Chattering Cyclops, Part II

You may have noticed that I did not post any commentary on House this past week. I was pretty wrapped up in Ptolemy's Gate and did not note the time until I paused long enough to call my parents. We talked for a few minutes before my Dad said, "Gotta go, House is back on!"

I figured that I can catch the episode in re-runs and went back to my book.

So I am not writing in praise of House (I have done that before anyway). Instead, I sing a song of The Shield.

My wife and I watched the fourth season on DVD a few weeks ago. As many of you recall, this season featured Glenn Close as Capt. Monica Rawling, the new head of the Farmington precinct where the series takes place. The character was a strong, driven person who was not given to passionate outbursts (save for a few noteworthy exceptions during the last few episodes of the season) but who clearly cared about the people she worked with an protected. There was never any question who was in charge either. In fact, I would go so far as to say that Ms. Close portrayed one of the best protagonists I have ever seen on television or elsewhere, of either gender. That is not to say that any of the other actors in the series were any less worthy of praise; rather, it is a reflection of the greatness of the work that she stood out in such an excellent ensemble cast. And the character's arc was dealt with intelligence and style, that ends in ambivalence that is also somehow satisfying (and in keeping with the tone of the show). I won't go into too much detail so as not to spoil anything for those of you who haven't had the pleasure of watching the series.

And I would give the entire series, from beginning to end, my highest recommendation. The premise seems suspect on first blush: the show traces the career of a corrupt cop who works in a precinct beseiged by crime. But you grow to like the cop, and the people he works with, and follow his descent and his climb back to respectability (of a sort). Not all of his colleagues are corrupt (indeed, the source of much of the conflict in the show is his race to keep one step ahead of his fellow cops) but they all struggle mightily to create order out of chaos. My wife and I make it a point to wait for each season to come out on DVD, so we can absorb it in marathon sessions.