Vic

Just a quick thumbs up on the season finale of The Shield. I used to call it the Most Entertaining show on television. The HBO shows are still a notch better, but that may just be a function of budget. Shawn Ryan & Co. have created the best precinct series since Homicide: Life on the Streets. In fact, the original sin from The Shield's pilot episode is when the cop protagonist, Vic Mackey, kills another cop, an undercover threat to his four man Strike Team's corrupt operation. The murdered cop was played by Reed Diamond of Homicide, being directed by his partner from that show, Clark Johnson.

While the pure jaw-dropping entertainment value has dropped a step after four high octane seasons, it may be appropriate that S-5 is less of a blast, since they're finally dealing with the full ramifications of Vic's cold blooded homicide. Even at his worst, the show has always kept part of us rooting for Vic, our Faustian bargain. Supposedly the next season will be the last, so I'm just wondering if the plan has always been to make Vic really pay for his life of crime, or does he ultimately get one last wink in.

Aside from Michael Chiklis and CCH Pounder earning an award or a nom, and celebrated season-long guest stars Glenn Close and Forest Whitaker, the cast hasn't really been celebrated. Everyone has had a chance to shine, but with this ep props must go to Kenny Johnson as Detective Curtis "Lemonhead" Lemansky, the big guy with a heart of gold, and Walton Goggins as Detective Shane Vendrell, Vic's hot-headed protege.

Early on these guys provided comic relief. How far they've come.