The Shield (TV Series) Wins and Losses (2006) User Reviews

Not unmissable, but a nice addition

[simonsayz-1 · 8/10 · 22 April 2008]

This 15-minute "season six prequel" was produced to give "The Shield" fans something to hang on to during season breaks and to promote the show on the internet.

It shows the immediate aftermath of the season 5 finale (SPOILERS if you haven't watched up until this point): Vic fights for an official police ceremony for the burial of Lem, but is denied. Instead, Lem gets a small private ceremony. Vic tries to make good on his promise to find the killer(s) of Lem by trying to unearth the whereabouts of Salvadoran crime lord Guardo Lima, hereby intervening in an investigation of Dutch. This ongoing storyline is inter-cut with flashbacks to two years prior, where we see Lem competing in an arm wrestling contest that, despite being injured on the job the same day, he wins for "The Barn".

This mini-episode plays as both a look into the frustration of Vic after the murder of his friend and a nice reminder of why Lem's character was such an important part of the show. His dedication and loyalty, even against better instincts, is perfectly captured in the arm-wrestling storyline. As usual, acting and production is top notch.

This mini-episode is featured as a bonus item on the season five box set and serious "The Shield" fans are encouraged to seek this out.

Great addition that was originally added as PROMOSODE between hiatus

[michaelchikliscares · 10/10 · 13 August 2019]

This episode originally aired as a web episode , it was uploaded to FX as a promosode. It is a nice look back when the strike team was still at their working glory. Kenny Johnson aka Curtis Lemansky flashbacks him taking over The Barn to arm wrestle against Wilshere opponent.

Lemansky funeral service being held without official police escort is tragic and hurts Vic even more , the same happened to Gilroys funeral.

I appreciate this episode..

[legare_brian · 10/10 · 18 March 2021]

This episode was originally hosted on the internet before the beginning of season 6.

Ok so let's rip off the bandaid. The death of Lem was by far one of the most shocking and hurtful scenes I've personally witnessed in a series. It hit me on a level even more intense than Ned stark in game of thrones. The shield is a groundbreaking series with sharp writing, phenomenal acting and gritty realism. Lem happened to be my favourite character not only in this series but also top 5 all time. His death was shocking, and sad. It took me a while to muster up the ability to watch after Lems death at the end of season 5. What I certainly appreciate about this 15 minute episode is it's an honour to Lems character. He's shown one last time in flashbacks in a terrific light. Rip Lem. You were a beauty.