The Shield
I just finished watching the series finale of The Shield.
Woe. I feel gutted. *sniff*
- It makes me sad (but I guess is realistic?) that Lem and Ronnie took the brunt of punishment for being involved in the strike team. Lem gets dead and Ronnie gets to serve prison time. They were not innocent, but they were the loyal followers. It was really Vic and Shane who were the mastermind and the bad seed. I have such a crush on Lem and even Ronnie in the final season. Poor things. They were both such good cops. It was sad to see Ronnie start to get his hands dirty (murder, etc) at the end of the 7th season. Those few episodes when he was the strike team leader without Vic around -- those were glorious. He truly shined.
- Up until the last few episodes of the series, I honestly *hated* Shane. He was the bad seed, he was despicable and pathetic in so many ways. For a few episodes before he killed Lem, I knew he was capable of it. I kept screaming at Lem in my mind to be wary, that Shane has that desperate side of himself that you just can't trust. I honestly would have liked to see Shane go down with any punishment possible. But the last few episodes, where they were trying to make him and Mar and Jackson likable again -- well, it worked. I don't really like the manipulation of it (we're going to show you the fluffy side of these characters who haven't been likable for seasons JUST BEFORE THEY'RE KILLED), but I have to admit it swayed me. The last episode really switched my allegiances.
- I have always liked Vic. Even though he can be a total asshole (of course, that's what the show is about), he's always had a clear moral line, and I respect that. He knows when he's crossed it, and he feels badly. I didn't see that so much in the last couple of episodes. He was a smug, self-satisfied jerk during the confession, which could have played out so much differently. He seemed to have no problem selling out Ronnie until the moment he had to actually see it. That was one of the final things I respected about Vic -- his loyalty. All for one, one for all. Shane was a wild card because he *wasn't* down with that group mentality. I respected Vic for seeing that through until the end with Ronnie, even if it wasn't very wise. After his confession, when he agreed to turn on Ronnie and didn't seem to feel badly about it, I kept looking for remorse. I kept looking through the whole finale. I only saw it when his family was involved, or when it got closer to selling Ronnie out. Anyway, the way the series ended has really affected my feelings for the character.
- And Ronnie! When Ronnie found out that Shane had killed himself and his family (which I totally called, btw), he was sobbing. **cuddles** Vic finds out? He's shocked, numb, but then angry. No tears. No feelings of responsibility even though his threats were the ones that sealed Shane's decision. At the very end of the episode, especially when it's made clear that office work would be Vic's own private prison sentence even if only for three years (HA, office work as prison), I kept thinking maybe he would try to get his deal switched to Ronnie, and that he wold do the time. Ronnie is the better person, and the more innocent in their pair. But no, Vic has too much a sense of self-preservation for that.
Hmm. I don't know how I feel about Vic's character now. I do wonder if the writers played his hardness too much at the end, so possibly that was a bit out of character. Or you never really know someojne, or a character, until they are in a position where they have to sell out their friends or protect themselves. I do know that I feel more sorry for Shane now (not enough to forgive him for Lem's murder, and he should never have been a cop - but enough to want to see him keep living).
But my heart mostly breaks for Lem and Ronnie, sweeties who ended up paying the biggest price for their involvement with the strike team.
What are your thoughts on the end of The Shield (as long ago as that might have been)?
(I need some Shield icons now!)
ETA: Found some new icons! :D
Woe. I feel gutted. *sniff*
- It makes me sad (but I guess is realistic?) that Lem and Ronnie took the brunt of punishment for being involved in the strike team. Lem gets dead and Ronnie gets to serve prison time. They were not innocent, but they were the loyal followers. It was really Vic and Shane who were the mastermind and the bad seed. I have such a crush on Lem and even Ronnie in the final season. Poor things. They were both such good cops. It was sad to see Ronnie start to get his hands dirty (murder, etc) at the end of the 7th season. Those few episodes when he was the strike team leader without Vic around -- those were glorious. He truly shined.
- Up until the last few episodes of the series, I honestly *hated* Shane. He was the bad seed, he was despicable and pathetic in so many ways. For a few episodes before he killed Lem, I knew he was capable of it. I kept screaming at Lem in my mind to be wary, that Shane has that desperate side of himself that you just can't trust. I honestly would have liked to see Shane go down with any punishment possible. But the last few episodes, where they were trying to make him and Mar and Jackson likable again -- well, it worked. I don't really like the manipulation of it (we're going to show you the fluffy side of these characters who haven't been likable for seasons JUST BEFORE THEY'RE KILLED), but I have to admit it swayed me. The last episode really switched my allegiances.
- I have always liked Vic. Even though he can be a total asshole (of course, that's what the show is about), he's always had a clear moral line, and I respect that. He knows when he's crossed it, and he feels badly. I didn't see that so much in the last couple of episodes. He was a smug, self-satisfied jerk during the confession, which could have played out so much differently. He seemed to have no problem selling out Ronnie until the moment he had to actually see it. That was one of the final things I respected about Vic -- his loyalty. All for one, one for all. Shane was a wild card because he *wasn't* down with that group mentality. I respected Vic for seeing that through until the end with Ronnie, even if it wasn't very wise. After his confession, when he agreed to turn on Ronnie and didn't seem to feel badly about it, I kept looking for remorse. I kept looking through the whole finale. I only saw it when his family was involved, or when it got closer to selling Ronnie out. Anyway, the way the series ended has really affected my feelings for the character.
- And Ronnie! When Ronnie found out that Shane had killed himself and his family (which I totally called, btw), he was sobbing. **cuddles** Vic finds out? He's shocked, numb, but then angry. No tears. No feelings of responsibility even though his threats were the ones that sealed Shane's decision. At the very end of the episode, especially when it's made clear that office work would be Vic's own private prison sentence even if only for three years (HA, office work as prison), I kept thinking maybe he would try to get his deal switched to Ronnie, and that he wold do the time. Ronnie is the better person, and the more innocent in their pair. But no, Vic has too much a sense of self-preservation for that.
Hmm. I don't know how I feel about Vic's character now. I do wonder if the writers played his hardness too much at the end, so possibly that was a bit out of character. Or you never really know someojne, or a character, until they are in a position where they have to sell out their friends or protect themselves. I do know that I feel more sorry for Shane now (not enough to forgive him for Lem's murder, and he should never have been a cop - but enough to want to see him keep living).
But my heart mostly breaks for Lem and Ronnie, sweeties who ended up paying the biggest price for their involvement with the strike team.
What are your thoughts on the end of The Shield (as long ago as that might have been)?
(I need some Shield icons now!)
ETA: Found some new icons! :D