TVSquad

I felt exactly the same way. In the middle of last weeks episode, I suddenly realized Lem's days were numbered. But still, when we go to the scene, I kept hoping the big surprise was that Shane can't do it, and for a second before you figured out what that sound was, I thought that was the case.

I really have great respect for FX for bringing this show to life, but man... making us wait til Fall is simply twisted. Anyhow, this pretty much has to be the last season... a setup this powerful can't resolve itself in any satisfying way without it all concluding.

Reply

As someone who's watched since day 1 and loved every episode (I'm still stunned that at the consistent quality of the show, several seasons in - definitely the greatest accomplishment of all, in my opinion), my heart broke for Lem. Yet, I have to wonder, why a grenade? I don't know if forensics will be able to discern what type of grenade, but I assume it's one from the El Salvadorans (?) that they busted before heading out to meet Lem; wouldn't it be obvious that someone on the Strike Team had access to grenades just a few hours before? How could that not point to the Strike Team? Claudette turns Dutch on to the guy who is running the show with the grenades (the one who keeps getting away - can't remember his name for the life of me) - but unless Shane had planned for this and had access to a different type of grenade which he used to kill Lem, this stinks of another Shane screwup to me ("Cletus Van Damme" and the storage locker all over again). RIP, Lem.

Speaking of Dutch, it was amusing to see him wield the pimp's strategy for manipulating women onto Tina. Wow, is she incompetent.

I've enjoyed reading the interviews that have been conducted with Shawn Ryan, and there's the occasional reference to Stockholm Syndrome, and it's entirely apropos. You can't but help loving Vic. He's principled, but his principles are obviously somewhat warped. Yet, he is compelling enough to make me cheer him on, though if I had been reading a newspaper article about a cop who had done a fraction of what Vic had done, I would think that justice should be served - not that they should get off scot-free, much like I can't help but feel with Vic.

It reminds me of the Godfather (the game being conveniently released today). We want to believe in entities out there that can serve the kind of "justice" in situations where the unjust typically get off scot-free. Whether its the Godfather promising undertaker Bonasera justice for his daughter or Vic burning child-rapist Armadillo's face on a stove, it's hard not to cheer, if not empathize. Masterful job of manipulation by Shawn Ryan and the writing team, and Michael Chiklis' intense, but rarely over the top performances.

Reply

I can't believe what I just watched.

That was perhaps the most intense dialog I have ever witnessed on tv, and Lem surviving for a precious minute just drove the boot into the throat. That was absolutely incredible and I can't get over it. I just can't.

I didn't think that a tv show could have that sort of effect on someone, but oh my god.

Reply

When I realized that Shane was going to do that to Lemonhead, I said, that's it. The show is basically ending. This can only lead to the final dissolution of the team. With the team in disarray, and with Shane almost certain to be found out by Vic, there can't really be much more to go. Where it does finally end up, however, I am intensely interested in seeing. I think they should move it along, allow us to see the last epis, however many there are, together in x number of weeks, however many it takes. No more breaking it up or whatever.

I too like Rescue Me and Nip/Tuck. In the absence of The Shield, I can’t wait for Rescue to come back. I hope they have a full 13 or more episodes. I could watch that show all year round. F/X has truly pushed the envelope on these adult shows. Beyond The Shield, and you have to go to The Sopranos. The Shield has been - imho - the single best cop show of all time. I am an old guy, and I've seen a lot of cop shows. This one is the best ever.

We seem to be running out of the top shows. The Sopranos ends this season. I assume the same is for The Shield. This new show they have coming up with Andre Braugher looks iffy to me. But I know that F/X does go that step farther than any other cable network (not counting HBO), and they might have another hit. But I doubt that anything will approach The Shield. For me, the scene with Shane and Lem was as others here have described it. Gut wrenching. I also wanted to see Kavanaugh brought down. Maybe that will happen. I know he already has no case now Lem is gone. But beyond that, I want to see him really eat it. Can't help it. I hate him more than I hated Aceveda.

Reply

Damn! He didn't get him...

Reply

Ok, amazing episode. I have a few comments:

1: So *is* Vic the father of the baby then? Did I miss something?

2: Shane has to be figured out somehow. What a powerful scene. He had to leave some sort of evidence laying around that points to him...

