The Shield
Time for us to flash back a bit to a 2002 show that ran on FX called The Shield. The Shield is f*cking kickass, and I cannot understand why I haven’t talked about it until now. It was violent, and shocking, and unflinching, and opened my eyes to a grittier type of television. I honestly believe a show like Breaking Bad would not have worked if a show like The Shield or The Sopranos didn’t have the balls to do some really messed up stuff on TV first.
The Shield is a show about a police precinct in L.A that tends to do things off-the-book. It sort of reminded me of The Wire on HBO for how it gave all sides to the conflict, sometimes showing the bad guys as genuinely bad, and often times also showing them as victims at the hands of the supposed “good.” But really, there was one element about The Shield that stood out to most people.
Michael Chiklis.
He played detective Vic Mackay, and he is truly captivating to watch. Though he seems to be the “protagonist” in this complex tale, immediately you come to learn that he is not really a good guy, in the purest sense of the word. He is just a successful guy at getting stuff done. The stuff no one else is willing to do.
If you enjoyed Breaking Bad, there is no way you would not appreciate The Shield.