The Wire: The Rewatch... and all the pieces matter.

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > TV IV > The Wire: The Rewatch... and all the pieces matter.

Randomly Specific: Sep 23, 2012; My keys are somewhere in there.

cletepurcel posted:

Something I noticed about the last scene with the Greek - he suggests that Frank spend the money on "a new car, a new coat...something you can touch." I don't know if the Greek knew it but its interesting that those are precisely what Ziggy and Nick first bought when they got in business with him. Either way I don't think it's a coincidence.

That is an awesome catch.

I think that final part with Frank and the Greek is where Frank's personality type clicks into place for the Greek. I doubt he's never encountered a righteous crusader before, but it lets him realize just what they're dealing with, which is why he's ready to deal with Frank when the time comes.

# ? May 9, 2013 03:34

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# ? Apr 16, 2024 22:36

ally_1986: Apr 3, 2011; Wait...I had something for this...

chesh posted:

loving Kima laughs it off

While I agree that the way the cops also shrug/laugh/ make light off, is something from our point seems horrible but I do think its kind of the right way to go.

Simon has been in the squad rooms and probably sure this is what it is pretty much like. While it kinda of sucks from a single sitting point of view, you should think of the characters themselves. Their jobs requires that if they take everything seriously your probably going to burn out quick and most people find that by laughing it off they can deal with it better by really not dealing with it. At least they are working to get their wrong doers!

I had a friend who joined the police and lasted about a year before packing it in. I always remember him telling me about the whole induction part and watching CCTV video of people stabbing others and how upset it made him.

# ? May 9, 2013 11:36

ShaneMacGowansTeeth: May 22, 2007; I think this is it... I think this is how it ends

David Simon's going to talk about The War On Drugs at the Royal Institution. If I lived near London, I'd be all over this

# ? May 9, 2013 15:37

the black husserl: Feb 25, 2005

ShaneMacGowansTeeth posted:

David Simon's going to talk about The War On Drugs at the Royal Institution. If I lived near London, I'd be all over this

I've been to a similar version of this talk. It's awesome and depressing.

ally_1986 posted:

Simon has been in the squad rooms and probably sure this is what it is pretty much like. While it kinda of sucks from a single sitting point of view, you should think of the characters themselves. Their jobs requires that if they take everything seriously your probably going to burn out quick and most people find that by laughing it off they can deal with it better by really not dealing with it. At least they are working to get their wrong doers!

No I really disagree. None of the cops in the wire really give a poo poo about the women (the slaves), they're just more stolen property to bust someone over. Their casual dismissiveness is absolutely a part of it.

# ? May 9, 2013 16:24

ChairMaster: Aug 22, 2009; by R. Guyovich

How could they give a poo poo about the dead women on the dock? Who's gonna pay them to start a worldwide investigation into this poo poo? Who's even gonna pay them to investigate it on the local level? Their job is to work on the drug trade in Baltimore and that's what they do. They see this kind of thing all the time, just because there's 15 dead bodies in a shipping can it doesn't make it much worse to them than the 15 dead bodies they see every week or two as a result of the drug war.

# ? May 9, 2013 16:28

Toph Bei Fong: Feb 29, 2008

A depressing amount of gallows humor is almost a requirement for jobs like these. You'll find a similar thing among EMTs, emergency room workers, firefighters, and even some social service workers (only when their clients aren't around, of course). Being confronted with how horrible human beings are to one another on a daily basis, sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying. Doesn't make it right, but it's a reason.

A friend of mine who's a sheriff once, while meeting for breakfast, told me about how happy he was that a body they'd found that morning turned out to be a suicide. He laughed off the deteriorated condition of the body in the river, and seemed happy that he didn't have yet another case to investigate. It gave him the rest of the day off to spend with his kid. I've known him for a long while now, and I'm positive he isn't happy that someone is dead, or that someone led a life that caused them to commit suicide. But at the same time, I can see why he doesn't let himself get too emotionally invested in every case. He gets dead bodies on a weekly basis, and domestic and drug cases even more often than that. No way could he get through the day thinking through the consequences of every case. Again, doesn't make it right. He'd never do it in front of the guy's widow. But since his life is more than just his job, he doesn't bring it home. He laughs it off and lives his life.

# ? May 9, 2013 17:18

Thaddius the Large: Jul 5, 2006; It's in the five-hole!

Spoilers Below posted:

A depressing amount of gallows humor is almost a requirement for jobs like these. You'll find a similar thing among EMTs, emergency room workers, firefighters, and even some social service workers (only when their clients aren't around, of course). Being confronted with how horrible human beings are to one another on a daily basis, sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying. Doesn't make it right, but it's a reason.

A friend of mine who's a sheriff once, while meeting for breakfast, told me about how happy he was that a body they'd found that morning turned out to be a suicide. He laughed off the deteriorated condition of the body in the river, and seemed happy that he didn't have yet another case to investigate. It gave him the rest of the day off to spend with his kid. I've known him for a long while now, and I'm positive he isn't happy that someone is dead, or that someone led a life that caused them to commit suicide. But at the same time, I can see why he doesn't let himself get too emotionally invested in every case. He gets dead bodies on a weekly basis, and domestic and drug cases even more often than that. No way could he get through the day thinking through the consequences of every case. Again, doesn't make it right. He'd never do it in front of the guy's widow. But since his life is more than just his job, he doesn't bring it home. He laughs it off and lives his life.

Fully agree, I work with SED diagnosed (Serious Emotional Disturbance) low income kids, and while we're all very passionate about our kids and the work we do, you also have to learn to laugh at some pretty hosed up stuff, or it'll eat you alive. Some of it is run of the mill mental health work, having to restrain a kid while he's trying to smear feces on you, then approaching him the next day with a big smile and ready to start anew. Others are the really soul-crushing cases, I had one girl who was sexually abused by multiple family members for years, all of which was video taped and sold for drugs; she was finally removed at age 11, but her dad got off on a technicality, and now that she's 18 she's perfectly up front about her intent to go back and live with him, because she was so conditioned she doesn't see anything wrong with what he did. And yet now I don't bat an eye at any horrible jokes on that front, possibly because I'm desensitized/a horrible human being, but also I accept that while of course I never want bad things to happen to kids, I have to be able to embrace that side of things, otherwise it just gets too grim. I found the squad's reaction fairly ironic, but neither surprising not out of place.

# ? May 9, 2013 18:37

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Spoilers Below posted:

A depressing amount of gallows humor is almost a requirement for jobs like these. You'll find a similar thing among EMTs, emergency room workers, firefighters, and even some social service workers (only when their clients aren't around, of course). Being confronted with how horrible human beings are to one another on a daily basis, sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying. Doesn't make it right, but it's a reason.

