The Shield

Finally, The Shield is back. It gives new meaning to my Tuesday nights. If you haven't been watching this show, then you're missing out on quite possibly the best drama on TV. The writing is fantastic, and the acting is precise.
With this new season, Glenn Close joins the cast as the new captain. And I gotta say, I think that they are using her carefully, and perfectly...for now. The talent of the writers and Shawn Ryan, the show's creator, is evidenced in how this season has reinvented the show without having to rely upon gimmicks or outlandish storylines (a la The OC and the lesbian affair, which was fun to watch, but ridiculous nonetheless).
So, this season, the Strike Team is no more, and Vic and Ronnie are the only two left at The Barn. David is on his way to City Council, and Dutch and Claudette have been black-listed by the DA's office because of Claudette's self-righteous campaign that has led to an overturn of dozens of cases by the DA's office. This season also brings Anthony Andersen as a philathropic drug dealer who is going head to head with Vic. Shane is now working vice, and is getting dirtier and dirtier as he gets deeper in bed with Anthony Andersen's character. What's great is to watch Vic deal with this, as Shane is much like a son to him. And Shane learned a lot of his tricks from Vic.
I really feel that they have gone to new level with this season, and I hope they continue with it. The best re-inventions are subtle yet powerful: and this has the potential to be great. Let's hope they don't screw it up.