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Kavanaugh's transformation felt a little bit rushed, but I think it's been building for a while as it's gotten more and more personal between them. Plus, I think he feels responsible for Lem's death, so guilt might be pushing him to bend the rules even more.

It's great to have this show back.

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The Shield has been absolutely amazing. What stuns me is that somewhere in season 3 or 4, it felt as if it had run it's course and was fading. But the story line with Forest Whitaker in season 5 blew me away, leading up to a phenomenal season finale. The fact that they took off running in season six is fantastic.

I thought Kavanaugh's slow turn to the dark side was pretty well measured, if you consider what happened to him last season. His transformation into Captain Ahab was complete when he had to lie to stay on the case, and it fits the themes of this show perfectly.

What this show has done right, from the beginning, is build a bunch of good guys who are also very much bad guys. They live in a horrible world, and to do ultimate good they must bend into grey areas more and more. I always think they can't make their storyline any more complicated, any more disturbing and messy. But then they do. Brilliant television.


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Do I think Kavanaugh would be left on the case? No. Do I love that he still is on the case? Yes. Why? Because it makes for entertaining television. Kavanaugh has crossed the line tonight into bad cop land. What will happen two bad cops are out to get eachother? Some of the best television out there.

I miss Lem.

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Wow! What a great way to start the season! That Johnny Cash song was perfect for this episode. I can't wait to see what happens next.

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No question about it. This is great TV. Can't wait for next week!

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I will have to watch it again. I wasn't as impressed as I expected to be.

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P.S. "I Hung My Head" was originally done by Sting. I think Johnny Cash's version would be more effective if it were slower. It was too upbeat for the mood at the start of the show.

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I don't think Kavanaugh's change to the "dark side" was out of place at all. If you remember last year, he came in real cocky and thought he'd nail Vic quick and easy. But he soon realized that Vic was not going to be his typical adversary. In my opinion, he went to the "dark side" and started using dirty tricks when Vic screwed his wife and then watched on the video camera when he and his wife were talking in the interrogation room at the barn. First, he used Lem, who was not the real target of his investigation (Vic was) to get to Vic. He threatened to put him in jail with Antoine and also got Acevada to help him spread that bogus story that Lem accepted another deal and was going to turn on Vic. Good police work or sneaky trick. Depends on how you look at it. He also pretended he had an autistic child to get closer to Vic's wife and tried screwing her to get back at Vic. At the time, I don't think anybody realized it (I know I didn't), but this guy was very similar to Vic in some ways by going into "grey areas" to get his man. Now, unable to handle the fact he can't seem to nail Vic and feeling he was responible for Lem's death, desperation is setting in and his turn to being like Vic is now complete. I understand the 2nd episode is his last, so I'm going to assume that it's found out that he tried to set Vic up. He told Vic that the cops would be at his house waiting to arrest him so that Vic wouldn't go home and he could then break into his house to set him up. However, the look on Vic's face made me think he knew Kavanaugh was lying and was up to something. I have this feeling that somehow Vic will have him on video tape breaking into his house and trying to frame him. I just know he's going to end up turning the tables on Kavanaugh in some way.

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great, great episode. you didnt note that kavanaugh told vic that people would be at his house because he KNEW vic wouldn't go home and it would give him the time he needed to plant the evidence. i dont think the progression from squeaky clean to dirty was rushed; its just a function of circumstance. thats is what this show is all about, acting appropriately given the situation - not in the abstract. in this situation, kavanaugh is barking up the wrong tree but has the wrong scent. it makes sense that vic would kill lem if he felt he was in trouble, but in this case it was shane. i never really like forrest whitaker's character (because he distracted from vic and the strike team) but this is going to be great because i know when he'll be gone.

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I think Kavanhaugh's transformation started last season when he found out vic was watching him and his wife. Then because of that Kavanhaugh made the deal with Antwon. Thats when he first when into bad cop territory. So it didn't seem rushed to me, this isn't the first time he's done it.

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This was a really good episode. It felt a little rushed to me but overall I enjoyed every second of it. Im just so glad that its back. Plus I swear when I read that headline "Murdered cop was dirty," my heart almost broke in half. Lem did not deserve that.

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I don't actually think that Kavanaugh has transformed so much as he has released what was in him all along. My impression from last season is that he has had some really dark stuff inside and it's that darkness that pushed his extreme obsession with doing everything by the rules. He fears the darkness and pushes it down--if he only follows the rules, then he'll be alright, but if he lets himself slip, then he'll be overwhelmed by the darkness. He can't find a balance. The rules become his own personal shield, but all he's doing is keeping a lid on the growing pressure inside himself.

In several episodes last year, when he was all alone, he blew up and lost control. Every time that he has lost it and then tried to regain control, he's fallen a little shorter of where he started. Now, he's lost it all. He followed the rules, and he got someone killed. He followed the rules and saw his wife have sex with someone he hates. The rules no longer have the same power to hold back that side of himself and it's now coming to the front.

Scary and intense stuff and I can't wait to see more of these two incredible actors/characters going head to head. I feel like I'm watching a Shakesperian play that is only now seeing the light of day.

