The episode Co-Pilot totally ruins the Shield

[TVC15]

Okay, we kind of have a nice Shield watching club here.  Allow me to get my rant on.

Co-Pilot is an episode from the latter half of season 2 that takes us from the then-current point of The Shield's timeline back 14 months.  Ideally, such an episode can be pretty good.  The show has been going on for more than a season and a half, it's hot stuff, why not take a peek to just before the beginning of the series?  Note that TV logic tells us that "14 months ago" would be *just before* the series starts.  Our brains tell us that in most shows, 1 season equals 1 year, and there is no reason to make us believe otherwise with The Shield.  And that's where the problems come from.

Co-Pilot brings us back to just before season 1 starts.  Looking back on season 1, episode 1, we are given a very clear impression that The Farm has been going on for a while.  There are fairly deep character interactions, and of course Mackey's Strike Team is fully in place, totally corrupt, and the whole force seems very buddy-buddy.  Also in that very first episode, it appears that Acevada and Julien have just joined the project--they are newcomers in something that has apparently been working as a machine for a while.

Well, flush those things the pilot told you down the toilet, because Co-Pilot is here to rewrite history!  Co-Pilot tells us that the beginning of the series roughly coincides with the formation of The Farm and Mackey's Strike Team.  So we are lead to believe that Mackey's web of drug-dealing corruption, and the camaderie and trust  that has formed amongst his Strike Team, has formed extremely quickly over the few weeks before Co-Pilot and the pilot?  How is that possible?  How could Mackey get his drug and corruption game, make friends with all of his new team members, people that share in his corrupt games, in the space of a few weeks?  In the pilot, we are lead to believe that Strike Team is something that has been around for quite some time; a gang of bullies that is allowed to run rough because they've been around for a while, or grandfathered into the Acevada era. . .but no, Strike Team wasn't even formed until Acevada took over, er, started, The Farm.

In the pilot, Acevada is extremely suspicious of Mackey and Strike Team, again, as if they were a program that is from an administration previous to his, but this is not the case.  Not only was Strike Team formed just as Acevada took over, but he probably could have prevented Mackey from ever being on the team.  Acevada, in effect, gave the job to the rogue cop who he's trying to take down just a few weeks later when the pilot hits.  None of this makes sense!  Why would Acevada let someone get hired for a prestigious position when he is not 100% sure?  When he has political ambitions and wants to look good?  Heck, he hires his old buddy to infiltrate Strike Team in the VERY SAME EPISODE!

Moving past that enormous and troubling story hole that pretty much makes season 1 incomprehensible, there's the Julien issue.  In the pilot, it basically seems like it's his first day on the job, but again, he's right there in C0-Pilot, joining the team at the same time as everyone else.  Why a total rookie would be picked for an experimental police unit I have no idea.  But the Julien thing is what 100% guarantees that the first episode of the series happens very shortly after the events of Co-Pilot.  If Co-Pilot took place months before the pilot, Julien wouldn't be referred to as a rookie in the very first episode.  So Co-Pilot, at most, takes place a handful of weeks before the pilot, which proves that all the Acevada/Strike Team/Mackey stuff mentioned above is legitimately a serious plot problem.

Basically, Co-Pilot is a major, major black eye on the series, and it took me a few episodes to forgive it.  I can't believe this got past the showrunner and producers.  Not only does it introduce serious plot issues, but it's also a total filler episode.  It's trying to be clever, and in doing so, it makes the back story BAD.  For any of the Shield watchers still behind me, skip this turd.  It adds nothing, and it will put you off the show a bit.  A total disaster.

[Van Cruncheon]

yeah, co-pilot sucks -- ultimately, i'm not sure what they were trying to do with it, because it fucks the whole aceveda/mackey wire act up.

[FlameOfCallandor]

This is what happened with the prequals too. When Amidala died after giving birth, Lucas showed us how much he really knew or cared about his universe. In RotJ Luke asks Leia if she remembers her real mom and she CLEARLY says "yes, she was a happy woman."   

WTF Lucas you fat fuck!

[CajoleJuice]

Yea, it pretty much adds nothing at all to the series. Unless fucking up the backstory is adding something. I've found myself trying to repress the memory of that episode.

[Van Cruncheon]

fortunately, it can be skipped with no loss whatsoever. also, what the fuck happened to the "rockstar" detective that was working with claudette and dutch?

[CajoleJuice]

I think the writers were just fucking trashed and tripping balls that week.

[Van Cruncheon]

that seems to be the most plausible explanation!

