List of The Shield episodes

The Shield is an American crime drama television created by Shawn Ryan and starring Michael Chiklis. The series premiered on FX on March 12, 2002 and ended on November 25, 2008, totaling 88 episodes over seven seasons, plus one additional mini-episode.

Series overview

Season	Episodes		Originally aired
			First aired	Last aired
1	13		March 12, 2002 (2002-03-12)	June 4, 2002 (2002-06-04)
2	13		January 7, 2003 (2003-01-07)	April 1, 2003 (2003-04-01)
3	15		March 9, 2004 (2004-03-09)	June 15, 2004 (2004-06-15)
4	13		March 15, 2005 (2005-03-15)	June 14, 2005 (2005-06-14)
5	11		January 10, 2006 (2006-01-10)	March 21, 2006 (2006-03-21)
6	10		April 3, 2007 (2007-04-03)	June 5, 2007 (2007-06-05)
7	13		September 2, 2008 (2008-09-02)	November 25, 2008 (2008-11-25)

Episodes

Season 1 (2002)

Captain David Aceveda, seeking to usurp the current black City Council representative of Farmington by swaying the Latino vote, looks to rid his precinct, The Barn, of corruption starting with Detective Vic Mackey and the controversial yet effective Strike Team. Mackey and the Strike Team protect local drug dealer Rondell Robinson by enforcing strict rules to make the streets safer. Aceveda works with the Justice Department to bring Detective Terry Crowley onto the Strike Team to try to gain evidence to use on Vic. However, Vic is aware of Crowley's involvement due to his friendship with the Assistant Chief of Police Ben Gilroy; when the Strike Team is forced to shoot and kill Two-Time, a drug dealer, Vic and Detective Shane Vendrell use Two-Time's gun to murder Crowley (without informing team members Detective Curtis "Lem" Lemansky and Detective Ronnie Gardocki), making it look like Crowley was killed by Two-Time. Gilroy helps Vic to cover up the murder and stops Aceveda's investigation. Things come to a breaking point towards the end of the season when Gilroy's own ambitions threaten both Vic's and Aceveda's future.

Separately, rookie officer Julien Lowe learns the ropes from his training officer Danielle "Danny" Sofer, as well as tries to hide his homosexuality from the others. Julien witnesses the Strike Team smuggling a portion of a drug bust for their own personal wealth and reports this to Aceveda. When Aceveda starts investigating Julien's claims, Vic threatens to reveal Julien's homosexuality to the department. Julien backs out from his witness statement, leaving Aceveda with nothing to go on.

Detective Holland "Dutch" Wagenbach and Detective Claudette Wyms hunt a serial killer targeting prostitutes while dealing with their own problems in The Barn. Vic, separately, has to deal with the growing rift between him and his wife Corrine, and learning his son Matthew is autistic, and uses his illicit police activities to pay for special schooling for him. Due to Vic's behavior, Corrine takes the children and disappears, leaving a note to Vic to not to come find them.

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code	U.S. viewers (millions)
1	1	"Pilot"	Clark Johnson	Shawn Ryan	March 12, 2002 (2002-03-12)	5012-01-179	4.83^[1]
Eighteen months into the "Farmington Project", Detective Vic Mackey and his Strike Team prepare to take down a major drug dealer who has never before been caught with product. Meanwhile, following a homicide, Detectives Claudette Wyms and "Dutch" Wagenbach discover that a child is missing, sold to a pedophile by her drug-addicted father. Captain David Aceveda installs Detective Terry Crowley as a new member of the Strike Team in order to have an inside man to root out their corruption. The episode ends with Mackey taking the opportunity to kill Crowley during the high risk raid.
2	2	"Our Gang"	Gary Fleder	Shawn Ryan	March 19, 2002 (2002-03-19)	5012-01-101	4.01^[2]
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 Julien and Danny find a dying man being mugged, eventually linked to a Mexican gang.
3	3	"The Spread"	Clark Johnson	Glen Mazzara	March 26, 2002 (2002-03-26)	5012-01-103	3.34^[3]
It's Sweep-day on the Farm, with all outstanding warrants to be served. Mackey and the Strike Team move to take down an old foe, arresting a basketball star in the process, seeing a chance to affect sports history and make some money in the process.
4	4	"Dawg Days"	Stephen Gyllenhaal	Kevin Arkadie	April 2, 2002 (2002-04-02)	5012-01-102	2.63^[3]
A gunfight breaks out in a crowded club between two local rappers which could potentially start a gang war. To further complicate matters, one of Mackey's contacts was involved in the shootout. Mackey and the Strike Team try to prevent the conflict from escalating.
5	5	"Blowback"	Clark Johnson	Kurt Sutter	April 9, 2002 (2002-04-09)	5012-01-104	3.62^[3]
Aceveda insists that Mackey take uniformed cops in with them to bust an Armenian gang's drug delivery. After the bust, Margos Dezerian is caught among the Armenian gang and 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.
6	6	"Cherrypoppers"	D. J. Caruso	Scott Rosenbaum	April 16, 2002 (2002-04-16)	5012-01-105	3.49^[3]
When the body of a young hooker is found in the district, Dutch and Claudette get the full resources of the Barn for 24 hours and the help of the FBI to search for Dutch's serial killer. Meanwhile, The Strike Team busts an underage prostitution ring, and Capt. Aceveda continues to investigate Mackey.
7	7	"Pay in Pain"	D. J. Caruso	Shawn Ryan	April 23, 2002 (2002-04-23)	5012-01-106	2.90^[3]
When Mackey and Shane hook up with a cop from another precinct to investigate the shooting, Shane sets off an explosive confrontation with a suspect by making a racial slur; fortunately, Mackey defuses the situation. Dutch and Claudette search for a serial killer and bring in a psychic on a complaint from the son of one of her clients, and Aceveda calls internal affairs after getting Julien's affidavit.
8	8	"Cupid & Psycho"	Guy Ferland	Glen Mazzara	April 30, 2002 (2002-04-30)	5012-01-107	2.22^[3]
Allegations against the Strike Team are front-page news, and the team is broken up pending the investigation. Mackey threatens to reveal that Julien is gay if he won't recant his statement about the Strike Team. In the meantime, Mackey and Claudette find themselves following the trail of a batch of "cupid" meth, while Shane and Dutch try to get along on a case.
9	9	"Throwaway"	Leslie Libman	Kevin Arkadie	May 7, 2002 (2002-05-07)	5012-01-108	2.05^[3]
A planted gun in a truck-jacking case causes complications for the Strike Team, and now they're left to clean up their own mess. The rift between Julien and Danny deepens, causing Aceveda to intervene. Claudette deals with the mess of her family during a visit from her daughter.
10	10	"Dragonchasers"	Nick Gomez	Scott Rosenbaum & Kurt Sutter	May 14, 2002 (2002-05-14)	5012-01-109	2.58^[3]
Mackey helps Connie quit her crack addiction by going cold-turkey in her desperate attempt to keep her son, leaving Shane and Lem to investigate a strip-club mugging ring. Dutch follows his instincts on a serial killer case and Danny is bitten by an HIV-infected perpetrator. Aceveda is forced to face a ghost from his past.
11	11	"Carnivores"	Scott Brazil	Story by : James Manos, Jr. Teleplay by : Kevin Arkadie & Glen Mazzara	May 21, 2002 (2002-05-21)	5012-01-110	2.56^[3]
The Strike Team mediates a dispute between Rondell Robinson and the Nation of Islam while Dutch and Claudette investigate a brutal home invasion in the tight lipped Korean community. Aceveda revisits his past.
12	12	"Two Days of Blood"	Guy Ferland	Kurt Sutter & Scott Rosenbaum	May 28, 2002 (2002-05-28)	5012-01-111	3.08^[3]
While Mackey answers Assistant Chief Gilroy's call for help in covering up a hit and run before Dutch intuits the facts of the case, Shane and Lem follow the trail of a gunrunner with a penchant for cockfights. Aceveda turns to Claudette after a double homicide raises ire and fear within an ignored community.
13	13	"Circles"	Scott Brazil	Shawn Ryan	June 4, 2002 (2002-06-04)	5012-01-112	4.14^[4]
In the aftermath of a riot, cops are being lured into ambush shootings by a rash of bogus 911 calls. Mackey and Captain Aceveda must work together to stop these attacks and solve the problems in The Grove, while Assistant Chief Gilroy tries to pit the two against each other to save his own job.

