Category: TV Dramas (Page 124 of 235)

It might sound silly to admit, but the only thing currently working against “The Shield” is that it’s almost too proficient at progressing the main story. We’re only at the halfway point and it feels like we should be gearing up for the season finale instead. This isn’t the first time this has happened, either (one could even say that the whole season has been nothing but build up to the top secret finale), but it doesn’t make me any less worried that things are going to slow down in the coming weeks.

With Vic’s chance to arrest Pezeula squandered, Aceveda decides it’s time to turn in the blackmail box to the feds. They’re not happy about the way Vic and Aceveda handled the situation, and they make sure to let them know how bad they screwed up. Olivia is just worried that her boss will discover that there’s a file on her in the box, but Aceveda has made sure that won’t happen. No, he didn’t give Olivia the file, but he did remove it from the box for his own safe keeping. Which begs to ask the question: is Aceveda really any better than Pezuela if he’s willing to resort to the same tactics? He’s been playing both sides ever since he left the Barn to become councilman, and one could even argue that it began much earlier than that.

The blowback from the blackmail box probably hits Vic the hardest, however, as someone within the department uses it as a means of bumping up his appeals hearing. Not only is his termination effective in 10 days, but he also loses his entire pension. Claudette offers him a piece of his retirement money if he’ll leave right away, but Vic kindly declines, stating that he still has a few loose ends to tie up. One of those loose ends is Pezuela, and when he warns him about an impending federal raid on his warehouse, Vic is hoping that he’ll be rewarded with a promotion. Instead, Pezuela gives him a severance bonus and shows him the door, claiming that Vic is no longer any help if he’s not a cop.

Vic isn’t down and out just yet, though. After the feds botch up their takedown of Pezuela, Olivia’s boss brings in Vic for help with the investigation. Obviously, Vic wants to exact a little revenge on Pezuela for screwing him over, but he’s probably more interested in exploiting the opportunity as a way of saving his badge. Of course, that’s not going to matter one bit if Shane succeeds in killing him first. Apparently, I was wrong in my original assessment that he might be the bigger man. Shane’s got a contract out on (presumably) both Ronnie and Vic’s heads, and he doesn’t even know all the details. It’s like Lem all over again, only things are going to end much worse than they did the last time around.

Meanwhile, the whole subplot involving Claudette’s illness is back this week as Dutch discovers that she’s having more trouble than she’s letting on. When a breaking-and-entering in Claudette’s neighborhood prompts Dutch to stop by her house to check in on her, he finds the inside a total mess. We’re not talking about a little clutter either, but mounds of garbage piled in the kitchen. She’s also not driving to work any more and it’s got Dutch worried. So, in an attempt to lend a helping hand, he hires a cleaning lady to help out. I’d like to say that’s all we’ll ever hear from this subject again, but the chance of that happening is slim. The writers are clearly struggling to write good material for Dutch and Claudette, and with the end of the series coming so soon, they’ve put all their marbles in this subplot – one that will no doubt see the firing/death of Claudette as captain and perhaps even Dutch stepping up to take her place. It wouldn’t be the worst possible ending, but that doesn’t change the fact that I still miss the days when they just solved cool crimes together.