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The Shield — Season 5
The Shield -- Season 5 “Well-acted, utterly
  believable, graphic,
  nerve-racking and harder
  than nails — The Shield
  shoots from the hip.
  Season 5 is now available
  on DVD: it’s compelling
  viewing...”

WITH A SIMILAR FEEL TO A DOCUMENTARY and shot from a variety of interesting angles, The Shield is an Emmy and Golden Globe-winning and universally-acclaimed drama littered with tough cookie cops, bitter ex-wives and volatile episodes with tight storylines — "conscience is a killer" is the catchphrase that makes Season 5 the most intense season of the series to date.

Set in an inner-city Los Angeles police precinct, The Shield can some-times be uncomfortable watching with its brave content and visible tension between the police officers. Oscar-winning Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland) is outstanding in his guest-star role as Detective John Kavanaugh, the upright, tormented, Internal Affairs cop determined to destroy Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis, Fantastic Four) and his unorthodox and corrupt — but effective — LAPD Strike Team.

Lem's lawyer caught between Vic Mackey and John Kavanaugh

David Aceveda (Benito Martinez, Outbreak) dislikes Mackey's methods but is torn between helping Kavanaugh and following his own agenda. Detective Claudette Wyms — played by the forceful CCH Pounder (ER and Boycott) — is an experienced police officer who doesn't suffer fools gladly but understands why Mackey behaves as he does.

The episode Of Mice and Lem is an uneasy journey into murder, guilt and misdeeds, with a gay-hater at large and arranging for rat-traps to end up on a certain sensitive part of his target's anatomy. The police department has nothing to go on: "We got dick," says one. "Which is more than I can say for the victim…"

Detective Curtis 'Lemonhead' Lemansky (Kenneth Johnson) is on the run, following the discovery that he is a 'bent' cop. But will he be able to save himself by implicating his former colleagues?

Vic MackeyIn the Postpartum episode, Claudette Wyms (CCH Pounder) is now Captain and continues with her determination to see things through correctly. Lem is in hiding but is talking to his lawyer about turning State's evidence and getting Witness Protection. When Detective Shane Vendrell (Walton Goggins) arranges to meet Lem, their meeting ends in tragedy.

This is The Shield at its finest, cul-minating in an explosive, climatic conclusion in the last episode of Season 5 that will leave fans chom-ping at the bit for Season 6 (out 3 March).

Produced by Fox Television Studios in association with Sony Pictures Television, The Shield Season 5 is now available to buy on DVD (from 28 January, 2008), courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Four-Disc DVD Box Set | RRP £34.99 | Certificate 18 | Running time 503 mins approx (feature).

The four-disc set comes packed with the usual high standard of bonus features — including commentaries on every episode, a memorial featurette honouring deceased veteran director/producer Scott Brazil and the powerful 88-minute documentary Delivering The Baby: The Making of Episode 511. Featurettes: The Shield Television Academy Panel (Q&A with Chiklis | Ryan and Whitaker) | IAD (An analysis of Whitaker's role in the Internal Affairs Division) | Fox Movie Channel Presents: Making A Scene | Music Video | 25 Deleted scenes with Optional Commentary by Shawn Ryan | Season 6 Prequel.

"…the toughest police drama ever… Tense, brutal stuff" **** — Maxim

"…one of the best cop shows on TV" **** — Empire

"A cop drama so gritty it makes Dirty Harry look like a wimp" — Daily Mail Night & Day

Check out The Shield's official site.