Michael ChiklisThe Shield: Season 5

Sometimes TV shows let you down after they've built up the tension, that is not the case here. Everything that came before in the Shield series built up to the events of this season. All the characters start to reap what they've sown for the past 4 years and it doesn't disappoint, although it will twist your heart.In real life, Forest Whitaker's Kavanaugh would be My Hero, because I know the Strike Team members deserve what's coming to them, but as a Shield and ST fan I mostly don't want them to get it now. One minute they're behind, the next minute ahead, but Kavanaugh is a pit bull who won't let go so the tug of war goes back and forth the whole season. The storylines for the rest of the cast weren't as meaty this year but still complemented the season and built on their history as well. The shoe was on the other foot for Julian who was training officer for bumbling newcomer Tina, while Billings is an inept acting Captain. Catherine Dent was pregnant so Danny was too, but you'll have to wait until the last show to meet the father. Terry's death haunts both Vic and Aceveda again, while Claudette finally gets her due. Ally Walker was a notable guest star in an episode that had her working with Jay Karnes' character Dutch which was kind of cute because Ally Walker starred as Samantha Waters for 3 seasons on "Profiler" and Dutch tries to be "the great serial killer profiler" as Claudette once put it. (Although Walker's character on The Shield was neither cop nor FBI agent.) Jay Karnes' Dutch did have an interesting twist when he decides to take a cue from a pimp in his approach towards newcomer Tina. His is one character who has many unexplored dimensions; he has the psyche of a serial killer who has chosen to be a good person instead, and if I could bend Ryan's ear I would do my best to get him to explore that more frequently.The line up of extras and commentaries looks pretty good on this set. It's disappointing when there are big plot points and there's either no commentary for that show or if there is one the key actors/writers involved in that show aren't involved in its commentary, such as the show "Cut Throat" during season 4 when Shane goes to Vic for help and Vic goes to meet him alone even though he knows Shane agreed to kill him for Antwon. Neither Chiklis nor Goggins was involved in the "Cut Throat" commentary. I see that Walt Goggins, Kenny Johnson, and Shawn Ryan are slated to do the commentary on the last show of the season: "Postpartum." Ryan is very good at leading the commentaries but it's too bad Adam Fierro isn't involved in it since he was that show's writer. Still, that one should be interesting, and personally I think it's the first thing I'll watch when I get this set.This show has been Emmy snubbed like you won't believe, although the Golden Globes have treated them a little better. Walt Goggins and Benito Martinez have each had several performances that deserved Emmy nominations, if not the award. Chiklis deserves more than one Emmy for his performance on this show while Glenn Close, who I consider to be a bench-mark actress, should have won for her role. Jay Karnes has had performances that should not only have been nominated but should have won the Emmy, not to mention Forest Whitaker's tremendous performance as Kavanaugh. My suspicion is that the show is a little hard core for the Emmy panels and that it's hard to accept a show that presents but doesn't automatically punish bad behavior, including racism. My only complaint with this show is the shortness of its seasons. I'll miss it when it's gone.

I recently wrapped up watching the entire series, practically inhaling episodes at a rate of 4-5 per week, thanks to the easy access of Amazon Instant. I was amazed week in and week out by how consistently good the show stayed as the years went by, which was no small feat considering my condensed and accelerated viewing schedule. The Shield must have been a truly ground-breaking experience back when it first debuted in 2002. Diehard fans will have to forgive me for being late to the party, I was a pre-teen back then, what did I know?As I aforementioned, the series remains consistent in quality throughout its run, but if I were asked to picked one season that could stand as a shining example of its greatness, season 5 would be it, no question. It takes the characters and their struggles back to the very beginning, and from the roots is where the entire structure begins to decay. Vic Mackey and his strike team during this season are constantly and unrelentingly haunted by the shadow of all their crooked dealings, particularly the murder of a cop in season one. Nipping at their heels is internal affairs lieutenant Jon Kavanaugh, played by the manically excellent Forest Whitaker, who uses an indiscretion made by Lewis "Lem" Lemansky in the previous season to force the latter to betray his team. It's a tense ride from there on.Playing at the edges of season 5's story are the other detectives and unis of The Barn. New characters are introduced, some familiar faces are given new purposes, and a couple favorites, one being officer Danny Sofer, is sidelined by a pregnancy story arc that wasn't particularly engaging. Claudette isn't given a while lot to do until a serial murder case from previous seasons gives her a heck of an episode, and Dutch fills his time inadvertently aiding Kavanaugh in hunting Vic and crew. Most of the prime players are woven into the main narrative in interesting ways, and it all comes together by the end in the most bitterly thrilling of ways.I have already given kudos to Forest Whitaker for his performance here, but as a viewer entering the series after seeing Whitaker in stuff like The Last King of Scotland, the moment I saw him in The Shield I knew he'd bring the goods. The surprise of the season was Kenneth Johnson stepping up and making Lem even more sympathetic than he's usually written. Lem has always been the bleeding heart of the series, and Johnson in season five is allowed to really show us what he and the character is capable of. It's a standout turn in a crowd of great performances by the ensemble cast.The series has always been raw and brutal, but season 5 is like a dagger to the heart by its conclusion. It really is the high point of the show, though of course it wouldn't be if the other seasons weren't as good as they are. For those who are just starting, you're in for a treat. An explosive one, maybe.

