The Shield - Season 4 ongoing thread (merged) (1 Viewer)

[Rhett_Y]

I hope we see Lem back in the picture too... I too for see lots of problems with shane.. Should make for some interesting episodes.....

The Michael comment was freaking funny too...

"After Michael Jackson... No Stonewall...." lol..

R~

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Guys,

Count me in as a HUGE Shield fan. You
all know I woofed down the first three
seasons in the past few months.

Having said that, I am VERY disappointed
with what I saw in the first episode of
Season Four.

The good news is Glenn Close. Was never
a fan of hers (thanks to FATAL ATTRACTION)
but here I see her in a whole new
light. She is perfect for this show.

I just couldn't get into this week's premier.

In fact, I fell asleep 3/4 of the way through
because I was just.....bored.

Where is the strike team? The show seems to
have lost something without the team and their
antics.

Perhaps I missed something in the show's final
15 minutes, but I was hoping for something much
better and instead I nodded off.

BTW, do they repeat the shows at all during
the week?

 

[chuck_b]

Ron,

Interesting that you said that.

As much as I love this show, this season opening was.....different. It lacked something that was in the other season openers and I can't put my finger on it. I had been hyping the show to friends over the last month or so, especially ones who had never seen the show. This opener may not be the hook they needed. For starters, the lack of a summary of the past season(s) would have been helpful to hook in new viewers, even though veterens may hate it..

This epsiode, although very well-done, lacked some momentum that always left me breathless when the hour ended each week. As an past example. the opener in Season Two left me stunned in front of my set and I ended up unknowingly staying for the repeat the next hour. This one, I kinda said, "Glenn Close looks like she will be good", and the show didn't stay with me as most do afterwards.

Here's hoping for a good season on the best drama on TV. There is clearly still a lot of material to dig into.

 

[James D]

Ron-They will re-air the first episode on Friday at 11PM. I watched the first two seasons on DVD and loved it. I then watched season 3 weekly on FX and thought that it was just so-so. I recently bought season 3 on DVD and watched it over two days and loved it. I find that watching an entire season over a couple of days on DVD is the only way to go. I'll watch this season on FX, but I know that I will enjoy it much more when it comes out on DVD.

 

[Patrick Sun]

The second episode is pretty good, and there's plenty of material/setup to springboard into the threads that will make up season 4 plotlines and character arcs.

I do think that folks who watch eariler TV on DVD season sets, and can consume entire seasons within days will have a drastically different viewing experience when they have to wait for each weekly installment later for the same show.

There's a difference in the viewing experience when you are forced to let episodes roll inside your head for a week before seeing the next episode, the mind will come up with all sorts of predictive analysis of "what will happen next?" which is a bit of the fun of episodic TV. With TV on DVD, that period of reflection gets lost as viewers get to just plow through the episodes without as much processing of the episode, and the plotlines gets more attention, while character analysis gets pushed to the background.

 

[TravisR]

Ron, I think your points are valid but the change of pace was what I liked about this episode. It was good to see a different side of the show for me. I have a feeling that they'll be getting back into the good old Mackey craziness soon though.

And Patrick really hit the nail on the head about the differences between TV DVD viewing and weekly TV viewing but I'll add my own two cents as well. When watching a slow episode on DVD, you can just jump right to the next one so you don't think as much about the 'slowness' of that episode. I know when I re-watch 24 on DVD, episodes that I remember not enjoying as much as other just really seem to move because I can go onto the next one.

 

[Patrick Sun]

I found that I got fatigued when I tried to watch too many episodes in a row of shows on DVD, I think my operational limit is around 3 episodes before they start blurring together for me (though I subjected myself to a marathon of MI-5 season 3 episodes last weekend).

I think it'll be interesting to see Vic having to deal with Shane's immorality and to face his own culpability in creating such an immoral force within the police ranks.

 

[Bryan Toth]

I'm still not too sure about this one. I think Shane might have done it and offered the gun to Vic knowing (read: hoping) that he wouldn't take it. Strange to think that with all the things he's done, that Vic actually was the "stabilizing" force for the Strike Team. Without Vic, Shane is going off the deep end quickly .....

Bryan

 

[Dave Scarpa]

Thanks FX every year you screw me and my DVR by making sure the premiere runs several minutes over. Good start on the season but I don't have a read on Glenn Close's character yet, it's obvious she will reassembe the strike team. On another Note I hope tey finally give Andre Braugher a show to matchnhis talents but it'll be hard to top Frank Pembleton.

