The Shield - The Final Act!!!! Discussion - Page 2

bryce · 11-19-2008, 08:15 AM

Wow, that was an intense episode.

I think it's fascinating how they vilified Vic in one episode, after 6 seasons of creating Godfather or Sopranos type sympathy for him - he's one of the 'bad guys,', but you can't help but pull for him anyway.

I'm going to miss this show terribly.

Logan · 11-20-2008, 07:49 PM

I wish they set aside two full episodes just to hear Vic confess all his dirty deeds.

Poor Ronnie, I agree it seems to be set up that he'll be the one left standing.

atatange1 · 11-20-2008, 09:44 PM

It could be that Ronnie will be the only one left standing. Perhaps Ronnie will give up Vic to Beltran (doubt it), and then the tape won't matter as much (or at all since Vic can't be cross examined?) and he gets to skate...I don't know. Anyway, love the show, and can't wait so see how they wrap it up in 90 minutes. That leaves not much time so they have to wrap it up cleanly.

BishopMVP · 11-21-2008, 04:09 PM

Votes on who, if anyone, dies? I'm saying either Vic does or he has to shoot Ronnie.

sabotai · 11-21-2008, 04:46 PM

I'm thinking that Shane has to die, and that either Vic or Ronnie dies. Possibly all 3 to finish off the original strike team completely. I wouldn't be surprised to see a few of the supporting characters go down as well. Claudette and Aceveda have been on a storylines that could easily end with their deaths.

atatange1 · 11-21-2008, 06:49 PM

I think Dutch will die, otherwise why would they be stringing along that kid as a possible serial killer story?

Tasan · 11-21-2008, 07:38 PM

This is gonna be a wild finish, I know that. I don't want the episodes to end. I do think Shane HAS to die. I'm not sure about Ronnie, Vic, and Dutch though. I could see Ronnie taking Vic out like sabotai says. Somehow I could also see Dutch taking Vic out, protecting Corrine after Vic finds out she was working with the cops and caused him to turn on Ronnie. I would hate for Dutch to die though, he's always been a favorite of mine.

Tasan · 11-21-2008, 07:51 PM

I just did the math, and if there are 2 episodes left, then the last episode is on my birthday! Happy birthday to me!

judicial clerk · 11-21-2008, 10:38 PM

i thought there was only one episode left.

that girl from ice got so played, "excuse me,... did you say you killed a police officer?"

I was not loving last season or the first half of this season as much as the early stuff, but the lasr few episodes have been great.

I am wondering if vic doesn't have an idea to try to help ronnie. Also, shane is so screwed.

My guess, shane and vic go to jail together, ronnie and dutch die, and claudette quits. Acaveda is mayor.

sabotai · 11-21-2008, 11:55 PM

Yeah, one 90 minute episode is all that is left.

atatange1 · 11-22-2008, 12:30 AM

I think all this speculation alone, along with all the different feelings over the characters just proves how great this show is. I still don't understand how Forest Whitaker didn't win an Emmy for his role (I looked it up on IMDB and he wasn't even nominated!).

Tasan · 11-22-2008, 12:49 AM

Forgot Acaveda in my predictions. Something HAS to happen to that slimeball. I got nothing though.

BYU 14 · 11-25-2008, 12:36 PM

Well, tonight is it. I have to say as eager as I am for this episode, I have a bit of sadness knowing that this will be it tonight.

This is really strange for me to feel this way, since I am not a big TV watcher and I have never followed a series so closely before. In fact the only other series I have seen every episode of is Deadwood, which was solid in it's own right, but could never have sustained the run The Shield has had IMO.

Hopefully they will leave just enough loose ends to make a Movie down the road.....I know that was a rumor at one point.

Regardless, looking forward to the conclusion of my favorite TV series ever.

Logan · 11-25-2008, 01:33 PM

I was a late adopter of the series (think we had another thread where I said I went out and bought all the DVDs when they were on sale at a crazy price -- I ended up watching all six seasons in something like 5 weeks), so it's a bit different for me in that I haven't been following very long, but definitely still bittersweet. I haven't even spent much time thinking of what will happen, and I like it that way. Just come on at 10 and keep me amazed for 90 minutes.

DaddyTorgo · 11-25-2008, 01:37 PM

god - i can't even concentrate on my day i'm waiting and wondering so hardcore!!!

see you guys at showtime!!

sabotai · 11-25-2008, 01:50 PM

Pretty excited myself. Since last night, it's all I've been thinking about. I have so many theories and ideas as to what might happen, I'm not sure I can really articulate them.

I have been a big TV watcher for a long time (not sure if that's good or bad

), but I've seen so many series just die painfully. Like the X-Files, The 4400, Freaks and Geeks, Sports Night. Some of them are prematurely ended (Freaks and Geeks, Sports Night) causing a lot of awkward sped up character development and plots, or they keep them around way too long instead of ending them (The X-Files, The 4400) causing a lot of confusing, contradicting plotlines.

