i have created this thread to serve as a catch-all for any THE SHIELD related discussion, since a good portion of us just bought the series and are watching it.
me and the wife are currrently halfway into season 3.
i observed to my wife that this show is in many ways REAL conserva-porn, especially moreso than the unsubtle 24 and its expostulating, two-dimensional bombast. it's the way conservatives would LIKE the world to be if they weren't self-loathing finger-pointing racists: paternalistic, fundamentally moral but likewise fundamentally pragmatic strongmen watch over a "family" of morally-centered folks of all colors (but one creed: justice uber alles) and stave off a chaotic tit-for-tat world governed by alien thugs and self-centered beureaucrats, ultimately seeking to GET THE JOB DONE unhindered by any perspective or moral not originally derived from their own self-sufficient, can-do ethic. the obstacles set in their path come from the completely amoral and somewhat depersonalized sectors of society: the gangs; the politicos; the erstwhile do-gooders; the chronically needy; the unhinged personalities that cannot accept the patriarchal order required to survive in a difficult world.
on the other hand, it's completely FUCK AWESOME. the politics don't feed the show, and there's a lot of sensibility not commonly expressed in conservative politics -- in fact, the show is so earnestly focused on some semblence of realistic human interaction that it becomes fundamentally apolitical. the strongest moral center comes from a black female detective who is also very progressive in her thinking, although we, the audience, are frequently frustrated by her insistence to PLAY FAIR when vic, our vicarious hypermasculine alter ego, just wants TO GET THE JOB DONE by any means necessary. as TVC pointed out to me, the gay police officer is also played realistically -- the show is not unsympathetic to his plight, but neither does it turn him into a hero: he represses his homosexuality and eventually emerges as a bit of a self-serving villain. female characters are sympathetically portrayed as strong personalities who are kept outside the good ol' boys' system; again, they are never turned into heroes even though we are asked to identify with their struggles. we're asked to be frustrated alongside them. the only black-and-white value expressed is the idea that bureaucrats are often the real villains and look to exploit the challenges of justice and loyalty in order to serve their own interests.
so far, i haven't enjoyed a crime drama this much since hill street blues (which doesn't hold up very well these days). i've heard good things about the wire, though. there's a few problems with the shield, of course: it has a few small deus ex moments -- vic just gets too damn lucky, or collective memories in farmington become awfully short -- necessary to make sure that there's always several high-tension arcs being juggled; and ocasionally, just occasionally, it's hard to believe that there's still doubt about vic's crookedness inside the barn. on the other hand, i haven't watched a show since the sopranos that asks me to identify so effectively with such unidealized personalities, and done it so well that i don't notice any sort of preachiness.
anyway, i'll post more thoughts as i watch. omg omg omg vic mackey <3 <3 <3