A friend of mine who's a sheriff once, while meeting for breakfast, told me about how happy he was that a body they'd found that morning turned out to be a suicide. He laughed off the deteriorated condition of the body in the river, and seemed happy that he didn't have yet another case to investigate. It gave him the rest of the day off to spend with his kid. I've known him for a long while now, and I'm positive he isn't happy that someone is dead, or that someone led a life that caused them to commit suicide. But at the same time, I can see why he doesn't let himself get too emotionally invested in every case. He gets dead bodies on a weekly basis, and domestic and drug cases even more often than that. No way could he get through the day thinking through the consequences of every case. Again, doesn't make it right. He'd never do it in front of the guy's widow. But since his life is more than just his job, he doesn't bring it home. He laughs it off and lives his life.

This is actually a key theme in the show too. Despite her progress as a detective, Beadie returns to the punch-clock dock beat at the end of the season; while this may or may not have been her choice (and it probably was the only realistic path in any case), her reaction at Frank's death is more compassionate than any other cops reaction we see to someone's death. I've always gotten the implication that she could not have lasted that way; she would have burned out, thus, her returning to the docks isn't necessarily that sad an ending. This idea is also reflected in how Prez is warned by the assistant principal about taking a deep personal interest in every troubled kid, and how McNulty and others really don't care that much about the victims as much as proving how smart they are. (Other guys like Bunk are a bit more compassionate but they never let it affect their job-life balance.) With regards to the dead women, I'm not saying that what Jerusalem argues about the apathy displayed is wrong, just that it reflects more than that.

That sheriff story reminds me of Bunny at the start of season 3, where his burnout is reflected in how the only silver lining in his day comes because Dozerman doesn't die after being shot.

grading essays nude fucked around with this message at 18:54 on May 9, 2013

# ? May 9, 2013 18:49

Randomly Specific: Sep 23, 2012; My keys are somewhere in there.

It's the quandary of thinking too much.

The effective, low-key members of the force are the ones who don't think about it too much. Bunk is the prime example- catch a body, chase the case, turn red to black. Don't give a gently caress when it's not your turn to give a gently caress.

Daniels was like that, but he was close enough to the edge that he let McNulty drag him over the edge. Then he got his hopes up with Carcetti and that was the end of him.

Kima is the Bunk-in-training, she'll probably be able to avoid it. Freamon managed to put it away while he was on pawn shop, but when he got reintroduced to the addiction that was the end of him. Sydnor of course is heading that way. Carver probably will get done in the same way.

The only way to stay sane with that sort of thing is to just let it roll off. I can actually get the way the squad treats it, I get more pissed at the institutional take on the slave trade than I do the MCU- they're cultivated to chase drugs above all else.

Care too much and you lose your ability to function and then you're useless. Or you end up obsessing like McNulty and Freamon and going out in a blaze of destructive glory.

# ? May 9, 2013 22:05

Jerusalem: May 20, 2004; Would you be my new best friends?

I certainly understand and in many ways agree with the need to be detached from the horrors of what they deal with on a daily basis, but I do think that the sex slavery aspect really is treated as something naturally less important/concerned, and quite deliberately so by the show's writers.

Even the jaded narcotics and homicide detectives will agree at the base level that "Murder/Drugs are bad and need to be stopped" even if they keep themselves detached and have a level of gallows humor about the whole thing, but the sex slaves are treated like any other prostitute* even after it's been expressly stated that many of them were brought over to the country under false pretenses with assurances they had jobs as secretaries lined up. The detectives are joking around even when they know the women are constantly under guard and the threat of acts of violence for not complying with their captors, and the men who make use of the women's bodies are let go with a joke (as in Mr. Johnson) or a flustered contempt (as in the crew of the Atlantic Light, who all took turns using those women onboard ship even if they weren't the ones who deliberately crushed the air pipe), while the women themselves are imprisoned and deported as if they are responsible perpetrators of crime as opposed to victims of it.

The upcoming episode where McNulty is discovered during the brothel bust having sex with two of the sex slaves because "they forced him" is played for laughs, but these women were all over him because if they didn't keep the John happy then their lives were in serious danger. There are times when inappropriate gallows humor is "appropriate" and I don't doubt the attitude expressed in the show isn't a common one in real life too (which is why it's in the show), but it speaks to a serious issue about the way people in society dismiss what is a serious and appalling ongoing crime.

* And course, many prostitutes are victims themselves who are forced into their lives by a wide range of circumstances, including drug addiction but also abuse, poverty and other societal ills but are then punished all out of proportion to the users/demanders of their "product".

# ? May 9, 2013 22:44

chesh: Apr 19, 2004; That was terrible.

Jerusalem posted:

I certainly understand and in many ways agree with the need to be detached from the horrors of what they deal with on a daily basis, but I do think that the sex slavery aspect really is treated as something naturally less important/concerned, and quite deliberately so by the show's writers.

It's actually reinforced that it's treated as something less important in the law. Remember, Pearlman says they can't wire tap someone for prostitution, they have to bring in the drugs.

# ? May 9, 2013 23:03

Randomly Specific: Sep 23, 2012; My keys are somewhere in there.

Jerusalem posted:

I certainly understand and in many ways agree with the need to be detached from the horrors of what they deal with on a daily basis, but I do think that the sex slavery aspect really is treated as something naturally less important/concerned, and quite deliberately so by the show's writers.

Even the jaded narcotics and homicide detectives will agree at the base level that "Murder/Drugs are bad and need to be stopped" even if they keep themselves detached and have a level of gallows humor about the whole thing, but the sex slaves are treated like any other prostitute* even after it's been expressly stated that many of them were brought over to the country under false pretenses with assurances they had jobs as secretaries lined up. The detectives are joking around even when they know the women are constantly under guard and the threat of acts of violence for not complying with their captors, and the men who make use of the women's bodies are let go with a joke (as in Mr. Johnson) or a flustered contempt (as in the crew of the Atlantic Light, who all took turns using those women onboard ship even if they weren't the ones who deliberately crushed the air pipe), while the women themselves are imprisoned and deported as if they are responsible perpetrators of crime as opposed to victims of it.

The upcoming episode where McNulty is discovered during the brothel bust having sex with two of the sex slaves because "they forced him" is played for laughs, but these women were all over him because if they didn't keep the John happy then their lives were in serious danger. There are times when inappropriate gallows humor is "appropriate" and I don't doubt the attitude expressed in the show isn't a common one in real life too (which is why it's in the show), but it speaks to a serious issue about the way people in society dismiss what is a serious and appalling ongoing crime.

* And course, many prostitutes are victims themselves who are forced into their lives by a wide range of circumstances, including drug addiction but also abuse, poverty and other societal ills but are then punished all out of proportion to the users/demanders of their "product".

Oh yeah, I was beating the drum on this for some time now, vis a vis how it's portrayed in The Wire.

(I let off because I figured I was getting tiresome.)

