The Shield: Season 1

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 28 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 184 Ratings

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9.3

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9.3	Your Score
9.3	User Score Universal acclaim based on 184 Ratings

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The Shield: Story Featurette

Now Playing: The Shield: Story Featurette

Season Details & Credits

FX | Season Premiere Date: March 12, 2002

Starring: Reed Diamond, CCH Pounder, CCH Pounder

Summary: The Road To Justice Is Twisted

The Shield breaks the conventional formula of the cop genre. It plays out in a tough, morally ambiguous world in which the line between good and bad is crossed every day. The series focuses on the tension between a group of corrupt but effective cops and a captain torn between bringing them down andThe Road To Justice Is Twisted

The Shield breaks the conventional formula of the cop genre. It plays out in a tough, morally ambiguous world in which the line between good and bad is crossed every day. The series focuses on the tension between a group of corrupt but effective cops and a captain torn between bringing them down and advancing his own political ambitions. The Shield stars Michael Chiklis (The Commish) as rogue cop "Det. Vic Mackey," leader of the elite Strike Team unit, who is effective at eliminating crime but who operates under his own set of rules. Benito Martinez (Outbreak & Her Costly Affair) plays "Captain David Aceveda," the young precinct head who doesn't like Mackey's tactics and wants to bust him off the force. And the Emmy-nominated CCH Pounder (ER & Boycott), plays "Det. Claudette Wyms," a veteran detective who understands Mackey and knows how to play both sides of the fence.

The show made history by becoming the first ad-supported cable series to win the 2003 Golden Globe Award for Best Drama Series. In its first season, Shawn Ryan (Writing) and Clark Johnson (Directing) received Emmy nominations, which were also firsts for basic cable in those categories. The Shield has received two TCA nominations for Outstanding Achievement in Drama. As of March 2005, the show has become the longest running series on the FX Network.… Expand

Creator: Shawn Ryan

Genre(s): Drama, Action & Adventure, Suspense

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Season 1 Episodes

tbd
S1:E13. Circles (Part 2)
Air Date: June 4, 2002
tbd
S1:E12. Two Days of Blood (Part 1)
Air Date: May 28, 2002
tbd
S1:E11. Carnivores
Air Date: May 21, 2002

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Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

100

James Poniewozik

Jun 28, 2013

Astonishing. ... The Shield did what network cop shows have lately abandoned: it created a richly imagined world with continuing story lines, driven by L.A.'s roiling racial politics--achieving a payoff far bigger than solving the murder of the week. Read full review

100

Mike Duffy

Mar 19, 2013

Just imagine if Tony Soprano had decided to be a cop instead of a gangster. Yes, scary. Scary and compelling. And that's what you get with Detective Vic Mackey, the brutal, anything-goes Johnny Law at the dark heart of The Shield, an explosively well-done new crime drama. [12 Mar 2002]

100

Gail Pennington

Mar 19, 2013

The best cop show of any recent season...It's not for everyone, but it is for anyone who still misses "Homicide" and thinks "NYPD Blue" long ago devolved into soap opera. [10 Mar 2002, p.F2]

100

Jonathan Storm

Mar 19, 2013

Foul-mouthed, violent and potentially depressing with its unvarnished characters, The Shield also shocks your heart with pounding action and tickles your brain by presenting a cops-and-robbers world where almost everyone is at least morally ambiguous, at worst corrupt. [12 Mar 2002]

Scott D. Pierce

Mar 19, 2013

However, I can't give The Shield an unqualified recommendation given its placement on a basic cable network. There are scenes that make "NYPD Blue" look tame, including nudity, sex scenes, horrific violence and everything short of the f-word in terms of language. It looks like something you'd expect from HBO or a pay-cable channel that you specifically pay for and expect to include adult content. Not a basic cable channel that's next to Nickelodeon and the Disney Channel. [12 Mar 2002, p.C08]

Phil Rosenthal

Mar 19, 2013

This is a darker "NYPD Blue," "The Job" without the jokes, the LAPD Rampart scandal without, so far, the indictments. Does The Shield need the R-rated language, violence and nudity that FX has allowed it? Probably not. But don't let that scare you off, either. [12 Mar 2002, p.39]

Mar 19, 2013

The Shield gives viewers so much Chiklis, it should be called "The Commish 2." The pilot opens with the unlikely scenario of the portly Chiklis chasing down a teenage drug dealer. It only gets worse...There may be rogue cops out there, but do they really announce to their precinct captains that they can't be controlled? It's hard to watch a show that stars such an unlikable character. [12 Mar 2002, p.41]

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User Score

Write a Review

9.3

User Reviews

hillg

Jul 16, 2012

this is an amazing show...it was my favorite show until breaking bad came out.....for all of the people who love this show, i highly recommend breaking bad.

