...is about the only way to describe the way the first part of season five of 'The Shield' ends. It's the hallmark of a truly terrific series that events from its very first episode (like, the first episode of season ONE) form the basis of the entire fifth season.
Detective Vic Mackey's original sin -- to keep it hushed for those not in the know -- comes back to haunt the entire Strike Team in the fifth season, while strings from seasons past (The Incident with Aceveda, Mackey and Danny's tryst, etc., etc.) are all pulled taut to make the entire season tense with ugly possibilities, the ugliest of which comes at the end.
Forest Whitaker is a commanding presence as Internal Affairs Lieutenant John Kavannaugh, a seemingly-dedicated member of the rat squad who SHOULD be perceived as the hero in this piece. But of course, we've all come to love Vic Mackey so much that we're actually rooting for Kavannaugh to fail (again, another impressive accomplishment for a series in which the hero is actually a less-evil villain). Kavannaugh's merciless pursuit of Mackey, along with a too-eager-to-deal-for-the-truth attitude that leads him to bargain with season four übervillain Antwon Mitchell, spells tragedy for a lot of characters.
For someone like me, who is familiar with 'The Shield's entire run, this was an immensely satisfying, if painful, season. It brought in elements from seasons past, with a firm eye toward the (uncertain) future.
Killer scenes: 1) Kavannaugh's undercover 'sting' on the Strike team, 2) Kavannaugh being reduced to animalistic rage after making a crucial mistake, 3) Kavannaugh interrogating Mackey's wife (like I said, Forest Whitaker is a helluva presence), and 4) Mackey's late-season interactions with Antwon Mitchell (Anthony Anderson still gets maaaad props for being possibly the scariest L.A. gangbanger since Tookie Williams).
Start at the beginning, but once you do, you'll be fiendishly anxious to get to season five.
Its unfair that this is shown so late at night, because it causes insomnia!
Coming off a very positive, insanely character developed season, this season doesnt disapoint one bit. Because of the Barn's former captain's (played briliantly by Glen Close) request, IAD has come to watch over Vic Mackey's strike team. IAD Lieutenant Jon Kavanaugh comes to LA, obsessed with nailing Vic with not only some small crimes hes done in the past, but also the murder of Detective Terry Crowly.
First off, let me sat Forest Whitaker got ROBBED at the emmys. He should have been a shoe-in, but apparently he escaped the votes to even get nominated. Easily some of the best acting Ive seen from a television show, and not just from Whitaker, or ever Chiklis, but from almost everyone in the cast.
Clearly the best show on televion, in my opinion, has gotten 10 times better with this latest season. With each coming year, I always say they cant top the previous season (hell, Im even saying it about this season!), but they seem to shock me every time.
The final 2 episodes may be the best of the entire SERIES. I swear, I sat there after the second to last episode, and didnt know what to do. I had work early in the morning, but I couldnt get to sleep. I actually got up from bed, and went down to watch that episode's encore presentation because from the end of that episode, I couldnt think of anything else. And I dont even want to get started on the heartbreaking final episode because I dont want to ruin anything, but that ending has left my jaw perminently dropped for months now. I really have no idea where they are going to take it from here.
Warning: Do not start to watch these episodes on DVD anytime close to night because you will be up till 1 or 2 in the morning watching them (no kidding, Ive done it a few times)
All I can say is, if you havent started watching this show yet, DO NOT start in this season. Start from the beginning, trust me you'll want to start there.
extras include:
-Commentarys on EVERY episode, except episode 6, "Rap Payback"
-Season six prequel
-Featurettes on "delivering the baby", "the shield panel", and "IAD"
-Scott Brazil tribute (an award winning director of the shield and many other shows, who died last April)
-Music Video
-Promos
-25 deleted scenes
Best got Better
"Lieutenant John Kavanuagh"....
At the end of the fourth year Antwon Mitchell may have been behind bars, but Monica's IA investigation into the Strike Team seemed to have bourne fruit with the discovery of Lem taking the heroin as leverage on Pitarrio. Seven months on, the investigation is still ongoing, with Forest Whitakers' Kavanuagh heading things up. Another superb characher from the pens of Kurt Sutter ans Shawn Ryan, and Whitaker is such a great actor.
Other notable storylines' this year include Claudettes' battle with Lupus, which culminates in the interrogation of Kleavon Gardner, a piece of pure theature to rival Homcide:Life On The Street's Three Men and Adena. The promotion of Billings to captain is another inspiring piece of writing, as he struggles to cope with a job he's patently unsuited for.
Jay Karnes is as compelling as ever as Dutch, although he doesn't really get a meaty storyline this year. Like wise, Aceveda takes a backseat this year, although he's an integral part of Kavanugh's IA strategy
The only thing that doesn't really come off is Danny's pregnancy, it seems a little unfocused, to the point that the by the time the father is (semi) revealed, we don't really care.
As far as the street goes, the Salvadorians are running grenades into Farmington, there's a shooting and riot at a school in episode one. Kavanugh himself gets his own episode in E8, and in said episode Antwon Mitchell makes a guest appearance.
As for the finale... I won't spoil it if you've yet to see it, but who'd have thought the always antagonistic relationship between Shane and Lem would play out the way it did?
And I havn't even mentioned Becca Doyle or Tina Hanlon... but you're going to buy this anyway right?
With the addition of Glenn Close to its already excellent cast, The Shield entered its fourth season with tensions high and tempers flaring. Aceveda (Benito Martinez) has gained political clout on the City Council, and former Farmington district officer Monica Rawling (Close) is introduced as the new Captain of "the Barn," where she immediately confronts a maelstrom of personal and professional turmoil. His strike team now splintered, Mackey (Michael Chiklis) has returned to routine detective duty, while Shane (Walton Goggins) and new partner "Army" Renta (Michael Peña) are neck-deep in trouble with Farmington's "untouchable" drug-lord, Antwon Mitchell, a new villain played to perfection by actor/comedian Anthony Anderson. This seemingly traitorous predicament places Shane at... More Info about this DVD DVD Release Date: Released the 26 December 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Arguably the series' best season to date, season 5 of 24 literally starts with a bang and never lets up, with an intricate executive-level conspiracy to control Central Asia's oil supply. Piling crisis upon crisis in an escalating series of deceptions, twists, and deeply hidden agendas, the day-long ordeal begins with a devastating political assassination connected to a disgraced former CTU agent (Peter Weller) and a radical group of Russian separatists (led by British actor Julian Sands) threatening to release lethal nerve gas in Los Angeles to protest a U.S./Russian treaty about to be signed by President Charles Logan (Gregory Itzin). As Logan's unstable wife Martha (Jean Smart), Secret Service agent Aaron Pierce (Glenn Morshower), and chief of staff Mike Novick (Jude... More Info about this DVD DVD Release Date: Released the 05 December 2006 Usually ships in 24 hours
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I have spent thousands of dollars for the priviledge of watching "The Sopranos" on HBO and on DVD. It is without question my favorite television show. I have bought every Sopranos boxed set, and went online to buy the sixth season on DVD for my holiday viewing pleasure. I'm not going to get into a critique of this season as compared to the previous five... but I am pissed off that they are forcing me to take another "bite of the apple" by splitting this season into two parts a la every other series that's been milked to death by soulless networks. I thought the Sopranos franchise was above all that BS. Not to mention, I loved that all the boxes were the same exact format -- until now. Well, guess what? Not only am I not buying the season six DVD sets... now that Deadwood's been cancelled,... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Daniel Attias - Jack Bender - Peter Bogdanovich - Henry Bronchtein - Martin Bruestle DVD Release Date: Released the 07 November 2006 Usually ships in 24 hours
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With volatile issues of Baltimore city political reform as its narrative focus, the third season of The Wire superbly maintains the series' astonishingly consistent status as the greatest "novel for television" ever created. While the Baltimore police department's wire-tapping investigations continue to monitor the intricate and now legitimately fronted drug ring of Russell "Stringer" Bell (Idris Elba, smooth as ever), detective Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West) continues his loutish ways, navigating through a series of shallow sexual conquests while doing some of the best cop-work of his career. Stringer's ex-convict partner Avon Barksdale (Wood Harris) is back in the picture and bent on eliminating a drug-dealing competitor named Marlo (Jamie Hector), and Baltimore P.D. Major Howard... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Daniel Attias DVD Release Date: Released the 08 August 2006 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Dramatically speaking, the third season of The Shield is dysfunctional in the "best" sense of the word. Relationships fester in a quagmire of personal and professional conflict, and clashing agendas inspire some of finest episodes of this volatile series. Det. Mackey (Michael Chiklis) struggles to save his crumbling family (including two autistic children) while his strike team endures internal tensions over their secret stash of stolen drug money. Shane (Walton Goggins) clashes with teammate Tavon (Brian J. White) with near-fatal consequences, and his demanding fiancée tests his loyalty to Mackey. Capt. Aceveda (Benito Martinez) suffers unspeakable humiliation en route to city council promotion, engaging Wyms (CCH Pounder) in a battle of wills over proper command of "The... More Info about this DVD DVD Release Date: Released the 22 February 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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