I'm just glad they had the maturity to end it there as part of Dutch obsession to UNDERSTAND.

There's a period, maybe season 4, where he almost truly wants to play straight and be GOOD.  It's remarkable how every sin bubbles up to collect payment. 

followed/preceded by a wince inducing montage sung embarrassingly by his wife

definitely
SPOILERS our favorite drunk, Gillroy

Said manipulation is one of many reasons it's my favorite show.  I tend to roll my eyes at people like - and who like - Mackey.  The way this episode, and the entire series ends shows a real negative balance to that character, and eventual justice.  I keep hoping for that kinds of comeuppance in Mad Men, where the…

gads… Honestly, despite this show being one of my all time favorites, the writers were always ONE hair away from making it the WORST

ARE YOU HAPPY?

gets me dry heaving. I chalked it to the last of a long list of questionable choice cuts

Or are you referring to the dry-heave-inducing Concrete Blonde song that marred an otherwise gut wrenching series finale?

some painful soundtrack choices. Even the show's theme song, though a perfect blend of all CA culture, is like a 6 second endurance test.  Paired with the show's penchant for eye rolling "badass zingers" You could almost smell the "YIP YIPPA YIP YEEEEEAAAAHHHH" one second before it happens

Ryan actually wanted to call the show Rampart, but CA was going out of its way to clean up their image and asked them not to.  "The Shield" makes for a better layered meaning; I even like that Farmington is fictional.

"Handsome Marshall"

The stolen truck! oh Lem indeed…

I think director Clark Johnson (Homicide, Wire) gets occasional nods for his input on that herky jerky camera style.  They wanted the voyeuristic/documentary style.  No matter how extreme, gritty, or melodramatic it got, they want you to feel like you're over someone's shoulder.

"… Why would you fuck with me?" 

ElDan that phone call is the nail in Shane's coffin, though I still never saw it coming.  I have to hope that's what Vic was thinking, looking at the photos later.  Brutal

I'm an avid fan of the series, but it seems some friends need the caveat/primer of "just get over some the more eye roll inducing moments for a few seasons."  I don't deny the constant upward trajectory of each season (it steps on the accelerator starting season 4), as the team conversely digs deeper holes.

You can feel the enthusiasm of everyone wanting to hang since this review was posted!  But in the name of your enjoyment, I would NOT want you to be spoiled on a single moment!  Come back ASAP

I'm really glad the "Sins" are being brought up here, especially since the seeds of tragedy and slow road to hell are planted right here in the pilot.  On a show like Breaking Bad, it's easy for me to say "oh, well, Pride comes before the something something".  But as someone else brilliantly noted below,  Vic is so…

very Loathsome.  When he's Captain, even though he's "the mean ol' Dean trying to expel the heroic party frat", his biggest crime against television is that he's RIGHT about The Strike Team, and SHOULD get them off the street.  I think he's the prototype for Lt Kavenaugh in that way.  At least Aceveda explores the…