Absolutely it makes a huge difference watching the eps on DVD, Both the Sopranos and the Shield play best when you caan string a few eps together and I would never watch the show with commercials thaank goodness for DVR.

 

[Jason Co]

Thank you Dave. I feel your pain. My DVR stopped just as they showed Vic realizing Shane was in the house. My re-enactment of my DVR....."Freeze....police!" "Shane????"

X Delete this recording
Save this recording

AAAAAHHHHH! If anyone could e-mail me or spoilerize the end...I would appreciate it. I'm sure it will be re-run, but I would love to know what the heck hapened.

Thanks,
J

 

[TravisR]

Jason, here's as good of a summary as I can come up with.

Vic found his dead contact and Shane in the house. They 'chit chat' a little. You find out that Mara had Shane's child and they named it Jackson. (Vic "After Michael?" Shane "Stonewall.") Shane is looking for the dead guy's Blackberry because he's has had 'dealings' with the dead guy before. Vic tells him that he can't take evidence from a crime scene. Shane shrugs him off and takes it anyway. Vic wonders if Shane killed the guy and Shane says that Vic that he can smell his gun (to see if it had been fired) if he wants. Shane leaves with Vic wondering what kind of monster he created. END CREDITS.

Problems like you guys had are the reason why I'm not interested in DVR

 

[chuck_b]

My current Comcast supplied DVR (SA 8000HD) uses the on screen Guide to select and record shows. That guide appears to be pretty up to date and had the expanded time showing in the listing grid.

 

[Jason Co]

Thanks Travis. I had a tivo and would run across the same issues. It's really a simple fix, I just forgot to pad the end record by 5 minutes or so. The positives of the DVR far outweigh the negatives.

Jason

 

[Scott_Sch]

Boy...no love for the Shield this morning?

Well count me in as being thrilled with the addition of Glen Close. I like the fact that her character seems to be drawn to Vic and his methods and is even looking to set him loose assuming of course that his entire operation is open to IAD. It was great to see Lem out on the prowl with the boys too and the Shane story is gonna get out of hand real quick. Him showing weakness in front of his contacts at the end of last nights episode certainly doesn't bode well for his character this season.

Man, Aceveda has really gone off the deep end. His character last season was annoying (in how he dealt with the Strike Team) but was obviously sympathetic. Now he just seems like a prick...its obviously as a result of his situation, but I just don't feel all that much sympathy anymore.

Oh well...its great looking forward to Tuesdays again.

 

[Dave Scarpa]

The way Aceveda Screwed Vic for that new Job he was bidding on I bet Vic wish he had that Video of Aceveda Kicking the crap out of the Perp.

 

[chuck_b]

Mackey's Back in Town

This episode felt more back in the saddle for the show. I was a bit tepid on the season opener last week, but last night kicked posterior.

I also think this show has pushed the envelope again - the language, sexual violence and very mature theme is bound to get press again. I found myself almost uncomfortable at several points watching with my college-aged son.

I think Glenn Close is gonna work out real well and Mackey is definitely back in rare form. It is also amazing how fast a character can turn to be such as an antagonist like Aceveda. The tension between him and Mackey (as well as Close) drips off the screen and somehow it can't end well.

Looking forward to next week!

 

[Scott_Sch]

I was watching this episode by myself and even I felt a little uncomfortable at times (especially when Aceveda was in his office). Like you said its definitely got its edge back and it looks like next week things start exploding.

This show pretty much did a 180 in just two episodes. The first episode introduced the new layout for the farm and this weeks episode wrapped it all up and got it ready for some asskickin next week. You gotta love it...

 

[Duane R]

I wonder with Shane going off the deep end, that we may see a reincarnation of the strike team down the line with Tevon in Shane's place... It looks like Vic gets turned loose next week much to the chagrin of certain people, and I can't wait.

 

[TravisR]

'Cleanup on aisle four!"

I like Shane's new vice partner eventhough he'll probably end being bad.

It was good to see some continuity (and conclusion) with Gilroy. I think Mackey sorta sees Gilroy as a possible future for himself so he felt the need to make sure people came to his funeral.

The scene with Aceveda was one of those really good, creepy looks at the secret 'personal' lives of the characters. Like last year when Dutch killed that cat to see what killing something was like. It's a scene that we shouldn't see but we do anyway.

And it looks like Mackey gets back to business next episode.

 

[Travis Hedger]

I knew that Aceveda would be a total dick right till the end.