Friday, November 3, 2017

"The Coefficient of Drag" Is Dimensionless (Episode 7.1)

Well, folks, we've reached the beginning of the end. This episode kicked off the seventh and final season of The Shield. 

Last season: Vic blew off the appeals hearing about his forced retirement. Edgar-veda's friend Cruz presented Vic with blackmail pictures that could potentially help save his job. Yet another land grab is in progress; this time, the culprit is the Mexican mafia. Aramboles, formerly of Mexican military intelligence, got caught with a car trunk full of other blackmail on prominent Farmington citizens.

Shane told Armenian mob princess Diro that Vic was behind the money train robbery. (Of course, he left out his own role in it). She threatened to kill Vic's ex-wife and kids first to make him suffer. He basically kidnapped Corinne and Cassidy, then locked them in a cargo truck for an afternoon, claiming it was for their safety.

Things escalated and Shane was forced to kill hitman Zadofian in Corinne's living room. Rezian, another Armenian mobster, promised not to hurt Shane and Vic's families if they pay $2 million in restitution for the money train. He was willing to accept favors in lieu of cash.

Shane comes home to find a terrified Mara duct-taped and gagged on the couch. Before he can untie her, Vic appears from the shadows, giving his former best friend a pistol whipping. Ronnie grabs Shane's jacket and drags him across the floor into the bedroom.

"You don't understand, buddy!" Shane protests. I think we're way past "buddy" here. Vic is furious about Corinne and Cassidy being kidnapped. "I had to save their lives!" Shane goes on. Vic boots him in the crotch. Shane howls, "The Armenians know about the money train!" Vic freezes in mid-punch. Only four people knew about that; and (thanks to Shane), one of them is now dead.

Shane lies that Diro figured it out on her own. Vic sees right through him. Shane the Cowardly Traitorous Bastard whimpers that the Armenians will realize he was in on it. "Yeah, and me too, asshole," snaps Ronnie. Shane tells Vic he made a deal with Rezian to take the green light off their families. He's paying off their collective debt with favors.

When Shane tries to stand up, Vic kicks him in the ribs, growling, "What the hell did you get us into?" Shane explains the blood in Vic's house was from the hitman who was sent to kill Corinne and the kids. Vic is none too happy that Shane let Zadofian get away. Shane argues that Vic's family still being alive is more important. Can't they all work together to get out of this and be friends again? That would be a huge goddamn no.

Shane knows Vic and Ronnie hate him, but everything he's done over the last year was to protect them. He'd never hurt Vic's family. Vic reminds him coldly, "Lem was family." He and Ronnie exit Shane's apartment, leaving Mara still tied up on the couch. Jackson can be heard wailing in another room.

Shane untapes Mara's hands and fusses over her, then jogs off to check on Jackson. He tells her not to worry about Vic. "He tied me up and he beat the shit out of you!" says Mara. Shane sits Jackson down in his booster chair with some cereal. He just can't figure out why Vic is so bent out of shape over the kidnapping. He thought the bad blood between them was over.

"That bad blood is spraying all over this family!" says Mara, following him into the kitchen. "Vic is never gonna forgive you for Lem." (Well, should he?) She dabs the blood off Shane's face with a wet dish towel. For what seems like the millionth time in the last few episodes, she repeats they need to get away from Vic.

Ronnie wonders what'll happen regarding his friend's hearing. Vic guesses he shot himself in the foot by leaving. Ronnie tells Vic he's been offered a slot with S.I.S (Special Investigation Section), a real-life, elite LAPD detective unit tasked with taking down the worst of the worst. He flatly refuses to stay in the same precinct as Shane.

Vic stops the car. They meet up with a youngish guy who was thrown off the police department and now does private security work. Vic pays him to keep Corinne and the kids safe. "I'll be like a mother bird with her eggs," the guy promises. Vic warns him to keep a low-profile; his family doesn't know they've been greenlit.

