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The Shield - The Complete Second Season Customer Reviews (1 - 3 of 30 Reviews)

the best cop show on cable
the shield continues it fast paced non stop action, in the second season, it continues to get better each episode, it is by far the best cop show ever on tv

Second season shines for "The Shield" series
he second season, like the second album, second playoff game, second chance, or second anything, is sometimes more important than the first. In the TV series "The Shield" starring Michael Chiklis, it does not fail, but assembles with the steam that rolled out of its debut season to shine in the second. Ongoing storylines get deeper, more intense, and more dramatic. Lives are changed forever, and the beat rolls on. The street crimes are still there, but become less singular and more solid. Overall a fantastic season!

RECAP: The Shield is a series about LAPD police officers and detectives who are part of the Farmington District. They're headquarters are in an old renovated horse stable that is called "the barn". Farmington is very vivid with tough streets, shady characters, and injustices all around. The centerpiece of the show is Detective Vic Mackey (played by Michael Chiklis). Mackey leads a special unit whose job is to bring down the dirtiest of the dirt: The drug dealers, the rapists, and the killers. There is a catch though, in order for Mackey to lure in the mouse, he has to play house with other mice, and therefore many of his actions, which are executed by himself and his crewmembers, are deemed as "dirty" in their own right. Mackey Views it as doing anything to get the job done. The captain said in season one "He's not a cop, he's Al Capone with a badge". Well, he's not far off, but the truth is, its a fictional show, so we aren't worried about the "Strike Teams" outcome being harmful on society since no matter what they do, the ratings of this show continue to increase.

SUBSTANCE: The Shield, as I mentioned in my review of season 1, is very well filmed. Cinematically speaking I think its one of the best series I've seen in a long time. Considering all of the cop series that have come out over the years, that's a great title, though it is just one person's opinion. The Shield shows us the cops and the robbers close up, and the whole time the backdrop of the streets of Farmington go by unnoticed. This is where I, the reviewer, am coming in to say that whether its a rich house, poor house, drug house, car chase, jail cell, drug bust, bank heist, or any other medium this show has in the camera lens, it comes through extremely vivid. Colors are sharper. Dialogue is crisp, or gritty, or gurgling at times in blood. However way you want Action Drama dished up, the shield prepares it in a 3-course meal...L.A. city water not included. Okay, time for me to tell you what you are in for in Season 2. First of all just a disclaimer: If you have not seen season one please do before seeing season 2. This show is linear in storyline and plot and has taken time to build up its characters and multiple ongoing plots. It won't be as special or make much sense if you start here!

SEASON 2: Your going to be exposed to the villain known as Armadillo. He's a bad dude. He puts tires around people and soaks them with gasoline before lighting them on fire. Other bad things he does I won't mention, but suffice to say that he has a major role in season 2. You'll also see a lot going on with the cops of Farmington. Julien, as you know from season one, is trying to change some major things in his life, and though he does so, it comes with paying a high price in humiliation and cruelty delivered by the people of his own department. Vic Mackay has his own troubles at home as you know, from season one. The entire cast is afraid for their jobs after an auditor from the city council is put into the barn to try and expose the corruption that is ultimately centered on Mackey's "Strike Team". Dane tries helping Julien through his troubles but suddenly seems to be faced with many of her own. By the end of this season, nearly every one of these peoples personal lives will be dumped upside down...oh and speaking of upside down, yeah that was them. If you saw the previews it was Shane and Lemon in the back of that garbage truck. What are they doing there?

THE CRIMES: They are there because they have to be. They are hiding. Waiting for an opportunity to strike on of the biggest busts they will ever make. Its called the "Money Train" and its all over season 2. The Armenian mob is moving large amounts of cash out of L.A. to various banks for it to be "washed" before being re circulated. Mackey and the Strike team know that if they can pull off the job, they're retirement will be set. And as you will soon find out, as much that is going on in their personal lives, they may need it! Another great storyline is carried over from season 1 and that is Gilroy, The captain's boss who is ultimately friends with Vic and who got Vic Mackey the job at Farmington in the first place. In season one we learned that Gilroy was purposefully taking police away from a certain part of town to cause crime to go up, sinking the real estate value. In turn he was buying it low and of course in time, to sell high and make a fortune. In season 2 we see Gilroy again, only this time he's escaped house arrest and come to Vic for one final favor: To get him out of the country. Can Vic trust him? The end of this one is intense and also justice in an ironic sort of way. An end to a great little plot that really was very mysterious and showed a lot of themes in terms of loyalty and betrayal.

THE ACTION: The shield is known for being wide open in both the character development as well as the realm of not giving a damn about political correctness. It brings out what it should: That this show is not like other shows, and that these situations need a second glance sometimes before being judged. You'll see bad guys do good, you'll see good cops go bad, and the fireworks that happen in the middle are just as mesmerizing if not magnificent. A mans face pushed onto a range oven grill. Severed limbs. Blood, guts, and beatings, the violence is there, but not in a Rambo or Friday the 13th sort of way. Its done in a way that makes you feel like it is real, or at least convincing. No Hollywood chop shop here, if they say your getting stir-fry, it comes out in flames! You'll see the officer of the strike team known as "Lemon" or "Lemonhead" take a bad, bad fall. And in this happening, the revenge meter reaches level 10. The outcome of this again, is very different than what you would expect. In the meantime the strike team has to deal with a new member. Can they trust him? Will he be the rat that brings Mackey's house of cards down?

Season 2 of the Shield includes 13 action packed episodes. Also featured of course is a special features segment. I found this very compelling as we are shown the cast behind the scenes, and also shown the production and making of the final episode. Its really remarkable to see how much work goes into this show, but also how these everyday people who are actors, are able to mold themselves into a character that is convincing. They do it with conviction and purpose.

In closing, Season 2 for me gets five stars. Singular storylines or ongoing ones blend with a persona of impending doom that creeps in during every episode. Though I mentioned a lot of the things that are going on in the cops personal lives, don't let that description fool you into thinking this is "Melrose Place"...its not, its Farmington district, where the cops can be bad, the villains can be evil, and the corruption heavy. It doesn't mean though that good doesn't show up and cast some white light on things now and again, and with that happening it again shows us just how complex human nature can be. Season 2 is a masterpiece of character development and dramatic action.

Second Chapter in One of Television's Greatest Series
The Shield is a series of the highest-order. I could use this review to compare Season 2 to Season 1 (or those that come later), but whatever their individual strengths or weaknesses, they are all great. The acting in the Shield, especially Chiklis, is phenomenal, and the plotlines are all hard-hitting.

I especially appreciate how nearly every main cast member gets their own plot arc which runs throughout the season, all tying up in the thrilling finale.

Specifically, this season deals with the crafty gang leader Armadillo who puts a hit out on Mackey and his strike team; Vic trying to keep his family from spiralling further apart; Dutch's dealing with his shortcomings as a detective; Julian's struggle against his homosexual nature; Captain Aceveda's compromising with Mackey's questionable methods in his pursuit of political success; Danny's being targeted by a civilian with a grudge; and, finally, the strike team's plot to rob the Armenian mob.

If you read the above list, which is not comprehensive, you'll realize that this season does a lot (especially given that it only runs 13 episodes long). Most television shows take much more time to achieve much less. This show does all of that with power, reality, emotion and offers three or four compelling crime-drama plotlines for all of its individual episodes, besides. Also, I should specifically mention that there is a "prequel" episode included, which takes place before the pilot episode. Pure brilliance.

The Shield is one of the best shows television has to offer. Its Second Season, however it might relate to the others, is a quality part of the series. Five stars.

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