Believe me, I wholeheartedly agree with you, and the whole 'Takes a whore to catch a whore' thing wasn't even a line I noticed until you mentioned it in your recap.

# ? May 10, 2013 01:44

chesh: Apr 19, 2004; That was terrible.

Just finished s2e9, which I love for a few reasons:

1) Jimmy takes the undercover name of James Cromwell. My name is Cromwell! In Baltimore, there is a Cromwell Bridge and every time I go to visit my parents I get surly and yell at all the other cars to GET OFF MY BRIDGE.

2) Bunny makes his first appearance.

3) Bodie demanding "Which gun???"

4) Valcheck's angry at the case going beyond Sobotka.

5) I guess I never realized how like Ray from Generation Kill Ziggy is. Like, I thought GK was showing him in a whole new light, but really it's the same character in two different scenarios.

6) The beginning of Brother Mouzone.

# ? May 13, 2013 02:06

isk: Oct 3, 2007; You don't want me owing you

chesh posted:

5) I guess I never realized how like Ray from Generation Kill Ziggy is. Like, I thought GK was showing him in a whole new light, but really it's the same character in two different scenarios.

That's the dream so many of us have. Ziggy gets some info on a far worse crime, turns informant and gets out on it, then gets his poo poo together and joins Force Recon - before mustering out, moving to New York, and working the line at David Chang's joint in Treme.

# ? May 13, 2013 02:55

DarkCrawler: Apr 6, 2009; by vyelkin

chesh posted:

3) Bodie demanding "Which gun???"

I love this scene. Bodie really transformed during the course of the show, he might have ended up somewhere higher if he hadn't stepped to Marlo. He wasn't a sociopath like a lot of the other characters but he was pretty smart and hard as hell by the end and different from the dumb kid he was in the first episode.

chesh posted:

5) I guess I never realized how like Ray from Generation Kill Ziggy is. Like, I thought GK was showing him in a whole new light, but really it's the same character in two different scenarios.

Except that Ray is a competent fucker who actually does his job without any bullshit involved, fits perfectly to the world around him and those around him laugh with him as opposed to at him. They have similar personalities but are complete opposites to how their interactions with their surroundings end up.

DarkCrawler fucked around with this message at 14:06 on May 13, 2013

# ? May 13, 2013 14:04

chesh: Apr 19, 2004; That was terrible.

DarkCrawler posted:

Except that Ray is a competent fucker who actually does his job without any bullshit involved, fits perfectly to the world around him and those around him laugh with him as opposed to at him. They have similar personalities but are complete opposites to how their interactions with their surroundings end up.

Fair point.

# ? May 13, 2013 14:46

SpookyLizard: Feb 17, 2009

Ray is like Ziggy if Ziggy had found a place that he actually fit into.

# ? May 13, 2013 16:11

Frostwerks: Sep 24, 2007; by Lowtax

Considering Ziggy couldn't fit into a pringles can I'm not surprise he was always left out.

# ? May 13, 2013 23:41

Ainsley McTree: Feb 19, 2004

Frostwerks posted:

Considering Ziggy couldn't fit into a pringles can I'm not surprise he was always left out.

To be fair, not many people could fit into a pringles can.

Unless you're making a joke about his massive dong, in which case that was pretty good

# ? May 14, 2013 00:13

Jerusalem: May 20, 2004; Would you be my new best friends?

Sorry for an overdue new write-up, I'll have one up early tomorrow, the last week has been pretty hectic.

# ? May 14, 2013 00:25

escape artist: Sep 24, 2005; Slow train coming

Jerusalem posted:

Sorry for an overdue new write-up, I'll have one up early tomorrow, the last week has been pretty hectic.

Lazy!

# ? May 14, 2013 00:29

Jerusalem: May 20, 2004; Would you be my new best friends?

escape artist posted:

Lazy!

I've been stuck on top of a shipping can for the last week... I got some bad advice t :mad:

# ? May 14, 2013 03:13

Jerusalem: May 20, 2004; Would you be my new best friends?

Season 2, Episode 9 - Stray Rounds

The Greek posted:

The world is a smaller place now.

Bodie and his crew are working their new corner, the Towers and Low Rises abandoned as dead markets. A white customer pulls up in his car, confused by the change in name of the product from Bin Ladens to WMDs.* As the crew sells their inferior product, making noises about how great it is to customers who are soon to find themselves ripped off, a mother watches Poot work in an alleyway from her window and hurries her kids up to prepare to go to school. Elsewhere, the crew who were run off in the previous episode are regathering for war, children among them, bringing guns with them this time. A boy on a bike gives warning as they approach and Bodie and Poot grab guns, the rest of their crew having to make do with baseball bats, and the firing starts wildly, everyone shooting blindly, running and not looking as they throw their arms out and pull the trigger without aiming. Bullets fly everywhere, the mother in the house grabbing her young daughter and rushing upstairs to the bathroom, yelling for her son to keep down on the floor and demanding he answer her. Bodie's crew is getting the worse of it by far, the other crew taunting him for "hiding" as he tries to reload his gun with a spare clip kept in his sock. The sound of sirens and the cries of "ONE TIME!" (police who only show up for a particular incident and aren't regular fixtures down on the corners) means that things have to break off without a clear resolution though, as everybody makes a run for it. Soon the streets are empty, the police arriving and quickly moving on in search of suspects (which probably means any young black male they spot), leaving the street to deal with the aftermath. The mother gets out of the bathtub with her child, the quickness of her initial response and businesslike calm now indicating that this is not the first time she has been on the periphery of gun violence in her neighborhood and calls out to her boy to get ready for school, but he doesn't answer. Irritated with T.T for not answering when the "drama" is clearly over, she heads into his room.... and wails with horror to see him lying dead on the floor in a pool of his own blood, the victim of stray rounds.

* This episode aired the same year that George W. Bush shifted the War on Terror from Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan to Saddam Hussein and his "Weapons of Mass Destruction" in Iraq. Bodie notes that it's the same poo poo, just under a different name.

At the Detail Office, Daniels, Beadie, Freamon, Bunk and McNulty are lamenting the obvious - the smugglers are changing things up. The wiretap on Pyramid's warehouse only two days ago was getting coded but obvious requests for drug-pickups, but now they're picking up a businesslike receptionist who wasn't there before, telling those who call in search of particular items of "furniture" that they no longer carry that stock. Belatedly the detectives - apart from Beadie - have realized that the second can was a test, and once they explain it to her she blames herself, she was the one who picked up the second can. All is not lost however, obviously the smugglers don't know just how deep they've already penetrated, because they haven't shut up shop and moved away, they're just sitting quietly hoping to wait the police out. Daniels notes that he himself is a patient motherfucker.

Herc and Carver are not. Watching Pyramid from across the road in another empty building, they're getting on each other's nerves. Herc claims that they've been there so long that Carver is starting to look good to him while Carver is snappy about Herc wasting film on useless shots of the same old thing - the warehouse and the guys milling aimlessly about outside it. The lack of action is infuriating to them, complaining that the drugs go in so they have to come out... so what the gently caress?

