CCH Pounder Movies

A recently retired NFL player (Michael Strahan) strapped for cash moves back home with his parents and younger brother, who runs a struggling sports bar. ~ Ray Stackhouse, All Movie Guide

Many academicians scoffed at Jurassic Park as scientifically impossible, but the Discovery Channel documentary Baby Mammoth suggests otherwise. This program travels to the wilds of central Siberia, where a cadre of gold miners happens to unearth a baby mammoth, frozen and preserved in ice during the Pleistocene Era. The subthermal preservation of the animal's corpus enables scientists to study, in exacting detail, how the beast lived and died, and brings them to the surprising conclusion that DNA cloning of such a specimen might in fact become a concrete reality in the very near future. The program then speculates at length on the scientific basis for this possibility and its potential ramifications. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

Season Six of The Shield opens as Detective Vic Mackey (Michael Chilkis) and the rest of the Farmington District Strike Force mourn the death of their colleague Curtis Lemensky (Kenneth Johnson), who was killed by a hand grenade just before he was to be shipped out of the country to prevent his revealing all of the Force's past peccadilloes to relentless Internal Affairs investigator Lt. Jon Kanvanagh (Forest Whitaker). Upon discovering that he is slated to be forcibly retired from the force, the embittered Mackey embarks upon a personal vendetta, bent upon killing the man responsible for "Lem"'s demise--never suspecting that the person he seeks is his own best friend and colleague, Det. Shane Vendrell (Waylon Goggins). . .who may well beat Vic to the punch by committing suicide. His one best chance of destroying the Strike Force gone, Kavanagh becomes more obsessively unhinged than ever, resorting to strongarming witnesses and tampering with evidence to bring Mackey down. This puts Kavanagh on the outs with his two most fervent supporters (and the only thoroughly honest members of the Force), Dutch Wagenbach (Jay Karnes) and newly promoted Claudette Wyms (CCH Pounder). Wyms in fact is so disillusioned by Kavanagh's tactics that she puts her animosity toward Mackey on the shelf and affords Vic an opportunity to save his job. Other developments this season include the ever-growing (and ever-threatenng) political ambitions of Mackey's old adversary, Councilman Aceveda (Benito Martinez); and Off. Danielle Sofer's (Catherine Dent) revelation of the identity of her child's father (to no one's surprise, the man in question is her erstwhile lover Vic Mackey). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Although the gritty cop drama The Shield would become the FX's network longest-running dramatic series during its fourth season, a serious drop in ratings at the end of season three could well have precipitated the show's cancellation. Giving the program a major shot in the arm was the addition of two new regulars, Glenn Close and Anthony Anderson. Close is introduced as Monica Rawling, the new captain of the Farmington District Strike Force and the new (nominal) boss of tough, brutal, and borderline-corrupt Detective Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis). Rawlings has been appointed to her post after Mackey's former captain and longtime enemy David Aceveda (Benito Martinez) is elected to the city council. Though certainly not enamored of Vic's strong-arm tactics and questionable ethics, Rawling is willing to give the detective a relatively free hand in dealing with the district's most vicious drug dealers. Even so, both Aceveda and Rawling intend to closely monitor Vic's movements, forcing him to play it "straight" (or as straight as he's capable of being) throughout the season. The promotion of Rawlings has a profound effect not only on Vic but also on his fellow detective Claudette Wyms (CCH Pounder), who is bitter over not being promoted to captain herself.

