A new series of gritty cop drama The Shield (AXN on Thursdays at midnight) has kicked off with a few bangs, the biggest of which sees five-time Oscar nominee Glenn Close joining the cast for what is bound to be another explosive season.
While snagging Close is a coup for the series' producers, it's an unusual career move for the veteran actress, despite the multi-award-winning show's growing reputation as one of the best police dramas on television. Created by Shawn Ryan, the show has turned out to be a surprising winner for United States-based 'basic' cable television station FX.
With stellar performances in movies such as The Big Chill, Jagged Edge, Dangerous Liaisons, Fatal Attraction and 2004's remake of The Stepford Wives, as well as three new releases this year, it's not as though Close needs the work. Perhaps it was curiosity and a desire for a new challenge that prompted her to make the move. Whatever the reason, it has certainly boosted The Shield's fortunes, with audience numbers in the US reportedly increasing by more than 25 per cent since she joined.
Close plays police captain Monica Rawling, who's been sent to the infamous Barn to replace David Aceveda (Benito Martinez), who is moving to city hall as the newly elected council mayor. Under orders to clean up the tough, crime-infested precinct on the outskirts of Los Angeles, Rawling needs to find some allies fast. Hard-bitten, rule-breaking detective Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis, who played The Thing in this summer's Fantastic Four) unsurprisingly proves to be a thorn in her side when it comes to the issue of trust, while there's no love lost between Rawling and detective Claudette Wyms (C.C.H. Pounder) who was in line for the captain's job and has been sidelined by the district attorney's office.
Thursday night's episode is the second instalment of series four. Aceveda spends his last day at the station trying to bury his old nemesis Mackey for good, which spells trouble for Rawling as she struggles to find her feet. Let's hope the chemistry between Close and Chicklis finds its groove, because this season of The Shield promises to be the best yet.
Keep an eye out for Anatomical Travelogues (Discovery Channel on Wednesday at 10pm) this week, a three-part series (the second and third episodes are showing on Thursday and Friday at the same time) that promises to take viewers on an amazing ride inside the human body through new imaging technology.