The BEST episodes of The Shield

Every episode of The Shield ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of The Shield!

The story of an inner-city Los Angeles police precinct where some of the cops aren't above breaking the rules or working against their associates to both keep the streets safe and their self-interests intact.

Last Updated: 2/23/2024Network: FXStatus: Ended
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Family Meeting
star
8.73
1259 votes

#1 - Family Meeting

Season 7 - Episode 13 - Aired 11/25/2008

Officers in the Barn investigate a woman's disappearance and the arrival of a large drug shipment; lives change forever.

Directors: Clark Johnson
Writer: Shawn Ryan
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Possible Kill Screen
star
8.33
1238 votes

#2 - Possible Kill Screen

Season 7 - Episode 12 - Aired 11/18/2008

Olivia joins forces with the Strike Team to catch a Mexican drug king and his shipment. Meanwhile, Dutch cleans up Billings' mess, and the death of a woman associated with the Strike Team prompts an investigation by Claudette.

Directors: Billy Gierhart
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Post Partum
star
8.09
1247 votes

#3 - Post Partum

Season 5 - Episode 11 - Aired 3/21/2006

As Vic prepares to help Lem get out of the country to begin a new life in Mexico; Kavanaugh and Aceveda attempt to capitalize on the situation by using this as means to try to take down the leader of the Strike Team. Dutch decides to file for a transfer. Meanwhile, Shane tries to cut off the investigation by taking extreme measures and Danny finally confronts the father of her child.

Directors: Stephen Kay
Watch Now:Apple TV
Parricide
star
8.09
1221 votes

#4 - Parricide

Season 7 - Episode 8 - Aired 10/21/2008

A local priest may be protecting drug dealers; Dutch and Billings close in on attempted cop killers; Corrine learns uncomfortable truths about Vic.

Directors: Guy Ferland
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Circles (2)
star
8.08
1399 votes

#5 - Circles (2)

Season 1 - Episode 13 - Aired 6/4/2002

In the aftermath of a riot, cops are being lured into ambush shootings by a rash of bogus 911 calls. Surprisingly 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.

Directors: Scott Brazil
Writer: Shawn Ryan
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Of Mice and Lem
star
8.03
1236 votes

#6 - Of Mice and Lem

Season 5 - Episode 10 - Aired 3/14/2006

To the dismay of his friends, a weary Lem is thinking about accepting a deal from the D.A. where he has to plead guilty to the heroin charges. With no other choice, Vic reluctantly meets with Antwon in order to ensure Lem’s safety in prison. Meanwhile, unforeseen circumstances that are beyond Claudette and Dutch’s control might cause irrevocable damage to their friendship.

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Dominoes Falling
star
8.03
1365 votes

#7 - Dominoes Falling

Season 2 - Episode 13 - Aired 4/1/2003

When a gang execution hits close to home for Claudette, Vic, Tavon, and Dutch work together to find the culprit before anyone else gets hurt. Shane, Lemonhead, and Ronnie are forced to choose between hitting the money train without Vic or letting it go. Meanwhile, Danny receives some life changing news and Julien's harassment reaches a whole new level.

Directors: Scott Brazil
Writer: Shawn Ryan
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Spanish Practices
star
8.03
1226 votes

#8 - Spanish Practices

Season 6 - Episode 10 - Aired 6/5/2007

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.

Directors: Paris Barclay
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Trophy
star
7.98
1204 votes

#9 - Trophy

Season 5 - Episode 5 - Aired 2/7/2006

Via a bug planted in the clubhouse, Kavanaugh monitors the Strike Team as they investigate an illegal prescription drug ring that is proving to be deadly for the people of Farmington. While working on a missing person’s case, Dutch attempts find out what Claudette is hiding.

Directors: Philip G. Atwell
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Kavanaugh
star
7.95
1170 votes

#10 - Kavanaugh

Season 5 - Episode 8 - Aired 2/28/2006

Kavanaugh seeks the help of Antwon Mitchell in his ongoing quest to take down the Strike Team. In the midst of this, Kavanaugh has a lot on his mind as his ex-wife reenters the picture, and he reluctantly agrees to let Vic send Emolia undercover to infiltrate a Salvadoran gang that is stockpiling grenades.

Directors: D.J. Caruso
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Recoil
star
7.92
1072 votes

#11 - Recoil

Season 6 - Episode 9 - Aired 5/29/2007

As progress is being made in the San Marcos investigation, Vic receives bad news about his career. Meanwhile, Shane and Diro become business partners as she prepares to take over the Armenian mob.

Directors: Guy Ferland
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Pilot
star
7.90
2243 votes

#12 - Pilot

Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 3/12/2002

While the Strike Team ramps up their control of the streets, David tried to crack corruption in the Barn by recruiting Terry to help him take down Vic, only to result in Terry's death. Meanwhile, Dutch and Claudette investigate the murder of Nancy Reborg only to discover her missing daughter has been sold off by her addict father to a child molester.

