I see what you're saying, but to me season 4 begins "part 2" of the entire series. Isn't the time gap (in the time on the show) between the end of s. 3 and the beginning of the fourth the longest? It feels like an intermission to me. Seasons 1-3 are actions, seasons 4-7 are consequences. That's a highly simplistic way…

Maybe I put more into this than was actually there, but I thought Marco consciously arranged for that to happen in front of his wife, to offer an explanation without saying anything. He's on the patio or whatever, he moves his wallet just so, and arranges it where when he comes back in and drops trou, the pesky wallet…

All good points. Thanks.

Agreed. I love The Wire, Sopranos, Breaking Bad, and The Shield, and I view them all as peers/equals . But the Shield is the only one of the four that is consistently (constantly?) underrated, whereas I would argue that all three of the others, great as they truly are, are over-rated to one degree or another.

I agree. If they're going to present the apparent fact that she was raised by wolves, with no social graces, and pass it off as autism/Aspergers, then they might as well play it for laughs.

Mara, no doubt in my mind. She swings with more conviction. And her well-placed blows allow the victim just enough consciousness to walk out the door, get in their car, and crash through the windshield, throwing authorities off the trail. Mara's got no time to drop bodies and dig graves, she's gotta sell some real…

I don't know what you think of The Shield, but its universe most closely resembles that of Breaking Bad for me. Its universe is presented as neutral or nihilistic on the surface, but the story always boils down to the choices its characters make, and all of their actions carry consequences down the line, which is…

And I will say, I enjoy these reviews so I don't want to shit all over Nowalk every time. I like his viewpoint in general. I just don't get the particular focus on a few things, like the Iraq "allegory," or the female characters not being likable, and so on.

I was always surprised at the reaction this got from some viewers. It's shocking in its way, but the more it set in, the more right it felt for his character, at least to me. Dutch is not a serial killer, but he shares some of their traits: their vanity, their obsession. It's a little bizarre that he takes it that far…

In related news, The Dark Knight is about the war on terror. Amazing.

How interesting that Walton Goggins nearly lost both of his two best roles. And with Shane, not only was he a minor role at first, but I think I remember seeing somewhere that the writers had planned for him to die in Season 4, but changed course. It's unimaginable that he wouldn't have been around for Seasons 5-7

I agree. I like it, but I thought I would like it more. The American side of things feels almost superfluous for me, at least for now. I could take a whole show centered on Ruiz and his dealings in Juarez alone.

Totally agree. That's what makes Vic's hate for Aceveda so delicious, because they're basically the same person, playing the same games in different fields.

I agree. I really wish I had the time to re-watch all these as the reviews come up, but it's still a great way to catch up on the show regardless.

Ok, fine. Just text pictures of his weiner to girls online, then.

Great post. I agree completely. Mara gets on my nerves, especially at first, but I don't get how that makes her a bad character, or a poorly-written one.

Billings?

Hilarious.

Right on about the Subaru guy. I think I saw his Women's Studies thesis in the passenger seat: "The F-Word: The Shield as a Feminist Text."

And I meant this specifically for Wallflower, but it really applies to the whole board. I don't often post but I enjoy reading these each week.