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Pilot

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Pilot
Crowley-mackey-shot-2
Season 1, Episode 01
Airdate: March 12, 2002
Actual length 46:13
Production Code: 5012-01-179
Written by Shawn Ryan
Directed by Clark Johnson
Next: "Our Gang"


"Pilot" is the first episode of The Shield. It was originally broadcast on March 12, 2002.

Synopsis[]

While Dutch and Claudette investigate the murder of Nancy Reborg, they discover that her daughter is missing and has been sold by her addict father to a child molester. David tries to crack corruption in the Barn by recruiting Terry to help him take down Vic.

Plot[]

Aceveda-press

David Aceveda gives a press conference.

In the Farmington precinct of the Los Angeles Police Department, new Captain David Aceveda holds a press conference to appraise the decrease in Farmington's crime and violence rates following the opening of the new office known as the "Barn". While he speaks, detectives Vic Mackey, Shane Vendrell, Curtis "Lem" Lemansky, and Ronnie Gardocki, known as the "Strike Team", chase, assault, and arrest a nonviolent drug dealer while new recruit Terry Crowley watches. As they lead the beaten dealer away, Aceveda asks the reporters in attendance if they have any questions.

Detectives and partners Holland "Dutch" Wagenbach and Claudette Wyms are called to the scene of a murder, a woman named Nancy Reborg. Officer Danny Sofer leads Dutch out to talk to the victim's sister Janet, and he gives Danny his current profile of the killer, either a family member or lover. Janet becomes distressed after learning of the murder, and is led away by Danny and her partner Julien Lowe. As she leaves, Janet asks about Nancy's daughter, Jenny.

Dutch-janet

Dutch Wagenbach tries to comfort Janet.

As the Strike Team brings the drug dealer back to the Barn, Vic declines to talk to reporters and instead goes to meet with Aceveda when called. A drug attorney, Jose Garcia, and his client Miguel Esteana are waiting for him. Esteana has filed a complaint regarding Vic's use of excessive force during his arrest, but Vic reminds Esteana that he caught him with heroin. Garcia warns him that they will contest the case with a judge and the two leave. Aceveda reminds Vic that this is fourth complaint, but Vic denies the charges. While discussing the Reborg murder, Dutch asks Claudette if Danny would go on a date with him, but Claudette encourages him to look elsewhere. They brief Aceveda on the case, their priority finding Nancy's husband Lonnie, a known drug addict. Claudette plans to start with a local fence known as Ponyboy Harris, who was seen at the Reborg residence a day prior. Dutch awkwardly tries to flirt with Danny, but is interrupted by Vic and Shane, who do not like Dutch because of his intellectual attitude. They crack jokes about how it looked as though Janet was performing oral sex on Dutch at the crime scene. Vic privately asks Danny out on a date, but she reminds him that he is married, and he references the fact that that has not always stopped her.

Crowley-aceveda-b

Terry Crowley makes a deal with David Aceveda.

Crowley watches Vic and Shane talk to drug dealer Rondell Robinson, which Vic declines to explain. When he meets with Aceveda to report this, Aceveda explains his theory that Vic is chipping away at Robinson's competition, Two-Time, in exchange for reduced street crime. Crowley agrees to help him build a case against Vic and Aceveda introduces him to Department of Justice employee Moses Hernandez, who also wants to take down Vic. Crowley agrees to a full informant job in exchange for a job in the Department. Claudette arrests Harris for his possession of stolen VCRs. He knows nothing about Jenny, but explains that Lonnie was at a crackhouse run by a man named Monty. Claudette asks Vic about the crackhouse, and he tells her he is aware of it and will get Lonnie for her. He finds Lonnie high and notices children without parents in the crackhouse. He warns Monty to keep them away from the drugs.

At the Barn, Lonnie is too high to remember what happened to Nancy, but eventually comes down and confesses to Dutch and Claudette that he killing her and sold Jenny to a man for $200, who he identifies as George Sawyer. Sawyer is arrested and subjected to interrogation. While getting him coffee, Dutch notices that someone has stolen food off his desk and makes a scene of it. Vic laughs at him, and Dutch orders him to stay away from his desk. Back in interrogation, Dutch tries to manipulate Sawyer by pretending to believe pedophilia is as moral as homosexuality, but does not get Jenny's location. Vic and Shane pay a visit to Esteana, and Aceveda later informs him that Esteana is dropping the charges. When Aceveda orders Vic to write up a report on it by the next day, Vic brushes him off and dismisses him in front of the nearby officers.

