As Kavanaugh deals with the emotional circumstances surrounding the return of his ex-wife, his obsession to take down the Strike Team comes to a head and he forges an unlikely alliance with Antwon Mitchell.

As Vic's worst fears are realized in learning who really killed Lem, Dutch and Claudette meet a witness that incriminates him. Vic makes a last ditch attempt to save his career as Shane's life begins to spiral out of control. Cassidy confronts her father after hearing about his unethical past.

Vic and Aceveda form an unlikely alliance to expose a mutual enemy. Hiatt's job is in jeopardy after botching an arrest, while Billings drops a bombshell on Claudette and the department. The walls close in on Shane when the Armenians put his loyalty to the ultimate test.

Vic takes drastic actions to track down Lem's killer as Kavanaugh's investigation makes a shocking turn. Claudette is put under intense political scrutiny in the wake of the San Marcos murders. Danny receives some long-awaited good news as Tina is offered an unusual opportunity.

Shane reaches out to the Armenian mob after Vic severs their ties. Vic gets deeper into the San Marcos massacre after discovering evidence of a larger conspiracy. Dutch and Billings make headway of their own when they track down the lone survivor of that slaughter.

The first season of The Shield almost instantly establishes Detective Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis) as Not Your Typical TV Cop. The leader of the Farmington District Strike Force, Mackey is mean, profane, violent, and some distance removed from honest. And it is not simply that Mackey is willing to beat a confession out of a perpetrator or plant false evidence to get a conviction: Our hero and several of his subordinates have strong ties with the Underworld -- and, as vividly demonstrated in the opening episode, Vic is perfectly capable of shooting down a snitch in cold blood to keep his peccadilloes from becoming public. Throughout season one, Mackey wages a battle of nerves with his superior officer, Captain Aceveda (Benito Martinez), who regards the detective as nothing more than a hoodlum with a badge and is determined to gather enough evidence to bring Mackey down for good. At the same time, Acevada knows that Mackey is good copy for the pro-police press, and he isn't about to ruin his most successful det

Although the gritty cop drama The Shield would become the FX's network longest-running dramatic series during its fourth season, a serious drop in ratings at the end of season three could well have precipitated the show's cancellation. Giving the program a major shot in the arm was the addition of two new regulars, Glenn Close and Anthony Anderson. Close is introduced as Monica Rawling, the new captain of the Farmington District Strike Force and the new (nominal) boss of tough, brutal, and borderline-corrupt Detective Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis). Rawlings has been appointed to her post after Mackey's former captain and longtime enemy David Aceveda (Benito Martinez) is elected to the city council. Though certainly not enamored of Vic's strong-arm tactics and questionable ethics, Rawling is willing to give the detective a relatively free hand in dealing with the district's most vicious drug dealers. Even so, both Aceveda and Rawling intend to closely monitor Vic's movements, forcing him to play it straight (or

Season 7: Pounder and Martinez discuss the rape and its impact and meaning.

Season 7: Martinez asks Pounder who she thought was the best Captain.

Season 7: Pounder and Martinez discuss the role that race and culture played on the show.