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I think it's weird that people say Gus is "right about everything". He isn't some super journalist: if he was, the season would have ended with him exposing his bosses' idiocy and he would have gotten promoted and saved the newspaper. Gus is just a smart character that (like David Simon) is well aware of the bullshit in his industry.
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Mar 21, 2013 20:37
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Ok, so I've only gotten around to seeing the first season of Wire, and figure I'll start over and do the whole series sometime before Breaking Bad's final half season starts up. How is Treme?
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Mar 21, 2013 20:51
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Steve Yun posted:Ok, so I've only gotten around to seeing the first season of Wire, and figure I'll start over and do the whole series sometime before Breaking Bad's final half season starts up. This thread is a spoiler minefield, please Get the gently caress out.
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Mar 21, 2013 21:05
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I'm well aware, I'll just read responses to my post and that's it.
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Mar 21, 2013 21:08
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I like Treme a lot (I'm going to NOLA on Saturday partially because of it), but if you haven't seen The Wire, stick to that first. Treme hit or miss.
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Mar 21, 2013 21:16
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Steve Yun posted:I'm well aware, I'll just read responses to my post and that's it. . Oh, and Treme was just ok. butros fucked around with this message at 22:02 on Mar 21, 2013 |
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Mar 21, 2013 21:16
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Your original response was perfect and I'm really sad that you wussed out.
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Mar 21, 2013 22:07
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I like Treme, but I haven't seen the latest season. I don't think it's really like The Wire, Treme seems more just about living in New Orleans and what that means for every day people. A lot of the characters only have very tenuous connections to each other, and I don't think there are any season long plot points that tie in every character that The Wire has.
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Mar 21, 2013 22:13
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Treme's got the standard long-form prose style of David Simon. S3 is absolutely the best so far, with a finale that could easily serve as the series end. Initially I saw the series as pretty good, occasionally annoying, but it progresses a long way and looks great when viewed as a singular story. S1 - the people return S2 - the crime returns S3 - the money returns It helps if you like New Orleans, or examinations of society in general. Not quite as groundbreaking as The Wire.
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Mar 21, 2013 22:18
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Treme is more of a rambling show that just steeps itself in New Orleans culture - I could honestly just watch the various characters live their lives forever, getting into arguments, eating AMAZING looking food and playing incredible music, but it's not at all like The Wire outside of having well-rounded characters with depth to them.
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Mar 21, 2013 22:18
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Doesn't have to be like the Wire, I just care if it's quality writing. Sounds good, thanks guys!
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Mar 21, 2013 22:33
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armoredgorilla posted:Your original response was perfect and I'm really sad that you wussed out. Eh just because he's being an rear end doesn't mean I need to be. E: but it did feel really good typing it out
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Mar 21, 2013 22:52
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Steve Yun posted:Doesn't have to be like the Wire, I just care if it's quality writing. Sounds good, thanks guys! Seriously, this thread is riddled with spoilers. Read the OP. This thread is for people who have seen the show and want to watch it again, under a microscope. We're not really interested in the opinions of someone who is in the process of watching it for the first time. The chances you'll contribute something worthwhile to the discussion on your first viewing is as slim as a garter snake. I mean this with the utmost respect and sincerity, because it really is tragic if you get certain moments in the show spoiled, but you really should just go ahead and  until you have finished the whole thing. There's another Wire thread if you want to use that one to post your thoughts. People also take precaution with the spoiler tags. escape artist fucked around with this message at 23:06 on Mar 21, 2013 |
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Mar 21, 2013 23:04
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escape artist posted:We're not really interested in the opinions of someone who is in the process of watching it for the first time. The chances you'll contribute something worthwhile to the discussion on your first viewing is as slim as a garter snake. I'm interested. 
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Mar 21, 2013 23:08
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I am interested in seeing people's first time reactions! Just as warned though, there are NO spoiler tags in this thread. The other Wire thread is safer in that regard.
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Mar 21, 2013 23:30
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It's been mentioned before - The Wire loves parallels. In fact, if you looked at all the characters arcs and plot arcs, it would look like a giant parallelogram.Jerusalem posted:It's an almost sulky,"It's all everybody else's fault!" mentality This statement is kind of a kindred spirit (in a way) to McNulty's "The gently caress did I do" - selfishly thinking it's all about him in a different way (D'Angelo wants out, McNulty wants in). D'Angelo deals through detachment and escapes through denial; McNulty through obsession and escapes through alcohol abuse. Both men escape (as you said) through affairs and are effective in pissing off both their significant others and their mistresses through their selfish nature. The series, I think recognizes this too, through McNulty himself (in a twisted posthumous sense) later in the series when he investigates D'Angelo's death, claiming he liked the kid and calls out Brianna on her terrible nature. geeves fucked around with this message at 01:52 on Mar 22, 2013 |
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Mar 22, 2013 01:47
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watt par posted:I'm interested. I meant for this thread. I am interested too, it's always fun to see it through the eyes of a new viewer, but this is the re-watch thread. He should post in the other thread.
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Mar 22, 2013 01:57
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escape artist posted:What? His spitting? 
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Mar 22, 2013 04:58
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escape artist posted:I meant for this thread. I am interested too, it's always fun to see it through the eyes of a new viewer, but this is the re-watch thread. He should post in the other thread. Plus that other thread needs a bump anyway. Lot of good discussion in there and a crying shame if it fell into archives.
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Mar 22, 2013 05:19
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Rewatching I'm on the Season 2 finale. When Spiro goes to visit the Greek in his hotel room that's Vladimir Kozlov that answers the door. Fellow wrestling geeks know what I'm talking about.
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Mar 23, 2013 20:40
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DrunkenGarbageCan posted:Rewatching I'm on the Season 2 finale. Yep, I believe he's also one of the thugs who helps them capture and torture the guy on the boat who caused the girls' deaths.
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Mar 23, 2013 21:39
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I was supposed to have the review up Friday by noon, but something came up.... http://www.hulu.com/browse/picks/1591 Yeah, 24 Kurosawa films are up for free to watch, through midnight on Sunday. Exigent circumstances, folks.
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Mar 23, 2013 22:13
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I'm more than happy to do the write-up (I will happily do ALL the write-ups, I never need an excuse to rewatch this show!) and you can get the next one.
