Latino gangs with names such as "Los Magnificos" (or "Los Mags") and the "Toros" are a constant thorn in the Strike Team's side in the early seasons of the show, whilst African American gangs become more prominent in later episodes. In particular, a gang calling themselves the "One-Niners" are central to the plot of Season 4. Like the notorious real-life Blood and Crip gangs, the One-Niners identify themselves strongly with one color (in this case purple), wearing it on various forms of clothing. There are also a number of stories set in Korean neighborhoods, as well as plots involving Armenian gangsters. To enhance its verisimilitude, the show makes very little use of background music.
The neutrality of this article is disputed.
Please see the discussion on the talk page.

There is some controversy around the show's depiction of police corruption[citation needed]. The Strike Team's illegal activities are often backed up with convincing rationalizations by its members, while various police and government authorities who try to bring them to justice or otherwise criticize them are often portrayed negatively. Some argue that this technique presents the reality of police corruption and brutality, which are obviously wrong, and attempts to explain it intelligently, without demonizing it.[citation needed] Others argue that the show is essentially a defense of police corruption and brutality, portraying effective police work as impossible without such tactics and presenting Vic Mackey in particular as a hero despite his extensive corruption.[citation needed]

[edit] Season Overviews

Main article: List of The Shield episodes
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Season 1 premiered March 12, 2002. It gives introduction to The Strike Team and the other characters of the Barn. Important plotlines are the aftermath of Vic's murder of Terry Crowley and Captain Aceveda's scheming to bring Vic and the Strike Team down; Dutch and Claudette tracking down a serial killer; Julien training under Danny and struggling with his homosexuality; and the corrupt actions of Ben Gilroy.

Season 2 premiered January 7, 2003. The season mostly revolves around a brutal new drug-lord who begins to take over the drug trade in Farmington. Meanwhile, Officer Sofer is involved in a shooting of a Muslim man and has to deal with the fallout. This season is also heavily concerned with the Strike Teams plan to rip off the money train of the Armenian Mob, which ends up going down in the season finale.

Season 3 premiered March 9, 2004. The season mainly revolves around the aftermath of the Money Train Heist and its effects on the Strike Team, as the Armenian mob and also David Aceveda begin to suspect the Strike Team. In order to save the team, Lem destroys the majority of the money, ultimately leading to a confrontation which causes the Strike Team to split up in the season finale.

Season 4 premiered March 15th, 2005, with the addition of Glenn Close taking over the role as Farmington's Captain, and ended on June 14th. The season dealt with the fallout from the Strike Team disbandment. Shane Vendrell, with new partner Army, enters into a dangerous situation with major drug lord Antwon Mitchell, and seemingly accepts an order to kill Vic Mackey. The police were outraged after two officers were kidnapped and subsequently found murdered. In the end, the team gets back together and manages to bring Antwon into jail. The season also deals with the controversial asset forfeiture policies of the new captain; Julien's opposition to these policies; and David Aceveda dealing with the psychological aftermath of his sexual assault incident from the previous season.

Season 5 premiered January 10th, 2006. The season revolved around Internal Affairs Department Lt. Jon Kavanaugh's investigation into the Strike Team, representing one of the greatest threats the team has ever faced. The season concluded with Shane Vendrell murdering his friend and fellow team member Curtis "Lem" Lemansky.

Season 6 will consist of ten episodes and was scheduled to begin filming in April 2006, for broadcast in January 2007. Creator Shawn Ryan had stated this may be the last season [3], but on June 5, 2006 FX announced The Shield has been renewed for a seventh and final season.

