Victor Samuel Mackey, played by
Michael Chiklis
Michael Charles Chiklis ( born August 30, 1963) is an American actor, television director, television producer and musician. He is best known for his role as Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Detective Vic Mackey on the FX police drama ''The S ...
, is a fictional character and the
protagonist
A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...
of the
FX crime drama
Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine ...
series ''
The Shield
''The Shield'' is an American crime drama television series starring Michael Chiklis that premiered on March 12, 2002, on FX in the United States, and concluded on November 25, 2008, after seven seasons. Known for its portrayal of corrupt poli ...
'', which ran for seven seasons. Mackey is portrayed as a corrupt and brutal detective in the
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), officially known as the City of Los Angeles Police Department, is the municipal police department of Los Angeles, California. With 9,974 police officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the third-large ...
. He leads a small anti-gang unit primarily tasked with curbing the rampant drug trade in the fictional Farmington district of Los Angeles. He commits several crimes throughout the series including drug dealing, extortion, police brutality, and murder. He is often depicted justifying his crimes as
a means to an end. Despite his actions, Mackey considers himself a devoted father and family man.
Concept, creation and casting
As part of his research for ''The Shield'',
Shawn Ryan
Shawn Ryan (born October 11, 1966 in Rockford, Illinois) is an American screenwriter and television producer.
He created and co-created a number of TV drama series, including ''The Shield'' (2002–2008), ''The Chicago Code'' (2011), '' Last Re ...
, the creator, rode with police officers in
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
. Ryan always returned with what the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' describe as "dark, twisted tales". These experiences, combined with the then-recent
Rampart scandal
The Rampart scandal involved widespread police corruption in the Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums (CRASH) anti-gang unit of the Los Angeles Police Department's Rampart Division in the late 1990s. More than 70 police officers either a ...
, became the impetus for Vic Mackey.
Ryan has said "The interesting question to me was: 'What do we allow our officers to do to make us safer? How many rights of criminals are we willing to give up to ensure our safety?'"
[https://www.newstatesman.com/node/156414 ]
Shawn Ryan outlined his initial conception of Vic Mackey and how it ultimately evolved into the character portrayed on the show. He states "I had not envisioned Vic Mackey looking like
">ichael Chiklis I'm sort of a big guy with a bald head and people always asked if I intentionally cast someone who looked like me, and absolutely not. I always described it as a young
Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford (born July 13, 1942) is an American actor. His films have grossed more than $5.4billion in North America and more than $9.3billion worldwide, making him the seventh-highest-grossing actor in North America. He is the recipient o ...
role and Michael came in and made me reimagine it. He was this bulldog with this intensity and energy that matched. He saw and read the character differently and better than anyone who came in before or after him... In his audition for us, he was on his feet and pacing around like a caged tiger. Even then, as great as the performance was, I still kind of nervous... I still had some butterflies. It wasn't until we got in front of the cameras, where I was like, 'I really do think the world will see what I did.'" Ryan said the writers always thought of Mackey as being like a shark, someone who, in order to survive, has to keep moving forward.
Ryan has said
FX initially "wanted
Eric Stoltz
Eric Cameron Stoltz (born September 30, 1961) is an American actor, director and producer. He played the role of Rocky Dennis in the biographical drama film ''Mask'', which earned him the nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Support ...
to play Vic Mackey" and that they made him an offer which he "almost took."
Actor Michael Chiklis had not been associated with brutish characters like Vic Mackey before his work on ''The Shield''. He was best known at the time for portraying the balding, friendly and slightly overweight Tony Scali in ''
The Commish
''The Commish'' is an American comedy-drama television series that aired on ABC in the United States from September 28, 1991, to January 11, 1996. The series focuses on the work and home life of a suburban police commissioner in Eastbridge, New ...
'' (1991–96), and similar roles prior. After playing
Curly Howard
Jerome Lester Horwitz (; October 22, 1903 – January 18, 1952), known professionally as Curly Howard, was an American actor and comedian. He was best known as a member of the American comedy team the Three Stooges, which also featured his elder ...
in the TV movie ''
The Three Stooges
The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical farce and slapstick. Six Stooges appeared ...
'' (2000), Chiklis decided to reinvent his image. He underwent an intense workout regime and shaved his head, completely transforming his appearance. His casting as Mackey was seen as unusual at the time given his previous roles.
Kevin Reilly, FX's then-president of entertainment, was quoted saying “I knew
hiklisas a soft, cuddly guy physically and emotionally. He came in with this shaved head and his biceps, and he just chewed through the scene. He blew us away."
Role in ''The Shield''
Character summary
Mackey's surname is of
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
or
Scottish origin, and he is occasionally seen in a
shamrock
A shamrock is a young sprig, used as a symbol of Ireland. Saint Patrick, Ireland's patron saint, is said to have used it as a metaphor for the Christian Holy Trinity. The name ''shamrock'' comes from Irish (), which is the diminutive of ...
T-shirt. He also mentions that his father was a
bricklayer
A bricklayer, which is related to but different from a mason, is a craftsman and tradesman who lays bricks to construct brickwork. The terms also refer to personnel who use blocks to construct blockwork walls and other forms of masonry. ...
. In the show's fifth season, he tells Lt.
Jon Kavanaugh
Lieutenant Jon Kavanaugh is a fictional Internal Affairs Lieutenant in the Los Angeles Police Department on the FX television show ''The Shield''. He was portrayed by Forest Whitaker. He is introduced at the beginning of series five and serves ...
that he has been a police officer for fourteen years. In a DVD commentary for season four, Chiklis mentions that the strike team members are from the same areas as the actors who portray them, implying that Mackey is a native of the
Boston, Massachusetts area.