Jerusalem fucked around with this message at 22:37 on Mar 23, 2013 |
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Mar 23, 2013 22:26
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Jerusalem posted:I'm more than happy to do the write-up (I will happily do ALL the write-ups, I never need an excuse to rewatch this show!) and you can get the next one. Okay, go for it. Sorry for flaking out, as usual. It's not every day you get to see 24 Kurosawa films for free. I'll make a kind of supplemental post to your write-up. Episode 1x12 I actually have listened to the DVD commentary for, so I should have a good write-up for that one. Also, if anybody wants to watch Yojimbo or Sanjuro, or any Kurosawa film with a ronin Samurai, you will notice that Omar is very similar to those characters. In the way they dress, the way they are without a master, the way they walk with their weapons hanging out in plain view, the way they formulate their own moral code. Omar's character definitely drew inspiration from the ronin. escape artist fucked around with this message at 22:45 on Mar 23, 2013 |
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Mar 23, 2013 22:41
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Also Yojimbo is a belter of a film and you should watch it anyway. Edit: I'm rewatching series 2 over at my mums place, she can't understand a word Bunk Moreland is saying. hiddenmovement fucked around with this message at 02:33 on Mar 24, 2013 |
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Mar 24, 2013 00:17
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Jerusalem posted:I'm more than happy to do the write-up (I will happily do ALL the write-ups, I never need an excuse to rewatch this show!) and you can get the next one. I love your write ups a lot (although I think you're a little too hard on DeAngelo) and I hope you do them forever and then put them in a blog and send them to David Simon. Also if you haven't, you need to read The Corner RIGHT NOW. Do it. It will give you such a good perspective for writing future updates. My biggest mistake in life is not reading that book sooner.
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Mar 24, 2013 05:28
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the black husserl posted:I love your write ups a lot (although I think you're a little too hard on DeAngelo) and I hope you do them forever and then put them in a blog and send them to David Simon. Thank you very much  Yeah, I've read The Corner (as well as Homicide) and I think one of my first thoughts was,"Why the gently caress didn't I read these earlier?  "
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Mar 24, 2013 05:53
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I used to have the Corner, but ironically, I sold it, because I didn't have drug money. Before I could read it. Also, I love your write ups too, but have to agree-- you're a little hard on our beloved D'Angelo. 
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Mar 24, 2013 06:30
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Episode 11: The Hunt It's chaos at the crime scene, cops are milling about everywhere, the camera traveling amongst them to give us an inside feel of the sense of frustration and disbelief many of them are feeling. Landsman is attempting to oversee it all, clearly upset at his lack of control, and Major Rawls shows up wanting to know what is going on. To this point in the show, Rawls has been portrayed as the bad guy, the obstinate and stubborn prick who ruins good cases for his own benefit, and so his arrival in the midst of all this chaos in any other show would usually signify that something else is going to be hosed up or messed with. This is The Wire, though, and something very different happens. Cole and Norris are the official detectives on the case, with Cole trying to investigate the scene of the shooting while Norris is at the hospital with Kima. Rawls wants to know what Landsman wants, and the Sergeant explains that he needs to clear the scene, there are too many people there, including narcotics, DEA and representatives of the two Districts. Rawls immediately bawls out an order, freezing everybody in place, telling them that if a Homicide Detective hasn't specifically given them something to do then they need to leave now. When nobody moves - who wants to be the first to "abandon" the scene of a fellow police's shooting? - he makes it clear that this is a direct order from a Major, and that everybody who is there extraneous to the homicide investigation is a useless, interfering rear end. Sydnor doesn't want to go but Carver grabs his arm and pulls him away, there is a lot of aggression and frustration over Rawls' summary dismissal of them all, but it IS what needed to be done, and Rawls was the rear end in a top hat to do it. He instructs Landsman to slow the investigation to a crawl, stressing that they can't make any mistake that will screw up the case. They arrive at Orlando's car, Orlando still dead in the front seat while Bunk is searching the backseat, which is covered in blood. Underneath the seat he finds Kima's gun, which had been taped down but had apparently slipped loose and wedged it into the back, meaning it wasn't in place when she went to grab it. Landsman explains where Kima's back-up was and that it was the helicopter that finally found the location, different from Kima's reported one. Rawls is the first person to make the logical leap that follows this information - with the back-up where it was and the helicopter in the sky, how did nobody spot the shooter's vehicle in flight? They both look around and spot the narrow dirt path alongside a wall, and realize that the shooters escaped on foot - they call over Bunk and two other detectives to search the path, the case is finally being properly investigated, and it is thanks to Rawls' presence. Herc arrives, he's been absent this week due to training but came the moment he heard that Kima was shot. He joins Sydnor and Carver, who are sitting on a car watching the investigation and feeling impotent, asking what happened. As he asks, Rawls is figuring that out. He passes a street sign and eyes it up, grabbing a nearby plastic crate and stepping up, discovering how easy it is to turn the street signs showing which way is North Warwick Avenue and which way is Longwood Street. This explains Kima giving her backup the wrong directions, a childish game may have cost a police detective her life.   At the hospital, Norris is interviewing Daniels, who is explaining that Kima had to give them cues over the wire so they could follow her. Norris is sympathetic as Daniels bridles at the questioning, he NEEDS to ask these questions for the sake of the case. Daniels seems exasperated, at the scene he apparently told them about Savino who he considers the link to be followed, but while Norris does have people looking for him, he also knows that there are others involved, they found two different casings at the scenes indicating two shooters. Burrell approaches from the background, and like with Rawls we get to see the Deputy Ops in a very different light to normal. He puts an arm around Daniels' shoulder and takes his arm, and his first question isn't about the case or the money or seeking to apportion blame - he wants to know how bad things are for Kima. The news isn't good, she took a shot through the throat and another to the chest, and the bullet is still inside her in the latter case. Burrell moves on to talk to somebody else, and Norris goes back to questioning Daniels when they're interrupted again by the person Burrell was speaking to - it's the Commissioner of Police. This is our first look at the top police officer in Baltimore, and he doesn't make a good first impression. Mistaking Norris for Lieutenant Daniels speaks volumes as to his mindset, even if it is unconscious he is viewing the white man as having the superior rank. Norris corrects him and the Commissioner doesn't repeat his condolences, just offering his assurance that the entire Department is backing Greggs. On the dirt path, Bunk and Landsman spot footprints in the dirt that were clearly made by somebody running. Landsman tells one of the accompanying detectives to bring in the lab techs to take casts of the prints, and they move on. Orlando's corpse is being removed from the car at last as the frazzled DEA Agent walks beside Rawls, telling him about how he knows the $30,000 (that is missing from the crime scene) isn't important and he totally doesn't care and it doesn't matter.... butttttttttttt...... Rawls