[border]

Our brains tell us that in most shows, 1 season equals 1 year, and there is no reason to make us believe otherwise with The Shield

Remove this assumption, and most of your complaints fall apart.  I don't see any reason to assume that "Co-Pilot" takes place only a few days before Episode 1.....the time-gaps between seasons in the show are generally just a few weeks (if that).  What evidence there is to show that all of S1 comprises a year's worth of Shield-time?  The show has virtually no time-markers like holidays or changing weather.

Examining time in pretty much any police or legal drama is going to make the whole thing unravel anyway.  Nothing happens as fast as it does on television.

1 season = 1 year is a Whedon convention, but I can't think of other heavily serialized dramas that really adhere to such a standard.

[TVC15]

Our brains tell us that in most shows, 1 season equals 1 year, and there is no reason to make us believe otherwise with The Shield

Remove this assumption, and most of your complaints fall apart.  I don't see any reason to assume that "Co-Pilot" takes place only a few days before Episode 1.....the time-gaps between seasons in the show are generally just a few weeks (if that).  What evidence there is to show that all of S1 comprises a year's worth of Shield-time?  The show has virtually no time-markers like holidays or changing weather.

Examining time in pretty much any police or legal drama is going to make the whole thing unravel anyway.  Nothing happens as fast as it does on television.

1 season = 1 year is a Whedon convention, but I can't think of other heavily serialized dramas that really adhere to such a standard.

The Julien situation confirms everything I say.  How could he still be treated as a total newb in both "Pilot" and "Co-Pilot" without them happening very close to each other?  Answer:  The two episodes must have happened very close to each other.  No other explanation.

And even if you were right, going by how the story's been told, it makes no sense that Aceveda and Strike Team came around at the same time.  It makes no sense that Aceveda is already planning his Terry infiltration in "Co-Pilot."  Why would he be making such plans if he didn't plan on pulling them off soon?

And the 1 year = 1 season thing isn't just a Whedon convention, either, but I'm not getting into that.  Fuck, Whedon wasn't even the first one to use that rule in a high school based series. . .not nearly the first.

Also, don't forget that "Co-Pilot," most telling of all, ends with an event that happens in the pilot.  That is fucking CEMENT.  The two episodes happened right after each other.

[CajoleJuice]

Just the names of the two episodes - "Pilot" and "Co-Pilot" - confirm that they take place right next to each other.

[Van Cruncheon]

14 months is an awful short time for Vic to become the "Don of Farmington," anyhow. What was Aceveda doing with him that whole time, anyhow?

[TVC15]

We can also take some clues about time from the Money Train plotline.  Although no explicit timeframe is given, it is repeatedly mentioned that the train only goes once every couple of months, and we know that the events of season 2 explicitly cover the coming and going of 2 money trains, and also that there are several episodes before the money train plotline even begins.

[border]

Also, don't forget that "Co-Pilot," most telling of all, ends with an event that happens in the pilot.  That is fucking CEMENT.  The two episodes happened right after each other.

Might have been better to mention this in the initial post.    I haven't seen Co-Pilot since it actually aired on television, so I'm largely going off hazy memories and the evidence you present (which at the outset, seemed somewhat iffy).  If the two episodes are connected by the same scene, then that screws things up.  Is there a commentary on the episode that you could listen to for explanation/apology?

I don't think Whedon invented 1yr/1season, he's just the only person that stuck out in my mind.  Every notable TV serial from the last decade or so operates entirely on its own time-logic as far as I can tell.  Sopranos is "real world time" more or less, Deadwood is "1 day = 1 episode", Heroes has an internal clock that's a countdown to "the bomb," Lost seasons are probably 1 month at most.  The 1-year thing doesn't strike me as a hard and fast rule -- just a convention for high school dramas, and an unintended side-effect for TV shows that do a different Christmas-themed episode every season.

[TVC15]

When I wrote my initial post, border, I was pretty drunk :p  There are probably like a half-dozen other things that I had left out, too.

I'll check and see if there's a commentary after I finish this last episode.

The worst part of "Co-Pilot" is that it is absolute filler.  It serves no purpose at all.  When describing it to MAF< he likened it to that terrible Buffy episode where Buffy in "reality" is in an asylum and that the vampire slaying Buffy is just a figment of her imagination.  It cheapens everything that preceded that episode in a similar, shitty way, and it also was a filler episode.

[border]

I love that episode of Buffy, if only for how it makes Buffy-nuts squeal with whiny discontent.  I totally don't mind the idea that the series is the wish-fulfilling delusion of some whacked psych patient Buffy....sort of cheapens the characters in the show, but adds a bigger psychological dimension to it all.

[TVC15]

I think by that point of the show, Buffy had cheapened itself in too many other ways for me to really care.  That was season 6, right?

