Television Review: The Math of the Wrath (The Shield, S6X08, 2007)

The Math of the Wrath (S06E08)

Airdate: 22 May 2007

Written by: Charles H. Eglee
Directed by: Rhon Schmidt

Running Time: 45 minutes

Season six of The Shield was never going to be an easy watch. It was marked by a palpable sense of scarcity, a stark contrast to the chaotic excesses of previous years. The void was made palpable by the death of Lem, but the real void was the scarcity of the ways the story of Vic Mackey could end. With his lieutenants fractured and his career on the line, the show was running out of steam, trapped in a narrative loop where the same old tactics yielded the same old results. So, when a significant change appears near the end of the season, particularly in an episode like The Math of the Wrath, it looks like a breath of fresh air. It cuts through the gloom and offers a glimpse of something new, something that threatens to upend the stagnant power dynamics that have defined the show for six years.

The catalyst for this shift is the introduction of a new character, Diro Kesakian, played by Franka Potente. She is a figure of clear potential, poised to become a formidable antagonist for Vic, or perhaps a terrifying ally depending on how the chips fall. The episode opens with Diro as an ordinary, almost plain-looking woman, sewing her own clothes while listening to Armenian music. It is a domestic scene that feels incredibly grounded and unassuming. However, the reveal hits hard: she is the daughter of a powerful Armenian mob boss currently on his deathbed in a hospital. The twist is that she wants to keep this fact hidden from the rest of the world because she knows the minor Armenian gangsters will use her father's illness to seize power. This creates a perfect storm of ambition and insecurity that Vic can exploit, but it also establishes Diro as someone who is used to operating in the shadows.

Diro’s is contacted by Shane Vendrell, whose arrangement with the Armenian mobsters hasn't exactly been a success. What started as a simple intimidation of a rival Iraqi gas station owner has escalated into murder—a fact Shane didn't agree to and is now trying to rectify. He wants to complain to the leadership, and his trail leads him to Diro. She approaches the situation with a business-like efficiency that Shane, desperate for a lifeline, finds attractive. She proposes that Shane prove his worth by solving a problem: African American robbers have been decreasing the value of Armenian-owned rental property. Shane investigates, only to discover that the victims are a duo of Russian prostitutes. He extracts enough information from the cynical victims to identify the perpetrators and dutifully hands over their names. Later, he learns the gruesome truth: the two men were found castrated. Diro is not the sweet, innocent daughter of a mob boss that Shane assumed; she is a cold, calculating operator who operates on a level of brutality that Shane is all too familiar with. Nevertheless, the two of them continue their alliance. This alliance has the potential to turn into something very different, and that is exactly something Shane desperately needs. He is all but shunned by the Strike Team, having lost lifelong friends and seeing his police career all but over. Diro offers a new path, one that is just as dangerous but potentially far more lucrative.

In the meantime, the remains of the old Strike Team finally catch up with the reality of the situation. Hiatt informs Vic that Claudette lied about the police board review. Instead of staying, Vic is going to be forcefully retired from the LAPD very soon. Separately, Ronnie is finally updated on what went on with Lem. Shane, when confronted, tells him exactly what Vic did with Terry Cerowley. Ronnie’s reaction is surprisingly calm and uneventful. It is far from shock; he had probably spent years contemplating the possibility that the Strike Team dynamic would turn on him. He has always been the observer, the one who doesn't quite fit in, and this revelation adds a new, heavy dynamic to the major characters' relations. The old camaraderie is gone, replaced by a cold, hard reality where betrayal is the only currency that matters.

The supporting plotlines, however, feel a bit off-key and banal. Hernan, the unfortunate ICE mole who was helping Strike Team and Barn maintain the peace, has his cover blown. The Salvadorans, instead of hacking him to pieces in a typical gangland fashion, do something more efficient: they ensure his loyalty by forcing him to hack someone else and bringing him back up to Salvador. It is a bureaucratic cruelty that fits the show's tone but feels a bit dry compared to the visceral violence of the main narrative.

Another subplot deals with Eleanor Morrison (Tereza Rizzardo), a woman from an upscale part of LA who is stabbed in Farmington by a robber apparently attracted by an expensive bag. The investigation reveals the bag is a high-quality knock-off distributed by a nearby shop owned by Mrs. Kim (Christine Dao). As a sign of gratitude, the Barn officers offer female officers—Danny and Tina Hanlon—as well as Corrine some of their merchandise. It is a subplot that feels more like a sitcom bit than a gritty drama, lacking the visceral edge of the main narrative and serving as a distraction rather than a contribution to the overarching themes.

Written by Charles H. Eglee and directed by Rohn Schmidt, "The Math of the Wrath" functions as a regular, by-the-number episode. It simply tries to tie some loose ends and move the plot toward the supposedly explosive season finale. Its main asset is undoubtedly the presence of Franka Potente, an immensely talented German actress who is usually not that well-used in Hollywood films. Here, the authors do their homework. Instead of trying to pass her off as a genuine Armenian, they mention her life as a student in Berlin in order to make her German accent plausible. This attention to detail grounds the character and elevates the performance, making her a believable player in the cutthroat world of LA crime.

Another interesting detail in the plot is Councilman Aceveda forming an exploratory committee to prepare for an eventual mayoral run. This can be interpreted as a nod to The Wire and the character of Tommy Carcetti, who was that series' equivalent of Aceveda. The scene shows LA as dysfunctional and cynical as Baltimore, with Aceveda's aides discussing ethnic politics and the need to pander to various groups based on whether they vote or not. It is a reminder that the world of The Shield is vast and interconnected, and that the political machinations of the city are just as deadly as the police work on the streets.

Ultimately, The Math of the Wrath is a bridge episode. It is a functional, if unremarkable, piece of television that serves to reset the board for the finale. The introduction of Diro Kesakian is the standout feature, injecting the season with the necessary tension and potential for a spectacular conclusion. The Shane-Diro alliance is the most intriguing thread, offering a glimpse into a future where Shane is no longer a broken man but a dangerous player in his own right. While the subplots are a bit weak and the episode lacks the raw energy of earlier seasons, the promise of what is to come makes it a necessary stop on the road to the end.

RATING: 6/10 (++)

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