(S06E08) "We're not clean in this either. And I'm not spending the rest of my life wearing state property." -Ronnie
I'm gonna make a bold statement that'll probably insult some readers: If you don't watch this show, you're dumb. Plain and simple. Nothing else on TV is as well-written, layered, and intricate as The Shield. There's another well-known cable drama with a prominent anti-hero about to end its run. Something about the Jersey mob and its high strung boss. You know that guy I'm talking about? Well, he can't hold a candle to Vic Mackey.
Picking up where we left off last week, Shane is continuing to separate himself from Vic until his transfer to vice goes through. In the meantime, he's doing everything he can to save up money should he need to take off quickly with Mara and Jackson. While I still don't understand his choice, he picked the Armenians to help him do that. Despite the glaring possibility that they could find out about Shane's involvement in the money train heist, I'm willing to look past it because Shane getting in bed with the Armenians has opened up a very solid sub-plot.
Enter Diro Kesakhian (played by Franka Potente), the heir-apparent to her dying father's empire. Potente has crafted a very intriguing character. Diro is meek, quiet, but she's no fool and clearly has more influence amongst those who are still loyal to her father than Shane realized. Apparently, she only has to snap her fingers and enemies start turning up castrated. It'll be interesting to see how her relationship with Shane grows. She clearly wants to rely on him for future intel and knowing Shane, it won't be long before he makes a move on her.
Elsewhere, Hiatt officially became more than just another face at The Barn. Up until this episode, his character didn't really sway me either way. But he finally stood up against Claudette and that earned him some points in my book. Beyond the fact that he told Vic about his true status, Hiatt also willingly disobeyed an order from Wyms. I didn't think he was that type of guy and neither did Claudette, but it's great to see that he knows what needs to be done. It's too bad that Claudette still hasn't realized the value of the Strike Team in that regard. Speaking of that disobeyed order, how great was that sting they set up? From the check-point, to the planted car with Shane behind the wheel, it was awesome to watch that all play out.
Two big revelations played out in this episode too. First was Terry. Shane finally spilled the truth to Ronnie, who in turn confronted Vic. The surprise? Ronnie said that the first page of Shane's "memoir" wasn't exactly new info. At what point did Ronnie find out? Lem knew after he got it out of Vic last season, but when did Ronnie catch on? Did he just always suspect it? Regardless, he seems set in putting it behind him and just acted disappointed that Vic never came clean with him. The two of them are still on the same page though. I think I've said it before, but I love that Ronnie has become a more prominent character this season. It's long overdue.
The other big revelation was Aceveda's buddy on the city council construction board (I'm pretty sure his name is Cruz). While this wasn't exactly verified, it seems pretty likely that he has ties to the San Marcos murders and the outing of the Salvadoran snitch. Everyone else that knew about Hernan has been accounted for, so he must have let it slip out after David told him. How else would the Salvadorans and Byz Lats know about it? If he is indeed the person who leaked the info, it's ironic if you think about. He wants the San Marcos murders solved ASAP and by leaking the info about Hernan, it caused Hernan to frame someone else who he then killed. Now Hernan, the one person who could actually solve those murders quickly for Vic and Hiatt, is on a plane to El Salvador. Too bad. I suppose all this is just a theory on my part, but it makes sense I think.
For once, this episode had a decent chunk of laugh-out-loud moments too...
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Billings playing pocket pinball and getting busted by Danny.
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Danny and Tina going on and on about purses and clutches.
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And don't forget that Russian madame talking about her big tipping golden shower client.
All in all, another very solid episode. The tension just keeps building up. Hiatt and Wyms don't see eye to eye now. Hernan is no longer around to feed Vic intel on whatever is brewing in the Salvadoran camp. Vic knows his job is done unless he does something about it. And Shane is out on his own. Knowing The Shield, and since we only have two episodes left this season, I'm sure it'll all collide soon enough. 6 out of 7.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-23-2007 @ 9:38AM
Borat said...
