The Shield

Recoil

Season 6, Episode 9, Aired 5/29/07

Episode Summary

As progress is being made in the San Marcos investigation, Vic receives bad news about his career. Meanwhile, Shane and Diro become business partners as she prepares to take over the Armenian mob.

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Cast & Crew

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Walton Goggins

Detective Shane Vendrell
Michael Jace

Officer Julien Lowe
Michael Chiklis

Detective Vic Mackey

Fan Episode Reviews (4)

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Solid but with one or two very contrived, unbelievable moments.

8.3

"Great"

By adsti3, Jul 28, 2010 Report Abuse

It was a real joy to watch Shane's wheels spin so quickly in this episode. It's impossible not to have a grudging respect for his cunning as you see him manipulate Diro Kesakhian with varying degrees of success.

Also enjoyable is Vic's desperate attempt to save his job, culminating in a possible Devil's bargain with Pezuela, the man he knows is behind the San Marcos killings in some way, or who at least knows the truth about them. However, unbelievable moment number one comes when Pezuela shows Vic a high-quality photograph of Aceveda's rape at the hands of the Byz Lats. That made me just yell "Oh, come on!"

Regrettable moment number two was the plot involving Billings ' successful plot to humiliate Dutch. There were so many holes in this (grown people scheming like vindictive high school kids, not realizing their cell phones have been stolen in the middle of a police station, not calling back when texted, having sex in front of first floor windows, not ducking when face-to-face with said sex, etc.) that I just rolled my eyes. In the interest of full disclosure, I should note that I am a fan of Dutch as a character. I understand what the writers are trying to do by showing his haplessness in the arena of romance, but I wish he wasn't the butt of such a large percentage of the show's jokes. They already have a cartoon character in Billings for that.

Lastly, I felt that Hiatt's ineffectiveness as an interrogator came out of nowhere. In previous episodes, Vic seemed to have a grudging respect for him as a cop, but in this one, Hiatt looks like a rookie.

An enjoyable romp, as always, but with a couple moments that keep it out of classic territory.moreless

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At least there were some distractions from the dead end San Marcos/Vic firing/Armenian gang subplots. But did they have to be so contrived?

9.0

"Superb"

By rockin01, Oct 09, 2007 Report Abuse

They went for shock effect in this one, and they got it, although at the risk of believability. The whole Billings thing came out of nowhere (even though he's been a jerk throughout the series, he has never before shown any capability for sinking as low as he did in this ep). Shane's blurted admission about the money train is too stupid even for him. And Pezuelo's magically coming up with a photo of Aceveda's oral rape really takes the cake. But at least there were a couple of reasons to stay awake during this ep. One of the strengths of this show has been the writers' lengthy memory, which has seen them bring back old storylines and weave them seamlessly into the narrative. One problem- it's not so seamless this season. It feels tired. Let's retire Terry Crowley, the money train, the Aceveda rape and some of the other rehashes and send the show out in style.moreless

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Old issues always come back to haunt!

9.5

"Superb"

By rch2288, May 31, 2007 Report Abuse

The Shield Season 6, Episode 9 Synopsis
"Recoil"

(First let me preface this by sayingHoly Sh*t! This is getting good.

Aceveda comes to the Barn with Cruz Pezuela asking for answers on the San Marcos killings. Cruz is the Mexican real estate developer that Aceveda has become friends with in hopes of strengthening his political sway. Pezuela has even promised Acaveda $200,000 toward his political contributions when the killers are found. Pezuela wants the killers found so that he can continue to gain favor with the Mexican community. Pezuela gives Mackey information that may lead him to the killers. The tip pays off as Vic locates an El Salvadorian named Rincon that gives up two of his men. Vic and Ronnie turn the two over to the Biz Lats where they are beaten to death as retribution. Vic hopes that by solving the case he can save his job as his appeal hearing is coming up soon. He even seeks help from the councilman who he helped keep his drug addict daughter out of the media which would have hurt the councilman, but it seems to be of little help. All signs point that Vic will be forced into early retirement.

Meanwhile, Shane is getting in even deeper with Diro Kashekian, the daughter of the Armenian mob boss. He talks her into knocking off all of her rivals that will come to take ownership of the mob once her sick father dies; in essence becoming partners with her in the Armenian Mob.

Vic gets wind of this and tells Diro that Shane is nothing but trouble and that this will blow up in her face. She becomes worried by what Vic confides to her and tells Shane to leave forget about their arrangement. Shane becomes angry with Vic for interfering with his new connection. He later goes back to Diro to tell her that Vic was responsible for the Armenian money train robbery a few years back. (He forgets to mention that he was also involved as well) This angers her completely to the point she now wants Vic dead. Shane has clearly stepped into a big pile of dog doo!

