I had the privilege to have all the seasons to watch and boy, what a ride. Acting is top notch from everybody, I could not find anything to fault. Script is brilliant, cinematography as raw as it can get in a cop versus gangsters show. It is almost at the level with The wire, which I watched 3 times from start to finish. There are no good and bad characters, everyone's light and dark sides are exposed in this fast paced 90's noir series. Lots of violence as it for sure is in the real setting of a police-gang dynamic. Politics, love, hate, compassion, moral dilemmas and so many more are intermingled in this brilliant show. Watch it! If you'll like the pilot than stock up on popcorn and plan a binge because it's gonna be a treat.

I have tried to re-watch this series, but I don't think I can bring myself to see the haunting images of the finale, so I always stop at Season 6. The best part was watching the Shane/Vic dynamic over the years, and to see the birth of one of greatest character actors I have seen on TV. I knew he was good but what he has achieved recently puts him in the elite category. I'm talking about Jay Karnes of course. Haha Dutch!! You're back to being a joke around here!!!! Nice Cat!!Anyways, sorry about all that. Justified is a Top 10 show for me all time, and, of course it has everything to do with Walton Goggins. What he touches turns to gold and he never throws in a clunker minus the Rob Zombie thing. Hopefully they name an award after him someday.

As far as cop dramas go this is definitely the best. One I first started the series and I finished season 1, I was already really enjoying the show and someone told me to just wait til seasons 5 and 7. So I kept that in mind. And before I reached those seasons I noticed the show ramps up its quality in each season. It kept on upping its amp all the way until the gut punch of a series finale that leaves anyone speechless and breathless.This may not be my #1 favorite show of all time but it's damn close. I haven't seen the six feet under series finale yet but as of right how the shields series finale is the best I've ever seen. Heck not even just the last episode was great the entire last half of the final season is amazing. I won't spoil a single word and I have to say you should be cautious of this page so you don't get spoiled.In conclusion this definitely in my top 5 of all time. I recommend this show to anybody who shows any slit interest in starting this show. Start at any time you can. Enjoy. Thanks for reading my review.

In television, most notable with crime dramas, you either get a show which focuses on the characters or a show that focuses on how the characters interact with others. Serial and non-serial, I guess you could say. What I always loved about The Shield is that it mixed those two styles. While you're following the Strike Team along a continuous, evolving plot line, Dutch and Wyms provide the episodic style with (barring a few season-long exceptions) a different "case" each episode. Shows like C.S.I. and Law & Order rarely delve into the character's backgrounds or what their lives are like outside of the case they are working. The fact that this show does sets it apart from the rest.What truly sets it apart, though, are the overwhelmingly emotional, creative and relatable story lines and arcs. Nothing on television was a gritty as The Shield and few shows released since have toed the line set by it. The characters are more human than any others I have personally ever seen, a perfect example being the bond between the Strike Team during the first few seasons.Some writers back their characters into corners with no reasonable outcome likely, only to provide a very halfhearted and unrealistic escape. The Shield certainly creates those situations, but the way Vic and the team wiggle free is always very possible and very real... even if it usually requires a lot of luck on their part.I used to debate over whether The Shield or Dexter was my favorite show, but after re-watching this, the acting and writing can't touch Dexter and the throne remains occupied by The Barn's crew.