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Do any of you guys think Stringer had D killed for the reasons he gives Avon? To me it always seemed like Stringer only killed D so that he could move in on his girlfriend, given that String didn't really know what D was up to in prison.
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Feb 9, 2013 20:52
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Could be both. He knew D'Angelo cut his ties with Avon, didn't he? That's definitely something to be concerned about.
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Feb 9, 2013 21:43
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I think it's one of those little of column A, little of column B kind of deals. String probably had no respect for D for most of their lives. He was the weak one that only made it because Avon was looking out for him. (Irony here being that Stringer probably wouldn't have gone very far without Avon's ruthlessness either.) Then D nearly flips on them, and then he's sitting there with twenty years and nothing much to think about past the fact that a single phone call could set him free. Add in that String gets the raging boner for D's girl and it all comes together as a justification that completely vindicates his moving in while at the same time eliminating a vulnerability. In the end he had every reason to do it and no reason not to.
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Feb 9, 2013 23:06
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Randomly Specific posted:+1 vote for 'bump' over 'buck'.
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Feb 10, 2013 02:12
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Unzip and Attack posted:Do any of you guys think Stringer had D killed for the reasons he gives Avon? To me it always seemed like Stringer only killed D so that he could move in on his girlfriend, given that String didn't really know what D was up to in prison.
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Feb 10, 2013 02:37
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SubponticatePoster posted:See, I read the whole Stringer getting with D's girlfriend thing as Stringer making a very calculated move to keep her happy and quiet. It's not like it was an odious task for him, but he didn't need her talking to anybody if she got pissed off about D being in prison. If it weren't for the dinner scene at the community center I might agree with you, but that scene seems to be pretty blatant foreshadowing that Stringer had some interest.
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Feb 10, 2013 03:34
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escape artist posted:Pretty sure Burrell is a main character. I've been wondering about that show. The only thing that gives me reservations is: why would a show so good be relegated to Cinemax? (Maybe they're trying to bring the Cinemax brand up a bit-- it's HBO owned) Let's just say that the main character in Banshee makes - let's say, Raylan Givens - look like the biggest pussy this side of bitch town. What I am trying to say is that holy loving poo poo you need to watch Banshee. (it's nothing like The Wire bit holy loving shittt) DarkCrawler fucked around with this message at 03:44 on Feb 10, 2013 |
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Feb 10, 2013 03:41
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Hey, I would kill a man just to get with Donette. She is gorgeous  But I do think both reasons. Remember D screaming at String about Wallace, basically incriminating the organization in a murder? I think if it weren't for Avon, Stringer would've killed D a long time ago. With Avon in jail, it becomes that much easier.
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Feb 10, 2013 05:45
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escape artist posted:Hey, I would kill a man just to get with Donette. She is gorgeous Ever notice how many scenes with her involve people picking up her kid then promptly putting him down again. Kid don't give a gently caress, he just keeps on playing with his toys. 
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Feb 10, 2013 06:17
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DarkCrawler posted:Let's just say that the main character in Banshee makes - let's say, Raylan Givens - look like the biggest pussy this side of bitch town. I've seen the poster for Banshee but have no idea what is about. Sell me on it, and why a fan of The Wire would like it?
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Feb 10, 2013 06:26
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Randomly Specific posted:If it weren't for the dinner scene at the community center I might agree with you, but that scene seems to be pretty blatant foreshadowing that Stringer had some interest.
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Feb 10, 2013 06:41
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As far as anyone on the outside can tell, D's about to turn state.
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Feb 10, 2013 10:16
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In The Wire Bible (aka the rough draft David Simon wrote to pitch HBO), D actually snitches and takes witness protection I think. It ends with him down south, in New Orleans IIRC.
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Feb 10, 2013 17:16
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Cute little moment in episode 402 - we all know Clay Davis's famous "I'll take any motherfucker's money" line, but did you remember, ten minutes before that? Namond: "poo poo I'll take any motherfucker money if he givin it away now" Clay: "I'll take any motherfucker's money if he givin it away" That's pretty funny. Namond's talking about Marlo's money - Marlo had Monk sprinkling some money around to buy favor with the neighborhood. Another quiet moment in that episode. Monk comes up to the kids to hand out money, but Michael says no and walks off. Marlo walks up to Michael and talks his usual poo poo, until Michael finally makes eye contact. Michael's not mad doggin, he's not scowling, he's just looking right through Marlo, and Jamie Hector plays it really well - you can tell Marlo's thrown off by Michael's lack of give a gently caress, even if he's not giving too much away. It's a nice moment, the first sign that Michael doesn't give a gently caress how important Marlo thinks Marlo is.
