In This Section
TV Guide Spotlight
Also on TVGuide.com
|
« The Shield
April 3, 2007: I Hung My Head
I thought of many ways to begin my first blog for The Shield, and I think the best way is for you all to join me in saying two words: hell, yeah!
Honestly, I've never been this excited for a new season of a show. I certainly haven't watched every show in existence, but of the ones I have, this might be the only one without a misstep somewhere along the way. So, you'll have to pardon me if my emotions get the best of me at points. What can I say, I'm excited!
But first, before we chat, a moment of silence for Lem.
Whew. It felt like an eternity between the time we saw Lem take a grenade and the start of this season, didn't it? It's all worth it, though, to see the absolute gore, the unmatched anger on Vic's face, and to feel your eyes swelling as the show opens and closes with Johnny Cash's stark cover of Sting's "I Hung My Head." I certainly ran the gamut of emotions with this episode.
I mean, first, how can you not feel for Lem? He was extremely loyal to his crew and wasn't about to give them up, but Vic and the gang got caught up in the web of lies last year and Shane took it over the edge. We come back and see Lem being portrayed in the media as a dirty cop (which, if you consider him dirty, then he was the least dirty of the strike team members) and getting no respect at all. Clearly, even before Shane realizes the extent of his mistake you can see his guilt and that Vic really doesn't know what happened. At the end of last season, I was kind of hesitant to clear Vic of the murder, pinning it all on Shane. But it really is clear after this episode that Shane took the grenade on himself.
Shane's all over the place now. He's always felt some kind of guilt for killing Lem, but after Claudette tells the strike team that he wasn't going to rat them out, Shane goes off the deep end. You could see how distraught he was in the hallway, but then to see him weeping in his car with gun drawn was something else. And you know he's going to get someone seriously injured if he doesn't care if he's alive or dead now. The guy poured gasoline all over himself at the meth clinic and told the suspect to flick his Bic if he lied to him. Sure, it worked to get the baby out, but that's not going to be the case every time. Obviously Shane is good at what he does, but keeping this secret hidden is going to be very tough. Vic is better at what he does and he is a detective after all. You have to wonder how long it will take for him to get a lead right back to Mr. Vendrell.
Then there's the awesome Vic/Kavanaugh story. Kavanaugh is one crazy, crazy man. He thought he had Vic last season but just couldn't finish the job. Now he's relying on everyone he can reach out to, to lie for him. It wasn't enough that both he and Aceveda lie all the time about Vic, but now he has to pull Emolia in too. Emolia really could be the nail in the coffin because there are a lot of people that want to see Vic go down. Then again, The Chief doesn't even seem to know which road to take with this one. But in this situation, the person I root for the most is Dutch. You know he doesn't like Vic, but clearly he doesn't think he did it either. Here's hoping that Dutch sticks to his guns, and doesn't cop out like everyone else, and finds a way to prove Vic innocent. He might be on the right track after going to get the video tape from the area Kavanaugh lied about meeting Emolia at. As far as Vic goes, we've seen him angry many times, but could this have been the angriest? The look of disgust on his face when confronting Aceveda in the bathroom was killer and then threatening Kavanaugh at his house at the very end was great.
Those are obviously the main stories now, but you can't forget the great things that make The Shield what it is.
First, you've got a guy with his head busted open while he's sitting on the can. You've got Dutch uncovering dozens of dismembered bodies, and Danny and Corrine dishing out insults at each other. And, of course, there's always a laugh or two — this time courtesy of a DVD of Richard Nixon having sex with grandmothers!
But of course, the end scene might have been the most gut-wrenching of them all for me. Aceveda is out giving his speech about Lem. Vic is watching, Ronnie's watching over a drink and Shane is out doing the underage prostitute he met earlier in the day. Yep, that's the way to show remorse, buddy.
Man, what an awesome start to Season 6! Wouldn't you agree?
Until next week, friends.
|
TVGuide Links:
|
|
|
|
Apr 4, 2007 1:26 AM
|
I started getting very excited about this episode about 5 minutes before the show began. What a great way to begin the season. That Johnny Cash was a little creepy and really made me feel emotional. I hate that Lem is dead. I can't wait to see how this season goes down.
All the "this episode is brought to you by DirecTV" stuff was a little annoying, but I don't have any complaints about the show itself.
|
|
Apr 4, 2007 1:36 AM
|
My moment of silence....................