But now with The Shield, I am very happy they are ending. It sucks, yes, but if The Shield was continued, I think it would start going down the road of having its stories stretched way too thin, causing a lot of crappy TV. I can't imagine how good The X-Files would have been if they ended it after 5 seasons, instead of constantly changing the plot and characters and causing it to just become a parody of itself. The Wire is a good example of what I mean. It was a great series that ended at the right time. I feel the same way with The Shield.

Yeah, it sucks that it's ending, though. But the alternative of having it become absurd (relatively speaking, of course. I lot of people would say the show is absurd to begin with.) is a far worse outcome.

Now they just need to end it correctly, and it'll be a complete show. It'll be hard to top the ending to The Wire, but I think they can do it.

EDIT: And before anyone mentions it, yes, The 4400 only lasted 4 seasons. But with the pace they set in the first season, it should have been about a 3 season long story. But after the large amount of success that the first season had, they changed everything. They started to become concerned with making the series last as long as possible. The 2nd season was ok, and the 3rd and 4th seasons were terrible because they started doing what the X-Files did. However, instead of letting the show go on like the X-Files, the plug was pulled. IOW, they were more concerned with trying to make the series last 8-9 seasons instead of telling a good story, it suffered, and died because of it. That's what I mean by "too long" for The 4400. It should have been a 2 or 3 season long series. Or, at least, the original storyline had about that much fuel in it. They could have come up with a second 2-3 season long "sequel" plotline.

sabotai · 11-25-2008, 08:59 PM

It's starting!!!!

DeToxRox · 11-25-2008, 10:02 PM

Episode isn't even over yet but ..

Spoiler

BYU 14 · 11-25-2008, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeToxRox

Episode isn't even over yet but ..

Spoiler

I said the exact same thing!!

Spoiler

Fitting end to a great series.

It was also nice seeing glimpses from all the other seasons as the credits rolled as well.

DeToxRox · 11-25-2008, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BYU 14

I said the exact same thing!!

Spoiler

Fitting end to a great series.

It was also nice seeing glimpses from all the other seasons as the credits rolled as well.

Spoiler

sabotai · 11-25-2008, 11:31 PM

I'm sad now...

Spoiler

Interview with Shawn Ryan about the finale (contains spoilers): SPOILER ALERT: 'Shield' Boss Answers Burning Finale Qs | The Shield | Ausiello Files | EW.com

DaddyTorgo · 11-26-2008, 12:17 AM

*watching on the dvr*

OMFG...Shane. And Mara and Jackson? Wow.

DaddyTorgo · 11-26-2008, 12:22 AM

And Vic and ICE get Beltran...there's still plenty of shoes to drop I got a feeling.

DaddyTorgo · 11-26-2008, 07:34 AM

wow - that was damn intense. i agree with the sentiment that although they couldn't get Vic behind bars, between taking away his family and making him face Ronnie and hear about Shane they've done a lot to wound him. Also think the desk-job thing would be torture, especially with Olivia breathing down his neck and saying she's going to be basically demanding a certain amount of work each week (with the implied threat that if he doesn't do it he gets canned and his immunity gets tossed)

Logan · 11-26-2008, 07:51 AM

Damn I'm gonna miss this show. While going in I figured Shane killing himself had a decent chance of happening, I still didn't make the connection when he gave the extra money to the young cashier, said hi to the neighbor, and was overly handling the truck he bought for Jackson.

Agree with you guys in that Vic's new life is worse than if he was locked in a cell with Antwon Mitchell.

More thoughts to follow...

edit: I started reading some of the comments posted to that Q&A with Ryan shared above...those people are fucking criminally retarded, please don't waste your time reading.

johneh · 11-26-2008, 11:42 AM

How great was that at the end.. Vic with all he is done being led around by some HR lady to his little cubicle... "Don't touch the termostat you aren't allowed to change it. The lights are shut off at 6:15 if you are working late you must call ext 815"

DaddyTorgo · 11-26-2008, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johneh

How great was that at the end.. Vic with all he is done being led around by some HR lady to his little cubicle... "Don't touch the termostat you aren't allowed to change it. The lights are shut off at 6:15 if you are working late you must call ext 815"

that was hilarious. best was "we ask you to label your lunch if you bring it in."

DaddyTorgo · 11-26-2008, 01:33 PM

As far as the acting in the finale - while Chicklis (spelling) was great, he honestly didn't have that much material to work with - not a lot of "great" lines, and most of his stuff was "reactionary".

Far and away, I thought Shane's breakdown was the emotional highlight of the finale. That and Ronnie's screaming fit in the Barn at the end, but moreso Shane, as we saw more of him throughout the episode and really throughout the series.

sabotai · 11-26-2008, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Far and away, I thought Shane's breakdown was the emotional highlight of the finale. That and Ronnie's screaming fit in the Barn at the end, but moreso Shane, as we saw more of him throughout the episode and really throughout the series.

