I had just gotten into watching The L Word when it got the ax, but at least now we can see more of Jennifer Beals. She guest-starred in two episodes of Lie to Me last season, and will have a recurring role in the upcoming season, playing Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoe Landau, Cal Lightman's ex-wife and mother of their teenage daughter.

Mekhi Phifer (Dr. Gregory Pratt from ER), who also appeared in two episodes, will come back as FBI agent Reynolds, brought in as a liaison between the Lightman Group and the FBI for those tough cases the FBI can't solve through traditional methods.

The show's second season kicks off Sept. 28 with Shawn Ryan as the new showrunner. He's got some great creds, having worked on The Unit, The Shield and Angel.

Lie to Me really seems to be picking up steam heading into its second season. We gotten a little hooked on it in this household, meaning it isn't "must-see" TV, but if we know it's on, we'll definitely check it out -- and pick up a few pointers on lie detection from Cal Lightman and crew.

Anyone else watching Lie to Me?

The Shield may have wrapped its run this past year, but that doesn't mean creator Shawn Ryan is done with FX. The network did let his vision run its course to completion, so I'm sure he's quite comfortable there. I know I am. This time, he's executive producing with Ocean's Eleven scribe Ted Griffin on the new dramedy Terriers, about a detective who teams up with a young hot-shot. FX has already greenlit Terriers, and Griffin has turned in the scripts so it's down to casting.

Did you ever get news that both enthralled and worried you all at the same time? Like remember when you were a kid and you heard you were going to Disney World but first you would have to drop off your sick puppy at the vet for a little nap?

That's the feeling my gut got when series creator Shawn Ryan said Fox might make a Shield movie if demand called for it.

The question actually sparked an interesting and light-hearted war of friendly curses between the cast and Sons of Anarchy star Ron Perlman who was also on the dais to grub for Emmy nods. Walter Walton Goggins, the actor who brilliantly played the daft and overly cocky Shane Vendrell, uttered "That is bull#*$&!" since his character killed his family and then shot himself in the final episode just as the Barn closed in on him. That's not a direct quote, by the way. He may have used different punctuation marks.

(S07E13) "Family meeting!" - Shane

Seven seasons, 88 episodes, and it all comes down to this. Vic Mackey, one of television's greatest anti-heroes, finally got what was coming to him. The Shield is over and Tuesday nights across America just got a little less exciting. Shawn Ryan has crafted some masterful Vic Mackey moments since 2001, but this episode (and Michael Chiklis' acting in it) easily stand apart as one of the show's greatest achievements yet.

(S07E12) "How much memory does that thing got?" - Vic

One down and one to go.

Victor Samuel Mackey. Hard to believe, that after seven seasons, we didn't even know Vic's full name. If you think about it, there's a lot we don't know about him and his past - other than what we've seen him do. A list of deeds that's now on record with the United States federal government. Uncle Sam just gave Vic a free pass.

When I spoke with Shawn Ryan recently, he mentioned that in all his research about dirty cops, when two of them went off the radar like Vic and Ronnie did, one eventually looks out for himself and turns against the other. So while it was shocking to see Vic hang Ronnie out to dry, were you really that surprised?

Over the past several years, TV fans have been fortunate enough to be able to say a proper good-bye to some of the medium's finest dramas ever made. Alias, The Wire, The West Wing, The Sopranos, and Six Feet Under have all bowed out within the past four years, and the list could go on. They all got "endings" - whether you liked them or not. However, none of them (save for The Wire and for entirely different reasons) were as consistently riveting as Vic Mackey's exploits on FX's The Shield.

Since the seventh and final season began airing, FX has sent critics the first 11 episodes. So, despite the fact that I've been in the know, I've tried to avoid sounding like "I have a secret" in my episode reviews. Still, I was in the dark like everyone else when it came to how it all ends. So imagine my glee when I received an invite last month to attend a screening of the show's final two installments followed by a Q&A with Shield creator Shawn Ryan.

(S07E11) "Then why do I still feel ashamed about this?" - Corinne

Despite everything she knows about Vic, Corinne still can't help but feel remorse for working with Dutch and Claudette. It's amazing if you think about it - the hold that he has over her even as she recognizes who he really is. It's this bizarre mixture of love, hate, fear, and respect all at the same time. That being said, it only makes sense that Corinne is the one to turn. Only someone with an intimate knowledge of Vic could arrive at the conclusion that no one else could. The rest of the world may know who Vic Mackey really is, but only Corinne knows who he pretends to be.