Directors: Clark Johnson
Writer: Shawn Ryan
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Party Line
star
7.89
1270 votes

#13 - Party Line

Season 7 - Episode 10 - Aired 11/4/2008

While Shane remains holed up in L.A. with Mara and Jackson, Corinne decides to cooperate with Dutch and Claudette, who's now spearheading the LAPD effort to bring down Vic. Meanwhile, Vic plays Aceveda, Pezuela, Beltran and ICE against each other. But Ronnie's tempted to simply give up and run to Mexico. "And you should run too man" he tells Vic.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Baptism by Fire
star
7.89
1146 votes

#14 - Baptism by Fire

Season 6 - Episode 2 - Aired 4/10/2007

Kavanaugh acquires what he needs in order to apprehend Vic who is preoccupied with getting revenge on Guardo. Claudette finds herself under the political microscope as a result of the San Marcos incident, and Danny receives some news about her future at the Barn.

Directors: Guy Ferland
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
On Tilt
star
7.87
1368 votes

#15 - On Tilt

Season 3 - Episode 15 - Aired 6/15/2004

When Aceveda confirms that the Strike Team is the target of an Armenian mob hit, Mackey must take matters into his own hands. Meanwhile, Whym'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.

Directors: Scott Brazil
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
On the Jones
star
7.82
1198 votes

#16 - On the Jones

Season 6 - Episode 1 - Aired 4/3/2007

With the Barn grieving over the loss of one of their own, Vic's out to avenge his friend's murder, but finds himself in the crosshairs of Kavanaugh. Claudette assigns the Strike Team to investigate the torching of a methadone clinic. Meanwhile, Julien and Tina look into a robbery/assault at a porno shop, and Dutch makes a horrifying discovery in San Marcos.

Directors: Michael Fields
Writer: Kurt Sutter
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Scar Tissue
star
7.82
1254 votes

#17 - Scar Tissue

Season 2 - Episode 8 - Aired 2/25/2003

When Vic discovers that Ronnie has been burned as payback, the rest of the team does everything they can to put an end to him. Meanwhile, Claudette makes headway on her investigation against Vic after a conversation with Corrine, and Dutch takes Danny under his wing as they try to find the suspect of a Thai Town beating.

Directors: Paris Barclay
Writer: Kurt Sutter
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Animal Control
star
7.80
1127 votes

#18 - Animal Control

Season 7 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/7/2008

Vic sets into motion plans to end the gang threat as his relationship with Cassidy deteriorates; Dutch and Billings investigate a possible sleepwalking murderer.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Dead Soldiers
star
7.78
1269 votes

#19 - Dead Soldiers

Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 1/14/2003

As Vic gets closer to finding his family, the Strike Team focus their attention to Armadillo after he burns down Tio's HQ. Now Vic must prevent Claudette from finding out the truth about his connection to Tio and his men. Meanwhile, 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.

Directors: John Badham
Writer: Kurt Sutter
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Mum
star
7.77
1267 votes

#20 - Mum

Season 3 - Episode 5 - Aired 4/6/2004

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.

Directors: Nick Gomez
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Ain't That a Shame?
star
7.75
1238 votes

#21 - Ain't That a Shame?

Season 4 - Episode 13 - Aired 6/14/2005

Monica, Vic and the strike team work together to put Antwon Mitchell back behind bars after his deal with the DEA released him from prison. When Vic reveals his suspicions of David's connection to both Antwon and an inmate's murder, David must protect his political future at any cost. When the murder of an over-protective father leads Claudette and Dutch back to a foster home they had previously investigated, Monica makes an unpopular decision that helps seal her fate.

Directors: Stephen Kay
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Greenlit
star
7.75
1276 votes

#22 - Greenlit

Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired 2/4/2003

David works with Vic 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.

Directors: Terrence O'Hara
Writer: Kim Clements
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Back in the Hole
star
7.74
1167 votes

#23 - Back in the Hole

Season 4 - Episode 10 - Aired 5/24/2005

Vic and Monica go head to head with Antwon, and do everything in their power to get him to admit to being involved with the cop killings. Monica is shocked when Vic and Shane confront her with the information they've been hiding regarding Antwon and Angie's body. Shane and Army wonder if they'll be able to pass the lie detector test Monica is forcing them to take. Meanwhile, after another young black woman is murdered, Dutch and Claudette hope to prove their suspicions correct with their recently relocated Texan.

Directors: Scott Brazil
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Tapa Boca
star
7.73
1191 votes

#24 - Tapa Boca

Season 5 - Episode 4 - Aired 1/31/2006

With the IAD investigation in full force, Vic seeks legal representation from Becca Doyle for the Strike Team. Also, a suspicious Vic decides to confront Emolia after he begins to doubt her loyalty to him. Meanwhile, Dutch and Claudette investigate the ghastly murder of a pregnant woman. Tina continues to make mistakes while on duty.

Directors: Guy Ferland
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Judas Priest
star
7.72
1233 votes

#25 - Judas Priest

Season 4 - Episode 12 - Aired 6/7/2005

Vic and his crew track down the Russian who was involved with the cop murders, but they lose control during his interrogation and the hit man dies in an explosion before they can get any answers. Meanwhile, Aceveda is blackmailed by the man who assaaulted him. Plus, Rawling's seizure is on the verge of being shelved.

Directors: David Von Ancken
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV