The Shield

That was a great season finale. Nothing can top last year's, but this year was still outstanding. A few thoughts:

Billings left on "disability" and is suing the dept. for 3.5 million dollars. I hope we don't see the last of him, him and Dutch played so well off each other.

Hyatt's gone, he screwed the pooch when he tried going it alone in the streets, cutting Vic out. He needed "a little Vic in him", as Wyms put it, but he couldn't deliver. His dalliance with Tina didn't help either. She might have taken the brunt of it though. Hyatt may have lost his job, but she lost her pride, which is worse, if you ask me.

I was glad to see Dutch and Dani hook up. They both deserve someone in their lives, and Dutch crashed and burned with her in Season One, so it's great he's getting another shot. It actually gave me hope, lol. Again, if Tina meant what she said about Dutch having a shot, I feel bad for her. But she knew what she was doing, she was totally using him.

Regarding last week, I was totally wrong on the impressions I received from seeing the preview. I love how the creators swerve you like that. Vic tried blackmailing Aceveda with the picture, but it didn't work. Vic then realized that the only way to save his job was to work with Aceveda to take down that guy, damn, I forgot his name. The land developer who had Aceveda in his pocket. At the end, Vic found a box full of incriminating files and documents this guy was using to blackmail politicians to make Farmington his own private fiefdom. I loved that scene by the way, Vic was badass in beating the shit out of that guy while he was trying to drive away.

I don't think next season will consist of them bringing this guy down. What more are they going to need after this? What can the developer (wish I remember his name) do to them now? I think the next season will start some time later, with the guy already put away. I think next season will ultimately lead up to a final confrontation between Vic and Shane.

Speaking of Shane...and what makes this show such a tragedy in the Shakespearen sense, another thing I was totally off the mark about from the previews, is that, yes, he did kidnap Corrine and Cassidy. But he wasn't doing it to hurt them, or play a mind game with Vic, he was protecting them from the psycho Armenians. Those are some real Keyser Soze type MF'ers, when they get screwed, they go after everybody, kids, wives, everybody. But Shane got himself into a deep, deep hole. There is no "trap door" he can use to escape, as he so reminded Vic in the episode before. There is no way he can explain to Vic that he was protecting his family.

Those are just my impressions. I can very well be wrong about next season, as Ryan and co. continue to amaze and impress. But I think it might start with Vic on top of the world, having brought down a big fish and saving quite a lot of politician's asses in the process. Everyone's going to have to eat crow when it comes to Vic, Acevada, Claudette, everybody. But that won't last. So I think there'll either be a confrontation with Shane, or there'll be someone new to attempt to bring down Vic. I think that's a long shot, mainly cause it's pretty tired and that no one can top Kavenugh.

Anyway, what a great season. Only one more left :(. "The Sopranos" closes up shop after Sunday. Next week, "Rescue Me" starts again, so I have that to look forward to. And a month after that, "Damages". So it won't be a total wash out this summer.