Does anyone else find The Shield depressing?

[derpofrito]

I've been watching The Shield recently, because of Jeff's constant recommendations. I'm into season 3 now, and as good as it is, I find it sometimes painful to watch. With Aceveda, a serious, sometimes pompous man, losing his dignity in a rather painful to watch fashion, And Vic having to deal with his autistic son, I just think the show just kinda has a tendency to bring you down.

[dolson]

No. If life weren't like that, then sure, I'd maybe see it like that. But in the real world, people get raped, stabbed, shot, and injecting toxins into your blood stream does screw you up. Real life stuff, it's what The Shield is made of.

[adeepercut2k]

I've been watching The Shield recently, because of Jeff's constant recommendations. I'm into season 3 now, and as good as it is, I find it sometimes painful to watch. With Aceveda, a serious, sometimes pompous man, losing his dignity in a rather painful to watch fashion, And Vic having to deal with his autistic son, I just think the show just kinda has a tendency to bring you down.I, like you, tried to watch The Shield cause of Jeff's recommendations. I tend to agree with his movie/tv opinions but I've completely lost him with The Shield. Besides being depressing, I find it completely unbelievable. My pop was a cop and he's kind of colored my view of cop shows. I'm not nearly as critical of them as he is, for example...whenever a TV cop holds his gun by his face in a profile shot, he laughs his ass off. No cop worth his salt holds his gun like that. It's always down pointed to the ground. The other thing he hates is the amount of curse words used by TV cops. Although they get nasty from time to time, most cops don't curse cause it shows their fellow cops respect and most cops are intelligent people. They're professional and carry a hell of alot of responsibility on their shoulders. Can you imagine a show like ER with everybody scream "fuck", shit, shitbird, cocksucker? Yeah it happens, but not quite like TV or movies.

That being said, :) , I don't mind those kinds of snafus. In fact The Shield is pretty good as far as beat cop procedure goes and is much better than The Wire when it comes to language. So if the show is well written, acted, directed, I'm in no matter how real or fake it is. Well at least I thought that was my position.

The Shield has found my tolerance level of authenticity and pushed it over the cliff for me. I have no problem with bad/dirty cops being morally questioned or pushed in a story. But to me, this show plays like The Shield - as influenced by Three's Company. Forget about lies leading to lies, that would be enough for most people to deal with. But then it seems like every other week their team or the genius detective is either busting a drug ring, gang ring, child porn ring or a serial killer. When their lies took them down to TJ I lost interest. I kept watching the show out of curiosity to see if it magically got on track and it didn't. I made it to the beginning of season 4 and just had to let it go.

I liked some of the character work within the plot. But the plot ruins it for me. It puts piles of unnecessary mazes in front of these strong characters. It really plays like a soap moreso than a dramatic story.

I tried to get into it. Ultimately it failed for me but I appreciate reading the intelligent arguments had over these two shows.

There seems to be a lot of talk about The Wire/The Shield but dollar for dollar my top shows are Buffy and Deadwood. There's just nothing like those two shows. Nothing has been able to touch the depths of either show and that's a fact. ;) But seriously, there's Buffy, Lucy and Deadwood, then there's The Wire and BSG, then there's everything else. :) Although I'm going to give Babs 5 a run here pretty soon, I hear it's quite good.

[esophagus]

Not so depressing, just a shitty show. Yeah, I said it. I just don't get the love.

[blacksymbiote]

I tried to get into the Shield, much like everybody else because of Jeff's constant recommendations. I only got into the first few episodes of Season 2. Basically, I was just bored with the show the whole time, until all the stuff at the very end of Season 1 was happening. Then it was all resolved and back to the same formula. I have this feeling like i want to say not much happens in the show, but I know that's not true... But I was always just so bored, I'm not sure what it was. Eventually I just didn't have enough interest to watch the next episode.

[sugarsickness]

I want to french kiss Dutch.