Mackey works for the
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), officially known as the City of Los Angeles Police Department, is the municipal police department of Los Angeles, California. With 9,974 police officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the third-large ...
in the fictional Farmington district of Los Angeles, an area plagued with gang-related violence, drugs, and prostitution. He leads the 'Strike Team,' an experimental anti-gang unit. ''The Shield'' and the Strike Team were inspired by the
Rampart Division
The Rampart Division of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) serves communities to the west of Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) including Silver Lake, Echo Park, Pico-Union and Westlake, all together designated as the Rampart patrol area. Its na ...
Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums
The Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums (CRASH) was a specialized unit of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) tasked with combating gang-related crime between 1979 and 2000. The unit was established in the South Central district of ...
(CRASH) unit within the Los Angeles Police Department. The team initially consists of four members, Shane Vendrell, Curtis Lemansky, and Ronnie Gardocki, led by Vic. They are all close friends, although this friendship is tested multiple times throughout the series. Mackey and the Strike Team use criminal methods to coerce information and stage arrests and take a share of various drug busts. ''
Wired
''Wired'' (stylized as ''WIRED'') is a monthly American magazine, published in print and online editions, that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. Owned by Condé Nast, it is headquartered in San Fra ...
'' highlight the loyalty of the Strike Team to Vic, "no matter how far he crosses the line."
At the start of the series, Vic is happily married to his wife, Corrine, and they have three children, Matthew, Megan and Cassidy. Both Matthew and Megan are revealed to be
autistic
The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...
. The high costs incurred as a result of their tuition fees often form the justification for some of Vic's corruption. Vic struggles at times to keep his work and family separate, ultimately leading to the collapse of his marriage at the end of the first season. Though he had cheated on his wife, he was devastated when she left him.
Vic's attempts to stay one step ahead of not only his superior, David Aceveda (who is fully aware of Vic's criminality), but of
IAD
iAd is a discontinued mobile advertising platform developed by Apple Inc. for its iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad line of mobile devices allowing third-party developers to directly embed advertisements into their applications. iAd is part of Appl ...
, various drug lords, gangsters and other criminals, all while trying to be a caring father and family man, are prominent plot devices throughout the series.
Murdering Terry Crowley
In the pilot episode, Vic murders the fifth and newest member of his team, Detective Terry Crowley. Crowley had been sent by Captain David Aceveda and the
Justice Department
A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...
to build a Federal case against the Strike Team for colluding with drug lord Rondell Robinson. Vic is secretly warned of this by his friend, Assistant Chief Ben Gilroy. Vic and Shane both agree to murder Crowley for his betrayal and to ensure their freedom. During a
raid
Raid, RAID or Raids may refer to:
Attack
* Raid (military), a sudden attack behind the enemy's lines without the intention of holding ground
* Corporate raid, a type of hostile takeover in business
* Panty raid, a prankish raid by male college ...
on the house of drug dealer "Two Time," Vic kills Two Time, but then picks up Two Time's gun and shoots Crowley in the face. Vic and Shane then rig the crime scene evidence, claiming that Two Time stepped out of the bathroom, shot Terry, and was slain by their return fire. This sets in motion events that loom over the Strike Team throughout the series. Shane expresses remorse and guilt in the aftermath of the murder, but Vic remains stoic, though he would later express his own feelings of regret about it. Aceveda is convinced of Mackey's guilt in the murder, but is unable to prove it.
Robbing the Armenian Mob
At the conclusion of the second season, Mackey and the Strike Team rob the 'Armenian money train' - a train transporting the bi-yearly illegal profits of the
Armenian mob out of Los Angeles. Mackey justifies this crime by stating the money is better off in the Strike Team's pockets, to be spent on their families, than in the hands of the Armenians. Lemansky is the only member of the team to show reluctance at partaking in the robbery, but does so anyway. Like the Crowley murder, the fallout from the money train robbery lingers over the team throughout the series.
Disbandment and reformation of the Strike Team
At the end of season three, with Acevada and the Armenian mob seemingly closing in on them, Lemansky burns the money train cash to ensure their freedom. This causes deep resentment between Lemansky and the rest of the team, particularly Shane. Lem offers to transfer off the Strike Team, but with news that the team will be disbanded if that happens, Vic makes attempts to reconcile with Lem. Shane, however, proves intransigent, and is unable to make peace, leading to the disbandment of the Strike Team.
Season four begins with Vic working solely with Gardocki, both now relegated largely to desk work since the team's disbandment. Shane has moved on to
vice
A vice is a practice, behaviour, or habit generally considered immoral, sinful, criminal, rude, taboo, depraved, degrading, deviant or perverted in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character tra ...
, whereas Lem now handles
juvenile crime. Their friendships with both Vic and each other have become estranged. Shane becomes deeply involved with a drug lord named Antwon Mitchell, becoming too deep when Mitchell attempts to frame Shane for murder. Shane pleads to Vic for help and Vic comes to the aid of his former best friend, joined by Ronnie, and eventually by Lemansky too. After taking down Mitchell, the camaraderie shown during the ordeal sees their strong friendship rekindle and the Strike Team is reformed.