"Nothing else on TV is as well-written, layered, and intricate as The Shield."
I know it's your opinion, but seriously The Wire is the greatest TV show ever, let alone the greatest "cop" show ever.
Of course, I love The Shield too. Enormously tense and entertaining. I still don't understand though why Shane would buddy up to the Armenians, especially after what he did to them.
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5-23-2007 @ 9:39AM
Steven Rubio said...
Borat beat me to it.
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5-23-2007 @ 9:39AM
Diego M said...
I love the shield more than the wire. Mackey is the best, most complex and character in television. can't mess with mackey. i wonder who would survive in a cage fight, Mackey or Bauer?
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5-23-2007 @ 9:39AM
Chris said...
I love the Shield, and you won't find many bigger fans than me, as I watched every episode since day 1. I would say that the Shield is superior entertainment. However, the Wire is truly superior storytelling. A subtle difference, but I feel like the Wire is truly special, as it is much less accessible, but has far greater depth.
That said, there are few shows that have held their quality as well as the Shield. I've found that its quality has been consistently good, and can't remember ever seeing a "bad" episode. Truly amazing for a show that has been on as long as the Shield.
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5-23-2007 @ 9:39AM
Lee Davis said...
i was gonna say the wire and dexter are equal to the shield....all the best
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5-23-2007 @ 9:40AM
Kent said...
The Shield's great, but put me down for the Wire also: It's the best thing on television, but the Shield's close behind. I put the Shield above Sopranos. Makes me wish the Unit was on FX or HBO.
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5-23-2007 @ 9:40AM
Joe said...
Dumb and proud of it. I'll take my Dexter over this any day.
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5-23-2007 @ 9:40AM
Kevin Stahnke said...
I'm still not convinced that Hernan is alive. Did any of the characters actually see Hernan in the car with the El Salvadorans after the bust? I can't remember anyone mentioning it but if they did, then I retract my opinion. Assuming no one mentioned directly seeing him, I'll explain why I have suspicions that he's gone and the strike team is being set up somehow. None of the characters have actually talked to Hernan--instead, all their info comes from his girlfriend. Now, she could be relaying info from Hernan, but she could just as easily be relaying info from the Salvadorans to test and mislead the team. The whole gun bust could have been a test to see if the strike team would believe what they were told. In addition, just when they think they'll get to talk to Hernan, he's shipped off to El Salvador. It all feels like an elaborate set up to me. Again, I could have missed something.
On to the Shane/Armenian story line. I'm very impressed. I think Shane has allowed his chauvinism to completely misread the situation and he's been played all the way. At the end of last night's episode when he's telling Diro that she's in over her head and she reassures him that she still has loyal people and then points out to Shane "...and I have you." At that point the look on Shane's face tells the whole story--it's suddenly dawning on him how she has pulled him in and compromised him so that he's now on her payroll. Over the course of the episode, he admitted his involvement with the gas station, he handed over the name of three guys--two of whom end up castrated--and he accepted envelopes of cash on several occasions.
Brilliant episode--by the way, Billings was playing pocket-pool, not pocket pinball. I don't even want to think about what pocket pinball might be--it sounds painful.
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5-23-2007 @ 10:57AM
Rudebwoy381 said...
I really have to watch some of S3 again -- I'm telling you, the Armenians already know who boosted the money train. Their treasury mole got 'em the entire Strike Team's information.
Now Kesakhian's daughter has Shane on her payroll, and if my hunch is right about the 'warm, safe place' for his tell-all memoir being with the Armenians, they can hold THAT over his head, too.
I'm with Toomey, though... I'm not sure why Shane picked the Armenians to snuggle up with. Even if they DON'T know who jacked the money train, there's certainly been enough love lost between the two of them that it doesn't seem to be the smartest alliance. Of course, what's the alternative? A gang, I suppose. Shane can't exactly go running to the One-Niners; not after he's been between the sheets with their boss's girl. Maybe he thought the Armenians were a little more organized, and got sucked in (almost by accident, I think Kesakhian's daughter played him pretty good) when he saw that they weren't. He tried to treat Diro like a little girl, and she definitely got the better of him.
