(S07E05) "Putting Pezuela away is a down payment on me being able to live with myself." - Vic
Vic Mackey expressing regret? Wha?!? If that isn't a sign of the end, I don't know what is. Correct me if I'm wrong, but up until now, I don't think we've ever heard Vic say he felt bad about what he'd done. At least not say it and mean it. Sure, he's expressed distaste for some of his actions and more often than not he spouts the "I did what had to be done" rhetoric, but now he's finally starting to realize that this is it.
Olivia being in the box certainly must have been a reality check for Vic. You knew she had to have a reason for showing up out of nowhere and now we know why. Jumping right to the end of the episode, it was exactly what I expected. Vic did his homework on Pezuela's dirt (Olivia got her brother out a federal gambling ring charge), confronted her at her home, and found out what she knew and who she told.
Part of me wanted to hear her say "Cruz knows everything," but I think that would have been too much with eight episodes to go. Vic wants to help, but it's obviously out of a sense of self-preservation and not from the goodness of his heart. Could it backfire? Sure, especially if Cruz ever gets his box back and tries to get something out of Olivia. More than likely that won't happen, but Aceveda could still turn over the box to the Feds (i.e. Olivia's bosses) and then she's doubly screwed.
One of the things I loved about this episode is how so many older characters made a comeback. Kleavon Gardner, Deena, and Leon the FBI profiler all popped up and contributed to some really solid storylines. I remember reading somewhere (or maybe it was one of those cast interviews from The Shield website?) that Shawn Ryan went through and re-watched the first six seasons and pulled the characters he wanted to develop further. Looks like this is the result.
Leon's return was the most intriguing because he came in and added weight to Dutch's theory about Lloyd. Something is wrong with him, but he can't pinpoint it. Having Kleavon confirm it was far more chilling though - the elder, experienced serial killer recognizing "it" in a younger version of himself.
More thoughts...
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Up until the end, I will say that knowing Olivia was in the box certainly added a second layer to anything that came out of her mouth since there really was no way of knowing if she was going to set the Strike Team up. Obviously she didn't, but you get what I mean.
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Seems that in light of Cassidy's behavior, Vic now views Lee as a "do over." What I don't get is why Vic thinks Danny is unfit to be a single parent? Or is that just his own ego?
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I loved how Dutch equated everything about his career as a path that led him right to Lloyd. I can't wait to see how it plays out with this kid. I've heard a lot of theories and they're all good. Lloyd kills Dutch? Dutch kills Lloyd? Either would make sense to m, but there are so many other (better) outcomes.
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That scene when Mackey "deputized" Burnout and his crew was hilarious.
Now that Ronnie knows Aceveda has the box, do you think he'll continue to push Vic to end the Armo/Mexi war as Shane suggested? I mean... Shane is right... right? Using Ronnie's quicksand analogy, they just keep sinking. Even though Vic got to Olivia before she could do some damage, you have to wonder if it's really going to make a "big picture" difference at this point.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-01-2008 @ 10:32AM
Marcus M. said...
I voted for Anton, but I noticed that Tom Kavvanaugh is not on the list? I forget if it was in a previous review or if it were one of my friends who said it would be interesting for Cassidy to pay him a visit...
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10-01-2008 @ 10:32AM
Rob said...
I voted for Tavon before I knew. According to Wikipedia he will be in the next episode. Working with Shane of all people. Wonder if the subject of Shane's wife will come up?
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10-01-2008 @ 10:32AM
erica said...
Hey Jonathan, what happened to the Prison break recaps??
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10-01-2008 @ 10:33AM
pvarine said...
SMELLIN' LIKE BADUSSY!!! YES! (In case anyone was wondering, 'badussy' is a word that Bernie Mac made up, I believe... it refers to a potent combination of booty, d*ck and pu**y).
GREAT episode... I have to say though re: Vic's "regrets" speech, his line about Pezuela ("He will unleash a wave of violence and corruption like this city has never seen") made me cringe a little. I don't think anyone on this show outside of maybe Wyms or Aceveda would really talk like that.