Internal affairs investigation and Lemansky's death
In season five, Lieutenant
Jon Kavanaugh
Lieutenant Jon Kavanaugh is a fictional Internal Affairs Lieutenant in the Los Angeles Police Department on the FX television show ''The Shield''. He was portrayed by Forest Whitaker. He is introduced at the beginning of series five and serves ...
of
internal affairs attempts to send Vic to prison for Terry's murder. Vic and Shane, however, calmly stick to their original story and Kavanaugh's crusade ultimately changes into a personal vendetta which destroys his career. Nonetheless, throughout the course of these events Curtis Lemansky is arrested by Kavanagh on charges relating to some stolen heroin found in Lemansky's car, which Lemansky failed to report as evidence. A sinister plot between Kavanagh and Acevada has Shane wrongly fearing that Lemansky will betray the team to cut a better deal. Shane kills Lemansky to protect his own freedom. This sets in motion the downfall of the Strike Team and its members. Around the same time, Vic learns he is being forced into
early retirement
Retirement is the withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from one's active working life. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours or workload.
Many people choose to retire when they are elderly or incapable of doing their j ...
after he reaches his 15 year milestone, a short time away.
Downfall
Seasons six and seven portrays the downfall of Mackey and the Strike Team. Vic learns of Shane's murder of Lemansky, and cannot forgive him for it. He subsequently becomes a lot closer to Gardocki, now his sole friend. With no chance of repairing their friendship, Vic,Ronnie and Shane each orchestrate assassination attempts against one another. The attempts fail, though Shane's assassination attempt on Ronnie is exposed, setting off a series of events ultimately leading to Shane's suicide.
During the chaos, Vic's appeal against his forced retirement fails, and, with ten days remaining on the job, chooses to resign, knowing Captain Wyms will restrict him to desk work if he remains. The Strike Team, which Ronnie has been the
de jure
In law and government, ''de jure'' ( ; , "by law") describes practices that are legally recognized, regardless of whether the practice exists in reality. In contrast, ("in fact") describes situations that exist in reality, even if not legally ...
leader of since the news of Vic's impending retirement, is disbanded once again.
In the meantime, Vic's ex-wife Corrine has since become fearful of him. She was especially disturbed by news from Mara, Shane's wife, that Vic tried to kill her and Shane, despite Mara's pregnancy. Corrine wants Vic out of her and her children's lives. She has since been working with the police to put Vic in jail. The police begin to suspect Vic is becoming wise to Corrine's cooperation with them, so to maintain her cover, Corrine is mock-arrested in front of Vic. Vic now believes Corrine is in serious trouble with the law, and resolves to help her, unaware of her betrayal of him.
In exchange for helping
ICE
Ice is water frozen into a solid state, typically forming at or below temperatures of 0 degrees Celsius or Depending on the presence of impurities such as particles of soil or bubbles of air, it can appear transparent or a more or less opaq ...
develop a Federal case against Beltran, a drug lord, Vic arranges for full immunity for himself and for Corrine. He is unable to secure the same deal for Ronnie and decides to leave him out. The immunity agreement also provides Mackey three years' employment with ICE, which he assumes will involve work as a
field agent In espionage, a field agent is an agent who works in the field as opposed to one who operates at the office or headquarters. A field agent can work alone or in a group but usually has a case officer who is in charge.
Field agents can be undercover, ...
. Mackey admits to all the crimes he has committed including the slayings of Terry Crowley, Margos Dezerian, Guardo Lima, and many others, and receives full immunity from prosecution for all of them. After he details all of his crimes, a horrified ICE Agent Olivia Murray tells Vic that he has "implicated Detective Gardocki in enough shit to send him to prison for the rest of his life." Vic responds that he needs Ronnie's help to bust Beltran and that he would, "string him along," until then.
In the aftermath of Beltran's arrest, Captain Wyms summons Vic and Ronnie back to their former precinct. She then brings Vic into the interrogation room and reads Shane's suicide letter aloud, while showing him photographs of his body. Although Vic and Shane's relationship was shattered by this point, Vic is nonetheless devastated. He restrains himself from reacting emotionally when he notices the surveillance camera that Wyms is watching him on. He then tears the camera off the wall and smashes it on the floor.
Vic then watches in horror as Ronnie Gardocki, his last remaining friend, is placed under arrest. Gardocki is informed that Vic took the deal with ICE and confessed to everything the Strike Team did as part of his immunity deal, leaving Ronnie to take the fall for all of it and be sent to prison. Enraged and devastated that Vic lied to him and sold him out, Ronnie screams profanity at Vic as the former is handcuffed and led away. Vic explains that he thought Corrine was in trouble and did not think he had a choice. As his former colleagues eye him with frigid loathing, Wyms dismisses Vic. Vic leaves the precinct for the last time in disgrace.
Epilogue
Frightened by what actions Vic may take for her attempts to send him to prison, Vic's ex-wife Corinne pleads with Wyms for protection from him. In response, they approach ICE Agent Olivia Murray and advise her that taking Vic's children away was the best means of hurting him. Corinne and the children disappear into the
Witness Protection Program
Witness protection is security provided to a threatened person providing testimonial evidence to the justice system, including defendants and other clients, before, during, and after a trial, usually by police. While a witness may only require p ...
.
In the aftermath, Vic begs for the opportunity to say goodbye to his children. Unmoved, Agent Murray responds, "You said goodbye to them the moment you shot another cop in the face."
Realizing that the deal includes no stipulations about the capacity in which ICE must employ Vic, Murray vows to make his three years at the agency as unpleasant as possible by severely curtailing his duties. Vic is assigned to a desk job, forbidden to carry a weapon while on duty, and required to write a 10-page report every day and submit to weekly drug testing. She makes it clear to Vic that any violation of the rules set for him will cause his immunity deal to be withdrawn. Sitting in a
cubicle
A cubicle is a partially enclosed office workspace that is separated from neighboring workspaces by partitions that are usually tall. Its purpose is to isolate office workers and managers from the sights and noises of an open workspace so that ...
and isolated from his family and former colleagues, Vic decorates his desk with pictures of his three children from his marriage with Corinne, and a photo of himself drinking beer with Lemansky. There are no photos of Shane, Ronnie, or Corinne.
