Family Meeting
The series finale of The Shield, originally aired in 2008.
"Family Meeting" is the series finale of the television series The Shield, serving as the 13th episode of the seventh season and later split into a two-part episode for subsequent broadcasts. It originally aired on FX on November 25, 2008, and was written by Shawn Ryan and directed by Clark Johnson. The title derives from a line spoken by the character Shane Vendrell.
Quick Facts
- Series
- The Shield
- Air date
- 25 November 2008
- Writer
- Shawn Ryan
- Director
- Clark Johnson
Facts from the source article.
Plot summary
Vic Mackey tells Ronnie Gardocki that Shane did not appear at the drop-off and that Vic's wife Corinne has been arrested. Vic falsely claims that ICE Agent Olivia Murray has agreed to clear him, Ronnie, and Corinne once they arrest Beltran. Vic and Ronnie meet Beltran, who reluctantly agrees to meet with the black board of directors. Dutch Wagenbach informs Corinne about Vic's full immunity deal, causing her to panic; Dutch assures her they have a plan to keep her safe. At Mara's request, Shane takes his family home, planning to leave the next day when police are occupied with the president. Claudette Wyms convinces Olivia to place Vic's family in federal witness protection to keep Vic away from them. Vic visits Corinne to tell her she is safe, and she and the children leave immediately after. Shane surprises Steve Billings, asking him to deliver a message that Mara shot a woman in self-defense and offering to testify against Vic and Ronnie in exchange for Mara's immunity. At the exchange, Beltran sends his men instead of appearing, angering the black board of directors; ICE moves in and arrests everyone. Olivia tells Vic he is no longer involved, but Vic decides to pursue Beltran to honor his deal, with Ronnie backing him. Lloyd Denton reports his mother Rita missing; Dutch believes Lloyd killed her. Dutch tells Claudette about hang-up calls from Rita that led him to her house, and they suspect Lloyd killed her and made the calls to implicate Dutch.
Production notes
The series finale's 80-minute runtime was originally a two-hour episode, later split into two parts for reruns. Shawn Ryan was absent from filming due to the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, which required his participation. Shane Vendrell's murder-suicide was a late addition to the script, inspired by the real-life murder-suicide of wrestler Chris Benoit and his family. Director Clark Johnson has a cameo as the federal agent who shows Corinne and her children their new home.
Reception
The final episode and season received widespread praise from critics, with many commending its sense of closure. Maureen Ryan of the Chicago Tribune called it the most brilliant series finale she had ever seen. John Kubikek of BuddyTV wrote that it delivered everything fans could have hoped for and did not end unsatisfyingly like The Sopranos finale. Steven Hyden of The A.V. Club gave the episode an A rating, praising Vic Mackey's fate as a stone cold masterstroke. In 2011, the finale was ranked #20 on the TV Guide Network special TV's Most Unforgettable Finales. Alan Sepinwall ranked it #1 on his list of best series finales in TV (The Book): Two Experts Pick the Greatest American Shows of All Time, stating that without the finale the series would still be great, but the final episode made it one for the ages.
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