Shawn Ryan conceived the idea of a "pretty virtuous Internal Affairs detective," who would become "hell-bent on bringing [Mackey] to justice."
Kavanaugh is depicted as an Internal Affairs Department (IAD) Lieutenant ruthlessly determined to take down Detective Vic Mackey and his Strike Team.
[6] Kavanaugh was once married to a woman named Sadie (Gina Torres), but the two were divorced as a result of her severe mental illness and his unwillingness to continue taking care of her.
Also pressured by Kavanaugh, Lem, who was caught not turning in heroin after a bust, reluctantly agrees to wear a wire to uncover evidence on Vic.
When it appears the deal has gone through and that Vic has murdered for Russian mobsters, Kavanaugh's task force swoops in and handcuffs the team, only to discover they have unwittingly destroyed a top secret sting operation.
Kavanaugh then tries to guilt Vic into confessing by forcing him to revisit the Season 1 murder scene and describe what happened there to Detective Terry Crowley's weeping brother who, obviously, doesn't believe him.
Desperate, Kavanaugh approaches imprisoned drug lord and cop killer Antwon Mitchell, whom Mackey incarcerated at the conclusion of series four.
Antwon offers Kavanaugh more than enough information to destroy the Strike Team, but only if Vic, Lem, Ronnie, and Shane are sent to "his" prison so he can murder them.
Vic and Lem enter the security monitor room after noticing the Lieutenant's obvious distress, and watch the ensuing conversation between Kavanaugh and his distraught, mentally ill ex-wife.
As Vic and his fellow officers watch in horror, Lem is handcuffed by Julien Lowe, on Kavanaugh's orders, placed in lockup with civilian criminals, processed, and sent to a detention center.
In a move to seal the other three members of the Strike Team off from prosecution, Lem pleads guilty to theft under color of authority, agreeing to serve 18 months before parole of a 5-year sentence.
The Department brass and the District Attorney, annoyed with the expense of paying for Kavanaugh's task force and the lack of progress in the case, decide to accept.
After Kavanagh coldly asks if he is happy over Lem's death, Vic tackles Kavanaugh with a scream of outraged fury.
Changing tactics, Kavanaugh informs Claudette and Chief Phillips that Vic had hired Salvadoran drug dealers to murder Lem, using Emolia Melendez as a go-between.
After Emolia agrees to follow the story in exchange for witness protection, she testifies to Claudette and Phillips about the false details of Vic's involvement.
When Claudette asks Dutch for his opinion, he expresses skepticism about Corrine's allegations, suggesting the rape attempt only happened in her own mind.
Taking a break from his mission to wreak bloody revenge on Lem's killer, Vic pays Kavanaugh a visit in prison.
"[8] Rob Owen for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes of Kavanagh; "Kavanaugh is an odd duck, perpetually offering people a stick of gum with the promise that, "It's a fresh pack."
I've watched the first four episodes, and I still can't figure out if Kavanaugh repeatedly underestimates Mackey or if he's pulling a Columbo, acting overly cheerful and slightly out of it to put his prey at ease before pouncing.
"[12] Dawnie Walton for Entertainment Weekly writes that the addition of Whitaker to the cast "figured out a way to make up for the loss of Glenn Close and Anthony Anderson.
[13] Eric Goldman for IGN adds "Forrest [sic] Whitaker is phenomenal as Kavanaugh and I certainly hope there's an Emmy with his name on it this fall.
"[16] Melanie McFarland, writing for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer adds "Whitaker plays Kavanaugh with such unctuous shadiness that you can't quite bring yourself to cheer for him, either.
The actor takes the smallest actions in creator Shawn Ryan's script, such as offering someone a stick of gum, and transforms them into jagged, defining moments.
"[17] The Los Angeles Times add "Whitaker’s theatricality was initially jarring next to the ensemble’s more naturalistic performances, but Kavanaugh grew more intriguing with every episode and the complexity of the actor’s work deepened.
As Kavanaugh told Mackey in the episode’s final scene: “The truth is, it isn’t your time yet.”[18] Empire magazine describe Whitaker's performance as "superb", regretting his lack of appearances in series six.