The aptly titled sixth episode of The Shield's final season featured Vic Mackey pulling the strings as hard as ever over the various gang members in Farmington, Dutch and Claudette briefly re-teaming on a possible murder case, the return of a long lost strike team member and a long standing feud seemingly coming to a head. With only 7 episodes left in the show, things are really starting to come together. I just can't figure out what's going to happen next.
After "uni" turned spokesmodel Tina finds a bloody and naked man while responding to an alarm she brings the case to Dutch for further investigation.

Aceveda informs Vic he's planning on taking the blackmail box to Justice. Besides wanting to get ATF friend Olivia Murray's file, Vic needs the box as leverage between the two gangs he's toying with. Aceveda warns Vic that in 36 hours the box will be turned in. At Lem's grave, Vic tells Ronnie of a plan he's formulated which will solve their problems with the Armenians, The Cartel, and Shane. His plan? To sell the box to the Armenians who will use it to make peace with The Cartel. Meanwhile, send The Cartel to the site the Armenian's purchase will take place. Their plans will be to take out those who stole from them. Oh, right, and put Shane front in center on the Armenian's side.
When will Vic realize that his plans, specifically ones involving Shane, mean squat? They never go to plan. And this week's episode was no different.

Shane was forced to split his time when old teammate Tevon unexpectedly returned to ask his old adversary for help. You may remember the last time these two worked together. It ended with a fight, an iron strike to the head, and a car crash. Now Tevon's working in Hollywood and needs Shane's help cracking the daughter of a suspected rapist. Having a history with the detective, the daughter asks for Shane specifically. All ready things are going off track.
Dutch is working with his nude suspect to find out where the blood covering his torso came from. He explains to Dutch he has a problem with sleepwalking. After a past arrest for strangling his ex-wife in his sleep surfaces, Dutch and Claudette hit the beat as partners again.

Vic's plan, while falling apart, is also sliding together nicely. Without any coaxing needed, Shane volunteers to go to the meet as Armenian security. Over on his other case, Shane is facing profuse apologies and pointed questions from Tevon regarding the night he went through a windshield. Seems he's been doing some thinking and, while hitting Shane's wife hasn't come back to him, being hit by her has.
Dutch is convinced his sleepwalker is actually using this reason as a defense for public nudity and even murder. Claudette cuts right to the bone with the suspect by asking for private time and dissecting his fetishes.

Lem's death seems like it's finally going to be avenged. The promise to kill whoever responsible, made my Vic at the end of season 5, is coming to fruition. After Ronnie messes with Shane's gun to insure a malfunction, Vic starts to get cold feet about sacrificing his old friend. In a moment of raw emotion, he shares a kiss with Julian in the men's room.

After unsuccessfully trying to call Shane, Vic diverts the whole team to Little Armenia to "check on" Shane. They're too late, however. The Cartel hits the site of the drop. Shane manages to avoid detection and is gone by the time Vic and his guys get there.
Back at The Barn, Claudette finds her suspect dead in the interrogation room. As it turns out, he didn't commit the murder they've suspected him of but Claudette's words shook him so fiercely that he saw no other way out. Dutch finally confronts his actual partner, vending machine owner Det. Billings. He asks him to provide the support and same challenging attitude his old partner used to have. Billings didn't seem to care.

In the episode's last scene we find out Shane has made off with the $100,000 the Armenian's brought to the drop site. Ronnie and Vic will believe the money to be taken by The Cartel. But that's not the worst part. Shane knows he was set up. And what's the worst part? Well, I'll let Shane tell you "They think I'm too stupid to realize it."

This episode dropped many of the side storylines that have kept this season as frenetic as always. While there were scenes about what's up with Vic's family and Shane's second case was interesting, neither storyline was really driving the action. While I don't consider this episode slow or boring, I'm sure that at the end of this season it will be referred to as "the calm before the storm." Despite being free of the Armenians (or is he?) Vic still has Olivia Murray, the box, The Cartel, his job, his daughter's well being and Shane to worry about before the end of the series.

Vic kissed Julian????

Vic starts to get cold feet about sacrificing his old friend. In a moment of raw emotion, he shares a kiss with Julian in the men's room.

So the gun that shane used got jammed from Ronnie. What was it that they stuck in there to get it jammed?