finally shuts him up, telling him in no uncertain terms,"gently caress your money!" before striding away, leaving the DEA Agent shocked, another agent behind him. Rawls has spotted McNulty, sitting off alone covered in blood, and Rawls' first reaction isn't the 2-dimensional one we might have expected in another show. He doesn't goad or taunt or belittle McNulty, or go on a little rant about the repercussions of his actions. His first concern is whether or not McNulty is hurt. The blood is Kima's, McNulty literally has her blood on his hands, and seems to be taking that figuratively as well, blaming himself. Stunned, he shakily repeats what is essentially his catchphrase,"What the gently caress did I do?" Rawls gets him up and moves him on, McNulty telling him that she was loaded up into the ambulance unable to speak or breathe, and asks if she is dead - she isn't, not yet. He loads McNulty into his car and prepares to head to the hospital, getting a rundown from Cole first on what is going on with the rest of the case - who is doing the autopsy on Orlando, who is tracking down Savino, etc. As he prepares to leave, the other DEA Agent who overheard the previous interaction steps up and introduces himself, shaking Rawls' hands and telling him that they'll have anything they want from the DEA, including men or money. Rawls is clearly unimpressed, having formed his own opinion on the DEA's true concerns after dealing with the other Agent.   Freamon arrives on the scene as Rawls leaves, watching a body bag being wheeled past and being assured by Cole that it is Orlando, not Kima. He takes charge of the Detail men, telling them to get to work, which enrages them - gently caress him, Kima is possibly dying and he wants them to go photograph people using Tower payphones? Freamon is in take-charge mode and in mood for his usual games, and lays things out bluntly for them. The Barksdale Organization just (unknowingly) shot a Baltimore police officer, and there is a good chance the wire is going to light up with talk about it, including possible leads that will tell them who the shooters were, where they are, where Savino is etc - so if that happens, where the gently caress do they want to be. Finally understanding, they prepare to head to the roof outposts, only for Freamon to reveal another detail these detectives have missed, nobody has gotten in touch with Kima's people yet. Carver agrees to do that, telling Herc he'll meet up with him. As Bunk and Landsman continue up the dirt path looking for clues, their currently clueless quarry are making a payphone call to Stringer, complaining about the unexpected presence of the woman in the back of the car. The shooters were Wee-Bey and Little Man, and Wee-Bey dismisses her shooting as nothing more than an irritation, like an office worker getting a papercut on a Monday, rolling his eyes and muttering,"It's always something." Little Man seems indifferent, casually drinking from a soda can as Wee-Bey gets a response from Stringer, their call lasting all of 7 seconds: "Done?" "Done." "Okay." and they're finished. Little Man drops his can and they get into their car, not knowing the giant shitstorm they've unleashed. Bunk and Landsman have spotted more clear prints, and Bunk notes two discarded hoodies. Landsman leaves one of the other detectives to watch the hoodies till the lab techs arrive, and they continue on to the end of the path, finding a clear footprint from one of the shooters passing through a puddle. Bunk gets on the radio, asking for a jackhammer, they're going to physically remove the section of road with the footprints on them - this is where the tracks stop, the shooters got into a car and drove away. At the hospital, Rawls and McNulty arrive and move straight to Daniels to find out Kima's status - she's still alive. McNulty is relieved, and so is Rawls, who then switches to business by pulling out a cassette tape (Baltimore's 21st Century Police Department) - it's a recording of the wire from Orlando's car. Everybody gathers around - Major Foerster, Detective Norris, Deputy Ops Burrell, Detective Holley, Commissioner Frazier, and they listen in with growing horror at Kima's realization that the street signs were wrong (Rawls' reaction is excellent), that they were being ambushed and that she couldn't find her gun underneath the seat. It's an incredibly powerful scene, even though we've seen it before as it happened, we're treated to each of the characters listening in, almost all of them for the first time, and their distress and horror is palpable. At the sounds of the shots cutting of Kima's attempted description, McNulty stumbles away and throws up into the trash, and is escorted firmly but gently away by Rawls. This is the moment where Rawls chooses to rant at McNulty, but it's a rant with a purpose and masterfully done - words can't really do it justice, at least not my words, so PLEASE watch this: Rawls and McNulty Notice how Rawls starts out with the same general theme and delivery of his normal rants before subverting expectation by turning it into a consoling, supportive message? But it's done in a way perfectly within character, that shows that Rawls' dislike of McNulty is genuine but that he isn't letting it get in the way of the truth. He maintains his character while showing us added depth - showing solidarity with a fellow police officer because to him the institution is more important than the individual, even one he doesn't care for. Dominic West's performance is fantastic too, wide-eyed and shocked, protestations strangled in his throat, words unable to come out, reduced to just nodding in the negative when Rawls tells him it isn't his fault. Rawls tells him that the simple truth is that a police officer took two "for the company" because poo poo went bad, and it's not anybody's fault. Early morning sees the police raiding Savino's family home, her mother screaming that "Zack" isn't here. This is apparently an older child (or husband/boyfriend?) who has a history of trouble with the police, but they're not looking for him, they're after Savino. His mother is horrified, after Savino? Her "baby"? The officer in charge of the raid has sympathy, barking out that her "baby" shot a cop, and the look on her face speaks volumes about just how serious this is.  On The Wire, Freamon and Prez are hearing lots of talk about the police searching for Savino, but it's all just "ripples in the pond", nobody they have on the wire so far knows anything, they're just reporting on things happening on the street. Freamon decides to approach from a different perspective - two calls went through to Stringer's pager today, and only one of them AFTER the shooting. That message came with an 07 extension, so they just need to figure out who the 07 extension is and there is a good chance they have one of the shooters. The other question is what is the phone number that the 07 was asking Stringer to call, and Prez gets onto finding out. The 07 is, of course, Wee-Bey, who arrives at Stringer's copy-shop and immediately starts talking, a violation of the rules that he himself once chided D'Angelo over. Stringer instantly shuts him down, a grimace on his face, and starts the copiers running to provide background noise that will cover their low conversation. Wee-Bey explains that the hit went well, but there was a hitch in that they were surprised by a "bitch curled up in the back seat". Wee-Bey admits that he would have been happy to let her go, she didn't strike him as the type to talk, but Little Man freaked out at the sight of her and opened fire. By this point, Stringer is fully aware that the "bitch" was a police officer, but he doesn't let Wee-Bey know yet, trying to get as much information out of him possible before dropping that on him. He wants to know why Savino didn't warn them, perhaps checking to see if Savino was in on it, but Wee-Bey dismisses Savino's lack of warning, saying there was no chance to give them warning since he got out and walked in the opposite direction to them as planned. Stringer drops the police bomb on Wee-Bey now, telling him that "shorty" was a cop, and Wee-Bey's face falls as he realizes what a huge mistake he and Little Man have made. He can't believe it, insisting she looked just like one of Orlando's hoes, and he remains in a state of shock as Stringer asks what happened to the guns, wanting to be sure they've been dumped (they have), then complaining about Little Man's weakness, saying if he bugged out over seeing the girl in the back of the car then is he going to bug out again when he finds out she was a cop. Little Man has to go. But what about Wee-Bey? Stringer says he wants to see how the police deal with Savino but also how they deal with the case AFTER the immediate satisfaction of getting their hands on Savino, and if the cop wakes up and starts talking, they might come after Wee-Bey too. So he has to disappear as well, just not quite as extremely as Little Man. Stringer confirms where Wee-Bey's family can be found around the US, and lists places OTHER than those where he can go hideout - he wants Wee-Bey to take a low profile and disappear for a little while.  