I'm unsure if I'm going to manage the entire season in a single day, I conseratively estimated myself at managing around seventy five percent of a season in a day. I'm at episode eight out of thirteen for the first season, which is just under ten percent of the entire show. Wow, it doesn't really feel like that long a show when you look at it like that, ten percent of it done already in a single day.

So the second part, which is episodes five to eight goes up now, the third part - which will contain discs three and four might be up later tonight, but is more likely to make an appearance tomorrow. What with the first part of Torchwood "Children of the Earth" airing it'll probably be better to save some words for that experience.

Beyond the link are the episodes "Blowback", "Gringo with a Grudge", "Pay in Pain" and "Cupid & Psycho"...

14:36 – Having uploaded disc one, taken a short walk outside, washed up the dishes and sorted out the recycling it’s time to settle down for the second disc of the first season. Current progress is four out of eighty nine episodes, not bad – I might be able to manage approximately a season a day.

14:38 – “Blowback”

14:38 – I have absolutely no recollection of this episode from the title.

14:39 – Previously on The Shield – stuff happened.

14:40 – Cats, lots of cats. Is this a cat woman’s home? No it’s not.

14:41 – “Is there anything you’re not allergic to?”

14:41 – “The Armenians speak Armenian” who’d have thought an illegal wiretap would suffer from language barriers.

14:43 – The Strike Team’s plan to grow their retirement fund is a little curtailed by Aceveda’s plans to ensure they have proper back up.

14:44 – “I’m here to report a hit and run, I was struck by a beautiful black man…” I told you Julien, that man is trouble.

14:45 – Study date Dutch. How very high school of you.

14:46 – You shouldn’t have snorted his cocaine man.

14:46 – See? I told you. Now you’re dead instead of being arrested.

14:48 – Hey guys, Julien’s snooping on you. He’s seen everything!

14:50 – Shane’s stopped off for a quicky with Amy before delivering the bricks. Well that’s not going to go wrong is it?

14:51 – See? The car’s gone. Well done Shane, bravo!

14:53 – Time for Shane to admit to what’s happened. Vic looks pleased.

14:55 – Nice moustache Ronnie!

14:56 – Dutch and Claudette interview “Jesus”.

14:58 – Don’t put Jesus in the cage Danny. He’s doesn’t play well with others.

14:59 – Nothing like a bit of light bedroom abuse before lunch.

15:01 – Once again Vic plays Danny for an assist in covering up, she’s a pretty easy mark and willing to believe him.

15:04 – Autism, I told you. The poor lad is autistic.

15:06 – Aceveda’s out for the Navigator himself, Shane knows how to dig holes. They’d better find Dina fast.

15:07 – I love that Lem’s pissed at Shane because Amy isn’t hot enough to get into that kind of trouble over.

15:08 – Damn it, there’s something wrong with my disc, it’s hanging up and skipping. But it turns out that Margos has a thing about Danny’s feet.

15:09 – While this is watchable, it looks like I’m going to have to pick up a new season one disc sometime. How frustrating. Last time I loan out any of my DVDs to anyone.

15:11 – Removed the disc, cleaned it gently – hoping this solves the problem. Otherwise I’m going to have to order something I already own again.

15:12 – Problem seems fixed, touch wood *knock knock*. Margos is busy killing others in the cage. Told you he was a dangerous animal.

15:13 – It’s Dina, one of my favourite bit part characters in The Shield.

15:14 – Once again Julien does the right thing by the law. But not by his partner Danny. But there’s no drugs in the car. Hard cheese, Aceveda.

15:16 – Oh Danny, don’t go breaking the law for Vic, that’s evidence.

15:18 – That knife to the throat looks really painful.

15:19 – Clean up time! Flush those drugs Vic.

15:21 – See? Vic’s a good guy, see how he kisses his son good night.

15:22 – Sorry Dutch, your study date ends in disappointment.

15:23 – How is it I’ve watched The Shield about half a dozen times or so and I can’t recall the name of this guy Julien’s involved with?

15:24 – Woah, that’s a man kiss.

15:25 – Margos escaped. Look out, there’s a deranged foot fetishist on the loose.

15:26 – Dutch (on seeing Vic and Danny kiss) “Oh you’ve got to be shitting me.” Sorry Dutch, it’s Vic once again humiliating you.

15:27 – Cherrypoppers

Unlike the previous episode I do recall this episode in reasonable detail, mostly as it’s dealing with a pretty disturbing subject.

15:28 – More Ding Dong’s in the “previously section”

15:29 – Another facedown hooker, you’ve got to trust Dutch’s serial killer-mojo. Although don’t you need six murders to qualify as a genuine serial killer?

15:30 – Not just one, but two Nazi references from two characters in less than ten seconds. I call Goodwin’s Law on the whole episode!