Also, Aceveda appears to have made another perfectly stupid blunder, telling his developer buddy about info he shouldn't even have, let alone that this guy now appears to be plugged in to the street gangs. Our Fair City Councilman doesn't even have an excuse, because he's obviously an intelligent guy. It's just that he'll do anything to get ahead politically, and that's what continues to get him into trouble. I still yearn for the day that Aceveda gets his...
Props to Ronnie for stepping up. Shane's new situation with the Armenians has made me reconsider, but I'm still holding to my theory that Ronnie may kill Shane.
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5-23-2007 @ 10:57AM
Rudebwoy381 said...
Yup, the Armenians know. In episode 13 of season three, at the very end, when the Strike Team is burning O'Brien's body, Lem says, 'We might have fooled Dutch and the feds... but the Armenians know the truth.'
Also, in response to Stahnke's post, whenever the three Salvadorans are going into the gun shop, Vic sees one of them and says something to the effect, 'Alive and standing.' He has to be talking about Hernan.
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5-23-2007 @ 3:11PM
David said...
"If you don't watch this show, you're dumb."
Thank goodness I started watching it!
I can't not watch it now. It makes my blood pressure go up. It makes it hard to sleep if I watch it before bed. I love it.
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5-23-2007 @ 4:38PM
malren said...
YES! Finally someone noticed that Vic Mackey is everything that Tony Soprano wishes he could be.
The Shield is the best TV mob drama EVER. It just dresses the gangsters up as corrupt cops.
As for The Wire - I'm going to buy the DVDs based on the recommendations here. If you are all wrong about this show, I swear to God I will make it my life's mission to hunt you down and cut off your feet.
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5-24-2007 @ 6:37PM
kip said...
Put me in for the wire as well, with the shield being a close second.
AND A HELL YEAH TO KENT RE: THE UNIT ON FX OR HBO. They did it wth Stargate so just reverse it. Mamet in his glory. I will say that Sleeper Cell did show that this can be done, come on HBO!
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5-24-2007 @ 6:37PM
Rudebwoy381 said...
Malren:
You won't be disappointed. The Wire is just as good as The Shield; only in a completely different way. It draws you in slowly, while The Shield suckerpunches you in the gut.
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5-24-2007 @ 6:38PM
Kieron O'Mally said...
Franka Potente was awesome as the Armenian boss's daughter. Seems like a very promising character.
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5-28-2007 @ 8:13PM
Ronald said...
Ummm Dexter is Ok, but please don't even mention it in the same sentance as the SHIELD! Far and away thebest thing going TODAY!
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5-30-2007 @ 11:53AM
cdell said...
I love both The Wire and The Shield equally. They are very different shows and each has much to recommend them.
Malren: I hope you enjoy The Wire. Stick with it, though. My favorite season was #4 about the kids-- heartbreaking and intense.
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6-01-2007 @ 11:32AM
lisalisa said...
The shield is the best cop drama ever i miss lem but bring him back in flashbacks or better yet in shanes nightmares.
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8-15-2007 @ 3:37AM
Daniel said...
I know I'm like 2-3 months late responding, but I stumbled across this looking for some scoops on The Shield season 7; anyway, just wanted to say I agree wholeheartedly with your statment, and I am suprised The Shield got snubbed for an Emmy, especially this past season, which I think was simply the best thing on TV this past year. The sheer intensity of this season was amazing, and having Running Lola join the cast the last few episodes just made it even better. Sure, The Sopranos was good, Lost was good, but nothing compared to this season of The Shield. BTW, haven't seen you mention a rather new show I have really enjoyed, The Closer ... it isn't gritty and raw in the way The Shield is, but I like it - it has good, realistic characterization, without being gratuitous in its presentation. Give it a shot if you haven't seen it.
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