The third season of “The Shield” is riveting and disturbing, a layered police drama with not a hero in sight. Instead, we have Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis), leader of the Farmington precinct’s Strike Team. The series follows a general story arc involving Mackey and his men, including his number one guy Shane (Walton Goggins), which starts where the second season ended. The show gives smaller yet significant story arcs to several characters – Claudette (CCH Pounder) still looking to be promoted; Dutch (Jay Karnes) is in pursuit of a serial rapist – while each episode manages to be self-contained. As created and watched over by Shawn Ryan (whose wife stars as Mackey’s wife in the show), there is none of the glorified cop-heroism American television has been feeding audiences.
The tendency to downplay machismo for the sake of authenticity started with “Hill Street Blues” and bled into “NYPD Blue” as well as “Homicide”, but it’s in the gritty, nothing-is-for-certain world of “The Shield” that crime drama reaches its apotheosis. This violent moral morass sucks you in, takes hold of where it hurts and doesn’t let go until you’ve worked your way through the whole season. Television is seldom this harrowing and exhilarating.
Season 3 highlights include:
· Dutch crossing a psychological threshold;
· Guest directing by David Mamet and star Chiklis;
· Shocking, unexpected twists and turns in the ongoing Armenian money disaster;
· Numerous episode commentaries from key cast and crew members.
Note that only serious viewers need apply. Anyone else will be too shocked, bored or unable to follow what’s going to on to bother with this definitive cop show.
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