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Is Vic Mackey "Moral"?
Denali Nicholson writes:
I think you are a little lenient towards Vic. Of course, he it the anti-hero, and the audience can not help but care about him. But one of the fascinating parts of the show that I can not get over is how much you want to believe that what he does is not wrong after all. You want to believe that he has a sense of morality, twisted and warped, but a morality none the less. But, I don't think this is true. As much as I want to see Vic as something resembling human, he isn't. He is a sociopath. He does what he wants when he wants to. Sometimes this results in benefiting other "good" people. Sometimes in hurting them, too. Look at how he treated Danny. It was very clear when he was given the oppurtunity to tell Claudette about what everyone knew already concerning the death of Armadillo, and he didn't take it. The only time we see him pass hurting someone up who is "good" because they are "good" is early on in the first season when he tells a criminal that he can not strong arm a law-abiding citizen, in reference to his son's schools' admissions head. Instead he bribes her with the finding of her stolen jewelry. Aside from that, look at what he does for "bad" people. His willingness to help them is never held back by moral reasons.
But, why do we love Vic? Everything he does, he does for himself - or for his children, his offspring, or for people he has claimed - his wife, his team, his
hooker. I don't think he loves these people as much as he feels he ownes them.
Do we love him because he is effective? Is it possible we want to forgive him his sins because the combination of complete lack of fear and moral restraint has afforded him success in a world where this is rare and good people are powerless. While watching this show, how easy it is to see power as the real good, whether it is use for good or bad.
Many people have argued the case that Vic does have a sense of morality, including you. I disagree.
Miss Denali, you have some exceptionally thoughtful concerns. Vic surely is morally challenged. I think that you are way off base, however to call him a "sociopath". The best definition I could find: "A personality disorder characterised by a continuous and persistent pattern of aggressive behaviour in which the rights of others are violated." That begins to sound more like a political statement than a psychological diagnosis.
Article comments
1 - Vic Mackey
No Vic does not feel sorry for killing Terry. Terry was a rat and got what he deserved the ONLY regret Vic has is everything that is now happing to his team is his fault Because it was all of his idea.