Season 2 (2003)

The Barn discovers that the Mexican drug gangs in Farmington are uniting under a new drug lord, Armadillo Quintero who is able to evade arrest due to lack of evidence and willing witnesses. Privately, the Strike Team learns that Armadillo has knowledge of some of their illicit activities and fear he will rat them out if he is taken to prison. They attempt to coerce Armadillo to return to Mexico by threatening to green light Armadillo's brother but Armadillo responds by having his brother murdered. Vic eventually loses his cool and burns half of Armadillo's face on a stove burner only to have Armadillo do the same to Gardocki and use his new leverage against the Strike Team.

With the fallout of Gilroy's arrest The Barn, Aceveda, and Vic all find themselves under scrutiny of an independent auditor who is determined to find any corruption in The Barn. As Vic and Aceveda struggle to stay one step ahead their tactics draw the ire of Claudette who is determined to arrest Armadillo after he rapes a young girl. Claudette, initially reluctant to take a leadership role, eventually agrees to take over as The Barn's Captain after realizing she can't stay neutral any more.

Meanwhile, Danny fatally shoots a Muslim man who threatened her during a confrontation and Julien is unable to back her story. The widow threatens to sue the department and begins to create problems for Danny both professionally and personally. Shane and Lem convince a small-time criminal to kill Armadillo by passing him a knife after he is arrested and put into the cage by Danny. Separately, Vic has a private investigator search for Corrine and his kids, and eventually finds her seemingly preparing to file for divorce. He moves out of his home and preemptively files for divorce first as to have a better chance of retaining his parenting rights, but this only serves to widen the distance between them.

As the Armadillo case is resolved, the Strike Team learn that the Armenian Mob have a "money train" that passes through Farmington every so often, a means for the mob to launder their illegal funds into untraceable cash. The Strike Team privately plans to rob the money train, knowing that they would be set financially should they succeed. The season ends with the successful execution of the money train heist, Danny being fired, and Aceveda winning the primary.^[5]

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code	U.S. viewers (millions)
14	1	"The Quick Fix"	Scott Brazil	Shawn Ryan & Glen Mazzara	January 7, 2003 (2003-01-07)	5012-02-201	4.43^[3]
While Mackey searches for his wife and children, the Strike Team allow more drugs into Farmington through a corrupt connection. But when their latest shipment turns bad, they head to Tijuana to uncover the person behind their tainted cocaine. Dutch and Claudette try to track down the man responsible for fire necklacing the captains of two separate gangs.
15	2	"Dead Soldiers"	John Badham	Kurt Sutter	January 14, 2003 (2003-01-14)	5012-02-202	3.16^[3]
As Mackey gets closer to finding his family, the Strike Team focuses their attention to Armadillo after he burns down Tio's HQ. Mackey must now prevent Claudette from finding out the truth about his connection to Tio and his men. Dutch is followed around by the new civilian auditor to solve a meter-maid murder, and Danny and Julien try to clear up issues between feuding neighbors.
16	3	"Partners"	Guy Ferland	Scott Rosenbaum	January 21, 2003 (2003-01-21)	5012-02-203	3.76^[3]
Still fuming from the death of Tio and his brawl with Armadillo, Mackey takes a day off and leaves the Strike Team with Aceveda, only to end up helping an old partner bust the man who helped him lose his job. Dutch and Claudette search to find the people behind the torture and mutilation of a woman who may still be alive, and Julien fails to back up Danny's side of the story from her shooting.
17	4	"Carte Blanche"	Peter Horton	Reed Steiner	January 28, 2003 (2003-01-28)	5012-02-204	3.12^[3]
Now that Mackey is back to work, he and Shane go undercover as dirty cops to find the man behind a robbery/murder. Dutch and Claudette track down an old rival of Claudette after a turned in gun is connected to a previous case. In an attempt to get the Asian vote in the election, Aceveda assigns Julien and Danny to watch over a Korean parish.
18	5	"Greenlit"	Terrence O'Hara	Kim Clements	February 4, 2003 (2003-02-04)	5012-02-205	3.00^[3]
Aceveda works with Mackey and the Strike Team to take down a dealer giving heroin to school kids, while Dutch and Claudette help a woman find her Alzheimer-addled mother.
19	6	"Homewrecker"	Scott Brazil	Shawn Ryan & Glen Mazzara	February 11, 2003 (2003-02-11)	5012-02-206	2.92^[3]
Detectives Dutch, Mackey and Claudette investigate a massacre at a women's shelter, and Captain Aceveda works with Julien on the case of a stolen bicycle.
20	7	"Barnstormers"	Scott Winant	Scott Rosenbaum	February 18, 2003 (2003-02-18)	5012-02-207	2.79^[3]
Mackey and Emma try to help a woman in an abusive relationship. Mackey and the Strike Team begin to make plans for the Money Train take down, even though the greenlight still has them on their toes. When Aceveda tells Dutch that he embarrassed the department with the Bob & Marcy case and that Claudette is now lead on all their cases, he's forced to take any action necessary to prove himself in a new homicide. Danny finally makes a stand against Yassirah.
21	8	"Scar Tissue"	Paris Barclay	Kurt Sutter	February 25, 2003 (2003-02-25)	5012-02-208	3.25^[3]
When Mackey discovers that Gardocki has been burned as payback, the rest of the team does everything they can to put an end to Armadillo. Claudette makes headway on her investigation against Mackey after a conversation with Corrine, and Dutch takes Danny under his wing as they try to find the suspect of a Thai Town beating.
22	9	"Co-Pilot"	Peter Horton	Shawn Ryan & Glen Mazzara	March 4, 2003 (2003-03-04)	5012-02-209	3.03^[3]
Flashback to the first day of the Barn. Under pressure to get results, Mackey and his new Strike Team make an impression on the streets. Dutch and Claudette realize they make a good team, and Aceveda discovers he doesn't have as much power as he thought that he would.
23	10	"Coyotes"	Davis Guggenheim	Reed Steiner	March 11, 2003 (2003-03-11)	5012-02-210	3.20^[3]
When Lanie's report on the Barn is leaked to the press, everyone suddenly fears for their jobs, including Aceveda, mentioned as the reason for most of the problems. Mackey and Shane deal with a bail-skipping Gilroy while Lem shows the newest member of the Strike Team the ropes. Claudette faces some of her own demons as she and Dutch try to uncover the culprit behind a possible robbery/homicide and Danny comes to a startling realization.
24	11	"Inferno"	Brad Anderson	Story by : James Manos, Jr. & Kim Clements Teleplay by : Kim Clements	March 18, 2003 (2003-03-18)	5012-02-211	3.30^[3]
His face healed, Gardocki comes up with a plan to take down the Money Train. A federal criminal comes back to Farmington, and the Team tries to use every connection trick and resource to bring him in to prove the Barn is still powerful. Dutch and Claudette investigate the rape of a young girl which leads to information that puts the case in a new light. Plus, an old friend from the past reappears to make Julien's life hell.
25	12	"Breakpoint"	Félix Alcalá	Glen Mazzara	March 25, 2003 (2003-03-25)	5012-02-212	3.22^[3]
While the Strike Team puts the finishing touches on the money train take down, Mackey works with Dutch and Claudette to find a missing child. Aceveda gets an unwanted visit from the Chief, and Julien receives an unpleasant surprise.
26	13	"Dominoes Falling"	Scott Brazil	Shawn Ryan	April 1, 2003 (2003-04-01)	5012-02-213	3.67^[3]
When a gang execution hits close to home for Claudette, Mackey, Garris, and Dutch work together to find the culprit before anyone else gets hurt. Shane, Lem, and Gardocki are forced to choose between hitting the Money Train without Mackey or letting it go. Danny receives some life changing news and Julien's harassment reaches a whole new level.

