“The Shield” — Chasing Ghosts
Wow. That was really, really great. It was great because every element in the episode had to do with the climax in one way or another.
Let’s start at the start, shall we? You knew this episode (directed by Frank “Shawshank” Darabont) was going in the right direction when Anthony Anderson kicked things off by reprising his role as Antwon Mitchell. Why is this guy making all of these god awful comedies when he’s so fiercely intense in drama? It was a quick appearance, but an important one as it gave Vic the first whiff that something was wrong with his impression of how Lem died.
The meat of the episode dealt with the strike team solving the murder of the city comptroller’s daughter. This was interesting because it showed the political force behind the strike team’s questionable ethics. The murdered girl turned out to be a junkie whore. The well-to-do parents didn’t want this information to leak, and so Mackey again bends protocol to appease all sides, even if justice isn’t necessarily served. In this case the stakes were low, but we saw the slope sufficiently greased and suddenly understood how one could start justifying murders.
This of course leads us to the big confrontation. The performances were some of the best on television in years. Despite the threats, both of these men know they are quickly approaching the gates of hell. Both are cold blooded killers who feel they have been operating within the dark ethics they set for themselves years ago. The bitter irony is that each feels the other crossed the line and will forever resent them for this.
I absolutely can not wait to see where all of this leads.
May 10th, 2007 at 1:40 am
I think the ultimate poop stain on Anthony Anderson’s career was either Kangaroo Jack or My Baby’s Daddy.