Dutch gets embarrased by Detective Billings as Billings secretly sets up a love tryst with Detective Hiatt and Officer Hanlon (What a manipulator he is), but Billings makes Dutch believe that Tina really wants him. He even takes her cell phone and sends Dutch a text message telling him to come over to her house. Dutch is excited at the prospect and rushes over with a bottle of wine and a skip in his step, but right before he knocks on her door he hears the sounds of loud moaning coming from inside her house. He peeks in her window and sees Tina riding Hiatt like she's on a racehorse. I mean she is going to town on him. Hiatt looks up and sees Dutch at the window too. Dutch is horrified. He is unaware that Billings set him up. He thinks Tina is the one who played him for a fool and he is clearly embarrassed.

Vic's frustrations about his appeal are starting to show. The case has been closed but as he digs deeper into the San Marcos killings he wants to find out about the diplomat that got his arm chopped off at the murder site and the $230,000 dollars he was carrying. As he starts to turn over rocks to look for more clues, he finds out that somehow Cruz Pezuela is involved but he doesn't yet know in what capacity. He goes to Aceveda to tell him this, but Aceveda stonewalls him and tells him nothing can save his job. But Vic's questions are starting to upset Pezuela He asks Aceveda to keep Vic on the police force but Aceveda tells him that is impossible and the he will be voting to force Mackey into early retirement at the panel hearing. Vic goes to see Pezuela at one of his construction sites to let him know that he isn't giving up on finding out who was behind the San Marcos killings and he will do everything in his power to find out. Pezuela tells Vic to quit asking questions and to leave it alone and he can get his job back for him. Vic doesn't believe him as he knows that Acevedo's vote holds a lot of weight in the proceedings. Pezuela gives Vic an envelope that Vic opens up. He looks incredulously at the picture he is holding. It is a picture of Aceveda doing something with his mouth and it ain't blowing up a baloon(We all remember that episode) Pezuela says"Instead of standing up like a man to his captors, he got on his knees and took a **** in his mouth, I'm sure this won't go over very well with the voters" He gives Vic the picture to use as leverage in his appeal hearing.

It seems Vic now has the ace up his sleeve to blackmail Aceveda into letting him keep his job. Next week is the season finale and it looks like its going to be a good one.. I can't wait.moreless

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Always keeping you guessing. (spoilers)

9.5

"Superb"

By blknge, May 30, 2007 Report Abuse

I notice this a lot when I watch the show (escpecially now). No matter what's going on in any scene i drift away from what i thought was going to happen and I start to create new scenarios, consequences or new events in my head. Even if it's the smallest thing I say to myself, "maybe that might come back later." This episode did have plenty of that and that's just part of why I loved it.

The politician who wanted her daughter's life to be kept secret comes back to tell Vic that there's nothing he can do about his appeal, which was something I forgot about. Then the San Marcos murders continue to fill the episode when Vic, Shane, and others don't have the spotlight on them. The new case that Dutch and Billing's take on was the least interesting part of the show but the guest star playing the killer did a great job. Ronnie is told to look after Shane and there were some funny moments there and also some moments that made Shane very vulnerable to Vic and maybe even Claudette if it reaches that far which I hope it does. Then there's the very last big thing about Recoil which how Billing's set Dutch up so that he nearly walks in on Tina and Kevin having sex. That guy is now just an **** but the whole thing seems more funny than dramatic. Dutch's whole life is centered on crime and when a relationship comes along it's just unusual for him. What also came out of it was that Haitt saw Dutch in the mirror and know he knows. How this plays out in the next episode I'm not sure but hopefully it's intense.

The season finale preview already has me hooked as it seems that Vic's life is put into danger but it's not him, it's his wife! The kids will really be heartbroken for him and maybe it'll end sooner for Vic where loosing his job isn't enough that all his crap would have consequences higher than anything. If she dies then it would make for a still great season 7 with Shane probably still alive and on the run, vic to take care of all his kids, his appeal and the future of everybody else. It can work.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: Australia: March 31, 2008 on Network 10 Czech Republic: October 30, 2008 on AXN Finland: October 29, 2009 on Nelonen Edit
Quotes
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- Ronnie: (to Shane) We don't need you dragging us into yet another Vendrell shitpile special. Edit
- Rezian: My people won't let you get away with this. Shane: You don't have people. Kesakhian junior's in charge now, so your crew ain't happening. So if you keep causing trouble, she'll suffocate you own your own gonads. Edit
- Vic: Now, you can come on your own, or I can drag you through your friend's blood. Edit
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