I've watched The Shield off and on over the seasons. Only just watched the finale yesterday. I think at the end we were supposed to see Vic as being in a prison of sorts, but it's nothing compared to what Ronnie is facing, and the more I think on it, the more it seems to me that he has the patience, the mental stamina, and the guile to endure a cubicle job while he regroups and comes up with ways to pursue and find his two real interests -- money and his kids. It won't take him any three years.

Anybody catch the Shield last night?

Yes, yes I did. When Vic got that look of devastated realization on his face that all his conniving and manuvering had gotten him to a cubicle, while his entire strike team was dead or in prison, I thought it was great! Then when he took the gun out and smiled, I wondered if he saw that as his way out or if he was hatching another plot.

Very interesting episode. The only thing that was left unsolved was whether the psycho kid's mother was really dead.

but I felt it ended the only way it could do.

I agree with this. What a great series finale, right up there with Buffy, Six Feet Under, and Angel. The Shield is the only cop show other than The Inside that I've actually enjoyed.

I didn't start watching The Shield until the fourth season, but I've seen most of the episodes since then, and I've borrowed DVD's of the first season. One of these days I'll watch all the episodes. Maybe I'll buy a complete series DVD set if they release one and I have money at the time.

I missed the season of Forrest Whitaker. I need to netflix it.

Oh, oh: SoA: Okay did anyone else think that with Gemma's outfit for the funeral they gave her that high-necked jacket for a Palinesque effect?

I was a bit disappointed in the finale of "The Shield." There are a couple of things that relate to my disappointment:

1) I think the pacing of this season was off. I think it took them too long to do some things and the finale was pretty rushed. There was a LOT of repetition from ep to ep whereby you could see the same setup and patterns each week.

2) I think I wanted Vic Mackey dead. And since this didn't happen, I didn't feel like I got the conclusion I wanted.

3) Mo Ryan said this was the best series finale she's seen (or something to this effect). Which is a flat out lie.

no, that was "The Wire" Or maybe Hill Street, where Buntz punches that creepy Chief Daniels in the nose.(He totally had it coming)

I agree with your points le nubian. I think it WAS rushed, but given the uneven pacing, I'm not sure what else they could have done.

As for Vic dying. I half expected that but I think that one of the through-line themes for the entire series relates to the indestructibility of the cockroach. With no actual disrespect to the noble and non-douchebaggy roach.

No matter how sympathetic one might ever have been tempted to be towards him (thank you Michael Chiklis and HELLO deathrow brides), given his PhD in horribleness, it just couldn't last.

Which is kind of what I took away from that final scene. There he is all crushed puppy, 'man, this didn't turn out like I expected, woe is me' and then, the suicide fake of slowly taking the pistol out...and then there it was, the schemer's smile. Yeah. Vic's got a new plan and one thing is certain, nobody but Vic will like it. Scene!

In that way, I do believe it was perfect.

SoA: I didn't get the Palinism sumi, but I did like the finale a lot. It set up the dynamic I was hoping for, just with a surprising cohort. Piney has been such a minor character, but I can see him becoming the oxygen sucking Gandolf of the new order.

Jax's outburst with Tara was the most backhanded and weirdly romantic thing I've seen in the entire series. Then again, gettin' it on 3 feet away from the psycho you just co-murdered was pretty bizarre too.

As much as I love Gemma as a character, her motivations have really bothered me and this episode went a long way to highlight the paralyzing vulnerability that causes her to behave so hard as nails. Nice work by Katie Segal.

I'm looking forward to the new eps, whenever they may be hulued.

As much as I loved "Call of the Wild" and "Not Fade Away," I think Newhart had the best series finale ever.