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Feb 10, 2013 23:20
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MC Fruit Stripe posted:Another quiet moment in that episode. Monk comes up to the kids to hand out money, but Michael says no and walks off. Marlo walks up to Michael and talks his usual poo poo, until Michael finally makes eye contact. Michael's not mad doggin, he's not scowling, he's just looking right through Marlo, and Jamie Hector plays it really well - you can tell Marlo's thrown off by Michael's lack of give a gently caress, even if he's not giving too much away. It's a nice moment, the first sign that Michael doesn't give a gently caress how important Marlo thinks Marlo is. I took it more as the first sign that Michael is really hard, beyond a normal corner kid. He won't take anyone calling him a bitch, even Marlo. We see this in (following?) episode when that one girl slashes the other one, everyone is freaking out and Michael is just sitting in the corner, quietly observing the scene.
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Feb 10, 2013 23:25
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Someone mentioned it earlier, but the "make me sick motherfucker" scene between Bunk and Omar, what a loving scene. Midway through Bunk's speech he starts breathing heavily, as if to try and stop himself from doing something stupid. The contempt, anger and despair that come across, Wendell Pierce needs more TV work
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Feb 12, 2013 00:50
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I was just thinking when I looked at this thread that I wish the OP would do write-ups of each episode like he had started to do in the first few posts. I think the change you should make is to be less ambitious in the attempt to transcribe every episode word for word. Instead just do a summary of each episode then we could have a discussion of each episode on a weekly basis or something like that. I'm on early season 2 now. What I'm left to wonder is who is the Greek's supplier. When you think about it, the greek is just a middleman when it comes down to it. Interesting to consider that even had the greek been busted it wouldn't have mattered as the supplier would still exist. I like to imagine at very top of it all is someone like Sosa from scarface who basically controlled a country.
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Feb 12, 2013 01:31
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3spades posted:In The Wire Bible (aka the rough draft David Simon wrote to pitch HBO), D actually snitches and takes witness protection I think. It ends with him down south, in New Orleans IIRC. drat, that has me dreaming of a Treme/Wire crossover (even though I never watched past the first season of Treme for reasons unknown.)
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Feb 12, 2013 01:35
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DropsySufferer posted:I was just thinking when I looked at this thread that I wish the OP would do write-ups of each episode like he had started to do in the first few posts. ME TOO  Not lying, I went on to rewatching other things so I wouldn't get too far ahead of the brilliant write-ups I am still expecting.
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Feb 12, 2013 05:58
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DropsySufferer posted:I think the change you should make is to be less ambitious in the attempt to transcribe every episode word for word. Instead just do a summary of each episode then we could have a discussion of each episode on a weekly basis or something like that. If I do this fast and clean and simple, then I don't do it at all
escape artist fucked around with this message at 07:54 on Feb 12, 2013 |
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Feb 12, 2013 07:47
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The Buys The cold open begins with Bodie, Wallace, Poot and D'Angelo waiting on a re-up that is late. An addict approaches D, who politely tells him that there is no product available yet. Bodie derides the drug addict. As a result, D goes into a spiel about how everything else in the world is sold without "doing each other dirty", and though they listen, the underlings do not hear his point. D explains that if it weren't for all the violence, there wouldn't be so much police activity. (He is basically parroting what Bunk and McNulty said to him when he was in the interrogation room, in the previous episode.)  "You think the 5-0 care about niggas gettin' high in the projects?" Just as D is making his point, Bubbles arrives with his hats, as Kima snaps pictures on a rooftop, accompanied by McNulty.  