(S06E06) This was the last episode sent out as a screener to us months ago. I've said before that having episodes of these shows ahead of time is a double-edged sword. It's great to have them so early, but it sucks to have to wait so long for the next episode. I know, your heart bleeds for me.
The last few episodes were clearly leading up to the final scene in this episode and, no surprise, it was a doozy.
One of the clear highlights of the episode is the reappearance of Antwon Mitchell. You could feel the embarrassment Vic felt having to go to Antwon with hat in hand, and likewise Antwon's joy. Antwon saying "that means you lost your last clue" was a lump in Vic's gut. And, by the way, it seems Antwon's got it better in the joint that he would on the outside.
Question: Why does Dutch use surveillance photos of Vic and Shane to show to Guardo's girlfriend and not file photos? Didn't that seem odd? Then again, it could be what they had conveniently at hand, given they could just snag them from the recent investigation files on both of them.
An interesting thing I missed the first time around was Vic's slight plea to Robert Martin to consider his case when his appeals hearing comes up. Wouldn't that be a huge blow to Claudette and company should Vic be allowed to continue on in the Barn?
Every so often there are some aspects of the police work that fascinate me. There were two such moments that struck me in this episode. One was the PTA mom being a drug shooter-upper, totally not looking the type at all. The other was the Strike Team handling of the suspect that shot at them, not wanting him unscathed if they took him in together, so Vic takes him alone (and bargains with him while he's at it).
Random thought: I'll be damned if baby Lee isn't a spitting image of Vic. Then again, they're both bald, so...
Really, the most important thing to bring up with this episode is the final scene between Vic and Shane. Even seeing this the second time, my heart was punding when Ronnie made the call to Vic to tell him Shane was on the way. You just knew something was coming.
Jonathan and I discussed the whole aspect of Vic being a hypocrite when we interviewed Walton Goggin's (Shane) a while back. What Shane says to Vic strikes a bit of a nerve, because to some degree Vic is a hypocrite. However, I'm not sure I buy the example Shane uses of the situation with Terry.
Vic himself points out that the situation with Terry was different in that Lem was a friend, but I've gotta say that all along I've felt the series sort of took a step away from that first episode with the killing of Terry. It seems a bit forced when Vic, Shane or any of the others bring up what a traitorous scum Terry was. It just seems a bit extreme now when you think back through six seasons of these guys. If killing people like that was the solution to all of their problems, they'd have been doing it easily all along and losing none too much sleep over it.
At this point it's an extreme game of chicken between Vic and Shane. Shane could stir a whole shitstorm on Vic, shining the light on his past all over again. Vic can gently (or not-so gently) nudge the investigation into Lem's murder toward Shane (though with what evidence I have no idea). So, who's going to jump first?
Once again, just for the last scene alone I'm giving this episode a seven on the TV Squad seven scale. Again, it's not to say the rest of the episode didn't kick some serious ass, but when you look at this series as a whole, this season's been incredible and full of sevens all around. It deserves it.
TV Squad Ten: Cartoon women who should have Playboy centerfolds
Six Mad Men characters who are in limbo after the finale
Fact or Fiction: Big Bang, Brothers & Sisters and CSI
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-08-2007 @ 11:55PM
M. Stephen Lukac said...
What about Kevin's comment to Dutch about "not being a federal agent anymore"?
Seems to me that was a very important line played as a throwaway.
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5-09-2007 @ 1:51AM
Bill said...
Yeah the return of Antwon was great. And yet another great Michael Chiklis performance. Gotta love that guy.
http://popculturejunk.blogspot.com/
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5-09-2007 @ 2:30AM
Borat said...
I hope Walter Goggins at least gets a nomination for best supporting actor...at least Chiklis already has one Emmy.
But wow...that was some scene at the end...I can't remember the last time I was so tense watching a TV show...oh right, it was the time Lem got killed.
I don't like the whole Tina storyline though...her character was always annoying, seemed to be ok for a while and now she's annoying again. And Dutch's fascination with her is creepy. Love Billings though.
