Watched the first/pilot episode on Netflix last night and it was really good, does it maintain the high standard?

Yes.

Well….it does get a bit melodramatic in some places, but it’s fairly solid till the end.

Yes.

Yes. Brilliant TV to the very end.

Strike Team kicks ass

Did we watch the same show? Yes it’s very dramatic and has some good performances but it’s ludicrously unconvincing at times and goes on far too long.

I dunno, Grum. Was it called The Shield, and starred Michael Chiklis?

If so, then yes. We watched the same show.

The problem is, we can’t discuss it, because it’ll spoil things for the OP 8)

Fun times…

It was a figure of speech. 🙂

I had the same problem with Sons of Anarchy. Good entertainment but not in any way a believable drama.

it does get a bit melodramatic

This is putting it very mildly.

I enjoyed the show and watched it to the end, but its a lot more silly and soapy than The Wire – for example.

I had the same problem with Sons of Anarchy. Good entertainment but not in any way a believable drama.

I agree about SOA.

When they went to Ireland…..F-Me.

Of course it stretches credibility, it’s drama!

However it is great tv, Walter Goggins is superb in it.

Can’t say anything else as I wouldn’t want to spoil it for you.

Ha Ha thats what did for me with SoA, going to Ireland was just daft.

When they went to Ireland…..F-Me.

Indeed – bit of a ‘jump the shark’ moment really. Was funny though.

Of course it stretches credibility, it’s drama!

I dunno, I think having watched The Wire, The Shield/SoA just seem comically unrealistic at times.

Walter Goggins is superb in it.

As he is in SOA 😀

I enjoyed the show and watched it to the end, but its a lot more silly and soapy than The Wire – for example.

A harsh comparison – the wire turned this genre on its head. No cop show of the last 20 years can measure up. Even then the last season got a bit eastenders.

The Shield is v good – superb at its peak. 6 or so seasons IIRC so there’s a few weak spots, but it keeps momentum all the way (epic ending).

No cop show of the last 20 years can measure up.

*coughs politely*

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homicide:_Life_on_the_Street

…admittedly, it’s that man David Simon again.

The Shield is good and I watched all of them but it’s a cop show – it’s not as smart as The Wire.

I agree about SOA.
When they went to Ireland…..F-Me.

heh – when the Belfast Sons are constantly barbecuing in the sun outside?

Watch it all OP.
Opinions differ, make your own 😉
I really liked it, especially the final series.
It held my attention better than the Wire which i haven’t made it to the end of yet. I think thats because The Shield was a once a week traditional style watch – I prefer that, being oldskool

You do need to work to suspend the disbelief sometimes. But the end of the last series, and that last episode in particular were absolutely brilliant.

agree about SOA.

When they went to Ireland…..F-Me.

The writers think of SOA as a soap opera based around a bike gang. They said if it was true to life you’d spend half of it bored and half of it disgusted.

can I just say that if you havent seen it Justified is excellent too

Walton Goggins and Timothy Olyphant (from Deadwood) have amazing chemistry

Sons of Anarchy is great, its pitched at a similar level to Oz*- which too lost it when the IRA got involved and blew up the prison

*except with less slam poetry and prison rape

Even then the last season got a bit eastenders.

Tell me about it, it was cack. But it’s a show that a lot of people have watched and enjoyed so a good yardstick.

*except with less slam poetry and prison rape

Deal breaker.

🙁

I don’t think SOA can hold a light to Oz.

….and I’ll fight anyone who says otherwise!

On-form Oz is pretty much unbeatable. Not-on-form Oz is ridiculous.

who can ever forget Tobias Beecher’s finest moment

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V68OUdXSD50[/video]

I feel an OZ retrospective coming up.

*digs out dvds*

The Shield is fantastic.The last minute of the last show still has me wanting to know more. They were bad people to leave us on an edge like that.

Putting Homicide:LOTS and The Wire (both from the Pen of David Simon) to one side as they clearly were over and above the standard TV fare, I thoroughly enjoyed the Shield, yes it was bit daft in places but it finished properly.

I have also enjoyed SOA, which is similarly daft and starts it’s final season in September with Marilyn Manson of all people guest starring…

Justified as mentioned earlier is excellent.

Walton Goggins generally scene steal whatever he is in but Olyphant does match him in Justified.

justified isn’t on. Netflix, I’d be all over it otherwise…

konabunny – Member
justified isn’t on. Netflix, I’d be all over it otherwise…

Yes it is.

The Shield rates very highly on my entertaining TV scale, along with Band Of Brothers.

cfinnimore – really? that’s weird. I just searched a couple of weeks ago and it wasn’t there. I use the US version. is it possible it’s on the UK version and not the US one?

Okay so The Wire, Deadwood and The Sopranos are better than The Shield thanks to their better grounding in reality, however I still rate The Shield very highly, up there with Justified I’d say.

This thread has reminded me I need to go back to Oz, remember watching this when Channel 4 started airing The Sopranos and they kept messing around with the scheduling for both. I think I saw the first three series of Oz, got 1&2 on DVD, will have to go back to the beginning, my housemate at the time couldn’t stomach Oz 🙂

Deadwood’s Al Swearengen makes Vic Mackie look like a schoolgirl.

🙂