Roll opening credits. Epigraph:  Burrell meets with high ranking members of his police force, Major Foerster, Major Reed, Major Valchek and Lt. Daniels, to discuss the fallout from the riot that Prez, Herc and Carver incited. Raymond Foerster says "the public's idea of police brutality is whenever we win a fight." Deputy Commissioner Burrell does not worry about the potential for a grand jury hearing, because of the criminal histories of those the police beat, but he advises Daniels to rethink his tactics. Valchek believes Prez has done nothing wrong, but Reed proposes to Burrell that they follow Daniels advise-- to keep Prez off the street until all the legal mumbo jumbo is in the rear-view mirror. Burrell asks Daniels to remain with Major Valchek, and asks-- what the hell happened? Daniels errs on the side of blaming himself. Valchek compliments him for being a company man, but Daniels says "to hell with the company," that he is just protecting his own people.  Daniels glares at Valchek. Burrell reinterprets Valchek's statement-- saying that he's merely grateful for extending an olive branch to his son-in-law, Prez, and that they (Burrell and Valchek) believe a new unit and new commanding officer (Daniels) could help turn Prez into a better cop. (They don't really believe that, but as we will come to find out... that's exactly what happens to Prez under Daniels' leadership.) Valchek tells Daniels that he will provide whatever Daniels needs, for taking one for the team. After Valchek is gone, Burrell makes a statement (which we will find Carcetti echo in further seasons).  "[Valchek is] a necessary evil." Daniels: Is it insubordinate to ask what's so necessary? Daniels tries to get Burrell to give him more time and resources for the investigation, but Burrell tells him to wrap it up in 3 weeks, with a couple felony arrests and some dope on the table. Dope on the table: Drugs seized from drug dealers, used for photo opportunities to display to the media, and the public, to make it seem as if the police department is efficient and active. Speaking of the media, Major Rawls is at a press conference trying to downplay the witness angle. Bill Zorzi -- a writer for the Baltimore Sun (in reality and in the show), who appears in Season 5-- asks Rawls if he they are certain the witness angle is incorrect. Bunk answers, stumbling over his words: "we are looking into the prospect that he was in a street dispute."  The camera transitions from the scene by showing the press conference as it happens, to showing the press conference on a television set. Jimmy is watching, disappointed by Bunk's willingness to spout bullshit toward the media. Kima and McNulty joke about what Bunk should have done at the press conference, meanwhile lamenting that they don't even know what Avon Barksdale looks like. McNulty calls on Detective Mahone to go to the Housing Department to pull the photo for Avon's residence in the Franklin Terrace Towers. Mahone initially refuses, but McNulty gets him to go when he offers to trade assignments with him-- McNulty having a much more tedious assignment.  Kima is impressed at the way McNulty manipulates the stubborn old drunk detectives. Back in the Pit, D notices Bodie and Wallace have closed up shop-- the re-up isn't arriving until tomorrow. So they spend their time playing checkers-- with chess pieces-- much to the amusement of D'Angelo. Bodie wants to continue playing checkers but Wallace is interested in the more complicated game. D'Angelo explains the rules of chess to them, and in a rather heavy-handed way, David Simon explains the game of chess as an allegory for institutions, to the viewer. This is where we get the quote from the epigraph.  "The king stay the king." Many first-time viewers state that this is the scene where they were "sold" on the show-- realizing it was a lot more complicated than your average "cop drama." When pitching the show to HBO, HBO was reluctant to pick this show up because network TV seemed to have the market for cop dramas monopolized. Simon convinced them to fund and air the show when he told them the most subversive thing to do was to enter that territory. "Pawns are out the game quick..." D'Angelo makes the foreboding statement, which we all know is true. As D'Angelo, Wallace and Bodie-- expendable pawns-- all meet their deaths when they challenge the institution. Sydnor brings a bunch of old electronic equipment to show to Kima and McNulty-- the department is way behind, technologically, than the FBI and the DEA. Sydnor plans to go undercover but does not have the equipment. Santangelo is in Major Rawls office, and he asks Rawls to bring him back to homicide. Santangelo promises to be Rawls' snitch-- and Rawls promises a favor in return. Santangelo perks up at this idea.  Back in the dank, dark headquarters of the unit, McNulty and Kima type up reports, while Lester Freamon carves some dollhouse furniture and listens to jazz music. Daniels arrives and tells them that Carver and Prez will be back tomorrow, but Prez must remain in office. Herc will be back Monday. McNulty comments that he wonders what it takes to get kicked off of this police and Kima says if he keeps doing what he does, he'll find out. (Season 5, anybody?) Mahon and Polk arrive, drunk-- making sure to clock out after they've been drinking on company time-- with a picture of the person registered as Avon Barksdale in the Franklin Terrace Towers Housing Department.  