Hearing police sirens, Mackey looks out the office window. Returning to his desk, Vic's eyes fill with tears as he stares at the photographs of his children. Suddenly his face contorts into a snarl. Vic removes his pistol from his lockbox, smiles, then holsters it beneath his shirt and walks off into the night.
Relationships
Relationship with Shane
Mackey's relationship with Detective
Shane Vendrell
The following is a list of character summaries from the FX Networks television series ''The Shield''.
Main characters
* Michael Chiklis – Vic Mackey (2002–2008)
* Glenn Close – Monica Rawling (2005)
* Catherine Dent – Danielle "Dann ...
has been described as the "centrepiece of ''The Shield''". Shane was Vic's best friend since before the creation of the Strike Team. The season two prequel episode 'Co-Pilot' shows that they were partners before the events of season one. The strength of their friendship is evident in season one, in how Vic initially only keeps Shane informed of some of his darker schemes, leaving Lem and Ronnie out. However, their relationship eventually becomes strained when Shane enters into a serious relationship with Mara, who is very demanding of his time.
After Lemansky burns the money train cash, Vic is unable to resolve the subsequent animosity between Lemansky and Shane. Indeed, he finds himself embroiled in it when Shane accuses Vic of taking other people's side against him when they are supposed to be best friends. Vic calls Mara a bitch who has got Shane so twisted that he cannot think straight anymore. The two fall out, and the strike team is disbanded.
During season 4 Shane and Vic reconcile after Shane gets involved with the drug lord and gang leader
Antwon Mitchell
The following is a list of character summaries from the FX Networks television series ''The Shield''.
Main characters
* Michael Chiklis – Vic Mackey (2002–2008)
* Glenn Close – Monica Rawling (2005)
* Catherine Dent – Danielle "Dann ...
, who kills a young girl using Shane's gun. Blackmailing Shane, he offers to hand her body over to him in return for the body of Vic Mackey. Shane contacts Vic to meet him alone. After convincing Vic of his innocence in the girl's murder, the two men work together again, along with Ronnie and Lem, to save Shane's career and put Antwon behind bars. Following this, the Strike Team is reformed.
When Vic learns the truth about Shane's murder of Lem, Vic confronts Shane, and tells him that if he ever sees him again, he would kill him. Shane drives off, calling Vic a
hypocrite
Hypocrisy is the practice of engaging in the same behavior or activity for which one criticizes another or the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one's own behavior does not conform. In moral psychology, it is the ...
.
Vic and Ronnie ultimately decide that the time had come for Shane to pay with his life for murdering Lem. They arrange for him to be assassinated by a Mexican
drug cartel
A drug cartel is any criminal organization with the intention of supplying drug trafficking operations. They range from loosely managed agreements among various drug traffickers to formalized commercial enterprises. The term was applied when the ...
. At the last second, Vic tries to call off the hit on Shane, but was unable to reach Shane on his cell phone. Through sheer luck, Shane survives. Shane decides to retaliate by
blackmail
Blackmail is an act of coercion using the threat of revealing or publicizing either substantially true or false information about a person or people unless certain demands are met. It is often damaging information, and it may be revealed to fa ...
ing a small-time
pimp
Procuring or pandering is the facilitation or provision of a prostitute or other sex worker in the arrangement of a sex act with a customer. A procurer, colloquially called a pimp (if male) or a madam (if female, though the term pimp has still ...
into murdering Ronnie in his apartment, while preparing to murder Vic at Vic's apartment himself. The attempt on Ronnie's life is botched, as well as Vic's when Ronnie alerts him about what happened. The pimp is later apprehended, and reveals the truth, forcing Shane to flee and go on the run with his pregnant wife and son.
Ultimately, Shane is horrified to learn of Vic's immunity deal during a
cell phone
A mobile phone, cellular phone, cell phone, cellphone, handphone, hand phone or pocket phone, sometimes shortened to simply mobile, cell, or just phone, is a portable telephone that can make and receive calls over a radio frequency link whil ...
conversation. As a result of Vic's taunts, Shane murders his pregnant wife, Mara, and his son Jackson by poison. As his fellow officers kick down the door, Shane shoots himself in the head. In the series finale, Vic places a picture of himself and Lem on his new desk at ICE headquarters. Though originally, the picture was of all four members of the Strike Team, Vic seems to have cropped Shane and Ronnie out of the frame, unable to reconcile himself with Shane's betrayal of Lem and subsequent suicide.
Relationship with Ronnie
Digital Spy
Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...
write that
Ronnie Gardocki
The following is a list of character summaries from the FX Networks television series ''The Shield''.
Main characters
* Michael Chiklis – Vic Mackey (2002–2008)
* Glenn Close – Monica Rawling (2005)
* Catherine Dent – Danielle "Dann ...
"showed his loyalty to Vic
..more than any of the others". The ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' also describe Gardocki as "unreasonably loyal" to Vic. When the Strike Team is temporarily disbanded at the end of season three, Ronnie is the only one to stay by Vic's side when Shane and Lem went their separate ways.
Gardocki's loyalty is exhibited best when Shane reveals his and Vic's murder of Terry Crowley years earlier, in order to drive a wedge between the remaining two members of the Strike Team. Ronnie reveals to Vic that he had long suspected the latter's involvement and that he understands why Vic did what he did. Furthermore, Ronnie adds that he could have provided Mackey with emotional support after the murder, citing that he would have "looked out for
ackey
The ackey was a currency issued for the Gold Coast by the British between 1796 and 1818. It was subdivided into 8 ''takoe'' and was equal to the British halfcrown, i.e., 1 takoe = 3 pence and 1 pound = 8 ackey.