[edit] Characters

Main article: List of characters from The Shield
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

[edit] Strike Team

[edit] Former members

  • Detective Terry Crowley (Reed Diamond) (Episodes 1.01, 1.02; 2.22): An undercover detective working with David Aceveda and the Department of Justice, who was trying to get information on the illicit activities of the Strike Team. Was shot and killed by Vic Mackey in the pilot episode. Crowley was the original fifth member of the Strike Team.
  • Detective Tavon Garris (Brian White) (Seasons 2-3): A later addition to the Strike Team. Left the Strike Team after a fight with Shane Vendrell and a subsequent automobile accident.
  • Detective Armando "Army" Renta (Michael Peña) (Season 4): Shane Vendrell's partner after he left the Strike Team at the end of season three. Was involved in Shane's illicit dealings with Antwon Mitchell, and later split from Shane in order to avoid a lie detector test related thereto.
  • Detective Curtis "Lem" Lemansky (Kenny Johnson) (Seasons 1-5): Member of the Strike Team who often served as the group's conscience. Also referred to as "Lemonhead." Was killed by Shane Vendrell in Season 5.

[edit] Administration

  • Councilman David Aceveda (Benito Martinez): Politically ambitious former police captain, elected to the Los Angeles City Council between Seasons 3 and 4. Is one of Vic Mackey's main rivals, although often they have forged uneasy alliances for various reasons. Was orally raped at gunpoint in Season 3, which eventually drove him to arrange a deal with druglord Antwon Mitchell to kill his rapist in prison.
  • Assistant Chief of Police Ben Gilroy (John Diehl) (Episodes 1.02, 1.04, 1.07, 1.08, 1.12, 1.13; 2.22, 2.23; 4.02): Crooked cop and longtime friend of Vic Mackey. Was forced out of office after being arrested in a real estate scam; later turned state's evidence in order to obtain evidence to take down the Strike Team, but was forced into exile and eventually died in Mexico.
  • Assistant Chief of Police Roy Phillips (Nigel Gibbs) (Episodes 3.09; 4.01; 5.01, 5.10): Replaced Ben Gilroy as Assistant Chief of Police. Apparently an acquaintance of Vic Mackey's, though their relationship has never been clarified.
  • Captain Monica Rawling (Glenn Close) (Season 4): Succeeded David Aceveda as captain of the Barn. Responsible for a controversial asset-seizure program during her tenure; was eventually fired when she interfered with a DEA operation in Los Angeles at the end of Season 4.
  • Captain Claudette Wyms (CCH Pounder): A veteran detective and on-again off-again partner of "Dutch" Wagenbach. Replaced Steve Billings as captain of the Barn in Season 5.
  • Chief Tom Bankston (Ron Canada) (Episodes 2.10, 2.12, 2.13; 3.02): Former Chief of Police for the LAPD. Came in after The Gilroy Scandal. Was replaced by Chief Johnson.
  • Chief Johnson (John Cygan) (Episode 5.11): Current Chief of Police for the LAPD.

[edit] Police

  • Detective Holland "Dutch" Wagenbach (Jay Karnes): Claudette's former partner and a detective at the Barn.
  • Detective Steve Billings (David Marciano) (Season 4-): Wishy-washy detective and former interim captain of the Barn after the departure of Monica Rawling. Paired with Dutch during Season 5 after losing his position as captain to Claudette.
  • Officer Danielle "Danny" Sofer (Catherine Dent): Patrol officer who aspires to become a detective. Served as Julien's training officer early in the series. Involved in an on-again-off-again affair with Vic Mackey. Mackey is the father of her son, Lee, who was born late in Season 5.
  • Officer Julien Lowe (Michael Jace): Patrol officer. Many episodes involve subplots related to his suppressed homosexuality. Training officer of Tina Hanlon.
  • Officer Tina Hanlon (Paula Garcés) (Season 5-): Julien's officer in training. An attractive young female Hispanic police officer, she is also being mentored by Dutch.
  • Lieutenant Jon Kavanaugh (Forest Whitaker) (Season 5-): Internal Affairs officer investigating the Strike Team.
  • Officer Ray Carlson (Matt Corboy) (Seasons 1-3): Homophobic patrol officer, was fired by Aceveda for tormenting Julien Lowe after the latter's homosexuality was revealed. Led an assault on Julien as retaliation. Lowe returned for revenge, breaking Carlson's arm, though Carlson was too ashamed to report it.
  • Officer Paul Jackson (Frank Grillo) (Seasons 1-2): Carlson's partner and fellow tormentor of Julien Lowe. Was fired with Carlson and also took part in the beatdown of Julien.
  • Joe Clark (Carl Weathers) (Season 2): Vic's former partner and training officer. Forced into early retirement for brutality.

