The Shield

Co-Pilot

Season 2, Episode 9, Aired 3/4/03

Episode Summary

Flashback to the first day of the barn. Under pressure to get results, Vic and his new Strike Team make an impression on the streets. Dutch and Claudette realize they make a good team, and David discovers he doesn't have as much power as he thought he would.moreless

8.8

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Cast & Crew

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CCH Pounder

Detective Claudette Wyms
Michael Chiklis

Detective Vic Mackey
Jay Karnes

Detective Holland "Dutch" Wagenbach

Fan Episode Reviews (7)

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It is a "flashback" episode to show the first day of the barn, and how it was formed. We get brief introduction to the characters.

6.5

"Fair"

By cyberdoman, Nov 03, 2011 Report Abuse

This episode is badly placed. Why was it placed in the middle of Season 2? It would have been more appropriate to be the final episode of Season 1 or even the pilot. Despite the placement, the episode gives us a great introduction of all the characters and some history. We were told Detective Holland "Dutch" had an alocoholic wife... And we get that moment with Officer Julien when he was in the changing room when he had that "moment" which suggests he is attracted to men.moreless

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3 4
A Missed Opportunity

7.0

"Good"

By 49thSurvivor, Mar 23, 2011 Report Abuse

A chance to highlight the origin of our characters instead becomes a repeat of the pilot, pretty much telling us things we already know. While the first day of the Barn isn't a bad focal point, it's one we've pretty much already covered. Sure, there are a few nice tidbits, like Aceveda and Vic's first meeting and how the Strike Team went dirty, but the best part of the episode is seeing Vic and Shane dressed up in suits and doing straight detective work. Rather than an origin story, Co-pilot seems like the pilot that got thrown out in favor of just dropping us into the action and letting us sink or swim. And yes, it breaks a few assumptions like how long Danny and Vic knew each other or how Claudette and Dutch first started working together, but I wanted to go further back and see these characters before they were thrown together. What was Aceveda doing? What was Dutch doing? Why would someone like Dutch throw himself into the dirtiest part of LA? Is it for fame? Career advancement? If anything, the episode feels more like a class reunion as Rondell, Connie, and Terry all rise from the grave to make another appearance. Hopefully, the writers will try this again and we'll get to see Lem one last time and get a better understanding of all our characters that this episode doesn't provide.moreless

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Review

9.5

"Superb"

By cavanagh15, Jan 21, 2009 Report Abuse

Flashback to the first day of the barn. Under pressure to get results, Vic and his new Strike Team make an impression on the streets. Dutch and Claudette realize they make a good team, and David discovers he doesn't have as much power as he thought he would. It was a random flashback thrown right into the middle of the second season, but I took it for what it was. I didn't think it fit well with the mojo that season two had going for it at the time - but like I said if you over anayze something you could miss seeing the episode for what it really was. We got to see the formation of the Strike Team and David's relationship with Vic form. The relationship has been full of ups and downs and its interesting to see where they were and how they got there.

Interesting case as we get to see the Strike Team pull off it's very first "bad cop" job and we kind of see the roots of the team. Dutch and Claudette were actually good in this episode for a change, shame it had to be about 14 months earlier in the timeline for me to finally think that.

I thought it was a good episode - though very oddly placed in the middle of a very hot second season of The Shield.moreless

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This ep aired at an unfortunate time, smack-dab in the middle of a momentum-building Season 2, so it's understandably low-rated by fans. But, if one can get past that, it's a fine episode in its own right.moreless

9.0

"Superb"

By rockin01, Aug 13, 2007 Report Abuse

This episode, ostensibly a companion piece to the pilot, reveals the origin of the Barn and the Strike Team. In cleverly retrofitted scenes, we witness the formation of the Strike Team, Vic and Aceveda's first run-in, and the Team's first transgression. We also see the importance of Vic and Gilroy's friendship in helping Vic get the job running Strike Team. Connie does her first solid for Vic, and Rondell begins his C.I. relationship with the Team.

We meet Danny and Julien, learning a little about each of them (including Julien's proclivities) and we see Dutch and Claudette discover that they make good partners.

This was a very good episode. I only have two complaints: One, the timing- I really didn't want a flashback episode now, when the action is really cookin' in the main storylines. Two, the writers seemed to be so anxious to squeeze in all of the characters that some of the backstories felt rushed, facile or skimped on. And that's a shame, given the richness of these characters. I wish they had taken more time.

Oh, well, back to the money train. And, how the hell is Ronnie doing, anyway?...moreless

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Well sort of a pilot. (some spoilers)

9.3

"Superb"

By blknge, Jun 11, 2007 Report Abuse

you'll either like it or not enjoy it. It's hard to adjust to at first seeing how Armidilo was stabbed in his jail cell last episode and Danny's job is nearly impossible to hold onto now. After a few minutes though you might start to care. You see how everyoen was before the strike team was formed and everybody's first day on the job. We see the first meeting between Acevada and Vic, and some characters we haven't seen in a while, Gilroy, and Terry. We learn some more about Dutch that I forgot abou even after keeping with the show after season 6. It could explain some of his weird behavior. The rest of the episode is more amusing and informative rather than being fast paced and intense, which of course might throw some people off again.

I don't think it could have replaced the pilot, because the pilot of course wouldn't be as great as the start of the show had been. Still though every episode of season 2 is great and that includes co-pilot because of the unexpected story it brings and the interesting ideas.

The ending is both halarious and kind of sad.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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Trivia
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- In the scene where the Strike team first met in what will become the clubhouse, you can see a crewmember wearing glasses standing behind Vic. He quickly ducks out of the shot. Edit
- When the naked woman is running towards Danny and Julian, in some shots she is entirely naked whereas in others she is wearing panties. Edit
- In the "Pilot" all the doors in the Barn have brand new shiny letters printed on them. Here, nothing has been put up. Edit
Notes
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- This episode marks the final appearance of Jamie Brown in her recurring role of Connie. Edit
- While the show is considered one of the favorites for most of the cast, it has been dubbed "the worst episode" because it stopped the story mid-way in the season just to go back and cheat a pilot episode. Best way to judge. Watch episode #1 "Pilot." Then start to watch Season 2 from start to finish. You be the judge. Edit
- The crew members featured in the Barn putting it together are the actual setup crew members that put it together when they first filmed the pilot in the original church. It has since been revealed that they built their own set off the design of the church at Sony. Edit
Quotes
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- (Hitting cross on celing) Lemonhead: Jesus Christ, (Looking at Jesus's face on cross) God damnit! I didn't mean that. Edit
- Aceveda: Wagenbach? Dutch: Yeah, hi, I'm Dutch... Aceveda: You're two hours late. Dutch: What? At Sunset detectives start at 9. Aceveda: You start here at 7. Dutch: Yes sir. I didn't realise... Aceveda: You're lucky there's a desk left. Dutch: That's by the kitchen and the women's restroom. Is there anything else? Aceveda: There was at 7. Edit
Allusions
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- While Tom, Claudette and Dutch are about to go into the interrogation room, Tom tells Dutch to "hang back" and calls him "Fletch." Fletch was the name of the title character in the films Fletch (1985) and Fletch Lives (1989), which starred Chevy Chase as a journalist who was also a master of disguise. Edit