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Season 1 – The Shield

Play trailer Poster for Season 1 – The Shield Mar 2002 Crime Drama Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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95% Tomatometer 21 Reviews 93% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
Vic Mackey is a rogue cop in an experimental division of the Los Angeles Police Department, willing to sink to the criminals' level in order to take them on -- but his misdeeds eventually come home to roost. He breaks the law to, in his mind, bring some semblance of order to a chaotic world.
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The Shield — Season 1

The Shield — Season 1

What to Know

Critics Consensus

While there is certainly no shortage of cop dramas, The Shield's thrilling first season offers a unique perspective and provocative performances that will leave viewers breathless.

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Critics Reviews

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John Doyle Globe and Mail Oct 25, 2019
There isn't a single decent person in The Shield and that makes it the both the most devastating critique of America and the must-watch show of the season. Go to Full Review Allan Johnson Chicago Tribune Oct 25, 2019
Does The Shield make for good television? Only if you think good TV stimulates and provokes. Go to Full Review James Poniewozik TIME Magazine Jan 9, 2019
By this week's season finale, [Vic Mackey] has become the most memorable, divisive and hard-to-pin-down character of the TV season--and his series, a lesson in the difference between network and cable TV making. Go to Full Review Jorge Fernández Mencías Fotogramas Jul 25, 2023
In The Shield nothing is black or white, it's a series of greys. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Jamie East The Sun (UK) Apr 3, 2020
5/5
One of the absolute best. Go to Full Review Tom Jicha South Florida Sun-Sentinel Oct 26, 2019
These might not be comforting characterizations, but they make for compelling television. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Eric S @emssmiley2002 Jul 18, 2026 The best Cop show in history. The 1st episode until the final scene was epic. FREE Ronnie! See more Stoner J @Stoner Jul 12, 2026 Every season is great, the most thrilling cop show ever made. Season 1 does have some cheesy dialogue and characters, but it’s so engrossing, to overlook that is easy. See more Thomas D @Thom1967 Dec 22, 2025 The Shield is incredibly powerful and well made, it is the to show that reconciliated me with series. The first episode of the first season gets you to never want to stop watching. And the 7 seasons are really something else. Get ready to root for the bad cops ! Badass, gritty, violent, realistic to a point, sometimes funny… IT WORKS. No hesitation: go watch THE SHIELD See more ed m @RT80499164 Sep 12, 2025 Excellent. When they talk about great TV shows "The Shield" often gets left out. It shouldn't. It's great. See more Mike P @RT09890132 May 28, 2025 Extremely strong writing, acting and plotting; and very cool and real, well-developed crime stories; are somewhat hampered by chintzy, early 2000s production values; with NYPD Blue type shaky-cam found footage-y direction, and extremely cheap and chintzy credits. But the strength of the material carries itself along anyway. It mostly deserves it's rep as a television classic. In its messy portrayal of corruption amongst the boys in blue in LA; particularly in the Drug and Gang Worlds; loosely based on the whole Rampart scandals of the 90s... It reminded me a bit of Scorsese 's The Departed; in it's scorched earth portrayal of wide-spread corruption...It's definitely a paragon amongst the world of Law and Order-ish procedurals. Mostly ...Michael Chicklis and the other actors are also fantastic. You have to overlook its flaws and swallow it down like cough medicine; but if you do, it yields strong rewards. See more marvin n @RT49746518 May 27, 2025 Maybe I'm brainwashed, but I find it grating that the cops are the bad guys. Michael Chiklis is particularly obnoxious. I've only watched the first episode See more Read all reviews
The Shield — Season 1

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Clark Johnson

Director

Guy Ferland

Director

Scott Brazil

Director

D.J. Caruso

Director

Nick Gomez

Director

Shawn Ryan

Creator

Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Mar 12, 2002 Pilot The strike team safeguards the streets; detectives search for a kidnapped little girl. Details Episode 2 Aired Mar 19, 2002 Our Gang David investigates the team's involvement in the shooting of Detective Crowley. Details Episode 3 Aired Mar 26, 2002 The Spread Two rappers quarrel; a shooter attacks Danny; David allies with king-maker Jorge Machado for political reasons. Details Episode 4 Aired Apr 2, 2002 Dawg Days Danny and Julien uncover a gun-smuggling ring; Dutch believes Connie's attacker is a serial killer; the team detains a basketball superstar. Details Episode 5 Aired Apr 9, 2002 Blowback Vic and the Strike Team bust an Armenian gang's drug delivery, but the evidence gets stolen; Vic learns of his son's autism. Details Episode 6 Aired Apr 16, 2002 Cherrypoppers Dutch searches for a serial killer; David investigates Vic's illegal behavior; an underage-prostitution ring. Details Episode 7 Aired Apr 23, 2002 Pay in Pain Vic tries to stop a killing spree; David contacts Internal Affairs; psychic faces charges of fraud; Danny and Julien's rift grows. Details Episode 8 Aired Apr 30, 2002 Cupid and Psycho Faced with allegations of stealing drugs, the Strike Team is suspended; Vic and Claudette become partners. Details Episode 9 Aired May 7, 2002 Throwaway Vic and the team work on a truck-jacking case; Julien and Danny's rift continues; Claudette deals with her family. Details Episode 10 Aired May 14, 2002 Dragonchasers Connie goes through drug withdrawal; strip-club mugging ring; Dutch tracks a serial killer; a suspect with HIV bites Danny. Details Episode 11 Aired May 21, 2002 Carnivores Vic and the team mediate between Rondell Robinson and the Nation of Islam; a Korean community deals with a brutal home-invasion; David reminisces. Details Episode 12 Aired May 28, 2002 Two Days of Blood Vic helps Assistant Chief Gilroy cover up a hit-and-run; a gunrunner has a penchant for cockfights; a double homicide raises fear in an ignored community. Details Episode 13 Aired Jun 4, 2002 Circles Emergency calls lure cops into deadly ambushes in the aftermath of a riot; Gilroy tries to save his career. Details

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The Shield — Season 1

The Shield The Shield The Shield The Shield View more photos

Season Info

Director
Clark Johnson, Guy Ferland, Scott Brazil, D.J. Caruso, Nick Gomez, Stephen Gyllenhaal, Gary Fleder
Creator
Shawn Ryan
Executive Producer
Shawn Ryan, Scott Brazil, Kevin Arkadie
Screenwriter
Shawn Ryan, Glen Mazzara, Scott Rosenbaum, Kurt Sutter
Network
FX
Rating
TV-MA
Genre
Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date
Mar 12, 2002
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