(S07E09) "What? I'm supposed to be Shane Vendrell to whatever Vic Mackey plan you've hatched?" - Dutch
I've got to say - Dutch annoys me sometimes. His high 'n' mighty, holier than thou act can be a bit tiring. Especially when he's being hypocritical about it. For him to say no to Steve and chastise him for setting up that sex offender is completely ridiculous and I'm so glad Billings called him out on it. Dutch has been faking sexual attraction to Rita Denton for weeks now, all in an effort to draw info on Lloyd - completely unethical! It's just humorous to me that he consistently draws a line and then steps over it anyway.
Of course you may be wondering why I'm talking about Dutch to start off. This is The Shield! What about Vic and everyone else? Well... not much happened. In what has been a stellar season so far, we've hit the first bump in the road. It was inevitable though. "Moving Day" wasn't bad, but it was necessary to set things up for the rest of the season. Trust me - it's worth it.
With Shane and Mara still on the run, Vic's early retirement has made it much easier for him to pursue them however he likes. While his lack of a badge created a few issues (that pharmacist wouldn't play ball with him), it hasn't been all that different since Ronnie is still on the inside and most players on the street still fear Vic anyway.
I mentioned Dutch's ethical boundaries and we found out a few more regarding Vic. He's willing to kill Mara, something that Ronnie was certainly not comfortable with. Vic made a valid point when he said that she's not an innocent and whatever Shane knows, she knows. I just don't see Vic having it in him to kill a pregnant woman though. Had those cops not been in the parking lot, I'm guessing Vic wouldn't have been able to do the deed. And speaking of those cops, how did Vic get off? He was aiming a gun at civilians in a parking lot! Wouldn't he at least have been thrown in jail for the night?
The I.C.E./Mexican Cartel plot heated up a bit and I loved the introduction of Beltran, if only for Pezuela's verbal assault on Aceveda. Personally, I don't think Cruz was very convincing in his little show. He kept smiling. He's probably nervous since he's being evaluated by the cartel's head of security. Vic is right about David though. He won't get Olivia anywhere. Vic is going to have to get in good with Beltran if he ever wants a shot at an I.C.E. paycheck, but that still sounds iffy too. Vic will really need to do something big to make up for the fact that he's no longer a cop.
What did everyone make of Corinne lying to Vic at the end? Seemed to me like she finally got "it." With Vic no longer present for Shane and Mara's calls, it'll give her freedom to protect herself and the kids however she sees fit.
More thoughts on "Moving Day" --
- It's too bad Julien is back in blues with Tina. It would have been nice for him to get some more exposure in the final season, but I don't think that'll be happening now.
- I loved when Shane called out Vic for at least "having the sack to do it himself."
- Raise your hand if you think Rita will be Lloyd's next victim. Everything seems to be pointing that way.
- Cassidy's wild child side sort of disappeared, huh?
The ending was especially poignant for me, as Shane and Mara broke into that empty mansion. He actually wanted Mara to turn herself in. She said no and made a remark that they're a family and no one is going to tear them apart. Kind of ironic, huh? They've already torn themselves apart - from each other and from life in general. If she has that mentality though, I don't expect Mara to be on board for the Bonnie and Clyde lifestyle for much longer.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
10-29-2008 @ 7:54AM
Gllsb said...
love this fracking show i hope it end's like a greek tragedy i would also love to see them include forest whitaker in the last episodes.
Hope was what he was trying to get but the truth keep's getting in his way god must have a wicked sense of humor lies and deception mans best friend.
i loved her so, she was the undoing of us once we meet her love was not mealrly
a thought it was reality we were damed to let it go in our lust in the end is what drove our desitny away.
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10-29-2008 @ 7:55AM
D-Bo said...
*raises hand*
Aceveda thinks he's holding all the cards, I doubt it will work out to his liking in the end. I think Olivia may come around for Vic and that may end up being her downfall as well. Corrine looks to be abandoning ship and that is very bad for Vic and Ronnie. Vic running around with a Desert Eagle .357 was great.
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10-29-2008 @ 7:55AM
pom said...
If Acevada gets to be Mayor, and it looks like he will. How about him making Vik the Chief of Police. I can see it happening.
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10-29-2008 @ 7:56AM
Mark Kawakami said...
What are you talking about? A lot happened in this episode regarding the Strike Team, especially as it related to characters: Shane and Mara are closer together than ever before at the same time Corrin finally turns definitely against Vic (when she said "They don't trust you anymore", she was really saying "I don't trust you anymore"). Ronnie has finally begun coming clean to Claudette, even if it was padded with a ton of lies. Ronnie is also beginning to realize that Vic is dangerously desperate. Vic is quickly seeing he has no power without his shield. Julian is beginning to remember that Vic, Ronnie and Shane are the same guys he nearly ratted out for stealing drugs in season one, and is pissed at them for getting him kicked back down to uni duty. Maybe not all of these character moments will play out, but a lot of them will.
I think when the season is over, you'll probably see that this was every bit as pivotal an episode as the one before it, only in a much more subtle way. If these characters are like pieces on a chess board, the state of their relationships is like how they're positioned. The last episode was a sacrifice play that completely disrupted the board. Tonight they started the endgame.
To me, tonight also really clarified what this season's theme would be, which I think is: Truth is a weapon.
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10-29-2008 @ 10:56AM
eric f. said...
