As I recall, the episode ends with Kavanaugh, about to leave Vic's apartment, he says something which I wasn't able to make out, it cuts to black with the end credits, and after a few seconds of the end credits, there's a gunshot sound effect. Can't check my recording right now because I'm at work.
I really love the re-occurring theme of self reflection throughout the series. Over the years we have seen various characters catch themselves in a reflection as they gaze in disbelief at what they have become. From Vic to Aceveda, Shane and now Kavanaugh. They catch a brief glimpse of themselves in a moment of brief clarity through all the chaos and they can't believe who they see staring back, as if it's a stranger.
This latest one with Kavanaugh gave me chills. Right before Kavanaugh leaves Vic's apartment he catches a glimpse of his reflection in the window. He looks away in disgust and leaves saying "nothing personal" as Johnny Cash's "I Hung My Head" closes out a brilliant episode and in my opinion, the best season opener to date. It just speaks miles for the depth of the writing and character development on this show. I want to see who will be catching a dark side glimpse of themselves next.
Wow -- that was amazing, best episode of anything in several weeks.
Man, season premieres are typically anti-climactic for me, especially after a long wait. Not at all the case here, maybe because I wasn't actively waiting for this one?
Kavanaugh is being given a LOT of rope by his superiors I think.
I loved the Ethan-style (from The Searchers) shot of Shawn within that door frame.
The grizzly crime scene at the end reminded me of a similar scene in LA Confidential.
Superlative writing, near unbearable tension at time.
This show is frighteningly good. Plenty of great shows that I love have their best years in their earlier seasons, The Shield seems to be getting better as it goes.
Brilliant Episode! In fact, the very best episode of The Shieldever!
Brent, you are so right --- this show is just so good it isn't funny.
You can just feel the crescendo growing week by week, about to explode into something that will be absolutely insane!
I will greatly miss Forrest Whittaker. He is an actor that I have come to admire so much. His performance in this series has stood out more than any of his co-actors. I applaud his presence on this show week after week.
I am just on an emotional "high" over this show. There hasn't been a season that has been disappointing. The Shield stands as one of the very best shows of its kind.
I don't like the way Kavanaugh left the show at all... it seemed more convenient from a writing standpoint than a realistic character development. Having said that, great episode... another home run... and I'll miss Whittaker on the show.
I thought this as well at first. It's rather clumsy and dissapointing coming from such a shrewd character. But I do buy his explanation about not knowing how to be on the other side of the law. He had what, 24 hours to come up with something or else lose McKey forever, these were the acts of the desperate man. In a nutshell, he was done since last season.
Shane is a curious one. Unabashedly racist, yet perfectly content to bag a black prostitute. Talk about descent into darkness. Gosh I am so clever.
My favorite scenes were between Claudette and Dutch as they smell foul play in Kavanaugh's story. The quiet conversation between these two upstairs showcases them both at their very best, her relentless pursuit of truth at all cost (including her chance at a promotion a season or two ago) and his superlative intuition. They are truly the best of the barn.
No mention of the grizzly crime scene from last week eh? Too much to deal with I guess.
So, is it confirmed that Whitaker won't be a part of the show for the rest of this season? I know there really isn't any way to keep him around after what has transpired, but I guess I'm just in denial that he won't be back and I will definitely miss his presence on the show. Like Ron said, he stood out more than any of his co-actors and the interaction between him and Vic elevated the show to new heights IMHO.
I have been saying this for years now, but the Shield is truly the best show on TV.
I am really going to miss Forest Whitaker he was a real pleasure to watch on this show. I also love watching Walton Goggins (Shane), I really don't think he gets enough props for his acting on this show, I think he is brilliant.
I cannot wait to see how this season plays out. It sure has started out with a bang and definitely hasn't let me down. This show just keeps getting better and better.
Also, Paula Garces (Tina, the hot rookie cop) is nice eye candy.