Oh and btw, the next 3 episodes have somehow been leaked on the internet....I think it's airing somewhere much earlier than it does in the US.
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5-09-2007 @ 3:05AM
Measure said...
I agree with comment #1. Kevin's line did make it sound like he's still working for the feds. Perhaps this is a setup to remove him from the team after Vic works out how to keep his job.
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5-09-2007 @ 4:20AM
ifferun said...
Or Kevin is a federal agent investigating Vic. Vic would never allow anyone to join his team-- when the mole is presented as his replacement that he deal with as he tries to hold on. And unless I missed something there is no hearing coming up-- that is just a ploy from Claudette to keep Vic in line. And when the favor is turned in thats how Vic will find out.
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5-10-2007 @ 7:32AM
Herb said...
Don't read too much into the federal agent thing. Hiatt just meant he led Hernan's handler to believe he was still with INS.
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5-09-2007 @ 8:46AM
Brad C said...
Yes, I've seen 7,8,and 9. Anyone familiar with bittorrent can grab them easily. Episode 9 is one of the best in years. Holy COW!!
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5-09-2007 @ 10:28AM
CastorVC said...
The next few episodes are going to be interesting, neither Vick nor Shane can overtly go at one another, due to the dirt they both have on each other and that the dirt the do have implicates the both of them. Such as the money train, Terry, etc. Even though Terry was on Vick, Shane has known all about it from the beginning and knowing in the eyes of the law is just as bad as doing. This is going to turn into a proxy war between the two of them and it is going to be some of the best TV ever.
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5-09-2007 @ 10:55AM
graigbachman said...
I've said it before and I'll say it again, this is the best show ever. How some people don't watch, I will never know.
Last night's episode was one of the best of all time.
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5-09-2007 @ 11:45AM
Lemonhead said...
Just when I started feeling bad for Shane after his breakdown with his wife, he turned back into an a-hole again last night. If he had showed even half the remorse, pain and anguish he showed to his wife to Vic, Vic may have been a bit more sympathetic. But instead he came across like it was a business decision and he didn't care Lem was gone. I thought it was odd that we spent the whole season seeing how torn up Shane was, then when it came down to confessing to Vic he was a complete unemotional a-hole.
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5-09-2007 @ 11:39AM
Jim said...
This show just keeps getting better and better.
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5-10-2007 @ 3:42PM
Rudebwoy381 said...
Great episode. A friend of mine said he thought Mackey kind of pussed out by not offing Shane when he ANOTHER good reason, but I think it's the smart play. He brings himself nothing but grief by offing another Strike Teamer. Hell, they'd probably disband the entire team, Hiatt and all, if another one died with no discernible suspects (except, of course, for the rest of the team members).
I didn't even NOTICE Hiatt's line about 'not being a federal agent anymore,' not to mention he said it after slipping up and explaining that to Dutch that the reason he got through to Hernan is 'it's easier to negotiate between federal agencies.' I just took that to mean he was using his juice as a former INS agent.
Maybe not...
www.striketeam.blogstream.com
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5-09-2007 @ 3:50PM
GoldenGoat said...
Anyone who made the call of Shane-not-being-tailed-by-Kavanaugh being the factoid that would break this, *DING DING DING DING*!!! Collect your winnings!!!
That final scene was everything that the Vic/Shane Season 4 confrontation should have been. My favorite part of the scene was the early portion, right when Vic first presents Shane with his accusation. Michael Chiklis is absolutely brilliant in the way he punctuates how hard it is for Vic - down to a shaking, quivering in his voice - to make that leap. It actually gets much easier for Vic once Shane confirms it - he can then give himself over to sheer rage.
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5-10-2007 @ 8:03PM
ForensicUnit said...
What prevents Vic from keeping his promise to kill those responsible? Shane already got beat half to death. Winding up dead wouldn't seem like a huge shock. That way Vic doens't have to compromise himself to get justice for Lem.
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