McNulty and Kima have a laugh at the idea that Barksdale is a middle-aged white man. They go over what they know about Barksdale-- which isn't much at all. The last piece of information is that he once was a boxer in the Golden Gloves competitions.  Time for Lester to show the youngsters that he is real police. Lester wanders off and takes a drive. A young man tries to sell him some drugs-- blue tops-- and Lester gives him a look of disappointment before walking away. (D'Angelo was right-- the cops don't give a drat about people getting high in the ghetto.)  Lester enters a shoddy looking building and opens up the doors to reveal a large boxing gym, where he approaches one of the coaches, presumably an old friend, to ask a question. McNulty visits Agent Fitzhugh at the FBI field office and gives him details about the the case. Fitzhugh has no idea who "Avon Barksdale" is, despite working on narcotic cases for the FBI for 4 years. Fitz shows Kima and McNulty video of the last drug bust he will work. Jimmy's tip is the reason Fitz was able to make the case, so to thank him, Fitz gives Jimmy a few lightweight body microphones. Fitz gets the name of the squad leader-- Lt. Daniels-- and after a brief pause and a couple of awkward looks, Fitz says he'll have no problem delivering the equipment to the unit. Bodie and company line up all the customers so he can sell them the newest shipment of drugs. Both the addicts and the dealers have been anxiously anticipating this re-up. A menacing presence is watching this entire exchange, and Poot runs to get another pack of drugs-- and the menacing presence and his companions deduce where the stash is being held.  Omar Little, Brandon Wright and John Bailey Omar remarks that their operation is very sloppy as he lights up a cigarette. Jimmy and Kima discuss McNulty's marital woes, and Bubbles deduces that Jimmy must have been cheating on his wife. Jimmy asks Bubbles "if you've got so much wisdom, why is your life so fuckin' hard?" Bubbles replies "I've been wondering that myself." The three share a laugh. When the conversation switches to Kima, she explains that she is gay, and that she told all of her fellow police immediately, so they would not constantly hound her for dates. "Cops are dogs" she says. Jimmy agrees. Jimmy explains that he should have known-- the only other effective female cop he ever worked with was also a lesbian. Kima explains how she managed to toughen up after coming out of the police academy. Jimmy asks if she believes it's because of her sexuality-- she says she doesn't know, only that she loves the job. This is a nice moment of character exposition, and you can see McNulty's admiration for Kima grow before your eyes. D'Angelo arrives at Orlando's strip club, glances at a topless Shardene working her shift, and continues up the stairs to deliver Stringer the profits from the pit. Stringer remarks that D'Angelo has set a record for daily profits from the low-rises. When D says it will be better when the new package arrives, Stringer explains that there is no new package-- the simply re-vial it with another color top, spike it with procaine or caffeine, and call it something else. D laments that the product they have already is weak. Stringer says the product is weak everywhere, but explains the paradoxical nature of the position: the worse the drug dealers do, the more money they make, because the addict will always be buying more, trying to chase the high.  Stringer gives D a bonus for his good work, and tells him to buy something he wouldn't otherwise. Immediately, D does that. He goes down and buys Shardene the drink that she requests in the first episode. They have a conversation as D explains that his uncle owns the place-- and that Orlando is only a figurehead for the business. When D explains that he is his uncle's "right hand"-- an exagerration, to say the least-- Shardene takes his right hand and places it between her legs. Back at the unit's HQ-- we switch from the drug organization's primary venue of operation, to the investigating unit's venue of operation-- Lester has a surprise for everyone.  Kima looks at Lester reverently, and Lester smiles back at her. Sydnor enters the room to show off his undercover outfit. He hasn't showered in 2 days, or shaved in 4. But Kima asks the professional-- Bubbles-- for advice. Bubbles shoots down Sydnor's amateurish outfit: his clothes are not stained enough, his shoes do not have broken vials on their soles, and he is still wearing his wedding ring-- "poo poo, you're married to the needle boy. . . if you're for real that poo poo's been pawned off."  "Dead soldiers" -- broken vials on the shoes of a real drug addict. Bubbles and Sydnor are ready for the undercover buys. A boombox, aka a ghetto blaster, plays the hip-hop classic "It Takes Two" by Rob Base and EZ Rock. This is another example of diegetic music in The Wire, and a reference to Bubbles and Sydnor-- it takes the two of them to successfully pull off the buys.  Sydnor can't wait to get home and take a shower. After buying from every dealer, and allowing Kima to take photographs from a van-- everyone departs. They have fooled everyone-- except for Omar, who laughs at how easy the police were to spot. Back at the unit HQ, they discuss the futility of the operation the only people they could charge with criminal activity are children who act as touts and runners. Touts being those who "tout" the product-- yelling out the name of the product to attract customers, and runners being the ones who deliver the drugs after the money has changed hands. Daniels arrives with some bad news: the Deputy knows that they did a few hand to hands, and wants to raid the projects and close the case. The Deputy thinks this will get Judge Phelan off his rear end. McNulty refuses to gut the case, and leaves without typing up the PC for the warrants as Daniels had instructed. McNulty arrives at ADA Rhonda Pearlman's home and asks her how to clone a pager. She gives him the information-- a thick file with the instructions. We find out that ADA Pearlman is one of the women that McNulty has been fooling around with, that led to his divorce. They have sex and when finished, Rhonda calls McNulty an rear end in a top hat. Back at the low-rises, Bodie tells D that they are almost out of product, so D instructs Bodie to have Wallace call Stinkum to get a new shipment. D departs to get food. Stinkum arrives and says the new stash will be there in 10 minutes.  Stinkum waits outside for the new shipment to arrive. Inside the stashhouse, a few unnamed Barksdale soldiers are inside when Omar and his crew arrive. A bloodied Stinkum is thrown to the ground and held at gunpoint by Brandon. One soldier insists that there is nothing inside the apartment, but Omar remains unconvinced.  A shotgun blast to the knee convinces another soldier to give it up. (Note: this is exactly how Michael Lee convinces Vinson to give up the money in the final moments of the series-- a shotgun blast to the right knee.) Brandon finds two g-packs underneath the sink and urges Omar to wrap things up. He calls Omar by name, and Omar is not happy-- nearly cursing (something he derides Brandon for doing in the following episode.)  "What the f...? . . . Stupid!" Poot vomits on the floor as a result of the traumatic incident. Omar and crew drive away in the white van, while Bubbles looks on (and memorizes the license plate), and D returns to the pit after picking up food. The next morning, Daniels gives everyone direction on how to proceed with the raid in the low-rises. McNulty doesn't move and Daniels takes him to the office where he chews him out. Daniels wants McNulty to write up a medical reason why he can't participate in the raids. McNulty storms out, refusing to lie so Daniels can save face. Herc arrives as the team is about to deploy and insists that he go along with them. Daniels says no, because Herc is still on medical leave. Herc insists and Daniels gives him a vest, seemingly relieved to have someone who is willing to go along with the operation. Prez remains in the office, alone, and does word search puzzles. In a parallel scene, Wee-Bey chews out D'Angelo for not being where he should have been when the $20,000 in drugs were stolen. This is the third time in three episodes we've seen a higher-up chew out D'Angelo. Wee-Bey in episode one, Maurice Levy in episode two and Wee-bey again in episode three.  Another surprise is in-store for the dealers in the low-rises, as dozens of cops arrive on the scene. Detective Augustus Polk is on the scene, but stands around smoking a cigarette, watching everyone else. His partner, Patrick Mahone, is attempting to arrest Bodie when Bodie turns around and punches the old detective in the face. Carver begins to beat Bodie with a nightstick, as other cops join in. Kima sees this and begins sprinting toward the scene.  We are led to believe that Kima is going to stop Carver and the others, preventing another brutality complaint. She reaches Bodie and kicks him twice in the ribs and beats him with her nightstick. Two police hold him down while two others beat the hell out of him. Mahone is still on the ground. Polk gives him a drag off his cigarette. Prez is back in the office, where McNulty has returned, to review paperwork on cloning a pager. A number of people are arrested, but the police busted through the wrong door and did not find any drugs. Lester hangs back and finds a number on the wall-- he writes it in his notepad. The media arrives to "put anything [the police have seized]" on camera. A frustrated Kima says "we ain't got poo poo." (I like this scene-- Lester and McNulty are both doing paperwork, while the rest of the police are "kicking in doors and busting heads." We are slowly learning what constitutes being "real police.")  