"You had me arrested, you make the case go away," snarls Rezian. Shane can't; the department might already be suspicious about the "lost" ledgers. "Revising" reports will get him in even more trouble. Besides, Diro's probably "back in Munich playing quarters with coeds." Rezian doubts it; Diro's been in the family business since she was 15. Does Shane know where she is?

"I'm not your Armenian LoJack," mumbles Shane. Rezian wants Shane to find Zadofian; his associates can "extract the truth." (More like extract some teeth and chop off his feet). "Where do Armenian hit men nurse belly wounds these days?" asks Shane. Rezian guesses Zadofian is with Darla, his "little Filipina whore."

At a crime scene, Claudette asks how the hearing went. Vic wants it to be a surprise. A blood trail extends down the block, as though someone were dragged behind a car. Claudette assigns Ronnie to investigate gang-related angles; Vic has to take a backseat.

Julien confirms my theory: two Salvadorans were dragged behind cars. They were part of Castillo's crew. Mexicans and Salvadorans both occupy the neighborhood. "'Til now, they've always shared lunch money," says Vic. Claudette wants them to call in Shane.

A blond woman in a business suit approaches them, Agent Olivia Murray of ICE. She didn't notify the Barn that she'd be coming because this is strictly a "curiosity call." A gang called Manada de Muerte (Herd of Death) has a tradition of marking new turf boundaries with blood. They're mostly compromised of former federales and Mexican military; their main business is protecting drug cartels.

"What in God's name are they doing in Farmington?" asks Claudette. Well, it is a crime-infested hellhole with a mostly Latino population. Olivia's bureau chief pulled the plug on her investigation into the San Marcos murders when she kept hitting dead ends. (Pun intended).

Vic thinks it would be helpful to have the personnel files of the disgraced Mexican cops. Olivia promises to make that happen. "Next time, take the bus, boys," Vic says when he sees the mangled bodies.

Cassidy strolls into Vic's living room with her earbuds in one ear. Vic is explaining to Corinne why they're in hiding. Corinne tells her eldest to check on her siblings. "I'm old enough to hear this," Cassidy protests.

According to Vic, a guard heard an inmate threatening to kill a cop's family and thought it might be the Mackeys. The guard told Shane about it. Shane panicked when Vic didn't answer his phone. The blood in Corinne's house was from "a break-in gone sideways."

Corinne raises an eyebrow: "So I'm supposed to believe all this is happening at the same time Shane locks us in a box for our own well-being?" "Shane overreacted," Vic insists, "His heart was in the right place, but unfortunately, his brain was a couple steps behind." Ain't it always?

The bottom line is she and the kids aren't in any danger now; they never were. However, Vic would love it if they stayed around a few more days. Corinne agrees.

Outside, Vic's PI is scuffling with an armed man. The mystery man demands Vic's stash of files. Cassidy exits the apartment to take out the trash and Vic hastily pushes Mystery Dude and PI behind the trunk of his car. He waves Cassidy off with a slightly breathless "See ya, sweetie."

Vic takes the Mexican to the same house where he tortured and killed Guardo. "If I don't return la caja pecado (the sin box), I'm dead," says the guy, which is hardly any of Vic's concern. Aramboles spent over two-and-a-half years gathering blackmail, payback for L.A. politicians bitching about corrupt foreign governments when they're doing the same. He made Cruz valuable to the cartel.

"And he's gonna pay you back by putting a bullet in your head. That sucks," Vic sounds way less than sincere. Nobody knows the box is missing (yet). Aramboles explains the cartels are getting nervous about their L.A. investments. The blood trail down Kearny Street represents Cruz expanding his developments.

Vic starts to leave. Aramboles asks if Vic is gonna leave him chained up. "I could do worse," says Vic.

