Its seven season run having ended this past summer, The Shield: The Complete Series Collection releases today on DVD. At the center of FX’s critically-acclaimed police drama is Vic Mackey, a heavy-handed detective in the rough L.A. district of Farmington. Rife with gang activity, organized crime, and even seedier elements of the street life, Mackey’s world presents a seemingly unending series of morally ambiguous choices. Yet, somehow, this decidedly anti-heroic dirty cop plays as considerably likable on account of his grit, loyalty, and utter humanity. Michael Chiklis’s Emmy-award winning portrayal of Mackey (which was won over Martin Sheen’s nomination for playing Jed Bartlet in The West Wing) will erase any memories of The Commish from your TV mind.
The box set features all 88 episodes of the show as well as a collectible 34-page bound anthology and, of course, myriad DVD extras. The Shield can be tough to watch and is definitely not for those averse to seeing violence on screen, but its heady themes and gut-wrenching character drama make it must-see man TV and Gear Patrol approved.
Cost: $110