Carver arrives at Kima's apartment, but can't work up the courage to knock on the door. Cheryl steps out of the door and they startle each other, but Cheryl doesn't know who he is and assumes he's just somebody who was walking down the corridor. As she walks by on her way to work, he tells her he works with Kima, but can't quite get out the words he is looking for, and a confused Cheryl starts to get a sense that something is wrong. She tries to tell him that Kima is at work, her voice getting insistent as she tries to deny reality, but he just shakes his head, and she begins to break down. Freamon is at the payphone where Wee-Bey made his call, Prez having looked up the number. He has a uniformed officer and a couple of lab techs with him, and has them taking fingerprints and photographs, including from a can of drink he finds on the ground. Carver has taken Cheryl to the hospital, but they're sitting unattended as the top brass confer amongst themselves. Finally Carver approaches Daniels to point out that nobody has spoken to "Kima's girl", and Burrell overhears and approaches, confused. Kima's girl? Kima has a daughter? Unsure how to bring up the fact that Kima is a lesbian, Daniels decides to be diplomatic and calls her a roommate, but Burrell seems to get the message. He approaches the Commissioner and asks him to speak to Cheryl, their conversation taking place inaudibly in the background, and the Commissioner seems irritated that Burell would waste his time with "only" a roommate - it seems that his compassion is reserved for only when it makes for good politics. Burrell returns to Daniels and Carver, sighs and grunts that he'll do it himself, and moves to speak with Cheryl as Carver glares daggers at the Commissioner and snaps that if they lose Kima, the Commissioner can pose for the funeral.   As an aside - the actor who played the Commissioner actually died shortly after making this episode, and the character basically disappears from the show until Burrell takes the top spot in a later season. I do wonder if we would have seen more of him or if the plan was always for him to retire and be replaced by Burrell, who for all intents and purposes has been the symbol of "Baltimore's top police officer" throughout this season so far. McNulty returns to the Detail basement, and spots Kima's baseball cap on her desk, staring at it. He heads to the sink and washes the blood off of his hands and face, stopping to look at himself in the mirror. Changing his shirt for one he keeps stashed in a filing cabinet, he heads in to look at the Barksdale Organization Chart, drinking from a bottle of Jameson as Prez watches him from the doorway. At Homicide, Landsman, Cole, Bunk and Norris are going over what they have so far. There has been no sign of Savino yet, but the techs have managed to get some hairs from the discarded hoodies. They're working on two potential theories of the crime - two random local criminals decided to pull a spur-of-the-moment ambush and lucked into $30,000, or two professionals lay in wait to ambush Orlando by design. As ridiculous as the former theory sounds, the detectives are experienced enough to know they can never discount possibilities - both because it helps the case they build by investigating and discarding alternative theories AND because sometimes weird stuff happens - an important investigation in Season 4 will show this. They go over the ballistics reports, confirming what we already know from Wee-Bey's report to Stringer - somebody different opened fire on Kima in the back seat. Freamon arrives and gives Bunk the fingerprint results, one of them has come back as belonging to Little Man, connected to the Barksdale Organization. Landsman is confused, where did the fingerprint come from? Freamon explains he got it from a soda can by a payphone, and it was still fizzy when it arrived. That just raises further questions from the detectives, what payphone? Freamon explains how they tracked down the payphone from Stringer Bell's pager, and a pleased Landsman realizes they can discount the amateur theory. Norris is particularly impressed, and asks who Freamon is. He introduces himself and shakes Norris' hand, and when Norris asks where he comes from a bemused Freamon tells him he's from the Pawnshop Unit.  He's only doing his job, but in this one scene Freamon has just secured his eventual return from the wilderness of the BPD. In The Pit, D'Angelo, Poot and Bodie are talking about the shooting of the police, slightly amused at the stupidity of doing such a thing. Bodie claims that the Park Heights Niggers have got no common sense - lots of heart, but no sense - while D'Angelo states that nobody in their Organization would be stupid enough to do something like that. Clearly none of them know that Wee-Bey and Little Man are responsible. Somebody shows up to let Poot know that there is a call for him on one of the payphones, it's Wallace, apparently he calls twice a day, homesick for the Low Rises. D'Angelo asks where he is and learns he's staying with his Grandmother, Wallace is apparently making no secret of his location even though eventually it will come out that he is going to witness against Stringer Bell - it just hasn't occurred to him that his friends are going to be anything but his friends. As Poot heads away and Bodie complains that Wallace is probably surfing (they have no idea what kind of "shore" Wallace is staying in), D'Angelo allows a small smile to cross his face, pleased that Wallace got away after all. In Homicide, Detective Hollis is going through Kima's bloodied clothing, listing it down as evidence when her pager beeps. The call is coming from an agitated Bubbles, who for once doesn't know ahead of everybody else what is happening on the street. A cruiser pulls up at the corner and everybody instantly clears the street, while Bubbles smiles, perhaps thinking that Greggs has sent them for him. They approach aggressively though, confusing Bubbles who at first thinks they want to use the phone, only to be roughly grabbed up by them and hauled towards the cruiser, being told that a man downtown wants to speak with him. Bubbles can't understand what is happening, complaining that he hasn't been so clean in his life. On the phone with Wallace, Poot still thinks that Wallace is hanging out on beachside property, and Wallace has to correct him that he's on Bayside. Poot doesn't care, Wallace is on vacation and he's a little (good-naturedly) miffed that he went without telling him, saying he'd like to come down and hang out with him, just the two of them chilling out in the countryside. Wallace insists that the air is even thicker down in the country than it is in the city, and the crickets (whose sound he didn't recognize when he first arrived) are driving him crazy... he doesn't think he's cut out to be in the country. Poot is amused, but before he can crack a joke about taking the West Side out of a friend of the family, the phone cuts off from a lack of money. Poot hangs up, amused at Wallace's predicament, while on the country road by the old payphone, Wallace hangs up, clearly missing the city he couldn't wait to escape. Bubbles is handcuffed in the interrogation room, still completely at a loss as to what is going on. Hollis - a BIG man - steps in with a scowl on his face, demanding to know Bubbles' name and who he was trying to page. Bubbles is irritated, he hasn't done anything wrong (for once) and isn't being his usual cooperative self, and Hollis, feeling frustrated and impotent over the shooting of a fellow office - has had enough. Taking off his jacket, he begins to deliver a brutal beating to Bubbles, causing him to scream so loud it's clearly heard in the office by Bunk and Landsman who rush in to put a stop to it. Interesting to note the difference in reaction to this beating vs. the sanctioned one given to Bird, it seems that in some cases the police feel a beating is perfectly justified, and that Hollis has misjudged this as one of those times. In