Shane looks at Diro and Zadofian's INTERPOL mug shots on the Barn's one and only computer. He hastily clicks the screen blank when Claudette approaches. She asks why he's been visiting Rezian so often in jail. Shane thinks Rezian knows something about the Mexican/Salvadoran beef and is trying to convince him to talk.

Ronnie gives Vic the business card of an Armenian mob doctor. "'Dr. Edna Lucine, Bow-Wow and Meow,'" Vic reads. Ronnie jokes, "Hate to be part of that HMO." Vic sees Shane still at the computer and gives him a contemptuous look.

Tina asks Dutch to give her a hand with some files. Dutch expresses to Claudette what a waste of time it is to have uniforms do administrative work. "What would you prefer me to do?" the captain snipes. People have quit. Thanks to Billings' lawsuit, there's now a hiring freeze.

"The guy tapped his head on a desk," says Dutch. Claudette has even more good news; the city attorney is settling with Billings. Dutch will be working cases solo. He's relieved; Billings was like an albatross around his neck. Claudette is glad to see her former partner's self-esteem is still intact.

In the back of her clinic, Dr. Lucine is examining the cutest little French bulldog. Vic flashes his badge: "I understand you're chief surgeon at Armenia General." If he checks her pharmacy, will he only find doggy meds?

Dr. Lucine borrowed money from Armenians to pay for vet school. (Guarantee it was under worse terms than government loans). She claims she had no idea "patching up criminals" would be part of the repayment plan. She admits to taking care of a gut shot, then driving the man to Edgemont Hotel to recuperate.

Shane peeks in a window and sees a young Filipina having loud sex with a much older man. He barges into the apartment. "I'll have her back before the little blue pill wears off," Shane promises. The hooker pulls on a robe, angrily asking what Shane wants. Shane wants to know where he can find Zadofian. She says he usually stays at the Edgemont Hotel.

Danny wants to have a word with Dutch. Dutch starts talking first. They were both lonely and vulnerable the night before; the kiss was a one-time thing between good friends. Work shouldn't be uncomfortable because of it. Turns out, that's the furthest thing from Danny's mind: "There's a guy out here who says he killed his wife." Dutch will get on that. He chuckles obnoxiously, "Wouldn't want him to kill anybody else's wife."

Upstairs, a Hispanic man waits in interrogation. "So you killed your wife two years ago?" Dutch asks conversationally. Emilio disagrees, "I had my friend Hector kill her." Hubby put ground-up sleeping pills in her wine and went to work. "Hector was supposed to push her down in the tub."

Danny brings in the case file. "Douchebag showed up too soon," Hubby of the Year goes on, "She was awake." Emilio was tried and acquitted. He boasts that he's untouchable "'cause I'm protected by final jeopardy." It's double, you idiot. Emilio never told anyone about Hector, afraid Hector would point the finger at him for planning it.

As payment for the hit, Hector got start-up money for a siding business. Dutch is somehow surprised by the lack of remorse. "You had to know her," says Emilio. This reminds me of a similar episode of Saving Grace. A woman in an unhappy (but not abusive) marriage offered various odd things to different people, hoping to entice them into killing her husband: $75, a homemade carrot cake, movie tickets.

Anyway, Emilio wants Hector arrested. It seems he's fallen in love with Hector's girlfriend Lorena and a murder rap is a convenient way to get rid of the competition. He's sure Lorena loves him back but is afraid to leave Hector.

In a parking lot, Vic stares at an old photo of himself, Shane, Ronnie, and Lem drinking beers together. It was taken with a camera Lem confiscated from a drug dealer. Vic carefully folds it up as Ronnie arrives. Zadofian is in Room 11. Vic offers to do this on his own. "If Shane's telling the truth, this guy's a threat to all of us. I'm in," says Ronnie.

They break into the room and Vic punches the Armenian roughly where his gunshot wound is. Zadofian won't say who shot him (shocker). Vic rips off the bandage, puts a pillow over Zadofian's face, and buries the muzzle of his gun in the still-open wound. Zadofain thinks it was Rezian's crew.

