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Remulak
Jun 8, 2001
I can't count to four.
Yams Fan
I just watched the first season of the shield in 3 nights. I had never gotten around to watching it when it was on for some goddamn reason or another but goddamn it's great. Great characters, great arc, great progression, basically perfect.

If you haven't seen it then you really should, it's frigging amazing, even my wife loves it and she hates TV shows that star ugly men.

So now an observation with spoiler tags as not to screw things up for those that like me haven't seen it yet: drat, every loving illegal or corner-cutting thing he does fucks things up and demands that he does something EVEN WORSE to save his rear end..

So post endorsements tell me if this show remains awesome or if it sags in the middle or whatever. Let's get people watching this poo poo if they haven't already.

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kazmeyer
Jul 26, 2001

'Cause we're the good guys.

Remains awesome. There are some arcs that drag a little, but if there's one thing that The Shield does and does well is repeatedly punch viewers in the face with awesomeness - and sometimes in the nuts - when they're least expecting it. Definitely a series worth binging through.

The Walrus
Jul 9, 2002

by Fluffdaddy
It's really the only show that actually gets better as it goes along. Past season one the inter-episode plotlines just get more and more intricate until in seasons 4 and especially 5 it basically throws the episodic format out the window and goes for a full 13-part epic. Season 5 of the Shield is probably the best television has ever been. Forest Whittaker (minor casting spoiler you probably already know) brings such a level of urgency and intensity to the show literally every single episode you're antsy the entire timy.

Season 6 is maybe a bit meh, but I think it just seems that way in comparison to 5. I look at it as just the first half of a long season along with 7, and in that perspective it works as a slow burning build to the best loving series finale that's ever been made.



edit:

drat, every loving illegal or corner-cutting thing he does fucks things up and demands that he does something EVEN WORSE to save his rear end..

this is the series, basically

The Walrus fucked around with this message at 16:12 on Mar 25, 2009

Cole
Nov 24, 2004

DUNSON'D
The Shield is the only serial show that ever held my interest the entire way through. As good as the early seasons were, it gets a lot, LOT better when the biggest drama bomb ever drops. You'll know it when you see it if you watch it the whole way through. Never once did it get too outrageous maybe the last season when it just seemed like Vic was trying to see how much poo poo he could possibly put in his pile before it all hit the fan, but that was so much fun to watch or "jump the shark" in any way.

neckbeard
Jan 25, 2004

Oh Bambi, I cried so hard when those hunters shot your mommy...
I binged through the series back in February and it was just an amazing ride.

I'm not really a fan of Anthony Anderson, but his role on this show really turned my opinion of him around.

Blaisedell
May 7, 2008

Series 3 was pretty rubbish I thought, although the Aceveda arc was fantastically uncomfortable to watch. I wouldn't say it's as good as the Wire, just because the Wire delves so much further below the surface, whereas the Shield barely touches on the criminal side of things.

EVGA Longoria
Dec 25, 2005

Let's go exploring!

This is a great show, and I'm finally catching up on Season 7.

Binged through the first 6 seasons in a month or so. Need to get around to rewatching it.

Jose Oquendo
Jun 20, 2004

Star Trek: The Motion Picture is a boring movie
The finale of the show the confession and ending scene is amazing, and I don't know anyone who hated it, which I can't say about other shows. It seems for any finale, some like it and some don't. I'm pretty sure all of us watching it were blown away. You will not regret your decision to watch this series.

doctor thodt
Apr 2, 2004

by Jeffrey of YOSPOS
The Shield is without a doubt the best straight-up police procedural ever (probably an unfair thing to say since it's the only one I've ever liked). However, it never really maximizes its potential until season 5, when it realizes that its characters no longer have to keep dodging bullets in order to make things interesting. That's not to say that the first four seasons aren't fantastic as well (they are) - but it's only after then, when The Shield finally becomes aware of its logical conclusion, that it earns the title of second best show in history, behind The Wire.

pud
Jul 9, 2001

doctor thodt posted:

second best show in history, behind The Wire.