3: I have to agree with the comment above that mentioned how well this show has been consistantly through the seasons. By far this is my favorite show on television. I especially like how these last episodes all revolve around the definitive moment of the very first episode of the show ever.

I hope they release some news soon with some dates of when we can expect the show to return.

Reply

Heartbreaking; made it hard to sleep last night. Full of irony - From Vic & Shane killing cop Terry in the first episode "for the good of the team" to Shane killing cop Lem for the good of Shane. From Lem risking his life to save his enemy Kavanaugh from a grenade to Shane killing his friend with a grenade. Shane putting his faith in his 'family,' to be utterly betrayed by one of them. A real Judas moment. Now I must say I WANT Vic to kill Shane.
If there is another season or mini-season, I would look for: 1. Vic's ex to want to reunite, while Vic considers marrying Danni (apparently his baby's mama). Dutch's pimp lessons to work TOO well, with the rookie becoming obsessed with him as was the Century City prostitute with her low-life pimp; a reconstituted Strike Team, with a new member but fractures that can't be healed.

Reply

Oops, I meant Lem putting his faith in his family

Reply

"The Shield" is by far my favorite show on television and Lem was the reason I watched the show. I loved every character, which is quite odd for me, but Lem was my favorite. And now, after last night, I don't know how I'll be able to watch Shane after what he did. For the entire day, I was preparing myself for the episode. I knew something awful was going to happen and I just had a feeling that that something awful was going to happen to Lem. But still, watching the scene between Lem and Shane, I felt like I was going to be sick. Hats off to "The Shield" for putting out episodes that bring their audience to tears and red with their anger for characters that actually don't exist. I will watch next season, but only because I have to see Shane finally get his.

Reply

A great episode, a great finale, and a bunch of great comments above. I don't hate Shane, though. I just think he's doing what he believes Vic would do - and has done. Shane wants nothing more than to earn Vic's respect, but he's not smart enough to think things through. Witness the pain and immediate remorse he feels, which is nothing like what happened when Terry was killed. If you're interested, I go into this in additional detail here http://burbanked.com/2006/03/22/the-shield-postpartum-wow.aspx

Can't wait for Fall! Or January! Or whenever!

Reply

Incredible ending. Ihave to think that, in the realm of forensic evidence, they are going to find that the window was down and that Lem was eating a sandwich, when the grenade went off. Not really the most police-like set-up if he had a Salvadoran walking up to him at some sort of "meet". So, immediately, we know that Lem was killed by someone he knew. It will be interesting to watch the developement of the whole investigation.

Reply

I'm still not convinced that Danny's baby belongs to Vic. Even though they hinted at it pretty hard, neither one came out and said he was defintely the dad. Danny was a pretty "loose" character at times and I don't know how they'd spin it, but wouldn't it be something if Lem was actually the Dad and Vic and Danny didn't want to tell him because of all he was going through at the time. Also, I'm not sure Vic wasn't in on Lem's death. If you remember earlier in the show, after the team busted the El Salvadorans with the grenades that FBI guy came up to Vic and congratulated him on two big busts within a week but then told him he was going to make Guardo pissed and to watch his back. With that in mind, I really thought Vic and Ronnie left first knowing they'd be followed and that when Shane came out he'd be able to meet with Lem and feel him out on what he was thinking and then kill him if necessary. After Shane killed Lem and met Ronnie and Vic he said, "Lem didn't show?" and Vic said not to worry, that he'd be there. But then if you go back and watch the scene, Vic gives Shane this little glance or look that just made me feel like he knew what happened. Shane could have shot Lem or poisened the food he gave him, but instead he used a grenade, after they had busted the El Salvadorans with grenades earlier and the FBI agent made it clear to Vic to watch his back. Since Vic was the only one standing there when the FBI agent said that, I thought he might have orchestrated the whole thing so it looks like Guardo obtained his revenge by killing Lem and that was exactly the direction that Claudette had Dutch start on regarding the investigation. As for Ronnie, it could be that Vic and Shane were in on this alone and used the whole "shocked and surprised" act to keep him clueless, much like they kept Lem clueless on the Crowley killing and some of their other acts. I could be overanalyzing the whole thing, but I just don't see Shane doing this on his own. Shane may have used the grenade to make Vic think it was Guardo and protect himself, but Vic would have to wonder how Guardo knew
where Lem was going to be, especially since Lem was on the run at the time of the bust and Guardo would have no reason for revenge on him. It seems obvious Vic would know it was Shane, which makes me think Vic was in on it. I can't wait to see how it plays out. I just hope we don't have to wait unitl next January again.

