The Shield

Postpartum

Season 5, Episode 11, Aired 3/21/06

Episode Summary

As Vic prepares to help Lem get out of the country to begin a new life in Mexico; Kavanaugh and Aceveda attempt to capitalize on the situation by using this as means to try to take down the leader of the Strike Team. Dutch decides to file for a transfer. Meanwhile, Shane tries to cut off the investigation by taking extreme measures and Danny finally confronts the father of her child.

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9.6

EPISODE RATING: Superb

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Cast & Crew

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Catherine Dent

Officer Danielle "Danny" Sofer
Benito Martinez

Councilman David Aceveda
Walton Goggins

Detective Shane Vendrell

Fan Episode Reviews (65)

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With Kavanaugh and Acevedo on their tails the Strike Team gets their plans in motion to get Lem out of the country. Meanwhile Danny has her baby and confronts the baby's father.moreless

10

"Perfect"

By meathead704, Oct 04, 2011 Report Abuse

A fantastic episode from start to finish with an ending nobody watching could have predicted. Walton Goggins has never been better as the Strike Team member we all love to hate. All other cast members were at the top of their form. It's good to see The Shield is still able to deliver for its fans after five seasons.

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Simply put, "Postpartum" hits you like a ton of bricks. It'll stay with you forever.

9.5

"Superb"

By VeryAware, Jun 21, 2011 Report Abuse

Phew, this one takes a lot out of me. No other season finale affected me as much as "Postpartum". It was the episode when everything and I mean everything changed for our characters. One of the leads was killed in a dramatic, heartbreaking twist (I'm trying to keep this spoiler-free but you folks who haven't seen this really, really should). His death started a chain reaction that would lead to the end of the series, only two seasons away. After watching "Postpartum" I turned and said to my dad, "There's no going back now." Never before had a show shook me like this.

There's so much to admire about THE SHIELD but the highlight for me has always been its guts. The show is willing to do some incredibly tough things to its characters, including kill them. Shawn Ryan and his crew showed no mercy to them or to us. Simply put, "Postpartum" hits you like a ton of bricks. It'll stay with you forever.moreless

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Amazing finale to the best season so far ("It's all about family, right?")

10

"Perfect"

By tvgirl17, Apr 15, 2011 Report Abuse

In the past month, I've marathoned through The Shield from Season 1. The first 3 were great, the 4th stumbled a little as the Strike Team was divided, but then the show came back with season 5, the best so far. After the entire season, you could see how things piled up and why Shane did what he did. Nothing is black and white on this show, and Shane felt he had no other choice. Vic tried so hard to patch things up for everyone, but they all could see how impossible it would be for everyone to get off free and clean. Instead of becoming a 2dimensional EVIL villain during season 4 leading to an EVIL murder here, Shane always went back to his family, the Strike Team, and saw no other way out when backed into a corner. He had to protect Vic and Ronnie, his wife and kids, and I am dying to see how this affects him. The last line of the episode was chilling. Brilliant drama, and Emmys should have been handed out like candy for this mind-blowing show and its remarkable actors.moreless

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Best episode ever!!! and heart-broken episode too

10

"Perfect"

By viidu, Apr 01, 2011 Report Abuse

What can I say? An episode that brings tears to my eyes and I couldn't help myself. It's the first time since five seasons, that I really really hate the writers to be so cruel on the strike team, putting them in such a dillema and create a character, wonderfully played by Forest Whittaker, a merciless, cunning predator that will do everything to get what he wants.
And finally he did it, he cornered the strike team and forced Shane to make a decision, probably the hardest of all, to put an end to this chase.
I'll never forget the look on the face of Shane and Lem and I have to say that this is the best TV show ever!moreless

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I write this review in the interests of completeness, because I've reviewed every other episode up until now. But I really don't know what to say- this one knocked the air out of me. Wow. Just wow.moreless

9.8

"Superb"

By rockin01, Sep 24, 2007 Report Abuse

I sit here trying to remind myself that these are just fictional characters... so why am I in tears? It really speaks to the quality of this show that I knew before watching that Lem dies in this ep (damn spoilers!)but it still hit me in the gut. Shane, how could you? And where can this series possibly go from here? Vic has sold his soul, and now Shane is lost too- and he doesn't even have the benefit of the love that we have built up for Vic from seeing him struggle to do the right thing occasionally.

As great as this show is, Season 6 can't be anything but a letdown now. I think we have just witnessed the finest that television will ever offer. Wow. Just wow.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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Trivia
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Notes
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- International Airdates: The Netherlands: February 20, 2008 on Veronica Edit
- During the production of this episode, the writers used the phrase "Shane delivers Danny's baby" as a codephrase for him murdering Lem. This was just one of many efforts on the part of the cast and crew to keep Lem's death as secret as possible until the night the episode aired. Edit
- 90 min episode. Edit
Quotes
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- Shane: LEM! Lem, I'm sorry! But I had to right!? You know I'm sorry, I'm so sorry man! Edit
- Kavanaugh: Are you happy now... Detective Mackey? Edit
- Vic: We're gonna find out who did this... and we're gonna kill him. Edit
Allusions
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- The end of the episode does parallel John Steinbeck's novel "Of Mice and Men" (which influenced the previous episode's title) since, in the novel, George kills Lennie out of mercy. Edit