[dolson]

I tried to get into the Shield, much like everybody else because of Jeff's constant recommendations. I only got into the first few episodes of Season 2. Basically, I was just bored with the show the whole time, until all the stuff at the very end of Season 1 was happening. Then it was all resolved and back to the same formula. I have this feeling like i want to say not much happens in the show, but I know that's not true... But I was always just so bored, I'm not sure what it was. Eventually I just didn't have enough interest to watch the next episode.

Different strokes... But I loved every minute of the Shield, and yet I could replace "The Shield" with "The Wire" in your post and describe my feelings.. But I *want* to like The Wire, as there aren't many good shows to watch like this. I just.. I don't know what it is. They try too hard to make it ______________________ (something, I don't know what, but they're trying too hard).

[johnnysix]

Personally, that's one of the reasons I like it. Bad stuff happens to people that might not deserve it, good stuff happens to people who might not deserve it and sometimes people get what's coming to them. Just like life. Television doesn't have to represent a utopian view of the world. What makes it interesting is watching characters react to these things.

I don't think it's the best show ever though. That honour goes to The Sopranos or The X-Files. I still can't listen to Journey's Don't Stop Believing without getting a lump in my throat.

[marty993]

The Shield was a grower for me. I came to it after watching the first season of Boomtown on DVD so I was a little burnt out on cop shows, but after a few episodes it just clicked. It's not my favourite show ever, but it's awesome and stylish so it's got me until the end. (The Aceveda scene you're talking about is EASILY the most horrific thing a TV show has ever done to me.)

By the by, if you're into cop shows and haven't seen Boomtown it's well worth your time. It was cancelled part way through season 2, but since when has that said anything about a show's quality? It's The Shield by way of Rashomon with Donnie Wahlberg and Neal McDonough - it's LA cops again, except they're generally nicer people than the Strike Team and it's a very emotional, quite sad kind of show.

[cool8man]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rampart_Scandal

The Shield is probably my favorite TV series of all time. Vic Mackey is the closest thing our generation has to a modern day cowboy.

As far as the language, Mackey isn't a beat cop like some of the other officers on the show. He is part of the Strike Team which in order to have any street credibility (did you ever see Training Day?) has to be able to interact with gang members. The Shield just like Training Day is based upon what really happened with the LAPD's Rampart "CRASH" division (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rampart_Scandal). The Strike Team isn't supposed to be representing what your average cop acts like. They are loosely recreating what actually happened with a corrupt division of the LAPD. I don't think the show portrays everyone as being the same. Some officers follow the letter of the law like Julien and some detectives follow the letter of the law like Claudette. The Strike Team does not represent the typical detective or police officer.

I've been hooked on The Shield since season 1 began airing. I can't watch network television anymore since it is too tame and censored. I also love The Shield because it actually feels like the writers knew exactly the story they wanted to tell from the beginning and it never felt like they were just making it up as they went along. I can't watch shows like the Sopranos or X-Files where it feels like there are a million different writers and directors and it feels like the story is going nowhere and they're just making new episodes just to keep making money.

I don't think it's the best show ever though. That honour goes to The Sopranos or The X-Files. I still can't listen to Journey's Don't Stop Believing without getting a lump in my throat.
That's funny you should mention those two shows. Those just happen to be the two examples of shows I always tell people I never want to waste my time on. A lot of people think The Shield and The Sopranos are similar because you've got the anti-hero with the double sided personality. I think the writers of the Sopranos had nothing planned out beyond the first season or had to scramble to find a new direction when the actress who played Tony's mom died. When I invest my time into a drama I want every single episode to be important to the overall story. I want the writers to be planning seasons ahead and to have an idea of the overarching story they are going to tell in the TV shows entirety. The Shield is one of the few shows on TV I've seen that actually delivers on this and rewards you for investing your time into the show.

The X-Files and Sopranos always felt to me like the writers were simply making it all up as they went along and they were never going to give answers to all of the questions that they had raised. I can't tolerate a TV show (or movie for that matter) that leaves loose ends or gives you information that serves no purpose. There were many episodes of The Sopranos that were a complete waste of time and so I'm not surprised that the show ended on such an ambiguous note. The writers had nothing to say so they said nothing. The show had no point, it was a waste of time, much like the X-files.