Reply

I literally sat on my sofa with my mouth open for about 20 minutes after Lem was killed. I had a feeling Shane might kill him while watching their conversation but I was really hoping that it wouldn't happen. I cannot remember any scene on television as great as that one. I wish it wouldn't have happened (I loved "the team" together), but you can't have a good drama series without major things happening now and again. Great show.

Reply

I think the baby is Lem's. It would be poetic. Shane killing Lem for his own family not realzing that Lem was a father himself....

I can't comment on the "big" scene. I am still too emotional about the whole thing. *sniff*

Best show on TV... they can't deny this show some golden globes this year. I know Hollywood stinks, but they will certainly smell to high heaven if the globes aren't given out to The Shield this time around.

Reply

This is my favorite show. I feel like I will not make it to the next season to see how the Shane situation will be resolved. I couldn't sleep for several hours after seeing what may have been the most compelling episode ever. Sometimes I feel guilty that Vic is such an attractive character in my eyes. I think everyone is good and bad to some extent, but Vic is very bad at times but still so attractive!

Reply

Man, what a way to go out with a bang. I can't believe (even though I knew deep down) what Shane did. This is the most entertaining show I've seen in some time! I'm always on the edge of my seat. I sure hope this isn't the last season!

Reply

Although Shane's bootprints are likely trampled under the shoes of the subsequent officers', the immediate forensic evidence is the tire imprints of his truck, and likely soil samples from the specific site, still residually existent on his vehicle.
Though Shane will ultimately have to tell Vic, prior to whatever conclusion the investigation leads to, the focus of the Strike Team will likely zero in on Antoine and his crew, which would make sense to Kavanaugh, and might throw him slightly off the scent when he sees the full fury of the team unleashed on the One-Niners.
Expect the Armenian Mob to get wind of an investigation of the Strike Team and re-double their prior efforts at revenge.
And nothing can salvage the career of Tina-not Dutch's tutelege, not Danni's prior advice, not her on-the-job training. She undid her credibility permanently with her crime scene behavior. Knowing this show, she will be lucky not to get sexually assaulted by a fellow cop, or killed by one during a bust.
And as much as I like the show, and would welcome any extension of the life of the series, I look as forward to the death/disgrace/comeuppance/prison sex assault of Vic Mackie as the same fate visited upon Tony Soprano and every member of his "family". It would only be apt for Vic and Shane to be undone by the treasonous cop-killing that they deployed in the very first episode. As in: Everything since the first episode has been a downward spiral to the fate they sealed then and there.
That episode also points out one of the glaring discrepancies with regards to the Strike Team dynamic: Lem and Ronnie were first through the window on the bust where Vic killed Terry...they may have cleared a different part of the apartment, but shots were fired, there was a pregnant pause while Vic and Shane surveyed the situation....and then the shot that did in Terry....Neither Lem nor Terry rushed to the sounds of the shots? Or arrived in time to see Vic standing dispassionately over Terry as he closed his eyes forever? I never bought it, though I've enjoyed the show nonetheless.
But these cops,familiar though we may have become with them, are no more sympathetic than the LAPD Strike Teamers who freelanced the killing of Biggie Smalls,and are now doing time for other crimes. To quote Acevedo from the initial episode, they are "Al Capone with a badge."

Reply

1. Vic would have never killed Lem. He would have told him to leave Shane and Ron out of it and only rat on Vic.

2. They only way Shane is found out is through his own guilt and only to Vic.

3. Shane killed Lem in part because he knows that, if pressed by the authorities, he would talk to keep his family safe.

4. There are still enough plots and subplots for The Shield to continue for a couple of more seasons. Hopefully Shawn Ryan feels the same way.

5. Any time a TV show can nearly bring a grown man to tears, that show has done one heck of a job.

Kenneth Johnson will be missed.

Reply

OMG...that about sums up what i was thinking after the show was done. I couldn't believe it. I have to agree with Michael. I think Vic had to know what was going to happen. The way he look at Shane when he arrived...
Great Show though can't wait for the next season

Reply