pain and furious (Bubbles HAS just spent several days clean for the first time in years and was probably at the end of his tether), Bubbles demands to speak to Greggs, and when they tell him that isn't possible he demands to see McNulty (McNutty) instead, screaming that this beating isn't right. On the rooftop across from the towers, Santangelo and Herc are looking for Savino. Herc spots Bodie approaching the payphone and puts through the call to Freamon, but he and Prez wait in vain for a call to be made. Herc realizes what is going on and lifts the camera, searching for and finding a hand holding a brown paper bag. He photographs it as it is dropped to Bodie waiting below, and for once he gets to be the one explaining what is happening to a confused Santangelo. They've just located a tower stash, supplying the Low Rises with a re-up, and he puts through a call to Freamon to get him up to date. Elsewhere in the basement, McNulty stubbornly continues drinking despite Daniels snapping at him to stop. McNulty wants to know how much of the case Daniels would give away to get Kima back, but gets no answer until he finally puts the bottle down. Daniels - always sounding like he is suppressing a wild desire to beat McNulty to death - tells him he'd give up all of the case if he could get her back, but that isn't how it works. He looks over the hospital's progress report, laying out just how bad it is for Kima - she has a collapsed lung and there are fears that the bullet that went through her neck might have caught some pieces of spine. McNulty takes it in and mumbles that it wasn't worth it, and Prez pokes his head through the door to tell him that there is a call from Homicide. Daniels gets up and leaves the office, taking the bottle with him, muttering with what sounds like contempt to McNulty to do his job. Is McNulty falling into drinking a sign of his deep distress or another sign of his own innate selfishness. Kima is in hospital and he is distraught, but so is everybody else including people who have known her far longer, such as Daniels, Carver and Herc, but after their initial shock they dove into working the case in order to get their revenge. McNulty, even after Rawls gave him a boot up the rear end, has fallen into self-destruction, sulking and bemoaning the capriciousness of fate.   At Orlando's, Avon is furious about Little Man's recklessness and stupidity. Regardless of the fact it was a cop, the moment he saw there was somebody else in the car they should have changed up the plan and walked away - they could have always killed Orlando another day. Stringer agrees with everything, but since he knows he can't change what has happened he lays out their current situation - they can't keep the $30,000, it's police money and probably marked. The guns have been dumped into the sewer which removes that concern (they've learned from Bird) and Stringer is absolutely convinced of Wee-Bey's trustworthiness... but if Kima wakes up then she might be able to identify Little Man and Wee-Bey, and that causes them problems. Avon demands to know how Little Man is taking things and Stringer says he is scared now that he knows that he killed a cop, but Stringer has put Bey onto that, Little Man isn't going to be a problem for them. Avon accepts this and asks about Savino, and Stringer says there is no way that Savino can't eat a charge, but he knows this and is willing to take the years, especially since if he keeps his story straight there is only so much they can threaten him with. But Stringer reveals his big mistake shortly after this, when Avon complains about the money, and learns that when Orlando put out the word that he has 30k to buy drugs, Wee-Bey and Savino came to Stringer with the idea to kill Orlando and keep the money for themselves, and he agreed to it since it would get rid of a potential problem and keep two of their top enforcers happy with a 15k payday each. Avon can't believe it, pointing out exactly what McNulty and Daniels knew to be the case and that Burrell refused to accept - if Wee-Bey and Savino had come to Avon the very first thing he would have asked is where Orlando got $30,000 from, and he would have instantly suspected Orlando was up to something. Thanks to Omar, that didn't happen because Stringer removed everybody below himself and their New York Supplier from direct access to Avon (with Avon's blessing), but Stringer has proven he doesn't quite have the instincts to spot these things like Avon does, at least not yet. Perversely, Burrell's idiotic plan might have actually worked all the way up to the first level from the top of the Barksdale Organization, though of course even that high would be redundant - the Detail already has enough to charge everybody up to and including Stringer with crimes - it's Avon they need, and Avon that they would never have been able to get with the Buy-Bust plan. Stringer admits he hosed up, and Avon tells him to burn the money (trash to Avon, a career to the DEA Agent), and to make sure Wee-Bey "cleans up" before leaving town. At Homicide, McNulty and Bunk are outside the interrogation room, Hollis offering a grumpy explanation that Bubbles was refusing to answer questions and somehow "raised up" on him, and his use of force was justifiable. McNulty heads in to break the news to Bubbles, while Landsman reports bad news to Bunk, no prints were found on the car. Inside the room, Bubbles is wanting to know what he can do to help - he seems to be going through the five stages of grief, moving on to bargaining, looking for something to do, some way to "fix" the situation. McNulty wants him out on the street with his ear to the ground, and Bubbles hesitantly tries to explain that he's currently clean, saying he hasn't been around the dealers for awhile. McNulty assumes he's got a beef with somebody, not really listening to Bubbles at all, reaching into his wallet and pulling out a twenty - the way Bubbles' eyes widen at the sight is heartbreaking - and saying about the worst thing he can say, that this is for Kima. For an addict, especially one so early into a first serious effort at getting clean, providing him with excuses/reasons/justifications for getting high is about the worst thing possible. Imagine it from Bubbles' point of view, it's like the universe is telling him he HAS to go out and get high. McNulty leaves and asks Bunk if they've found Savino yet, and since he's still MIA a pissed off McNulty decides to get something done. Roping poor Rhonda Pearlman into things (she must rue the day she met him) he takes her to Maurice Levy's Office where he demands that Levy hand over Savino. A smug Levy casually chews nuts and assures them that should Savino (who he has represented in court several times) contact him he'd advise him to turn himself in. Rhonda tries to make the best of a bad situation by playing along with Levy's obfuscating language, but Jimmy (who hasn't slept, is emotionally exhausted AND has been drinking) is having none of it. He bluntly delivers crude threat after crude threat to Levy, declaring that he will have tactical teams raid Savino's mother's house constantly, that he will have forensic accountants go over Levy's books and bank statements to see if his reported income matches his assets, that he will basically hound Levy and do his best to ruin him. Levy seems unfazed by Jimmy's bravado, asking Rhonda if the State's Attorney's office is also making this threat, and through gritted teeth she backs Jimmy and tells Levy that it is. Levy tells them he will see what he can do and they leave the office, a furious Rhonda turning on Jimmy who fires back angrily at her protests that Levy is a respected and influential person in Baltimore's legal circles and could seriously cripple her career. He snarls that the problem with the city is that all the ASAs want to be judges or partners in law firms, and she echoes Bunk's drunken accusation, telling an unsettled McNulty that he'll use anybody to get what he wants.   