The Shield — Season 1

FX Ended Drama Crime

13 Episodes · Premiered March 12, 2002 · Ended June 4, 2002

Episodes

A politically ambitious LAPD captain comes up against a streetwise detective who isn't above bending the rules in his effort to fight crime as he enriches himself and his men.

After the death of a member of the Strike Team on a high-risk raid, Aceveda begins to investigate the real circumstances behind the raid. Officers Lowe and Sofer find a dying man being mugged, eventually linked to a Mexican gang.

In a routine sweep to nab every outstanding suspect, the detectives divvy up the warrants. But when they cast their nets, they bring up far bigger fish than expected. Danny and Julien uncover a gun-smuggling operation; and Mackey and his team encounter a pro-basketball star who's in town to play the Lakers, when they bust in on drug dealers. Meanwhile, Claudette and Dutch try to catch a man who has been raping women in an attempt to procreate.

A dispute over an up-and-coming singer's success erupts in a gang war that threatens to bring Vic down, too; a case that could help Aceveda's political future sends Dutch and Claudette searching for a missing day laborer.

David insists that Vic take uniformed cops in with them to bust an Armenian gang's drug delivery. After the bust, Julien sees the Team take a portion of the drugs for themselves. But in the end Shane ends up having the drugs and the vehicle they're in stolen from them. While the search for the drugs and the truck goes on, Mackey learns that his son is autistic.

As Dutch's theory about a serial killer preying on prostitutes proves true, he convinces Aceveda to launch an all out effort to find him before he strikes again; Julien decides to bring down Vic for stealing drugs.

The murder of seven gang members has Vic be teamed with a Latino detective assigned to crack the case.

As the Strike Team is reassigned pending the investigation in the theft of evidence, Vic teams with Claudette in order to keep some deadly drugs off the street.

Lemonhead sets out to make things right following his shooting of an unarmed man.

As Dutch uncovers a lead to the serial killer, a reporter questions force Aceveda to explain problems he thought were buried far in the past.

A confrontation between a local drug dealer and Black Muslims places Vic in danger of being exposed.

As a deployment policy leads to a double homicide that places Aceveda in the hot seat with potential voters, Vic is forced to help Gilroy avoid being implicated in a hit and run.