The Complete Series of "The Shield" DVD Nov. 3rd - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

JamesG · 11-02-2009, 05:05 PM

Ensemble cop shows from Hill Street Blues to NYPD Blue have pushed the frontiers of TV drama, but FX’s The Shield marks a vital, visceral next step for the genre, bulldozing the Hollywood fiction of the cop-as-saint.

Although the camera gives eight regular characters their turns in a churn of subplots, all the strands lead back to an icy cat-and-mouse game between the precinct’s hotshot narcotics detective, Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis) and the new captain, David Aceveda (Benito Martinez), who is unafraid to challenge the notorious Blue Wall of Silence.

It is ostensibly a case of the white knight versus the man tainted by his demons, but exec producer Shawn Ryan doesn’t settle for such cartoon simplicity.

Mackey’s corruption is never in question; he does everything from pocketing coke to blackmailing a closeted gay rookie. What becomes less clear as the series unfolds is whether that Machiavellian tilt is simply a prerequisite for anyone in the war zone of America’s forsaken inner cities.

Regardless of whether cops spurn Mackey’s charms or are caught in his web, we get the sense that no one here gets out clean -- even Aceveda.

The Shield, for which Chiklis earned a well-deserved Emmy and a Golden Globe nomination, has drawn attention for breaking new basic-cable ground with its raw-nerve imagery, which reflects a worldly, urban Inferno.

But what makes it superior entertainment is the anxious unpredictability of these characters, which keeps viewers enticingly off balance.

Brand New Special Features:

- "Rampart" - A documentary about the Los Angeles Rampart division police scandal that inspired the series.

- "The Barn" - A behind-the-scenes set tour of "The Barn" where The Shield was shot.

Special Features:

- Cast and Crew Episode Commentaries
- Delivering the Baby: Making of Episode 511
- Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary
- Behind The Shield
- 712-2 Searching For Shane
- Two Directors
- Casting Tapes
- Full Circle: Franke Potente
- "Under the Skin" Behind the Scenes
- Last Call: The Final Episode
- Nobody Expects to Lose, Nobody Expects to Die: The Shield's Final Season
- Saturn’s Sons
- "Breaking Episode #315" Making-of Documentary

11-02-2009, 05:05 PM	#1
JamesG Freakshow Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 01, 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 57,039	The Complete Series of "The Shield" DVD Nov. 3rd Ensemble cop shows from Hill Street Blues to NYPD Blue have pushed the frontiers of TV drama, but FX’s The Shield marks a vital, visceral next step for the genre, bulldozing the Hollywood fiction of the cop-as-saint. Although the camera gives eight regular characters their turns in a churn of subplots, all the strands lead back to an icy cat-and-mouse game between the precinct’s hotshot narcotics detective, Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis) and the new captain, David Aceveda (Benito Martinez), who is unafraid to challenge the notorious Blue Wall of Silence. It is ostensibly a case of the white knight versus the man tainted by his demons, but exec producer Shawn Ryan doesn’t settle for such cartoon simplicity. Mackey’s corruption is never in question; he does everything from pocketing coke to blackmailing a closeted gay rookie. What becomes less clear as the series unfolds is whether that Machiavellian tilt is simply a prerequisite for anyone in the war zone of America’s forsaken inner cities. Regardless of whether cops spurn Mackey’s charms or are caught in his web, we get the sense that no one here gets out clean -- even Aceveda. The Shield, for which Chiklis earned a well-deserved Emmy and a Golden Globe nomination, has drawn attention for breaking new basic-cable ground with its raw-nerve imagery, which reflects a worldly, urban Inferno. But what makes it superior entertainment is the anxious unpredictability of these characters, which keeps viewers enticingly off balance. Brand New Special Features: - "Rampart" - A documentary about the Los Angeles Rampart division police scandal that inspired the series. - "The Barn" - A behind-the-scenes set tour of "The Barn" where The Shield was shot. Special Features: - Cast and Crew Episode Commentaries - Delivering the Baby: Making of Episode 511 - Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary - Behind The Shield - 712-2 Searching For Shane - Two Directors - Casting Tapes - Full Circle: Franke Potente - "Under the Skin" Behind the Scenes - Last Call: The Final Episode - Nobody Expects to Lose, Nobody Expects to Die: The Shield's Final Season - Saturn’s Sons - "Breaking Episode #315" Making-of Documentary Attached Images