I'd like to talk about this scene. It's very much a cliched "grizzled detective cuts through the bullshit with a slimy lawyer" scene. Usually in these scenes, the clearly intelligent, articulate and strategic minded slimy lawyer is cowed by the common-sense talking cop, who totally outsmarts him by laying out how he's totally going to uncover all his dirty dealings and cost him his career. It's... bullshit. This type of thing is wish-fulfillment. So why does it work in The Wire? You'll see soon enough. In the Detail basement, Prez has been doing his puzzle thing again, going through the pager records and comparing them with known events, and he's found a link. The 07 identifier was used for a call to Stringer's pager from an emergency room on the night Stinkum was killed and (according to the wiretap) Wee-Bey was shot in the leg. 07 is Wee-Bey, which means he and Little Man were the ones who made the phone-call from the payphone at the end of the dirt path where Orlando was killed and Kima was shot. In Burrell's office, Rawls is reporting on their progress, with Daniels and Foerster in attendance. They've had no luck finding Savino, but the case is progressing. Unfortunately this is where cracks start to form in the BPD's unity following Kima's death. To Daniels' horror, Burrell begins to talk about "dope on the table", and explains that both he and the Commissioner want a very public demonstration of the police's strength so that everybody in the city knows they are not weak and can't be attacked with impunity. It's personal for Burrell, he admits that he was the one who pushed for the Buy-Bust and he has to accept responsibility for the result. He wants to send a message to the criminals, and the Commissioner wants a message sent to the citizens - the police are a viable threat to the criminals and gangsters, they are effective and good at their jobs. Burrell gets in Daniels' face and makes it as clear as possible, emphasising the enunciation of rank,"This is what the Commissioner wants, Lieutenant."  "Dope on the drat table," grunts Daniels after they leave (the epigraph for the episode), and Foerster calls him back angrily, telling him that like Burrell says, they need to show the criminals who they are. Daniels isn't impressed by this empty phrase though, just who the hell are they? By focusing on PR, they damage the legitimate, hard-fought progress on the Barksdale case, how is that revenge for Kima? McNulty, Landsman, Pearlman, another ASA (Ilene Nathan) and Bunk are at a table with Savino, Levy and another lawyer, where everybody is learning the reality of the "grizzled detective cuts through the bullshit with a slimy lawyer" scene. Levy lays out that Savino hasn't been mirandized and they're there for the purposes of a proffer, and after getting everybody's agreement he hands over a bag to Landsman, who pulls out what looks like a package of drugs.... which Levy then informs them is baking soda. Smugly, Levy explains that Savino was planning to sell fake cocaine to Orlando for $30,000, that he had no involvement in the shooting, no idea what was going on, and that if they have a recording of the shooting it will back this all up. He is happy to admit to attempting to sell fake narcotics, he can't tell them where the money is because he didn't take it or know who did, he can't testify against anybody because he doesn't know who did the shooting, and the most they can do is charge him with a 286B - a three year maximum sentence and a $5000 fine. Landsman, Bunk and McNulty seethe, while Nathan attempts to be harsh by telling Levy that a cop was shot so they'll make sure Savino does every day of the three year sentence. Savino shrugs, saying he can do the years without a problem, and Bunk sarcastically notes he'll still be up 25k after paying the fine before getting up and cuffing an indifferent Savino, whose only show of emotion is a slight smirk after Bunk's sarcastic quip. Levy practically emits rays of smugness in McNulty's direction as he grunts,"Nicely done," as he once did to Stringer Bell - McNulty's threats have accomplished nothing, even Savino's arrest is a hollow victory - the ASA had hoped to get the identities of the shooters from him and an agreement to testify for witness protection, but what deal could they offer him better than what the Barksdales can - three short years for his involvement in killing a cop? You can see why the police might feel justified in their beatings. Bubbles retuns to the Towers, clearly uncomfortable, spotted by Poot who clearly notes something wrong about his presence - he's too edgy, and most of all he's too clean. Poot is being particularly attentive because he's not using the phone, he's there to collect a Tower Stash re-up to run down to The Pit, unaware that Herc is taking a photo of him as he does. He returns to The Pit, taking the re-up to their stash while D'Angelo and Bodie discuss the revelation that Orlando is dead and that is the source of all the recent chaos. Savino has been arrested, Little Man has "disappeared", Stinkum and Orlando are dead (Bey has to tell Bodie who Orlando was, there's no reason Bodie would ever have met him/known who he was otherwise) and Bodie notes that there may be some "cleaning up" to be done over this mess. D'Angelo agrees, you can't just shoot a police officer, and Bodie notes (with alarming frankness) that Avon gets crazy when dumb stuff like that happens and people pay for it with their lives. A stranger runs up, raising both their suspicions, but he's just a messenger, reporting to D'Angelo (whom he doesn't know by face) that he has to go and meet Stringer. The message hasn't come over the pager for D to get in contact with Stringer, which is odd, but Bodie notes that this is probably a promotion call... unless they're taking HIM out with the other trash they're clearing out. D'Angelo isn't amused, but heads off, when Stringer summons, you go. Daniels is giving a progress report on Kima to the Detail. There are indications of partial paralysis, which they are hoping will go away, but there is no way to know. Prez complains about Homicide's lack of progress, irritating Santangelo who has firsthand experience with the difficulty of working a homicide investigation. Daniels has more bad news, explaining the plans to raid known drug locations across the city, which they will also be taking a part in. McNulty, more subdued than normal, starts to complain but is cut off by a surprise revelation - Daniels is holding back the location of the main stash house from everybody outside of the Detail, they're going to use that to continue building their case against Avon, and give up everything else as part of the Commissioner's PR exercise. His reasoning makes sense even though it is insubordinate - if they are too on the bullseye in regards to their raids, Avon is going to know that they're getting inside information from somewhere and it will wreck their case. Freamon explains they have two alternate locations to hide the lack of a main stash, and the best bit for a good raid comes from Herc, who gets to be the one who hands out the information for a change. Showing them photos, he explains that the Towers have a stash house that provides re-ups to the Low Rises, though they maintain discipline by changing up the apartment AND the floor frequently. But they have that covered too, they'll be keeping an eye on the Towers for the stash location, with an open line to the Duty Judge who can orally amend the warrant. They'll be doing the raid at 11am tomorrow morning, so the Detail is going to spend the REST of the day writing up the paperwork for the huge amount of raids they'll be taking part in. At Orlando's, D arrives confused that the club is closed. Wee-Bey is waiting by the bar, and Stringer simply informs him that he is going with Bey before throwing the car keys to Bey and telling him to keep it clean and make no mistakes. Bey leaves, Stringer taking some aspirin (it's been a stressful time for him too!) while a confused D'Angelo asks what is going on, and Stringer offers no explanation, just asking him what the gently caress he is waiting for. At the Detail, as the detectives type up their paperwork, IID Commander Major Reed (the Angel of Death) arrives and strides directly into Daniels' office. Within a few moments, he is roaring at Daniels to stop bullshitting him and then storms out. Confused, McNulty and Freamon head into Daniels' office and learn that Reed somehow knew they were on the Main Stash but not sharing it, and an angry Freamon goes through the various times that Deputy has known what is going on inside the Detail - there is a rat in the Detail. Furious, McNulty storms out, while Daniels notes to Freamon that when the Detail started, HE was the direct channel to the Deputy Ops. Freamon agrees, but the Deputy lost him, and so he found somebody else to be his conduit... the question is who? We already know Santangelo admitted to McNulty he was reporting to Rawls, but who is reporting to Burrell?  