he loved it

Its all good

Not going to address specific story lines - others have already.The entire 'Shield' series is a juxtaposition of hating yourself for loving these characters...How can you 'cheer' someone you know is doing bad things - and not always with the best intentions? It is a serious tribute to the Writers, Directors, Cast and Crew - that this show is so well done it enables one to do it.Season Five propels the show into 'uncharted territory' - where the action is intense, the storylines are 'tight' and 'Murphy's Law' is provoked ["anything that can go wrong - will go wrong"]. Every character faces demons from their past and their future - just when one thought it could not get any worse - it does, and just when one thought there was no hope or redemption - there is (kind of).The gritty life in these cops' world provokes one to passion: - anger, disgust, pity, pain and compassion. How can a TV show evoke so much?This is probably the most well done series on television.Season five is the best of the seasons on DVD. It stands alone - if one has never seen the previous seasons, one could watch this and be as caught up in the `love/hate' relationship the rest of us are... However, if this is one's `introduction' to "Farmington" and `The Shield' - be prepared to go back and get Seasons 1-4.While very entertaining - it is not for the queasy or faint of heart - this series and this season will wrench your emotions to the core...One last bit of advice - when you do buy it - don't try and watch it as a marathon - you'll be `rode hard and put away wet', wrung out, and drained if you do.

"The Shield" is one of the few programmes that have gone from strength to strength in terms of writing and tension over the last few years. While fantastic television such as "The Wire" and "The Sopranos" will place the viewer at distance and let you watch the action unfold, "The Shield" refuses to let the viewer have this comfort. Instead you are thrust head-first into the gangland style action that downtown LA is widely known for.In terms of narrative you will not find anything tighter in TV or cinema. "The Shield" follows the Farmington Strike Team, an experimental gang enforcement squad who use unconventional methods (such as: drug dealing, murder, and evidence tampering) to get the dangers of society off the street. In the last four seasons the Strike Team have been the hunters in the streets of Farmington taking down all the gangs by whatever means necessary, however this time they have become the hunted (this review will not give a detailed plot synopsis). The always excellent Forest Whitaker plays an obsessive Internal Affairs agent who will stop at nothing to destroy the Strike Team and place them behind bars. As Whitaker's character manipulates the Strike Team, they begin to question their loyalties among each other, which eventually climaxes in what can only be described as purely Shakespearean.As with every season of "The Shield", season 5 delivers what this groundbreaking show has become known for: tight writing, break-neck pace, fantastic characters that you can sink your teeth into, and asks the viewers intelligent questions such as: what can be categorised as justice and how far does one go to deliver it? While other shows such as "24" fill the season with sub-plots that barely relate to the main story, "The Shield" refuses to sidetrack from the main narrative and delivers in what can only be described as 11 hours of heart-pumping tension filled drama!

After the marvellously horrible Antwon Mitchell has gone down for a stretch, Aseveda has left the force and Glenn Close's Captain Rawlings left the series what challenges remain for our amoral heroes in the fifth season? The answer has been cooking for a while as the bravest and the best of the strike team (in a real moment of irony) is caught bang to rights. The man tasked with defeating the strike team is played by Forest Whittaker with a smile that would scare a shark and a delightful mix of obsession and guile. Vic Mackey is facing heavy duty artillery here and it shows in his reactions, which are not as skillful as in the early days.The Shield always was an intense series and this season simply ratchetted it up a bit at a time. One is left, as ever, keen for more. But in this case one is also left wondering at the last episode whose menu illustration was Vic holding a newly born child. Will he be handing out cigars in Season Six?

PLEASE READIf you haven't yet seen Season 5 of "The Shield", it's one of the best yet. Outstanding performances from all concerned make this riveting, edge-of-your-seat, exciting, and tormenting stuff.BUTDO NOT WATCH THE DVD 'EXTRAS' BEFORE YOU HAVE WATCHED ALL THE EPISODES ON ALL THE DISCS. They contain spoilers. Spoilers so important that they ruin the series finale. Pointless, and what a nonsensical waste!Otherwise, if you avoid the 'extras' (at least before you finish watching the series), you'll agree that this is superb stuff. People have claimed that some of it has been edited down. I never saw the original US version, so can't comment, but without knowing that it was edited, I'd never have guessed.This is gripping. One of the best seasons of a consistently brilliant show.I give this 4 stars out of 5 because the spoilers... well, they spoil it.

The Shield continues to amaze with high quality writing, great action, and superb tension.I had enjoyed every season up to now, but I don't think any of them had gripped me as much as this season. The Kavanaugh character is fantastic, and the antagonism and cat and mouse action between him and Mackey is a joy to behold.Throw in a stunning finale, and you have one of the best seasons of one the best shows of all time.Unfortunately, it missed out on the 5 stars because of the shameful decision to cut down the double episode finale. Some key scenes have been cut out - a fact I didn't actually realise until I started watching season 6, and saw some of them in the "last time on the Shield".Absolutely baffling decision - it's like they were running out of DVD space as it could easily fit on one of the discs that only has 2 episodes!

Just when you think the Shield might get repetitive, they find a new angle. Vic and the strike team become the target for an obsessive Internal Affairs officer, played by Forest Whittaker who brilliantly leaves you guessing whether Kavanaugh is a good guy or a bad guy - the moral ambiguity that makes The Shield such compulsive viewing for fans. It really is great to see a show which treats its viewers as intelligent enough to make up their own minds about right and wrong and which poses questions instead of preaching. The fact it does so at breakneck speed and with breathless excitement is just a plus! If you haven't seen the Shield yet - go back to Season One and enjoy the whole ride. Five seasons in I'm still hooked and rushed out to buy the next season. Brilliant.