Television Review: Exiled (The Shield, S6X07, 2007)

Exiled (S06E07)

Airdate: 15 May 2007

Written by: Scott Rosenbaum & Kurt Sutter
Directed by: Dean White

Running Time: 45 minutes

The sixth season of The Shield represents a turning point in Shawn Ryan’s masterful run, and the seventh episode, Exiled, serves as a pivotal moment that attempts to reconcile the show’s chaotic history with a looming conclusion. In the preceding episode, Ryan made the bold decision to blow the lid on the series' most significant character secret to date: the revelation that Shane Vendrell was responsible for the murder of Lemansky. While Vic Mackey became aware of the truth, his previous urge for vengeance—sparked by Lem's death—had cooled, leading him to refrain from acting against Shane in the same brutal manner he had used against other perceived enemies. The script by Scott Rosenbaum and Kurt Sutter demonstrates a keen understanding of the fractured dynamic between two former partners and best friends, recognising that their relationship simply cannot remain the same. However, the writers also manage to find a somewhat satisfying way to explain why the situation would not result in another round of bloodshed.

That solution is a rational and logical concept of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD). Shane, fully cognizant that Vic would eventually move against him in one way or another, had meticulously gathered a dossier of evidence concerning Vic’s past wrongdoings, a collection of memories that would have been revealed to the authorities had something happened to him. Furthermore, Shane, knowing he can no longer work alongside Vic, has requested a transfer back to Vice Squad, a move that signals his desire to sever ties. He is also apparently preparing for the eventuality of having to start a new life in Mexico, a prospect he views with a grim determination. To secure the necessary funds for this exile, Shane finds a way to earn extra money by doing some shady business for the very same Armenian mob he had robbed years ago with Vic, effectively burning bridges on all sides.

In the meantime, the district of Farmington is struck by another crisis due to an escalating conflict between Mexican and Salvadoran gangs. Despite previous talk suggesting that the Mexicans butchered in the San Marcos restaurant were victims of rival Mexicans, the Byz Lats decided to very publicly retaliate against the Salvadorans by a deadly shootout during a Salvadoran street festival. Vic sees this opportunity to remind Captain Wyms of his ability to handle vicious street gangs and gets in touch with Hernan, an ICE mole embedded within the Salvadorans, trying to coordinate the best possible response. The effort aims to stop the bloodshed through sweeping police raids while at the same time preserving Hernan's cover. That proves to be difficult, because the existence of the ICE mole becomes known to Aceveda, who, always willing to maintain as much political clout as possible, relays information to influential Mexican real estate developer Cruz Pezuela (FJ Rio), thereby compromising Hernan. The raids, however, achieve their aim—Santi Galas, the leader of the Byz Lats, is detained—but ultimately agrees to offer of tentative truce and handing over three of the festival shooters in exchange for the number of Salvadorans being discreetly being given up by the Barn. Captain Wyms isn't happy over three out of six shooters walking free, but she concedes that this imperfect compromise is at the times the best way to stop the carnage.

The investigation into the San Marcos massacre gets further complicated when the mystery of Romero (Baxter Humby), a mid-level Mexican government official whose severed hand had been found on the site, is actually found alive. He is discovered without an arm in a hotel room alongside a large stash of cash. Romero attempts to invoke diplomatic immunity, but Captain Wyms finds a way to keep him in LA by creating bureaucratic complications over the return of the cash, effectively using the legal system as a weapon to hold him hostage.

From a production standpoint, the episode is well-directed and well-acted, but it lacks the visceral impact of its predecessors. Some scenes feel like filler, disrupting the otherwise tight pacing of the season's narrative. The subplot involving Shane’s wife, Mara, and her increasingly hostile interactions with Vic, and later, threats made via a meeting with Corrine, makes her arguably one of the less sympathetic characters in the ensemble. While it is nice to see Katey Segal, the wife of episode co-writer Kurt Sutter, appear again as the widow of Nancy, the widow of Vic's disgraced mentor Gilroy, whom Shane apparently tries to coerce into giving her late husband's contacts in Mexico, her presence feels somewhat superfluous. The episode would have worked better if it had focused more on the gang killings subplot, particularly when it reveals high-level government corruption from both sides of the border.

RATING: 6/10 (++)

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