How Do You Think The Shield Should End?

• Nov 25, 2008 01:31 AM ET
• by Mickey O'Connor

The Shield

After seven critically acclaimed seasons, FX's The Shield (Tuesday, Nov. 25, 10 pm/ET) will finally close up "the Barn" for good with "Family Meeting," a blockbuster, 90-minute series finale that creator Shawn Ryan promises won't be in the ambiguous style of the Sopranos' fade to black. "The story makes sense," says Ryan. "Vic will pay a price -- some will think it's too high, and some will think it's too low."

In the Nov. 18 episode, Vic Mackey left Shane and Ronnie, his Strike Team comrades, in the lurch, signing an immunity deal for himself and his ex-wife, Corinne, that required him to confess all his wrongdoings. In the episode's most clever sequence, and after what seemed to be the longest pause in television history, Mackey does confess to everything, starting with the murder of Det. Terry Crowley and, off camera, presumably all his transgressions over the life of the series. Olivia, his ICE contact, is obviously chagrined by Vic's neverending series of revelations, and promises to hold him to the letter of his agreement.

So what's next? How do you think it should end? With Vic’s immunity deal falling apart? Vic, Shane and Ronnie escaping to South America? Vic and Corinne reuniting? Dutch and Claudette busting Vic? Vic, face down, in a pool of blood? Float your theories here, and then check back Wednesday for more Shield with a complete episode recap of the finale and a postmortem Q&A with Shield creator Ryan, who will discuss his creative choices at length.

Watch full episodes of The Shield in our Online Video Guide