The Shield

Spanish Practices

Season 6, Episode 10, Aired 6/5/07

Episode Summary

Claudette notices Hiatt's mistake when he makes an arrest, and Billings delivers shocking news to the department. Vic forms an alliance with Aceveda, while he waits for his review board hearing. Meanwhile, Shane's life keeps spiraling out of control.

9.3

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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 (9)

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Alot of Development for next Season

8.5

"Great"

By rch2288, Jan 30, 2011 Report Abuse

The Shield
Episode 10 Synopsis
Spanish Practices

Vic wastes no time in going to see Aceveda to show him the picture Pezuela gave him as he pays him a late night visit. David meets him outside. Aceveda dismisses it as a fake but you can see the anguished look on his face to see that this past skeleton has come tumbling out his closet. He gets a lawyer right away that threatens Vic with blackmail and extortion charges along with everything else under the sun. Vic knows the picture isn't enough so he goes back to Pezuela to tell him he needs more than just the picture. Pezuela complies and gives Vic all copies of the picture along with the memory stick in hopes this will give David the incentive to help him with his upcoming panel hearing.

But, in the big picture of things Vic wants to form an alliance with Aceveda to find out what Pezuela is into. He convinces David to talk to Claudette about releasing the $230,000 that was being held by the Mexican diplomat in the San Marcos case so he can follow where the money is going and why? Claudette is skeptical but does what she is asked. She also knows that Vic and David are upt to something.

Shane now feeling the pressure that he told Diro Kashekian about the Armenian money train robbery back peddles and tries to convince her that he made a mistake regarding what happened. She isn't convinced. She wants those reponsible for the heist murdered. Shane goes to see Rezian, Diro's chief rival to take over the Armenian mob in prison and get his guidance on what will be done. Rezian tells him that Diro will not only kill those reponsible but also go after their families as well. Shane is up to his neck in deep **** as he now realizes that he has put Vic's family in danger for his revelation about the money train heist. Like a deer caught in the headlights his mind goes into overdrive. He tries to call Vic to let him know but Vic doesn't take his call. Shane drives over to Corinne's house and takes Corinne and Cassidy hostage and drives them to a storage container and locks them in while he puts spin control on the impending damage he has caused. He is trying to protect them, but they think he has gone nuts. He goes back to Corinne's house and waits for the hired assassin that will soon be showing up. When he does a fight ensues with the assassin being shot in the scuffle (but not fatally). Shane tells the gunmen Diro is no longer in charge and that Rezian will now be running things. Man, Shane flip flops and waffles more than John Kerry.

The barn's rumors are running abound as word gets out that Hiatt slept with Hanlon and that Dutch was seeing peeking through the window. Dutch knows that Billings set him up but can't prove it so he decides to let the matter die down. Billing meanwhile decides to file a lawsuit for 3 million dollars against the Barn for some bull**** fake injury claim. Dutch also investigates the murder of a local transient nicknamed "Miracle Joe" who was somewhat of a legend in the community. He was well liked, never gave anyone any trouble and his ability to survive everything from gunshots, stabbings and even being hit by a bus is what earned him the moniker. A witness saw somebody dumping his body. Dutch finds out that "Miracle Joe" died of natural causes and the person that did the body dump did it more as a prank as he told Dutch that he was dead when he found him. Dutch locates the mans nephew and is clearly moved by the story the nephew told him regarding his uncle and how he came to become a homless recluse. Dutch is later comforted by Danny and the two later share a warm embrace and kiss,. It's about time these two hooked up.

Vic goes to the office where he followed the Mexican diplomat too. He see's the bag of money taken by someone else in a car and while the car is gone, he goes into the office under the ruse that he is a copier salesman. While the secretary at the office tries to usher him out Vic opens a door where there are machine guns on a wall as well as maps showing Farmington District areas highlighted. It appears thet Mexican cartels are moving north of the border and Vic goes to Aceveda to plot their next move. Vic's board hearing is later that evening.

Hiatt now wanting to run the strike team his own way wants to try and stop a gang initiation from happening where the new members are beaten up by others. Against the wishes of Vic and Ronnie, Hiatt stops the initiation from happening. Unfortunately for the new members to earn their stripes, instead of beating up on each other, they go out and commit acts of violence upon innocents. Vic and Ronnie go to the gang leader to find where one of the new members is before he pulls a gun on an unsuspecting victim. Hiatt's way of dealing with this situation was clearly wrong as it created more of a headache than it was worth. Claudette pretty much gives Hiatt his walking papers after this as he is clearly not the leader she thought he was.

Vic gets a call that shots were heard fired from his wife's house. He arrives to find his wife and daughter missing and blood on the floor. Shane later releases Corrine and Cassidy. They go back home and tell Vic what Shane did to them. Vic is clearly flusterred by what has happened to his family and he and Ronnie plan to deal with Shane at a later time

Vic is nervously waiting for his panel hearing. His family shows up surprisingly to support him and he is overcome with joy. As he is called into his panel hearing he looks at his family and walks out not even attending his hearing. He instead waits again outside the business he visited earlier to get more intel on what is going on. One of the business associates gets in a car and leaves and Vic follows him. He puts on his dome light and pulls the man over. Vic asks for him to open his trunk and instead of complying revs the car and takes off, but not before Vic jumps in the drivers window and pummels the man as the car slowly crashes into a wall. Vic pulls the man from the car and beats him up some more. Vic has Aceveda show up in a taxi to come out to the sight discreetly. Vic shows him what was in the trunk. It appears that Pezuela had a blackmail file on every major polictician in the city in hopes to get his real estate deals going without any glitches. Acaveda is stunned by what he sees. (Pictures, DVD's, and a paper trail a mile long)

After seeing all this evidence, Vic asks.."Is there enough here now to help us break up this operation and keep my job?" David knows this is too much to pass up and it appears he and Vic will be partnered up to stop the Mexican cartels from trying to take over Farmington. Next season looms.