Vic holds out the picture so Shane's face is showing. Is that who Zadofian saw? Zadofian instantly recognizes Shane's blinding grin. Vic wraps his hands around the Armenian's neck.

Shane jogs into the hotel's courtyard. "Goddamn it," he swears, seeing Vic's car.

Back in the room, Ronnie pulls Vic off Zadofian. He urges Vic to use his brain. Zadofian's blood was in Corinne's house; if he turns up dead, you wouldn't have to be a detective to work out what happened.

Shane notices Vic coming downstairs and squeezes his skinny body between the two vending machines. Ronnie handcuffs Zadofian to the bed and has a discussion with Vic out on the balcony. Vic gets in his car while Ronnie returns to the room.

Ronnie asks where to find Diro and tosses the gangster's cell phone at him. "Page her," he instructs. Um, how is he supposed to do that with his hands cuffed to the bedpost?

Dutch has uncovered another problem with his murder investigation. The original detective ruled Hector out as a suspect. And who was that? Why, none other than the illustrious Steve Billings. Claudette says disgustedly, "See if he has the strength to talk." She calls down to Vic that Julien is talking to a woman who witnessed the body dragging.

"Whatever information you give up could save lives," Julien coaxes. The Latina sasses, "Do I look like Wonder Woman to you?" Vic refers to her as the "Byz Lat queen." Eyeing her baby bump, he inquires, "Who's the lucky cholo?" Her baby-daddy is Jimmy Mendez.

Vic doubts she'll talk; if she did, Jimmy would end up the next victim. However, she was seen willingly getting into a police car. Vic is sure she can convince the Byz Lats she isn't a rat. They step outside the room.

Olivia stands against the rail, considering the balcony. "Anybody ever tumble off this thing?" she inquires. Actually, yes. Olivia sees her errand boy and opts for the stairs. The pregnant girl opens the interrogation room door. If she "happens to remember" anything, will the police protect Jimmy? She has no intentions of being a single mom.

Shane is still in the motel parking lot, Ronnie in the room having a phone conversation with Claudette. The first supposed Salvadoran lead he was chasing didn't pan out; he has one more to go and will check back in later.

Zadofian's phone rings; the caller ID reads Diro. The Armenian asks if Ronnie will let him answer. "That won't be necessary," says the detective, pocketing the phone. Ronnie turns...and calmly fires two shots into Zadofian's chest.
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Shane hears the gunfire and jumps out of his skin. He races to hide behind the vending machines.

Ronnie wipes his prints off the gun, letting it fall to the carpet. He puts the same black beanie on his head and climbs out the bathroom window. Shane doesn't seem to recognize Ronnie or the beat-up car he's driving. Once he's gone, Shane takes the motel stairs two at a time. He opens Room 11 and sees Zadofian dead on the bed.

Olivia brings Vic a hefty container of personnel files, all disgraced federales from the last five years. "Cartel must have one hell of a pension plan," Vic remarks. Claudette asks him to show the federales' photos to their witness. Danny tells the captain there's been a shots-fired call at the Edgemont.

Claudette wants Vic to stay with Julien; Shane can check it out on his way back to the Barn.

Back at the motel, Shane breaks into a glass case containing a fire hose and an ax. Panting, he returns to the room and chops off Zadofian's feet! 


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Shane jogs away from the motel room just as the sirens get close. The uniforms are shocked by what they find in Room 11. "Hey," Shane says casually, appearing in the doorway, "Ouch. Footloose and fancy-free."

Vic meets Ronnie behind the Barn and notices his friend seems shaken. Ronnie explains how he talked to the captain on the phone, "pulled the trigger a minute later." Both their asses are covered. Vic says, "I need to see that distant stare come off your face." Good luck with that! Fucking hell, Ronnie was the least corrupted up to this point.

