Television Review: Possible Kill Screen (The Shield, S7X12, 2008)

Possible Kill Screen (S07E12)

Airdate: 18 November 2008

Written by: Charles H. Eegle & Evan Bleiweiss
Directed by: Billy Gierhart

Running Time: 45 minutes

In the era often heralded as the Golden Age of Television, a distinct narrative architecture emerged, fundamentally altering how premium drama was consumed and structured. While traditional series relied on episodic self-containment, the new formula prioritised the season as a cohesive narrative unit. Within this framework, a particular trope became prevalent: the penultimate episode frequently reserved the most consequential "wham" moments, the seismic plot shifts that would define the series' conclusion, leaving the actual finale to serve merely as a narrative mop-up, tidying the loose threads remaining after the explosion. The Shield, a drama series often considered one of the most innovative and groundbreaking of its era, adhered to this new rule near its end. Possible Kill Screen, the twelfth episode of the seventh season, represents precisely one of those pivotal "wham" moments where major plot points are either resolved or appear decisively set on a path to resolution.

The Shield continues with its tradition of uninspired or extremely complicated episode titles, and Possible Kill Screen is another such example—a reference which will probably be completely arcane to anyone who was born after 2000. The phrase originates from video gaming culture, referring to the concept of a player whose skill is so high that it breaks the game, advancing beyond the highest level into a glitched state where the game becomes unplayable. While the title might feel disconnected from the grit of the LAPD, the concept of the "kill screen" serves as a potent metaphor for the plot dealing with the main character, the "player" who apparently managed to "break" his own "game". It is Vic Samuel Mackey, former LAPD detective and leader of the Strike Team, whose numerous crimes and corruption have cost him money, career, friends and family. He was just about to lose his freedom or possibly life, with his former colleagues led by Captain Wyms turning his own wife Corrine into a possible witness against him. les of justice that should have ended him.

The plot of the episode shows that Vic apparently uses the very last option his street smarts and contacts have given him, and he does it in a very ruthless manner. He apparently manages to win the trust of Beltran, a cartel figure, and becomes aware of a major drug smuggling operation that would flood the streets of Los Angeles. This operation involved not only the Guerrero Cartel but also local Black gangs organised into a "board of directors". Just as he was pestering Beltran to become his main "fixer" on the streets of Farmington, Vic had also been pestering ICE agent Olivia Massey to work as an undercover officer to bring down the cartels and gangs in the most spectacular bust ever made. Vic's price, however, is steep—he demands full immunity for all of his crimes and financial compensation in the form of federal employment.

At first, it looks that such a deal will collapse when Vic brings Ronnie Gardocki, his last remaining and loyal friend within the Barn, to a federal building hoping to work out the same arrangement. Federal authorities refuse, and Vic, knowing that Ronnie will, unprotected by any deal, go down for his crimes, initially walks away. But when Wyms' attempt to arrest Vic during another planned exchange with Corrine fails because Vic has spotted undercover officers in the background, Wyms orders Corrine to be arrested in order to protect her cover. This inadvertently saves Vic, because, now with his ex-wife in custody, he feels extra pressure to accept the deal. He ultimately throws Ronnie under the bus, securing his own escape at the expense of his last remaining ally.

While Vic has cleared the path towards solving all of his problems, the walls are closing in on Shane in the most tragic way possible. With hardly any money to provide for his pregnant wife and a young son, and knowing that his flight from the police in such condition won't last long, Shane snatches the last desperate attempt to improve his financial situation by robbing a couple of professional gamblers he had known since his Vice days. He goes into their home, only to find that the gamblers are about to rob him. It is Mara who intervenes in a desperate attempt to save her husband and does so, but at a terrible price. In the scuffle, she accidentally shoots a woman to death, while herself has her collarbone broken. The episode ends with her in a decrepit abandoned home, lying in intolerable pain and being tortured by conscience over the life she has taken, while Shane, forced to take drugs at the scene, is unable to help her.

Vic, in the end, signs the deal, but before he could start working for ICE, he must give a full confession. The moment, which starts with 45 seconds of silence, is a tour de force. Vic calmly and confidently confesses everything—corrupt dealings with drug dealers, the murder of Terry Crowley, the Armenian money train robbery, covering for Shane's killing of Lem. When he ends, Olivia Massey is justifiably horrified, realising that the federal government just allowed the monster to remain unpunished for an unimaginable series of crimes. Wyms arrives at the building to protest, but it is too late; the papers are signed and Vic is untouchable. For Wyms, this is a catastrophic defeat that makes her lose her nerves, and she lashes at Dutch, who ultimately gets fired in the fallout.

Written by Adam E. Fierro and Evan Bleiweiss, the latter having the debut near the very end of the series, Possible Kill Screen also represented directing debut for Billy Gierhart, a camera operator who was working on the series from the beginning. Gierhart has asked Shawn Ryan for the opportunity to direct, and Ryan agreed, but kept postponing until the very end. Despite initial reluctance to give such an important episode to the rookie, Ryan finally relented. Ryan's confidence in Gierhart was justified, because Possible Kill Screen is often considered as one of the finest episodes or even the finest pieces of television of its time. Most of the praise goes to Michael Chiklis, delivering a brilliant performance in the confession scene. Although he doesn't reveal anything the audience haven't already known, he finally drops all masks and shows the character of Vic Mackey as a ruthless, calculating sociopath he has always been.

The episode also brings an excellent performance from Walton Goggins, playing the character the audience initially despised because of his racism and recklessness, but who is now transformed into a tragic figure. He is a man who is faced with the end of everything he lived for, watching his wife become a victim and his own future disintegrate into addiction and desperation. Furthermore, the episode again tries to tie up a couple of loose ends from storylines in previous episodes. Dutch mentions planting evidence against a paedophile, leading to Wyms' outburst against Dutch, while Dutch confronts Rita Denton over the calls she was making, setting the stage for the resolution of her son's storyline in the final episode.

Possible Kill Screen represents great exmple of tension and character deconstruction. It encapsulates the very essence of The Shield's legacy: the moral ambiguity of its protagonists and the relentless momentum of its storytelling. By juxtaposing Vic's calculated ascent to impunity against Shane's chaotic descent into ruin, the episode solidifies the series' reputation as a dark, unflinching examination of law enforcement and human fallibility. The technical prowess displayed in the direction and acting ensures that the viewer is profoundly disturbed by the consequences of the choices made within these walls.

RATING: 8/10 (+++)

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