[ryan79]

I, like you, tried to watch The Shield cause of Jeff's recommendations. I tend to agree with his movie/tv opinions but I've completely lost him with The Shield. Besides being depressing, I find it completely unbelievable. My pop was a cop and he's kind of colored my view of cop shows. I'm not nearly as critical of them as he is, for example...whenever a TV cop holds his gun by his face in a profile shot, he laughs his ass off. No cop worth his salt holds his gun like that. It's always down pointed to the ground. The other thing he hates is the amount of curse words used by TV cops. Although they get nasty from time to time, most cops don't curse cause it shows their fellow cops respect and most cops are intelligent people. They're professional and carry a hell of alot of responsibility on their shoulders. Can you imagine a show like ER with everybody scream "fuck", shit, shitbird, cocksucker? Yeah it happens, but not quite like TV or movies.



My brother is a cop and I've asked him about different aspects of The Shield and how realistic it is. He said some of it, some of it isn't. The rough stuff does happen but the show exaggerates it.

He also told me that if I'm ever in danger of being arrested, to run into a well-populated area, screaming "I'm being arrested" and not to run into a dark, secluded area.

I'm glad I'm not a policeman.

[abuser_name]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rampart_Scandal

The Shield is probably my favorite TV series of all time. Vic Mackey is the closest thing our generation has to a modern day cowboy.

As far as the language, Mackey isn't a beat cop like some of the other officers on the show. He is part of the Strike Team which in order to have any street credibility (did you ever see Training Day?) has to be able to interact with gang members. The Shield just like Training Day is based upon what really happened with the LAPD's Rampart "CRASH" division (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rampart_Scandal). The Strike Team isn't supposed to be representing what your average cop acts like. They are loosely recreating what actually happened with a corrupt division of the LAPD. I don't think the show portrays everyone as being the same. Some officers follow the letter of the law like Julien and some detectives follow the letter of the law like Claudette. The Strike Team does not represent the typical detective or police officer.

I've been hooked on The Shield since season 1 began airing. I can't watch network television anymore since it is too tame and censored. I also love The Shield because it actually feels like the writers knew exactly the story they wanted to tell from the beginning and it never felt like they were just making it up as they went along. I can't watch shows like the Sopranos or X-Files where it feels like there are a million different writers and directors and it feels like the story is going nowhere and they're just making new episodes just to keep making money.


That's funny you should mention those two shows. Those just happen to be the two examples of shows I always tell people I never want to waste my time on. A lot of people think The Shield and The Sopranos are similar because you've got the anti-hero with the double sided personality. I think the writers of the Sopranos had nothing planned out beyond the first season or had to scramble to find a new direction when the actress who played Tony's mom died. When I invest my time into a drama I want every single episode to be important to the overall story. I want the writers to be planning seasons ahead and to have an idea of the overarching story they are going to tell in the TV shows entirety. The Shield is one of the few shows on TV I've seen that actually delivers on this and rewards you for investing your time into the show.

The X-Files and Sopranos always felt to me like the writers were simply making it all up as they went along and they were never going to give answers to all of the questions that they had raised. I can't tolerate a TV show (or movie for that matter) that leaves loose ends or gives you information that serves no purpose. There were many episodes of The Sopranos that were a complete waste of time and so I'm not surprised that the show ended on such an ambiguous note. The writers had nothing to say so they said nothing. The show had no point, it was a waste of time, much like the X-files.



I completely agree, and also the characters in this show have so many facets and so much depth to them. There are many different stories being told at once and things that happen in the show actually matter... there is a beginning and an end. I can't wait until the new season airs...


Also, Ryan... why would you run into a crowd yelling "I am being arrested?" How would that possibly help you? I would think that it would alert the police to your location and maybe even get a "good samaratin" to try and give the cops a hand.

