[Morethings index for The Shield]
Season 2, Episode 10 "Coyotes"
Air date: 3-11-03

Danny and Julien's story with the pregnant Latina who wants to kill her ex-boyfriend's baby presents a tough social situation. Seeing her stretched out eight months pregnant and purposely getting herself cut up in a knife fight has to hit you.

It's never brought up exactly, but when you see this, would you still think this woman should be recognized to have a right to kill that child? Really? If I were a judge with this woman and her story in front of me, I'd be looking for a reasonable legal excuse to ORDER an emergency c-section delivery.

Note how this situation reflects deep into other social issues, but not by being set up for such purpose. They didn't work up a story line about abortion. Indeed the word is never used. They appear to have written the story mostly as a reflection on Danny, and her personality and life situation. We get the other social ramifications as a natural outgrowth of character based storytelling rather than being bludgeoned with "issues."