Walter Goggins is a great actor. I hope he ends up getting a lot of work and I see him in other shows/movies.

JonInMiddleGA · 11-26-2008, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sabotai

Walter Goggins is a great actor. I hope he ends up getting a lot of work and I see him in other shows/movies.

I thought his next project was a bit ... different than I would have expected. Looks like a movie bound for Hallmark or Lifetime, co-starring Hal Holbrook, Dixie Carter, and Barry Corbin.

Okay, it's also got the minister from Deadwood but still, not what I would have expected for a guy who I would think should generate a certain amount of interest.

DaddyTorgo · 11-26-2008, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sabotai

Walter Goggins is a great actor. I hope he ends up getting a lot of work and I see him in other shows/movies.

yes

DaddyTorgo · 11-26-2008, 02:48 PM

hey, kudos for him for trying not to act himself into a corner as far as the types of roles that are offered to him though

Fighter of Foo · 11-26-2008, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Logan

edit: I started reading some of the comments posted to that Q&A with Ryan shared above...those people are fucking criminally retarded, please don't waste your time reading.

read Sepinwall's version instead.

JonInMiddleGA · 11-26-2008, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fighter of Foo

read Sepinwall's version instead.

Good read, even though I was never able to actually get into the show more than in an extremely casual way. Still interesting to get the insight into the thought process behind some of the things that were done.

BishopMVP · 11-26-2008, 07:05 PM

- Obviously it was tangential to the interesting plotline, but did I miss something with the Dutch/serial killer kid storyline? Maybe where they actually got evidence against him? All I remember seeing was them walking back in, telling him to get ready for his close-up and Dutch looking smug.

- Even knowing that it backed Shane all the way into the corner, Vic's "I'll send you the postcard from Space Mountain." line was fantastic.

- Finally, the one glimmer of hope Vic has despite all the previous problems between them - his older daughter. She is crazy and emotionally bipolar enough, how long until she had a fight with her mother and went to call/find Vic? A month, two tops?

BYU 14 · 11-26-2008, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BishopMVP

- Obviously it was tangential to the interesting plotline, but did I miss something with the Dutch/serial killer kid storyline? Maybe where they actually got evidence against him? All I remember seeing was them walking back in, telling him to get ready for his close-up and Dutch looking smug.

- Even knowing that it backed Shane all the way into the corner, Vic's "I'll send you the postcard from Space Mountain." line was fantastic.

- Finally, the one glimmer of hope Vic has despite all the previous problems between them - his older daughter. She is crazy and emotionally bipolar enough, how long until she had a fight with her mother and went to call/find Vic? A month, two tops?

Shawn Ryan did mention that he would not be opposed to a Movie down the road and these are definitely things that could come into play.

He mentioned in his Q&A that they wanted to leave the viewer with the assumption that Dutch would get the kid, without giving him the clear cut win. Again, if anything else was made after this, it is something they left enough wiggle room on to play with I guess.

Honestly the more I think about it, the more I hope this is the end. It was strange not having Lem around the last two seasons. Now without Shane and Ronnie it would be nowhere near the same.

DeToxRox · 11-26-2008, 07:48 PM

There have been rumors forever FX wants to do a spin off based off Dutch.

The Lloyd thing would be a great start if they ever did.

DaddyTorgo · 11-26-2008, 08:07 PM

One thing I picked up, at least from the spoken dialogue about Lloyd -

Claudette told him that his mom's clothes were found in Dutch's trash can.

Later he says "I didn't set my mom's clothes on fire and put them in Dutch's trash can!"

BYU 14 · 11-26-2008, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeToxRox

There have been rumors forever FX wants to do a spin off based off Dutch.

The Lloyd thing would be a great start if they ever did.

That could be an interesting show, depending on how it is set up. I noticed Jay Karnes appeared to have a regular role on Sons of Anarchy too, have only seen a couple of episodes so I don't know if he is still on htere however.

DaddyTorgo · 11-26-2008, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BYU 14

That could be an interesting show, depending on how it is set up. I noticed Jay Karnes appeared to have a regular role on Sons of Anarchy too, have only seen a couple of episodes so I don't know if he is still on htere however.

Nope. he got killed.

Tasan · 11-27-2008, 12:44 AM

Wow. Just finished it tonight. Poor, poor Ronnie. And Vic, in the end, is Vic. Him first, even though he'd tell you otherwise. And then double cross you.

Thats quite a prison they put Vic in too. Not only is it suit and tie and do this and do that which he can't BS himself out of, but it gets him off the streets and out of the loop for a very long time. It'll be very hard for him to go back to anything that he was.

Shane doing the deed became apparent early in this episode with the focus on him and being 'sad'. I was pretty sure he'd off himself, just not so sure he'd find a way to justify the family.

