Before his iconic turns inFalloutandThe White Lotus, Walton Goggins starred in the game-changing, hugely underrated police dramaThe Shield. Goggins is one of the most recognizable faces in American television. He’s appeared in all kinds of shows, from zany sitcoms to dark, gritty dramas, and has the range to pull off every role and every tone.
Goggins played the villainous Boyd Crowder inJustified. He played sex workerVenus Van Dam inSons of Anarchy. He played the deluded, drug-fueled Baby Billy inThe Righteous Gemstones. He played post-apocalyptic gunslinger The Ghoul inFallout, and he played the broodingRick inThe White Lotus. But before all that, he had a key role inThe Shield.
Walton Goggins Is Great In The Criminally Underrated The Shield
Goggins Played Detective Shane Vendrell
The role that put Goggins on most people’s radarwas Detective Shane Vendrell in FX’s gritty police dramaThe Shield. Michael Chiklis starred inThe Shieldas corrupt cop Vic Mackey, butShane was his best friend and closest confidant. Shane was a crucial part of Vic’s Strike Team — the central crooked police unit in the show — from the beginning.
All seven seasons ofThe Shieldare available to stream on Hulu.
The inciting incident of the show is the final twist in its pilot episode. The pilot introduces us to the Strike Team through the eyes of Terry Crowley, an undercover informant sent by the Justice Department to expose their corruption. But in the pilot’s final moments,Vic murders Terryand frames a drug dealer — and Shane is the only witness.
In the pilot’s final moments, Vic murders Terry and frames a drug dealer — and Shane is the only witness.
This sets up Vic and Shane’s complicated relationship throughout the series. Although they start off as the best of friends, they fall out several times over the course of this grisly crime saga. During their disagreements, Shane is able to use his knowledge of Terry’s death as leverage.Goggins and Chiklis shared fantastic chemistryin these roles.
The Shield Belongs In The Same Conversation As The Wire And Breaking Bad
It Brought Police Corruption To A Standard Cop Drama
Although it rarely gets mentioned in discussions of the Golden Age of Television,The Shieldwas one of the forerunners. UntilThe Shieldcame along, police procedurals had black-and-white morals, with cops depicted as the good guys and perps depicted as the bad guys. ButThe Shieldupdated that format for a modern world where that’s not always the case.
The Shieldbrought corruption and police brutality to a standard cop drama, which completely changed the game. Vic was one of the earlyTV antiheroesalongside Tony Soprano and Omar Little.The Shieldbelongs in the same conversation asThe WireandBreaking Bad, but it’s rarely included in that conversation.