Season 3 (2004)

In the aftermath of the money train heist the Strike Team resolves to lay low and avoid any controversy but quickly find themselves marginalized and lacking vital information. When some of the money from the heist is revealed to be marked for a federal case the team struggles to stay ahead of Dutch who begins to gradually suspect Vic. The Armenian mob sends Margos Dezerian, previously seen in season one, to find the money and kill anyone with anyone involved. As Margos and the investigation closes in on the Strike Team, Lem burns a majority of the money in a desperate attempt to protect the team ultimately leading to a confrontation which causes the Strike Team to split up in the season finale.

Claudette is promised a promotion to captain and maintains a supervising role throughout the season while Aceveda prepares to move on to the city council. Near the end of the season, a public defender is shot, and the ensuing investigation leads Claudette and Dutch to discover that the victim had been a heavy drug user for the past three years. Claudette, determined to ensure justice, explores further and becomes very unpopular with the D.A. and around the Barn because she reopens (against orders) the defender's lost cases. This results in her being denied the promotion to Captain of the Farmington District.

Shane begins a serious relationship with Mara and eventually proposes to her when they find out she is pregnant. Mara encourages Shane to be more independent from Vic even after discovering the money from the heist. The conflict between Vic and Shane becomes personal by the end of the season leaving a deep rift between the two.

Dutch opens a case of a serial rapist and finds himself becoming more obsessed than usual without Claudette's backing. Julien, after suffering a beating during the season 2 finale has toughened considerably leading Claudette feeling alarmed that he may wash out. Danny makes a deal with Aceveda to be reinstated provided to provide him any pertinent information about other officers.^[6]

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code	U.S. viewers (millions)
27	1	"Playing Tight"	Clark Johnson	Shawn Ryan & Kurt Sutter	March 9, 2004 (2004-03-09)	5012-03-301	2.82^[3]
The Strike Team's attempt to play by the book comes to an abrupt end when they discover that two gangs, the Byz Latz and the One-Niners, are attempting to alter the balance of power by acquiring MP5 submachineguns. Claudette and Dutch investigate the murders and feet amputations of four Armenian men by Armenian mobsters searching for the stolen cash from the money train. Meanwhile, Danny, who is doing temp work at a high school while waiting for an appeal, discovers that she might be able to get her old job back.
28	2	"Blood and Water"	Clark Johnson	Charles H. Eglee & Kim Clements	March 16, 2004 (2004-03-16)	5012-03-302	2.66^[3]
Tension within the group begins to mount as the Strike Team attempts to rectify a mistake Vic made, when he decided to use some of the cash from the stolen money train during a botched gun-running sting. Meanwhile, Dutch and Claudette seek the help of a college honor student named Esteban, the only survivor in the murder of two Latino gang members, one of them his close friend.
29	3	"Bottom Bitch"	Scott Brazil	Scott Rosenbaum & Adam E. Fierro	March 23, 2004 (2004-03-23)	5012-03-303	3.32^[3]
A prostitute seeks the help of the police in her quest to bring down her pimp. Claudette assigns Vic to the case against his wishes, which puts him on the verge of going over the edge. Dutch uncovers a disturbing trend of rapes, and a politician is arrested for solicitation.
30	4	"Streaks and Tips"	Scott Brazil	Glen Mazzara	March 30, 2004 (2004-03-30)	5012-03-304	2.64^[3]
The newly arrived Decoy Squad and the Strike Team go head to head in the investigation to solve a car-jacking case. Dutch gets in over his head on an attempted murder case.
31	5	"Mum"	Nick Gomez	Kurt Sutter & Shawn Ryan	April 6, 2004 (2004-04-06)	5012-03-305	2.40^[3]
Vic struggles with Claudette's new supervision of the Strike Team. Marked bills lead Aceveda and a federal agent closer to the truth about the Armenian money-train heist, in an episode with a recurring motif of people not reporting crimes against them. In the episode Aceveda is held at gunpoint by two thugs and forced to perform oral sex on one of them.
32	6	"Posse Up"	Félix Alcalá	Kim Clements & Charles H. Eglee	April 13, 2004 (2004-04-13)	5012-03-306	2.59^[3]
When the ex-wife and child of Julien's former partner Tommy, are murdered, Tommy becomes a suspect, prompting Julien to team up with Mackey to conduct their own investigation. Elsewhere, Shane goes undercover to catch a group attacking gay prostitutes, and Claudette and Dutch investigate a rape case against Aceveda's orders.
33	7	"Safe"	Peter Horton	Adam E. Fierro	April 20, 2004 (2004-04-20)	5012-03-307	2.61^[3]
Vic and the Strike Team decide to take risky measures to protect themselves from being linked to the Money Train heist. Unfortunately, their plan is interrupted when one of Vic's open cases is suddenly linked to a narcocorrido song.
34	8	"Cracking Ice"	Guy Ferland	Charles H. Eglee & Diego Gutierrez	April 27, 2004 (2004-04-27)	5012-03-308	2.22^[3]
An oversight puts Waylon and Trish in serious danger during an undercover job and Claudette is to blame. Meanwhile, Tommy makes a drastic decision when he realizes nobody in the Barn can help him get back on the job.
35	9	"Slipknot"	Michael Chiklis	Kurt Sutter	May 4, 2004 (2004-05-04)	5012-03-309	2.53^[3]
When two high-profile murders are linked to each other, Aceveda orders Claudette to get the entire Barn involved before gang and racial violence breaks out. Mackey uses the case to leverage himself and the Strike Team back into the streets of Farmington.
36	10	"What Power Is..."	Dean White	Kim Clements	May 11, 2004 (2004-05-11)	5012-03-310	2.36^[3]
Aceveda finds himself in a near-fatal confrontation, and enlists Vic to help him take down the suspects in order to help service his own personal agenda. Meanwhile, after losing her position of power, Claudette rejoins Dutch on the search for the cuddler rapist as they get a stunning break in the case.
37	11	"Strays"	David Mamet	Glen Mazzara	May 18, 2004 (2004-05-18)	5012-03-311	2.27^[3]
During a routine bust on bangers, Vic and the Team discover a money laundering ring that reaches far and wide in the crime community. Meanwhile, Dutch takes the chilling confession of the man who was arrested in the serial-rape case, and Danny goes undercover.
38	12	"Riceburner"	Scott Brazil	Adam E. Fierro & Scott Rosenbaum	May 25, 2004 (2004-05-25)	5012-03-312	2.52^[3]
When Aceveda assigns the Strike Team to serve a high-risk warrant against a mob killer to service his political agenda, they find themselves embroiled in a hostile struggle with the Korean community. Now the Team must find out how to put an end to the situation before they end up casualties of a racial feud. Meanwhile, one of Vic's informants works with Danny on finding stolen chairs, while having eyes for her.
39	13	"Fire in the Hole"	Guy Ferland	Kurt Sutter & Charles H. Eglee	June 1, 2004 (2004-06-01)	5012-03-313	2.28^[3]
When a mole in the treasury department is discovered and the framed suspect in the Armenian money train robbery turns up missing, the Strike team race to find the suspect before their cover is blown. Meanwhile, Claudette attempts to make amends with the Decoy Squad by going undercover to help them on a case.
40	14	"All In"	Stephen Kay	Scott Rosenbaum	June 8, 2004 (2004-06-08)	5012-03-314	2.42^[3]
With the Armenian hitman, Margos Dezerian, hot on their trail, the Strike team sweeps the streets of the Armenian community to find him before he finds them. After catching a break, Aceveda's suspicions grow about the Strike Team's involvement with the Money Train robbery. Meanwhile, Dutch and Claudette investigate a case that could repeal hundreds of convictions, which leaves Claudette having to choose between her conscience and her career.
41	15	"On Tilt"	Scott Brazil	Shawn Ryan & Glen Mazzara	June 15, 2004 (2004-06-15)	5012-03-315	2.10^[3]
When Aceveda confirms that the Strike Team is the target of an Armenian mob hitman, Margos Dezerian, Mackey must take matters into his own hands. Meanwhile, Claudette's career is on the line when she disobeys Aceveda's orders to put a case to rest that may prove the innocence of convicted felons.