Fortunately, Ronnie has Diro's number and can GPS track it later. They'll deal with her once they're finished with Rezian. Julien reports their witness ID'ed one of the ex-federales. Vic sends him on his way with a pointed look. He asks Ronnie, "You firing on enough cylinders to handle this death-mob thing?"

Passing each other, Dutch inquires about Ronnie's Salvadoran leads. Ronnie shrugs they didn't pan out. Billings arrives in a taxi, claiming his injuries causes blackouts that make him unsafe to drive. Can Dutch reimburse his fare?

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Claudette used some creativity to get Billings to set foot in the Barn; she said he had to sign some more workers' comp/insurance forms. While they're at it, how about helping Dutch with his case? Billings isn't sure he can; his incredibly minor head injury has also caused memory lapses.

Dutch exposits about Doris' murder. Her husband Emilio was acquitted and is upstairs saying he hired his buddy Hector to do it. Billings argues that the D.A. is the one who blew any chances of convicting Emilio. Can they go over Billings' notes? Billings the old liar requests that Dutch call a cab; he's suddenly feeling lightheaded.

Dutch hits Billings where he lives: "If the D.A. has to drag you back into this, it might delay the progress on your lawsuit." Billings asks for sushi: "Protein helps with my memory capability."

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Vic takes Edgar-veda to an abandoned building; the two of them have the only keys. Vic sits down on the floor with the Box O' Blackmail. There are 100 files in it and it'll take just one to save his job: "I'm gonna give them their sin back, grant 'em absolution."

Edgar-veda reminds Vic this is their only evidence against Cruz. Using it nefariously would exclude it from any criminal trial. They also can't risk Cruz finding out they even have the box. Vic raises an eyebrow: "Now that your Kodak moment is outta this box, the hell with everyone else, right?"

They'll never be friends, but they can still help each other. Edgar-veda hopes to become mayor and Vic wants to stay a cop. Vic suspects Cruz could've pulled the strings on the body-draggings and Edgar-veda knows his motive. Tomorrow, there's a major rezoning vote that would allow Cruz to build a hotel. The head of the committee, Councilman Dowd, has a file in the Box O' Blackmail.

Edgar-veda suggests they untwist Dowd's arm by sending him the original file and keeping a copy. Vic chuckles, imagining how pissed Cruz will be.

Billings, wearing his sunglasses inside like a douchebag, remembers Hector having an alibi. Dutch says lightly, "Maybe if you take off the sunglasses, you could actually see something." Billings adds migraines to his list of supposed ailments. On a scrap of paper, Billings had jotted that Hector was having sex with a woman named Lorena all night when Doris was killed.

Claudette summons Billings to her office. She has bad news: the city attorney turned down his lawyer's settlement offer. She also has little patients for cops who file bogus lawsuits. Billings insists, "I was injured on the job and now I'm disabled."

Claudette educates him on where funds are cut to pay settlements, little things like gang intervention programs and other community programs. Billings blames Claudette; this wouldn't have happened if she hadn't let Vic and Kavanaugh go at each other. He brags about "having the brass by the balls." Claudette loses her temper: "You're a goddamn joke!" Billings mutters about adding slander to the suit.

Dutch asks if Julien remembers Doris's case. Julien nods; it was his first dead body when he was a rookie. He testified at Emilio's trial, but "the defense ripped Billings' police work to shreds." Dutch tells Claudette what Billings said about D.A. Insardi tanking the case. Maybe they can offer a chance for him to redeem himself.

The ex-federale seen at the body-dragging, Marcus Villanueva, was thrown off the force two years ago after he and his partner "accidentally" slit a suspect's throat. Marcus's brother owns a military surplus store right here in L.A. "If he's there, he's probably not alone or empty-handed," says Julien. Claudette wants the Strike Team to take point and she'll see if there's a spare SWAT unit.