I'd be all over a Dutch spinoff. He was possibly my favorite character, although without Claudette, he might get a bit tiresome. Maybe him breaking in new detective Julien?

Sweed · 11-27-2008, 08:05 AM

Great ending to a great series.

I always thought that Shane would end up killing himself but didn't see him doing the family. Saying hi to the neighbor seemed weird but I didn't get the implication of it. However, the way he was holding the toy truck made my stomach sink. I thought he was going to shoot Mara and Jackson and then himself. When the call came into the barn I thought it would be "shots fired" at Shane's apartment. I was glad it wasn't and that he didn't shoot them so at least they didn't see it coming. It was bad enough the way it was.

Vic ends up being the ultimate asshole. Screwing Ronnie really sucked. But then it's funny how over the years you kind of pulled for these guys. One that killed another cop that was trying to do his job and the others covering it up. I mean I can't say I watched the show year to year thinking "I can't wait 'til Vic gets caught". But now it the end I'm glad to see him taken down. Deserved worse but at least he's in his own little hell.

I think mentally he's tough enough he'll do the three years. He, in his own mind, will probably justify everything he's done and be ok with it, no real guilt. But what becomes of him after three years? No job, pension, or contacts left. Certainly nothing for him in law enforcement and I don't think he could even go criminal\drug dealing etc. After all he went Fed and was part of the Beltran bust. Maybe the cartel holds a long grudge and takes him out?

judicial clerk · 11-27-2008, 09:42 PM

Good ending for the show. I do believe that Shane felt remorse for all the things he'd done over the years. I felt sorry for him and his family at the end.

I think vic sold out ronnie at the end because he had no other options. i think vic would still try to help ronnie from the outside.

I think vic would try to find his family, but i don't think he would hold it against his wife for hiding. I think vic would admit the shit he did was fucked up and scary.

I think it wouldn't be too long before vic got himself closer to the street. He would find some kind of leverage against his bosses. Even threatening to expose the details of his immunity deal could put pressure on them, and dont forget the blackmail box.

I think with these last few episodes the writers did a good job of making me feel dirty for rooting for vic for the last six aand a half years.

i disagree with whoever wrote that they would rather get ronnies fate than vics. Ronnie is gonna be doing some seriously hard time. inmates hate him cause he was a cop. guards hate him cause he was implicated in a cop-killing conspiracy, and antwan mitchell will have a major chubby for him (figuratively and literally).

It woul have been neat to give kavanaugh some sort of cameo. maybe show him eating his matress when he hears vic got full immunity.

JS19 · 11-27-2008, 11:16 PM

Did nobody else get the feeling at the end that Vic decided to say "F this noise" and just took off? I totally got the feeling he decided to run rather than accept his fate behind the desk.

Radii · 12-30-2008, 09:12 AM

A month late, a buddy of mine had been trying to turn me on to this series for over a year now, and I finally caught on.

Having an abundance of free time is a great thing sometimes. I watched all 7 seasons over about a 2 week period, the first 4 seasons pretty much flew by, I was watching the episodes on my laptop while doing some mindless tasks in Warhammer on my desktop.

Then they introduced Kavanaugh, and everything totally changed. The intensity, emotion, and attachment to everyone got ratcheted up to levels I've never felt in any series on TV ever.

A number of sweeping comments about the entire series:

- I wish we'd gotten more of Glenn Klose. I rooted for her every time she was on the screen, which is not something that can be said for many characters on this show.

- Kavanaugh is one of the truly great bad guys of all time. He's going after guys who deserve to be gone after, and who deserve to be caught(in varying degrees of course, as we know Lem and Ronnie are much more innocent than Vic and Shane), yet he is hated. The level of hatred for Kavanaugh, the desire to see him fail was very raw and very strong.

- The emotional roller coaster the writers were able to take us on with regard to each of the members of the Strike Team was just amazing, and perfectly well done. The fates of both Lem and Ronnie were overwhelmingly painful to watch. I hated Mara for most of the series, but in the end, seeing how she ended up made me feel horrible.

- The change in the viewer's feelings towards Vic at the end was overwhelming as well. Through all the bad shit he did for 6 seasons and 11 1/2 episodes of season 7, he's a good guy who has made some bad choices. His intentions were always good, even if he took the wrong path to get to his goals. Seeing him sell out Ronnie by taking immunity by himself took him from tragic hero who is loved to pure evil in a matter of seconds. Reading the comments in the threads here as the episodes aired originally, that feeling was universal.

- The moment in season 5 when Shane drops the grenade in Lem's car is now, and probably will forever be the most amazing thing I've ever seen on a television show. As the guy who got me to start watching the series put it, "its the ultimate 'OH SHIT' moment." I don't really ever talk to the TV, pretty much ever outside of sporting events, but at the moment that I heard the grenade drop into Lem's car and realized what was happening, I believe what I said was "oh god no no no no no don't do that!" After that episode I had to go do something else and decompress for a couple hours(remember i'm rolling through 4+ episodes every time i sat down, so I went through the buildup to that moment over a very short period of time).

