This is the last season of this great series, I just watched the finale and I must say that right now I think this is in the top 3 of my favorite series of all time. I hope that anyone interested in good TV has been following this show, if not please start from season 1.
SPOILERS FOLLOW!
The Shield has always been a show that defeated expectations, and was never afraid to go down unexpected roads. This couldn’t be more true in season 7. Things started going downhill for the Strike Team since season 4, everthing has been building up to this ending and it was as shocking as ever.
I really wish I would have written a post for each of these 13 episodes, because a lot happened in each episode. The Vic vs Shane story is obviously at the center of it all, first they were trying to play each other, then it became a cat and mouse game once Shane was found out and went on the run.
Those scenes of Shane with Mara and Jackson on the run were excrutiating to watch. They were either in very tense scenes trying to get buy by commiting robbery, or where in peaceful scenes where they forget about their problems and seem happy. Those happy scenes were even harder for me to watch. It was obvious they wouldn’t end well, so I was constantly worried for them.
On the other side Vic and Ronnie keep balancing their day job while at the same time trying to get rid of Shane and save their asses. The biggest change was when Vic quit, in order to find Shane and kill him (and his family). Another shocking scene was when Ronnie told Vic that he would run, he was really desperate but he still listened to Vic.
Vic working for the feds was a nice twist, but I had no idea an immunity deal would be on the table. In fact, I am still a little bit confused about that, does that really happen? No matter, it was just another great twist and brought us one of the best scenes in the series: Vic’s confession to all his sins in the past 3 years. Just before spilling it all out, there was a long pause, you could see it all flashing in front of his eyes, or thinking if he should really take the deal and crucify Ronnie.
But Vic wouldn’t have done that if he were only trying to save himself, instead he included Corrine in the deal, thinking that she was arrested. Betraying Ronnie is not something Vic did lightly, but his family was at risk, and that’s more important for him. This has always been an important element of Vic’s character. Too bad that his wife betrayed him and is so scared of him that she went into witness protection, taking their kids away from Vic.
Another important character of the show is Claudette. She is probably one of the purest cop and I am glad it brought her to be the captain. Unfortunately nothing is easy in this show, and her health affects her job throughout the season. Lucky for her she has Dutch watching over her. Dutch is another great character that has grown a lot. He started as the joke of the Barn, then got to nail some important cases, but was still looked down on. But now he has become a respected cop, and it looks like he’s gonna have a good love life too.
The finale of the series was one of the best of any series, which is a good book-end with what I thought was the best pilot I’ve ever seen. The Lloyd thread didn’t get a clear ending as I thought, I was expecting a final interrogation scene where Dutch cracks Lloyd, maybe with the help of his old partner and friend Claudette. But we know that it will happen eventually, and we’ve seen it before so it doesn’t matter.
Other secondary characters are wrapped up in some way or another. Obviosuly there was no space for everyone to have a big final scene, but I am glad that they at least aknowledged them. For example Julien is looking at a happy gay couple in the street, which I thought was a nice nod to long time viewers. The Billins law-suit was also settled, even giving Dutch a possible love interest. Acaveda continues his political ascention, still taking credit for other people’s work. They even aknowledged Shane’s lust for young girls, but I don’t think he was doing anything more than flirting. I was afraid he’d do something stupid with that girl.
As with Shield tradition, the finale completely subverted all expectations in regards to the main characters. I thought we would have a big confrontation between Shane and Vic, something we’ve seen before. Instead all we get was a phone call, but what a devastating effect that call had.
It was that call that made Shane decide to commit murder/suicide. The thought of Vic seeing Shane’s kids while he and Mara were in prison just made him crazy. Just prior to that Shane and Mara had a talk that laid things down for their bleak future, but they also had a brief moment of happiness choosing their daughter’s name, which makes their death even more heartbreaking. The scene where they discover their bodies was great/awful. I could see why Shane killed himself, he was just so desperate. But then Dutch and Claudette walk to the other room in a deathly silence, and I knew Mara and Jackson were dead too. A part of me hoped they would be gone, but I knew it. Their death was a shock. I felt so bad for them, and I also wondered why Mara just accepted it. But she didn’t know, Shane did it all by himself.
All the time I kept thinking if Mara turned herself in a few episodes ago, she would have been safe, Shane would be the sole responsible. She could have raised her kids, she could have gone to see Shane in prison. Instead she chose to stay with her husband, all they ever wanted was to be with him. At least, as Shane said, they died happily. But I doubt Shane would be in Paradise with them…
That brings me to the next great scene, with Claudette and Vic. The way she just read Shane’s confession to Vic, then laying down the photos, just made it so powerful and heartbreaking. And Vic’s reaction was priceless. I don’t think he even said anything. There was no need, it was all on Chiklis’s face: trying to look fine, but knowing that this was all his fault, knowing that he was evil. At the end though, he pulled himself together and kept going as if nothing happened.
Soon after that Ronnie is arrested, and we get his best scene ever. He started out as a background character, in the first few seasons I didn’t even know his name and he didn’t have any personality. How far he’s gone: “you told them everything?!”. Another metaphorical stab into Vic Mackey.
But the last stab would come from Olivia, whom we all thought would be Vic’s new love interest, instead she’s now his boss and she hates his guts. Which is why she devises the best punishment for Vic, other than jail. A desk job, suit and tie, 9-5 every day in his cubicle. The perfect hell for Vic. I must say when he showed up in that ridiculous suit I was smiling. I found it really funny. That scene where he’s introduced to the office facilities by the HR woman was just twisting the knife. Again, a totally unexpected ending for Mackey. He has his freedom, but he lost everything else that mattered to him: his family, his only remaining friend Ronnie, his job on the streets, his reputation. Everybody around him knows what he did. He’ll be living in hell for the next 3 years at least. But I wonder what he’ll do after that? No doubt he’ll look for his family, but even if he does, he can’t have a life with them.
The last scene is another of those silents scenes focused on Vic’s expression, him thinking about what happened. I love the detail of the sound the lights make, a typical office sound so foreign to this show and to Mackey. However Macky doesn’t give up what he is, he gets his gun and goes on the street, looking for someone to beat up. That’s who he is.
One very tiny small complaint is that they used those silent moments a little too often in the end. Yes they’re effective, and they’ve been used in the past, but only sparringly as a contrast to the show’s usual breakneck pace. Putting so many silent scenes so close to each other I think diluted them just a little bit.
But that’s just nitpicking, this is one of the greatest show of all time, and everybody should watch this. I cannot give this show any less than full stars. I will miss it, but I will glad we got this great ending.
Season Rating: 5 Stars