Bang

Bang
	Season 4, Episode 03
Airdate:	March 29, 2005
Actual length	47:28
Production Code:	5012-04-403
Written by	Scott Rosenbaum
Directed by	Guy Ferland
Previous:	"Grave"
Next:	"Doghouse"

"Bang" is the third episode of Season 4 of The Shield. It was originally broadcast on March 29, 2005. The previously on segment is voiced by Glenn Close.

Summary[]

When her official arrival at the Barn is greeted by the outbreak of a deadly gang war, Rawling assigns Vic the task of ending it.

Plot[]

Steve Billings arrives on the scene of a drive-by shooting targeting the Spookstreet Souljahs, killing several and wounded one. Danny Sofer informs him that black tar heroin was found in the Souljahs's car and that the witnesses refuse to speak. Vic Mackey, at a bar with Curtis Lemansky and Ronnie Gardocki, asks the former if he has heard anything from the juveniles he works with about Antwon Mitchell, who he reports is moving black tar. Vic explains that Shane Vendrell is working adjacent to Mitchell, and that they need to keep an eye on him to make sure he stays under IAD's radar, believing he would testify about the Strike Team's crimes for a deal if caught. He asks Lem to go with Danny and Julien Lowe the next day as they canvass the One-Niners and relay anything he hears about Shane.

Monica Rawling officially takes the mantle of captain and addresses the Barn, asserting that they need to make connections in Farmington's majority non-white population and make the citizens feel safe. She informs those in attendance that the Souljahs killed two One-Niners, presumably in retaliation for their dead men. After Billings reports that he has no leads on the shooting, she announces that all drug and gang-related homicides will go to Vic. She also announces her seizure program, and her promise to renovate more of the Barn and bring in more informants is met with applause. Ronnie enters and informs Vic of something, who relays to the group that there has been another shooting, prompting Rawling to wrap up her speech. She orders Vic to end the increasing war between the Souljahs and One-Niners, while Claudette Wyms expresses distaste to Dutch Wagenbach regarding the impact of the new policies. Vic leads several officers to David Aceveda's old office, which has been converted into a hub for the anti-gang squadron. Rawling distributes the cameras she ordered, telling the officers to use them to photograph territory and gang members for documentation. Danny and Julien are sent to survey One-Niner territory with Lem accompanying. Ronnie informs him that they have the address of "Choppa", the driver of the shot-up Souljahs car that escaped the scene.

Vic visits Mitchell, who claims he is trying to resolve the war, unsure of what started it. Vic orders him to update him with info, agreeing to work with him to stop it. Danny, Julien and Lem stop and photographs a young group of One-Niners. As Shane and Army Renta make an arrest, Vic confronts the former on not going to Ben Gilroy's funeral. He asks Shane for help with the war, reminding him that he kept quiet about him at Dead-Eye's house when he resists. Shane agrees and Vic goes to Choppa's mother Chenille's house, where he and his friends are arrested. He insists he was not at the scene of the shooting, but Vic, noticing he is in his boxers despite not living there, finds his bloodied shirt in the laundry. As Dutch and Claudette take on a robbery case where storeowner Rodrigo was stunned with hot coffee, the latter asks Rawling for involvement in the gang war, and she urges Claudette to apologize to the DA.

In interrogation, Choppa explains that he and his friends were suddenly attacked at a stoplight, and claims that the black tar belonged to one of the dead men. As Dutch and Claudette go to the hospital to talk to Rodrigo, shots ring out and they hurry to find a security guard shot in the leg and a man executed. Vic and Rawling arrive, and Dutch explains that the victim, Souljah Harold Pinker, was killed by a pair of One-Niners. Rawling refuses his request to follow up and puts Vic on the case. Vic informs Choppa, Pinker's cousin, of his death, while Rawling explains that they found more drugs in his house. He refuses to help them with the war, promising that his friends will fight the One-Niners without him. Shane interrupts, pulling Vic and Rawling aside to show them a porn tape of Choppa having sex with a One-Niner girl. Lem brings Danny and Julien into a "crack-free zone" park. Lem asks if Mitchell has anything to do with the shootings, but a woman asserts that he built the park.

Vic informs Choppa that the girl in the video is a One-Niner, but he insists that a gang war would not start over a woman. A bored Dutch analyzes Rodrigo's composite sketch of his attacker and theorizes that he is someone with priors, while Vic brings in "Stank", the standing One-Niner captain, to learn who started the war. He and Rawling show him the tape, and while he visibly reacts to the sight of the girl, he denies knowing her. Having tracked down the producer of the video, Terrence Ross, Shane offers to go with Army to get it, and Vic goes with them despite Shane's hesitance. They go to Ross's office, who explains that the One-Niner girl goes by "Bounce" and gives them her address.