I'm extremely glad I finally listened to my buddy and picked this up, holy shit what a series.

Logan · 12-30-2008, 10:47 AM

Glad you liked it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Radii

- I wish we'd gotten more of Glenn Klose. I rooted for her every time she was on the screen, which is not something that can be said for many characters on this show.

Read an interview with Shawn Ryan where he said one of his biggest regrets was underutilizing Glenn Close.

BYU 14 · 12-30-2008, 11:52 AM

Radii, that is a really good summary and spot on. I will go back and watch all 7 seasons close together at some point after I am done digesting the way it ended.

I always rooted for Vic and in that last episode and a half I was like, WTF? It was like he let me down. I have never had a TV show impact me like that. Like you, the one moment that will be forever etched in my mind from this series was when Shayne took Lem out. The look on Lems face followed by an almost whispered "Shayne??" As in, why did you just do this, was beyond powerful.

I don't know that I will ever find a show that can duplicate the attachment I had to this one.

11-21-2008, 04:09 PM	#54
BishopMVP Coordinator Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Concord, MA/UMass	Votes on who, if anyone, dies? I'm saying either Vic does or he has to shoot Ronnie. Last edited by BishopMVP : 11-21-2008 at 04:09 PM.

11-21-2008, 07:38 PM	#57
Tasan College Starter Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Houston, or there about	This is gonna be a wild finish, I know that. I don't want the episodes to end. I do think Shane HAS to die. I'm not sure about Ronnie, Vic, and Dutch though. I could see Ronnie taking Vic out like sabotai says. Somehow I could also see Dutch taking Vic out, protecting Corrine after Vic finds out she was working with the cops and caused him to turn on Ronnie. I would hate for Dutch to die though, he's always been a favorite of mine. __________________ 2011 Golden Scribes winner for best Interactive Dynasty

11-21-2008, 07:51 PM	#58
Tasan College Starter Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Houston, or there about	I just did the math, and if there are 2 episodes left, then the last episode is on my birthday! Happy birthday to me! __________________ 2011 Golden Scribes winner for best Interactive Dynasty

11-22-2008, 12:49 AM	#62
Tasan College Starter Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Houston, or there about	Forgot Acaveda in my predictions. Something HAS to happen to that slimeball. I got nothing though. __________________ 2011 Golden Scribes winner for best Interactive Dynasty

11-25-2008, 01:50 PM	#66
sabotai General Manager Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: The Satellite of Love	Pretty excited myself. Since last night, it's all I've been thinking about. I have so many theories and ideas as to what might happen, I'm not sure I can really articulate them. I have been a big TV watcher for a long time (not sure if that's good or bad ), but I've seen so many series just die painfully. Like the X-Files, The 4400, Freaks and Geeks, Sports Night. Some of them are prematurely ended (Freaks and Geeks, Sports Night) causing a lot of awkward sped up character development and plots, or they keep them around way too long instead of ending them (The X-Files, The 4400) causing a lot of confusing, contradicting plotlines. But now with The Shield, I am very happy they are ending. It sucks, yes, but if The Shield was continued, I think it would start going down the road of having its stories stretched way too thin, causing a lot of crappy TV. I can't imagine how good The X-Files would have been if they ended it after 5 seasons, instead of constantly changing the plot and characters and causing it to just become a parody of itself. The Wire is a good example of what I mean. It was a great series that ended at the right time. I feel the same way with The Shield. Yeah, it sucks that it's ending, though. But the alternative of having it become absurd (relatively speaking, of course. I lot of people would say the show is absurd to begin with.) is a far worse outcome. Now they just need to end it correctly, and it'll be a complete show. It'll be hard to top the ending to The Wire, but I think they can do it. EDIT: And before anyone mentions it, yes, The 4400 only lasted 4 seasons. But with the pace they set in the first season, it should have been about a 3 season long story. But after the large amount of success that the first season had, they changed everything. They started to become concerned with making the series last as long as possible. The 2nd season was ok, and the 3rd and 4th seasons were terrible because they started doing what the X-Files did. However, instead of letting the show go on like the X-Files, the plug was pulled. IOW, they were more concerned with trying to make the series last 8-9 seasons instead of telling a good story, it suffered, and died because of it. That's what I mean by "too long" for The 4400. It should have been a 2 or 3 season long series. Or, at least, the original storyline had about that much fuel in it. They could have come up with a second 2-3 season long "sequel" plotline. Last edited by sabotai : 11-25-2008 at 01:56 PM.

