The Shield – Episode 7-5 Review

I’m all for filler episodes; they act as good bridges between tension, but it’s a little late in the series to spend alot of time on faces from the past; scratch that, it’s a little late in the series to spend alot of time on faces from the past that do little, if anything, to advance the narrative.

Now, it was good seeing a few old faces. The return of Kleavon Gardner, especially. This guy was introduced in Season 4 as a potential serial killer, and he was finally caught in Season 5 for his crimes, and he was back tonight for a deposition with Claudette. Acting as his own defense attorney, he made a case that Claudette’s use of prescription medication may have thrown a wrench into the proper procedures of his conviction. Kleavon wasn’t arguing for freedom’s sake; he just wanted the death penalty off the table so he could marry his corresponding sweetheart. It was an interesting back and forth, but it didn’t do much else but put Claudette in the position to finally face her illness, and bring on Danny as an interim should she take another spill down the steps – metaphorically, of course.

Deena, the car thief from season’s past, also made an appearance. She made a few allusions to getting out of the game whilst the circumstances around her were grim, but missing was her spunk and fortitude from a long time ago, well, bar her nearly blowing Vic’s head off with a shotgun, of course. It almost felt as if she was an after-thought in the story.

Considering The Vic/Shane/Ronnie angle and the Armenian/Mexican war is probably the most important aspect of the show right now, and is the veritable linchpin that holds the outcome of the entire series in place, it was kind of a letdown that it took such a back seat this week. Instead, Vic, Shane, and Ronnie were neck-deep in a case involving a drug kingpin’s daughter being kidnapped. When it finally dovetailed back to the meat of the story, the impact CERTAINLY lacked the throat punch of last week’s denouement. Vic confronted Olivia about her being in Pezuela’s pocket. She tearfully told him her side of the story, and Vic offered his help.

Not a bad episode, but it certainly broke a grand-standing tradition; the fifth episode of the series has always had a very important narrative firework; season one was the stolen bricks of cocaine and the search for the navigator; season two was the Strike Team being greenlit by Armadillo; season three was Aceveda’s oral sodomy at gunpoint; season four was Antwon Mitchell’s murder of Angie and his infamous speech; season five saw Forrest Whitaker trash a hotel room out of frustration over Vic Mackey; season six saw Shane break down and confess to Mara that he killed Lem. What did we get this episode? Not a whole lot.

In my opinion, there are no bad episodes of The Shield – only slllloooowwww paced ones. And those I don’t mind at all. But this late in the game, it’s time to cut the chatter and get down to business. Next week looks like things will pick up some much-needed steam.

Joseph Henson is a film-critic and would-be screenwriter. If you enjoyed his observations, please feel free to leave him a comment or two.

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