Season 4 (2005)

Monica Rawling (Glenn Close) takes over the role as Farmington's new captain, who implements controversial federal asset forfeiture laws to seize any property tied to drug dealing, using the money to fund the department and give back to the community. The season deals with the fallout from the Strike Team's disbandment. Shane Vendrell, with new partner Armando "Army" Renta (Michael Peña), enters into a dangerous situation when trying to control major drug lord Antwon Mitchell (Anthony Anderson), and seemingly accepts an order to kill Vic Mackey. The police are outraged after two officers are kidnapped and subsequently found murdered. In the end, the Strike Team is re-formed and manages to put Antwon in prison. The season also deals with the controversial asset-forfeiture policies of the new captain; Julien Lowe's opposition to these policies; and City Councilman David Aceveda's dealing with the psychological aftermath of his sexual assault incident from the previous season. The season concludes with Capt. Rawling's losing her job over a dispute with the DEA.

Other plots involve Claudette and Dutch's marginalization as detectives, because of Claudette's refusal to apologize to the DA for reopening the cases of a public defender discovered to have been a functioning drug addict. Claudette's moral stand results in many of the prosecutors' cases being overturned. This costs Claudette her shot at becoming the Farmington Captain. Dutch attempts to resolve the situation by making a back-room deal with the DA to "keep Claudette in line" and do favors for the office in return for breaking back into action. Ultimately, this causes a rift between Claudette and Dutch, in which Dutch confronts Claudette after she rebukes him for making the deal.^[7][8]

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code	U.S. viewers (millions)
42	1	"The Cure"	Scott Brazil	Glen Mazzara	March 15, 2005 (2005-03-15)	5012-04-401	3.93^[9]
Vic is no longer the cop he used to be, acting adrift after his past actions have caught up to him. The Strike Team has dissolved, leaving Mackey to menial busts that keep him off the streets. When Aceveda moves on to his new City Council position, Captain Monica Rawling takes over the Barn and empowers Vic to implement her controversial anti-gang policies.
43	2	"Grave"	Paris Barclay	Kurt Sutter	March 22, 2005 (2005-03-22)	5012-04-402	3.25^[3]
Mackey tries to help an old acquaintance find a wayward teenager, but the search quickly turns ugly when the missing teen appears to have been involved in a shoot-out. Meanwhile, Shane heads out into the field with his new partner Army, teaching him shady police tactics and seeing how far he'll go to be partnered up. Plus, Aceveda spends his last day trying to bury Vic for good, which makes things difficult for Rawling trying to take his place.
44	3	"Bang"	Guy Ferland	Scott Rosenbaum	March 29, 2005 (2005-03-29)	5012-04-403	2.87^[3]
With Farmington on the brink of a gang war, Monica and Vic race to find the catalyst and stop the bloodshed, enlisting Antwon's help along the way. Still in the doghouse, Dutch decides to take action in thawing the relationship between Claudette and the D.A. Danny and Julien get up close and personal with the Farmington 1-Niners, while Monica looks to Vic for support when the implementation of her property seizure policy challenges her morality.
45	4	"Doghouse"	Dean White	Adam E. Fierro	April 5, 2005 (2005-04-05)	5012-04-404	3.08^[3]
When Monica puts Vic on the trail of an escaped fugitive in Farmington, he must continue to prove his worth while playing it straight. Claudette gets suspicious of the D.A's motives when she and Dutch are assigned to investigate a major drug dealer who ends up being a minor offender. David seeks an illicit outlet for the troubling feelings caused by his rape. Vic decides to bring Shane closer as his fears about Shane's connection to Antwon Mitchell rise.
46	5	"Tar Baby"	Guy Ferland	Charles H. Eglee	April 12, 2005 (2005-04-12)	5012-04-405	2.95^[10]
A tip from Lem's juvie leads Vic and Monica to take down a major heroin operation with connections to Antwon Mitchell. Monica continues to battle Aceveda as she tries to sell her new policies to the community, and Julien begins to doubt her methods. Claudette loses trust in Dutch when she suspects he made a backroom deal with the D.A. And Shane and Army find themselves in over their heads with Antwon when he blames them for Vic's heroin bust.
47	6	"Insurgents"	Vondie Curtis-Hall	Elizabeth Craft & Sarah Fain	April 19, 2005 (2005-04-19)	5012-04-406	3.41^[3]
Vic and Monica strike a deal with the DEA to shut down Mitchell's tar heroin operation. When the bust comes up empty, Vic's suspicions of Shane grow, until Shane proves himself by coming up with a key piece of evidence that reveals a large stash of tar being stored at a local church. Meanwhile, Dutch and Claudette's friendship continues to feel strain as they try to tie a young woman's murder to a suspected serial killer. Plus, Julien takes a stand against Monica's policy, then goes to David for support when she suggests he consider transferring out of Farmington.
48	7	"Hurt"	Nick Gomez	Scott Rosenbaum & Lia L. Langworthy	April 26, 2005 (2005-04-26)	5012-04-407	3.07^[3]
Just as Monica and Vic get close to a big break in the Garage Sting, Chief Phillips unexpectedly hands over the bust to the Organized Crime Unit. He blames the decision on an emerging PR scandal involving a videotape of Vic at the church bust that was leaked to the Assistant Chief through Aceveda's office. Vic uses his leverage with the Byz Lats to find a Russian mob leader before the mobster flees the country. Monica threatens two foster care social workers with jail after a young girl is found close to death in her foster home, then tells Julien if he doesn't put in for a transfer, she'll request one for him herself.
49	8	"Cut Throat"	Dean White	Story by : Randy Huggins & Glen Mazzara Teleplay by : Jennifer R. Richmond & Glen Mazzara	May 3, 2005 (2005-05-03)	5012-04-408	3.22^[11]
Monica and Vic rush to get their informants off the street after two C.I's are found brutally murdered. Meanwhile, as Dutch and Claudette investigate a brutal beating and robbery, a case from the past forces Dutch to take one in the line of duty. Plus, Vic suspects he's being set up when Shane comes to him after his situation with Antwon and Halpern spins out of control.
50	9	"String Theory"	Philip G. Atwell	Charles H. Eglee & Shawn Ryan	May 17, 2005 (2005-05-17)	5012-04-409	3.21^[3]
Monica orders her units to turn the streets of Farmington inside-out when two officers mysteriously disappear after answering a 911 call. Shane tries to make amends with his old crew after Vic agrees to help him get out from under Antwon, but things don't work out as planned. Dutch and Claudette convince Monica to let them take active roles in the case of the missing officers, but soon find themselves at a dead end with the only witness being clinically insane.
51	10	"Back in the Hole"	Scott Brazil	Story by : Shawn Ryan Teleplay by : Elizabeth Craft & Sarah Fain	May 24, 2005 (2005-05-24)	5012-04-410	3.33^[3]
Vic and Shane confront Captain Rawling about the hidden videotape and information about Antwon and Angie's body. Monica forces them to take a polygraph. Aceveda goes overboard with the hooker and realizes he's not "a good man" for doing so. He ends the relationship.
52	11	"A Thousand Deaths"	Stephen Kay	Story by : Shawn Ryan Teleplay by : Adam E. Fierro	May 31, 2005 (2005-05-31)	5012-04-411	3.04^[3]
Vic and the Strike Team use their leverage on the One-Niners to track down anyone involved with the cop killings. Their hunt leads them down an unexpected path with the Russian mob. Monica puts pressure on the team to come clean about any of their dealings with Antwon. Dutch and Claudette investigate a gang shooting and soon realize their key witness is close to the Barn, and has something to hide.
53	12	"Judas Priest"	David Von Ancken	Story by : Kurt Sutter & Charles H. Eglee Teleplay by : Kurt Sutter & Scott Rosenbaum	June 7, 2005 (2005-06-07)	5012-04-412	2.66^[3]
Vic tracks down the Russian involved in the cop-killers but an accidental explosion kills him. Vic discovers Antwon had a half-brother and his involvement with the murdered cops. Aceveda is blackmailed by the man who raped him. Antwon cuts a deal with DEA.
54	13	"Ain't That a Shame"	Stephen Kay	Story by : Shawn Ryan & Kurt Sutter Teleplay by : Shawn Ryan & Glen Mazzara	June 14, 2005 (2005-06-14)	5012-04-413	3.19^[3]
Enraged by the prospect of Antwon Mitchell's release from prison, Monica Rawling decides to go behind the DEA's back. She asks the Strike Team to find and arrest the Salvadoran drug lord Mitchell is to provide information about before the DEA does. The Strike Team is successful but Monica loses her job after an angry DEA chief threatens to cut off federal funding from Los Angeles unless she is fired. Rawling stays at the Barn just long enough to arrest Mitchell upon his arrival. Danny goes home from the hospital and is tended to by Julien. The Internal Affairs detective that Rawling called reports to her and informs her that they discovered the packet of heroin in Lem's car and switched it for a fake.