11-20-2008, 07:49 PM	#52
Logan Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: NYC	I wish they set aside two full episodes just to hear Vic confess all his dirty deeds. Poor Ronnie, I agree it seems to be set up that he'll be the one left standing.

11-20-2008, 09:44 PM	#53
atatange1 High School JV Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: WA state	It could be that Ronnie will be the only one left standing. Perhaps Ronnie will give up Vic to Beltran (doubt it), and then the tape won't matter as much (or at all since Vic can't be cross examined?) and he gets to skate...I don't know. Anyway, love the show, and can't wait so see how they wrap it up in 90 minutes. That leaves not much time so they have to wrap it up cleanly.

11-21-2008, 04:46 PM	#55
sabotai General Manager Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: The Satellite of Love	I'm thinking that Shane has to die, and that either Vic or Ronnie dies. Possibly all 3 to finish off the original strike team completely. I wouldn't be surprised to see a few of the supporting characters go down as well. Claudette and Aceveda have been on a storylines that could easily end with their deaths.

11-21-2008, 06:49 PM	#56
atatange1 High School JV Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: WA state	I think Dutch will die, otherwise why would they be stringing along that kid as a possible serial killer story?

11-21-2008, 10:38 PM	#59
judicial clerk College Benchwarmer Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Portland, OR	i thought there was only one episode left. that girl from ice got so played, "excuse me,... did you say you killed a police officer?" I was not loving last season or the first half of this season as much as the early stuff, but the lasr few episodes have been great. I am wondering if vic doesn't have an idea to try to help ronnie. Also, shane is so screwed. My guess, shane and vic go to jail together, ronnie and dutch die, and claudette quits. Acaveda is mayor.

11-21-2008, 11:55 PM	#60
sabotai General Manager Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: The Satellite of Love	Yeah, one 90 minute episode is all that is left.

11-22-2008, 12:30 AM	#61
atatange1 High School JV Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: WA state	I think all this speculation alone, along with all the different feelings over the characters just proves how great this show is. I still don't understand how Forest Whitaker didn't win an Emmy for his role (I looked it up on IMDB and he wasn't even nominated!).

11-25-2008, 12:36 PM	#63
BYU 14 Coordinator Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: The scorched Desert	Well, tonight is it. I have to say as eager as I am for this episode, I have a bit of sadness knowing that this will be it tonight. This is really strange for me to feel this way, since I am not a big TV watcher and I have never followed a series so closely before. In fact the only other series I have seen every episode of is Deadwood, which was solid in it's own right, but could never have sustained the run The Shield has had IMO. Hopefully they will leave just enough loose ends to make a Movie down the road.....I know that was a rumor at one point. Regardless, looking forward to the conclusion of my favorite TV series ever.

11-25-2008, 01:33 PM	#64
Logan Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: NYC	I was a late adopter of the series (think we had another thread where I said I went out and bought all the DVDs when they were on sale at a crazy price -- I ended up watching all six seasons in something like 5 weeks), so it's a bit different for me in that I haven't been following very long, but definitely still bittersweet. I haven't even spent much time thinking of what will happen, and I like it that way. Just come on at 10 and keep me amazed for 90 minutes.

11-25-2008, 01:37 PM	#65
DaddyTorgo Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Massachusetts	god - i can't even concentrate on my day i'm waiting and wondering so hardcore!!! see you guys at showtime!!

11-25-2008, 08:59 PM	#67
sabotai General Manager Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: The Satellite of Love	It's starting!!!!

11-25-2008, 10:02 PM	#68
DeToxRox Head Coach Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Michigan	Episode isn't even over yet but .. Spoiler Holy piss shit fuck ass tits cock. I knew Shane was going to do that once he said hi to his neighbor, but holy fuck it still was unreal to see

11-25-2008, 11:31 PM	#71
sabotai General Manager Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: The Satellite of Love	I'm sad now... Spoiler mainly because of Ronnie getting fucked over. It just seemed....he was always as careful as he could be, and he should have known better than to think anything is "iron clad" before it's in writing and signed. Just seemed a bit out of character for him to not see all of the warning signs....but maybe loyally to Vic trumped that and was the reason for his downfall. But if that never happened, we wouldn't get that "You can go now." line from Claudette...... I hate Vic now. Hate him. Interview with Shawn Ryan about the finale (contains spoilers): SPOILER ALERT: 'Shield' Boss Answers Burning Finale Qs \| The Shield \| Ausiello Files \| EW.com Last edited by sabotai : 11-25-2008 at 11:31 PM.

11-26-2008, 12:17 AM	#72
DaddyTorgo Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Massachusetts	watching on the dvr OMFG...Shane. And Mara and Jackson? Wow.

11-26-2008, 12:22 AM	#73
DaddyTorgo Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Massachusetts	And Vic and ICE get Beltran...there's still plenty of shoes to drop I got a feeling.