I feel like i've waited forever for this show to start again,and like usual,well worth the wait!I love Forest Whitaker,but what the heck,he wants Vic so much he's going to frame him.Don't like where that's going,but that's why I LOVE this show,and it's about time Claudette is captain.Great way to start the season,can't wait till next week.
|
|
Apr 4, 2007 7:31 AM
|
|
David, I agree with 99% of your write-up except for this statement, "At the end of last season, I was kind of hesitant to clear Vic of the murder, pinning it all on Shane. But it really is clear after this episode that Shane took the grenade on himself." I don't see how you could have even had any thought that Vic may have had something to do with the murder. I think it was quite clear in the last season finale that Vic wanted to hear Lem's side of the story and had a lot of faith in Lem. Also, at the very end, Vic said that they were going to find out who did this (meaning killed Lem) and kill him. That's not something Vic would say if he had any part to do with it. I had no doubt in my mind that Shane took this on all himself. But definitely a good episode. I have to watch it again.
|
|
Apr 4, 2007 7:31 AM
|
tv-is-hot - thanks for the comment. Yeah, I see now that my thoughts from last season were wrong now. But Vic's been involved in so many things, that the thought crossed my mind that Vic told Shane that if he doesn't get the answers he needs, to kill Lem. And I could certainly see Vic being so adamant about finding the killer so that he deflects it all away from him.
I can see it happening, in my mind at least!  I'm always looking for the twist and it didn't pan out this time.
|
|
Apr 4, 2007 8:15 AM
|
"It wasn't enough that both him and Aceveda lie all the time about Vic, but now he has to pull Emolia in too. "
I think I disagree with this statement. Kavanaugh used to be a pretty honest guy. Never bent the rules, never cut corners. That's why his turn to the dark side is even more meaningful. That's why he won't win now that he is playing by a different set of rules. A set of rules Vic is well-versed in.
|
|
Apr 4, 2007 8:27 AM
|
OMgoodness I love this show. It was sooo worth the wait. I am still in serious mourning for Lem. It killed me to watch them talk about him as a dirty cop- he was always the one pulling back on the strike teams crazy schemes and was just such a good guy.
*Sigh* I'm having my hundredth moment of silence for him...
Like tv_is_hot, I never even considered the possibility that Vic was in on it. He is many many things, but he does love his team.
The raw emotion in this show is phenomenal and once again, I have to say, I am soooooo glad it's back.
And. I. HATE. Cavanaugh. Seriously, by the end of the episode I was clenching my fists everytime he did anything.
|
|
Apr 4, 2007 9:51 AM
|
Yes, a moment of silence for Lem.
OK. Now...
Wow. Wow. And WOW. This is great television! It does seem like so long... they did a great job recapping last season and I really liked the fact that only two days have passed between the end of season 5 and the start of this season.
Excellent recap Dave. I agree with the other poster that there was no doubt in my mind that Vic sent Shane with the grenade. Vic is a lot of things, but he's still loyal to his team.
I keep wondering how long it will be until Vic really snaps. Right now he has attacks coming from all sides - Corrine, Kavanaugh, Claudette, on top of his appetite for vengance. And we haven't even really gotten into Danny's baby and whether or not Vic is the daddy - although the look on Danny's face after Corrine's little pop-in pretty much said it all.
But back to the big surprise... Kavanaugh planting evidence. WOW. He is so clearly desperate, I can't help but wonder if one of two things will happen: either he'll get busted by Dutch (which I would love to see) or there will be a very physical and very deadly showdown with Vic.
SPOILER ALERT
I read that Kavanaugh's story arc doesn't last more than a few episodes. This particular story line likely will not last all season like last year.
|
|
Apr 4, 2007 9:55 AM
|
|
Here's mine David "Hell yeah". I have been waiting for this show to come back on for so long and it was well worth the wait. Forest Whitaker is an excellent actor, but I HATE him as Kavanaugh. I can't wait for him to be gone. I think and hope that Dutch will find out that he is trying to set Vic up for Lem's murder and that will be the end of Kavanaugh. Maybe that's how they will write him out of the show by busting him for being a "dirty cop" the same thing he's trying to accuse Vic of being. I also think that it is pretty apparent that Danni's baby is Vic's after her run-in with Corrine. I don't think we've heard the last of those two ladies going at it either. Man I can't wait for next weeks episode.
|
|
Apr 4, 2007 10:04 AM
|
|
Now this is dramatic television! This season premiere was well worth the wait and as good as everyone was in the episode Walter Goggin's Shane stole the episode for me. Seeing him being worried about Vic possibility finding out it was him was great, but then once he finds out Aceveda and Kavanuagh set up the story about Lem giving testimony totally killed him, his face during the scene told the whole story. He killed a good friend for no reason, now he's not only worried about Vic's wrath and his guilt, but also knowing it didn't have to happen, guy's gone completely suicidal and will most likely endanger a few members of the squad over the course of the season.
|
|
Apr 4, 2007 10:24 AM
|
FX has some great shows but there is just no way to top The Shield. They make it so easy to root for the bad guy! It is our job as a viewer to discover how many degrees of bad these charactors really are.
