The Shield – Meet Vic Mackey, anti-hero

Plots of pilots are sometimes derivative, sometimes blow your mind.  The Shield’s pilot did a great job of introducing the players, the character dynamics and such, but really wasn’t doing a whole lot to pull me in, not, at least, until the last scene. I never got into self-proclaimed “gritty” shows like the Wire and Oz, but there’s something about The Shield, and I am very excited to see where it goes.

I can also tell, instantly, that I’m going to love CCH Pounder, and her character. Because I missed The Shield the first time around, I have this hole in my TV history where she should be. She was brilliant early on in ER, and I’m assuming (or at the very least hoping) we’re going to get more of the same here. The scene where Captain Aceveda asked her about Mackey was played very well, but lead to a bit of confusion for me.

I don’t get Aceveda’s game. Sure, he wants to take Mackey down, despite his friends and advocates like Wyms. And I think I see where the story is going, that he’ll find the value of using Mackey from time to time, but how he used Mackey here didn’t fly with me, as well as Wyms’ cautioning against it.

The last scene was the definition of a Blow the Hatch moment. I can remember the previews and the ramp up to this show’s premiere, and it was all about the interrogation scene. When Mackey turned and shot Crowley, I damn near needed to pick my jaw up off of the coffee table. In that moment, I was hooked on The Shield.

Notes & Quotes

• Ah …  Go back far enough, and all shows are 4×3 and not 16×9 … Doesn’t seem like it was that long ago, does it?
• Liked the juxtaposition of the chase with the press conference.
• Also love all of the familiar faces I didn’t expect to see (Reed Diamond and Kenny Johnson).
• “Hey uh, I gotta go run an errand but I was thinking you and I should hook up for a drink later tonight.” – Vic
  “Oh yeah is your wife coming?” – Danni
  “Damn she can’t make it.” – Vic
  “Damn neither can I.” – Danni
  “Hey, since when did you get morals?” – Vic
  “Always had them, sometimes I just lose track.” – Danni
• “Can you think of any one else who may have slashed your tires.” – Julien
  “Like who?” – “Victim” (who had his tires slashed)
  “Like a business associate?” – Julien
  “Business associate? You trying to imply something?” – Victim
  “No, I’m just wondering why you have a $30,000 car with $500 tires parked outside of a $400 a month apartment?” – Julien
• “You’re turn to play bad cop?” – Dr. Grady
  “Naw … Good cop and back cop left for the day. I’m a different kind of cop.” – Mackey
• Curious about Danni and her gun on her blind date.

Clacked by Ivey West
on Jun 10, 2010 @ 11:00 EST5EDT