[johnnysix]

That's funny you should mention those two shows. Those just happen to be the two examples of shows I always tell people I never want to waste my time on. A lot of people think The Shield and The Sopranos are similar because you've got the anti-hero with the double sided personality. I think the writers of the Sopranos had nothing planned out beyond the first season or had to scramble to find a new direction when the actress who played Tony's mom died. When I invest my time into a drama I want every single episode to be important to the overall story. I want the writers to be planning seasons ahead and to have an idea of the overarching story they are going to tell in the TV shows entirety. The Shield is one of the few shows on TV I've seen that actually delivers on this and rewards you for investing your time into the show.

The X-Files and Sopranos always felt to me like the writers were simply making it all up as they went along and they were never going to give answers to all of the questions that they had raised. I can't tolerate a TV show (or movie for that matter) that leaves loose ends or gives you information that serves no purpose. There were many episodes of The Sopranos that were a complete waste of time and so I'm not surprised that the show ended on such an ambiguous note. The writers had nothing to say so they said nothing. The show had no point, it was a waste of time, much like the X-files.

I don't want to derail the topic too much (i guess I already did), but I have to vehemently disagree. Especially when it comes to The Sopranos. Your point about his mother dying? Tony's relationship with his mother becomes a huge driving factor throughout the series. Loose plot Points? The show is about characters. Almost every event within the series lifetime has had an effect on one character or another. Not all story points get tied up in neat bows because that's what happens in real life! It's a show that analyzed the human psyche. The Sopranos hardly has a small fanclub and hardly needs me to defend it, it's regarded as one of the best shows ever and the X-Files... well... don't get me started. I'm guessing you don't like Lost?

The Shield is great beyond just the fact that story points seem to be layered throughout the series. It's not really that hard as a writer to incorporate plot points from earlier seasons. It's not exactly an indication at some level of genius behind the show. It's a much greater task to create layered characters that actually seem realistic and emotionally ring true. The Shield is great at this.

[mrhaines]

I agree...along with a lot of other shows. I stopped watching BSG for the same reason. It seems like a lot of American TV focusses on the bad. Maybe its a sign of the times or something. I for one would rather watch re-runs of Star Trek TNG than most of what is on tv today. Maybe thats why shows like Pushing Daisies are so good.

[theman8631]

So much hate for the shield!

Honestly one of the first things that made me say "Hell yeA!" to TRS is when Jeff (As I exclaimed for some time now) announced to all that the shield is in fact the best show of all time.

Because it is.

I can honestly say that I don't feel a character driven story has been told in such a personal and engrossing way in a tv show as has been done with the shield.

Yes, its depressing... but so is Shindlers List. The Shield may be depressing but the ethical, and emotional journey each character goes through is so personal and shown in a way you can relate to that a personal attachment is created that succeeds on a level that is incredibly rare.

I care about these people and can't wait to see where the series concludes.

Man, all this Shield h8 is gonna bring Jeff down, it certainly did me. Seriously just listen to Jeff, its the best show of all time.

[abuser_name]

I actually had something similar... I already watched the Shield and avatar before I started watching TRS. I was a closet Avatar fan though :( But after I watched TRS I am no longer ashamed of it, and I find that I tend to agree with Jeff a lot.

[joeleeriepa]

I don't find The Shield depressing at all. In fact I find it quite thrilling. The Shield isn't supposed to be about realism, it's just edgier and pulls a lot of it's core from the LA crime world. I'm sure it's been pushed and sold by FX as a "Realistic Crime Drama" over the years, but as I've said a million times on this board- The Shield is more akin to Noir then a "Realistic Crime Drama." Sure it's got multicultural gangbangers and all the other ills of modern society, but the corrupt black heart beating in it's chest is pure Noir.

The Wikipedia entry on the Rampart Division posted above is a great start to getting educated on the subject, but if you want to go deeper read "LAbyrinth" by Randal Sullivan. That book will blow your mind.

I totally agree that The Sopranos' plot was totally derailed when Nancy Merchant died. It's painfully obvious as the seasons went on. That's not to say the Sopranos was bad, in fact at times it was quite good, but David Chase never made a full recovery story-wise after his overarching plot was smashed.

[blacksymbiote]

All this talk of The Shield made me start back into watching it. I've watched a couple of episodes and I'm finding it interesting again. Maybe I just overdid it before. Too much too fast kinda thing.