Pretty much sums it up. Anthony Anderson and Whittaker are both loving amazing in their roles, and I'd say The Shield's finale is more satisfying than the Wire's.

Nuurd
Apr 21, 2005

I've been bingeing through it recently, and yeah it stays great. I love how the plots often seem to fairly naturally come from those in past seasons/episodes, how very little is forgotten or abandoned, etc. Good times. S4 and S5 are as good as people say. I just finished S6, which must be just a halfway point to the series end in S7, as a previous poster said, as it wasn't a terribly fulfilling season ending in and of itself, but I like where they're going. Looking forward to finishing up the last season myself. Ought to do that this weekend.

Teek
Aug 7, 2006

I can't wait to entertain you.
Anyone know a good way to binge the seasons? Outside of renting them (and :filez:)? It doesn't appear that FX has them on their site or Hulu, any official site showing them?

Jose Oquendo
Jun 20, 2004

Star Trek: The Motion Picture is a boring movie

Teek posted:

Anyone know a good way to binge the seasons? Outside of renting them (and :filez:)? It doesn't appear that FX has them on their site or Hulu, any official site showing them?

Just do Netflix for a few months.

Remulak
Jun 8, 2001
I can't count to four.
Yams Fan

The Walrus posted:

this is the series, basically
Aha, I should have guessed this. Looks like a great ride, now I just have to stay awake at work during the day...

crazycarl
Jun 13, 2001

Welcome to TB Diddlers in Mokena.

Where the special is always Dr Rassmusin's Hot Beef Injection and you can play "Whers my Manometer" with other diners
the big diffrence with The Wire and The Shield is The Wire was geared for more that the story arcs generally driven for the whole season, where The Shield would have a main arcs for the season then each episode would have a its own story or stories

Ghost Captain
Apr 22, 2008

I did it wit my lil hatchet
The thing I've always admired about The Shield is that it started out as an episodic series, with basically every episode its own thing, until the writers reached a point where they realized that there's no way the Strike Team could continue doing the poo poo that they do. Around season 4, the show changes tone considerably. The rest of the series is about how the team attempts to escape what they've done in the preceding 3 seasons. Which is to say, more than half of the series is about the main characters dealing with the consequences of how they've been doing their jobs. Everything that happens in the show comes back around. The murder at the end of the very first episode, the robbery at the end of season 2, it all comes back to haunt them.
Gonna agree with doctor thodt and name The Shield as the best show behind The Wire.

Ghost Captain fucked around with this message at 22:50 on Mar 25, 2009

ABlix-
Aug 22, 2004
Old School Software Pimp

Ghost Captain posted:

The thing I've always admired about The Shield is that it started out as an episodic series, with basically every episode its own thing, until the writers reached a point where they realized that there's no way the Strike Team could continue doing the poo poo that they do. Around season 4, the show changes tone considerably. The rest of the series is about how the team attempts to escape what they've done in the preceding 3 seasons. Which is to say, more than half of the series is about the main characters dealing with the consequences of how they've been doing their jobs. Everything that happens in the show comes back around. The murder at the end of the very first episode, the robbery at the end of season 2, it all comes back to haunt them.
Gonna agree with doctor thodt and name The Shield as the best show behind The Wire.


Please spoiler this poo poo.

Ghost Captain
Apr 22, 2008

I did it wit my lil hatchet

ABlix- posted:

Please spoiler this poo poo.

Sorry about that, I thought it was vague enough.

Remulak
Jun 8, 2001
I can't count to four.
Yams Fan
No spoilers INCLUDES THE FIRST EPISODE.

Reed Diamond was the best character in the first two seasons - agree or disagree?

Ghost Captain
Apr 22, 2008

I did it wit my lil hatchet

Remulak posted:

No spoilers INCLUDES THE FIRST EPISODE.

Reed Diamond was the best character in the first two seasons - agree or disagree?

Yeah, he had a good run.

Wilikai
Feb 20, 2003

Why hello Ms. Trepe would you like to be in my video?
Good show throughout. I don't know if I would have felt that way if I actually watched it over the course of 7 years, but it's a great one to binge on.

To agree with everyone else, Anderson and Whitaker made me fans of them through this show. Same with Glenn Close.

