When it debuted in March of 2002, FX’s The Shield immediately went to work challenging TV conventions.

As a basic-cable production, it could have taken the familiar route most police dramas do — you know, “gritty cop pushes and occasionally steps outside the boundaries of the law in the name of cleaning up the streets” — but from the moment the pilot episode concluded with a despicable act by the protagonist, creator Shawn Ryan made it clear his series would not stick to familiar territory.

And for the next seven seasons, The Shield delivered some of the best writing and performances the medium had to offer.

For some reason — perhaps because it didn’t have the prestige that came with being on HBO or another premium cable channel, à la The Sopranos or Six Feet Under — The Shield doesn’t get included in the best-of lists TV watchers compile from time to time. But that’s a significant oversight, because 14 years after it first appeared, The Shield remains a hugely compelling entertainment experience.

If you haven’t seen it yet, you’re in luck, as CraveTV is currently featuring the series on demand. Here are five reasons why you should watch as soon as possible:

The Anti-hero’s Anti-hero

Pop culture is littered with shows about cops prepared to operate by their own extralegal, extramoral codes to catch “bad guys.” But in L.A. detective Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis), The Shield depicted an officer with the spirit and mentality of a mob boss, a man who used the law to tie up whatever treasure he set his sights on. It also presented the larger environment around the dirty cop, including colleagues who either participated in his crimes or suspected them, and politicians with whom he developed symbiotic relationships. Audiences got to see heroes and villains existing side by side within the same buildings and, often, within the same people. Few series have produced such nuance.

Meet Vic Mackey

One of the most exceptional characters in TV history, Mackey’s fierce love for his family — his wife and kids, the other men in his crooked police unit — ensured he wouldn’t be regarded as a cartoonish, two-dimensional villain. But outside of Breaking Bad’s Walter White, no TV character has been better at rationalizing heinous acts to save their own skin. Murder, theft, assault and cruel psychological mind games with fellow officers were just a few of the ways Mackey stayed on top — and viewers embraced him for it. Chiklis’s masterful portrayal earned him the 2002 Emmy and 2003 Golden Globe Awards as Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama, and rightfully so: The Shield wasn’t only about one person, but its centre was Mackey and Chiklis shone as he wove inner ugliness into an outer shell of bravado and bullying.

Supporting Players

The rest of the cast is just as terrific. Whether it was the permanent members — Walton Goggins (Justified), CCH Pounder (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) and Benito Martinez (House of Cards) — or guest stars such as Glenn Close, Forrest Whitaker and Anthony Anderson, The Shield never lacked for depth and skill among its cast. Ryan wrote meaty roles that allowed all his actors to tap into characters’ flaws and vulnerabilities. To wit: one character is cruelly tricked into being a peeping tom watching two fellow officers have sex; another must deal with the pressures of raising an autistic child; another is sexually assaulted and blackmailed. The Shield was fearless in tackling topics most shows would run screaming from. It was a true ensemble production that deserved more acclaim than it received.

A Man Called Walton

He’s occupied more of the public eye since Quentin Tarantino cast him in his recent The Hateful Eight film, but Walton Goggins first emerged as a marvellous talent playing Detective Shane Vendrell on The Shield. The 44-year-old Alabama native made Vendrell — a cocky, emotional member of Mackey’s quartet of bad cops — into a sympathetic figure. At the same time, he horrified audiences as the character slipped into a maelstrom of personal demons and bad choices. By the time Vendrell’s involvement with the plot finishes you’ll be questioning your faith in many things, but you’ll never question Goggins’ ability to stir your senses. If Chiklis is Reason 1 to watch The Shield, Goggins is an equally unforgettable 1A.

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The End

It has arguably the greatest ending of any series in the modern golden age of TV. While some may prefer The Sopranos’ open-ended conclusion or Mad Men’s soda pop jingle ending, The Shield’s finish is just as tremendous, if not more so. It answered questions laid out in the very first episode. It arrived at an end point few would’ve expected. It rewarded viewers for investing eyeballs and emotions in all 88 of its episodes. It was gut-wrenching and exhilarating and cathartic, and when the credits rolled for the final time you weren’t left feeling cheated or clamouring for a movie to clarify key plot lines. In short, it stuck the landing just about perfectly and remains the standard by which all series endings should be judged.