15:33 – Jim Ride, FBI. “I’m just here to help.”

15:34 – I do love the way Lem automatically gets all hands on and messes about with people’s stuff when Vic pushes them for information; Rondell’s vinyl previously and now the food.

15:36 – It’s great the way this storyline was gradually introduced in the previous episodes.

15:37 – That’ a great reward for information, enjoy your time in prison.

15:38 – Oh man, does this guy seriously think they can dust someone’s change for fingerprints when they didn’t even touch. Sometimes the civilians in this show are so dumb it’s almost unbelievable.

15:39 – Now both lots of W.C.’s in the Barn are bust. I wonder if the blocked up drains are a metaphor for something.

15:40 – Wow Vic looks uncomfortable there; I can’t blame him considering what he just had to watch, but still. It’s rare his poise is thrown off.

15:42 – And now we encounter the ‘Cherrypopper’ films. Ugh.

15:43 – Fortunately the mood is lightened by a backfiring toilet. The Barn is flooded.

15:46 – Poor Lem has to wade his way through the Cherrypopper tapes.

15:48 – The duality of Vic is a pretty amazing thing really. He’s a cold blooded monster one moment and a warm, caring family man the next. It’s rare you see such a complex character on the screen.

15:50 – Boy Vic has a lot of sources willing to pass information along to him.

15:52 – Oh boy it really is true that the most disturbing things are the ones you don’t actually get to see. The bright happy tune along with the noises from that cherrypopper tape was just horrible.

15:55 – The Barn has a gym? I can’t recall ever seeing it before now, maybe it was where Vic was lifting weights earlier.

15:56 – Return of the Ding Dongs. Jay Karnes saying "Ding Dong" never gets old. Just like Vic with "Cinco de Mayo".

15:58 – Wait for it, wait for the twist.

15:59 – There it is! Steve isn’t involved in these girls; it’s a practical joke on the part of Tom!

16:00 – Angry Dutch is actually quite a scary sight.

16:01 – Connie, what have you done now you crazy crack addled woman? You’ve shot an insurance salesman! Why on earth does Vic tolerate this woman?

16:03 – Go on Vic, hit her. Atta-boy!

16:05 – It seems Dutch is a little strung out over Sally and also Danny’s involvement with Vic. Can’t blame him.

16:07 – That was quite a Wire like moment, I almost expected the end credit music from The Wire to play then.

16:09 – I notice the Strike Team club house didn’t get flooded when the toilets went up.

16:17 – Dutch’s rather good speech/apology to Danny about his acting up disrupted by man from Sky wanting to offer a free box and doo-dads. I inherently mistrust anything offered for free and automatically refuse any cold calling visits to my home as I feel they’re an invasion of my personal space. Took time to politely get him to leave, eventually I explained I was in the middle of a Shield marathon and it was more interesting than this conversation. But with words more polite than those ones.

16:21 – Time to take a quick break before watching the next two episodes back to back.

16:45 – Went for a cycle and then did a quick bit of gardening before getting back for the third and fourth episodes on this disc.

16:46 – Pay in Pain

16:47 – I wonder if the show had a policy of ensuring no-one with an A or B surname was hired as part of the cast in order to be able to keep Michael Chiklis as the front billing on the alphabetical cast list.

16:48 – That was a lot of people shot dead, not the kind of gun practice you expect at a range.

16:51 – Is it normal for a civilian to march into a police station and speech at them?

16:52 – So this guy is an ex-banger turned cop? See that line? It’s stretched a little thin there.

16:53 – Oh it’s Gillroy not Gillmore. Duh!

16:54 – Wet Willie? Seriously? Where do gangsters get these names from?

16:56 – Way to go Shane, getting mental retardation mixed up with autism. Then again, I imagine a lot of people wouldn’t understand the difference back in 2002.

16:57 – Taking Care of Business, Go My Own Way. Is Julien just planning to use song’s for dialog this time.

16:58 – Urinating on a suspect? Seriously Shane, COME ON!

16:59 – Um, what happened to the woman at the start of the episode? Did she just come in to deliver her speech and leave? It seems everyone is ignoring it now. Perhaps I should check the internet to see what the story was behind that scene.

17:01 – Nice leopard print furniture.

17:02 – “Gringo with a grudge”

17:05 – When I pass away I’m going to make sure my significant other is completely aware that I will not send any messages from beyond the veil. This woman has convinced me mediums are parasites.

17:06 – And Shane’s already in Vic’s shit books.

17:08 – It’s Dina again! She’s brilliant.

17:11 – I’m finding it difficult to take the hunt for George seriously, it’s hardly the name of a person who’d go on a killing spree.

17:12 – Ah they’re a racist family, question answered.

