Shield, The: Season 5 (2006)

That's bloody, buddy

Genre: Crime Drama Series

Starring: Michael Chiklis ("The Commish"; Fantastic Four), Forest Whitaker (Ghost Dog: Way Of The Samurai; The Last King Of Scotland)

Created By: Shawn Ryan (Writer / Producer of "Angel")

Overview: In a precinct in a rough L.A. neighbourhood, we follow the lives of those who work there, from the corrupt cops to the straight and narrow. In Season 5, Internal Affairs redoubles its efforts to take down Vic and his strike team once and for all with a driven man heading the charge.

Performance:

Lucky we got Forest doing an amazing job in television right before his Oscar for King Of Scotland. I suspect we won't be seeing him on the small screen for awhile now. Last year "The Shield" cracked out the ever award-winning Glen Close. This year was no different in talent and direction. Forest is prominent, and one of the best things to happen to the entire series since it started and... I think I just made a mess in my pants.
Rating: 9

Cinematography:

You're there. That's the best way to describe it. You have that "Homicide: Life On The Streets" / "Law And Order" shaky-cam deal going on, and on top of it all, there's constant action. With such things going on as grenade-making crime rings and corrupt cop vengeance, there's plenty of eye candy for the dark at heart.
Rating: 9

Script:

One thing that impresses me about this season is that every word spoken is relevant, from psychological games during suspect interviews to Vic's 'strictly business' under-the-table wheeling and dealing dialogue. Forest is the only exception. His character's words are a roundabout flourish that invites his listeners to drop their guard and trust him completely... effin smooth.
Rating: 9

Plot:

As intense this year as its ever been, we have a far more heavy overall plot, with more on the line than we've seen in the past. Over the last few seasons we see Vic's moral line waffle and waiver between vengeance and hard justice, but when painted into a corner, you see what he's truly capable of.
Rating: 9

Mood:

If you want gritty, this delivers. The taint and corruption of a filthy inner city where the moral compass is 'the end justifies the means', combined with the scrutiny of the most intense Internal investigation on our strike team that this show's ever done, you'll be glued to your seat. Admittedly, it may even be TOO much, with such fine examples of episodes as: look into the case of a pregnant woman who had her baby cut out of her. Not too intense for me, though... I'm sick like that.
Rating: 10

Hoser

Overall Rating: 92% (Solid As Ever)

Aftertaste:

What I hate most about every episode in "The Shield" is that it eventually ends, and someday the show must come to conclusion, as they all do... except "Dr. Who". I sold one of my friends on it, and inside a month she's already almost finished the entirety of the whole series. Now that my friend is getting sucked into something nice and good. I'm saddened at the passing of every episode. It's just that amazing.