Am I the only one who can no ...
Kenneth Johnson and Michael Chiklis, The Shield
Question: Am I the only one who can no longer "root" for the Strike Team on
The Shield because Shane killed Curtis Lemansky? I mean, I realize logically the Strike Team is a bunch of dirty cops, but I could still be on their side since some criminals, such as Antwon Mitchell (played perfectly by
Anthony Anderson), are even worse. However, now that Shane got rid of Lem, I am concerned that the show has turned a very sad corner. I kind of want them all to go down in flames for everything they ever did that was remotely dirty. Yet, how do I support the hunt for them when I believe Aceveda and Internal Affairs freak Kavanaugh are also responsible for the death of Lem? I am concerned that with no heroes anywhere to be found on
The Shield, it may not be worth watching. Are you still watching? What do you think?
Answer: Not worth watching? Who are you kidding? Your dilemma about who or what to root for is exactly the reaction this show should be stimulating, never more intensely than in this week's March 21 cliff-hanger episode. (Read my
Dispatch for a lengthier analysis.)
The Shield is not a show about heroes (well, maybe Claudette, whose promotion was such a terrific twist). From the very first episode, when Vic killed a fellow cop (for crying out loud), we have watched this show in a suspended state of moral ambiguity. Vic is in many ways such an exemplary cop, with his own kind of moral code when it comes to saving helpless victims, that you respect him even as you revile him. Same goes for the rest of the Strike Team, and Lem was the conscience of that group, so having him die at the hands of one of his buds was especially wrenching. The scene in which it became clear that Shane was going to have to execute Lem was shattering in its tragedy and in its inevitability. I prescreened that episode a week ago and I still can't shake it. Much as I've been defending
24 in the wake of all the killings in recent weeks (which I still think are essential for that show to keep us engaged and in suspense),
The Shield wiped the floor with it in the impact of Lem's death by grenade. That he didn't instantly die made it even more awful, and the fact that viewers like Pamela feel bad about it means
The Shield did its job. The show is a dark tragedy as much as it is a crime drama. It doesn't get much better than this.