[border]

Late-end of Season 6 yeah.

Hey, the Wikipedia page has a helpful listing of every other TV show that has used the "Everything is a Psychotic Delusion" plot device -- neat:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_Again

[TVC15]

Late-end of Season 6 yeah.

Hey, the Wikipedia page has a helpful listing of every other TV show that has used the "Everything is a Psychotic Delusion" plot device -- neat:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_Again

Heh, used by both 2 Star Trek and 2 Stargate shows.  I do find it kind of odd that St. Elsewhere is the only non-genere show listed.  I kind of don't think Life on Mars? belongs on the list since there, it's not a plot device used in an episode, it's the conceit behind the series (to an extent). 

[Ichirou]

Yes, Co-Pilot is an awful, awful episode.  It basically ruins the whole structure of the series, the way the relationships are based on veteran-rookie terms, the idea that Aceveda, Julien, Dutch, et al, are newer to the farm while Vic and company are the established sleazebags, etc.  It really is a terrible episode, and it's basically never referenced again as far as future episodes go, so I don't see why it even exists.  There is zero point to it.

I love season 2, minus this episode.

[TVC15]

Also, I did check yesterday, and there is no commentary for this episode.

[CajoleJuice]

Also, I did check yesterday, and there is no commentary for this episode.

Man, I was just thinking about checking that. GET OUT OF MY HEAD

[TVC15]

Also, I did check yesterday, and there is no commentary for this episode.

Man, I was just thinking about checking that. GET OUT OF MY HEAD

GET OUT OF MY HEAD, AND INTO MY PANTS!

[Ichirou]

I remember hearing in either one of the commentaries (for season 3), or one of the cut scene intros (in seasons 2 or 3) where Shawn Ryan comments on Co-Pilot being a "very controversial" episode with fans.  Personally I think it should just not be considered at all.  It feels like total filler and it's really badly written.  I hated that basically all the conflicts that drive the series were developed in the same few days just a few weeks prior to the series' first episode - it feels so completely unrealistic and lame.

[Van Cruncheon]

according to the TV Guide commentary on the "Co-Pilot" episode, it was written only because a) makeup needed time to figure out how to do Ronnie's face; and b) Shawn Ryan felt that the Gilroy/Vic relationship wasn't really established enough.

[Ichirou]

In that case, they should have done an episode that focused on Dutch.  A totally Dutch-centric murder mystery would have rocked my socks.  Now that I know for SURE Co-Pilot was only ever intended as filler, I can ignore it without feeling bad about it.

[Van Cruncheon]

what DID happen to Detective Gannon from "Co-Pilot," anyhow?

[Ichirou]

what DID happen to Detective Gannon from "Co-Pilot," anyhow?

He is mentioned in other episodes as having retired.  Actually, his appearance in Co-Pilot is sort of a callback to an episode from Season 1, where the woman whose husband was murdered (who Dutch starts dating) appears in the Barn wanting to know the status of the investigation on her husband's death.  Dutch mentions that Detective Gannon was handling the case but he retired and left a lot of open, unfinished case files.

EDIT: That's actually another plot hole that Co-Pilot opens up, isn't it?  Because the murder case from that Season 1 episode was from a year ago (prior to that episode), yet supposedly Co-Pilot takes place only a few weeks before the series begins?

[Van Cruncheon]

why would he take a position in Farmington if he was a slacker resting on his laurels that was ALSO planning to retire? Man, "Co-Pilot" sucks. I am striking it from THE SHIELD record.

[Ichirou]

why would he take a position in Farmington if he was a slacker resting on his laurels that was ALSO planning to retire? Man, "Co-Pilot" sucks. I am striking it from THE SHIELD record.

He was transferred there against his will, or something? I don't know, man, Co-Pilot makes no sense.  AWFUL episode.  It's a shame, because Season 2 is otherwise the best season of the series.  The issue I have with the series as it goes on is that the focus is often just too much on the Strike Team and the show stops being an ensemble thing and becomes The Vic Mackey Variety Hour.

[nudemacusers]

Lol bumping this because the a) I want to, b) The shield is on amazon prime and I'm watching it for the first time*, and c) This was like the 4th search result for 'the shield co-pilot'.

I'm almost done with season 2, and wtf was this supposed to be? It's dumb and kills the story arc dead in its tracks. Glad I'm streaming cuz I would be super annoyed having to wait a week to see how the flashback resolves itself in the following episodes... Oh wait it doesn't. I seriously thought amazon glitched and put the pilot in a random spot in the series. the fuck.

*I zipped through this thread to avoid blatant spoilers, that said, I'm not super senstive about that stuff.

