I thought shocking was when there was going to be an extended period before you finish the cook . . . or maybe that's just when you're going to sear it.
By the way, there is a Facebook group for sous vide where they have tried just about every variation on sous vide and combining with other cooking methods.
In the back of my memory is the idea that some were saying they smoke FIRST, THEN put it in the sous vide and finally sear with a gas torch to bet the nice exterior. But I may be mis-remembering.