Dutch and Claudette arrive on the scene of another hot coffee robbery, where Dutch makes a racist comment towards storeowner Ameen. Vic brings in Bounce, who Rawling notices has been beaten and asks for who did it. When she refuses to talk, Rawling threatens to have her newborn taken by child protective services for violating her parole by consorting with Choppa, and she admits that "Puppethead", the baby's father, is the one who hurt her. Realizing that Puppethead is a One-Niner, Vic concludes that the war is over her.

As Dutch questions Kyle, a suspect, Rawling pulls him aside and forces him to apologize to Ameen. After he leaves, Rawling admonishes Dutch. The police go to Puppethead's, whose friends alert him. Vic catches him after a chase by throwing him over a fence. He forces Puppethead and Stank to sit down, where the former claims the Souljahs tried to kill him first, though Vic sees through this. Choppa, watching on the security camera with Rawling, refuses to identify Puppethead as a shooter. Vic informs her that Ronnie went through Choppa's finances and found that he bought Chenille's house for her, so Rawling plans to seize it unless Choppa talks. She warns Vic that she would rather avoid this, as debuting the program by making a woman and her two young children homeless would be bad PR. When Choppa refuses to talk, Vic and Rawling take him to the house as it is being cordoned off, though he still believes they are bluffing. Vic asks Mitchell to keep his men off the street until the war is over.

Dutch and Claudette arrive on the scene of a third coffee attack, where the victim got a picture of the robber on his phone, which Dutch recognizes as Kyle despite him having an alibi for the other attacks. Realizing Kyle was inspired to carry out a coffee attack of his own, Dutch arrests him and admits to Rawling what happened, leaving her disgusted with his work. Vic forces Choppa to give up his dental grill. Lem informs Vic that he heard Mitchell has fathered a dozen children with six different women, while Chenille arrives at the Barn, demanding he give in to get her house back. When Vic tries to escort her out, she demands to talk to Rawling, who claims she is culpable for living in a house bought with drug money. She counters that the violent conditions of her neighborhood force her to live with what she can and storms out. As Lem takes Danny and Julien to a group of boys to photograph, Lionel, a boy that does not want his picture taken, runs but is quickly caught by Julien.

Vic and Corrine Mackey sit down with Bob Mamyn, as they are unsure if they can afford to hire a doctor to do tests on Matthew and Megan Mackey and testify at the trial against the vaccine company. Vic points out that Corrine's friend Gail at work could do it, which Mamyn agrees to. Dutch asks Claudette to make peace with the DA, insisting she is only holding out for pride's sake, but she refuses while he refuses to drop her as a partner. As Danny brings her paperwork into the gang squad's office, she thanks Rawling for putting her on the detail, but she tells her to thank Vic, who recommended her for the group.

Gail refuses to participate in the lawsuit, as there is no solid evidence linking the company to autism. Vic accuses her of covering up for other doctors. Julien goes to Lionel's and shows him his picture, explaining it will only go out of circulation when he dies or is sent to prison. He urges Lionel to take a different path, pointing him towards a program that educates children about law enforcement, but he refuses. Rawling informs Vic that Mitchell paid Puppethead's $250,000 bail in full. Believing Mitchell is going to kill him, they go with Ronnie to Puppethead's house, where they find Bounce packing up inside, who explains that Mitchell gave him to the Souljahs to end the war, who dragged him to death behind a car. Realizing that Mitchell ended the war on his own terms, Rawling laments their loss, and Vic notes that she can still give the house back to Chenille.

Vic goes to Shane's new apartment with a present for Jackson Vendrell. He notices Mara Sewell Vendrell acting restrainedly, and Shane explains that she is still dealing with postpartum depression. Vic asks him to join the seizure squad and warns him to be careful with his illegal ventures, which Shane brushes off. Mara walks in on Vic making the offer and insists that Shane is doing fine without him, and Shane promises to "think about it." As he leaves, Mara insists that she does not trust Vic, and Shane responds that "it's not about trust anymore." Choppa tells Rawling he is ready to talk to save Chenille, but she tells him that Puppethead has already been IDed, and he shouts furiously at her as she walks off. Dutch meets with Beth Encardi, who tells him the only way he and Claudette can get back in is if she apologizes. As an alternative, she asks Dutch to do "favors" for the DA, which he agrees to.

A repo man tells Rawling that Vic is stalling their removal of Chenille's things, and when she confronts him, he insists that with Puppethead taken care of, it is useless to punish Chenille. Rawling points out that she knowingly accepted drug money and that there can be no exceptions—"to put a prettier face on it sounds more like Aceveda than me." She signs off on the house being cleaned out and leaves.

Cast[]

Bang

Contents

Summary[]

Plot[]

Cast[]

Starring[]

Also starring[]

Guest starring[]

Co-starring[]

Uncredited[]

Featured Music[]

Episode Title[]

Notes[]

Continuity[]

Quotes[]

External Links[]