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On March 12, 2002, The Shield burst onto the FX network
like an incendiary grenade, and basic cable TV would never be the same. Creator
Shawn Ryan's uncompromising police drama pushed the limits of basic-cable
permissiveness, bridging the relative discretion of NYPD Blue and the HBO
liberties of The Wire. The show focuses on pugnacious detective Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis), whose
amoral Strike Team employs dubious tactics in the crime-ridden (and fictional)
Farmington district of Los Angeles. Mackey and his maverick partners are at odds
with seasoned detectives and beat cops, escalating tensions with precinct Capt.
Aceveda (Benito Martinez), a Latino with flexible scruples and a political
agenda. |
