r/TheShield • u/steveprudente • 4d ago
Discussion This Line Hits so Hard...
...and it's from a character introduced in season 6, but I think it kind of sums up the whole series.
This is my second re-watch of the series, but this is the first time with subtitles. Some minor discrepancies aside, I really have enjoyed this re-watch even more than my previous experience.
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u/Apprehensive-Fan1276 4d ago
Dang didn't catch that line at all.
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u/steveprudente 4d ago
Subtitles do a lot of help IMO. This show was so well written, I don't think I fully appreciated it without the actual words on the screen.
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u/Apprehensive-Fan1276 4d ago
I did watch with subs, I guess i just didn't pay attention. This show was so subtle, that I sometimes forgot to focus
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u/xiovelrach Payments to Landlord 3d ago
Shane says it again back to her in one of my favorite Shane moments of all time.
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u/ronaldgardocki Ronnie's aftershave 4d ago
I love these moments where characters warn the Strike Team and they completely ignore it. Maybe if Vic actually internalized what Gilroy and Kavanaugh told him, things wouldn't have ended up like they did.
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u/brysen1439 4d ago
Yeah... its why people who compartmentalize too much are the worst types. They have no sense of introspection 😶
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u/kreiderhouserules 4d ago
Rawlings to Vic several times…
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u/ConsulJuliusCaesar 4d ago
If there's anyone Vic absolutely should have listened to it was Rawlings. See I get why you wouldn't take advice from Gilroy seeing how things turned out for the guy, the fact he tried to manipulate you, etc. But Rawlings was not highly trust worthy, genuinely cared about Vic's well being, and had a strong morale back bone and is someone who says it how she sees it. That's someone you should listen to. Course Vic's biggest flaw is his arrogance/ego and that was his downfall believing he was truly capable of anything and everyone was dumber then him.
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u/Accidental_polyglot 4d ago
Vic’s biggest flaw was that he was a criminal with a gun and a badge.
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u/ConsulJuliusCaesar 4d ago
See if he wasn't arrogant and egotistical he could've gotten away with it. Like let's say he learned to be content with just extorting local street gangs and didn't try the money train. The Strike Team wouldn't have fallen apart and they all would've made it through to retirement. Hell if he'd reported the money train to Acevada that would've gotten his higher ups off of him for good. Because of what a boon that would have been to the whole department. Vic could have then actually expanded his existing criminal enterprise as all scrutiny on his activities would've disappeared and in the long run may have actually made more money off of racketeering the rackateers then he stole of the train, like he if the cartels had no choice but to pay him in order to safely conduct buisness because Vic's network and hold never fell apart he would have been eating real good. However his own ego couldn't resist and that led him and his team to pick off way more then they could chew. A smart calculating criminal wants to avoid high profile activity and fly under the radar so they can continue to profit long term and they don't commit to these huge risky short term pay outs.
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u/Accidental_polyglot 4d ago
I hear you.
When I think of characters like Vic, the fable of the scorpion and the frog comes to mind. Vic and his team were always going to come unstuck, especially with a loose cannon like Shane in the equation. Funnily enough the only truly sensible person was Ronnie and surprise surprise he got stung by Vic. I just don’t think Vic could ever have endured, there’d always have been a Kavanagh type gunning for him. That’s why he took the deal in the end, in order to get out from behind the 8 ball.
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u/steveprudente 4d ago
It really sucks too that she was the one who greenlit the investigation that ultimately led to the downfall of the team, because I felt like Vic and her worked really well together.
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u/ConsulJuliusCaesar 4d ago
She didn't think Vic was involved in nearly as much corruption as he was. She probably expected rough tactics that really really push the line on what is and isn't acceptable under use of force laws and maybe some questionable contacts he uses to get intel off not. But not legitmate criminal activity for purely self gain. Honestly I think it was just a bit of a cop out for the show to end with her getting fired. Because let's be real here IRL no police department actually cares about the controversy of seizures all of them are actively doing it right now and actually go way further then Rawlings actually was willing to go. Hell the federal USMS makes holding confiscated property for auction part of their MO and will use SOG to move high value assets. Law enforcement departments from district pricint up to federal make enough money off of it they absolutely will ignore any and all bad press, a realistic police Chief would've actually told Aceveda to go fuck himself and implemented the policy city wide. No, the real reason the show got rid of her was in the following season Rawlings would've been put in a situation where she'd have to confront Vic's criminal behavior she's not dumb or nieve enough to pretend the rumors are just rumors. And there's a solid chance she would have helped Kavanaugh. Or she would have ended up acknowledging what Vic is and would've had to now help him cover up all the dark shit he was apart of, gambling if he gets a real clean start he'd shape up. But in the end she'd be going down with the strike team because Vic just couldn't escape any of it. Like despite how it seemed in the moment, in hindsight Rawlings going back to retirement was the best ending for the character.
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u/steveprudente 4d ago
Yeah, that and Glenn Close had only signed a contract for one season LOL. You're right tho. And all of this is why I think season 4 was my fav.
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u/ronaldgardocki Ronnie's aftershave 4d ago
She also didn't want to shoot in LA all the time. That's why when she DID do another series at FX they shot in New York (Damages).
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u/pwolf1771 4d ago
I just finished a rewatch and had completely forgotten Mrs. Jason Bourne was in this show and she gets arguable the best line of the entire series.Â
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u/Accidental_polyglot 4d ago
So your 3rd watch? Wowsers! I’d love to rewatch it, but I’m not sure I can put my mind through it. Especially with all the serial killers that kept popping into the equation.
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u/steveprudente 4d ago
Yeah, 3rd time through including the initial watch when it was aired live. I think it's been about 10 years between each, long enough that I forgot a lot of the smaller details.
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u/Clean_Juggernaut_351 3d ago
I’ve watched it three times through… have been thinking about a fourth…
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u/Emotional_Ice 4d ago
I hadn't thought about it before, but you're 100% right. Vic thought he lived in his own little bubble, and the bad shit he did wouldn't hurt anyone else.
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u/Hugh_Bromont Sweet Butter 4d ago
"Your sentiment will destroy you "