I have to add this episode was good, but not season finale good. I almost wish the season would have ended last week and this episode would have been the first episode of season 7 as there was no real bombshell moment like Lem being killed in last years season finale. It was well written and directed and gave us some story lines to dwell on for next season.(I.E. what will become of Shane as he basically traded away his life to Rezian of the Armenian mob to keep Vic's family safe? Will Billings lawsuit have any merit on the closure of the barn? Dutch and Danny's possible relationship? And of course the Mexican cartels moving to Farmington to branch out their business dealings.

I can't believe next season will be the last as this show has been the best thing on television by far over the last 6 years.moreless

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7 1
all the explosiveness of the first episode..

10

"Perfect"

By bwapo, Nov 12, 2010 Report Abuse

and now an even faster pace! the writing/acting/production of this show is as good as it gets. buy far, this is the best television series on the air to date. i don't know how they do it, but the story keeps gaining "Oh my Godness!" i can't say enough, but apparently i have to say more than 100 words? i'm not going to giving away anything - well, i do wonder if dutch and danielle were caught making out in the locker room, but that would have been obvious, i guess.
it kills me that it might all end next season!?moreless

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4 5
Cleverly written, but a little anti-climactic.

9.0

"Superb"

By charger69o5, Nov 12, 2010 Report Abuse

All in all, "Spanish Practices" was a very good end to the show's incredibly tense 6th season. The finale didn't end with a bang like last season's "Post-Partum" and left things unresolved but it wasn't a disappoinment. The writers are great at building tension and that's what they did with this episode. They handled the multiple storylines that have been present throughout the season in a great way, resolving certain things while leaving other, more important ones, in the air for the show's final season next year.

I can't wait for next season to get here. The final season is going to be great.moreless

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3 2
A little shy of the mark

8.0

"Great"

By Janer1, Nov 12, 2010 Report Abuse

There had been a 'Star Trek' philosophy that went something like 'the odd-numbered films were better than the even-numbered'; I think something like this applies to The Shield with one modification - the odd-numbered seasons were definitely better than the even-numbered - at least, better than seasons 4 and 6 (#2 was fine). There was something unsatisfying about this season, and the amount of wrap-up the finale was expected to handle, which, I think, can be traced to fewer episodes. One of the show's specialties has always been dealing with a high volume of information without sacrificing depth or character. The result of this was often a succession of short scenes which required the viewer to take in every word in order to follow the course of events, not only over the course of a show, but throughout the season(s). This season seemed too condensed somehow - racing from plotline to plotline, leaving too much inference to the viewer, and the end result was not exhilaration, but confusion. I watch with 2 other die-hard Shieldies; both of them were frequently unable to follow the course of action, and one said, "I give up" and checked out during the last two episodes. There is a fine line between fast-paced storytelling and confusion, and IMHO The Shield was forced to cross it too often this season. I also think that the timeline - with only a week or so having elapsed between the end of season 5 and the beginning of season 6 strained emotional credibility. The finale was good, but not great. The direction was particularly good last night with that beautiful quality that their directors have for giving dimension to even the briefest scenes. The problem was that the crime story - particularly the Shane situation - was just too confusing - he's with the Armenians, he's against the Armenians, he's back with the Armenians, and there just wasn't time to develop the counterpoint, i.e., that Vic thought that Shane was doing something that was the opposite of what he was doing. The dumping of Hiatt - though I was never taken with the character - was a bit last-minute. There was also a shift in the rhythm of the show - the Shield often used personal/emotional scenes as a release valve to the high-energy cop-lines - they were a breather. Here, the Dutch story, the homeless man/nephew story (very, VERY well played and directed), the Vic and his kids story seemed to be to be the point, and the street was only a backdrop. The Billings situation was a great ironic touch, however - loved Marciano since the 'Due South' days - and I would like to see how they deal with the cop suing the city situation in the future. I guess I'm thinking of the coach's speech in 'Hoosiers' - the 'remember what it was that got you here' speech. But, for all that - The Shield, even when it misses the mark, is still far and away the best show on television.moreless

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5 2
The 6th season is one of the best. High above 4th and 5th. Exactly why i watch this series! It's a very good finale, making you wait for next season. Big character developement.moreless

9.5

"Superb"

By 0hBoy, Nov 12, 2010 Report Abuse

Te plot greatly forces the character developement, showing us so much things happen, - Dutch getting close with Danny, Captain turning away from Hiatt, Shane putting his foot in another disaster, Mackie working with Aceveda... what will follow from that?
Theese whole things just makes me waiting for more! Give us the next season, i'll be right there when it'll come out!

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2 2

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- This episode had a 1 hr 32 min run time. Edit
- International Airdates: Australia: April 7, 2008 on Network 10 Czech Republic: November 6, 2008 on AXN Finland: November 5, 2009 on Nelonen Edit
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