Watch This Space

Author: SHEILA SELES

The rough underside of L.A. portrayed on "The Shield" is about as far from our idyllic college campus as imaginable. Yet, this Emmy-winning police drama was created by Middlebury grad Shawn Ryan '88. Ryan visited Middlebury last spring to talk with students and to accept an award for his achievements. After a stellar start to the fourth season of "The Shield," Ryan and his team deserve all the awards, hype and rating shares out there.

At the end of the third season, a few of the show's long-term plot lines seemed to be sewn up. The corrupt police strike team led by Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis) was disbanded, and the "money train" they stole from the Armenian mob was destroyed. The tensions between Mackey and his boss, David Aceveda (Benito Martinez), seemed to be disappearing as Aceveda won a place on the city council and announced he was leaving his job as police captain.

But the new season proves that Ryan and his writers still have what it takes to create the intricate, complicated plot lines that have won "The Shield" such critical acclaim. The most publicized addition to the new season is Glenn Close as the new police chief, Monica Rawling. She's implemented some major changes already - symbolically the most important, she fixed the men's bathroom in the station that had been broken since the beginning of the show. The new captain has also decided to create a major taskforce to curb gang violence, and she's chosen Vic Mackey to lead that task force.

It looks like Mackey has his work cut out for him, especially because of the show's new regular character Antwon Mitchell (Anthony Anderson), who emerges as a community leader. In the messy, interesting world of "The Shield," this community leader wants to get crack cocaine off the streets, but so he can start moving tar heroin instead.

The character of Antwon Mitchell typifies the high quality we've come to expect from "The Shield." The show is populated with people trying to do what's best for the community, but as in life, people rarely agree on what is right and the means of getting there.

"The Shield" airs on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on FX. Check it out to see one of the best shows on TV. The Middlebury community should do all it can to honor Ryan's television tour de force. The new library still needs a name, doesn't it....? Yes, the show is that good.