At a political fundraise, McNulty finds Judge Phelan cracking jokes with other dignitaries and asks to talk. Phelan is clearly not pleased to see McNulty but joins him, learning that Burrell is ordering the citywide raids and is forcing them to include the main stash house, which will severely impact their case. Why? For the photo-op/PR coup of showing lots of dope on the table and make everybody feel good about Kima getting shot. He asks Phelan to rip Burrell a new one, and Phelan.... hesitates. McNulty is confused, then finally takes note of his surroundings and the ticket graphic for the Democratic Judges' Ticket - Phelan is back on it. Phelan tries to laugh it off, saying they were just dicking him around, it was simple politics to get concessions from the State Governor and once they got them, they put Phelan back on.... and it's not quite clear that he doesn't want to rock the boat and risk being taken off of it again. McNulty flat out asks him to help him, telling him he needs him, but Phelan can't... or rather, he won't. Sarcastically, McNulty asks who his Daddy is now (throwing Phelan's line from an earlier episode back in his face) and leaves. A clearly uncomfortable D'Angelo drives Wee-Bey, who is mumbling that he doesn't question orders, he just does what he's told.... it's nothing personal. This is exactly the worst thing you want to hear from a hitman like Wee-Bey, and when D'Angelo tries to speak, Bey interrupts to note that now he has to deal with "this crazy poo poo" before telling him to pull into an alley. D does, but stops right in the mouth, not wanting to move any further up into an alleyway much like the one Orlando was recently killed in. What is D'Angelo thinking? Orlando went to him looking for support for his drug dealing aspirations... did he tell Avon too late? Did he make a mistake by telling Wee-Bey, Stinkum and Savino? Is he going to share in Orlando's fate? Bey snaps at him to keep driving and D does, finally pulling up at the back of a house. Bey gets out and checks the gun in his belt, noticing that D'Angelo isn't leaving the car and telling him to hurry up. As D'Angelo comes out he tries to talk to Bey who just shoves him forward by the shoulder, telling him they don't have all night. D'Angelo clearly feels he is about to die, but his fight or flight instinct isn't kicking in, his disbelief is warring with his preservation instinct, and so he continues on forward even though everything is screaming,"YOU ARE ABOUT TO DIE! YOU ARE ABOUT TO DIE!" Bey unlocks the door and heads inside, turning and insisting they D'Angelo enter, giving him an exasperated look as he passes, grunting at him to continue on deeper into the darkness of the house, shaking his head like he can't believe this rear end in a top hat is making things so difficult. D'Angelo enters the darkness and stands miserably in the center of the room, shoulders hunched, eyes scrunched shut, waiting for the blow that will end it all, going meekly to his death. Bey follows him into the room and... turns on the light, proudly showing off his collection of fish, tanks set up all around the room and in the walls, brightly lit and obviously beloved.   As D'Angelo stands gaping, Wee-Bey the Barksdale Enforcer and Hitman who has survived two encounters with the legendary Omar gleefully shows off his fish, telling D their names, giving them personalities and explaining how to care for them. "See, they ain't no problem. Just beautiful as hell, D," he says. This is a man who has no problem with murder, who can casually dump the body of a dead stripper into a dumpster, but who also takes great pleasure in the beauty of a well-tended fish tank. He has laid out the foods of all the different fish next to their tanks, and all D needs to do is drop a couple of pinches into their tanks each day. He heads upstairs to pack, and D - still confused but no longer fearing imminent death - asks again what the hell is going on. Wee-Bey clearly thinks D'Angelo is entirely up to speed and with some exasparation explains they're going to Philly - he has to get out of the city. D'Angelo is still confused, and Bey lays it out as clearly as he can - they shot a narcotics officer. While Levy and Savino have made it seem like a joke, Avon, Stringer and Wee-Bey know better - this is a huge deal. Cheryl sits in her and Kima's apartment on the couch, alone, listening to music and trying to hold herself together. She notices the stain that Kima put in the couch with her marker, reaches out to touch it and then bursts into tears. The next day, the Detail is gearing up for the raids while Bubbles lays out what he has gleaned from the streets. Savino, Little Man and Wee-Bey are nowhere to be seen, and D'Angelo Barksdale is out of sight as well. McNulty is on the phone with Bunk, passing on this information, which matches up with everything they've picked up too - they're discounted D'Angelo, but are sure that Savino, Little Man and Wee-Bey were all involved, and McNulty is convinced that Bey and Little Man were the shooters. Bunk agrees, but they need Kima to wake up and confirm it. McNulty hangs up and tells Bubble he did good, and Bubbles smiles but tries to explain his situation is different now. McNulty isn't listening though, the raids are about to begin and he has to leave, telling Bubbles that Prez will make sure he gets back downtown. They all leave, with Bubbles left behind sitting in his chair, unrolling the thing he has been holding in his hand the entire time - the $20 that McNulty gave him. He managed to go down into the Towers and stay clean.... for today, at least.  On cue across the city, at every location known to police, raids are carried out on drug houses, including the Barksdales' main stash house. McNulty is along for the ride this time, his assertions from earlier episodes that he wouldn't help gently caress over their case has gone. Perhaps because of his residual guilt over Kima's shooting, maybe because he knows Daniels tried to do the "right" thing this time, but whatever the case he's there with everyone else in kevlar, helping tear the place apart as they search for drugs and money. At first there is nothing, but then results start to mount up - guns, money, drugs, found inside appliances, in pantry shelves, in the lining of couches etc. As everything is bagged and tagged, documented meticulously, Herc and Carver find themselves alone in a room where there is no sign of anything until they realize they haven't looked under the mattress. Flipping it, they find themselves staring at bundles of money, and both share a moment of perfect unspoken communication before they grab a bundle each and stuff is down their kevlar vests - they were falsely accused by Daniels of stealing (they didn't, but only because they knew they'd be caught) and so now they take the moment to enjoy the benefits to go along with the suspicion. Hardly admirable, but understandable. Soon eager photographers are taking photos of tables piled high with drugs, guns and money collected from the raids. Commissioner Frazier, Burrell, Rawls and Foerster arrive in their dress uniforms, where Frazier quietly compliments on Burrell on the excellent "police work" he has done today, before speaking to the gathered press. Daniels, McNulty, Freamon and Prez watch in the basement on an old black and white television, where Commissioner Frazier delivers a brave, determined and defiant speech about taking on drug-dealers, and how when an officer falls in the flight there are others willing to carry the fight to the very doorstep of those responsible - the Detectives have heard enough and walk away, knowing that by engaging in this PR exercise there is a good chance they have just wrecked their chance to "carry the fight to the very doorstep of those responsible". As an added aside, it's interesting to note that on the television screen, the camera quickly zooms in so only the three white police representatives are shown - Burrell might as well not exist.   Prez is listening in on the wire, it's quiet, and nobody is even on the rooftops... nothing is happening. A call pops up, Wallace to Poot, asking where his money is. He can't ask his Grandmother who would try to stop him, so he's asked Poot to send it down. What for? The trip back - Wallace is returning to his Low Rises home. In one of the biggest mistakes of a career riddled with them, Prez marks the call as non-pertinent, not realizing that their key witness against Stringer Bell is returning to the lion's den. And in the hospital, Kima lies attached to machines, showing no progress, no improvement but no decline. In an episode that has been all about her, this is the only shot we see of her in the entire episode, and it takes place right at the end. 
