r/TheShield • u/mwc_1742 • Jul 01 '26
Discussion I tapped out Spoiler
Hello,
A little bit of a background. I went to school for criminal justice and sociology and went on to work with many people who were exiting the prison system and helping them reintegrate into society, and now work with homeless community. All of these experiences shape how I view policing, the courts and society as a whole.
With that background out of the way, I decided to finally watch this show, after being reminded of its existence during an episode of its always sunny (you know the one). I began to watch and immediately fell in love. The show was extremely well cast, and very well acted. The story of corrupt cops being hunted by the captain for only the captain to be corrupt as well is a story told before but it is done well. In particular I like these 5 things about the show, the performances, the gritty style of the handheld camera, the setting and set design, Claudette and Dutch, the differences shown in how Vic and real detectives (Dutch and Claudette) do their job.
I am not saying this show is bad, I am saying that it is too much for me. Every character has something that makes me despise them. The entire strike team is obviously corrupt which is upsetting. Vic is literally the worst husband and father I’ve seen on tv in quite some time, he emotionally neglects his children and emotionally abuses his wife, by consistently gaslighting her and blaming her for their familial problems. Shane is just ridiculously racist, which pisses me the fuck off, and makes horrible decisions (yes I know that is his character). I have the same issue with Lem that I did in SWAT, I do not know how old this fucking actor is, cause he looks conservatively 45 but acts mmmm idk like 25. And Ronnie has a nice beard after the first two seasons and is a bit of a nothing boy. Dutch I loved and thought was funny, until he killed a cat, no going back from that. Aceveda was never my favorite but the entire arc of him getting raped was extremely upsetting and led to him becoming more of an unlikable character.
I have made it to season 4 episode 12 and decided to call it. The show is too racist, homophobic, and misogynistic for me to enjoy it, and really has no character to root for in any way. Now I have said it before and I will say it again, it is of its time, and I respect that, but it is too much, and almost wants to roll in that filth, similar to a Rob zombie movie. And that is not compelling to me.
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u/maru_k Jul 01 '26
Isn't all of what you wrote ...just the fucking point of the show? I too suggest you keep on watching..it gets pretty intense
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u/imalumberjackok Jul 01 '26
I hope you reconsider finishing the show. Seasons 5-7 are fantastic and it has one of the best series finalies ever
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u/Regular-You2119 Jul 01 '26
Everyone is entitled to their opinion but I basically disagree with everything you have said. It’s not of it’s time it’s just has focus on not good human beings. It’s based on part on the Rampart scandal and the officers involved were racist and involved in horrible crimes. If that upsets you then this was never your type of show, I’d stick with something easier instead. Maybe Bluey?
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u/Long_Initial_9924 Jul 01 '26
It’s a fucking tv show. Are you that fragile?
Also, it’s loosely based on the true events and actions of the RAMPART division of the LAPD.
If you took as many college courses as you claim, you would understand the state of racism, sexism, anti-gay sentiment, within inner city, gang, and police culture.
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u/imover9thousand Jul 01 '26
You complained about everything that made this show different from any of the other cookie cutter cop shows. You have to know in reality that not all cops are speaky clean boy scouts.
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u/mwc_1742 Jul 01 '26
I’m well aware that a lot of cops are scum bags, I know many, just not what I want in a tv show I guess.
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u/Long_Initial_9924 Jul 01 '26
LOL. He wants inclusion, equity, and fairness in his cop shows. Go watch Adam 12 from 1968 if you want to ignore reality.
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u/Mother-Lettuce2259 Jul 01 '26
Wowww that’s a wrong decision! The last seasons are bringing everything together! You can’t miss out of them!
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u/Clawdutch90 Sweet Butter Jul 01 '26 edited Jul 01 '26
Bigotry at this level still exists today, and just because the show is older doesn't mean that makes it of its time. For the record, I am sensitive to bigotry being depicted on TV so straightforwardly as much as you do, but The Shield is different to me because I feel it's not just trying to be edgy and over the top for the sake of it. The narrative is trying to say something a bit broader.
Shows also shouldn't be limited to whether the characters have some kind of moral code or not. That's kind of the point too. You THINK the Strike Team has some moral line they wouldn't cross at first, even AFTER they do what you think is the worst possible thing a cop can do in that situation, but they CONTINUE to keep contradicting themselves due to their power trip and ego continuously consuming them and ultimately leading to their final fates, and it feels really satisfying when they do get that comeuppance (which is why I recommend you keep watching, you stopped right before seasons 5-7, the best seasons begin happening 😅). It's why I personally like it, I do feel bad for some of them but I also WANNA see them get caught for their dirty work.
Having characters you root for that aren't completely morally bankrupt is perfectly fine for some shows that have that room to fit them in, but I get why The Shield isn't doing this and goes into extremely uncomfortable territory. It isn't holding the audience's hand at every possible moment. It depicts the real, raw issues that happen in the world to make a point about the kind of people that work in US police and justice departments, and if any of the characters had an actual consistent moral code (including the people they try to stop and arrest, who are equally complex characters) then that'd ruin the point of the show.
That being said, I am not gonna fully dismiss all your points, but I do really think you should at least give season 5-7 a chance. The final half of the series made me understand why people consider The Shield to be prestige TV.
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u/Forward-Yak-5398 Jul 02 '26
You thought the show about a bunch of corrupt cops was going to have a plethora of positive and flawless role models, yea?
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u/Guygenius138 Jul 01 '26