Also, excellent finale. When I was done watching it, my wife asked me how it was. I said, "Horribly depressing. But that's the way it should have been."

Lobster Wiggle
Sep 21, 2004

Just binged through the whole series over the past couple months, fantastic show all around.

The plotting from where the whole thing started to the way the entire thing blew up was amazingly well done. I thought Shane's arc in seasons 5-7 was outstanding, especially in the second half of season 7. And the finale has to be top 2 or 3 for me of any show.

But yeah, the ending is massively depressing. I feel bad for Ronnie :(

TUS
Feb 19, 2003

I'm going to stab you. Offline. With a real knife.


The Shield is the only show I've watched from the first run of the first episode in the first season to the last episode in the last season. I did not miss an episode's first run, and if I did, it was recorded or DVR'd and I watched it immediately. I guess Im the only guy who likes The Shield better then the Wire. v:shobon:v

slotbadger
Jul 19, 2007
hey deadhead - take a bite of peach.
I tried the first two episodes pretty much the day after finishing with The Wire, and was a little unimpressed. It seemed a little over the top, a little bit too cheesy to be able to take itself that seriously...

My question is, is it worth trying again? Or should I make a start on The Sopranos or Battlestar Galactica instead?

Remulak
Jun 8, 2001
I can't count to four.
Yams Fan

slotbadger posted:

I tried the first two episodes pretty much the day after finishing with The Wire, and was a little unimpressed. It seemed a little over the top, a little bit too cheesy to be able to take itself that seriously...

My question is, is it worth trying again? Or should I make a start on The Sopranos or Battlestar Galactica instead?
It's a different genre than The Wire, it that's your expectation you'll be disappointed. I went in pretty much expecting a CBS procedural WITH AN EDGE and I fell in love.

That being said it's no Sopranos. Nothing is. And BSG is pretty great if you come in (as I did) with low expectations.

doctor thodt
Apr 2, 2004

by Jeffrey of YOSPOS
BSG was good once upon a time but even at its best it never held a candle to The Shield. The Sopranos is a great show too but there are way too many meandering and uneven points mid-series.

Give The Shield another go, it's worth the investment.

kensei
Dec 27, 2007

He has come home, where he belongs. The Ancient Mariner returns to lead his first team to glory, forever and ever. Amen!


doctor thodt posted:

BSG was good once upon a time but even at its best it never held a candle to The Shield. The Sopranos is a great show too but there are way too many meandering and uneven points mid-series.

Give The Shield another go, it's worth the investment.

I won't drag a BSG argument into this thread, but I will say that the Shield is top 5 all time TV shows for me. The Wire is one of maybe two that I would rank above it.

Spacemonkey57
Dec 1, 2004
I remember renting the first DVD of The Shield a couple of years ago at blockbuster. I told the guy that I'd never seen it and figured I'd give the first one a chance. He told me I'd probably be back that night for the rest. He was right.

Nut Bunnies
May 24, 2005

Fun Shoe

kensei posted:

I won't drag a BSG argument into this thread, but I will say that the Shield is top 5 all time TV shows for me. The Wire is one of maybe two that I would rank above it.

I wish I had seen The Wire first because I'm used to the BANG BANG ACTION/EDGE OF YOUR GODDAMN SEAT SUSPENSSSSSSSSSSSE of pretty much every Shield episode and I found the first two episodes of S1 an absolute chore.

escape artist
Sep 24, 2005

Slow train coming
I saw the Wire first and found the first few episodes of the Shield difficult to digest because the action seemed manufactured. This was a mistake on my part, and the Shield is without a doubt in the top tier of television along with the Wire. Much like the Wire, it takes a lot of time to show it's true potential.

doctor thodt
Apr 2, 2004

by Jeffrey of YOSPOS
Best moments from The Shield?

Mackey chasing a guy who hops a wooden fence. Mackey just plows right through the fence like a bull and creams the fucker.

Realism
Sep 16, 2008
Favorite scenes from the Shield:

"At the end of the day.....you're just a friend of the family WITH A human being friend of the family SON!!!!"


