Television Review: On the Jones (The Shield, S6X01, 2007)

On the Jones (S06E01)

Airdate: 3 April 2007

Written by: Kurt Sutter
Directed by: Michael Fields

Running Time: 51 minutes

Season 6 of The Shield begins in a rather conventional manner, attempting to resolve the tragic cliffhanger of the previous season's finale in a way that feels organic rather than contrived. The characters, most of them utterly oblivious to what has truly transpired, struggle to make sense of the chaos and act accordingly. This approach, whilst functional, lacks the visceral shock that characterised the fifth season's conclusion, choosing instead to methodically unpick the emotional and investigative threads left dangling.

The episode is dedicated to the memory of Scott Brazil, a producer and director who had died from complications arising from ALS and Lyme disease—a poignant tribute to a creative force behind the series. Interestingly, the episode had been preceded by an obscure web-exclusive fifteen-minute prequel depicting how the officers of the Barn reacted to the killing of Curtis "Lem" Lemansky. This supplementary material, whilst not essential to the narrative, adds texture to the communal grief that permeates the precinct.

The actual episode, written by Kurt Sutter and directed by Michael Fields, opens with a powerful emotional scene during which Vic, Shane, and Ronnie visit the grave of their fallen comrade. In a moment of grim intimacy, they use their pistols to fire a twenty-one-gun salute—"the one he deserved," as they see it. It is a striking image: three corrupt officers performing a ritual usually reserved for fallen heroes, for a man whose death they themselves set in motion through their manifold sins.

The plot subsequently explores the ripples emanating from Lem's death through the immediate investigation, with various characters harbouring vastly different conceptions of what truly occurred. Vic becomes convinced that Lem met his end at the hands of Salvadoran gangsters and their leader Guardo, for whom he promises an identical fate—"only slower." This Salvadoran angle is simultaneously being pursued by Detective "Dutch" Wagenbach, who finds himself frustrated by the curious phenomenon of numerous Salvadoran immigrants deliberately confessing to crime they did not commit, seemingly to exhaust and derail the investigation through sheer attrition.

Yet it is Lieutenant Kavanaugh who continues his relentless pursuit of Vic, becoming increasingly convinced that it was Vic himself who killed Lem to prevent him from testifying. He manages to persuade Assistant Chief Phillips to "discreetly" join the investigation and even locates Emolia Melendez, Vic's former Salvadoran confidential informant, whose testimony had landed Lem behind bars in the first place. Kavanaugh proceeds to coach her into lying about Vic having foreknowledge of where and how Lem would meet his end. However, Kavanaugh's heavy-handed and increasingly unethical tactics begin to unsettle almost everyone around him. Aceveda admits to Vic that he, having been in cahoots with Kavanaugh, deliberately lied about Lem testifying against his friends in hopes of provoking a reaction—and that this reaction may well have led to the killing. Dutch grows sceptical of Emolia's reliability, a doubt shared by Captain Wyms, creating a quiet but significant rift in the investigative consensus.

The devastating realisation that Lem never actually intended to flip—and that the Strike Team was deceived—strikes Shane with particular brutality, given that it was he alone who orchestrated Lem's killing without the others' knowledge. Consumed by guilt, Shane descends into suicidal despair, recklessly endangering his own life during a volatile confrontation with a mentally ill heroin addict in methadon clinic who has taken a baby, a woman, and a doctor hostage. The scene is tense and morally murky, showcasing the series' knack for placing characters in situations where their psychological states are laid brutally bare.

As with any episode of The Shield, supporting storylines abound. Danny's baby becomes an unexpected source of friction with Corrine, who remains bitter about her divorce from Vic. A semi-serious subplot involves a young Black man attacking sex shops after recognising his own grandmother in an amateur pornographic video—an act with which Officer Julien Lowe, owing to his devout Christian beliefs, finds himself sympathising. These threads, whilst occasionally feeling tangential, contribute to the show's rich tapestry of moral compromise and human frailty.

The hostage subplot receives broader socioeconomic context through the arson attacks on methadone clinics, explained as resulting from these clinics being lucrative revenue streams for both drug-dealing gangs and government entities alike. This narrative choice underscores the series' continued engagement with the complexity of addiction and the profound futility of the War on Drugs—a recurring thematic concern that elevates The Shield above typical police procedurals.

On the Jones functions competently as a season premiere within the show's established context and overarching plot, though it hardly ranks among the series' most memorable instalments. It features the formulaic blend of multiple storylines, shifting alliances, and plot developments unfolding in a reasonably realistic fashion that viewers have come to expect. Perhaps the most intriguing element is the continued moral descent of Lieutenant Kavanaugh, whose crusade against Vic transforms into something deeply personal, crossing ethical boundaries through evidence manufacture and witness manipulation. In doing so, the Internal Affairs investigator becomes virtually indistinguishable from the corrupt policeman he sought to bring down—a compelling study in how obsession can erode one's moral foundation.

Walton Goggins, however, delivers the episode's strongest performance as perhaps the most guilt-burdened character in the ensemble. His portrayal of Shane Vendrell—tortured by the realisation that he killed his partner and friend based on a cruel deception, and that this shameful secret is one he will carry to his grave—is nothing short of extraordinary. Goggins communicates Shane's internal devastation through small gestures and haunted expressions, making his character's silent suffering palpable. It is a performance that elevates the material and serves as a powerful reminder of why The Shield remained such compelling television: at its core, it was always a study of broken men and the consequences of their choices.

RATING: 6/10 (++)

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