A frustrated Lieutenant Daniels looks on at the futile charade he directed. McNulty has been proven correct. Later that evening, McNulty waits in a parking lot for a rendezvous with Agent Fitzhugh. Fitz arrives, later, and explains that he has something to tell McNulty, that he did not want to mention in front of Kima (remember the awkward pause and glances when Daniels' name was mentioned in the FBI field office?)  "Daniels is dirty." The BPD sought the FBI's help because the BPD's Internal Affairs Department would bungle the investigation. After doing an assets investigation, the FBI found that Daniels has a few hundred thousand in assets than he can account for. The FBI delivered the information to Deputy Commissioner Burrell, but Burrell has been sitting on the information for more than a year. McNulty thanks Fitz for the information and ponders the implications of the information he just received.  The credits roll. This episode, when watched in retrospect, has a lot of connections to the final episode of the whole show. Omar's first appearance as a stick-up boy mirrors Michaels first appearance as a stick-up boy. Bill Zorzi, a writer for the Baltimore Sun, is shown questioning Rawls. Zorzi does not appear again until Season 5. We learn that Burrell has information that Daniels is dirty-- which is used to manipulate Daniels to resign when he eventually takes Burrell's seat as Commissioner. escape artist fucked around with this message at 05:34 on Feb 13, 2013 |
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Feb 12, 2013 09:43
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Good write up, escape artist! Something I noticed on this rewatch is a further parallel between McNulty and Daniels. Daniels protects the men under him despite their stupidity and recklessness, because they're his men - he could have thrown Prez, Carver and Herc under the bus and quite rightly so but he takes the blame. It works out well for him politically but I don't think it's the reason he does it - they are his guys, they are police, and even more than a leader should accept responsibility for his men, "police" have to stick together. McNulty does exactly the same thing with Mahone and Polk. They're drinking on the job, not doing any work, going out to presumably drink at bars or just gently caress about the city not doing anything, all while filling out their timesheets and getting paid for full day's work (and sometimes overtime). McNulty covers for them though, and does the same for Santangelo - he doesn't know Santangelo is Rawls' mole and I don't think it would have mattered to him regardless. McNulty for all his high-moralizing/complaining about Bunk towing the company line backs up his fellow police officers because they're part of his "tribe". In that regard he and Daniels are the same. There is no gain for McNulty in doing this, in fact it has a detrimental impact on his precious investigation and also his own career, but he wouldn't "snitch" on a fellow officer any more than Daniels would burn one of the men under his command.
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Feb 12, 2013 10:38
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chesh posted:I've seen the poster for Banshee but have no idea what is about. Sell me on it, and why a fan of The Wire would like it?
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Feb 12, 2013 10:43
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Jerusalem-- That's a great parallel, one I didn't notice. When Polk is talking to Daniels (a few more episodes down the line), he says that a lot of Polk's run sheets have been written in McNulty's hand-writing. Very good observation. I think that's something we should keep in mind moving forward. Who looks out for whom. We know lots of Avon's subordinates are expendable. Frank sticks his neck out for his people. Bunny does the same. Bodie basically gets himself killed because of his disgust over the death of his subordinate (and friend), Kevin. And when Bodie is talking to McNulty he says "I'm not snitching on any of my people, or what's left of the Barksdale crew." P.S. I know I've been slow guys, but I actually went through and watched the entire series again, so my write-ups will be that much better. It takes me about 2.5 - 3 hours to write up a single episode. It's just a matter of having the time and getting started. Once I get into it, it becomes a lot of fun. escape artist fucked around with this message at 10:47 on Feb 12, 2013 |
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Feb 12, 2013 10:44
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On my first rewatch. I did not watch when it was live, so I was wondering about the backstory between Seasons 4 and 5. I'm so perturbed that McNulty fucks up the gains he made in Season 4. Was this just to show how horrible being a detective was for him? So exasperated!
