Television Review: Party Line (The Shield, S7X10, 2008)

Party Line (S07E10)

Airdate: 4 November 2008

Written by: Angela Russo & John Hlavin
Directed by: Gwyneth Horder-Payton

Running Time: 45 minutes

As The Shield marched toward its bleak conclusion in the autumn of 2008, the world outside the television screen was undergoing its own catastrophic collapse. The global financial crisis, precipitated by the imploding US real estate market and the subsequent Wall Street crash, cast a shadow over the entire nation. Viewers in America and across the globe were grappling with their own grim financial futures, watching their savings evaporate in real time. This convergence of fictional tragedy and real-life misery—where too many shady shenanigans destroyed lives and fortunes—provided a potent backdrop for one of the most resonant episodes of Season 7, Party Line.

At the heart of the narrative lies the continuous, deteriorating conflict between former best friends, Vic Mackey and Shane Vendrell. Vic, having abandoned the LAPD, is now the hunter, while Shane is on the run as the hunted, wanted for attempting to kill Ronnie Gardocki. Shane has fully embraced the fugitive lifestyle, yet he is burdened by the company of his pregnant wife, Mara, and their two-year-old son, Jackson. However, Mara proves unexpectedly useful during their flight; leveraging her background as a former real estate agent, she notices the aftermath of the market collapse. With many properties, including grand mansions, left unsold and empty, she identifies a suitable location for the Vandrells to squat. This decision to hide in such a residence transforms their narrative from one of mere survival into one of temporary displacement in luxury.

This squatting in a mansion provides the backdrop for perhaps the season's most poignant, if fleeting, moments. While not the most critical plot point in terms of forward momentum, this domestic scene is undoubtedly the most touching. Despite their dire circumstances and the temporary nature of their stay, the life within the mansion looks like the realisation of dreams for both spouses—a good life that Shane had been willing to cross every moral boundary to achieve. In one particularly tender scene, Mara invites Shane to join her by the pool, and later, Shane entertains his dancing wife and young son by playing the piano. It is a brief, almost idyllic picture of domestic bliss, a stark contrast to the violence that surrounds them.

Yet, this domestic tranquility is shattered when the property is suddenly visited by a real estate agent. Shane is forced to hold her at gunpoint to prevent her from alerting authorities and allowing himself and his family to flee. The Vandrells are then faced with another manifestation of the real world's ugliness when they are ambushed by two Latino gangbangers seeking to collect the $10,000 bounty Vic placed on his former partner's head. Shane manages to negotiate his way to freedom, but only at the cost of $100,000—the very money the Vandrells need to continue their flight. Shane subsequently contacts Vic and demands that he produce this recompensation, threatening to send incriminating evidence to the Barn.

This prospect is deeply troubling for Ronnie, who has managed to retain his job at the Barn. Unlike Vic, Ronnie fears that Shane will be caught and forced to flip. He suggests that running to Mexico would be the wisest option for both himself and Vic to escape the inevitable. Vic disagrees, clinging to the belief that he can catch Shane before the LAPD does. Furthermore, Vic believes an emerging ICE undercover job could secure him favour and salvation, demonstrating his persistent, albeit delusional, confidence.

However, this avenue opens in a manner Vic never intended. He arrives at Pezuela's place only to see Beltran watching Pezuela being viciously beaten by Councilman Aceveda, who has finally had enough of his humiliations. Beltran's lack of reaction suggests that Pezuela has outlived his usefulness for the cartels. Vic immediately tries to win Beltran's favour by volunteering to take out Pezuela for him. In a twist of fate, Pezuela actually comes to Agent Murray and agrees to flip on the cartels, leading Vic to stage his fake suicide.

While this little drama unfolds, Vic suffers his biggest setback from an unexpected direction—although he is not yet aware of it. Corinne, Vic's ex-wife, has had enough. Disgusted by Vic's murderous plans against Mara, she decides to inform Claudette and Dutch about the situation. The two detectives monitor her conversation with Mara, and Claudette offers Mara the chance to turn herself in, promising the best possible deal for her, her children, and even Shane. Mara reacts by revealing that Corrine has decided to cooperate with LAPD to Shane, unwittingly opening the avenue for another round of violence to play out in last three episodes of the series.

RATING: 7/10 (+++)

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