Author: Jason Zingale (Page 98 of 154)

After a particularly lackluster week, the writers of “The Shield” got back on track last night with an episode that – for all intents and purposes – set up one hell of a season finale. The cards are on the table, the bets have been placed, and now all we have to do is sit back, relax and wait to see who comes out on top.

Vic’s mission to earn a little goodwill (and behind-the-scenes help) before going in front of the appeals board next week crashed and burned when the city controller who he protected a few weeks back (by failing to disclose the real reason behind his daughter’s murder) came up short on his end of the deal. Knowing full well that Claudette’s lack of pity certainly isn’t helping the case, Vic makes the threat of the century by informing her that not only will he solve the San Marcos murders, but that after he does, she won’t have any other choice but to keep him onboard. So what does he do? He solves the freaking case. Thanks to yet another tip from Aceveda’s city planning friend, Cruz, the Strike Team pick up one of the suspects, but Vic and Hiatt butt heads on how to deal with him. Way to burn yet another bridge, Vic.

When they finally convince the slicer-and-dicer to give up his pals, Vic goes over Hiatt’s head and swoops them up, stashing them away in a freight container before anyone else can find them. Vic then makes good with the Mexicans by handing over two of three El Salvadorians, and a tip that the third will be out of prison in 18 months. Unfortunately, Claudette couldn’t care less, and despite Vic closing the San Marcos case (or at least clearing all those red names from the board), she informs him that he’s still on his way out. Aceveda wouldn’t have it any other way, but his friend Cruz feels differently. Despite his obvious connection to the murders, he thinks Farmington needs as many good cops as possible, and in order to keep Vic on the force, he gives him the one thing that will secure his future: the infamous cell phone picture of Aceveda’s rape.

Shane, on the other hand, is busy making friends with the Armenian mob. Well, at least one of them anyways, and now that he’s become Diro’s right-hand man, it’s only a matter of time before the two of them hook up. Along with schooling her on the ins-and-outs of the mob life, Shane uses his position as a cop to take down Diro’s biggest threat: the man responsible for killing that gas station attendant a few weeks back. With him out of the picture, Diro can seemingly rule as the new boss, but Vic’s keeping an eye on Shane’s back-alley deals, because the last thing he needs is more trouble knocking on his door.

Unfortunately, it looks like he’s about to get some, and real soon too. While trying to convince Diro to keep him in on the game, Shane drops Vic’s name as the one responsible for taking down the Armenian money train. Of course, he manages to expunge himself from the heist, using his failure to cooperate as the reason why Vic has attached a target to his back. Nice move, Shane. Too bad it’s going to bite you in the ass when it’s revealed that you were involved. Well, I guess we can all mark that up as one less trigger Vic is going to have to pull when all is said and done.

And finally, how could anyone talk about last night’s episode without at least a mention of the ongoing feud between Dutch and Billings. Clearly pissed off that Dutch has played the quick-meal vending machine card a little often over the last few weeks, Billings decides to get his own form of revenge. Using Hiatt’s possible relationship with Tina to fire back, Billings follows the pair back to Tina’s place and sends Dutch a text message (using Tina’s phone, which he stole back at the Barn) inviting him over. Minutes later, Dutch arrives with a bottle of wine in hand, but when he hears sex sounds coming from the house, he goes around to investigate. Through the window he spies Tina and Hiatt going at in the nude (and on a chair, no less), and is then caught in the act by Hiatt himself. Let’s no forget that Billings managed to drop a hint to Hiatt earlier in the episode about Dutch’s obsession with Tina, so it’ll be curious to see what comes of that next week. Will Hiatt confront Dutch, and will Dutch find out that it was Billings all along? Let’s hope so, because a battle has been brewing between those two ever since Billings was first named Captain.

With only two episodes left in the season, you’d think that this week’s show would have been a little more significant to the big picture, but alas, it only served to amplify the same points that have been made throughout the course of the last few episodes. Hernan is still missing and his handler isn’t at all pleased. Claudette couldn’t care less as long as he holds up his end of the deal (that being the arrest of the San Marcos murderers), but she might have a problem soon enough, as Hernan most definitely doesn’t want to be found. Vic seems to think it’s because he’s so deep undercover, but it’s more likely that he’s simply fallen for the gang life. If that were the case, however, why would he give Vic a heads up about the automatic weapons burglary? That remains unseen, but what is clear is that Vic has found an ally in Hiatt.

The only Strike Team member not involved in tracking down Hernan is Shane (obviously), who is spending his time doing a little side work for the Armenian mob. Pissed about the unexpected death of the gas station attendant, Shane goes to visit the mob boss, Mr. Kesakhian, but is instead greeted by his daughter, Diro (Franka Potente), who apologizes and pays him for his “troubles.” Little does Shane know that Diro is actually running the family business while her father withers away on his deathbed until, of course, he eventually figures it out. That doesn’t change his position with the Armenians, though, and it’s only going to land him in some serious trouble in the future. My money’s on the Armenian’s finding out about his involvement with the money train a few years ago, and it might just be Vic who pulls the trigger.

Nonetheless, Shane is clearly trying to make as many friends as possible, and that doesn’t exclude persuading Ronnie to his side. Of course, when Ronnie confronts Vic about Terry later in the episode, I have to admit that I was a bit surprised at how well he took it. In fact, he seemed to agree that it was necessary, and his only regret was that Vic didn’t tell him about it earlier. Wow. I always knew Ronnie was a cool dude, and I really hope he plays a major part in whatever Vic has planned for Shane.

The rest of the episode was relatively tame. Dutch and Billings work a “stab and grab” involving a designer purse racket, Tina relishes in her newfound fame, and Aceveda unleashes his plans to run for mayor. The latter is probably the most exciting prospect of the episode, but one that will no doubt be saved for the final season. After all, Aceveda is at the top of Vic’s list when it comes to people he plans to take down with him, and once Shane is out of the way, there shouldn’t be anyone else remaining.