(S07E10) "You should run too, man." - Ronnie

It's arguable that smarter words have never been uttered by anyone on The Shield before. Run? Um... yeah! The word "duh" comes to mind. How else can Vic possibly protect himself other than just disappearing? With all the pieces to this puzzle, there's just too much chance that something doesn't fit. It's a testament to Vic's ego and hubris that he's still willing to hang on for the remainder of the ride, but longtime fans have to be wondering how this can possibly come out clean for him.

(S07E09) "What? I'm supposed to be Shane Vendrell to whatever Vic Mackey plan you've hatched?" - Dutch

I've got to say - Dutch annoys me sometimes. His high 'n' mighty, holier than thou act can be a bit tiring. Especially when he's being hypocritical about it. For him to say no to Steve and chastise him for setting up that sex offender is completely ridiculous and I'm so glad Billings called him out on it. Dutch has been faking sexual attraction to Rita Denton for weeks now, all in an effort to draw info on Lloyd - completely unethical! It's just humorous to me that he consistently draws a line and then steps over it anyway.

(S07E08) "What if you get forced to do something... that you didn't really want to do?" - Two Man

I imagine that this is what it must look like inside my stomach after eating Taco Bell. For a while, I'm feeling full, loving that hot sauce, seasoned beef, and three cheeses. Having a good time and then bam -- everyone starts turning on each other and all hell breaks loose as the entire meal starts looking for an exit.

Yes, I've just compared The Strike Team to a gordita, but it fits, doesn't it? A big plate of nachos bell-grande can only agree with a Mexican pizza for so long. Doesn't matter which item you're associating with Shane. All that matters is that he's exiting first.

(S07E07) "Ehh... another Mexican donkey show and Aceveda had me playing the reluctant virgin." - Vic

Even though this whole season is really "the beginning of the end," I think it's safe to say that this episode was the true turning point. Yeah, Vic and Ronnie tried to kill Shane but now he's going to retaliate. Bad move. You'd think that by now, Shane would have learned his lesson. Why stick around and add fuel to the fire? He's got Rezian's 100K. Take Mara and the kids and jet - for good. If the little plan he's setting up goes south, then he'll be running anyway. Say what you will - I still think he's stupid. Even Vic understands what it means to quit while you're ahead... well, sometimes. Not in this episode.

(S07E06) "I'm not Shane." - Vic

There are way too many layers to that quote. For Vic to say something like that and to actually believe it just goes to show you how delusional a person he truly is. For him to actually believe that he's somehow better than Shane Vendrell is just about as hypocritical as it gets. Bad behavior leads to more bad behavior by setting a precedent and if you're a longtime fan of The Shield, you know the original sin: Terry Crowley.

(S07E05) "Putting Pezuela away is a down payment on me being able to live with myself." - Vic

Vic Mackey expressing regret? Wha?!? If that isn't a sign of the end, I don't know what is. Correct me if I'm wrong, but up until now, I don't think we've ever heard Vic say he felt bad about what he'd done. At least not say it and mean it. Sure, he's expressed distaste for some of his actions and more often than not he spouts the "I did what had to be done" rhetoric, but now he's finally starting to realize that this is it.

(S07E04) "Cut off the head and the tentacles get frisky - it's a risk." - Vic

Things are starting to heat up in the Mexican/Armenian feud! While it still astonishes me that neither Pezuela nor Rezian seem to realize how they're being played so perfectly by Vic, I'm still in awe of the entire situation. Vic has got each them believing his lies so fully that it finally pushed Pezuela to go as far as burning two of Rezian's lieutenants alive. Not that Pezuela hasn't killed before, but c'mon - Vic is good. Realistically, that's two less people who know about the money train hit.

It's a huge mess and even though we're seeing glimmers of an end game, I think it's safe to say that it won't be that easy. Credit to Shawn Ryan and Co. for giving us The Shield that long-time fans are accustomed to. Four episodes into the final season and it's clear Ryan didn't reinvent the wheel, which is why I know that fooling Rezian and Pezuela can't be this easy for much longer.

(S07E03) "I don't need the box. I have you." - Vic

Quicksand. Vic and Ronnie finally uttered the one word that has been lingering over The Shield since the beginning. Sure, as a team, they've had some wins and some losses. Despite the fact that they seem to keep coming out on top, it's finally becoming clear that they've been slowly sinking all along.