"For him to say no to Steve and chastise him for setting up that sex offender is completely ridiculous and I'm so glad Billings called him out on it."
I can't disagree more. You can't equate the two. Dutch didn't falsely send someone to jail just to satisfy himself.
Corrine has been so pathetic this past season or two. It was a relief to see her finally do something strong.
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10-29-2008 @ 10:56AM
Jimmy said...
Second.
I think Toomey is being too hard on Dutch. Aside from Claudette, he really is the conscience of the show -- perhaps more so, given his insistence on standing up to her last week re: her health issues.
10-29-2008 @ 12:50PM
D-Bo said...
No but the point is that Dutch has been unethical when it suits him (in more than just this instance), and he is a hypocrite to deny his partner assistance on those grounds.
10-29-2008 @ 5:08PM
Patty said...
I agree with you completely.. "Dutch" has long one of my fav characters. Besides, Lloyd's mom was coming onto Dutch.. Steve is hysterical and I enjoy watching Dutch and him have their little conversations. Does anyone see Vic ending up totally kicked to the curb? I am already feeling a little sorry for him.. but I hate the guy at the same time.
10-29-2008 @ 10:56AM
DavidM said...
Toomey is an idiot if he can't see that what Dutch is doing is no where near what Vic and Billings do. Vic kills innocent people and destroys lives. Billings just sent a innocent man to jail. That is nothing at all like what Dutch is doing, basically undercover work, to stop a killer from killing again.
As for Vic, I'm confident he would kill anyone to save his ass from going to prison. I think Ronnie is seeing what Shane was talking about now. The dark side of Vic, the side that would do anything to save himself, even killing a pregnant woman.
I'm glad Corrine is cutting Vic off, he has abused her for far too long. I hope next week's previews plays off and Claudette and Dutch nail Mackey. The series should end with Vic in a cell with Antwan Mitchell.
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10-29-2008 @ 11:53AM
joe p said...
do you like this show or not?! Yeah Vic is crooked as they come but we still all love him anyways. I don't know how you could watch this show every week and say you don't like Vic. Oh I agree with Toomey on the Shane facial expression in the last episode. I rewound that 3 or 4 times. It was perfect and unexpected.
10-29-2008 @ 12:15PM
DavidM said...
I love the show. I just hate Vic, he is a thug with a badge, so I hope he gets whats coming to him, Ronnie and Shane too.
10-30-2008 @ 8:21AM
Tweeder said...
At least watch the show. He doesn't have a badge. =)
10-30-2008 @ 8:21AM
dtpollitt said...
I have no problem analyzing the show; nor do I have a problem analyzing the review of the show. But to call a reviewer "an idiot" brings to light the following question:
Then why are you reading and responding to this thread? If you don't like to, I'm certain there are plenty other places on the internet (TSR...my favorite) that you can read reviews.
Dan
11-01-2008 @ 10:35PM
Belchar said...
Have we all forgotten that scene in the first season where Dutch picks up a kitten and twists its neck just to see what it feels like to kill someone? Dutch is a bit twisted and has been.
10-29-2008 @ 10:56AM
Unforgivableblacknesss said...
The difference b/w what Dutch did and what Billingsley did, is Billingsley committed A CRIME...Was Dutch un-ethical in regards to his actions with the woman of the would be serial killer? maybe, maybe not. Cops lie/mislead suspects and family members of suspects ALL the time, in fact they are allowed to and its permissible. It would have been un equivocably un-ethical if he had slept with her, but HE didnt'. So you can't compare Dutch's actions to Billingsley in any way shape or form. Billingsley just wanted to look like a hero to his ex-wife and daughter instead of a Douchebag.
Vic is becoming more and more isolated...Ronnie came "clean" to the Claudette(who I don't think bought his act of contrition), Corrine FINALLY no longer trusts Vic, there's no way ICE is going to put him on the payroll as an agent, I think Olivia will string him along though.
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10-29-2008 @ 12:50PM
D-Bo said...
Last time I checked strangling a cat with your bare hands was a crime as is intercepting and holding subpoenas... Let's not let off Dutch too easily.
11-04-2008 @ 7:55AM
adevandry said...
His name is Billings, not Billingsley. Steve Billings does not pitch for the Dodgers.
10-29-2008 @ 10:56AM
Dottie said...
I wish there was some way to keep this show going. First they ended OZ, then The Wire and now The Shield. Three class act shows. Watching last night, I could see several ways the show could keep going. But, I am sure the actors are getting tired of it and are anxious to branch out.
I wish they would give Mackey his own show!!! If ICE gives him a job, that would be a whole new gig for him.
Speaking of Dutch, he had a rather big part on Sons Of Anarchy, another excellent program on FX. However, he was killed last week, so unless they rerun you won't be able to see him. I think the season for Sons is drawing to a close, but if it is renewed you should try to catch it.
Another show they cancelled that I thought was extremely well done was Cane with Jimmy Smits. The writers strike ended it, and it was not renewed.
Anymore, I am so reluctant to get caught up in shows b/c it seems the ones I like the most get cancelled!!! They should have a separate channel for those shows, so the people who like them could continue watching!!!
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10-29-2008 @ 12:50PM
D-Bo said...
SoA was already signed by F/X to a second season. Yay!
10-30-2008 @ 8:21AM
dtpollitt said...
Vic Mackey does have his own show, it's called "The Shield". And Smits is on Dexter, and he's playing a Miguel Prado fantastically, check it out.
Dan