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i think you guys have things twisted here. vic is a bad cop, hands down. the guy's dirty as shit. whether it's KILLING his own fellow cops...or stealing from the mob - he's a dirtbag. even michael chiklis - the guy who plays him has actually said THOSE EXACT WORDS in an interview - that vic is a dirtbag...and he is.
what makes this show interesting is that he's a 3 dimensional character as well. he's good in some ways. like he has a soft spot for children. or he takes care of his family & really loves his friends. and he doesn't seem to be a racist (although obviously sean's a racist). so while he's a bad cop, he does good things.

Kavanhaugh on the other hand is fundamentally a good cop...who ends up doing bad things. read interviews from the shows writers/producers/directors - Kavanhaugh & vic are ying and yang. they're opposites with a little bit of one another in each.

it's like how hitler was a really good husband, or how ghandi was cruel to his wife. the writers are saying that good people can do bad things(Kavanhaugh), and that bad people can occasionally do good things(vic). that's been a central theme in the show ALL ALONG. so don't get your lines crossed on Kavanhaugh, he's a good cop who did a bad thing. VIC is the bad cop, who occasionally does right. that's all they were trying to say.

i know all y'all love vic, and i'm not trying to hate on him :) he's a facinating character - and he made the show so great. but Kavanhaugh's the good guy, and always has been...however, being good doesn't mean you're perfect or that you can't make mistakes.

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p.s. believe it or not, but on the set of the show, the actresses/actors, writers/producers, even the PA's - EVERYONE thinks of chiklis' character as the bad guy. i was a camera person for NBC about a year ago and i knew people who literally worked on the set (of the shield)...and they were suprised how all the show's fans acted like vic was some kind of hero! they actually didn't anticipate that when they first started writing it.

google/youtube the original michael chiklis interviews before season one when he was first asked to play vic mackey. even back then he thought of vic as a scumbag. i don't get why people try to make him into a hero when even the person who plays him thinks he's a bad guy!

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i think you guys have things twisted here. vic is a bad cop, hands down. the guys dirty as shit. whether it's KILLING his own fellow cops...or stealing from the mob - he's a dirtbag. don't get mad at me, the guy (michael chiklis) who plays him has actually said THOSE EXACT WORDS in an interview - that vic is a dirtbag...and he is.
what makes this show interesting is that he's a 3 dimensional character as well - like he has a soft spot for children. or he takes care of his family & really loves his friends. so while he's a bad cop, he does good things.

Kavanhaugh on the other hand is fundamentally a good cop...who ends up doing bad things. he's vics opposite - don't you folks get that? read interviews from the shows writers/producers/directors - Kavanhaugh & vic are ying and yang. they're opposites with a little bit of one another in each.

it's like how hitler was a really good husband, or how ghandi was cruel to his wife. the writers are emphasising how good people can do bad things(Kavanhaugh), and how bad people can occasionally do good things(vic). that's been a central theme in the show ALL ALONG.
so don't get your lines crossed on Kavanhaugh, he's a good cop who did a bad thing. VIC is the bad cop, who occasionally does right. that's all they were trying to say.

i know all y'all love vic, and i'm not trying to hate on him :) he's a facinating character. but Kavanhaugh's the good guy, and always has been...but being good doesn't mean you're perfect.

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i think you guys have things mixed up here. vic is a bad cop, hands down. the guys dirty as shit. whether it's KILLING his own fellow cops...or stealing from the mob - he's a dirtbag. even michael chiklis - the guy who plays him - has actually said THOSE EXACT WORDS in an interview - that vic is a dirtbag...and he is.
what makes this show interesting is that he's a 3 dimensional character as well - like he has a soft spot for children. or he takes care of his family & really loves his friends. so while he's a bad cop, he does good things.

Kavanhaugh on the other hand is fundamentally a good cop...who ends up doing bad things. he's vics opposite. read interviews from the shows writers/producers/directors - Kavanhaugh & vic are ying and yang. they're opposites with a little bit of one another in each.

it's like how hitler was a really good husband, & how ghandi was cruel to his wife. the writers are saying that good people can do bad things(Kavanhaugh), and that bad people can occasionally do good things(vic). that's been a central theme in the show ALL ALONG.
so don't get your lines crossed on Kavanhaugh, he's a good cop who did a bad thing. VIC is the bad cop, who occasionally does right. that's all they were trying to say.

i know all y'all love vic, and i'm not trying to hate on him :) he's a facinating character - and he made the show so great. but Kavanhaugh's the good guy, and always has been...however - being good doesn't mean you're perfect and that you can't make mistakes.

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well this is a sick as show , to bad lem had to die , but it had to happen ,it was part of the script.now what will happen with the strike team now that julian is becoming part of it with alex and vick ,eventhough vic will not be the leader anymore . but we wil see. someone dies at the end and someone ends up in jail .just wait to see it.

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I missed the first two episodes of season six, anywhere to catch up? besides reading.... thanks

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When I watched this episode last night when Vic learns the truth about Shane Vendrell for murdering his own best friend Lem. For the fact that
was he going to be killed by
Shane personally beccause he had said to him that Kavanaugh was going to take him off that investtion and for what because of turning his back on him and for Shane to say that Vic and Ronnie don't what him to come back at all this not the kind of person Shane has to be.

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I think to myself that Vic Mackey is the great tough cop
there is. That's why he believes in what he does for a
living as a dective and takes on crimals and runs them in
until proving guilty that's what I like about him.

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