The Shield

A cleverly written crime-drama about the officers in The Barn (a rundown Los Angeles police station), finds itself a bit redundant at many points in its seven season, yet ceases to lower the adrenaline rush. Michael Chiklis steals the show as the memorable (yet at times, over-the-top) Vic Mackey, who runs the Strike Team, a tactical unit of three other detectives, when behind closed doors are all corrupt. Throughout the series we see how the Strike Team dodges bullets from deadbeat criminals and cooks up excuses to get around close-calls with the honest officers. The grittiness camera-work creates realism, but its far-fetched story-arc makes everything a bit contradictory. While intense and fulfilling upon first watch, it's hardly worth re-watching since each episode is mainly buildup after buildup to a climatic season finale. Unlike a lot of endings, though, it closes most of (if not all) open doors and loses any mercy it once had for its characters, making it one of the greatest series finales of all-time. The whole series is worth the watch, just to see its satisfying and unforgettable conclusion.