Television Review: Back to One (The Shield, S6X03, 2007)

Back to One (S06E03)

Airdate: 17 April 2007

Written by: Adam E. Fierro
Directed by: Gwyneth Horder-Payton

Running Time: 48 minutes

The narrative trajectory of The Shield is frequently characterised by a biting, relentless form of tragic irony, a theme that reaches a fever pitch in the third episode of the sixth season, Back to One. Immediately following the episode in which the series' protagonist, Detective Vic Mackey, received a long-sought yet unexpected reprieve for his past crimes, this instalment serves as a stark reminder that certain characters are incapable of accepting the way out when it is offered to them. The central lesson of Back to One is that the consequences of previous tragic misunderstandings manifest in the form of another set of misunderstandings, bound to generate a new cycle of tragedies that no one seems capable of breaking. It is a grim meditation on how the pursuit of vengeance can blind a protagonist to the reality of his own actions, trapping him in a loop of violence that offers no true resolution.

At the commencement of the episode, the dark shadow of Lieutenant Kavanaugh and his Internal Affairs investigation has finally lifted, yet the lingering consequences of his tenure continue to cast a pall over the precinct. Kavanaugh, unwittingly and tragically, caused the death of Curtis "Lem" Lemansky, Vic’s closest friend and a loyal Strike Team member. However, for Vic Mackey, the true culprit is Salvadorean gang boss Guardo Lima. The plot of the episode is driven entirely by Vic's relentless effort to avenge his friend in the most direct and brutal way possible, a path that leads him far beyond the law and into the realm of personal retribution.

Prior to the events of this episode, Vic and his fellow Strike Team members executed a calculated abduction of Guardo’s girlfriend, Nydia Hernandez, specifically to lure the gang boss out of Mexico. Vic orchestrates a meeting designed to facilitate the ransom exchange, but instead of securing a payoff, he captures Guardo and transports him to an isolated house. There, Vic intends to subject him to horrendous torture, attempting to extract a confession that would validate his vendetta. The sequence is visceral and almost unbearable to watch; it is a masterclass in tension that highlights the moral decay of the main characters. The situation becomes even more psychologically taxing for Shane Vendrell, who feels enormous guilt over killing Lem and now finds himself forced to watch someone else suffer for his own crime.

Vic attempts to exact a confession by threatening to rape Nydia, a threat that strips away any remaining humanity from the scene. This is particularly devastating for Shane, who has recently learned that Nydia is pregnant. The psychological pressure mounts as Guardo refuses to confess, and his attempts to give false information only serve to infuriate Vic further. Shane, consumed by guilt and the gruesome reality of the situation, desperately pleads with Vic to give up his revenge. His efforts, however, come to nothing. In a moment of cold-blooded resolve, Shane shoots Guardo, ending the torture and the episode's central conflict. Following the murder, Vic, Shane, and Ronnie Gardocki dispose of the body, leaving the audience to ponder the futility of the violence just enacted.

Ronnie Gardocki is fortunate enough not to witness the entirety of the affair because he was temporarily assigned to Detective Dutch Wagenbach and his partner Billings. This separation allows him to assist with the investigation of a robbery homicide that leads to a meth dealer and, ultimately, his suppliers.

When Vic returns to the Barn after his long absence caused by the Guardo affair, Captain Claudette Wyms cannot fail to notice that he feels strangely relieved, as if a heavy weight has been lifted from his shoulders. Later, Dutch Wagenbach’s night meeting with Officer Tina Hanlon, which she interprets as something of a date, is interrupted by the arrival of Agent Zinman (Julie Dretzin). She informs him that federal authorities could not fail to notice Guardo leaving Mexico for Los Angeles and wants Dutch to investigate what was so important to make such a powerful gang boss make such a risky move.

Vic’s triumph is rendered hollow by the reality of his own mortality. Captain Wyms reminds him that he is soon to be forcibly retired and orders him to bring another detective to his Strike Team and train him as his replacement. This command serves as a constant reminder that his time is running out, a fact that makes his recent bout of brutality feel even more futile. The episode does not allow its characters a moment of rest; it constantly pushes them toward the next cliff edge.

Written by Adam Fiero and confidently directed by Gwyneth Horden-Payton, Back to One is remembered by many fans as one of the least pleasant episodes of the series. This aversion stems largely from the extended scenes of torture, which are difficult to watch not merely because of their graphic violence, but because they depict Vic, the series' anchor, going way off the dark side. He is shown abducting women, torturing and ultimately killing a man in cold blood. Even Shane, who used to be one of the more uncontrollable characters, suddenly becomes the voice of reason, pleading for mercy in a scene where Vic has lost all empathy.

The scene was made even more disturbing for the American audience at the time because Guardo’s torture reminded viewers of similar images that had occurred in real life at the US military prison in Abu Ghraib. Although Guardo was hardly the nice guy, with Vic reminding him and the audience of bombing innocent people, the whole torture was rendered pointless by the audience's knowledge that the real killer of Lem was Shane. In many ways, this episode served as a powerful allegory for the Iraq War: it depicted a chaotic, messy, and violent descent into depravity made under false pretenses.

Ultimately, while Back to One is a harrowing watch, it also offers a glimpse into the potential future of the Strike Team. The episode showed Ronnie, one of the relatively underused characters, suddenly receiving more emphasis. His subplot suggests that his character and temperament would have been more useful while being partnered with "regular" detectives like Dutch instead of increasingly unhinged vigilantes like Vic. As the season progresses, it becomes clear that the only way for the Strike Team to survive is for Vic to let go of his need for control and vengeance, a lesson that he seems destined to ignore.

RATING: 7/10 (+++)

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