Just watched it on my DVD recording. We have it on Friday evenings in the UK so next week will be the last episode.

As others have said, this show is so good, I loved the look on Vic's face when he was given the photo, taking off those cool shades and the way he lit up seeing that photo - absolutely priceless! I was dying to know what he had been given then I love the way the jerky camera view shows it. Also, the very start was classic, the hidden camera view of Diro sewing up something and you wonder what the hell is this about? Also, (there were some good lines in this one) the way Shane said '...when you said he was traveling you didn't say he was on the highway to heaven'. LOL. Franka is so convincing as a mobster's daughter, but there are so many sub-plots and interpersonal relationships you have to keep up or you literally lose the plot.

They say the Shield is like the drugs they feature on the show, you get hooked!

I effing love this show to death. The writers always seem to think of the craziest stuff we could think of and just blow us away with something we never saw coming. i can't even believe that the incident is making a return but when i saw that i couldn't help but think oh shit next week will be most interesting. and i can't wait to see what dutch is gonna do.

the best part about this show? its that every week u find urself rooting for Vic and the Strike Team to somehow find their way out of trouble once again and then u realise, you're rooting for the bad guys.

Billings is such a creep; I so want someone to kick his ass.

The Shield and 24 are the only shows I watch. Shield is at least twice as good as 24.

We should all write FX and tell them that this series needs to be longer. At least 3 months. I'm sad that the season finale is next week.

is next season REALLY the last? Say it ain't so someone!!!

Sorry to be 'that guy,' and just keep posting stuff, but here's the actual link to the page with the prediction for the Return of The Incident, under the May 1 heading, 'I ****ING KNEW IT!':

http://striketeam.blogstream.com/v1/p2.html

Toomey:

I'm 100% with you on the Armenians already knowing it was the Strike Team. Their treasury dept. mole in S3 fed them the entire teams' addresses. I thought the whole reason for killing Margos was to send the message that it was game over... 'We can rip you off, we can get to your bosses, etc., etc.' And in the two seasons since then, the Armenians haven't even appeared on the show. Rehzian told Shane in their initial meeting that the old-world Armenian might was in town to 'teach our American-born some some respect,' or something to that effect.

Maybe they just didn't know for absolutely CERTAIN who did it; they do now, though, and, in Ronnie's words, it's 'another Shane Vendrell Shitstorm Special.'

Can't wait for next week.

Not to gloat, but I knew The Incident was coming back.

Ever since Lazano's girlfriend showed up in S4 bragging that 'there's a photo,' I knew it would come back at SOME point. I thought Mackey would be investigating some totally unrelated crime, and he'd end up at Lazano's girlfriend's house looking for a gun or some other evidence, and just stumble upon The Picture.

But this was so much better. I really think Pezuela's being set up to become The Big Baddie to cap the series off, and the whole show is going to take a 'Wire'-like turn into some serious political intrigue, to accompany the usual action. He clearly wants to have Aceveda in his pocket. I can only assume he was saving that picture to use if he had to, and since he's plugged into the gangs, he probably knows that Vic is the kind of cop who he can count on to make a deal if it comes to that -- 'The kind of cop this community needs.' -- That was nice, and Mackey 'solving' the San Marcos murders is just the cover Pezuela needs to keep him around.

Just in case no one believes I saw The Return of The Incident:

http://striketeam.blogstream.com

Dammit! I thought for sure Claudette would bring Vic down. Oh well...

Kevin, great catch! I didn't think to connect the money Aceveda received to the Mexican diplomat. Too bad that investigation will be buried...for now. Vic's got a new lease on life in the LAPD.

Billings doesn't realize that Dutch is a sociopath. He could kill him easily. I hope that situation come to a head in the finale.

Oh, and another thing... anyone else love the way Vic could barely contain his glee once it sank in that he had a photo of Aceveda on his knees? Priceless.

As soon as she said Vic had to be killed, you could tell by the look on Shane's face he knew he had made a mistake telling Diro about the money train. Shane is known for not really being a big thinker, he blurted it out in desperation and now I think he knows he stirred up yet another shitstorm. I'm still giving Shane the benefit of the doubt about his guilty conscience over killing Lem, and I don't think he wants Vic dead more than he wants to be forgiven by him.
Although the coming attractions make it look like Shane kidnaps Vic's family for execution, I'm wondering if Shane will actually redeem himself by trying to protect Vic's family from the Armenians.
Billings is the best - that pain-in-the ass Dutch played that vending machine card one too many times and got what was coming to him. I think it would be interesting if Dutch killed Hiatt - after seeing Hiatt and Tina banging away, he seemed to relate a little more to that murderer he was interrogating.

Damn, it seems like I wish a week of my life away just to get to another Tuesday at 10pm!!