Category: The Shield (Page 7 of 11)

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.

“The Shield” went back to the days of old this week, where an episode would focus on a single case, and the topic at hand was the San Marcos massacre. After the Biz-Lats retaliate against the El Salvadorians by killing women and children at a street fair, tensions are heightened leading to a personal threat from the Asst. Chief to shut down the Barn. Blaming Hernan for the misinformation that has caused the case to remain unsolved for so long, Vic makes a deal with the undercover agent that will help him earn his stripes within the gang. Even though Vic thinks the guy “is kind of an asshole,” it’s difficult for him to turn down such a promising venture.

I have a feeling that Hernan is just looking out for himself (and quite possibly integrating into the gang he’s supposed to be investigating). Although his intel did land the Barn three of the six San Marcos murderers (who were engaged in a private gangbang when the Strike Team picked them up), his sudden disappearance at the end of the episode doesn’t bode well for the future.

Meanwhile, as Vic wraps up his end of the San Marcos case, Dutch and Billings set out looking for the final piece: Eduardo Ramiro, the Mexican bureaucrat whose right arm was found amongst the eleven other chopped up bodies at the motel. When they finally track him to a seedy hotel (sans right limb and in possession of a luggage full of money), Dutch can’t help but to bring him in, despite the fact that the guy has diplomatic immunity. Claudette chews him out for it, too, but it was definitely a smart move on Dutch’s part. Immunity or not, if this guy is the only surviving victim of a massacre, there’s no doubt in my mind that he’s incredibly important to the case.

The rest of the episode was pretty lackluster, filled up mostly by Shane’s counteraction to Vic’s threats. The guy’s hard at work covering his ass (gathering info on every dirty deal from Vic’s past) and he’s even made a request for transfer back to the vice unit. Oh boy, here we go again. Shane’s back to his season four evil self again, including dealing with criminals for some extra cash (this time with the Armenians), and he’s not afraid to let Vic and Ronnie in on his plan. He’s given Vic a copy of all his “notes” (assuring him that the original is in a safe place) and is ready to play ball. The only question is: does Vic have the onions to take the fall himself, taking Shane with him and saving Ronnie from any legal outfall? I think so, but we’ll surely have to wait a whole season to find out.

Remember that wave of emotion that washed over you while watching the final meeting between Shane and Lem? Well, multiply that by ten and you’ll just begin to get an idea of how breathtaking tonight’s showdown between Vic and Shane was.

Of course, I’m getting ahead of myself. The episode kicked off in grand fashion when Vic made a surprise visit to Antwon Mitchell in prison. Ever since Kavanaugh was arrested and his luxuries were reinstated, Antwon is living the good life, with almost every guard in his pocket and more perks than he had on the street. Vic isn’t there to make small talk, however, and he gets down to business: Lem’s killer. Antwon is quick to admit that while he’d love to take credit for the creative stroke of genius, it wasn’t him.

All progress in the case seems lost when Vic suddenly suspects Shane of the dirty deed. You can’t blame him, either. One week Shane is on all of their asses about disrespecting Lem and tracking down his killer, and the next he’s acting normal again. Almost too normal, in fact, to the point that Vic has Ronnie look into how many grenades Shane logged in after the bust. The number matches up, but after taking a look at Lem’s autopsy report (courtesy of Dutch), Vic discovers a final report from Kavanaugh that states he was shorthanded the night of Lem’s death. And because Kavanaugh had only one extra man to tail the Strike Team, Shane was never actually followed, despite his claims that it took him a little longer than the others to lose his.

Caught in a lie, Shane finally confesses to Vic, telling him that he “did what [he] thought had to be done at the time.” Vic doesn’t buy into his bullshit, however, and though Shane tries to play the “we’re the same” card, Vic is intent on turning him in. Wait just a second, though. What’s this? Oh, right, Shane has enough dirt on Vic to land him in prison for life. So, what’s a crooked cop to do? If you’re Vic, you threaten him some more (“If I see you again, I will kill you”), but Shane’s not about to bow out so easily. He’s in this for the long run, and the ending has just begun.

There’s almost too much information in this episode to discuss in a blog, and while it would usually deserve a place any other week, it just doesn’t seem fair to steal any attention away from the above confrontation. Instead, I’ll just list the other highlights, as they may come into play in future episodes:

1) After quietly dismissing a murder case involving the daughter of a well-respected friend of the police department, Vic makes it known that he would like a little help in his upcoming appeal.

2) Following a visit from Guardo’s girlfriend, Dutch is clued into Vic’s possible involvement with his disappearance. It probably doesn’t help that he’s also learned about the Strike Team’s meeting with Hernan.

3) Tina’s back from her duties for the department PR blitz and returns to discover that Danni is her new partner. Danni continues to treat Tina like shit when Hiatt shows interest in the Latina rookie over her, but Tina’s made some new friends in high places, and she’s not going to let herself get bullied anymore.

4) And finally, Cassidy knows about Vic’s illegitimate child with Danni (via a phone call between her mom and grandma). She goes to see her baby brother (Lee) at the end of the episode, and suffice to say, she’s not in the least impressed.

Overall, this was a solid hour that begs comparison to the show’s early years. Mr. Ryan, you officially have my attention. Now, how about you show me why “The Shield” is still one of the best dramas on television.