Season 5 (2006)

The season revolves around Internal Affairs Division Lt. Jon Kavanaugh's (Forest Whitaker) investigation of the Strike Team and one of the greatest threats the team has ever faced. As a result of Kavanaugh's turning one of Mackey's informants, IAD became aware of Lem's heroin theft and failure to report during the Antwon Mitchell investigation. Finding the heroin gave IAD sufficient evidence to arrest Lem, but Kavanaugh informs him about his theory of Terry Crowley's death and has Lem wear a wire to get evidence on the Strike Team. Lem is able to warn Mackey he is wired and Mackey uses it to embarrass IAD. Kavanaugh, applying pressure to the team in any way he can, finds out about Mackey's share of the money train haul. After Mackey sleeps with Kavanaugh's wife for further humiliation Kavanaugh arrests Lem and makes a deal with Mitchell. Mackey supports Lem and gets bail, while Shane worries Lem will give evidence against the team. The season concludes with Shane, fooled by Aceveda into believing Lem was going to turn on the Strike Team, murdering his friend and fellow team member with a hand grenade.

Other plots include Dutch discovering Claudette has a chronic illness; Claudette's physical breaking point getting a killer from the past to confess; Steve Billings as the interim "jellyfish yes-man" Captain of the Barn; Danny dealing with pregnancy and refusing to divulge the father's name; Julien training Tina, a pretty but inept rookie officer who Dutch has a crush on; and Claudette finally getting her opportunity for promotion to captain of the Barn, which she accepts on the sole condition that she gets to run the Barn her way.^[12][13]

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code	U.S. viewers (millions)
55	1	"Extraction"	D. J. Caruso	Kurt Sutter	January 10, 2006 (2006-01-10)	5012-05-501	3.42^[14]
Dutch and Claudette investigate a riot at a high school that stemmed from racial tensions. Lem gets an unexpected visit from Internal Affairs Lt. Jon Kavanaugh. Julien tries out his new role as training officer for rookie Tina Hanlon, and Danny refuses to disclose the father of her baby.
56	2	"Enemy of Good"	Guy Ferland	Charles H. Eglee & Adam E. Fierro	January 17, 2006 (2006-01-17)	5012-05-502	2.81^[3]
Lem is interrogated by Kavanaugh and Aceveda about the Strike Team's corrupt past. The Strike Team investigates multiple homicides and an extortion scam, and Dutch and Claudette investigate a preacher for attempted murder. Hanlon causes problems for Julien and Danny.
57	3	"Jailbait"	Stephen Kay	Scott Rosenbaum & Glen Mazzara	January 24, 2006 (2006-01-24)	5012-05-503	2.85^[3]
The Strike Team figures out their next step concerning Internal Affairs' investigation into Lem; they send Hanlon undercover to help take down a sex-trafficking operation. Dutch feels betrayed by Claudette when she re-opens one of his cases, and Mackey comes face-to-face with Kavanaugh.
58	4	"Tapa Boca"	Guy Ferland	Elizabeth Craft & Sarah Fain	January 31, 2006 (2006-01-31)	5012-05-504	2.61^[3]
Becca Doyle contemplates whether or not to represent the Strike Team in court, Mackey questions Emolia's loyalty. Dutch and Claudette investigate a case of road rage that escalated to a double homicide. Hanlon's continuing mistakes create friction between her and Julien, and Corrine has a confrontation with Kavanaugh.
59	5	"Trophy"	Philip G. Atwell	Kurt Sutter and Renee Palyo & Tony Soltis	February 7, 2006 (2006-02-07)	5012-05-505	2.45^[3]
Kavanaugh bugs the Strike Team's clubhouse in an effort to get his stalled investigation back on track, as Mackey and the Strike Team investigate an illegal prescription drug ring. Dutch senses that Claudette is not being honest with him as they work a missing person's case.
60	6	"Rap Payback"	Michael Chiklis	Charles H. Eglee & Ted Griffin	February 14, 2006 (2006-02-14)	5012-05-506	2.43^[15]
The walls close in on Mackey when Kavanaugh sets up office in the Barn. An elusive serial killer re-enters Dutch and Claudette's lives, and Hanlon's discovery of Julien's homosexual past adds a new level of tension to their relationship.
61	7	"Man Inside"	Dean White	Adam E. Fierro & Emily Lewis	February 21, 2006 (2006-02-21)	5012-05-507	2.44^[3]
The Strike Team's solidarity begins to crack as Kavanaugh has Gardocki interrogated and he struggles to discover how Mackey got $65,000 that he gave to Corrine. The Strike Team investigates the murder of a drug dealer’s girlfriend and her daughter. Claudette's grueling effort to break Kleavon Gardner takes a toll on her health.
62	8	"Kavanaugh"	D. J. Caruso	Shawn Ryan & Scott Rosenbaum	February 28, 2006 (2006-02-28)	5012-05-508	2.31^[3]
As Kavanaugh deals with the emotional circumstances surrounding the return of his ex-wife, he forges an unlikely alliance with Antwon Mitchell in his obsession to take down the Strike Team. Emoila, sent by Mackey, infiltrates a Salvadoran gang that has been stockpiling grenades. Kavanaugh takes a private moment with his mentally-ill wife in one of the interrogation rooms, realizing too late the whole emotional scene was in full view of the camera. Watchers Vic and Lem run from the recording room, but Kavanaugh sees them and furiously orders the immediate arrest of Lem. Lem's badge and gun are taken. Julien handcuffs him and takes him to the cage. Kavanaugh later visits Antwon Mitchell in Prison and agrees on a deal.
63	9	"Smoked"	Dean White	Sarah Fain & Elizabeth Craft & Glen Mazzara	March 7, 2006 (2006-03-07)	5012-05-509	2.78^[3]
With their finances frozen by Kavanaugh, the Strike Team is forced to find another way to make bail for Lem. Hanlon's future at The Barn is in doubt when she jeopardizes the safety of an undercover detective, and Corrine decides to confront Danny about her baby's paternity.
64	10	"Of Mice and Lem"	Gwyneth Horder-Payton	Charles H. Eglee & Kurt Sutter	March 14, 2006 (2006-03-14)	5012-05-510	2.56^[3]
Mackey strikes a deal with Antwon Mitchell that will guarantee Lem's safety in prison as Lem prepares to plead guilty. The deal unexpectedly goes awry, and Mackey takes drastic measures to protect Lem. A betrayal and uncontrollable circumstances threaten to damage Dutch and Claudette's longstanding friendship.
65	11	"Postpartum"	Stephen Kay	Adam E. Fierro & Shawn Ryan	March 21, 2006 (2006-03-21)	5012-05-511	3.22^[3]
Mackey arranges to get Lem out of the country to a new life in Mexico. Aceveda and Kavanaugh join forces to nail Mackey for harboring a fugitive. Dutch files for a transfer, and Danny decides to inform her baby's father of his new child. Shane takes extreme steps to stop the investigation.