I just don't know how you would not be hoping that Vic can win out in this battle of evils between him and Cavanaugh.
Great show - great episode!!
|
|
Apr 4, 2007 11:03 AM
|
While I am with everyone in terms of the high praise for this season opener (which was supposed to be the second half of last season, but was moved by FX to create a new season), I have only one major objection to Mr. Steed's review:
As much as we like and empathize with many aspects of Vic and the strike team, as much as we liked Lem and "mourn" his passing, I think it needs to be kept in mind that Vic and his crew ARE dirty cops and, frankly, should get every single rotten thing coming to them.
The brilliance of The Shield is that these are complex characters, sometimes they do the right things because they are the right things to do, and they are very good as getting the bad guys. But also they often engage in sadistic police brutality, engage in almost gleeful racism, are theives (and not just from the bad guys), and, yes, murderers. The Shield is based on the infamously corrupt LA Rampart police division, after all. That's why I find Mr. Steed's comments about "if you consider [Lem] to be dirty" to be so oddly sympathetic, because Lem was dirty. And so are Vic, Shane and the rest.
I love the show, the complex writing and characterizations, and the characters. But it would be fitting if the series ended up with Vic and his crew either behind bars or dead. Of course given the crazy twists and turns of the show, it could end with Vic sipping pina coladas with Emolia's head in his lap -- if you know what I mean -- in Brazil. LOL
|
|
Apr 4, 2007 11:22 AM
|
Nobody is happier than me to see the Shield back and with a vengenance! I have been with the show since day one and loved it ever since.
I am still pretty upset that Lem is gone from the show. He was the only one with any kind of a conscious. How great is it that we know the strike team is dirty but we love them anyway. That is why I love the show, life isn't always black and white. Everyone on this show has crossed a line or two.
As for the whole Danny and Vic baby thing she told him in the season finale that it was his when he visited her in the hospital. Corrine was perfect in her confrontation better watch him, early detection is the key.
As for Kavanaugh he is just something else. How low has he sunk to get Vic. I think he really lost it over the thing with his ex wife. That's when it all got crazy and he got pulledoff the case. Forrest Whittaker is just phenomenal. You hate him and he's the good guy! CANNOT WAIT for the final showdown with him and Vic. It is going to be rumble for sure!
I never for one second thought Vic would harm Lem, he would hear him out and figure a way out for them all! The cop he killed was not part of the team, he would do anything for any of them. What makes me so mad about Shane is that he is the weakest link, always flying off the handle at the slightest sign of trouble. Season before last Shane had turned on them and was going out for self. He betrayed Vic and even as angry as Vic was with him, he couldn't kill him. It was over that money train disaster. Anyway, when Shane got in way over his head with Antwon and that mess with the new partner, who helped him? VIC. Loyalty is everything to him. Shane betrayed that when he killed Lem - this is the showdown I can't wait to see play out!
Can't wait for next week!!!!
|
|
Apr 4, 2007 11:31 AM
|
Kavanaugh ceased being the "good guy" the second he decided to plant evidence in Vic's apartment. Before last night's episode, I watched the last few episodes of Season 5 to get my mind in the right place. Just watching those episodes made me absolutely HATE John Kavanaugh. It just goes to show how great an actor Forest Whitaker really is.
Watching those episodes also made me feel extra sad about Lem. Despite knowing the outcome of the finale, I still got choked up watching that grenade explode and Shane repeatedly crying afterward and shouting "I'm sorry Lem." Chills all around.
The only downside is having to wait a week in between episodes!
|
|
Apr 4, 2007 11:44 AM
|
|
Love this show! I miss Lem, though. When he was on "Cold Case" I was hoping that storyline would continue, but I guess that wasn't meant to be. I think Lem should haunt Shane--come to him in visions or something like that. Of course, Shane is being haunted just by carrying around all that guilt. Cavanaugh and Acaveda need to get their just rewards! I hope Dutch figures it out and nails them. I don't think Dutch dislikes Vic. I think he is kind of in awe of him. Love the scene with Danny and Corrine.
|
|
Apr 4, 2007 11:50 AM
|
|
|