At the now abandoned drug corner, police are crawling all over the place within the taped off crime scene (taking up a large section of the block), and a soon to be pivotal figure makes his first appearance - Major Howard "Bunny" Colvin, Commander in the Western District. Rawls, overseeing the scene because of the PR nightmare of a child being shot, checks his watch and quips that the killing of a 9-year-old would normally have gotten the District Commander onto the scene within minutes. Colvin is unimpressed and unintimidated by Rawls, he was down in D.C with Commissioner Burrell visiting the Department of Justice for Grant money when the call came through and he returned to Baltimore as soon as he could. Ed Norris is the lead detective and Colvin is shadowed by his Lieutenant Dennis Mello. A fun fact about those two is that Norris is played by Ed Norris, a real life former Police Commissioner, and Mello is played by the real life Jay Landsman - a man who once excused his tardiness in getting to work by writing a memo explaining that a U-Boat was blocking the exit to his driveway. Rawls tells Colvin to get his tactical people to sweep up every dealer on every corner, and Colvin scoffs, saying its pointless. Rawls thinks he is complaining about the strategy and defends it - jack up enough shitbirds and the shooter will fall out - but Colvin didn't mean that, he was talking about everything. He complains that the war on drugs is just sweeping everything from one corner to the other and back again, and Rawls' fallback is to instruct him to sweep those corners, because it'll make him (Colvin) feel better.

The War On Drugs - We Do It Because It Makes Us Feel Better.

Bodie is also meeting with a superior, though he fears Stringer Bell far more than Colvin fears Rawls. He's struggling to explain his part in the messy and noisy shootout that happened earlier in the day, stumbling through an explanation involving WorldCom and the name change-up. Stringer coldly points out he talked about changing the name, not taking over corners and getting into shoot-outs, and a chastened Bodie explains that they've made so many name-changes on the same product that the junkies have stopped coming to the Low Rises and the Towers to get high, not quite articulate enough to explain that the junkies went where the superior product was and created a new marketplace, and the old dealers had no choice but to follow suit and go where the market was. Stringer points out that the shooting of a child means that the police HAVE to bust heads, which means that they have to shut down all their business until things blow over, which means NOBODY is making any money now, and Bodie clearly knows he's hosed up. Bodie was always borderline to outright disrespectful of D'Angelo but he holds Stringer in high regard, craves his approval and attention and is horrified at the idea of disappointing him or making him angry. He doesn't lie and admits he isn't sure whose gun killed T.T, but is sure that it wesn't any of theirs, claiming "those other niggas were going wild!" He stands up and joins Stringer in the middle of the room, where Stringer lays down some wisdom to somebody who might actually listen for a change - the game is more than the rep he carries or the corner he holds, he understands the need to be fierce and the place that has, but there needs to be flex, too, give and take on both sides. Bodie takes it in and Stringer tells him to get with Shamrock and dump all the guns used by their crew in the shooting, not just in a storm drain but out into the ocean. Shamrock and a driver take Bodie to the Hanover Street bridge to dump the guns, Bodie meticulously wiping every surface before popping them into a gym bag and tossing it over the side. They just keep on driving, not stopping to allow anyone the chance to take note of them... and thus fail to notice the gum bag land on a barge passing underneath the bridge at just that inopportune time.

Consider for a moment Stringer talking about the need for "flex", and compare that against Butchie's comment to Shamrock that Avon "has no flex". We'll see this come up more this season and especially the next, the growing distinction between Stringer's way of doing things and Avon's way of doing things, with plenty of discussion to come on the merits and problems of both.

At the diner, Vondas and Eton meet with Nick to discuss business. Vondas makes nice about Frank's paranoia, saying it makes sense to test things out so they won't be smuggling anything for a little while, just continuing to send out containers of actual goods to see if the police bite. On Nick's personal side of things, he needs a re-up on his package, and Vondas tells him that he shouldn't come to them any more for this. Why not? Vondas smiles and kindly explains that they are more wholesalers, and a sheepish Nick admits that he is smalltime, realizing the absurdity of coming to them for such relatively small packages. Again Vondas is kind, assuring Nick that he's not so big but he is still amongst friends, and Eton gives him the number of his new connection, surprising Nick who recognizes the name - Mike McArdle, White Mike from Curtis Point who he went to High School with. Vondas is surprised they know each other but says that Mike knows that Nick comes from them, so he will be treated right, and Eton passes over the numbers of two new shipping cans coming in. They're filled with nothing incriminating, they'll be a further decoy run so they can establish if the police are watching or not. Nick leaves and Vondas confirms with Eton that their "customers" have the new number to reach them for filling orders, then reveals some of his true feelings in regards to his nice, kind words to Nick - he thinks that Frank's paranoia is bullshit, the police clearly aren't onto them or they would have taken some of the decoy bait already.

At the Towers and the Low Rises, people are hanging out joking about - maybe some are dealers, maybe not - when the familiar cry of 5-0! rings out. People prepare to clear out, but the police aren't loving around this time or targeting a single person or crew. Every black male is grabbed and thrown to the ground, placed under arrest simply for being there. When one man complains an officer demands to know what he was doing in the Pit, and he makes the mistake of mouthing off, claiming he was just saying no to drugs. The officer quips that this isn't enough, he has to say "no thanks", and the hapless man and everybody else are bundled into wagons, watched in the rain by children who are getting a first hand lesson in why they shouldn't ever trust police officers - like in Iraq, they're not greeting the invaders as liberators. Colvin watches from the sidelines in disgust, joined by Mello who notes it is a shame it took the death of a child for them to finally get around to doing this. Colvin doesn't take such a shallow view though, asking just what in the hell it is they ARE doing?

At John's Radio and Television, Proposition Joe is commenting wryly on Stringer's problems in the wake of T.T's death, and jokes that it's a good day to be an East Side Nigga. Stringer notes that he won't have these problems if he takes up Joe on his proposition - if he has high quality product then his crews can sell quietly, not scuffling amongst themselves or trying to take other people's corners, just selling and making money. Intrigued, Joe asks if Stringer - who is West Side - has ever heard of Charlie Sollers, and he hasn't. A pleased Joe educates Stringer, Charlie dealt dope back in the 1960s at Franklin and Fremont, selling heroin like it was water. Stringer wracks his brain, but he's never heard of him, and a delighted Joe explains that this is his point, NOBODY knows about Charlie Sollers, nobody on the street, no police, no rival dealer, not even the stick-up boys. Sollers kept his profile low, he had no street rep, didn't get violent, all he did was sell heroin. He bout for a dollar and sold for two, nobody ever knew him and he made himself rich in his anonymity. Joe agrees that sometimes it IS necessary to use a gun, to use violence and murder, but he sees it as a last resort for when your back is against the wall. The problem is so many people make it a way of life when it isn't necessary, and points out that Avon is a soldier, somebody you need when poo poo is going bad but who just gets in the way during peacetime. Stringer considers this indictment of his best friend and comes to a momentous decision - he is going to buy his drugs from Proposition Joe at the same price that Joe buys it from HIS supplier. To make up for this lack of profit, Stringer is going to give Joe three of the six towers to use as territory for his own dealers - 734, 770 and 221. Joe is pleased, but how will Avon take this news? Stringer, proving that he doesn't understand Avon as well as he thinks he does, is convinced that once Avon sees how well the deal is working out, he'll have no choice but to see reason. Joe keeps his own counsel on that.

