Episode Rankings: The Shield

The Shield is such a fascinating series, a Shakespearean tragedy about cops. It may have its issues with pacing and tone, it might be a bit too grimdark at times, but The Shield does so much right. Its themes and subject matter feel ahead of its time, the acting and character work is top-notch across the board, and probably most infamously, this show has one of the greatest series finales ever made. Even if you don't end up loving The Shield as a whole, that finale is mandatory viewing. Here's my ranking of its episodes:

1. Family Meeting (S7.13) - Damn. Near. Flawless.
2. Postpartum (S5.11)
3. Possible Kill Screen (S7.12)
4. Kavanaugh (S5.08)
5. On Tilt (S3.13)
6. Dominoes Falling (S2.13)
7. Back In The Hole (S4.10)
8. Parricide (S7.08)
9. Scar Tissue (S2.08)
10. Chasing Ghosts (S6.06)
11. All In (S3.12)
12. Enemy Of Good (S5.02)
13. Ain't That A Shame (S4.13)
14. Baptism In Fire (S6.02)
15. Of Mice And Lem (S5.10)
16. Circles (S1.13)
17. What Power Is (S3.10)
18. Tar Baby (S4.05)
19. Homewrecker (S2.06)
20. Dragonchasers (S1.10)
21. A Man Inside (S5.07)
22. Cherrypoppers (S1.06)
23. Extraction (S5.01)
24. Back To One (S6.03)
25. Moving Day (S7.09)
26. Dead Soldiers (S2.02)
27. Streaks And Tips (S3.04)
28. Insurgents (S4.06)
29. Pilot (S1.01)
30. Smoked (S5.09)
31. Breakpoint (S2.12)
32. Barnstormers (S2.07)
33. Tapa Boca (S5.04)
34. Animal Control (S7.06)
35. Cupid & Psycho (S1.08)
36. Strays (S3.11)
37. Genocide (S7.04)
38. Bang (S4.03)
39. Rap Payback (S5.06)
40. Blowback (S1.05)
41. Partners (S2.03)
42. Blood And Water (S3.02)
43. Carnivores (S1.11)
44. Coefficient Of Drag (S7.01)
45. The Quick Fix (S2.01)
46. Spanish Practices (S6.10)
47. Party Line (S7.10)
48. String Theory (S4.09)
49. Slipknot (S3.09)
50. Pay In Pain (S1.07)
51. Bitches Brew (S7.07)
52. Trophy (S5.05)
53. Bottom Bitch (S3.03)
54. On The Jones (S6.01)
55. Carte Blanche (S2.04)
56. Hurt (S4.07)
57. Fire In The Hole (S3.13)
58. Game Face (S7.05)
59. Our Gang (S1.02)
60. Haunts (S6.05)
61. Jailbait (S5.03)
62. Coyotes (S2.10)
63. Two Days Of Blood (S1.12)
64. Doghouse (S4.04)
65. Playing Tight (S3.01)
66. Cracking Ice (S3.08)
67. Petty Cash (S7.11)
68. A Thousand Deaths (S4.11)
69. Cut Throat (S4.08)
70. Mum (S3.05)
71. Inferno (S2.11)
72. Exiled (S6.07)
73. Greenlit (S2.05)
74. Dawg Days (S1.04)
75. The New Guy (S6.04)
76. Snitch (S7.02)
77. The Cure (S4.01)
78. Recoil (S6.09)
79. Judas Priest (S4.12)
80. Safe (S3.07)
81. Riceburner (S3.12)
82. The Spread (S1.03)
83. Money Shot (S7.03)
84. Grave (S4.02)
85. Throwaway (S1.09)
86. Posse Up (S3.06)
87. The Math Of The Wrath (S6.08)
88. Co-Pilot (S2.09)