[Phoenix Dark]

I don't even remember this episode, or anything bad enough to make me contemplate hating the show. Will have to watch again

second greatest show behind The Wire

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

Lol bumping this because the a) I want to, b) The shield is on amazon prime and I'm watching it for the first time*, and c) This was like the 4th search result for 'the shield co-pilot'.

I'm almost done with season 2, and wtf was this supposed to be? It's dumb and kills the story arc dead in its tracks. Glad I'm streaming cuz I would be super annoyed having to wait a week to see how the flashback resolves itself in the following episodes... Oh wait it doesn't. I seriously thought amazon glitched and put the pilot in a random spot in the series. the fuck.

*I zipped through this thread to avoid blatant spoilers, that said, I'm not super senstive about that stuff.

Yeah it is a huge black mark against an otherwise near flawless season of TV.

I always assumed that given how the relationship between the Strike Team was unraveling due to the arguments about whether to do the money train or not, that they had to show an episode as to how they formed.  A lot of WTF moments even the first time I saw it.  A lot of times when I'm marathoning the show, I just skip this episode entirely.

[Dickie Dee]

How the show handled the end of the pilot was always the biggest problem I had with it.

It should've been The Shield's original sin and constantly bubbling beneath the surface - every action Mackay for the rest of series should've been in the context of that act. Instead it was more or less forgotten unless specifically needed as a plot point in favor making him an anti-hero. It's what keeps The Shield from being god-tier with The Wire and Breaking Bad.

[TakingBackSunday]

Still never watched this 

Worse/as good as/better than the Wire?

[nudemacusers]

Granted I'm only 24 or so episodes in, but I think breaking bad is a better comparison. It's quite good, the only real misstep so far is the topic of this thread.

[brawndolicious]

Still never watched this 

Worse/as good as/better than the Wire?

Really really good and in the same league as The Wire, but it's a totally different type of show and not easily comparable.

While The Wire got more mellow (and imo soap-boxey) with every season, The Shield just got more and more crazy and intense. It's more like Breaking Bad where it explores how the characters and their relationships with each other change rather than trying to offer political discussion like The Wire.

[nudemacusers]

yeah, so far it's definitely one of those 'wait for the bomb to drop' shows.

[Phoenix Dark]

oh it's gonna drop all right. all over the back side of your fucking ass

The Shield

[nudemacusers]

my body is ready

[MyNameIsMethodis]

Breaking Bad is too hokey at times. The Shield is amazing in every way, and even The Wire has bad dumb episodes (the entirety of season 5)

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

I think The Shield is marginally better than The Wire.  Not going to pull an internet and say "lol the wire sux" but both are amazing shows.

Breaking Bad isn't anywhere near close to either show but it's still amazing as well.

[Phoenix Dark]

eh. The Wire's writing is simply on another level, and I think the acting is better as an ensemble. The Shield is amazing but drags at certain parts, whereas The Wire ranges from perfect to near perfect until the fifth season.

That being said, S5 and S7 of The Shield stand on their own against pretty much anything ever. Except The Wire S4 of course.

I could see BB reaching The Shield status depending on how the last season goes.

[Verdigris Murder]

 

haha, nice answer, maybe not anybody is able to Google something, what a shame

[nudemacusers]

oh shit the mexicans took a bunch of their train money shiiiiiiii

[nudemacusers]

dat shane and tavon scrap goddamn

[nudemacusers]

oh fuck what the fuck did i just see what the fuck fuuuuuuuuuuck

(episode 5, "mum")

i need to go ly down

[Phoenix Dark]

One of the best things about The Shield is how versatile it is. On one hand it's a pretty solid cop procedural (Dutch Boy & Claudette) and on the other hand it handles some pretty broad arcs with the Strike Team's gang focus. All while developing the characters and environment (LA becomes a character in of itself) effortlessly.

Although I still am a bit bummed that the

spoiler (click to show/hide)

Julien gay arc

[close]

abruptly ends with no followup

edit: S1 E3 always cracks me up. Cajole: YOU GIVE ME THAT PUSSY, IT'S MINE

[Phoenix Dark]

Rewatching the show...

I gotta say that S1 starts a bit slow. To me The Shield always reverberates between a somewhat ridiculous cop show and something more serious; it takes a few eps for it to find that proper balance. S1 has a couple back-to-back eps (The Spread and Dawg Days) with subplots that are certainly entertaining but feel almost on the parody side of things, to me at least. I'm of course referring to the ep where the Strike Team holds an NBA player hostage, then the gangster rap feud ep. Then there's the Cherrypoppers ep with the least secretive child porn club of all time; I'm not the type to complain about realism in TV shows but I can't buy a full blown child sex club existing where you can walk in without references, being vetted, etc to make sure you aren't an undercover cop.