Anthony Anderson is cast as Antwon Mitchell, at once the most formidable and most frustrating adversary that Mackey and his team have ever come up against. Once a powerful drug lord, Mitchell has managed to win release from prison, and is now regarded by many of the power elite as a reformed man, a dedicated community activist. Of course, Vic (and the viewers) known that Mitchell hasn't changed a bit, and in fact is a more dangerous mob leader and drug pusher than he'd been before his arrest thanks to strong ties with the Russian mafia. But to the public at large, Mitchell is virtually a saint, and thus above suspicion when the you-know-what hits the fan. Even when Vic and Rawlings have Mitchell dead to rights, he manages to wriggle out of their clutches, leading Vic to suspect that there's a mole in the ranks of the strike force -- a mole who may or may not be his longtime colleague Shane Vendrell (Walton Goggins). Vic's determination to expose Mitchell heats up after several cops are murdered in a well-planned ambush. In giving Vic a tacit carte blanche to blast Mitchell's operation apart, Rawling puts her own job on the line. Ironically, what ultimately seals Rawling's doom is not her war against drugs, but her fierce determination to bring the city's most heinous child abusers to justice. Bringing Glenn Close and Anthony Anderson to the fold turned out be the best thing that had happened to The Shield in years. The series ended its four season posting its best-ever ratings -- indeed, some of the best ratings in the entire realm of cable television. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Fans of The Shield were outraged when, at the end of the series' second season, it looked as if popular supporting character Officer Danielle "Danny" Sofer (Catherine Dent) had been fired from the Farmington District Strike Force. But when season three rolled around, it was revealed that Danny's termination was merely a publicity stunt to hype interest in the series during its summer hiatus. That said, there is definitely quite a change in the Strike Force as season three gets under way. Led by head honcho Detective Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis), the force seems determined to forsake its flouting of the law, as well as its major and minor digressions from honesty and ethics, and to play things strictly "by the book." This resolve, however, lasts only as long as the first episode: Upon discovering that two vicious rival street gangs have purchased powerful assault weapons, Mackey realizes that his old ways are the best ways, and before long he is back to breaking every rule in the book -- and not a few skulls in the process. Among the developments occurring during this season is the simmering feud between the Strike Force and the newly formed Decoy Squad, who squabble over every procedural matter and who have a habit of causing more trouble for themselves than for the "perps." Also, Vic is steamed that his former subordinate, Claudette Wyms (CCH Pounder), has been made supervisor of the Strike Force. And along the way, one-time force member Julian Lowe (Michael Jace) makes a return appearance to clear a former partner of a murder charge. In the two-part season finale, the force is stalked by a relentless Armenian hit man; Vic Mackey's longtime nemesis, Captain Aceveda (Benito Martinez), once again thinks he has enough evidence to bring Mackey down for good; and Claudette is ensnared in a crisis of conscience -- a real rarity for this series! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The president's in town, so The Barn is operating with a skeleton crew, which gives Vic (Michael Chiklis) and the Strike Team a window of opportunity. They somehow have to get the documents denoting the marked bills from the "Money Train" heist, which Aceveda (Benito Martinez) got from the treasury department, out of Aceveda's safe. Vic also has to deal with the mother of a teenaged girl who disappeared. The mom says a local street singer has written a narcocorrido detailing the girl's murder and burial. When Vic goes to search for the girl's body, he finds eight other corpses, all young illegals who died from exposure to methane. Vic also arranges an assignation with Lauren (Natalie Zea) of the canine unit, despite the fact that she's involved in a relationship. Aceveda gets rough with a suspect, and confides in a friend about his traumatic recent encounter with the two gang members. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

Following up the events in the previous episode "Fearful Symmetry," "Ultimatum" probes further into the secret government conspiracy against the Justice Leaguers. The Ultimen, a newly formed and very popular superhero group led by the mysterious Max Lord, offer a helping hand to the Justice Leaguers, who are busy battling fire monsters on an oil rig. Later, however, the Ultimen violently turn against the "good guys" when they learn the truth behind their own origin -- and also the horrible fate that is in store for them. ~ All Movie Guide

Armadillo Quintero (Danny Pino), a Mexican drug dealer, is in L.A. and is making his presence felt, brutally murdering two captains from rival gangs. Mackey (Michael Chiklis) has hired Gordie Liman (Mark Rolston), a private detective, to track down his missing wife, but he's not having much luck. While Mackey's been preoccupied with his domestic situation, Shane (Walton Goggins) has been increasing the Strike Team's involvement in the drug trade, and using their "retirement fund" to do it. When Mackey tries to take some of the money out to pay Liman, he finds out it's all tied up in a huge cocaine shipment. Things get worse when the shipment turns out to be tainted, nearly killing one of Tio's (Cedric Pendleton) men. Mackey soon learns that Armadillo and his brother, Navaro (Emilio Rivera), based in Mexico, are responsible for both the gang killings and the tainted drug shipment. Lanie Kellis (Lucinda Jenney), a civilian auditor, is investigating "The Barn," so Aceveda (Benito Martinez) asks Mackey to keep his act together, but Mackey decides to bring the Strike Team to Mexico to get their drug money back. The team takes Navaro hostage to get the money. Back in L.A., no one is willing to come forward against Armadillo except Mayda (Chelsea Rendon), a little girl whose brother Armadillo murdered. Dutch (Jay Karnes) wants to let her testify, but Claudette (CCH Pounder) is frightened for the child's safety. They bring Armadillo in for questioning, but don't have enough to hold him. Julien (Michael Jace) asks a struggling single mother out on a date. Lanie lets Aceveda know that his enemies on the city council want her to find dirt on him. He tells Mackey that he'll watch his back if Mackey gets his head back in the game. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

Aceveda (Benito Martinez) finds a minority candidate for the Strike Team, but Mackey (Michael Chiklis) manages to scare the guy off. Danny (Catherine Dent) tells Julien (Michael Jace) she won't let his fiancée know about his "former" homosexuality, but she warns him that his secret could come back to haunt him. Worried about the threat from Armadillo, Mackey has a high tech security system installed in his home, and asks a PI friend to secretly keep an eye on his wife and kids. Danny is forced to apologize to Yahssira Al-Thani (Veena Bidasha) after the woman complains that she made threatening phone calls. As part of a new program for captains, Aceveda goes out on patrol with Julien, and bungles the investigation of a kid's stolen bike. Mackey, Claudette (CCH Pounder), and Dutch (Jay Karnes) investigate a massacre at a battered women's shelter, from which a young boy was kidnapped. The trail leads to the boy's father, who is holed up with a prostitute, so Mackey asks Connie (Jamie Brown) to use her connections to help him. While Dutch and Claudette clash over how to interrogate a uniform cop who's a friend of the firefighter suspect, Connie, thinking of a financial reward, takes her informant work a dangerous step further. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

