We have seen the first eight episodes of the final season of The Shield and it does not disappoint.
After six edgy seasons on FX, The Shield returns for its final bow. Creator Shawn Ryan has created one of the grittiest Police dramas that we have seen in years. Not strictly procedural like the CSI shows, or stripped down like Homicide, relationship based like NYPD Blue, or an overview of society in general like The Wire.
The Shield is a completely different animal and it had some of the most complex and flawed characters ever seen on TV. Series creator Shawn Ryan kicked the door open and tested the ability of the audience to endure a prolonged look in to these characters lives, no matter how dark, dirty or graphic it got.
As season seven starts, Vic Mackey’s (Michael Chiklis) house of cards is falling down quickly. The Armenian Mob has targeted Vic and his family to be killed; he is on the verge of losing his job and his family is in shambles. But it is not just Vic whose world is in trouble. Claudette (CCH Pounder) is now the head of The Barn and her battle with Lupus is taking a slow toll on her.
Danny (Catherine Dent) has a close call while out in the field which puts her life in to perspective, while also dealing with Vic and Cassidy’s (Autumn Chiklis) separate intrusions in to her life. Vic’s ex wife, Corrine (Cathy Cahlin Ryan) begins to crack under the stress of having two children with Autism and some very real threats to her safety due to Vic’s activities.
The writers have done a great job of weaving the past episodes together in to a complete story of two friends, Vic Mackey and Shane Vendrell (Walton Goggins). Shane has learned everything he knows from Vic, but he is more reckless and even more self serving than Vic is and he is unable to see past the short term of his actions. This final season sends the lives of these two former friends on a collision course with each other.
This season of the Shield will give fans everything they wanted to see and more and we can’t wait to see the rest of the season.
The Shield airs Tuesdays on FX.
