The Shield
(Rated TV-MA, Drama, Starring Michael Chiklis, CCH Pounder, Benito Martinez, Where to watch: FX, DVD, Online)
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Thoughtful, mature cop show...with lots of blood.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 16–18
What to watch out for
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Violence:
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Sex:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of The Shield was written by Will Wade
Parents need to know that this gritty crime drama makes little effort to sugarcoat its depiction of life on the mean inner city streets of Los Angeles. The criminals may be dangerous, but the cops are almost even more violent, and they aren't afraid to bend a few rules when it comes to extracting a confession from a suspect or forcing someone to rat out an accomplice. There are guns, drugs, sex, and plenty of swearing. It's realistic and well-done, but definitely not for kids.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about whether the characters' efforts to get dangerous criminals off the street give them the right to break the law. These rough-and-tumble cops epitomize the "ends justify the means" debate, and one of the recurring plot lines centers on whether Mackey will be brought down by his flagrant violation of suspects' constitutional rights. Is he corrupt? How far is too far when it comes to getting information that will help crack a case?
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More on The Shield
What’s the Story?
In THE SHIELD, Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis) is an inner-city Los Angeles detective trying to keep the streets safe and put drug dealers away. He's often outgunned by bad guys toting some major firepower -- and almost always hobbled by his department's expectation that he respect his suspects' Constitutional rights. This absorbing police drama centers on Mackey's twin battles with criminals and the rule book. It's not quite accurate to call him a "bad cop," but his willingness to flagrantly flout the rules, even in pursuit of a noble goal, also makes it hard to call him a "good cop." Let's just call him a detective who gets the job done.
Is It Any Good?
The Shield clearly expects viewers to sympathize with Mackey, and he's often portrayed as just a big, cuddly teddy bear with his kids. But while it's certainly hard to side with the bad guys, it may be equally troublesome for many viewers to endorse Mackey's tactics. That debate, which has no resolution, is what makes The Shield such a watchable and thought-provoking adult drama. And adult is the right word for it -- between the frequent, often-graphic violence, strong language, and mature themes, The Shield isn't one for the kids.
Our Members Say
See all 5 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
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I rate this title off for age 0 and give it
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I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it
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I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it
SpikeTV edition
I was home sick yesterday and found this show on SpikeTV. What's different is that it is now TV-14 rated on that channel. Why? Because the station edited the show down. Words like s--t, p---y, c--k, f--k, and g--damn that the characters use so frequently out of anger are dubbed out. Also, the violence is toned down a lot along with sex and nudity. Actually, sometimes the sex and nudity are cut completely from the episode. Reviewing for the SpikeTV cut only, I give this show a TV-14 rating.
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I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it
Eh ... not for kids at all
I started watching this because I am huge fan of cop shows and action shows. Remember before watching this: This IS NOT a show for kids. I am a kid and I watch it, but it doesn't make it right. If my parents knew what content was in this show, they would not be proud of my liking this program. Sex is the biggest issue. This show has to have sex in every episode. It will either be in dialogue or in activity. Nudity is included in this program as well. Sex ranges from normal to disturbing. There is a story arc in the later half of season 3 and the begining of season 4 where a character has a fetish of violent sexual acts with hookers and recreates his own rape with them and more. Violence is also very strong and goes from shooting to torture. Language includes all words. They do say "s--t" and "f--k" uncensored. But, I will admitt, the uses of "f--k" are only on DVD and dubbed out of the TV versions.
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I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it
Awesome program with lots of HBO-level mateiral
This is probably the best cop show to ever grace the small-screen of basic cabel television. I love it. I buy the DVDs the second they come out like a child does with toys. The warning before each episode says it all. Language includes all bad words such as Goddamn, shit, f--k, bitch, son of a bitch, piss, c--k, p---y, and so much more. Violence is pretty extreme. Drugs are involved with crimes a whole lot. Sex is related to almost every story and include nudity. This is a show only ment for viewers over the age of 17.
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