Mackey (Michael Chiklis) and the Strike Team bust some thugs that recently joined Armadillo's (Danny Pino) gang, and leave the team's calling card as a message. Armadillo responds by torching Tio's (Cedric Pendleton) drug crib, and leaves a dead pig at the scene with Mackey's card. Mackey tries to bully Claudette (C.C.H. Pounder) off the arson case, but Aceveda (Benito Martinez) tells them to work together. Claudette soon finds out that Tio is registered as one of Mackey's informants. She also finds a safe in the burned-out building, which contains Tio's cash and coded ledgers. Danny (Catherine Dent) and Julien (Michael Jace) investigate a complaint that a woman makes against her Syrian neighbor (Veena Bidasha), whom she accuses of being a terrorist. Dutch (Jay Karnes) takes Lanie (Lucinda Jenney) along as he investigates the shooting of a meter maid. Claudette finds the ledgers and questions Tio about who the person listed as "landlord" is. Tio's been coached, but Claudette starts to suspect what Mackey's up to. Mackey has Tio's boys burn down one of Armadillo's gangs buildings. While Claudette goes to investigate that arson, Mackey and Aceveda cut Tio loose. The dispute with the Arab neighbor turns violent, and Armadillo commits another murder, pushing Mackey over the edge. This episode was directed by John Badham (Saturday Night Fever). ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

Aceveda (Benito Martinez) gives Mackey (Michael Chiklis) a medal after the Fleetwood Walker bust. It turns out it was Lanie's (Lucinda Jenney) idea. The cops at "The Barn" also add a new twist to their annual "Toys for Guns" drive -- a raffle, which also gets them the address of everyone who turns in a gun, so they can trace back the guns that have been used to commit crimes. One is linked to an old unsolved murder case of Claudette's (CCH Pounder), and the trail eventually leads to Manny Sandoval (Jonathan Neil Schneider), a lowlife loan shark Claudette's been after for years. But Dutch (Jay Karnes) is having doubts about his own investigative instincts. Someone steals a bunch of diamonds using Shane's (Walton Goggins) badge, which was stolen in Tijuana. Mackey finds out they belonged to the Armenian mob, and convinces Aceveda to let him and Shane "pretend" to be corrupt cops and run a sting operation. But Aceveda wants Shane transferred off the Strike Team to make room for a minority applicant, in order to help the team's public image. Mackey and Shane find out that the "money train" of urban legend, through which the Armenian mob launders all the money they make in the western United States, actually exists, and Mackey decides to start planning the Strike Team's robbery. The Arab woman, Yahssira Al-Thani (Veena Bidasha), whose husband Danny (Catherine Dent) shot, claims that she has another witness to Danny's alleged racial insensitivity, but Aceveda continues to support Danny. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

Julien (Michael Jace) single-handedly takes down an armed suspect in a department store, but his triumph is short-lived, as Tomas (Brent Roam) returns, and threatens to expose his recent sexual past to his new family. Aceveda's (Benito Martinez) city council campaign is losing steam, and Mackey (Michael Chiklis) suggests they could both use a major bust to boost their public image. He learns that a major gang leader, also wanted by the feds, is in town. Ronnie (David Rees Snell) is out of the hospital, and anxious to get back to work, including hitting the Armenian "money train." Lannie (Lucinda Jenney) is working all the angles trying to nail Mackey, including having him tailed, and trying to get the newest Strike Team member, Tavon (Brian White), to turn on him. Tavon is proving himself in the field, but Shane (Walton Goggins) doesn't trust him. Mackey uses Kern Little (Sticky Fingaz) to help find the gang leader, but Kern wants a lot in return, and Mackey has decided that the Strike Team, at least temporarily, is no longer in the drug trade. Dutch (Jay Karnes) and Claudette (CCH Pounder) try to sort out a promiscuous teenage girl's (Ashley Bashioum) claim that she was raped by her boss (Jeff Kober). This episode was directed by Brad Anderson (Next Stop Wonderland). ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

Mackey (Michael Chiklis) gets out of jail and goes back to work, plotting to take down the money train. Chief Bankston (Ron Canada) lets him know that Aceveda (Benito Martinez) wanted him and the whole Strike Team fired. Claudette's (CCH Pounder) ex-husband is murdered in an apparently random gang shooting. While she talks to her distraught daughter, trying to determine why they were in such a rough neighborhood, Mackey uses his gang connections to help Dutch (Jay Karnes) track down the killer. He has Tavon (Brian White) work with him, partly to distract the newbie from the surreptitious money-train plotting. As the primary results come in, Bankston gives Aceveda his own list of people to fire, and Aceveda spends an unpleasant day calling the cops in to tell them the bad news. Julien (Michael Jace) is provoked to violence by the gay-baiting at the station, prompting Danny (Catherine Dent) to report the culprits to Aceveda. The Strike Team finally hits the Armenian money train, but things don't go smoothly, and blood is spilled. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide