For a show that boasts Glenn Close, Forest Whitaker and The White Lotus star David Goggins amongst its cast, it feels strange for fans to call it ‘criminally underrated’.
Thanks in part to the success of other crime shows which were produced in a similar era, including The Sopranos and The Wire, The Shield has managed to evade large portions of viewers since its release in 2002.
Running for seven series until 2008, the FX drama follows Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis), a corrupt and brutal detective in the Los Angeles Police Department, as he leads a small anti-gang unit tasked with curbing the rampant drug trade in the fictional Farmington district of the city.
But, following its recent addition to Amazon Prime Video, fans seem determined to give the show the praise it deserves.
Writing on a Reddit fan page, several viewers called it ‘one of the greatest shows ever made’.
Queasy_Ad7501 said: ‘The Shield is the best cop show I’ve seen. Been watching this for 3 months and I finished the finale yesterday.
‘That was just so impactful and bleak. This is a criminally underrated show and Vic is a very compelling anti hero.’
Continuing, they described the finale as the ‘best’ they have ever seen, while Exceptiontorule similarly agreed that it is ‘criminally underrated’.
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Strange-Bluebird871 also wrote that The Shield is ‘one of the few shows who’s through line from pilot to finale is incredibly well connected and intricate’.
They also highlighted the ‘incredible guest performances from the likes of Glenn Close and Forest Whitaker’.
Other Reddit users did mention that The Wire is a ‘superior’ show, but Ricco121 argued back: ‘I liked the Wire, but personally the Shield hits a little harder just for the fact with the chances they took on a regular Chanel. If this show got the HBO treatment I’m not sure the comparisons would be happening as much.’
Created by The Night Agent’s Shawn Ryan, the series was initially advertised as Rampart in reference to the real-life Rampart Division police scandal that unfolded in the 90s in LA.
The police unit regularly bends the rules in the series by committing crimes, including drug dealing, extortion, police brutality and murder.
During its run The Shield was nominated for six Emmy Awards and five Golden Globes.
It was hailed by critics, with Time including it in their top 100 greatest TV shows of all time, while Entertainment Weekly named it the 8th best show of the 2000s.
The Shield is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
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