"Place is closed," Shane reports at the store. There are cars out back, one of which is the pickup the witness saw dragging the body. Shane thinks they should move fast; "these psychos get off on collateral damage." Ronnie wants to wait for SWAT.

Cruz heard about Vic's hearing and finds the outcome unfortunate. Vic wonders what he knows about the blood lines freshly drawn on Kearney. Cruz plays dumb about that, as well as the stolen files. According to Vic, gangbangers are now bidding on said files. Maybe they can help each other get back what was lost.

Cruz needs a partner with balls, something Edgar-veda is sorely lacking. Vic can do that if he has a job. Cruz can't do anything to stop Vic's dismissal. Vic gets a call from Ronnie. They have to move on the death mob because SWAT has been sent to handle a hostage situation. Vic tells Cruz they'll continue their conversation later.

Across from the store, Julien has his head buried in the open hood of a car as cover. He sees a gray Jeep pulling up. Ronnie barks, "We gotta do this without SWAT!" The cops scramble into position, then break down the store's doors. The suspects start shooting at the cops with the store's inventory. A uniform goes down.

Vic radios to Ronnie that he's gonna create a diversion. Um, how exactly? Before Ronnie can figure that out, a car drives through the storefront. Vic gets out, rubbing his neck. "Any idea how I should explain this one to Phillips?" asks Claudette. Vic wisecracks, "Just tell him I took a wrong turn."

Vic tasks the others with inventorying the illegal weapons. "Good, more paperwork," Danny says sarcastically. Shane heard Zadofian is dead. "Nature of the job," Ronnie shrugs. Vic has a plan on how to handle the rest of their "problem," which he'll explain at the Barn.

Lorena doesn't understand why she's at the police station; Emilio's trial is over. Dutch asks if she knows Hector. Not only is Hector her boss, they're engaged.

Billings is kicked back in the observation room with his feet on a chair. "Glad to see your work ethic remains intact, Detective," greets D.A. Insardi. She's here to find out why Dutch is reopening the case. Billings tells her he's now on disability. "Good. Maybe we'll actually convict somebody," she says.

Vic needs someone to make Rezian think "Mexicans are the Armenians' worst problem since the Turks."

At ease, Granny.
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Shane thinks he knows just what to say. Their meeting is interrupted by Claudette. She needs a moment with Vic because she just talked to the chief. "Save the touching goodbye speech," says Vic. Claudette informs him the police commissioner just took an indefinite leave of absence for health reasons. It'll take 30 days to form a new committee, giving Vic a stay of execution, if you will.

Vic thinks she should be grateful; him being around equals better crime stats. Claudette lets him know the stakes. Ronnie has been promoted to Strike Team leader. Any misconduct on Vic's part will put a black mark in his friend's file. The captain knows Vic can't afford to lose more friends.

Dutch thinks Lorena is too afraid to tell the truth about Hector. He wonders why Insardi has it in for Billings. Oh yeah, she said he was incompetent.

Billings goes upstairs to confront Lorena. She works for Hector and he knows they were supposedly eating Chinese food together the night Doris died. "I don't remember all the details," says Lorena. However, she's damn sure Hector didn't kill Doris.

Billings knows she lied to give Hector an alibi. He's sure the white prison guards will appreciate her, um, large assets. "I didn't know about the killing until afterwards," Lorena tearfully protests.

At the surplus store, Tina is carrying out the last of the AK-47s when Danny is ambushed from behind a rack. The man puts one hand over Danny's mouth and the other around her neck. She struggles as he forces her to the floor. He disappears as Tina and a male uniform reenter.

"That guy could've been armed. Who the hell cleared this room?" asks Danny. I have a pretty good guess and it starts with 'T.' She vows that if she finds out who didn't do a thorough sweep, that person is out of a job.

Billings enters Claudette's office again. This time, D.A. Insardi is there too. Claudette apologizes for her unprofessional earlier outburst. She praises Billings for solving Doris's murder. Billings shrugs that he has bursts of energy. They play the tape from Lorena's interrogation.

