'The Shield' S07E12: 'Possible Kill Screen' (The PENULTIMATE Series Episode)... like that word...

"After all they did..." - Capt. Claudette Wyms

***SPOILER ALERT. I HATE REVIEWERS THAT RUIN SOME OF THE BEST SHOCKER MOMENTS IN THE GREATEST COP SHOW EVER, SO FAIR WARNING***

Oooh, SHIT, I can't wait until the next time those two see one another. One of the blog commenters on TVSquad's 'Shield' site predicted that Wyms would have "a massive lupus breakdown (is that even possible?)" [I don't believe it is, no], and she nearly did, tryin' to fire the Dutchman and shit.

But after seven straight seasons of denying it, of pushing it to the back of his mind, of tacitly acknowledging it to Ronnie - shit, Ronnie... we'll get to him in a minute - escaping from Kavanaugh, Aceveda and everyone else, Mackey finally admitted his original sin aloud. Confessed his entire history of assorted ill shit ("How much memory does that thing have?"), and even with the immunity deal in place, he's STILL not off the hook yet. He's gotta come through on this whole Beltran deal, or the wheels fall off and he goes down for the whole rotten, corrupt enchilada (that's an enchilada with too much lettuce [which is ANY lettuce... cilantro and cebollas only, por favor] and a side of bullet-through-your-left cheek).

And while I hate to see it happen, my prediction that Mackey will be the last man standing is coming true. And although I hate him for it, it's a credit to the Shield writers that, faithful to his character, Mackey ultimately cares only for himself and his family. He's perfectly alright with throwing Ronnie under the bus if it means getting his ex-wife out from under a faked aiding-and-abetting charge. Dutch and Wyms finally figured out how to get at him: use his one halfway-valiant quality against him. He really never suspected Corrine was working with the cops, even when he saw plain as day that she was covered from all angles. Whenever Ronnie, Vic or both find out it was a sting, there goes any relationship they had if Ronnie gets arrested.

The more I think about it, the more I'd like to have seen the entire recitation of Memories Past: Strike-Team Style, because the disintegration of the team really began at the end of the series' first episode: Crowley's death slowly began to change Shane, as well as give him the impression that he and Mackey were the true core of the team, and tight as they were, Ronnie and Lem weren't equals --> The money-train heist and Lem's reluctance to go along started the divide between him and Shane --> When Lem burned the cash, that was it --> Shane's sabbatical from the team and his try at being Vic Jr. ended up dividing him and Mackey --> The culmination of season 5 was the final wedge between Shane and the rest of the team --> And now, the only thing I can envision for Vic and Ronnie is betrayal and separation.

I also really like the writers' decision to use Shane and Vic's spouses as the catalysts for their respective downfalls. I can't see Vic putting a bullet in his ex, but I also can't imagine he'll be happy if he finds out she was working with The Barn. And Mara is just fucking insane; she shot a woman in the back on sight, for God's sake. And now with her collarbone broken and no car, they're screwed. Shane's snorting coke and speed and just falling right off the rails, blowing snot all over the place and shit. I love it. 

My first instinct is that Ronnie is going to put a bullet in Vic for turning on him. OR, maybe he'll tell Beltran about the ICE setup and insulate himself from the whole thing (although they have Mackey's confession on tape; I have a bad feeling that Ronnie's gonna have to go on the run... if Vic has enough conscience to warn him and can do it without violating his immunity agreement).

I'll be sad to see it end. Shawn Ryan has really turned Vic from a compelling antihero into a cornered pit bull this season, but I can't help still rooting to see him make it out.

Great show.

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A few random thoughts:

• Claudette is now faced with a horrible decision: her only chance to get Mackey is to undermine his ICE deal, which would mean tipping Beltran and potentially letting all those drugs loose in her district. She doesn't have the tactical experience to engineer a double-cross a lá Vic. And all that can only happen if she somehow finds out the particulars of the deal... and how to find Beltran... and when the deal's going down... and how to live with herself.

• Julien and Tina have been largely relegated to the sidelines this season, and boo to that. Tina's scene with Shane tonight was a great piece of acting. And Julien's been looking conflicted all season, but we've never been shown what it's about.