The Bad Cop is Good to Watch on New Season of "The Shield"

Season Five of "the Shield," which explores the greasy underbelly of fictional L.A. province "The Farm," lorded over by Nietzcheian cop Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis, "Fantastic Four"). There have been times where I've felt that Vic has maybe become too popular and too likable," said creator Shawn Ryan. Now I'm trying to push the pendulum back." In Season Five, Mackey's "ends-justify-the-means" mentality, as well as his years-old slaying of a fellow cop-the hook of the series' pilot-is coming back to haunt him, as an internal affairs officer (Forest Whitaker, "Panic Room," "Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai") has targeted Vic for the many, many skeletons in his closet. This season promises to be tense, as Mackey and his eclectic crew, the Strike Team, try to stay one step ahead of the relentless gumshoe. It's always been something that I've wanted to resuscitate," Ryan said. I don't think we would've been intellectually honest if we had ducked the idea of revisiting that crime."