[edit] Criminals

  • Antwon Mitchell (Anthony Anderson) (Season 4-): Leader of the One-Niners gang, drug dealer and general criminal kingpin, and Shane's former 'employer' during his split from the Strike Team. Due to his knowledge of what Shane did and how he was treated, he is one of the Strike Team's most powerful enemies. Currently serving a sentence in Lompoc Prison for murder and is a contributing factor to Lem's death for Lem would have been tortured in jail due to Mitchells connections.
  • Margos Dezerian (Kurt Sutter) (Episodes 1.05; 3.14, 3.15): High-ranking member of the Armenian Mafia, who was sent to Los Angeles following the Money Train robbery. Was killed by Vic Mackey at the end of Season 3.
  • Armadillo Quintero (Daniel Pino) (Episodes 2.01, 2.02, 2.05, 2.08): Ruthless Mexican gang leader that Shane and Lem arranged to have killed while in police custody before he could reveal that Vic had scarred him.
  • Kern Little (Sticky Fingaz) (Seasons 1, 2, 3, 5): Former leader of the One-Niners gang and a famous rapper. Was assassinated on orders of Antwon Mitchell in a robbery involving The Strike Team, as he posed a threat to Mitchell's leadership of the gang.
  • Diagur Leyva (Frankie Rodriguez) (Season 3): Former leader of the Byz Lats gang. Replaced former leader Garza when the Strike Team took him down. Allied with Vic, but was murdered by the Armenian Mafia when they connected him, through Vic, to the Money Train Robbery. Diagur was a cunnilingus aficionado.
  • Juan Lozano (Kurt Caceres) (Episodes 3.05, 3.10; 4.12): Member of the Byz Lats. Was assaulted by the Strike Team and would later attack and orally rape Aceveda. He was killed by Antwon Mitchell in jail on orders from Aceveda.
  • Kleavon Gardner (Ray Campbell) (Episodes 4.06; 5.06, 5.07): A serial killer that proved very challenging for Dutch and Claudette to break.
  • Tomas Motyashik (Brent Roam) (Seasons 1-2): Was briefly Julien's lover and small-time crook. Disappeared into the penal system after season 2, following his public outing of Julien.
  • Halpern White (Laurence Mason) (Season 4-): Second in command of the One-Niners gang.
  • Rondell Robinson (Walter Jones) (Season 1): A major drug dealer in the Farmington neighborhood with links to the Farmington One-Niners. Rondell was Vic's major supplier of drugs, he was used by the Strike Team in order for them to keep track of what was put on the street. Rondell was murdered at the end of Season 1, after a series of confrontations with rival dealers and the Nation of Islam forced Vic to switch his support to Tio.
  • Theodore "Tio" Osmond (Cedric Pendleton) (Episodes 1.11, 1.13; 2.01, 2.02): Tio took the place of Rondell as the Strike Team's way to control the drugs in Farmington, using his comic book store as a front for his operations. He was murdered by Armadillo Quintero.
  • Connie Reisler (Jamie Brown) (Seasons 1-2): A crack-addicted prostitute single mother who Vic may or may not have been sexually involved with. Was shot and killed while working as a C.I. for Vic.

[edit] Gangs

  • The Armenian Might
  • One-Niners: The most powerful African-American gang in Farmington. Notable members include Antwon Mitchell and Kern Little.
  • Farmtown 12: An African-American gang. Was the most powerful gang in Farmington until its neighborhoods were overrun with Latino immigrants.
  • Los Magnificos (or "Los Mags"): A Mexican gang. Disbanded upon forming of The Torrucos.
  • Los Toros: A Mexican gang. Disbanded upon forming of The Torrucos.
  • Las Profetas: A Mexican gang with a strong religious bent.
  • El Salvadorans
  • The Torrucos: A unification of the Los Mags and Toros formed by Armadillo Quintero
  • The Byz Lats: A Mexican gang.
  • Spookstreet Souljahs: An African-American gang.
  • K-Town Killers: A Korean gang.
  • The Horde: A national biker gang