11-26-2008, 07:34 AM	#74
DaddyTorgo Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Massachusetts	wow - that was damn intense. i agree with the sentiment that although they couldn't get Vic behind bars, between taking away his family and making him face Ronnie and hear about Shane they've done a lot to wound him. Also think the desk-job thing would be torture, especially with Olivia breathing down his neck and saying she's going to be basically demanding a certain amount of work each week (with the implied threat that if he doesn't do it he gets canned and his immunity gets tossed)

11-26-2008, 07:51 AM	#75
Logan Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: NYC	Damn I'm gonna miss this show. While going in I figured Shane killing himself had a decent chance of happening, I still didn't make the connection when he gave the extra money to the young cashier, said hi to the neighbor, and was overly handling the truck he bought for Jackson. Agree with you guys in that Vic's new life is worse than if he was locked in a cell with Antwon Mitchell. More thoughts to follow... edit: I started reading some of the comments posted to that Q&A with Ryan shared above...those people are fucking criminally retarded, please don't waste your time reading. Last edited by Logan : 11-26-2008 at 07:55 AM.

11-26-2008, 11:42 AM	#76
johneh Mascot Join Date: Jul 2004	How great was that at the end.. Vic with all he is done being led around by some HR lady to his little cubicle... "Don't touch the termostat you aren't allowed to change it. The lights are shut off at 6:15 if you are working late you must call ext 815"

11-26-2008, 01:33 PM	#78
DaddyTorgo Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Massachusetts	As far as the acting in the finale - while Chicklis (spelling) was great, he honestly didn't have that much material to work with - not a lot of "great" lines, and most of his stuff was "reactionary". Far and away, I thought Shane's breakdown was the emotional highlight of the finale. That and Ronnie's screaming fit in the Barn at the end, but moreso Shane, as we saw more of him throughout the episode and really throughout the series.

11-26-2008, 02:48 PM	#82
DaddyTorgo Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Massachusetts	hey, kudos for him for trying not to act himself into a corner as far as the types of roles that are offered to him though

11-26-2008, 07:05 PM	#85
BishopMVP Coordinator Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Concord, MA/UMass	- Obviously it was tangential to the interesting plotline, but did I miss something with the Dutch/serial killer kid storyline? Maybe where they actually got evidence against him? All I remember seeing was them walking back in, telling him to get ready for his close-up and Dutch looking smug. - Even knowing that it backed Shane all the way into the corner, Vic's "I'll send you the postcard from Space Mountain." line was fantastic. - Finally, the one glimmer of hope Vic has despite all the previous problems between them - his older daughter. She is crazy and emotionally bipolar enough, how long until she had a fight with her mother and went to call/find Vic? A month, two tops?

11-26-2008, 07:48 PM	#87
DeToxRox Head Coach Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Michigan	There have been rumors forever FX wants to do a spin off based off Dutch. The Lloyd thing would be a great start if they ever did.

11-26-2008, 08:07 PM	#88
DaddyTorgo Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Massachusetts	One thing I picked up, at least from the spoken dialogue about Lloyd - Claudette told him that his mom's clothes were found in Dutch's trash can. Later he says "I didn't set my mom's clothes on fire and put them in Dutch's trash can!"

11-27-2008, 12:44 AM	#91
Tasan College Starter Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Houston, or there about	Wow. Just finished it tonight. Poor, poor Ronnie. And Vic, in the end, is Vic. Him first, even though he'd tell you otherwise. And then double cross you. Thats quite a prison they put Vic in too. Not only is it suit and tie and do this and do that which he can't BS himself out of, but it gets him off the streets and out of the loop for a very long time. It'll be very hard for him to go back to anything that he was. Shane doing the deed became apparent early in this episode with the focus on him and being 'sad'. I was pretty sure he'd off himself, just not so sure he'd find a way to justify the family. I'd be all over a Dutch spinoff. He was possibly my favorite character, although without Claudette, he might get a bit tiresome. Maybe him breaking in new detective Julien? __________________ 2011 Golden Scribes winner for best Interactive Dynasty Last edited by Tasan : 11-27-2008 at 12:56 AM.

11-27-2008, 08:05 AM	#92
Sweed College Benchwarmer Join Date: Oct 2003	Great ending to a great series. I always thought that Shane would end up killing himself but didn't see him doing the family. Saying hi to the neighbor seemed weird but I didn't get the implication of it. However, the way he was holding the toy truck made my stomach sink. I thought he was going to shoot Mara and Jackson and then himself. When the call came into the barn I thought it would be "shots fired" at Shane's apartment. I was glad it wasn't and that he didn't shoot them so at least they didn't see it coming. It was bad enough the way it was. Vic ends up being the ultimate asshole. Screwing Ronnie really sucked. But then it's funny how over the years you kind of pulled for these guys. One that killed another cop that was trying to do his job and the others covering it up. I mean I can't say I watched the show year to year thinking "I can't wait 'til Vic gets caught". But now it the end I'm glad to see him taken down. Deserved worse but at least he's in his own little hell. I think mentally he's tough enough he'll do the three years. He, in his own mind, will probably justify everything he's done and be ok with it, no real guilt. But what becomes of him after three years? No job, pension, or contacts left. Certainly nothing for him in law enforcement and I don't think he could even go criminal\drug dealing etc. After all he went Fed and was part of the Beltran bust. Maybe the cartel holds a long grudge and takes him out?

