Season 3, Episode 9 "Slipknot"
Air date: 5-04-04

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this episode, at least for repeated viewings, is watching Vic's political machinations. This might be his most beautiful Machiavellian work ever in that aspect.

First, he agrees to back Walon up when he goes to the assistant chief asking to transfer the Decoy Squad. This is not surprising, as the Decoy Squad was brought in being eyed as a replacement for Vic's troublesome and deeply corrupt Strike Team.

However, for doing so he gets Walon to give him short term use of his two black team members- earning chits and thanks with Claudette on the other side for doing so. "Walon was way out of line" he tells her.

Then besides just backing up Walon's story to Assistant Chief Phillips, he also gives him the spin about Walon's team being stuck with paperwork [a punishment for insubordination], taking them away from the mayor's pet project of protecting the homeless- while subtly pointing this black superior toward the racial spin that there is an unsolved lynching of a black kid- in context, a diabolically clever little racial play.

Then, just as the other special team is about to be pulled, he leans on Aceveda with the calculated threat of transfer to get out from under Claudette's supervision entirely.

Best of all, Vic does all this in such a way that no one even has a clue that he's played them.

And Captain Aceveda, city councilman elect, is the one who's supposed to be the master politician.

More analysis of The Shield than any sane person could possibly want.