Claudette reads off a laundry list of maladies that are supposedly the result of his very mild concussion: headaches, disorientation, lethargy, memory loss, inability to logic. She nods toward the TV: "Your scam's over." The tape is more than enough evidence. Dutch offers to throw in Billings' history of defrauding the city of Los Angeles via vending machines.

Billings claims he never meant to hurt the police department and offers to have his lawyer renegotiate. "Be glad I didn't fire you, pull your pension," Claudette says sternly. Starting tomorrow, Billings will be back on the job. However, he's free to quit.

At Vic's place, Cassidy points out an SUV that's been parked down the block all day. "It's just a neighbor, sweetie," Corinne reassures her. She then tells the kids to pack up their stuff so they can go home.

Billings is none too happy about what's transpired with his lawsuit. He'll go to work, but "as far as effort goes, I don't know what's between zero and the city-mandated minimum.

Claudette brings Dutch the DNA report from Vic's house. It's a match to Zadofian. Vic was with Claudette when Zadofian was killed; Ronnie and Shane were chasing other leads in the body-drag. She admits to her partner she's struggling to adjust to her new lupus medication.

Shane goes to the jail to tell Rezian about Zadofian's death. "The first thing I tell you to do turns to shit," the Armenian grumbles. Shane lies that Diro killed Zadofian and is reaching out to Mexicans to form an alliance. Smart move in an area with a heavy Latino population. Shane knows all the Mexican gangs, so none of them would dare to hurt Vic's family. 

Vic hopes the police commissioner will be all right. "Nothing three weeks in the Caribbean with his mistress can't cure," says Cruz. Vic claims Aramboles sold the blackmail files to Rezian: "The Armenians are making a hard play for your barrio sandbox." Cruz would do well to keep in mind that no cop in L.A. knows "those Balkan psychos" better than Vic Mackey. The PI calls Vic to say Corinne left with the kids.

Corinne stops at Mara's, but Mrs. Vendrell hasn't seen Shane. Mara knows about the kidnapping. She informs Corinne about Vic breaking into the house and tying her up on the couch: "He didn't know about the bogus Armenian threat. He thought that Shane was trying to hurt him by scaring his wife and daughter."

Corinne is all "what Armenian threat?" Vic told her Shane's intel came from a gangbanger in County. Mara guesses they're both being lied to. Corinne has seen an ex-cop following her and has no clue why. "I do. And it's hurting both our families." Oh, Mara, when will you learn to shut your damn mouth? Mara suggests the women run interference with their respective hubbies before someone gets hurt. Corinne turns and sees her eldest standing behind her, looking horrorstruck.

At what looks like the same lonely on-ramp where they were supposed to meet Lem, Ronnie hands Vic the crime scene report on Zadofian. The Armenian's feet were attached when he left. And look who was the first detective on scene: Shane Vendrell. Vic sighs; this whole thing had to be a message for Diro.

Shane's truck is approaching. "We gotta keep him close, make him feel safe, just like old times," Vic says quietly. He'll never forget what Ronnie did for him, but warns, "Don't you ever get sucked into that black hole that got Shane." (And by extension, Lem).

Speak of the devil, he's puffing a cigarette and giving them a friendly wave. Vic asks if Shane knows anything about Zadofian's pedicure. Shane says he found him that way. Ronnie remembers Zadofian having his feet when they left. Shane knows he's caught in a lie.

He explains that Rezian hired him to find Zadofian, with orders to hand him over. Shane admits to chopping off his feet to make it look like Diro. Do Vic and Ronnie know who shot Zadofian? Vic figures it was Diro. Shane tells Vic he spun the story he was fed about the Mexicans. Vic did the same.

The sooner the Armenians and Mexicans finish each other off, the sooner the rest of the Mackeys are safe. "We just sit back and watch the gang war." says Vic. End of episode.

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