[edit] Other

  • Corrine Mackey (Cathy Cahlin Ryan): Vic's ex-wife.
  • Cassidy Mackey (Autumn Chiklis): Vic's older daughter.
  • Becca Doyle (Laura Harring) (Season 5): Defense attorney for the Strike Team during Kavanaugh's investigation.
  • Emolia Melendez (Onahoua Rodriguez) (Episodes 4.10, 4.11, 4.13; 5.01, 5.02, 5.05, 5.08, 5.11): An informant for the Strike Team and a secret witness for Kavanaugh.
Spoilers end here.

[edit] Trivia

In order to meet Wikipedia's quality standards, this article's trivia section requires cleanup.
Content in the trivia section should be integrated into other appropriate areas of the article.
  • Cathy Cahlin Ryan (Corrine Mackey), is in real life married to series creator Shawn Ryan and is friends with Michael Chiklis' wife Michelle. The Ryans' infant son was cast as Connie's son, Brian, in seasons one and two.
  • Autumn Chiklis (Cassidy Mackey) is the real-life daughter of Michael Chiklis, and plays his daughter on the series. However, Chiklis says he does not let her watch the show.[citation needed]
  • The badges worn by officers in the show differ from their real-life counterparts in both design and their position on the uniform. This was done to distance the show from the actual LAPD, who objected to their portrayal as corrupt.[citation needed]
  • The characters of Detectives Ronnie Gardocki and Curtis "Lem" Lemansky were not part of the original series pitch. The character of Detective Lemansky was created especially for actor Kenny Johnson after he auditioned for the role of Terry Crowley. Meanwhile David Rees Snell, a friend of show creator Shawn Ryan, was offered a part as an extra as a member of the Strike Team in the pilot episode. When FX greenlighted the series, he was signed on to the show as the enigmatic Detective Ronnie Gardocki.[citation needed]
  • The alcoholic beverages Corona and Southern Comfort are often the beverages of choice when the Strike Team is seen celebrating, or advertised in bars they visit throughout several seasons. Vic Mackey keeps Red Stripe in his place.
  • The average episode takes seven days to film.
  • Because Shawn Ryan thinks cops drinking coffee is a cliché, police officers rarely drink coffee on the show.[citation needed]
  • David Rees Snell (Det. Gardocki) and Kenneth Johnson (Det. Lemansky) co-starred in the 2006 Hallmark TV movie "Desolation Canyon."

[edit] Other media

[edit] Video games

On March 3, 2004, Sammy Studios announced [1] a video game version of The Shield for Xbox and PlayStation 2 (PS2). The game was to be a third-person action game developed by Point of View. On March 7, 2005, Sammy Studios Inc. completed a management buyout from parent company Sammy Corporation of Tokyo, Japan, and was renamed High Moon Studios, Inc. The game's development was cancelled in the summer of 2004 following the Sammy/Sega merger.[2] On October 13, 2006, Aspyr Media announced it signed an exclusive publishing agreement with 20th Century Fox for PC and PS2 versions of the game. [3]

[edit] DVD

Region 1 releases from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment are:

DVD Date Released (Region 1)
The Complete First Season 7 Jan 2003
The Complete Second Season 6 Jan 2004
The Complete Third Season 22 Feb 2005
The Complete Fourth Season 26 Dec 2005
The Complete Fifth Season 27 Mar 2007

Region 2 Releases: Season 1 and Season 2 were released in 2003 and 2004 respectively. However, Sony (the successor to Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment) have since decided not to release any further seasons of The Shield in Region 2.[citation needed]

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ The Shield. Picturing Justice, the On-Line Journal of Law and Popular Culture (2002-05-22). Retrieved on 2006-07-02.
  2. ^ The Shield Lexicon: Farmington's Gangs. Retrieved on 2006-07-02.
  3. ^ David Mamet and Shawn Ryan: 'The Unit' Audio interview from NPR, recorded March 14, 2006

[edit] References

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