???American dramatic television has gotten pretty messy lately. The clear-minded detectives, easily identified villains and triumph of the American way have gone out of style in favor of complicated heroes, ethically difficult situations and general complexity. Not to mention way more violence.
???The shows that are most successful both give us a reason to understand the main character while offering a glimpse into his complicated psyche. All things considered, few shows have walked this line as successfully as The Shield. With two episodes remaining in its final season, the FX drama looks to go out with a bang.
???The show gives both perspectives at once. Vic Mackey, played by Emmy Award-winner Michael Chiklis (Eagle Eye), has consistently defied orders, broken laws, abused suspects and even killed people. He has led his Strike Team unit through the barrios of L.A. in the name of his own brand of justice.
???Mackey's actions have resulted in many bad people being successfully taken off the street and once uninhabitable neighborhoods restored. At the same time, the show never fears to show the viewer the negative implications of Mackey's actions: the very first episode ended with Mackey's greatest sin, killing a cop who was going to rat him out, a central plot point through nearly all of the show's seven seasons.
???While Mackey is the centerpiece, he is not the only source of complexity. Mackey's actions have rubbed off on his friend, teammate and protege, Shane Vendrell, played by Walton Goggins (Miracle at St. Anna).
???Vendrell's vigilante mindset is similar to that of Mackey's, but his hardheaded attitude disposes of possible audience sympathy with an annoying naivety that often lands him appropriately in waters over his head.
???The show reached a dramatic climax at the finale of its fifth season, widely regarded as its best. Forest Whittaker (Street Kings) turned in a great performance as Lt. John Kavanaugh, an IED investigator sent to find out the truth behind Vic's actions. Kavanaugh found leverage in Vic's teammate Curt Lemansky (Kenny Johnson, I Heard the Mermaids Singing), who had been caught stealing a brick of heroin from a felon and not properly filing it with the department.
???The fifth season presented a tug-of-war between Mackey and Kavanaugh, with Kavanaugh finding out just enough to put Mackey's actions together while never having enough to actually indict him. Lemansky was merely a pawn between the chess masters.
???Yet, in the season finale, the dynamic quickly changed. Shane, believing Lemansky would rat them out, did the same thing Vic had done before, killing Lemansky. Vic and the remaining Strike Team member, Ronnie Gardoki (David Rees Snell, Exit Speed), vowed to track down Lemansky's killer.
???The possibility that they would eventually track it back to Shane leads to the focus of the show's final episodes. Shane makes a run for Mexico while Vic and Ronnie try and track him down, knowing that if any other cop beats them to the punch, Shane will spill the beans on their past sins.
???Beyond the Strike Team, detectives Claudette Wyms (CCH Pounder, Rain) and "Dutch" Wagenbach (Jay Karnes, Chasing 3000) have maintained the show's moral center. Dutch is awkward, insecure and plays the nerd to Vic Mackey's bully, yet it is highly implied he has the intelligence necessary to put Vic Mackey away for good.
???Meanwhile, Claudette has remained ethically sound throughout the show's run, even when she is put at odds with her fellow cops. After rising to the position of captain, she has slowly uncovered the series of events leading to Shane's escape, with a desire to bring Vic to justice. Though the audience is positioned to root for Vic, Claudette is anything but a villain.
???And so the characters are placed for a final confrontation in which anything remains a possibility. Whether Vic is a character that even deserves a happy ending is a point of debate, and the mood of the last season seems to indicate this is a near impossibility.
???Creator Shawn Ryan has never gained overwhelming ratings with The Shield, but it has consistently been one of the most intellectually stimulating and entertaining shows in recent memory. There is little evidence that the series finale won't live up to this standard.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