6 of 7 users found this helpful61

rustygilligan

Jul 10, 2013

Just got done watching all 7 seasons of this show, and to me it was the most compelling tv I've ever watched. My biggest problem was the last 10 mins (of the last show)... it literally destroyed my whole opinion of 7 seasons.
The characterization was so crisp and expertly wound, that youJust got done watching all 7 seasons of this show, and to me it was the most compelling tv I've ever watched. My biggest problem was the last 10 mins (of the last show)... it literally destroyed my whole opinion of 7 seasons.
The characterization was so crisp and expertly wound, that you almost 'felt' for the characters, rooted for the bad guys, and thought strongly about the things that you'd seen.
What they did in the end... the choices that they made... were so upsetting to me, that I was almost 'heart broken' that I was was roped into the show for so long.
Very upsetting...… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

CraigHicks

Oct 12, 2014

The Shield is simply astounding television. The writing, directing and acting are all sublime. Most of the time you forget you're watching a tv show. A cop show has never been so realistic especially in it's portrayal of inner city gangs and the influence they have on the police department.The Shield is simply astounding television. The writing, directing and acting are all sublime. Most of the time you forget you're watching a tv show. A cop show has never been so realistic especially in it's portrayal of inner city gangs and the influence they have on the police department. For many people, The Wire holds this crown but The Shield is far, far more personal. With one continuous story-line from the first episode to the last, the main protagonist being the antagonist, and the unfolding of an absolute breathtaking (and heartbreaking) finale, The Shield has it all. And with it now being on Netflix, you don't have an excuse to miss it. If you do, you will regret it.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

imthenoob

Feb 5, 2012

Season 1 starts off with a bang and finishes extremely strong in the season finale. The acting is great and the storylines are very interesting. Its definently becoming my favorite show to watch.

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

ForReals13

Nov 18, 2021

Pilot A-. Our Gang B. The Spread B-. Dawg Days B.
Blowback A-. Cherrypoppers B+. Pay In Pain B.
Cupid & Psycho B+. Throwaway B. Dragonchasers A-.
Carnivores B. Two Days Of Blood B+. Circles A.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Swan

Feb 18, 2012

The Shield is kinda like 'The Wire' but drunk and carrying a knife or something. It doesn't have anywhere near the depth of the aforementioned, but it fills that lacking with, well..... Vic Mackey.

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

Swati

May 8, 2013

The Shield is definitely the best cop drama I've seen. Vic Mackey is an engaging main character. The rest of the cast also turned out great performances. I was not bored for a second. What I loved about this show is that even though it wasn't highly serialized, like the other great shows ofThe Shield is definitely the best cop drama I've seen. Vic Mackey is an engaging main character. The rest of the cast also turned out great performances. I was not bored for a second. What I loved about this show is that even though it wasn't highly serialized, like the other great shows of the last decade, it still managed to hold my attention.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

SEE ALL 20 REVIEWS

Seasons & Episodes

89

Series Overview
Season 7

85
- Season 7 Overview
  Air Date: September 2, 2008
Season 6

tbd
- Season 6 Overview
  Air Date: April 3, 2007
Season 5

tbd
- Season 5 Overview
  Air Date: January 10, 2006
Season 4

tbd
- Season 4 Overview
  Air Date: March 15, 2005
Season 3

tbd
- Season 3 Overview
  Air Date: March 9, 2004
Season 2

tbd
- Season 2 Overview
  Air Date: January 7, 2003
Season 1

92
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: March 12, 2002
- tbd
  S1:E13. Circles (Part 2)
  Air Date: June 4, 2002
- tbd
  S1:E12. Two Days of Blood (Part 1)
  Air Date: May 28, 2002
- tbd
  S1:E11. Carnivores
  Air Date: May 21, 2002
- tbd
  S1:E10. Dragonchasers
  Air Date: May 14, 2002
- tbd
  S1:E9. Throwaway
  Air Date: May 7, 2002
- tbd
  S1:E8. Cupid & Psycho
  Air Date: April 30, 2002
- tbd
  S1:E7. Pay In Pain
  Air Date: April 23, 2002
- tbd
  S1:E6. Cherrypoppers
  Air Date: April 16, 2002
- tbd
  S1:E5. Blowback
  Air Date: April 9, 2002
- tbd
  S1:E4. Dawg Days
  Air Date: April 2, 2002
- tbd
  S1:E3. The Spread
  Air Date: March 26, 2002
- tbd
  S1:E2. Our Gang
  Air Date: March 19, 2002
- tbd
  S1:E1. Pilot
  Air Date: March 12, 2002