The Cure

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At the end of the third season of FX's the Shield, crooked cop Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis) and his strike team split up. As the fourth season opens, the Farmington precinct meets their new captain in Monica Rawling (Glenn Close), and it's not long before she makes herself noticed. With Aceveda (Benito Martinez) on his way to political office, Rawling makes her presence felt re-organizing the force with Vic as her right hand man, and they both put their sights on charismatic drug dealer Antwan Mitchell (Anthony Anderson). In the meantime, Vic's ex-partner Shane (Walt Goggins) works vice, and gets in way too deep with Mitchell, which leads to the reformation of the strike team in an effort to save Shane, and themselves, before it's too late. Sub-plots throughout the season include Aceveda discovering a dark side he never knew he had, Julian (Michael Jace) looking to be transfered as he opposes Rawling's approach to the seizures, and Dutch (Jay Karnes) finding romance with Vic's...

I was literally unable to stop watching this show.
Season four is yet another amazing season for "The Shield."

Don't rely on the low "average" of stars as listed above...it's clear many of the reviewers have issues with things besides the show itself...(the letterbox thing, etc.)

From start to finish, this season was as good as any of the others, and in some ways better.

The obvious difference is Glenn Close. She brings a new vital energy into the mix, and stays away from all the cliches you'd normally expect. Don't prejudge her here.

The cast remains one of the best on TV, present or past. Chiklis has created a character for the TV Hall of Fame, and he is matched in every way by his castmates.

The season-long bad guy is played with startling menace by Anthony Anderson. As Antwon Mitchell, this actor primarily known for comedy will impress you beyond belief.

The season begins with a dissolved Strike Team, a demoted Mackey, and the new Captain (Close).

The old...

As Good as Television Gets
Glenn Close is one of my favorite actresses. "The Shield" is my favorite show. Why, oh why did I approach Season 4 with such fear and trepidation? Close immediately rattled things in the Barn and presented her Monica as a tough-as-nails, no nonsense, Captain who would not allow the wool to be pulled over her eyes. One of the best things this season was watching seen-it-all/ know-it-all Mackey develop respect for his new captain, and try - as best as he possibly could - to piece together loose ends he's left, and fight his perpetually tormenting demons. Chiklis and Close. On paper Chiklis and Close seem the most unlikely of duos - and yet, perhaps even because of this, become, instead, the most riveting screen partnership imaginable.

C.C.H. Pounder simply earns props for creating - and staying - one of the best damn, most straightforward, steadfast and honorable characters in any series history. She's taken an unglamorous role that in most hands could easily have...

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