11-27-2008, 09:42 PM	#93
judicial clerk College Benchwarmer Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Portland, OR	Good ending for the show. I do believe that Shane felt remorse for all the things he'd done over the years. I felt sorry for him and his family at the end. I think vic sold out ronnie at the end because he had no other options. i think vic would still try to help ronnie from the outside. I think vic would try to find his family, but i don't think he would hold it against his wife for hiding. I think vic would admit the shit he did was fucked up and scary. I think it wouldn't be too long before vic got himself closer to the street. He would find some kind of leverage against his bosses. Even threatening to expose the details of his immunity deal could put pressure on them, and dont forget the blackmail box. I think with these last few episodes the writers did a good job of making me feel dirty for rooting for vic for the last six aand a half years. i disagree with whoever wrote that they would rather get ronnies fate than vics. Ronnie is gonna be doing some seriously hard time. inmates hate him cause he was a cop. guards hate him cause he was implicated in a cop-killing conspiracy, and antwan mitchell will have a major chubby for him (figuratively and literally). It woul have been neat to give kavanaugh some sort of cameo. maybe show him eating his matress when he hears vic got full immunity.

11-27-2008, 11:16 PM	#94
JS19 College Prospect Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: NY	Did nobody else get the feeling at the end that Vic decided to say "F this noise" and just took off? I totally got the feeling he decided to run rather than accept his fate behind the desk.

12-30-2008, 09:12 AM	#95
Radii Head Coach Join Date: Jul 2001	A month late, a buddy of mine had been trying to turn me on to this series for over a year now, and I finally caught on. Having an abundance of free time is a great thing sometimes. I watched all 7 seasons over about a 2 week period, the first 4 seasons pretty much flew by, I was watching the episodes on my laptop while doing some mindless tasks in Warhammer on my desktop. Then they introduced Kavanaugh, and everything totally changed. The intensity, emotion, and attachment to everyone got ratcheted up to levels I've never felt in any series on TV ever. A number of sweeping comments about the entire series: - I wish we'd gotten more of Glenn Klose. I rooted for her every time she was on the screen, which is not something that can be said for many characters on this show. - Kavanaugh is one of the truly great bad guys of all time. He's going after guys who deserve to be gone after, and who deserve to be caught(in varying degrees of course, as we know Lem and Ronnie are much more innocent than Vic and Shane), yet he is hated. The level of hatred for Kavanaugh, the desire to see him fail was very raw and very strong. - The emotional roller coaster the writers were able to take us on with regard to each of the members of the Strike Team was just amazing, and perfectly well done. The fates of both Lem and Ronnie were overwhelmingly painful to watch. I hated Mara for most of the series, but in the end, seeing how she ended up made me feel horrible. - The change in the viewer's feelings towards Vic at the end was overwhelming as well. Through all the bad shit he did for 6 seasons and 11 1/2 episodes of season 7, he's a good guy who has made some bad choices. His intentions were always good, even if he took the wrong path to get to his goals. Seeing him sell out Ronnie by taking immunity by himself took him from tragic hero who is loved to pure evil in a matter of seconds. Reading the comments in the threads here as the episodes aired originally, that feeling was universal. - The moment in season 5 when Shane drops the grenade in Lem's car is now, and probably will forever be the most amazing thing I've ever seen on a television show. As the guy who got me to start watching the series put it, "its the ultimate 'OH SHIT' moment." I don't really ever talk to the TV, pretty much ever outside of sporting events, but at the moment that I heard the grenade drop into Lem's car and realized what was happening, I believe what I said was "oh god no no no no no don't do that!" After that episode I had to go do something else and decompress for a couple hours(remember i'm rolling through 4+ episodes every time i sat down, so I went through the buildup to that moment over a very short period of time). I'm extremely glad I finally listened to my buddy and picked this up, holy shit what a series.

12-30-2008, 11:52 AM	#97
BYU 14 Coordinator Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: The scorched Desert	Radii, that is a really good summary and spot on. I will go back and watch all 7 seasons close together at some point after I am done digesting the way it ended. I always rooted for Vic and in that last episode and a half I was like, WTF? It was like he let me down. I have never had a TV show impact me like that. Like you, the one moment that will be forever etched in my mind from this series was when Shayne took Lem out. The look on Lems face followed by an almost whispered "Shayne??" As in, why did you just do this, was beyond powerful. I don't know that I will ever find a show that can duplicate the attachment I had to this one.

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