The currency consisted of silver ...
better" than Vendrell did.
Ronnie panics at the thought of Shane, now a fugitive, being arrested and confessing to the many crimes committed by the Strike Team and even considers running to
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
. However, Vic dissuades him and tries to arrange
ICE
Ice is water frozen into a solid state, typically forming at or below temperatures of 0 degrees Celsius or Depending on the presence of impurities such as particles of soil or bubbles of air, it can appear transparent or a more or less opaq ...
jobs for the both of them.
When ICE offers Vic immunity but not Ronnie, Vic refuses to accept unless Ronnie receives a similar deal too. However, after witnessing the staged arrest of his ex-wife, Corinne, Vic takes the deal and confesses to everything.
After Beltran's arrest, Vic and Ronnie are summoned back to The Barn. Believing that they are both safe forever, Ronnie is shocked when he is handcuffed. Enraged and devastated by Vic's betrayal, Ronnie shouts profanity at his former mentor. Vic is noticeably crushed by seeing his last remaining friend arrested. In the series finale, Vic is seen placing a picture of himself and Lem on his new desk at ICE headquarters. Though originally the picture was of all four members of the Strike Team at a celebration, Vic cropped Shane and Ronnie out of the frame, unable to reconcile himself with his own betrayal of Ronnie.
Relationship with Lemansky
Lem
Lem may refer to:
Places
* 3836 Lem, an asteroid named after Stanisław Lem
* , a municipality in Jutland
People Given name or nickname
(Alphabetical by surname)
* Lemuel Lem Barney (born 1945), American football player
* Lem Billings (1916– ...
is described as "loyal to Mackey, and goes along with the
..team's schemes even when it gives him a guilty conscience." Lem was reluctant to participate in the robbing of the Armenian mob, and his subsequent burning of the money train cash to elude capture ignites antagonism between him and Shane Vendrell, which ultimately brings the entire team's existence to an end.
When the Strike Team eventually returns, Vic had Lem get collateral from a drug dealer to ensure a tip regarding the whereabouts of a body that could implicate Shane. Lemansky takes a brick of
heroin
Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a potent opioid mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. Medical grade diamorphine is used as a pure hydrochloride salt. Various white and brow ...
from the dealer. The heroin is later seized by IAD from Lemansky's car and Lemansky then becomes a means with which Lieutenant Jon Kavanaugh can take down the entire Strike Team. Lem's loyalty is tested when he found out Vic killed Terry, but he remains loyal to the team. After hearing false reports that Lemansky is considering testifying against the team for a lighter sentence, Shane kills Lem with a grenade. A running theme in the last few seasons of the series was Vic's regret towards what happened to Lem. In the aftermath, Vic undertook several actions to avenge Lem's death, including torturing and killing suspect Guardo Lima and trying to murder real killer Shane Vendrell on multiple occasions after he learns of Shane's role in Lem's death. Lem, the only one Vic still had an untainted friendship with, remained the one Strike Team member in the Strike Team photo in Vic's cubicle at ICE.
Relationship with Aceveda
Personality clashes play a major part in the premise of ''The Shield'', and the clash between Mackey and
David Aceveda
The following is a list of character summaries from the FX Networks television series ''The Shield''.
Main characters
* Michael Chiklis – Vic Mackey (2002–2008)
* Glenn Close – #Monica Rawling, Monica Rawling (2005)
* Catherine Dent – ...
has been described as the most prominent. ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' also notes the internal conflict between Mackey and Aceveda as being one of the highlights of the programme. The tension between Mackey and Aceveda evolves in different ways over the course of ''The Shield''. Although Aceveda privately detests Mackey, he was not above breaking the law himself. He also frequently blurs the lines between investigating Mackey and protecting him. ''
Wired
''Wired'' (stylized as ''WIRED'') is a monthly American magazine, published in print and online editions, that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. Owned by Condé Nast, it is headquartered in San Fra ...
'' suggests Aceveda is only "interested in leveraging what
e knows(or, at least, suspects) about the Strike Team to climb further up the ladder."
In the first season, Aceveda is heavily bent on proving Mackey's guilt, putting all his effort into taking him down. While Mackey detests Aceveda's political ambitions, Aceveda continued to label Mackey as "
Al Capone
Alphonse Gabriel Capone (; January 17, 1899 – January 25, 1947), sometimes known by the nickname "Scarface", was an American gangster and businessman who attained notoriety during the Prohibition era as the co-founder and boss of the ...
with a badge."
At the start of the second season, Aceveda, not wanting a scandal in the midst of his political career, agrees to watch Mackey's back if he could make the Strike Team appear to clean up their act and exhibit professionalism at all times. This creates a very subtle, bumpy friendship between the two. This friendship, however, ends when Aceveda left for his
City Council
A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...
position, but not before writing a scathing letter that makes Mackey out to be an ineffective detective and acussing him of Terry Crowley's murder, irreparably damaging his career.
After Vic arranges an immunity deal with ICE, Aceveda is enraged that Vic can never be prosecuted for any of his crimes. The two collaborate one last time, however, in order to arrange the arrest of drug lord Guillermo Beltran. While speaking over the phone, Aceveda expresses satisfaction that ICE had realized that, "they have a reptile working for them." Uninterested in Aceveda's views on his character, Vic coldly reminded Aceveda about "respecting each others' endgames", marking the final communication between the two men.