Ziggy and his duck are hanging out by a chain link fence surrounding cars down near the docks. The duck quacks, and Ziggy retorts,"No poo poo."

At Delores' later that night, the duck drinks out of his bowl while Ziggy and Johnny 50 drink beers. Ziggly grumpily complains that he's no longer working with Nick, claiming that this is drug money and drugs are bad! Johnny incredulously notes that Ziggy has spent the last year loving around dealing drugs and Ziggy complains that a man can grow, besides which he's got himself a plan that will make the drugs look like nothing. Johnny (who should know better) is intrigued, probably in no small part since he didn't allow himself to get caught up in the drugs with Nick when they pulled the chemicals heist, and lets Ziggy talk him into helping him out. New Charles - injured horribly a couple of episodes back - returns, cracking a joke about giving his right leg for a shot and a beer, and everybody applauds as he uses his crutches to get to the bar. Chess is delighted to hear that Nat Coxson hooked him up with a decent lawyer through the union, and Charlie notices the duck for the first time. They joke with Charles that he'll need a new nickname since he only has one leg now, and they crack themselves up with suggestions till Ziggy comes up with Tilt. Delores slips Charles' money back in his pocket, his drinks are on the house, and he knocks back a shot happily, telling Ziggy he likes the sound of Tilt.

At the Detail Office, McNulty makes another call to Connections but this time he finds himself facing an unexpected interrogation. While Pearlman and Greggs watch unimpressed, he fumbles his way through protesting he's not a police officer and struggles to come up with an occupation and a place of residence, lamely suggesting he's a traveling salesman who travels and... uhhh... and he's not going to tell her where he lives.... out of town? "Eve" hangs up on him, saying they won't be able to help him, and he complains to Pearlman and Greggs that he wasn't expecting interrogation, he's supposed to be a guy who just wants to get laid. The way Pearlman rolls her eyes suggests he can forget anything like that happening tonight.

Outside Delores', Ziggy is in a terrible state, pacing back and forth, clenching his teeth and fighting back tears, holding his duck's leash in his hands. Nick arrives and says a casually offensive hello, and Ziggy pops him right in the jaw. More surprised than hurt, Nick grabs Ziggy tight when he comes flying and flailing at him, pinning him in place and demanding to know what's wrong with him. Ziggy finally pulls free and staggers on into the night, a confused Nick heading inside Delores' which has an unusually somber atmosphere. He asks Delores what Ziggy's problem is and she snaps that she doesn't want to talk about that rear end in a top hat, nodding in the direction of the pool table. The duck is lying dead on the felt, and Chess explains that it drank itself to death. Ott complains that Ziggy was an idiot to let the duck drink in the first place, and a very drunk La-La says the thing couldn't hold its liquor anyway before spilling his own beer. All three of them were active participants in encouraging and enjoying watching the duck drink, as was Delores herself, but now that it is dead their recriminations come out, and Ziggy is the one treated as the idiot and the fool for doing what they all enjoyed seeing. Ziggy WAS stupid, there's no doubt, but he's hardly alone in the blame.

The next day, the Detail is trying to figure out a new way to deal with the brick wall they've come up against. Going back over the few calls they got into Pyramid before it closed up right, they easily crack the code of Lazy Boys and Davinas as indicating heroin and cocaine respectively. The numbers being dealt with were always whole numbers, and they dismiss the notion it could be ounces since Proposition Joe wouldn't go to so much trouble for drugs that would barely make it through a single morning in his East Side territory. Belatedly they realize that the numbers were kilos, and that Pyramid is the main stash - they're sitting on a MASSIVE drugs stockpile. Now the reason for Herc and Carver's long vigil is revealed, what happened at that warehouse while they were watching? Did any trucks come out? The answer is no, but cars did come and go, driven by nobodies, none of the heavy hitters they saw arriving before the shut-down. Clearly the last shipment was sent out in the back of cars instead of vans or trucks, but now they know the location of the main stash they need to get access to it again, and that means finding a new number. Pearlman has good news here, the Probable Cause that got them the first number will apply to the new one as well, so it's just a matter of getting the number. No new telephone lines have been put in, which means they're probably using a cellphone, and since they have Sergei's cell they can probably get Pyramid's new number from that. Seeing fresh traction, Daniels hands out assignments - Beadie, Bunk, Freamon and Prez will work shifts on the wiretap room, while Herc and Carver - much to their chagrin - are back watching the warehouse. Greggs and McNulty are working the brothel, but McNulty has hit a roadblock there so they'll need to work out a new strategy. Nobody has any questions so Daniels returns to his office and everybody else gets to work on their new assignments except for Freamon, who stops to ask McNulty how he handled things with Connections. He immediately picks up on why his traveling salesman act failed, saying that the best way to allay suspicion is to be from as far away as possible, and asks if McNulty can do any accents, like British or Irish or Scottish? McNulty - played by Dominic West, a British actor putting on an American accent - delivers an incredibly bad English accent which cracks Freamon and Greggs up, and Freamon tells him to work on it some more.

Vondas is receiving some troubling news from Eton, the Colombians they are dealing with have paid only $200,000 of the $800,000 they owe, and have said they will only pay another 200k more... and that only when their shipment has cleared the docks. Vondas is a thoughtful man, not quick to anger, and he carefully considers as he smokes his cigarette, asking pertinent questions. Were the Colombians happy with the chemicals that were sent to them (presumably what Nick stole for Vondas)? Eton says they were, and that they want more. Are the Colombians aware that The Greek can GUARANTEE the shipment will clear Customs? Again, they are. So... why are they trying to get away with paying only half? Eton can't understand but Vondas does, the Colombians think that The Greek is running an all-profit business, and that he will take half what he is owed because it is all a bonus. Eton asks if The Greek will be angry, but a pleased Vondas notes that this is business, so The Greek will be smart.