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Feb 12, 2013 11:03
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JimBobDole posted:On my first rewatch. I did not watch when it was live, so I was wondering about the backstory between Seasons 4 and 5. I'm so perturbed that McNulty fucks up the gains he made in Season 4. Was this just to show how horrible being a detective was for him? So exasperated! You mean the fact that in Season 4 he was not drinking or philandering? Well, he expressed at the end of Season 3 that the Major Case Squad contributed to that. Not that he was blaming the detail, but he said going back to a simpler job (walking the beat in the Western, as an officer-- not a detective) would help "keep myself away from myself." In other words, the simpler job would help him keep his demons at bay. When Season 5 starts, they'd been working on Marlo for a year-- there is a year gap between Season 4 and 5, in the show's universe. And after working on the detail for a year, trying to get Marlo, and coming up fruitless... it's expected that he regresses in those aspects of his life. Basically, he relieves his (job and ego related) stress by drinking and sleeping around. And if you notice, when he finally is fired, he and Beadie are happy together again. edit: To add to that, one scene that I didn't even realize was so important until my most recent rewatch, was in Season 3. Santangelo is talking about how great it is to be a beat cop, because he puts in his hours, and he does not take his work home with him. This is what inspires McNulty to leave the MCU at the end of Season 3-- and it also helps explain his behavior when he's not facing or thinking about stressors all day every day. escape artist fucked around with this message at 11:14 on Feb 12, 2013 |
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Feb 12, 2013 11:09
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escape artist posted:P.S. I know I've been slow guys, but I actually went through and watched the entire series again, so my write-ups will be that much better. It takes me about 2.5 - 3 hours to write up a single episode. It's just a matter of having the time and getting started. Once I get into it, it becomes a lot of fun. Just curious, would you mind if I (or anybody else) wrote up their own "episode guides" for more episodes? I love watching/re-watching this show, thinking about the links and parallels and themes with the benefit of hindsight and multiple viewings and it would be kind of neat to get that all written down as I watch rather than rely on my shoddy memory to recall things at a later point. I just don't want to step on your toes if you'd rather these just be your thing. JimBobDole posted:On my first rewatch. I did not watch when it was live, so I was wondering about the backstory between Seasons 4 and 5. I'm so perturbed that McNulty fucks up the gains he made in Season 4. Was this just to show how horrible being a detective was for him? So exasperated! It is definitely meant to make you feel really upset about how he fucks up all the good work he did, as well as act as a reminder that the viewer (like Lester and Bunk) can't have it both ways. We can't have obsessional, arrogant but effective Detective McNulty AND relaxed, laidback and genuinely good person Officer McNulty. Or rather, McNulty can't balance those aspects of his life, he is an all or nothing type of person. In Season 4 he has stopped ruining his personal life in pursuit of taking down big angs and making a "real" difference, and as a result he has actually become better police and IS having a more beneficial impact on the community he polices. He has learned to let go, to gain small victories where he can, to foster a relationship between the people in the neighborhood and the police. In season 5 he's given that all up based on the promise (from Carcetti) that things are going to be different from now on, that the police will be given the support and assistance they need and so he makes a pretty big sacrifice knowingly, thinking that this time he can maintain a good personal life along with his police work, because he won't be paddling upstream all by himself any more. Of course it turns out to just be more political spin, and he's "stuck" there now because now that he has gotten his teeth into the Marlo investigation he isn't going to be satisfied till he "wins". So you see an increasingly bitter and disillusioned McNulty make all the same mistakes from his past, and it is worse for the viewer this time because now we know that there IS something better for him out there, and he has walked away from it.
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Feb 12, 2013 11:17
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Jerusalem posted:Just curious, would you mind if I (or anybody else) wrote up their own "episode guides" for more episodes? I love watching/re-watching this show, thinking about the links and parallels and themes with the benefit of hindsight and multiple viewings and it would be kind of neat to get that all written down as I watch rather than rely on my shoddy memory to recall things at a later point. I just don't want to step on your toes if you'd rather these just be your thing. No man, feel free. I'm still going to do each episode on my own, (57 left!) and post them, too. I plan on making a blog or some poo poo when I've finished at least two seasons. Besides, you'll probably catch stuff that I miss. The more Wire discussion the better. (Plus if you do it, I won't feel like so much of an rear end in a top hat for being so slow with my write-ups!  )
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Feb 12, 2013 11:33
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Is "y'all can't be playing checkers on no chess board" a sly nod to conforming to the system? Really great at establishing D as a guy who follows the system (at least at that point) Is "(If I make it to the end of the board), I'm top dawg." A comment on how in institutions, the real winners are the aren't the best or smartest, but quite often the survivors? Rawls for example, compared to Daniels.
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Feb 12, 2013 12:42
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The chess thing seemed to me to make clear the pawns cannot win the game. They can only die, make a little contribution or in a rare case get to the other side to become a more powerful piece but still not the king.
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Feb 12, 2013 14:18
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CeeJee posted:The chess thing seemed to me to make clear the pawns cannot win the game. They can only die, make a little contribution or in a rare case get to the other side to become a more powerful piece but still not the king. The counterpoint to this, of course, is Marlo - but he seems more like checkers on a chessboard, jumping across a ton of pieces at once to be kinged on the other side.
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Feb 12, 2013 19:58
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TXT BOOTY7 2 47474 posted:The counterpoint to this, of course, is Marlo - but he seems more like checkers on a chessboard, jumping across a ton of pieces at once to be kinged on the other side. If you play Chess by the rules - pawns rarely amount to anything. If you play the system by the rules - there is institutional inertia preventing your from doing much other than stay on the track the system wants you on. If you play a game of chess outside the rules, then pawns can do anything. Marlo refuses to play the game by the standard rules (skipping prop joe going to the greek; killing a member of the co-op; the very active kill squad of Chris and Snoop - as opposed to Avon's guys; killing the semi-blind bar guy/banker). Thus, Marlo makes quick jumps up the chain. Still not the king though. Eventually, Marlo is put back in his place as a pawn. The system catches up to him.
