The Shield - 1x01 - "Pilot" - JUST ANOTHER DAAAAAAAAY!

How much evil are we willing to accept to gain positive results? In ticking-time bomb scenarios, is it justifiable to resort to less-than-moral means? Or by crossing that line, do we set off a string of new problems?

The Shield was FX's foray into the original series game, and they instantly got what makes good TV. Back in the early 2000's, a lot of the networks were trying to replicate the success that HBO was getting by amping up the sex and violence. But what makes a good show isn't profanity and nudity, it's taking thematic risks, talented actors regardless of what's considered attractive or marketable, and not holding the audience's hand through difficult moments. While some may treat the television form as mindless entertainment not designed to make one think (read: all reality TV), I've always been of the school of thought where if you're spending precious time devoted to a screen, might as well make it compelling. Otherwise we're just staring at a 44-minute distraction.

If the show was on a network, you can bet your bottom dollar that Vic Mackey would be a tough cop who dabbles in suspect brutality, but in the end he's just a big ol' teddy bear who only hurts people who deserve it. But at the end of Shawn Ryan's brilliant pilot, we know that Mackey's “a different kind of cop”. What better way to set the tone and define a character than KILLING A FELLOW POLICE OFFICER IN COLD BLOOD?

Directed by Clark Johnson (who also blessed The Wire and the underrated Sleeper Cell pilots, as well as starring in the spiritual predecessor Homicide: Life on the Street), the frantic tone was set from the start. Shot on 16mm, the erratic handheld style never let up and got us up-close and personal with some of the series more disturbing deeds. We get an off-the-map tour of Los Angeles, staying away from the glitz 'n glamour and focusing on the nitty gritty. I don't believe the Hollywood sign was ever shown through the entire series run.

Working off Shawn Ryan's pilot script, the series gets us into the thick of it right away, setting up the balancing act between Mackey's ruthless crime-fighting tactics and Aceveda's by-the-book community policing. Dutch and Claudette's search for a killer brings them into the depths of perversion, all culminating in Mackey and Aceveda joining forces to rescue a child from Dr. Child Rapist by beating him with a phone book. Is protecting our children what makes crossing that line OK? But if Dutch's theory about pedophilia being genetic, something one's born with akin to homosexuality is true, then will violence against a pedophile be an unwarranted hate crime? Even if we know he's guilty of an inexcusable act? That's another mark of a great show, making us question something and never offering up an easy solution. Vic, The Strike Team, and everyone in the Barn is going to make us question a lot of things about humanity over the course of 88 episodes.


Canvassing Notes

• The concept of the show was based on the real life LAPD corrupt cop scandal, where an anti-gang unit was convicted of a long laundry list of dirty deeds including drug dealing, planting evidence, brutality, and perhaps the most offensive, murdering Notorious B.I.G. The original title of the show was Rampart, until it was changed to The Barn, which probably evoked farmer connotations, and then finally to The Shield. 
• See How Powerful Vic Mackey Is Moment #1: Separated by fence pole bars he's still able to convince a drug dealer to hand over his wad of cash. But who really belongs behind them? 
• "Mackey's not a cop. He's Al Capone with a badge." - Promo Department, do you take this line to be your lawfully wedded sound bite?
• "You know, like the kind of trades ball teams make.” - Oh man, this joke KILLS in the child raping comedy community.
• CCH Pounder's Claudette was originally written as a male character, which makes her and Dutch's conversation about the victim's chest a thousand times funnier. Though if Claudette changed to Charles, would we get a female Strike Team member to fulfill the womyn cast member quota?
• After a seemingly never-ending uncomfortable shot of Lonnie confessing to murdering his wife and questioning why he did it, I never grow tired of Jay Karne's reading of “Uh, because you like crack?”
• The show would never really use score, except for opening scenes, montages, etc. But damn, the scene in Dr. Grady's basement apartment is so disturbing, they just needed that extra emotional button and what better way than a singing children's choir?
• Props to the location department for finding the house with the perfect vantage point of Dodger Stadium. It lights the scene AND underscores that Mackey's playing a game with Terry. And that game is deadly.
• I always thought it was kind of hilarious that Two-Time's idea of a party is hookers, cocaine, and playing Crazy Taxi.

Pre-Cog Report (SPOILERS FOR THE ENTIRE SERIES)
-Terry's murder plays into the series until the very end, being the mortal sin that seals Vic's fate during his immunity confession to ICE in the final season. On another note, if Vic just talked up the money train robbery and the occasional evidence planting, would Olivia still condemn him to desk duty?
-The Battle for the White Ghetto Woman Will Return!
-Damn, I wish that we had more Strike Team pool parties.

Join me next Tuesday for the second episode, "Our Gang".