Vic Mackey’s Last Gleaming

So The Shield is ending tonight, and I’m pretty excited to see how it is going to happen. I’ll admit, this season has not been anything like I thought it would play out. After last season’s finale, I expected Vic’s character to go in a completely opposite direction than this season; I suppose it was the optimist in me that wanted to see him go straight and take down large scale criminals, rather than become one – well, more than he already was. All in all, it has been pretty good. I still think last season was the best, and in fact was some of the finest television I have seen in a long time. The buildup in last season was different – it was structured on a layered and emotional tension; this season, however, is more like watching a train that has put its brakes on, but you know there is no way it is going to stop in time before it wrecks. But, it is precisely that kind of expectation that made me love The Shield in the first place. Still, I do wonder what the season would have been like had not the writer’s strike interfered; I’m not saying I’m disappointed with this season, by any means, but simply it isn’t quite as good as last season, maybe even the last 2-3 seasons; but it is still pretty damn good.

Oddly enough, I don’t have much of an emotional reaction to the thought of Vic getting arrested or killed. We all knew it was coming. And frankly, he deserved it. However, I don’t like the idea of Ronnie getting busted. For some reason that really bothers me. I was so glad to see him step up and get more time in the spotlight the last few seasons, and in retrospect he ends up being the only one on the strike team that I feel sympathetic towards (aside from Lem). I just really hope Ronnie gets away – more so than I hope either Shane or his wife get killed. Oooohhh; I hate Shane’s wife. Speaking up stepping up, I was also glad to see Julien show possibilities of not being such a bitch, especially when he joined the strike team; but he has since proved his unsquashable bitch-ness. He has been an intriguing character: throughout the first few seasons, he was the least likable character, yet he was one of the only decent and moral characters. That is really a reflection of the great writing and character development that show has produced. Anyway, if you haven’t seen The Shield before, don’t watch it tonight. Go rent the first season, and start from there. It just gets better and better.

My prediction: Vic Mackey definitely dies, perhaps by his own hand to avoid going to jail. If he doesn’t do it himself, I think I know exactly who will end up pulling the trigger on him, someone you wouldn’t expect – Claudette Wyms (who is portrayed by CCH Pounder in week-after-week amazing performances). I know it sounds like a stretch, given she is a “by the book,” fairly-clean detective. But after her breakdown last episode, compounded with all the hell Mackey has put her through over the years, I think she might snap and gun him down rather than watch him walk away clean. Whether or not I’m correct, long-time fans should all be tuning in tonight (FX at 9pm) to see the carnage.

Tags: the-shield television