The Shield - Season 7 - Complete [DVD] [2009]

The brutally raw and powerful words uttered in the final episode of the equally raw and powerful seventh season of The Shield. After seven long years Vic an co. reach the end of the road; what a journey its been.

Picking up where season six left off Vic and Acevada hold an uneasy truce between them with the blackmail box in their possession. With Vic's forced retirement hearing looming ever closer he desperately hatches a plan to bring down Pezuela, to gain some significant creditability. The plan quickly becomes an entangled web drawing the Mexicans and Armenian's into a gang war as the FBI become involved. Vic and Ronnie must also contend with working with Shane again, while Claudette works to bring Mackey down as the situation quickly goes from bad to worse.

The final season sees the slow escalation of events, as all the ugly truths of the past seven years come up to the surface. Mixed in with the everyday cases of 'the Barn' season seven paints a vivid picture of scope and scale.

Michael Chiklis has always been fantastic as Vic Mackey and this season is no exception, from dealing with Shane to his daughter coming off the rails, we see Chiklis is a tremendously skilled actor; giving a tour de force performance of a man desperately clinging on to what little he has left.

Walton Goggins likewise gives an outstanding performance, particularly in the latter half of the season, where we see Shane crumbling and truly on the edge. Racked by regret and self loathing the performance proves to be truly captivating.

David Rees Snell's character Ronny has become more and more important with each passing season and the final season he proves to be an integral part. Dutch and Billings still bicker endlessly and prove some of the lighter moments of the season, Claudette struggles with her illness and her bond with Dutch is as compelling as ever. Julian, Tina and Danny are sadly relegated for most of the season, not playing a major role in the overall story, it would have been nice to seen more of them but sadly not.

The final episode "family meeting" is one of, if not the best, endings I have seen for any TV show. The final episode is The Shield at its very best, strong character driven performances and razor sharp exchanges; providing some truly unforgettable moments. The title's full bearing, apparent midway through, is all the more horrifying and hard hitting, Ronnie's and Vic's final scene is perhaps my favourite moment of the episode, with spot on performances from all the cast. And for Mackey himself? Just desserts? not quite. I wont spoil it but suffice to say the final scene devoid of any dialogue sums up the last seven years and their consequences perfectly. A truly unforgettable conclusion.

As the credits roll we are treated to photos of the past seven years, reflecting on the long road of The Shield. The show couldn't ask for a better conclusion as one of the best TV dramas ever draws to a close.

It's been one hell of a ride.

I've been lucky enough to watch the final 13 episodes via the 'States' and I wasnt disappointed, in fact, this final season 7 made the series for me become on a par with both The Sopranos and The Wire. The finale episode and the penultimate episode 12 are probably the most superbly written, amazingly acted (Chiklis has never been better and thats saying something!), tragic, emotional, violent and best of all a fitting end for all concerned of any TV Show I have ever witnessed. Will Vic, Shane and Ronnie pay for their previous 6seasons of sins? I promise you'll find out for sure in this season. Simply brilliant. I agree with everything the first reviewer said in his brilliant review of the season. My own personal favourite moment (without spoiling) - Vic and a certain conversation/meeting he has with the Federal Agent Lady, when he starts laughing almost at his own realization of just what sort of man he is.

Finally after much speculation, after years of plotting, betrayal and revelation, 'The Shield' comes to a spectacular close. Fans will truly be in seventh heaven for this, the best entry of the series. If you're new to the show, then just go back to season 1 and you'll be hooked!

With forced retirement looming, Vic manages to secure a future by stealing a "blackmail box" belonging to Cruz Pezuela, a figurehead for the Mexican cartel. But while Vic plays 'gun-for-hire' with Cruz, he has to contend with the Armenian mob and his old partner Shane, who have greenlit his family following the Money Train heist. To keep Vic's job and protect their families, himself, Shane and Ronnie engineer a gang war to deal with both sides at once... and this is just episode one!

Everything that you hoped for from a Shield finale is delivered perfectly, thanks to the freedom that the writers are given, knowing this is the final season. Characters are taken to places they have never been before and their final destinations, although somehow inevitable, are shown in a stark, uncompromising fashion. But rather than going for shock value, the writers have concentrated on the characters and what they would most realistically do. The final two-parter is an emotional rollercoaster, crammed with irony and fantastic acting, which held no major surprises, but was extremely satisfying to watch.

While Michael Chiklis is undoubtedly the star and a solid, strong actor, the real highlight of the last few seasons has, for me, been Walton Goggins as Shane. His character has become one of the most interesting and conflicted I've ever seen and the heights to which Walton takes this adds an edge that no other has achieved on the show. I can't wait to see where he goes next, as with all of the cast and crew of the show.

There is a terrific family feel to the workings of 'The Shield' - demonstrated by the special features which are just as emotional as the episodes themselves. As usual there are deleted scenes and commentaries, but really do you need any more when there's a show of this caliber racing towards it's conclusion? I think not. R.I.P. Shield, we'll miss you.