Other relationships
Mackey's training officer and first partner was
Joe Clark
Charles Joseph Clark (born June 5, 1939) is a Canadian statesman, businessman, writer, and politician who served as the 16th prime minister of Canada from 1979 to 1980.
Despite his relative inexperience, Clark rose quickly in federal polit ...
, who taught him how to deal with violent street criminals and how to bend the laws to his advantage. Clark was eventually dismissed from the force for beating a suspect. Clark's legacy to Vic was the justification that they always "did more good than bad". In season 6, Mackey re-encounters Clark, who has become a for-hire enforcer who uses his intimidation skills from his days as a cop to earn an income. Mackey participates in one raid, and realizes this type of occupation is both dangerous and unnecessarily cruel.
Mackey also has a close friendship with a prostitute,
Connie Reisler, whom in an unseen story he found "lying in a bathroom in a pool of bloody crystals", trying to end her
pregnancy
Pregnancy is the time during which one or more offspring develops ( gestates) inside a woman's uterus (womb). A multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with twins.
Pregnancy usually occurs by sexual intercourse, but ca ...
with
drain cleaner
A drain cleaner is method for unblocking sewer pipes or clogged wastewater drains. The term may also refer to a mechanical device such as a plumber's snake, drain auger, toilet plunger, or similar device. Occasionally, the term is applied to a plu ...
and a
plunger
A plunger, force cup, plumber's friend or plumber's helper is a tool used to clear blockages in drains and pipes. It consists of a rubber suction cup attached to a stick (''shaft'') usually made of wood or plastic. A different bellows-like desi ...
. He told her if she ever needed any help she could call him, and they developed a deep bond. However, Connie is killed in season two.
For many years, Vic has an on-off sexual relationship with Sergeant
Danny Sofer
The following is a list of character summaries from the FX Networks television series ''The Shield''.
Main characters
* Michael Chiklis – Vic Mackey (2002–2008)
* Glenn Close – Monica Rawling (2005)
* Catherine Dent – Danielle "Dann ...
and fathered her
illegitimate
Legitimacy, in traditional Western common law, is the status of a child born to parents who are legally married to each other, and of a child conceived before the parents obtain a legal divorce. Conversely, ''illegitimacy'', also known as ''b ...
son Lee. Vic is later angered by Danny's attempts to have Vic sign documents legally abandoning his claim to being Lee's father. In season 6, Vic's daughter Cassidy angrily confronts Mackey after listening to her mother discussing the baby's paternity over the telephone.
In season one, Mackey is nearly taken down when rookie Officer
Julien Lowe
The following is a list of character summaries from the FX Networks television series ''The Shield''.
Main characters
* Michael Chiklis – Vic Mackey (2002–2008)
* Glenn Close – Monica Rawling (2005)
* Catherine Dent – Danielle "Dann ...
catches Vic and the Strike Team stealing cocaine from a crime scene. Although Julien approaches Captain Aceveda and promises to testify against Vic and the Team, Mackey swiftly obtains leverage against Julien. Vic discovers Julien is involved in a homosexual relationship with a wanted fugitive. Holding the upper hand, Vic threatens to denounce Julien's homosexuality to the entire precinct unless Julien recants his allegations. Julien, afraid of being outed, acquiesces to Vic's demands. In season six, Julien is promoted to the strike team by Captain Wyms. Despite their past differences, Julien and Mackey work well on cases together and show each other respect.
Vic also has a notable relationship with Detective
Dutch Wagenbach
The following is a list of character summaries from the FX Networks television series ''The Shield''.
Main characters
* Michael Chiklis – Vic Mackey (2002–2008)
* Glenn Close – Monica Rawling (2005)
* Catherine Dent – Danielle "Dann ...
. Vic perceives Dutch as arrogant, making him the target of Vic's practical jokes early in the series. The nature of their relationship often changes, however. After Dutch almost single-handedly apprehends a serial killer, Vic learns to respect him, and the practical jokes cease. They often cooperate on cases during this period and develop a minor friendship. This changes however when Dutch begins to correctly suspect that Mackey was behind the Armenian money train robbery. When Mackey learns that Dutch has been pointing the finger at him to Aceveda, Mackey's respect for Dutch evaporates and the practical jokes resume. During this time, Dutch begins a relationship with Vic's ex-wife Corrine, which he admits he started, at least initially, to get back at Vic. During a fight between Dutch and his new partner, Billings, Vic mocks Dutch during the brawl. When Vic attempts to split the fight up, Dutch punches Vic out of anger over the latter's bullying of him. Vic doesn't strike back, instead he lays off Dutch and the practical jokes cease once again. Dutch later helps Corrine try and have Vic arrested.
Vic initially has a neutral relationship with Detective
Claudette Wyms
The following is a list of character summaries from the FX Networks television series ''The Shield''.
Main characters
* Michael Chiklis – Vic Mackey (2002–2008)
* Glenn Close – Monica Rawling (2005)
* Catherine Dent – Danielle "D ...
, the two initially share no friendship or antagonism, and even successfully collaborate in series one. Series two however sees Wyms unravel some of Vic and the Strike Team's corruption, and their relationship is permanently tainted. When Wyms is promoted to Captain in series six, this hostility remains. Similar to Aceveda before her, she tries unsuccessfully to have Vic brought to justice.
Reception
Mackey has been summarised as an "effective but corrupt cop who operates under his own set of rules" and is often regarded as one of the greatest
antihero
An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero) or antiheroine is a main character in a story who may lack conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism, courage, and morality. Although antiheroes may sometimes perform actions ...
es in television history.