Homicide is overflowing with "suspects" arrested at the Towers and Low Rises, Landsman cracking wise that one 9-year-old gets accidentally shot and the whole city goes crazy. He wants to know from Norris and Cole what they have, and they say the name that keeps popping up is Bodie's. Landsman wants to know why Bodie isn't currently in an interrogation room and they inform him they've got uniforms watching his grandmother's house, smirking and asking Landsman if he thinks they're dealing with amateurs. After seeing the way Daniels and his Detail worked out a new plan of action that is, of course, exactly what it looks like, and Landsman clearly isn't impressed either, but he leaves the smug Cole and Norris to enjoy their sense of a good day's work.

Ziggy is trying to get credit too, visiting Glekas at his store to make a proposition. Glekas would prefer to deal with Nick, of course, but this is all Ziggy's operation and Nick isn't involved. He can get S-Class and SL-Class Benzes, brand new with keys in the ignition. He will only steal a minimum of three cars, and he wants 15k for each car, since they're all worth 70k+ each, and a disgusted Glekas snaps that a stolen car is a stolen car, and HE would be lucky to get 10k for each one, let alone pay 15k to Ziggy for each. Ziggy thought of that though, noting to a thoughtful Glekas that in Baltimore this might be the case, but he's sure that Glekas has relatives overseas who don't give a gently caress if the car was stolen, and it would be a sad state of affairs if an entrepreneur like him had no idea what to do with a couple of extra Mercedes. Glekas is hooked on the line, Ziggy has actually made him see his logic.

A pleased McNulty and Freamon arrive at Daniels' office with good news - McNulty has successfully gotten an appointment at Connections and the shuttle will be picking him up tonight. Off-screen he has used his fake accent and the pseudonym of James Cromwell to convince them he is a real prospective client. He explains that Cromwell is the name of the "fucker who stole my family's land", referring to Oliver Cromwell who, amusingly enough, also rose up to lead a revolution against the preexisting establishment authority, just like McNulty joked Bunk should have done back in season one. Daniels tells him to have Greggs wire him up, and Freamon wistfully notes how nice it would be to be on the wire when the news of the brothel being busted broke. Daniels smiles and says with a little luck they will be, but then brings up an issue that has been troubling him. The Russian - Sergei - doesn't appear in any law enforcement records anywhere, and he thinks it unlikely that somebody so heavily involved in a smuggling/drugs operation wouldn't have popped up somewhere in the past. He asks McNulty if he can contact his old FBI buddy, and McNulty sheepishly admits that he kind of made a point of pissing Fitzhugh off after their disastrous meeting at the end of season one. Freamon asks what the big deal is, McNulty pisses EVERYBODY off, and they share a laugh. Before McNulty goes though, Freamon hands him a sheet on Glekas as well, asking Fitzhugh to run that as well.

# ? May 14, 2013 15:00

Jerusalem: May 20, 2004; Would you be my new best friends?

Down by the docks, Ziggy and Johnny are looking over the cars, all just waiting to be picked up and taken to various dealers to be sold. Johnny is confused by Ziggy's plan, which seems needlessly complicated, but Ziggy actually has good reason for his planning, not least of which is diverting all suspicion away from the prospect that this is an inside job.

Beadie spots a can disappear from the Talco line being worked on by Horseface and asks Freamon and Bunk if they're going to follow it. Freamon doesn't see the point, they know the destination, and he puts through a call to Herc and Carver to let them know about the can that may be arriving, giving them the number. Carver, bored out of his mind, asks what Freamon wants them to do, and Freamon - completely dismissive of the notion that sitting in an empty warehouse all day is not mentally stimulating - sighs and tells them to see if it arrives, and then see what happens with it when it does. He breaks off, and Herc notes to Carver that he is beginning to suspect they're not respected as criminal investigators.

McNulty visits Fitzhugh in a nightmare office of partitioned walls, and Fitzhugh calmly dismisses McNulty's apology, telling him he knew they were screwing the pooch but he couldn't complain or make a fuss - in the BPD if you piss off your bosses you ride the boat, but in the FBI you get assigned to a dusty Indian Reservation in the middle of nowhere. McNulty is still apologetic though - because he needs something - and insists that he was out of line, and Fitzhugh once again assures him everything is fine between them and asks to see what he has. McNulty gives him the DMV photos for Sergei and Glekas and asks if he can find anything on them, Fitzhugh noting with some amusement that it's rare to see McNulty after white boys. He's surprised when he finds nothing on Glekas since McNulty told him they got a little bit from Customs, and using the print-scanner to do a deeper search of FBI records, and finds a listing for a Case Officer in San Diego for Glekas. That is a bit of a surprise, though McNulty is more impressed by the mostly automated systems that Fitzhugh can use to place a direct call to the San Diego office - if McNulty wants to make a long distance call he needs to fill out three forms and get a Lieutenant's approval. There is a downside to this automated system though, which we won't discover till the final episode of this season. But for now it's enough to say that Fitzhugh gets straight through to Koutris who informs him casually that Glekas was a minor player in a stolen goods case whom Koutris dismissed as somebody just trying to play it slick, and offers to send through whatever information he has on him. Hanging up, Koutris' face falls and he pulls out a black book from his inner jacket pocket and places a call himself, telling the person on the other end that they need to talk.

Herc takes snaps of the shipping can arriving at Pyramid, while at the gate Eton asks Sergei if he was followed and gets a negative. Letting Sergei in, he tells one of his men to go up and down the street and make notes of the tag numbers of all the parked cars. The underling clearly isn't pleased by this security measure but Eton quietly insists, so off he goes as Herc continues to take photos, the report going back to Freamon that the truck is there but not currently being unloaded.

Cole and Norris' professional detective work has gotten them Bodie into the interrogation room, where they demonstrate a wonderful lack of self-awareness as they declare to a confused Bodie that nobody ever thinks they're stupid, it's a part of their stupidity! Their angle is to try and convince Bodie that they already know everything, telling him they don't even need to hear his side of the story because they already know it. They do have an ace up their sleeves though, a jaunty Cole leaves the interrogation room and returns with the gym bag that Bodie thought was at the bottom of the ocean, and immediately declares that Bodie hosed up by the way he visibly reacted to it. They removed the bagged guns, laying all three down on the table in front of him to show him all the evidence they have, and Bodie's heart seems to be sinking... till Cole overplays his hand by declaring they even have one of Bodie's fingerprints on the gun. Bodie's entire demeanor changes, challenging them to show him which one, and now it is Cole and Norris' turn to visibly shrink before Cole takes a wild guess and with false confidence taps a gun, saying it is Bodie's. Bodie, relieved that the guns are clean and the police are clearly bullshitting, has only one reply - "Lawyer."