17:15 – The amount of testosterone flooding around in the Captains office right now, it’s surprising that Vic hasn’t regrown his hair, or everyone else ends up bald.

17:17 – Oh Dutch, Dutch, Dutch. Don’t listen to this medium’s cold reading techniques.

17:18 – Did Vic just put a gun to that guy’s head in the interrogation room?

17:20 – D’oh, the Toros are out shooting innocent people because of the killings.

17:21 – Vic’s convinced a fellow cop not to shoot a banger who clearly deserves it?

17:24 – Danny, who drinks tea with the teabag still in?

17:25 – You should let Shane take the fall for the entire thing Vic, Shane’s nothing but trouble!

17:26 – No Dutch, keep away from the medium. She’s a fraud!

17:27 – No Vic, give up on him. He’s a screw-up!

17:29 – Thomas! That’s Julien’s guy’s name, I think Vic was the first one to utter it. And now he’s arresting him in front of Julien. Blackmail? Naah, can’t be.

17:34 – Short break for food and a stretch of the legs.

17:36 – Cupid & Psycho

17:39 – Claudette and Vic plus Shane and Dutch partnered up. Oh this should be good.

17:41 – What’s that in the boot? Mmm well done.

17:42 – He’s still alive!

17:43 – Put your shirt on son.

17:44 – Oh Vic, bravo, always twisting the situation to suit your purposes.

17:45 – Someone’s cooking meth in the city. Quick see where Bryan Cranston is!

17:46 – Aceveda’s getting a “coming out party” way-hay!

17:48 – Web Page Designers turned meth lab makers. A fairy tale story.

17:49 – Shane, telling Dutch how it is.

17:50 – Hey look it’s Fran and her two fellas, she’s with Hooper this time. She’s the town bike!

17:51 – Looks like bad meth is out on the market.

17:52 – I wonder if Vic’s father really was a bricklayer or he’s just being flippant.

17:55 – Talk about cutting it fine Vic, but Julien didn’t call your bluff.

17:56 – Aceveda, I think you just broke your door’s window.

17:57 – LOL “HOE”

17:58 – When Shane’s not screwing up he’s pretty funny.

18:01 – A sheep? What the heck kind of hazing ceremony. Sheesh.

18:03 – Time to find Manny Sandoval and his meth!

18:05 – No Dutch, don’t walk away. You’ve missed your shot there.

18:06 – And Corrine starts the slide down into becoming a shrill harpy.

18:08 – And now Fran’s switched partners again, she’s back with Lamar now. Sheesh.

18:09 – Shane pulls a Vic for the confession. Win!

18:12 – Go on Dutch, make a move. Do it.

18:13 – “A friend of mine’s having a crisis” isn’t that exactly the excuse Danny used to Dutch previously?

18:14 – Yes Manny, you don’t want to be on Vic’s radar. No Sir!

18:15 – I forget how short Michael Chiklis is at times until he’s standing near someone like Julien.

18:16 – Wisdom from Vic? Yes indeed Julien, he has a little.

18:17 – Bravo Dutch-Boy. She’s pretty hot. Now just shut up and kiss her.

18:18 – Oh no, Gillroy’s breaking up with Vic.

18:19 – Oh dear Dutch, she’s a complete nutjob! Typical.

18:20 – Montague!

18:20 – Oh no, Fran’s dead. That was some bad advice there Danny.

End Disc Two.

Thoughts:

• Well first of all I must admit I recalled incorrectly, my favourite episode of this season is not on disc two, it must be on disc three then (definately not on disc four as that just has the single episode on it). That's something to look forward to.

• There's been plenty of great moments I recall in these episodes, and plenty more which I didn't. It's always a nice surprise to watch the show again and experience things all over.

• I can't recall if there was an explaination given for why the man in "Gringo with a Grudge" went on his killing spree. I don't think there was, which is pretty cool really - sometimes things happen and you never find out why.

• I really like the combination of ongoing stories mixed with one off events. Currently we have the long haul "Strike Team is corrupt story running", plus the "Face down serial killer" and the one off stories along with the personal ones of many cast members. There's so much going on, but at this point the only characters who are really fleshed out are Vic, Aceveda, Dutch, Julien, Claudette and Shane to a certain extent. Ronnie's just a red shirt and Lem's just a nice guy with a shotgun. Danny has some characteristics, but she's still growing as a character.

• It's interesting that even as early as the eight episode the show is happy to break up the existing partnerships and shake things up. Switching around Vic, Shane, Dutch and Claudette's pairings was very cool and also rather unusual to watch considering events further down the line.

• Boy the show is energetic, I've been Watching the Wire and Big Love quite a lot so I'm used to a slower pace show at the moment. But The Shield just thunders along at break-neck speed, there's almost no "wasted" footage.

• I know it's just a show, but man is the episode "Cherrypoppers" hard to watch.