VICE AND VIRTUE IN FARMINGTON
The Shield often gets overlooked in the discussion of the last two decades or so's rise in quality TV series.
The Shield ran for seven seasons between 2002 and 2008 and told the story of the officers of the Farmington district of LA. It's main focus was on Detective Vic Mackey and his Strike Team team. Mackey and his team are a corrupt, no holds barred set of characters who although they get results, they bend the rules to the point where those rules almost snap.
Much like it's spiritual predecessor Hill Street Blues it featured multiple overlapping strands with a variety of characters, all with issues and struggles outside of the force from family issues and Autism to sexuality and religion
The main protagonist Mackey sets the tone in episode one when he executes a fellow officer who has infiltrated the Strike Team as part of an undercover plan to bring them to account.
Mackey and his team use brutality as a means to an end and it's this moral dilemma that is at the heart of the show. Mackey is one of the great anti-heroes who you root for despite their relentless corrupt nature.
Later series featured Laura Haring, Franke Potente, Glen Close and Forest Whitaker the latter two both tasked with difficult jobs; running the station and bringing down the corrupt Mackey. this is a tall order as Mackey and his team have a fierce loyalty. However that loyalty eventually implodes with catastrophic results
The quality of he writing and the character development are first rate and it doesn't lack in the action stakes either.
As the series developed the plot grew more complex and the levels of jeopardy rose, resulting in one of the very best finales in TV.
The Shield is currently available on Amazon prime and I would encourage those of you who have not seen it to give it a go as a visit to Farmington is a rewarding experience
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