Jerusalem fucked around with this message at 11:28 on Mar 24, 2013 |
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Mar 24, 2013 11:22
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Look at these two images: I think less than a day passes between these two scenes, look at the difference. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Burrell is embracing Daniels, shaking his hand, offering him whatever he wants. And the thing is, it's genuine, it's heartfelt, he truly wants to help and is concerned for Daniels. But in less than a day, everything has already shifted back to politicking, to playing games with perception rather than actually dealing with the issue. Daniels has gone from a comrade in Burrell's eyes to an insubordinate underling. Perhaps some of that is Frazier's fault, he's the one who sends down the "dope on the drat table" edict, and Burrell has come up and succeeded in a department run by Frazier, but it is depressing to see how quickly the genuine cohesion and teamwork of the BPD turns into what is still a coordinated effort, but one done for all the wrong reasons to achieve entirely the wrong goal.
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Mar 24, 2013 11:27
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That episode really, really makes you hate Commissioner Frazier. Over all of the seasons, I never felt that contempt for Burrell, that I did for Frazier in one single episode.
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Mar 24, 2013 15:57
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This is probably one of my favorite images from the wire.
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Mar 24, 2013 17:09
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escape artist posted:Okay, go for it. Sorry for flaking out, as usual. It's not every day you get to see 24 Kurosawa films for free. I'll make a kind of supplemental post to your write-up. Is it the ronin though, or is it more the old west gunslinger (not that the two aren't abundantly connected/similar/Kurosawa films were remade as westerns more than once). Aesthetically it fits too, with the trench cost and shotgun. Maybe you could put into better words yourself because I stayed up last night playing dust and drinking and now my words don't work so well.
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Mar 24, 2013 17:31
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Let's not forget this episode gives us one of the internet's best gifs, the new international shorthand for "oh poo poo":
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Mar 24, 2013 18:08
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SpookyLizard posted:Is it the ronin though, or is it more the old west gunslinger (not that the two aren't abundantly connected/similar/Kurosawa films were remade as westerns more than once). Aesthetically it fits too, with the trench cost and shotgun. Maybe you could put into better words yourself because I stayed up last night playing dust and drinking and now my words don't work so well. Omar definitely embodies a lot of western tropes; the Omar/Mouzone showdown in the cold open of season 3 is very reminiscent of a classic Old West showdown.
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Mar 24, 2013 18:08
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I can't be the only one who was worried about the fate of Weebey's fishies during D'Angelo's downfall. Hopefully they weren't more victims of the system who slipped through the cracksquote:Is it the ronin though, or is it more the old west gunslinger (not that the two aren't abundantly connected/similar/Kurosawa films were remade as westerns more than once). Aesthetically it fits too, with the trench cost and shotgun. Maybe you could put into better words yourself because I stayed up last night playing dust and drinking and now my words don't work so well. I remember seeing in "some interview somewhere" that the actor who played Omar was told to watch and emulate characters from westerns. I've always liked Omar because he reminds me of an old west desperado as well, but like you said, they're very similar character types anyway.
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Mar 24, 2013 18:09
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I would ask why Bey doesn't trust Namond's terrible mother with the fish but the question sort of answers itself.
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Mar 24, 2013 18:12
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As usual, excellent write-up! This is one of my favorite episodes, at least from Season 1, because I think this is the episode that turned Wee-Bey around for me. It's weird to think about how coldly he treated the dead party girl, but when it comes to his fish..."You got Kimmy, Alex, Aubrey and Jezebel in here somewhere. I don't know, she think she cute."
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Mar 24, 2013 18:27
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escape artist posted:That episode really, really makes you hate Commissioner Frazier. Part of that is because you never see more of Frazier, his ups and downs. You see Burrell get hosed over and can empathize with the fact that he's a victim of the system too. But with Frazier and Valchek, all we ever see is rear end in a top hat. Even Rawls gets his sympathetic moment in this one. The Wire isn't a show you generally pick favorite episodes out of, but if I had to this would be the one. It has a beautiful depiction of a crisis moment, showing who's actually got the poo poo to handle a moment, who's lost because they have no experience or training, and who the assholes really are. Rawls, Freamon, Landsman, even Burrell really rise to the moment. Daniels does a good job after he gets his feet under him. Carver, Herc, and Sydnor wallow because they're geared to crack heads and there's no heads to crack, so it takes Freamon to give them some direction. On the rear end in a top hat side you have the DEA guy worrying about his money and McNulty wallowing in self-pity because for the first time in his career the game just got real and hit somebody on his watch. On the other side of things, one that gets me is Little Man. Sent to do a job, does it just a bit overenthusiastically and whoops, you're a liability, fucker. He was a good soldier, just not a good enough soldier. Goes to show that they would've purged him sooner or later.
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Mar 24, 2013 19:18
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| # ? Apr 16, 2024 22:56 |
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Despite having rewatched the show over 4 times or so, I always just want to yell for Wallace's call to get marked pertinent. And it never does  And in many ways, it mirrors how Randy ends up. One little thing makes a whole lot of difference. Marking the call as non-pertinent, letting it slip to Little Kevin that someone told Herc that he was there.
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Mar 24, 2013 19:44
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