Mackey-connie

Mackey gets information from Connie Riesler.

Julien and Danny are called to investigate slashed tires on a car. The couple it belongs to, Fran and Hooper, believe Fran's ex Lamar Tilton may be responsible. Vic visits Connie Riesler, a prostitute that gives him information in exchange for drugs, taking a bribe from a pimp along the way. Connie tells him that Two-Time is still having a party that Vic was aware of, and that he ordered four prostitutes for the event. Vic gives her the narcotics she wanted, as well as some money to take care of her son with, and sends her off. Dutch continues to manipulate Sawyer, pretending to have a teenage daughter who has friends that he is attracted to. As Claudette and Aceveda watch on the security camera, Aceveda asks her for her thoughts on Vic. Claudette acknowledges that his tactics are immoral, but still effective. She warns him that Vic has friends higher up than Aceveda.

Crowley-mackey-b

Mackey congratulates Terry Crowley on being part of their next raid.

Danny and Julien track down Tilton, who confesses to the slashing. He justifies it by claiming he put money down on the car and he feels as though it belongs to him. He is arrested regardless. Sawyer confesses to buying Jenny, but he found her too young and traded her for another girl to a Dr. Bernard Grady. Vic hosts a barbecue for the Strike Team and their families, where he tells the assembled team about the upcoming raid. Two-Time has been difficult to nail because of his habit of not keeping drugs on him, but Connie's info confirms there will be drugs at his party. Vic ends the meeting by announcing Terry will be joining them.

Claudette and Dutch grill Grady, who refuses to talk, despite Dutch trying his homosexuality comparison on him. Aceveda asks Vic for help. When Grady refuses to talk to him, Vic shuts the door and begins beating Grady with a phone book, while Aceveda turns off the video recording and Dutch and Claudette leave the room. Vic emerges from the room and gives Aceveda the address Jenny is being held at. Aceveda, Claudette and Dutch raid the address and find Jenny being held in a secret basement. Claudette holds her.

Claudette-jenny

Claudette Wyms cradles Jenny Reborg.

As Dutch again tries to flirt with Danny and she turns him down, already having a date, they notice a strange smell and find dog feces in his desk. Knowing Vic did it, he angrily shouts at him, and Vic sarcastically mocks him in response. An observing Aceveda comments to Claudette that the feces is just a common prank on detectives who think highly of themselves.

Two-time-dies

Mackey and Shane kill Two-Time.

Dutch is left cleaning his desk, Claudette arrives home to be greeted by her dog, the Strike Team gears up and leaves the station in a van, Aceveda feeds his baby, and Danny prepares for her date and places her gun in her bag after meeting her blind date at the door.

Crowley-mackey-shot-2

Mackey shoots Terry Crowley.

Two-Time is with his girlfriend at his house when Ronnie breaks an upstairs window and the Strike Team slips in through it. Two-Time tries to flush his drugs and fires on Vic when noticed. Two-Time, Vic, and Shane trade fire and Two-Time is killed. As Shane and Vic stand over his body and Crowley stands behind them, Vic takes the dealer's gun and shoots Terry in the face with it. Vic stands over him, frowning, and shakes his head.

Episode credits[]

Cast[]

Starring[]

Guest starring[]

Also starring[]

Co-Starring[]

Uncredited[]

Production staff[]

Featured Music[]

Episode Title[]

Technically, this episode is unnamed. The term "pilot" is traditionally used in the entertainment industry to identify the first episode of a television series.

Notes[]