I just finished the eighth episode, Cupid & Psycho, which IMO is the truly truly great episode of The Shield. It's consistently good, the subplots don't take away from the arc, and it features some of the best scenes of the season so far (specifically Lowe's bathroom confession to Vic).

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

Rewatching the show...

I gotta say that S1 starts a bit slow. To me The Shield always reverberates between a somewhat ridiculous cop show and something more serious; it takes a few eps for it to find that proper balance. S1 has a couple back-to-back eps (The Spread and Dawg Days) with subplots that are certainly entertaining but feel almost on the parody side of things, to me at least. I'm of course referring to the ep where the Strike Team holds an NBA player hostage, then the gangster rap feud ep. Then there's the Cherrypoppers ep with the least secretive child porn club of all time; I'm not the type to complain about realism in TV shows but I can't buy a full blown child sex club existing where you can walk in without references, being vetted, etc to make sure you aren't an undercover cop.

I just finished the eighth episode, Cupid & Psycho, which IMO is the truly truly great episode of The Shield. It's consistently good, the subplots don't take away from the arc, and it features some of the best scenes of the season so far (specifically Lowe's bathroom confession to Vic).

The near nude scene with that chick he was banging was  to me when I was 16.

[Flannel Boy]

oh fuck what the fuck did i just see what the fuck fuuuuuuuuuuck

(episode 5, "mum")

i need to go ly down

[Oblivion]

Wow...somewhat creepy that this thread was necro-bumped around the same time I finished watching said episode.

I know TVC doesn't post here anymore, but goddamn he hit the nail on the head. Glad I wasn't the only one wondering why the fuck they made this episode.

[Steve Contra]

I skipped that episode on Whitey's recommendation.  The show remains pure for me.

[CajoleJuice]

Rewatching the show...

I gotta say that S1 starts a bit slow. To me The Shield always reverberates between a somewhat ridiculous cop show and something more serious; it takes a few eps for it to find that proper balance. S1 has a couple back-to-back eps (The Spread and Dawg Days) with subplots that are certainly entertaining but feel almost on the parody side of things, to me at least. I'm of course referring to the ep where the Strike Team holds an NBA player hostage, then the gangster rap feud ep. Then there's the Cherrypoppers ep with the least secretive child porn club of all time; I'm not the type to complain about realism in TV shows but I can't buy a full blown child sex club existing where you can walk in without references, being vetted, etc to make sure you aren't an undercover cop.

I just finished the eighth episode, Cupid & Psycho, which IMO is the truly truly great episode of The Shield. It's consistently good, the subplots don't take away from the arc, and it features some of the best scenes of the season so far (specifically Lowe's bathroom confession to Vic).

The near nude scene with that chick he was banging was  to me when I was 16.

I said this to PD, too hahaha

[Phoenix Dark]

That shocked me on the rewatch haha. You could basically see the area between the breast and nipple - I call it the brown

[MyNameIsMethodis]

the areola?

[T234]

That shocked me on the rewatch haha. You could basically see the area between the breast and nipple - I call it the brown

What about if it's Red? Or Pink? Or Yellow? Or Blue?

[Diunx]

Just saw this episode and had the exact same reaction as TVC15 (PBUH) not really used to my tv shows retconning shit.

Also is it safe to read this thread? I'm on this episode and don't want to be spoiled about the rest of the series.

[nudemacusers]

diunx get to at least season 4 before reading. I drop a few mild spoilers in here at places, but only through the halfway mark of season 3

marathoned the shit out of this the last few weeks. will spoil for Diunx's sake

spoiler (click to show/hide)

At around season 5 I was kind of getting... anxious? I guess I was waiting for a little more movement episode to episode. I kind of saw some of the twists and turns coming in a way, but at the same time, you don't anticipate it actually happening you know? the show kind of conditions you to expect the worst things out of people heh. A lot of the side stuff was interesting but frustrated me a little because it was pulling precious minutes from the main story.

In any event, at first I was kind of annoyed that vic essentially got a free pass, but watching it play out through the last episode, this is probably the worst thing possible. in prison, I could see him retaining some measure of pride and power in that system, instead he is totally neutered, shamed, and cut off from anything he has ever cared about. Probably the best show ending I can recall seeing at the moment. After all the gut punches this show delivered it was almost worse to see it end in such a mundane fashion.

oh and I hate the theme song. YEAAAAAH 

[close]

[Diunx]

on Season 3, Aceveda is such a blowhard

[nudemacusers]