"Wins and Losses"

This 15-minute mini-episode was produced between the fifth and sixth seasons, and initially released to various websites in February 2007 as a promotion for season six.^[16] It was later made available on the Season 5 DVD set.

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	"Wins and Losses"	Kurt Sutter	Elizabeth A. Hansen & Lisa Randolph	February 15, 2007 (2007-02-15)
After the funeral of Curtis Lemansky, Vic begins a personal investigation into his murder, attempting to get ahead of Dutch's official investigation. This is interspersed with flashbacks to a day two years prior, when Lem was the Barn's entrant in an annual inter-department arm wrestling competition.

Season 6 (2007)

Continuing directly after season 5, Mackey and the Strike Team are distraught over Lem's death. Kavanaugh refuses to let the case die and resorts to Mackey's tactics of planting evidence and coercing witnesses to lie about the Strike Team, especially Mackey. Dutch and Claudette begin to suspect Kavanaugh's integrity. Kavanaugh finally confesses to his actions and finds himself under arrest.

The first half of the season deals with Mackey and Gardocki hunting and killing Guardo Lima, the Barn's main suspect in the murder of Lem. Shane, overcome by guilt, becomes reckless and suicidal and enters into an affair with a teenager associated with the new One-Niner boss. The last half of the season concludes with the breakdown of Mackey and Shane's friendship, as Shane admits having killed Lem. Shane threatens Mackey and Gardocki with revealing their illegal exploits should Mackey attempt to arrest him for Lem's killing. Shane tries to get protection with the Armenians and reveals Mackey was the ringleader behind the money train robbery putting Mackey's family in danger.

Mackey learns from Claudette that the Chief plans to force him into early retirement. After a bloody mass murder, Claudette learns the Barn could be shut down if no improvements are made by the time quarterly crime statistics are released. Julien joins the Strike Team under the leadership of a new and ineffective leader. Aceveda finds a new backer for his mayoral campaign but soon learns he might be in over his head. Dutch's relationship with Tina becomes complicated following meddling by Billings. In the final minutes of the season's last episode, Aceveda and Mackey agree to work together to take down Aceveda's new backers.

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code	U.S. viewers (millions)
66	1	"On the Jones"	Michael Fields	Kurt Sutter	April 3, 2007 (2007-04-03)	5012-05-512	2.08^[17]
With the Barn grieving over the loss of one of their own, Vic's quest to find his friend's killer puts him in the crosshairs of Kavanaugh. Things don't seem to go smoothly for Claudette when she attempts to settle into her new role as captain. Ronnie and Vic begin to worry about Shane's unusual behavior. Meanwhile, Dutch and Billings investigate a mass murder in San Marcos.
67	2	"Baptism by Fire"	Guy Ferland	Scott Rosenbaum	April 10, 2007 (2007-04-10)	5012-05-513	2.35^[18]
As Kavanaugh closes in on him, Vic resorts to some extreme measures in order to find his best friend's killer. Claudette finds herself under the political microscope as a result of the San Marcos murders. Meanwhile, Danny receives some interesting news.
68	3	"Back to One"	Gwyneth Horder-Payton	Adam E. Fierro	April 17, 2007 (2007-04-17)	5012-05-514	1.95^[19]
Vic receives bad news about his career as he comes close to apprehending Lem's suspected killer, while the secret Shane is keeping continues to eat away at him. Ronnie works with Dutch and Billings on a case. Meanwhile, Dutch finds himself in an awkward predicament with Tina.
69	4	"The New Guy"	Clark Johnson	Sarah Fain & Elizabeth Craft	April 24, 2007 (2007-04-24)	5012-05-515	1.97^[20]
Claudette offers Vic a chance to keep his job; an unsolved case from Dutch and Claudette's past comes back to haunt them; an influential businessman may further Aceveda's political aspirations.
70	5	"Haunts"	Michael Chiklis	Glen Mazzara & Charles H. Eglee	May 1, 2007 (2007-05-01)	5012-05-516	2.15^[21]
In a rush to avenge Lem's murder, Vic discovers he may have killed the wrong man; Billings helps Dutch makes headway in the serial-rapist case; Mara is furious when she discovers Shane's affair, so he confesses to murdering Lem.
71	6	"Chasing Ghosts"	Frank Darabont	Shawn Ryan & Adam E. Fierro	May 8, 2007 (2007-05-08)	5012-05-517	1.87^[22]
Vic and Ronnie develop suspicions about Shane when they realize he does not want to find Lem's real killer after Vic finds out it wasn't Guardo.
72	7	"Exiled"	Dean White	Scott Rosenbaum & Kurt Sutter	May 15, 2007 (2007-05-15)	5012-05-518	1.90^[23]
Shane tries to get the upper strategic hand on Vic; the Strike Team works with and tries to keep the cover of an undercover agent when trying to find a perp.
73	8	"The Math of the Wrath"	Rohn Schmidt	Charles H. Eglee	May 22, 2007 (2007-05-22)	5012-05-519	1.47^[24]
Vic learns about his true status at the Barn from Hiatt. Shane gets involved with the daughter of an Armenian mob boss. Claudette begins to question Hiatt's loyalty.
74	9	"Recoil"	Guy Ferland	Sarah Fain & Elizabeth Craft & Adam E. Fierro	May 29, 2007 (2007-05-29)	5012-05-520	1.74^[25]
Vic's time at the Barn seems to be running out, despite his work to help close the San Marcos murders. Billings' manipulations bring the tension between him and Dutch to a boil.
75	10	"Spanish Practices"	Paris Barclay	Shawn Ryan & Scott Rosenbaum	June 5, 2007 (2007-06-05)	5012-05-521	2.06^[26]
Claudette notices Hiatt's mistake when he makes an arrest, and Billings delivers shocking news to the department. Vic forms an alliance with Aceveda, while he waits for his review board hearing. Meanwhile, Shane's life keeps spiraling out of control, as he tries to protect both his and Vic's family from the wrath of the Armenian mob.

