The Shield/Coefficient of Drag

Coefficient of Drag
Season 7, Episode 1
Airdate	September 2, 2008
Production Number	5012-07-701
Written by	Kurt Sutter
Directed by	Guy Ferland
Stream
← 6x10 Spanish Practices	7x02 → Snitch
The Shield — Season Seven

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Coefficient of Drag is the first episode of the seventh season of The Shield, and the seventy-sixth episode overall.

Starring: Michael Chiklis (Detective Vic Mackey), Catherine Dent (Officer Danielle "Danny" Sofer), Paula Garces (Officer Tina Hanlon), Walton Goggins (Detective Shane Vendrell), Michael Jace (Officer Julien Lowe), Jay Karnes (Detective Holland "Dutch" Wagenbach), David Marciano (Detective Steve Billings), Benito Martinez (Councilman David Aceveda), Cathy Cahlin Ryan (Corrine Mackey), David Rees Snell (Detective Ronnie Gardocki)

and CCH Pounder (Captain Claudette Wyms)

Guest Starring: Laurie Holden (Agent Olivia Murray), Michele Hicks (Mara Sewell), F.J. Rio (Cruz Pezuela), Anna Maria Horsford (ADA Beth Encardi), Hector Luis Bustamante (Luis Aramboles), Matt Corboy (Ray Carlson), Jos Viramontes (Emilio Borrego), Necar Zadegan (Dr. Lucine), Autumn Chiklis (Cassidy Mackey)

Co-Starring: Chaney Kley (Asher), Ludwig Manukian (Rezian), Raff Anoushian (Zadofian), Shana Montanez (Esteva), Shoneji Loraine (Lorena), Louella Boquiren (Darla), Jack Weber (Matthew)

Plot Overview

As an I.C.E. agent arrives to help with the investigation of the dragging murder of several Salvadorians, Vic and Shane are in a race to find Diro's hit man.

A man admits to killing his wife due to double jeopardy so he can get his conspirator arrested, but Dutch finds the detective on the original case was Billings.

Notes

Music

• Social Distortion - "Reach for the Sky"

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• The I.C.E. chief shut down Olivia Murray's investigation after there was no progress in the San Marcos killings. She shows up for the dragging deaths as a freelance in order to help kick-start her case on the Mexican cartels.

• Shane convinces Rezian that the Mexicans are a threat to him, as Vic convinces Pezuela that the Armenians have his blackmail box.

• Vic has the blackmail box locked with only he and Aceveda the ones with the key.

Characters

• After one of the committee members takes an indefinite leave, the decision on Vic has been pushed back another 30 days before they can reassemble another committee. It was done by Penzuela to evaluate his effectiveness.

• Ronnie kills the hit man and he and Vic arrange to keep them from being suspected. Shane shows up and quickly hacks off his feet to make it look like it was Diro. Vic and Ronnie and Vic quickly figure out it was Shane, but play dumb.

• Billings is exposed as faking his disability. Claudette gets him to resume work without having to settle his lawsuit.

• Vic and Ronnie are to keep Shane close and pretend things are okay again.

Referbacks

• The empty building Vic keeps Aramboles is the same building where he tortured Guardo in "Back to One".

Trivia

The Show

• Paula Garces and David Marciano are now part of the main cast while Autumn Chiklis has been elevated from co-starring to guest starring.

Behind the Scenes

• A deleted scene shows Hector being arrested just before Dutch has Emilio arrested for conspiracy to commit murder and perjury.

Allusions and References

• Emilio confuses the double jeopardy legal defence with final jeopardy, a round on the game show Jeopardy!.

Quotes

• Billings: Yeah, I'll be back, all right - putting in my required hours, mandatory paper work. But as far as effort goes, I don't know what's between zero and the city mandate minimum, but from now on, let's just call that "the Billings".

Claudette: Can't we just call it business as usual?