The Greek, Vondas, Glekas, Eton and Ilona (Eve) are sharing an intimate meal and discussing a troubling new detail - Koutris has informed them that the FBI was looking into Glekas. They comment about how long ago San Diego was for them and The Greek asks Vondas about the investigation into the dead women, he thought the police were local? Vondas doesn't protest or make excuses, he just shrugs and says that they were, he had no inkling of any FBI involvement. The Greek considers, and Eton is questioned about what is happening at the warehouse, they don't seem to be being followed and none of the tags they took down belonged to law enforcement. As Vondas told Eton earlier, it's business to The Greek, and he will play things smart, and all things considered he believes the smart thing to do is a couple more days of clean cans being taken from the docks, then back to their regular smuggling. They will be careful, but they will be smuggling again, back to business as usual. Vondas notes that Koutris will need to be thrown a bone for his warning, and the early impression of Koutris is that he is a plant, a traitor or even just an opportunistic and immoral Agent on the take - there's more to it than that, but this is the impression given us at this point at least. The Greek considers again, and comes to another conclusion, they will give Koutris the Colombians, who took the chemicals they sent but tried to get away with paying only half what was owed (and they've only paid half of that half up front). He wryly points out that Colombians are considered terrorists nowadays, and the FBI is currently VERY interested in that type of thing, so he will give it to them. They all share a laugh, Vondas feeling safe to comment now that the Colombians are trash, just a few friends out for dinner and sharing good times. Eton, the lowest rung on the ladder present, receives a phonecall from Sergei and tells him there will be another clean can smuggled through tomorrow, unaware that Sergei's phone is tapped and Bunk and Beadie are listening in. Recognizing Eton's voice from the previous warehouse calls, he eagerly phones Pearlman, they can get a new affidavit and get back onto the Main Stash.

Stringer has Cherry check out the quality of the drugs that Prop Joe has provided him, and it's "raw", such high quality that they could stomp on it and still have far superior product. Stringer instructs Shamrock to prepare it for sale once the police interest dies down, and to let Prop Joe's people take over the three towers he has set aside for them. Shamrock doesn't question this handover of hard-gained territory, he is Stringer's man through and through, a step up from what Bodie is being groomed to be.

At the Detail Office, Freamon is leading Prez through changing up their paperwork while Daniels and Pearlman consider the chart of their case so far (Frank Sobotka's faceis now almost obscured by the various notes and papers slapped over it) - it seems the people they are chasing are into a little bit of everything, from drugs to prostitutes to stolen goods. McNulty arrives with what news he got on Glekas (apparently they had nothing on Sergei) and Daniels is surprised to hear it was in San Diego, noting that these people get around. Pearlman spots that McNulty is carrying a suit and he jokes it is for date night, and Freamon brings over the paperwork and respectfully asks her to run, ma'am, because they want to be back on the wire in time to hear the fallout from the brothel raid. Prez goes with her, he's the Affiant and needs to be there to swear that the paperwork is true and honest to the best of his knowledge.

Glekas, acting surprisingly warmly to Ziggy, asks if he can be sure to get the SL-series in Pacific Blue. Ziggy tells "Chief" that he can get him anything he wants, but they all have to have sun roofs, causing Glekas to arch an eyebrow. Ziggy says its a long story, and then kind of ruins Glekas' pleasant and receptive mood by asking if he can get an advance on his payment, Glekas was just starting to think of Ziggy as something more than just a gently caress-up. There'll be no payment until delivery, and Ziggy laughs it off, saying he had no intention of trying to rip off such a savvy businessman, and Glekas actually slaps hands with him when offered.

Meanwhile, Stringer is having a very awkward meeting with his middle-management at the funeral parlor, including Shamrock and Bodie. Complaining that he has to think everything through, look out for everything and that still isn't enough - that's why the CEOs get paid so much money, because they're the ones who have to take the responsibility when everything goes wrong while everybody else gets to run and hide (this isn't even remotely true, haha). They try to speak up but he shouts them down, reminding them what a simple task they were given - all they had to do was dump the guns into the sea, as simple as that, and they hosed it up. Voice raised but still in complete control, he looms over them while they're forced to sit, going through the simplicity of the task - walk to the water, make sure nobody is looking, drop the guns in the water, hear the splash, see them sink. He demands they get out but holds Bodie back, wanting to know what if anything he said to the police in interrogation. Bodie is quick to insist he said nothing, pointing out that the police hosed up by saying they'd found his prints when he knew he'd wiped all the surfaces clean, besides which they pointed to the wrong gun when he asked which one was supposedly his. Giving a little honey out now after chewing him out, Stringer accepts this and gives his approval, offering his hand and then faking a punch, playing with Bodie and making him feel Stringer is approachable. Letting him go, he reminds Bodie to lock the door behind him.

I love Bodie in that second shot, he's going along and playing the part but he's incredibly wary of Stringer and his intentions. Not that he doesn't trust him or isn't devoted to him, but he fears him too, and there is probably a part of him that is second-guessing whether he might suffer the same fate as Wallace before him.

Ziggy pops into a pawn store looking for a bolt-cutter while he pawns off the diamond necklace that used to go around his duck's neck. The owner eyes it up and offers $1200, and Ziggy surprisingly doesn't try to haggle at all, accepting the price, his eyes locked on the guns in the display cabinet.

Nick meets with White Mike, the two hugging despite Nick's apparent earlier season disgust with Mike as a very concept (notice how quickly Nick's opinions have changed with the advent of easy money?) and Mike tells him that Nick's name has been "ringing out" in his mind lately. He's bemused and surprised to see Nicky Sobotka "living the life" but Nick doesn't rise to the bait, telling him he wants 2-3 G-Packs a week, and that The Greek's people told him he could get that for $4000 each, surprising Mike who normally charges 5. He puts through a call to Sergei to confirm, and to his credit once he gets confirmation he simply accepts it, that's the way things will be. Before he gets off the phone though, he has another piece of business, asking Sergei if he dropped a particular body recently, since it happened outside a house he was using for his operation and the victim had a greek sounding name. Sergei, ignorant that his phone is tapped, makes the biggest mistake of his life by bragging that if the body had hands and a face then it wasn't "us" who did it, and hangs up. Mike returns to Nick and accepts the terms, complimenting him on his powerful friends, and they bump fists, Nick again taking on some of the mannerisms he once held in contempt.

Freamon listens back to Sergei's blurted out confession, something tickling at his mind, while a suited McNulty is presented with a man's purse as part of his cover (and a place to put the mic) and given his instructions. The code-word to call in the troops is "Spot on", and he needs to get them to bring up the money and the sex and make an overt attempt to perform the deed in order to have something to charge them with. As they laugh about his upcoming role, Lester is on the phone looking for records in the mid-atlantic area of bodies found without heads or faces, and both hands missing.

The Greek meets with Agent Koutris on a park bench in the middle of nowhere, holding a conversation that goes entirely unheard even by us the viewer. Finally The Greek casually hands over a slip of paper and walks away.