Season 7 (2008)

Mackey and Aceveda agree to work together to stop Cruz Pezuela, a developer acting as a front man for a Mexican cartel and a major backer of Aceveda’s mayoral ambitions. Vic spins it into a gang war between the Mexicans and Armenians as a way to protect himself and his family after Shane outed him to the Armenians as the man who robbed their money laundering operation. As the gang war spins out of control, Vic begins to cozy up to ICE Agent Olivia Murray as a way to bring more weight down on the cartel and to secure an ICE position for himself and Ronnie, along with complete immunity for their past crimes.

Shane, despite holding his written confession as leverage over Vic and Ronnie, agrees to help stop the Armenian threat in order to protect his own family. At an arranged meeting between the Mexicans and Armenians, Vic and Ronnie tamper with Shane’s sidearm in an attempt to get him killed in revenge for Lem’s death. Shane escapes and hires a small-time enforcer to perform simultaneous hits on Vic and Ronnie. The attempt fails, forcing Shane to go on the run with Mara and Jackson and forcing Vic to give up his badge in order to catch and kill Shane and Mara. Mara uses Shane's leverage against Mackey to coerce Corrine into serving as a middleman to help her family escape the police.

After Mackey fails in attempt to kill Shane and Mara using Corrine’s information, Corrine contacts the Barn and agrees to help stop Vic as long as he never learns of her involvement. Dutch and Claudette begin a full-scale investigation into Vic and Ronnie in a final attempt to take down the Strike Team members once and for all. After a failed attempt to get Vic in the act of aiding and abetting a fugitive, Claudette fakes the arrest of Corrine in order to preserve her cover. Vic, thinking he needs to protect Corrine, leverages the bust of the Mexican cartel into a full immunity for himself and Corrine, foregoing Ronnie’s deal despite promising him they’d run together if things fell apart. As part of his deal with ICE, Vic confesses to all the crimes he and Strike Team committed, stunning Olivia and her boss, as well as Claudette and Dutch.

Claudette, her health still deteriorating, nearly breaks down upon learning Vic is now immune. As a small bit of revenge and to protect Corrine, Claudette and Dutch arrange for Oliva to get Corrine and her kids into federal witness protection. When Vic gloats to Shane about his new deal, Shane reveals Corrine betrayed him to Claudette and Dutch as a way to prove Shane was always the better husband and father. Vic and Ronnie lead the cartel and the leadership of the black gangs into an ICE trap, which Aceveda uses as a publicity stunt for his mayoral campaign. Out of options, Shane poisons Mara and Jackson and shoots himself after writing out his confession as Claudette and her team arrive to arrest him.

The Barn informs Vic of Shane’s suicide. When Mackey arrives Claudette places him in an interrogation room and confronts him with the fallout of all his actions. Unable to do anything more to Vic, Claudette orders Dutch and Julian to arrest Ronnie publicly for all the crimes Vic confessed to. Ronnie, shocked, screams that Vic betrayed him and killed the team.

The series ends with Corrine and her children in witness protection. Claudette admits to Dutch she’s dying but will remain Captain as long as she can. Olivia informs Vic of his new position writing reports at a desk for ICE. When Vic argues it wasn’t the terms he agreed to, Olivia reminds him any step out of line to the word of their agreement will violate his immunity. At the end of the show, Vic is at the ICE office after hours, putting pictures of his children, and himself and Lem, on his new desk. After hearing police sirens he pauses for a moment, before grabbing his gun and leaving.

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code	U.S. viewers (millions)
76	1	"Coefficient of Drag"	Guy Ferland	Kurt Sutter	September 2, 2008 (2008-09-02)	5012-07-701	2.12^[27]
Vic confronts Shane and deals with threats to his family, including Armenian hitman Ari Zadofian. A federal agent arrives to investigate a recent wave of violence in Farmington.
77	2	"Snitch"	Gwyneth Horder-Payton	Gary Lennon	September 9, 2008 (2008-09-09)	5012-07-702	1.66^[28]
A gang war heats up, enabling Vic to position himself as a valuable commodity to both sides. Corrine and Cassidy confront Vic.
78	3	"Money Shot"	Terrence O'Hara	Adam E. Fierro	September 16, 2008 (2008-09-16)	5012-07-703	1.93^[29]
Corrine finds herself in legal trouble, Vic works an angle to make himself valuable to the Armenian mob and Tina targets a producer of adult entertainment. Cassidy's rage causes her to lash out at her mother.
79	4	"Genocide"	Dean White	Lisa Randolph	September 23, 2008 (2008-09-23)	5012-07-704	1.56^[30]
Following a fire at an Armenian safe house, Rezian asks Vic to set up a meeting with the Mexicans. An angry Cassidy goes to Danny with questions about her father and Dutch questions a teenager that shot an intruder.
80	5	"Game Face"	Michael Chiklis	Charles H. Eglee	September 30, 2008 (2008-09-30)	5012-07-705	1.48^[3]
When the daughter of a drug kingpin is kidnapped, the Strike Team must free her, without drawing attention to the fact that Agent Olivia Murray is following them. The serial killer Kleavon Gardner, soon to go on trial and defending himself, hits a nerve when he deposes Claudette; Dutch continues his effort to unmask teenager Lloyd as a potential serial killer, Danny pressures Vic to sign away his parental rights to their child and Shane tries to turn Ronnie against Vic. Vic must also continue to deal with Cassidy's downward spiral.
81	6	"Animal Control"	Gwyneth Horder-Payton	John Hlavin & Angela Russo	October 7, 2008 (2008-10-07)	5012-07-706	1.15^[31]
Vic and Ronnie set up a Mexican–Armenian meeting but tell the two sides different things, while keeping some pertinent details from Shane. Shane and former Strike Team adversary Tavon Garris team up uneasily as a six-year-old murder case heats up. Ellis Rezian is gunned down and Shane barely makes it out alive, realizing that he was set up to be killed along with Rezian by Vic and Ronnie. Ronnie gets a warning from Claudette about Vic's freelancing and a naked sleepwalker is found in a warehouse with blood on his body that isn't his own.
82	7	"Bitches Brew"	Stephen Kay	Charles H. Eglee & Elizabeth A. Hansen	October 14, 2008 (2008-10-14)	5012-07-707	1.31^[32]
Vic's review board hearing is moved up unexpectedly, putting new pressure on his mission to take down Pezuela, which hits another snag when the Feds take over the investigation of Robert Martin's murder. Vic intensifies his quest to stay in his infant son's life, Shane tends to private business as he probes a prostitute's murder and Dutch is disturbed by what he finds at Claudette's house when he and Billings investigate a neighborhood break-in.
83	8	"Parricide"	Guy Ferland	Kurt Sutter & Gary Lennon	October 21, 2008 (2008-10-21)	5012-07-708	1.61^[33]
Vic and Ronnie escape attempts on their lives and when Ronnie's assailant is caught, Shane must think and act quickly. With barely a week to go before he must turn in his badge, Vic offers Olivia a business proposition. He also has some dirty work to do for Pezuela, involving a priest whose church is in a location Pezuela finds inconvenient.
84	9	"Moving Day"	Rohn Schmidt	Adam E. Fierro & Lisa Randolph	October 28, 2008 (2008-10-28)	5012-07-709	1.68^[34]
Vic closes in on Shane, Mara and their sick young son, Claudette dismantles the Strike Team, Pezuela offers Aceveda "assistance" for his mayoral campaign, Rita Denton comes on to Dutch, and Billings' ex-wife and daughter are fearful when a registered sex offender moves into their neighborhood.
85	10	"Party Line"	Gwyneth Horder-Payton	Angela Russo & John Hlavin	November 4, 2008 (2008-11-04)	5012-07-710	1.49^[35]
While Shane remains holed up in L.A. with Mara and Jackson, Corrine decides to cooperate with Dutch and Claudette, who are now spearheading the LAPD effort to bring down Vic. Vic plays Aceveda, Pezuela, Beltran and ICE against each other. Ronnie is tempted to simply give up and run to Mexico, recommending that Vic run as well.
86	11	"Petty Cash"	Craig Brewer	Charles H. Eglee & Jameal Turner	November 11, 2008 (2008-11-11)	5012-07-711	1.66^[36]
Corrine agrees to be Vic and Shane's go-between and also agrees to cooperate with Claudette and Dutch as she does so. Vic comes to an understanding with Aceveda and seeks one with Olivia. Claudette assigns Ronnie to work with Julien in order to investigate the murder of a high-school football star, keeping Ronnie out of the Barn, unable to intercept the letter Shane sent to Claudette detailing one of the Strike Team's "sins".
87	12	"Possible Kill Screen"	Billy Gierhart	Adam E. Fierro & Evan Bleiweiss	November 18, 2008 (2008-11-18)	5012-07-712	1.60^[37]
Olivia joins forces with the remnants of the Strike Team to catch a Mexican drug lord and stop his shipment. Dutch is thrust into a position to clean up Billings' mess. Vic confesses to all his crimes, including the murders of Terry Crowley, Margos Dezerian, Guardo Lima and many others, in the hope that he will be protected under ICE's immunity deal, provided he helps secure Beltran's takedown.
88	13	"Family Meeting"	Clark Johnson	Shawn Ryan	November 25, 2008 (2008-11-25)	5012-07-713	1.84^[38]
Hurrying to close in on Beltran, Vic learns of Corrine's betrayal. Shane, pinned down by the cops with his family, takes desperate action. An upstart mayoral candidate (played by Andre Benjamin) troubles Aceveda. Dutch interrogates Lloyd about Rita's disappearance.

