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THE SHIELD: WHO'S ZOOMING WHO?
Elissa Bass
TheDay
9/18/2008
CT
Three episodes in and The Shield is beginning to gel. I was a little
worried, because the first episode was largely an unintelligible mess,
as they reminded us of past issues, brought us up to date on current
issues, and laid the ground work for future issues. The second episode
was better.
This week's episode was The Shield For Real, as the lines of
demarcation, which are always murky to the characters, became
crystal clear to us. Whereas the Strike Team (or what's left
of it, anyway) was a cohesive us-against-them-unit, then a
fraying unit, then a what's-left-of-us-against-them unit, then a
Vic-and-Ronnie-against-Shane-unit, and now, in the final season,
it is not a unit at all.
I am loving what they are doing with the Ronnie character, who was
invisible for so long and has now come to the forefront - technically,
to Claudette at least, he is head of the Strike Team, and this week he
stood up to Vic like never before. "I'm not drowning for Shane ... or
for you," he told his (former) boss, staring right into his eyes.
I am loving the evolution of the Vic-Shane relationship as well,
as Shane has gone from pariah to protector to partner ... or has
he? The two are so busy deceiving each other about themselves that I
think they aren't even sure anymore. Shane gives Vic the Strike Team
Bad News Dossier ... but doesn't. Vic accepts it and takes him back
into the fold ... but doesn't.
They are doing a good job of underscoring what exactly makes Vic Vic,
and addressing, I think, this strong viewer feeling out there that
somehow, when it all ends, Vic should come out OK. Ronnie botches the
drug dealer bust because they are ill prepared and undermanned (and
also got squealed on). That would've never happened to Vic. Shane is
perfectly willing to let illegal guns end up in Chicago, killing who
knows who, if it saves his butt or Vic's family or both. Vic is not.
They have also done a good job with the Dutch-Claudette-Billings
issue. With Claudette promoted to run The Barn, Dutch was
asea. Billings was an idiot. But now they have cleverly reteamed Dutch
and Billings, and some actual police is happening amidst the bickering.
I'm not sure I'm loving the Claudette ailing story. Why can't she
just be a black woman in a white man's world, and all that that
implies? Why does she have to have lupus as well?
Also, the whole Mexican-Armenian thing is getting so complicated that
it's starting to remind me of Alias, seasons three through five. And
that is not a compliment.
Of course, no matter what I'm savoring every gritty minute of every
gritty episode, because I will miss it when it's gone.
Elissa Bass
TheDay
9/18/2008
CT
Three episodes in and The Shield is beginning to gel. I was a little
worried, because the first episode was largely an unintelligible mess,
as they reminded us of past issues, brought us up to date on current
issues, and laid the ground work for future issues. The second episode
was better.
This week's episode was The Shield For Real, as the lines of
demarcation, which are always murky to the characters, became
crystal clear to us. Whereas the Strike Team (or what's left
of it, anyway) was a cohesive us-against-them-unit, then a
fraying unit, then a what's-left-of-us-against-them unit, then a
Vic-and-Ronnie-against-Shane-unit, and now, in the final season,
it is not a unit at all.
I am loving what they are doing with the Ronnie character, who was
invisible for so long and has now come to the forefront - technically,
to Claudette at least, he is head of the Strike Team, and this week he
stood up to Vic like never before. "I'm not drowning for Shane ... or
for you," he told his (former) boss, staring right into his eyes.
I am loving the evolution of the Vic-Shane relationship as well,
as Shane has gone from pariah to protector to partner ... or has
he? The two are so busy deceiving each other about themselves that I
think they aren't even sure anymore. Shane gives Vic the Strike Team
Bad News Dossier ... but doesn't. Vic accepts it and takes him back
into the fold ... but doesn't.
They are doing a good job of underscoring what exactly makes Vic Vic,
and addressing, I think, this strong viewer feeling out there that
somehow, when it all ends, Vic should come out OK. Ronnie botches the
drug dealer bust because they are ill prepared and undermanned (and
also got squealed on). That would've never happened to Vic. Shane is
perfectly willing to let illegal guns end up in Chicago, killing who
knows who, if it saves his butt or Vic's family or both. Vic is not.
They have also done a good job with the Dutch-Claudette-Billings
issue. With Claudette promoted to run The Barn, Dutch was
asea. Billings was an idiot. But now they have cleverly reteamed Dutch
and Billings, and some actual police is happening amidst the bickering.
I'm not sure I'm loving the Claudette ailing story. Why can't she
just be a black woman in a white man's world, and all that that
implies? Why does she have to have lupus as well?
Also, the whole Mexican-Armenian thing is getting so complicated that
it's starting to remind me of Alias, seasons three through five. And
that is not a compliment.
Of course, no matter what I'm savoring every gritty minute of every
gritty episode, because I will miss it when it's gone.