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Pilot

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Pilot
1x01 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[]

gives a press conference.

David Aceveda gives a press conference.

David Aceveda is the newly appointed captain to the Farmington Precinct ("The Barn"), an experimental precinct set up by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) in the crime-ridden district of Farmington. Aceveda holds a press conference to appraise the decrease in Farmington's crime rates following the Barn's opening. While he speaks, detectives Vic Mackey, Shane Vendrell, Curtis "Lem" Lemansky, and Ronnie Gardocki–collectively known as the "Strike Team"–chase, assault, and arrest a nonviolent drug dealer named Booty while Terry Crowley, the team's latest recruit, watches.

Detective Holland "Dutch" Wagenbach and his partner, Detective Claudette Wyms, are called to the scene of a murder, the victim being a woman named Nancy Reborg. Officer Danny Sofer leads Dutch out to talk to the victim's sister Janet. Dutch gives Danny his current profile of the killer, surmising that he is either a family member or a 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.

tries to comfort .

Dutch Wagenbach tries to comfort Janet.

As the Strike Team bring Booty back to the Barn, Vic declines to talk to reporters and instead goes to meet with Aceveda. He is told that a drug dealer, Miguel Esteana, is filing a complaint regarding Vic's use of excessive force during his arrest. Esteana's lawyer, Jose Garcia, warns Vic that they will contest the case with a judge. Aceveda issues a warning to Vic, pointing out that this is his fourth complaint, but Vic denies Esteana's allegations.

While discussing the Reborg murder, Dutch asks Claudette if Danny would go on a date with him; Claudette encourages him to look elsewhere. They brief Aceveda on their search for Nancy Reborg's husband Lonnie, a known drug addict. Claudette plans to question a local fence known as Ponyboy Harris, who was seen at the Reborg residence the day before the murder. Dutch awkwardly tries to flirt with Danny, but is interrupted by Vic and Shane, who dislike Dutch and crack crude jokes at his expense. Vic privately asks Danny out on a date, with it being revealed that they have previously carried on a relationship despite Vic's marriage.

makes a deal with .

Terry Crowley makes a deal with David Aceveda.

Terry sees Vic and Shane talk to Rondell Robinson, another drug dealer, which Vic refuses to explain. When he reports the meeting to Aceveda, the captain explains his theory that Vic is targeting Two-Time, a competing dealer to Rondell, in exchange for reduced street crime. Aceveda persuades Terry to help him investigate Vic, introducing him to Department of Justice official Moses Hernandez, who is also helping him. Crowley agrees to join the Strike Team as an undercover operative in exchange for a job in the Justice Department.

Claudette arrests Ponyboy Harris for his possession of stolen VCRs. He knows nothing about Jenny Reborg but explains that Lonnie was at a crack house run by a man named Monty. Claudette asks Vic about the crack house, which Vic is familiar with. There, he finds Lonnie high and notices children without parents wandering around the drug den. He warns Monty to keep them away from the drugs.

At the Barn, Lonnie eventually confesses to Dutch and Claudette that he killed Nancy and sold Jenny to a man named George Sawyer for $200. Sawyer is arrested and put in an interrogation room. While getting him coffee, Dutch notices that someone has stolen food off his desk and gets into a confrontation with Vic. Back in interrogation, Dutch tries and fails to manipulate Sawyer into divulging Jenny's location. Meanwhile, Vic and Shane pay a visit to Esteana and compel him to drop his complaint. Aceveda orders Vic to write up a report on the incident by the following day, but Vic brushes him off in front of nearby officers.

Mackey gets information from .

Mackey gets information from Connie Riesler.

Danny and Julien are called to investigate a vandalized car. Fran and Hooper, the car's owners, believe Fran's ex-boyfriend, Lamar Tilton, may be responsible. Vic visits Connie Riesler, a prostitute that gives him information in exchange for drugs. Connie tells him that Two-Time is having a party where four prostitutes have been summoned to attend. Vic gives her the drugs, as well as some money for her son's care. Dutch continues to question Sawyer. As they watch the interrogation through a security feed, Aceveda asks for Claudette's opinion on Vic. Claudette acknowledges that his tactics are immoral, but still effective. She also warns that Vic has friends in the department who outrank Aceveda.

Mackey congratulates on being part of their next raid.

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

Danny and Julien track down Tilton, who confesses to vandalism. Tilton tries to justify his actions 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 purchasing Jenny, but states that he found her too young and traded her for another girl to one Dr. Bernard Grady. Meanwhile, Vic hosts a barbecue for the Strike Team and their families, where he tells the assembled men about an upcoming raid on Two-Time's party. Vic announces Terry will be joining them on the raid.

When Grady proves impervious to Dutch and Claudette's questioning, Aceveda turns to Vic for help. Vic shuts the door to the interrogation room and pulls several torture implements out of a paper bag before beating Grady with a phone book. Vic emerges from the room with the address Jenny is being held at. Aceveda, Claudette and Dutch raid the address and find Jenny, alive, being held in the basement.

cradles .

Claudette Wyms cradles Jenny Reborg.

As Dutch makes another unsuccessful pass at Danny, they notice a strange smell and find dog feces in Dutch's desk, triggering another confrontation between him and Vic. Aceveda comments to Claudette that this is a common prank on detectives who think too highly of themselves. Dutch is left cleaning his desk while Claudette, Danny and Aceveda settle into their evening routines. Meanwhile, Vic leads the Strike Team out of the Barn and make their way to Two-Time's residence.

Mackey shoots .

Mackey shoots Terry Crowley.

Two-Time is with his girlfriend when the Strike Team break into the house through an upstairs window. Two-Time tries to flush his drugs and fires on Vic when confronted. Vic and Shane trade fire with Two-Time, resulting in the drug dealer's death. As Shane and Vic stand over his body and Terry stands behind them, Vic suddenly takes the dealer's gun, turns around, and shoots Terry in the face. As Terry lays dying on the floor, Vic stands over him 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)).
The infamous double-meaning scene involving and

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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