On Bravo TV's countdown of the 100 Greatest Television Characters,
Michael Chiklis
Michael Charles Chiklis ( born August 30, 1963) is an American actor, television director, television producer and musician. He is best known for his role as Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Detective Vic Mackey on the FX police drama ''The S ...
described Mackey as "a cross between
Hannibal Lecter
Dr. Hannibal Lecter is a Character (arts), fictional character created by the novelist Thomas Harris. Lecter is a serial killer who Human cannibalism, eats his victims. Before his capture, he was a respected Forensic psychiatry, forensic psychi ...
and
Dirty Harry
''Dirty Harry'' is a 1971 American neo-noir
Neo-noir is a revival of film noir, a genre that had originally flourished during the post-World War II era in the United Statesroughly from 1940 to 1960. The French term, ''film noir'', translates ...
." Commenting on the casting of Chiklis, the ''
Mail Tribune
The ''Mail Tribune'' is a seven-day daily newspaper based in Medford, Oregon, United States that serves Jackson County, Oregon, and adjacent areas of Josephine County, Oregon and northern California.
Its coverage area centers on Medford and A ...
'' stated, "Given that Chiklis was stretching beyond his comedic roles, the announcement of his casting had everyone scratching their heads. But he proved to everyone he was more than capable for the challenge. His portrayal to this day stands out as one of television's most despised and most rooted for characters. And it all started with Vic killing another cop and the coverup that follows."
James Donaghy, writing for ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'', describes Mackey as "a character as compelling as any from the prestige TV era." He goes on to write, "his game is on a whole other level. He makes Dirty Harry look like
Barney Miller
''Barney Miller'' is an American sitcom television series set in a New York City Police Department police station on East 6th St in Greenwich Village. The series was broadcast on ABC Network from January 23, 1975, to May 20, 1982. It was created ...
..Mackey is ferociously intelligent, utterly ruthless and terrifyingly brave. Watching him keep one step ahead of Aceveda, Internal Affairs and drug lords is one of the joys of the show." He concludes, "That you end up sympathising, even identifying with him is testament to Ryan's deft characterisation and Chiklis's magnificent performance. For all his flaws, Mackey sincerely loves his wife and autistic son and has a vulnerability and wit that makes it hard to hate him even when you know he's indefensible."
''
Men's Health
''Men's Health'' (''MH''), published by Hearst, is the world's largest men's magazine brand, with 35 editions in 59 countries. It is also the best-selling men's magazine on U.S. newsstands.
Started as a men's health magazine by Rodale, Inc. ...
'' also comment on the likeability of the character despite his immorality, adding, "Is Mackey a violent, autism-phobic piece of shit? Yes he is. Do we still want him to avoid prison? Somehow, unbelievably, yes."
Maria Elena Fernandez for the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' shares similar sentiments, stating the distinction between right or wrong is "to put it mildly, blurry for Mackey, who manages to be a hero and an antihero simultaneously, committing the most heinous acts imaginable while eliciting compassion from viewers."
Dariel Figueroa of
Uproxx
''Uproxx'' (stylized in all caps) is an entertainment and popular culture news website. It was founded in 2008 by Jarret Myer and Brian Brater, and acquired by Woven Digital (later renamed Uproxx Media Group) in 2014. The site's target audience ...
, however, rejects the idea that Mackey is easy to sympathize with. He writes, "It's hard to say that Vic Mackey was even an anti-hero, as anti-heroes at least have redeemable qualities. That's not to say that Mackey didn't exhibit some fine police work at times. Mackey put away bad guys just as well as the best TV cops. He did have a family that he cared for, but with Mackey you got a general sense that his family was just a buoy that at the back of his mind he needed to help him validate all the evil things he had done.
..In the very first episode, Mackey murders a detective and covers it up solely for the purposes of hiding his corruption. For Mackey, it was all about his "retirement fund".
..When the team came across an illegal Armenian money train, policing was not at the forefront of his thoughts; it was all about 'How can we steal this thing? Pete Clark for the ''
Evening Standard
The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format.
In October 2009, after be ...
'' also remarks that "the only flicker of humanity in Mackey is his desire to get back his family", but even then "The reason for this is not love, but the burning desire to get back what rightly belongs to him."
In a less than complimentary review,
Ken Tucker
Kenneth Tucker is an American arts, music and television critic, magazine editor, and non-fiction book writer.
Early life and education
Tucker was born in Manhattan, New York City, New York, and raised in Stamford, Connecticut. He earned a ...
, in an article for ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'', takes issue with some of the scenes depicting Mackey's brutality, in particular a scene from the series two episode "Dead Soldiers", writing "a squirmy scene in which Mackey holds a naughty man's face against the red-hot coils of a stovetop. Rather than seeming like the logical climax to a harrowing manhunt, the scene comes off as an abrupt but contrived display of
shock tactics
Shock tactics, shock tactic or shock attack is the name of an offensive maneuver which attempts to place the enemy under psychological pressure by a rapid and fully-committed advance with the aim of causing their combatants to retreat. The accept ...
a way to maintain media-buzz momentum." He adds "''The Shield'' seems to think that its core premise (Mackey: a hero who does brutal, illegal things) is so intrinsically engrossing, we're not going to notice how recklessly dumb his actions are."