Also, Burnout's boy lighting up a blunt when they were like 10 seconds away from doing the robbery seemed like just a vehicle for him to give the line about "covering up the smell of bacon." Maybe he was onto something, though. Julian got by, but his undercover performance ("Yo yo, my man, my man") was a little suspect at first.
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10-01-2008 @ 11:27PM
D-Bo said...
I don't know that Mac wrote it but he did deliver it in the movie How To Be A Player starring Bill Bellamy.
10-01-2008 @ 4:55PM
John in Dallas said...
This episode reinforced something I've been thinking for a while - Dutch needs a spin-off when The Shield is finally gone.
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10-01-2008 @ 9:11PM
8bitjeff said...
>>>This episode reinforced something I've been thinking for a while - Dutch needs a spin-off when The Shield is finally gone.
10-01-2008 @ 11:38AM
Jeff said...
Which season & episode had Leon the FBI profiler starred?
My memory is vague...
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10-01-2008 @ 11:38AM
Jeff said...
Which season & episode did Leon the FBI profiler & Deena starred? I only remember Kleavon.
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10-01-2008 @ 12:52PM
Andy Salazar said...
I liked the episode, but it was not great. I loved the parts where they use the gang to free the girl (man did she have a great butt) and the parts with Dutch get interesting, but it wasnt amazing or the best one so far.
I can see it building, and really the best way to watch these is back to back to get the whole arc I think.
AJ
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10-01-2008 @ 3:26PM
pvarine said...
I personally don't remember the FBI profiler, either, although he looks a teeny bit like the treasury agent from season three.
Deena, however, was a roadbump in the Strike Team getting away with lifting several bricks of coke back in season two (she stole Shane's SUV, with the bricks in it, when he was making a booty call).
The character I'd most like to see make a comeback appearance is Van Bro, the crippled street artist/informant.
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10-02-2008 @ 9:39AM
Gabriel said...
great ep indeed.
who i'd really like to see again is Monica.. she did a great job as capt, and I kinda felt she was into Vic during season 4.
i'd also like to see a a major character die.
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10-02-2008 @ 9:40AM
D-Bo said...
I too voted for Rawlings. I would be very surprised if all the current cast survive to see the final episode.
10-06-2008 @ 5:03PM
Anthony said...
I voted for Tavon, but I wish I could've added a couple more. Of course Antwon Mitchell would be a perfect to throw into the mix. Who else (besides the oddly left out Kavannagh) could potentially destroy the Strike Team with a vengeful smile? And keep in mind that Vic is back in bed with 1-Niners. As far as I can remember Antwon still controls them from jail
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10-02-2008 @ 9:40AM
csttar63 said...
if anyone can recall way back in season one or two, a black perp was hitting on danni. for a moment it seemed she was interested in the guy. something tells me it will come out that she did it with the black guy, but she pinned this on VIC!!!
any takers???
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10-02-2008 @ 9:40AM
garrett said...
Yeh.. your talkin about the fence..Taylor... i thought the baby might be his too bet danny tasted brown sugar
10-02-2008 @ 12:51AM
csttar63 said...
i think danni did it with the black guy way back in S1 or S2. she seemed like she gave rhythm. vic will get the shock of life.
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10-02-2008 @ 8:45AM
Jimmy said...
I liked this episode -- probably more than any other this season. It stood on its own, apart from the larger Armenian/Mexican plot, which is just getting too big to follow (or care about). I loved the gang bust, the scene where Vic interrogated the kid, and the interaction with Olivia at the end. Something tells me Vic is getting played!
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10-02-2008 @ 1:20PM
dudley said...
ok that was a classic episodes
"no disrespect, but the only set you can clam is alien nation"
"you had some black pussy and now you think you know africa?"
"yes yes y'all!"
and that joke vic pulled on these bangers with the hand gesture LOLZ
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10-02-2008 @ 5:15PM
Gabriel said...
i think julian said Aryan Nation