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Feb 12, 2013 20:46
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escape artist posted:"Pawns are out the game quick..." D'Angelo makes the foreboding statement, which we all know is true. As D'Angelo, Wallace and Bodie-- expendable pawns-- all meet their deaths when they challenge the institution. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RO9ZU40RSqw&t=39s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YECcGWN5aY "Unless they some smart-rear end pawns." Bodie's line and he's one of the last pawns left standing. He was taken out of the game, but it wasn't early.
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Feb 12, 2013 21:04
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Something I noticed rewatching that episode that I'd never noticed before: before giving Mahone the cigarette, even Polk joins in on the beating of Bodie for a bit. He does it kind of half heatedly but even a worthless, burnt out cop still can have a cop moment
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Feb 12, 2013 21:40
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I always thought of Slim Charles as one of those pawns that made it to the other side. Its not hard to imagine him as a corner boy and when we meet him he is an enforcer for the Barksdales. After that goes south he then manages to make his way into being Joe's right hand man. But when Marlo dismantles the co-op and tries to give him some territory: "...sorry man but I ain't no CEO" I like Slim Charles a lot, he's one of the few street characters that seems to have heart in the face of the game at the end.
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Feb 12, 2013 22:03
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CeeJee posted:The chess thing seemed to me to make clear the pawns cannot win the game. They can only die, make a little contribution or in a rare case get to the other side to become a more powerful piece but still not the king. And the concept of a pawn being able to become the Queen is an enticement to the pawns who are pretty much doomed. Once they accept they can never be the King, they adjust their goals to becoming the Queen, but 99.9% of them are never going to make it that far, and probably 60-70% are getting taken out right at the start of the game. Also, the chess game NEVER ends - pawns are sacrificed and immediately refreshed by a depressingly endless supply of fresh pawns who are all thinking,"Sure everybody else before me died but me? Nah, I can become the Queen." There's a great bit in one of Simon's books (I think it is in The Corner) when he talks about the unholy combination of luck, skill and sheer willpower it takes for somebody to rise up to the "top" in the drug game, and about how the individuals who do it are truly remarkable people and it is depressing to consider just what they could have been if they hadn't been born into disadvantage/the street/the corner.
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Feb 12, 2013 22:08
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Fellis posted:I always thought of Slim Charles as one of those pawns that made it to the other side. Its not hard to imagine him as a corner boy and when we meet him he is an enforcer for the Barksdales. After that goes south he then manages to make his way into being Joe's right hand man. But when Marlo dismantles the co-op and tries to give him some territory: "...sorry man but I ain't no CEO" Slim also has zero illusions as to what he is and what he's good at. He never seems to get himself into a situation where he's totally hosed. He's basically a street mercenary with morals and a really awesome voice.
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Feb 12, 2013 22:12
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On the subject of looking out for 'your people,' Daniels explicitly coaches Prez on what to write in his report after he pistol whips the kid. Saying something like, "He proceded to menace you with a broken bottle and you feared for your safety and the safety of your fellow officers." This echoes later when he coaches him again after he shoots the cop in season 3. "Then you shouted, 'Police!' Right?" Carver starts to do the same thing in season 5 after Colicchio pulls the guy out of his car for honking his horn. "You are going to have to be careful about how you write this..." But Carver then decides not to go to bat for Collichio because he was out of control. Notably, the guy he beats up is a teacher, like Prez. Dunno what that means though...
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Feb 12, 2013 22:18
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Carver writes up Colicchio not for the act itself but because he showed zero remorse for it.
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Feb 12, 2013 22:29
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Parachute Underwear posted:Slim also has zero illusions as to what he is and what he's good at. He never seems to get himself into a situation where he's totally hosed. He's basically a street mercenary with morals and a really awesome voice. There's one situation I can think of where - through no fault of his own - he ends up totally hosed, when Omar comes after him thinking he killed Butchie. Slim KNOWS he is dead and he accepts that there is nothing he can do about it. He lives thanks to Omar's promise to Bunk, but I think also because he didn't try to bluff his way out or take a wild lunge at Omar.
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Feb 12, 2013 22:34
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