Daniel Feinberg and Inkoo Kang of ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' highlight that
police brutality in the United States
Police brutality is the repression by personnel affiliated with law enforcement when dealing with suspects and civilians. The term is also applied to abuses by "corrections" personnel in municipal, state, and federal prison camps, including mi ...
is an issue seldom touched upon on television. They both use Vic Mackey to highlight that when such brutality is portrayed, it is often rationalised as necessary. Kang states that ''The Shield'' "sensationalized Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis) and his crew's aggression while frequently contextualizing their violence as part of some larger effort — and therefore of strategic necessity (even if there was never any doubt that their schemes were to enrich themselves and continue terrorizing L.A.'s criminals with impunity)." While Finberg adds, "with somebody like The Shield's Vic Mackey, it's supposed to be a push and pull for viewers as to whether we're willing to accept an ends-justifies-the-means approach; is Vic's success in stopping killers, wife-beaters and pedophiles enough to excuse the things he does to get there? Even if the end of ''The Shield'' leaves absolutely no ambiguity at all that Vic is a character doomed to, at the very least, a metaphorical hell for his actions, you can't stop viewers from having their own interpretations."
In an article on "why he likes nightmarish policemen despite misgivings",
Andrew Billen
Andrew William Scott Billen (born 30 December 1957) is a British journalist, children's author, and staff feature writer on ''The Times'' newspaper.
Early life
Andrew Billen was born in London on 30 December 1957 and brought up in Brentwood, E ...
of the ''
New Statesman
The ''New Statesman'' is a British political and cultural magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first connected with Sidney and Beatrice Webb and other leading members ...
'' writes, "Mackey is a thug on the take, not ''
Dixon of Dock Green
''Dixon of Dock Green'' was a BBC police procedural television series about daily life at a fictional London police station, with the emphasis on petty crime, successfully controlled through common sense and human understanding. It ran from 19 ...
'' meets ''
The Enforcer''. He's a different type of cop, all right, a maniac cop, and it is his deranged soul that fascinates our writer. At a time when forensic procedure has come to dominate the most successful American crime shows, spawning in the US multiple spin-offs from ''
Law and Order
In modern politics, law and order is the approach focusing on harsher enforcement and penalties as ways to reduce crime. Penalties for perpetrators of disorder may include longer terms of imprisonment, mandatory sentencing, three-strikes laws a ...
'' and ''
CSI'', ''The Shield'', despite its sensationalist, over-schematic premise, pushes character back into the limelight."
Vic Mackey was seen as a pattern of more violent anti-heroes on television. For example, Tim Goodman for the ''
San Francisco Chronicle
The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. de ...
'' writes that Mackey "doesn't just cross the ethical line,
estomps on it. Forget good cop-bad cop. Mackey is a vicious cop."
Ginia Bellafante
Ginia Bellafante (born March 31, 1965) is an American critic and columnist for ''The New York Times''.
Career
Bellafante worked at ''Time'', as a senior reporter covering fashion, until 1999. She then joined ''The New York Times'' as a fashio ...
of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' writes that Mackey "jury-rigged the rules so aggressively, and so often based on nothing more than his own self-interest, that he left the
Jack Bauer
Jack Bauer is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox television series ''24 (TV series), 24''. His character has worked in various capacities on the show, often as a Special agent, federal agent of the Co ...
s and Dirty Harrys to seem like hospital gift shop volunteers." Ben Sherlock of ''
Screen Rant
''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and film theories. ''Screen Rant'' was launched by Vic Holtreman in 2003, and originally had its primary office in Ogden, Utah. ''Scr ...
'' adds, "Arriving between the trendsetting reign of
Tony Soprano
Anthony John Soprano is a fictional character and the antihero protagonist in the HBO television drama series ''The Sopranos'' (1999–2007), portrayed by James Gandolfini. Soprano is a member of the American Mafia, Italian-American Mafia and, ...
and the game-changing transformation of
Walter White Walter White most often refers to:
* Walter White (''Breaking Bad''), character in the television series ''Breaking Bad''
* Walter Francis White (1893–1955), American leader of the NAACP
Walter White may also refer to:
Fictional characters
...
, Vic Mackey enjoyed a fascinating arc on ''The Shield''.
..It's not easy to make a crooked cop work as the protagonist of a police procedural, but Michael Chiklis made for a riveting lead and series creator Shawn Ryan used this atypical hero to put a fun twist on a well-worn genre."
James Poniewozik
James "Jim" Poniewozik (; born July 12, 1968) is an American journalist and television critic. He is the chief TV critic for ''The New York Times''. Earlier in his career, he wrote ''Time'' magazine's ''Tuned In'' column for 16 years.
Early life
...
for ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' describes him as "Tony Soprano with a badge, the stresses and contradictions of his life betrayed by his tensed jaw and cornered-animal eyes."
Similarly,
Emily St. James, writing for ''
Slant Magazine
''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...
'' adds "In many ways, Mackey is worse than even Tony Soprano. While Tony has been indirectly responsible for the deaths of innocents, the murders he handles directly are those of people who all have blood on their hands. Mackey has killed (and will, so it is implied, kill again) just to better his own station in life, and that gives the show's attitudes towards him a problematic strain."
John Doyle for ''
The Globe and Mail
''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...
'' summarizes Mackey as a "bullet-headed goon who is manipulative, corrupt and amoral" and "the embodiment of an America corrupted by greed." On the other hand, Allan Johnson writing for the ''
Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'' describes Mackey as "a pugnacious brute who wants to keep the peace and protect the innocenthe just seems to relish being loutish about it." He writes that "It's
ackey'scomplexity that makes ''The Shield'' a fascinating, if sometimes uncomfortable, series.
..It is the line that Mackey crosses in the name of justice that gives ''The Shield'' its fire, a world that will test viewers who may like their heroes with fewer shades of gray.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mackey, Vic
The Shield characters
Fictional Los Angeles Police Department detectives
Fictional murderers
Fictional government agents
Fictional characters from Boston
Television characters introduced in 2002
Police misconduct in fiction