Ratings

The Shield : U.S. viewers per episode (millions)

Season		Episode number
		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15
	1	4.83	4.01	3.34	2.63	3.62	3.49	2.90	2.22	2.05	2.58	2.56	3.08	4.14	–
	2	4.43	3.16	3.76	3.12	3.00	2.92	2.79	3.25	3.03	3.20	3.30	3.22	3.67	–
	3	2.82	2.66	3.32	2.64	2.40	2.59	2.61	2.22	2.53	2.36	2.27	2.52	2.28	2.42	2.10
	4	3.93	3.25	2.87	3.08	2.95	3.41	3.07	3.22	3.21	3.33	3.04	2.66	3.19	–
	5	3.42	2.81	2.85	2.61	2.45	2.43	2.44	2.31	2.78	2.56	3.22	–
	6	2.08	2.35	1.95	1.97	2.15	1.87	1.90	1.47	1.74	2.06	–
	7	2.12	1.66	1.93	1.56	1.48	1.15	1.31	1.61	1.68	1.49	1.66	1.60	1.84	–

Audience measurement performed by Nielsen Media Research^[39]

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3. "The Shield (FX): Ratings Recap". Ratings Ryan. February 15, 2019. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
4. Downey, Kevin (June 19, 2002). . Media Life Magazine. Archived from the original on September 20, 2011. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
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8. "The Shield: Season 4". Pop Matters. January 23, 2006. Retrieved March 16, 2010.
9. "Development Update: March 17". The Futon Critic. March 17, 2005. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
10. "Development Update: April 20". The Futon Critic. April 20, 2005. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
11. "Development Update: May 10-11". The Futon Critic. May 11, 2005. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
12. Huff, Quentin B. (May 9, 2007). "The Shield: The Detective & the Lieutenant". PopMatters. Retrieved March 16, 2010.
13. "The Shield - Season 5". IGN. March 26, 2007. Retrieved March 16, 2010.
14. "Development Update: January 12". The Futon Critic. January 12, 2006. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
15. "Broadcast & Cable Nielsens: Week Ending February 19, 2006". Ratings Ryan. November 16, 2021. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
16. "The Shield Set to Return". IGN. January 22, 2007. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
17. "Broadcast & Cable Nielsens: Week Ending April 8, 2007". Ratings Ryan. October 14, 2020. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
18. "Broadcast & Cable Nielsens: Week Ending April 15, 2007". Ratings Ryan. October 18, 2020. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
19. "Broadcast & Cable Nielsens: Week Ending April 22, 2007". Ratings Ryan. October 26, 2020. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
20. "Broadcast & Cable Nielsens: Week Ending April 29, 2007". Ratings Ryan. December 15, 2020. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
21. "Broadcast & Cable Nielsens: Week Ending May 6, 2007". Ratings Ryan. December 16, 2020. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
22. "Broadcast & Cable Nielsens: Week Ending May 13, 2007". Ratings Ryan. December 17, 2020. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
23. "Broadcast & Cable Nielsens: Week Ending May 20, 2007". Ratings Ryan. December 17, 2020. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
24. "Broadcast & Cable Nielsens: Week Ending May 27, 2007". Ratings Ryan. December 18, 2020. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
25. "Broadcast & Cable Nielsens: Week Ending June 3, 2007". Ratings Ryan. December 19, 2020. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
26. "Broadcast & Cable Nielsens: Week Ending June 10, 2007". Ratings Ryan. December 20, 2020. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
27. "Broadcast & Cable Nielsens: Week Ending September 7, 2008". Ratings Ryan. May 7, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
28. "Broadcast & Cable Nielsens: Week Ending September 14, 2008". Ratings Ryan. May 10, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
29. "Broadcast & Cable Nielsens: Week Ending September 21, 2008". Ratings Ryan. May 11, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
30. "Broadcast & Cable Nielsens: Week Ending September 28, 2008". Ratings Ryan. July 7, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
31. "Broadcast & Cable Nielsens: Week Ending October 12, 2008". Ratings Ryan. July 9, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
32. "Broadcast & Cable Nielsens: Week Ending October 19, 2008". Ratings Ryan. July 10, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
33. "Broadcast & Cable Nielsens: Week Ending October 26, 2008". Ratings Ryan. July 11, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
34. "Broadcast & Cable Nielsens: Week Ending November 2, 2008". Ratings Ryan. July 13, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
35. "Broadcast & Cable Nielsens: Week Ending November 9, 2008". Ratings Ryan. July 14, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
36. "Broadcast & Cable Nielsens: Week Ending November 16, 2008". Ratings Ryan. July 15, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
37. "Broadcast & Cable Nielsens: Week Ending November 23, 2008". Ratings Ryan. July 16, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
38. Seidman, Robert (December 2, 2008). . TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
39. See individual ratings citations in this article.

External links

• The Shield at IMDb