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'The Shield - The Complete Series'
(Michael Chiklis, Catherine Dent, Walton Goggins, Michael Jace, et al / 18-DVD / R / 2019 / Mill Creek Entertainment)

Overview: Controversial, compelling and critically acclaimed, 'The Shield' reinvented the police genre and gave us one of the greatest antiheroes in television history.

Vic Mackey, a corrupt cop, runs his elite Strike Team under his own set of rules, bringing conflict to the streets of Los Angeles and within his precinct.

'The Shield - The Complete Series' which includes all 7 seasons, all 88 episodes of the groundbreaking, Emmy®-winning series is (back) out now via Mill Creek Entertainment in a spectacular 18-Disc DVD Box-Set featuring over 70 hours of Bonus Features!

DVD Verdict: While the brilliance of this show can be missed easily, for those who pay close attention, the reward is beyond comparison.

This show aired on FX @ 2002 and though it is officially considered a cop show, it focuses more on the drama of the people behind the badge and the consequences of their actions.

'The Shield' follows Detective Vic Mackey and his "strike team" that handles gang violence in the middle of Los Angeles' Farmington district.

Rather than create a strict system in which one man bends the rules like the show '24', 'The Shield' demonstrates a community in which the rules are shattered and "dirty cop" is a household phrase.

Perhaps one of the best qualities of this show is the way it is shot. Instead of setting out a shot with the camera in mind, the crew allows the actors to act and graphs out the camera later.

This allows for a much more natural feel and in turn throws the viewer right into the middle of this reality. Though some people might find this new style distracting if you release your hold on the status quo of TV shows, you'll see this just increases the power behind every single line.

However, I cannot argue against the fact that the story lines are hard to follow. They are. Even in season 7, many events are referenced that occurred as early as the first season.

Many elements would be lost for anyone just trying to tune in willy nilly throughout. This is not to say that it wouldn't be enjoyable; there are new plot developments that occur in every episode, but certainly some of the story points would seem irrelevant.

For this reason, this show should be viewed as an 88-part movie. This sounds ridiculous, but it's always very true. Due to this length of time and amount of events that have occurred with the same characters, the dynamic character arcs are unrivaled in their true-to-life tragedy, simplicity, and unpredictability; yet maintaining a sense of believability in every decision each character makes.

Indeed 'The Shield' challenges standard conceptions of the protagonist and antagonist. It will make you question your own morals. It will make you feel both good and bad about yourself and humanity, but you will appreciate the insightful way everything is presented.

No show more so than when 'The Shield' gives the audience such a deep look at the consequences of police actions. Vic Mackey's brutal and debatedly unethical tactics weigh on him not only as blackmail, but as guilt on his conscience.

In Season 2's Dead Soldiers, Mackey beats and burns a suspect only to find that the blood that's congealed on his shirt and head isn't so easy to wash off.

A fight between Shane and Tavon leaves Tavon hospitalized and teetering on the brink of mental paralyzation, but Shane only wants to make it disappear, so used to covering up the truth in order to protect loved ones.

In contrast, Claudette never fails to keep herself and others honest. Dutch nearly crosses the line himself, following some off-hand advice from Vic Mackey.

In fact, two seconds after Dutch plants evidence in a suspect's home, he screeches his car to a halt and rushes back into the building to retrieve the "evidence" before patrol officers do.

In its 5th, 'The Shield's plot is even more so embedded within the fabric of the very first season and yet at the very same time there are fresh, new and exciting aspects each week.

I mean, the formula is simple; Vic and his special unit are the center of an intensely gripping, season long plot while supporting cast members, like Detectives Wagenbach and Wyms and Officers Lowe and Sopher, have sub-plots of their own that could last for a few weeks or a full season.

However, both the Strike Team and the other officers of the Farmington Police Department, referred to as "The Barn," are involved in other new twists and sub-plots each week.

The final and most important aspect of this show is its acting. Michael Chiklis' performance is staggeringly gut wrenching, and the supporting cast (including CCH Pounder and Benito Martinez) brings the whole reality of the team to new proportions.

If you are interested in any television show and can stomach some of the most gritty and graphic visuals on TV, do yourself a favor and buy this brilliant 18-Disc DVD Box-Set of 'The Shield' (newly released from Mill Creek Entertainment) today!

As for some of the Bonus Features, well, 'Beyond the Badge Retrospective' is incisive, but short at just over a minute long, whereas THE '2018 Cast Reunion with Creator Shawn Ryan' is a lot of fun - and very colorful!

With the cast playing pinball, fake-wrestling on couches and hugging each other - even complimenting each other on their shoes - this featurette is a diamond in the rough (given all its quick-move camera shakes - which I've never liked) for all fans of the show.

The Writers Panel from the ATX Festival featuring Shawn Ryan, Kurt Sutter, Glen Mazzara, Scott Rosenbaum and Charles Eglee is another fascinating listen in on how they brought not only the characters to the screen, but the actors that were hired to portray them and successfully meld them together as one.

Also featuring over 10 hours alone of Behind-the-Scenes Featurettes, not to mention some Deleted Scenes and a brimming-with-set-facts Cast & Crew Commentary on Select Episodes, this newly-released 'The Shield - The Complete Series' out now from Mill Creek Entertainment is, without a shadow of a doubt, the ultimate one thus far. This is a Widescreen Presentation (1.78:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs and comes with the Bonus Features of:

Behind-the-Scenes Featurettes
Cast & Crew Commentary on Select Episodes
Deleted Scenes
ATX Television Festival: The Shield Writers Room
Beyond the Badge Retrospective
2018 Cast Reunion with Creator Shawn Ryan

www.MillCreekEnt.com





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