One of the best scenes in television.

Jose Oquendo
Jun 20, 2004

Star Trek: The Motion Picture is a boring movie
One of many favorite moments:

Vic: "Her pussy tasted like sweet buttah."

Realism
Sep 16, 2008

Ghost Captain posted:

The thing I've always admired about The Shield is that it started out as an episodic series, with basically every episode its own thing, until the writers reached a point where they realized that there's no way the Strike Team could continue doing the poo poo that they do. Around season 4, the show changes tone considerably. The rest of the series is about how the team attempts to escape what they've done in the preceding 3 seasons. Which is to say, more than half of the series is about the main characters dealing with the consequences of how they've been doing their jobs. Everything that happens in the show comes back around. The murder at the end of the very first episode, the robbery at the end of season 2, it all comes back to haunt them.
Gonna agree with doctor thodt and name The Shield as the best show behind The Wire.


I thought starting Season 2, the episodic structure of the show went out the window. Season 2 was all about Armadillo, and season 3 was all about the Armenions, and season 4 was all about Antwon Mitchell.

I don't know why some people say that season 3 was weak. That season to me was just brutal to watch, from the Tavon Shane thing, to the Acaveda thing, to the Armenians showdown, that was one of the best seasons of television I've ever seen. I would even say it topped season 4.

Bhaal
Jul 13, 2001
I ain't going down alone
Dr. Infant, MD

Remulak posted:

I just watched the first season of the shield ...

... tell me if this show remains awesome or if it sags in the middle or whatever...
Oh you poor, naive bastard; the first season is just a warm up round. I'll say this, the writers in interviews and the like have never expressed regret over any season. Sure, some of the minor story beats or single-episode cases here and there might not have the dial turned to 10. And some WOW moments in hindsight might get outshined by later WOW moments, but you'll still WOW* at them the first time 'round.

Buckle in and be wary of the internet. I introduced this show to my girlfriend at the time when the show was airing season 6. By the time she was getting into season 3 she took it upon herself to poke around the net to learn more about the show (casting, behind the scenes, that sort of stuff)... and came across an offhand comment on some site that spoiled her on one of the worst spoilers you could run into for the show (people who have watched the show might want to shut up ITT about guessing as to which spoiler it was).



* And by WOW moments, I actually mean OHJESUSFUCK*$NOOO&!!%^#@$ :suicide: moments

Wesley Walker
Nov 12, 2006

quote:

one of the worst spoilers you could run into for the show

I had that ruined for me before it happened from some thread another. I'm sure it would have been better being surprised by it, but knowing it was coming actually makes the episode before it a lot more powerful, the ending is very strong.

This thread really makes me want to check out seasons 6 and 7. I've been taking a break since 5, but season 5 was some of the best TV I've ever seen.

My favorite scene (not from season 5) was Vic after his CI has was murdered, breaking into the dude's house and brutally burning his face on his stove. It really encapsulated the kind of person Vic was.

Wesley Walker fucked around with this message at 00:23 on Mar 27, 2009

McSpanky
Jan 16, 2005






This thread really makes me want to rewatch the show, my schedule was crazy due to school for most of its run and I've only seen the first two seasons coherently. Hearing about how awesome it all turned out makes me feel like I fell off the boat right before it went over Niagara Falls.

doctor thodt
Apr 2, 2004

by Jeffrey of YOSPOS
How about Vic stabbing the kid with the pin on the police badge heh heh

TUS
Feb 19, 2003

I'm going to stab you. Offline. With a real knife.


Bhaal posted:

and came across an offhand comment on some site that spoiled her on one of the worst spoilers you could run into for the show (people who have watched the show might want to shut up ITT about guessing as to which spoiler it was).

Oh believe me, there's only one option it could have been.

I can't think of a single episode that sticks out. Everything was great for its own reason. One thing that does stick out is the song selection. They made "Bawitdaba" sound bad-rear end. And I always get teary-eyed when "Overcome" comes on.

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doctor thodt
Apr 2, 2004

by Jeffrey of YOSPOS
Best cameo: Jimmy Johnson or Andre Benjamin?

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