"The Shield": Basic Cable Groundbreaker Ends as it Began

amp160When a series that has commanded uncommon critical respect and made an outsize impact on television history throughout its run reaches its final episode it is not uncommon for reviewers to refer to its passing as the end of an eraamp160But FXamp8217 gritty gamechanger The Shield deserves something more After its final episode has been telecast the era of adult basic cable entertainment that this singularly unique police drama ushered in will most definitely not be over Instead it will continue to grow and to flourish as it has since March 2002 when crooked cop Vic Mackey Michael Chiklis and his Strike Team tore through the opening hour of The Shield with a fire and fury and fourletter ferocity that had never been seen in advertiser supported original programming The season that followed proved transformative exciting viewers program creators and advertisers alike and making them all aware of the untapped potential of basic cable to offer something that couldnamp8217t be found anywhere else on television at least without paying premium channel rates HBO and Showtime had a ballsy new competitor on deck while other basic cable networks realized that they would have to step up to remain in the same league The Shield set the stage for several acclaimed FX dramas to follow including Rescue Me Over There Damages and in its early seasons NipTuck One might argue that it also primed its medium for the eventual arrivals of such unapologetically grownup series as Sci Fi Channelamp8217s Battlestar Galactica TNTamp8217s The Closer Saving Grace and upcoming Leverage and AMCamp8217s Mad Men and Breaking Badamp160Thinking back on it all it seems to me that The Shield isnamp8217t so much a series coming to an end as a story reaching its conclusion The drama that went down in the seriesamp8217 premiere episode and has remained in recurring play ever since amp8211 especially that unforgettable moment at the start when Vic murdered Terry Crowley a fellow officer who had learned too much about the Strike Teamamp8217s illegal actions amp8211 is right at the forefront as the characters careen into the series finale Clearly Shield creator Shawn Ryan planted the seeds for an explosive ending way back at the beginning and carefully cultivated them for as long as necessary unaware at the time that his tale would span seven seasons Room was made along the way for extended related subplots including entire seasons that largely revolved around individual characters Glenn Closeamp8217s chillingly competent Capt Monica Rawling Anthony Andersonamp8217s sinister crime boss Antwon Mitchell and Forest Whitakeramp8217s unscrupulous Lt Jon Kavanaugh who came advanced the stories in play sometimes with tragic results and then exited burning holes in the canvas without ever pulling the focus of the drama away from Mackey and his men and the women in their livesamp160Ryanamp8217s work throughout hasnamp8217t simply been firstclass storytelling It has been worldclass showrunning amp160The Shield has been punctuated with explosive surprises and shocking twists from start to finish but it never jumped the shark compromised its characters became repetitive or changed its direction as so many longrunning series do Its biggest transgression has been the occasional extreme complexity of its stories including the sometimes hard to follow business of the Mexicans and the Armenians earlier this season But its density has never distracted from its overall power or the masterful performances that made it one of televisionamp8217s best series ever That electricity has continued right into its final weeks with the nervefrying extended showdown between Mackey and his trusted friend turned most wanted enemy Det Shane Vendrell Walton Gogginsamp160The industry took immediate notice during The Shieldamp8217s first season of its uncommon quality and promptly awarded series lead Chiklis with an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series I will never understand why certain of his costars or outstanding guest stars Close Anderson and Whitaker werenamp8217t similarly honored since that time I long ago lost faith in the voting members of the Academy of Television Arts ampamp Sciences to properly reward this talented troupe but they are going to look ridiculous if they donamp8217t recognize Chiklis and Goggins with nominations next summer in the Lead Actor and Supporting Actor categories respectively As murderous tensions have continued to mount between their characters no two actors on any television series this season have played off each other with such brutal intensity Further I canamp8217t remember the last time I was as riveted to my television screen as during the final sequence of last weekamp8217s penultimate episode when Mackey amp8211 after taking a long moment to begin speaking the damning words out loud amp8211 confessed all of his crimes beginning with the murder of Terry Crowley to a federal agent after being granted immunity Chiklis was both thrilling and chilling to watch As he spoke taking longtime viewers on a disturbing trip down the madness of Mackeyamp8217s own memory lane one could see his face change from dedicated law enforcer and family man to coldblooded killer and master manipulator and back again It is one of many scenes from the run of this show that will be impossible to forget in the years to come What an amazing accomplishmentamp160

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"The Shield": Basic Cable Groundbreaker Ends as it Began

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"The Shield": Basic Cable Groundbreaker Ends as it Began

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