  • International airdates:
    • Estonia: November 4, 2003
    • Germany: August 4, 2004
    • France: June 27, 2007
  • The episode had 4.8 million viewers in the USA.
  • This is the only episode of the first five seasons where Kenneth Johnson is not credited as part of the main cast. Instead, he is featured in the guest credits at the beginning of the episode.
  • During the transmission of the episode, the first commercial break didn't occur until 30 minutes into the show, to help preserve the intensity.
  • Vic Mackey tells David Aceveda that he doesn't answer to him "not even on Cinco de Mayo". This is a reference to a Mexican holiday celebrated on May 5 which commemorates the victory of the Mexican army over French forces.
  • When Dutch Wagenbach is interrogating George Sawyer, he mentions singer Britney Spears who, at the time, was a teenager singer known for her sensual videos.
  • Dutch is a fan of Ding-Dongs, a chocolate cake sold by Hostess. When someone takes them from his desk, Claudette Wyms tells her she saw some Twinkies upstairs, which is another cream filled cake also sold by Hostess.
  • Aceveda calls Vic "Al Capone with a badge" in reference to the notorious gangster of the early 20th century.
  • The Dodger Stadium is visible during the last scene when the Strike Team arrives at Two-Time's house in what appears to be an ongoing game. However, it is later mentioned that the raid took place at around 1:00am. It would be very unlikely that a game would still be in progress at that time.
  • The murder of Terry Crowley was done specifically to shock viewers and put them against the lead character, Vic Mackey. Reed Diamond, the actor who plays Crowley, had gained popularity during the late 1990s by playing Det. Mike Kellerman in the TV show Homicide: Life on the Street, where he was part of the main cast for several years. To keep Crowley's murder as a surprise to viewers, Diamond was included in the opening credits and clips of him where heavily featured in commercials for the show.
  • The final musical montage features all the characters except Julien Lowe. There was footage for it, showing him having oral sex performed on him by a man, but the creators decided to reveal that he was gay later on the show.
  • Shawn Ryan was nominated for an Emmy Award in the category of Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series, and Clark Johnson was nominated for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for this episode.
  • At the beginning of the episode, there is one of The Shield's most infamous scenes: a double-meaning scene involving Dutch Wagenbach and Janet, Nancy Reborg's sister. In the scene in question, trying to calm Janet ends up making the two end up in a compromising position, since in an attempt to calm Janet, it looked like she was having oral sex in Dutch, making him the target of jokes from several officers (including Vic Mackey and Shane Vendrell, who were responsible for giving the Dutch's infamous nickname Detective Blowme (Blow Me)).
Dutch-janet

The infamous double-meaning scene involving Dutch Wagenbach and Janet

Quotes[]

  • David Aceveda: You remember Miguel Esteana.
  • Vic Mackey: Sure, Miguel's a piece-of-shit drug dealer with the 25th Street Coronas.
  • Jose Garcia: This is the kind of attitude you foster under your command?
  • David Acevea: Mr. Esteana's attorney, Jose Garcia.
  • Vic Mackey: I know Jose. He represents a bunch of piece-of-shit drug dealers.


  • Terry Crowley: I didn't agree to be a witness in a federal case.
  • David Aceveda: The friends Mackey has, federal's the only way we'll nail him.
  • Terry Crowley: I go outside the department and rat out another cop, my life's not worth crap in LA.
  • David Aceveda: He's right. It's too dangerous. He can't pull it off.
  • Terry Crowley: I didn't say that.
  • David Aceveda: I know. I just meant you need assurances of an upside to all this.
  • Terry Crowley: Such as?
  • David Aceveda: Such as... a guarantee of a job in Justice when it's all over.
  • Terry Crowley: You think I want to be an errand boy in some Alaskan outpost?
  • Moses Hernandez: You pick the city then.
  • Terry Crowley: Okay. Try the home office in DC. I'm gonna need moving expenses.
  • Moses Hernandez: Sure.
  • Terry Crowley: Plus a car and a nice big fruit basket. I'm giving up my life, you gotta give me something back.


  • Vic Mackey: You got kids here.
  • Monty: It's Teacher Institute Day.
  • Vic Mackey: Where's their mom?
  • Monty: Buying supplies.
  • Vic Mackey: Jesus Christ, Monty, you can't have kids around this place.
  • Monty: What am I supposed to do?
  • Vic Mackey: Stick them in a back room. Rent The Lion King.
  • Monty: Someone stole the TV.
  • Vic Mackey: Then buy them some crayons for Christ's sake! Just keep them away from this shit.


  • Dutch Wagenbach: OK, who took my Ding Dongs?
  • Vic Mackey: What are you? In kindergarten?


  • David Aceveda: Miguel Esteana's dropping his complaint against you.
  • Vic Mackey: Told you it was bogus.
  • David Aceveda: I'd like your incident report first thing tomorrow morning.
  • Vic Mackey: Sure. It'll be a couple of days. I got something on the back burner.
  • David Aceveda: It's not a request. Tomorrow morning.
  • Vic Mackey: You'll get my report in a couple of days. Maybe a week. You don't like the timetable, you take it up with Gilroy.
  • David Aceveda: I don't have to. In this building, I'm in charge.
  • Vic Mackey: Maybe in your own mind, amigo. But in the real world, I don't answer to you. Not today, not tomorrow, not even on Cinco de Mayo.


  • Vic Mackey: Good cop and bad cop left for the day, I'm a different kinda cop.

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