Making his first appearance of the episode, Frank Sobotka is celebrating good news at last with Horseface and Nat Coxson. The House and Senate look set to pass an allocation of 4.5 million dollars to be allocated in the fiscal period next year. His greasing has finally paid off, it seems they have the guaranteed votes at last. But Frank wants more, his goal is still to get the canal dredged, and after the three of them drink champagne out of paper cups and then happily shift over to something harder, he once again raises with Nat the idea of serving another year as Secretary-Treasurer. Nat is unmoved though, it's Ott's turn and that's the way things are. Things take another unhappy turn for Frank when the door opens and Frank discovers himself face to face with a member of the FBI - a Special Agent named Agent Koutris. Frank has no idea of the connection with The Greek, but you can bet he's thinking of The Greek and the smuggling they've been doing. Remember that Koutris is supposed to be operating out of San Diego, but he is introduced as an Agent from Washington working out of Counter-Terrorism, that last word REALLY getting Frank's attention. Koutris hands him over a slip of paper, the same one that The Greek gave to Koutris earlier in the day.

McNulty sings Some Enchanted Evening as he waits for the van to pick him up, eyes on him from every angle as Daniels checks in on the other officers. The van arrives and picks McNulty up, and Daniels and then Greggs follow after it.

At the docks, a confused Frank, Nat and Horseface watch as a can full of barrels of paint pigments is unloaded and gone through. Frank insists he has no idea what is going on, tonight he's just a dumb white boy from Locust Point. Koutris is growing increasingly agitated, they've scanned the can and found no inconsistencies, every barrel shows the same thing inside, and opening one up just reveals pellets of blue paint pigment. Frank's involvement was simply to organize the can they were searching for to be brought to them, this really does seem to just be a colossal waste of everybody's time.

Stringer and Brianna share drinks at the upstairs bar of the funeral parlor, with Stringer broaching a very sensitive topic. He needs Brianna to sell Avon on the idea of using Joe's drugs and giving up half the tower territory to Joe. Stringer loves Avon like a brother, but Avon is more likely to listen to Brianna than him on this. She disagrees, dreamily reminding him that all the words she put in Avon's ear about D'Angelo amounted to nothing in the end. Stringer had to know this would come up but holds up well, insisting with a straight face that he knows Avon didn't see it coming, then adding that none of them did. Brianna, with the benefit of hindsight, insists that she did, and Stringer shifts things back to business - they have to get Avon to listen because currently their product is weak and they don't have the muscle to hold the territory they've got. He points out that he doesn't have Wee-Bey, Stinkum and Bird anymore, and while he knows that she has a heavy heart at the moment, she needs to do this. Looking up at the man she is ignorant had her son killed, Brianna insists that while the towers stand, so does she.

A clearly delighted McNulty watches as "Eve" parades his choice of women in front of him, a figurative meat market of smiling, scantily dressed women who were shipped over from overseas to a life of captive sexual abuse. He asks if he would be out of line choosing two, causing Bunk to laugh listening outside in the van. The driver who picked McNulty up is already cuffed and being lead away, and the cops head inside so they can be ready to spring the moment they hear "Spot on".

Koutris has made a desperate phonecall to The Greek over the lack of anything to be found in the paint pigment barrels, and a jovial Greek insists that they ARE there and hangs up. Koutris has no idea what to do next... till he looks down at the pellet in his hand and comes to a realization. He scatches away the paint on the surface and realizes that each pellet is pure cocaine, and there are thousands of pellets in each barrel, and dozens of barrels in the crate. His mouth drops open and he makes a little,"Hunnnhhh" of joy, realizing he has just made a MASSIVE drugs bust on behalf of the FBI, all thanks to The Greek's gratitude for tipping him off.

McNulty is taken to a private room where the girls are all over him, stripping down as he attempts to remember his codeword, knowing that the others are listening in on every word. Kima confirms to Daniels that money has already changed hands and sex has definitely been discussed prior to our arriving on the scene, and as one of the women begins to jerk McNulty off he finally manages to kind of remember his code word, crying out,"SPOT ON IT! SPOT ON IT!"

The police are straight down the corridor and to the door of the brothel, where one officer prepares to break down the door till Daniels stops him, asking him a question that is rarely asked,"Why?" Colvin asked what the point of everything was earlier and got told to just do his job, but Daniels is in charge here and sees no point to bursting in to make a quick arrest, and as Bunk points out, it's not like they're going to flush half a dozen whores down the toilet. They knock and introduce themselves as the Baltimore Police Department, and when they're asked what they want, Bunk replies,"To lock your rear end up." The door is unlocked and they're inside, Eve calmly motioning to the concerned women not to say a thing, and all of them knowing the dangers to themselves if they do. The rooms are quickly checked, everybody arrested, "Eve", the muscle, the prostitutes (who are victims in all this, remember) and then finally Bunk and Greggs head into the final room where they're more exasparated than anything else to find an "overpowered" McNulty being "forced" to have sex with the two prostitutes, both of whom know the dire consequences for themselves if they don't please the person who has purchased them to use for an hour or so. It's played for laughs, and it IS a very funny scene, but it pays to remember the darker truth behind the entire scenario. But there we have it, a successful evening for the BPD and a successful evening for the FBI, with an operative from each ending up looking orgasmically happy.

However it's not considered a win the next day. The news is all about the FBI's Drug Seizure, with Burrell, Rawls and Valchek watch with a mixture of anger and wistfulness as the reporter announces that the seized drugs were worth in excess of FORTY-FIVE MILLION DOLLARS, and there are suspected links to Colombian Narco-Terrorist Organizations. Daniels and Pearlman are present too, and Valchek jokes to Daniels that he would die happy if they could link something like that to Frank Sobotka. Daniels insists the case is progressing and in typical BPD higher-level fashion, is immediately asked what he can charge. Pearlman explains they're not at that point yet, and Daniels calmly lays down what they DO have - wires into a smuggling operation linked to both drugs and women, with a very likely link to the people who brought in the dead girls in the can (that gets an approving nod from Rawls). They're on the location of a trans-shipment point for narcotics, and last night they raided a brothel that is also linked to the case. When Burrell learns it was a high-end brothel, he's only half-joking when he suggests they burn any client list they find, Valchek laughing along, and again there is that basic idea that prostitution - even in the case of sex slavery - is somehow a tolerable crime. Rawls asks if there were any complications and Pearlman is quick to dismiss that there were any REAL problems, neither of them wanting to mention McNulty. They explain that Immigration has the women, and they cut loose the legal resident Madam because they want to encourage talk on the wire, which is also why they're not pushing the women to talk - they want their targets to think it was a random raid and nothing specifically targeted. Rawls cuts to the chase, are they closer to solving the murders? Daniels says they are, provided they're right in their assumption that the women were smuggled in by this same group. Rawls is satisfied, but Valchek isn't, he's noted a complete lack of the name Frank Sobotka so far. Pearlman explains that their may be Checker involvement in the smuggling but nothing else so far, and an angry Valchek reminds them that the whole point of this is Frank Sobotka. Pearlman disagrees, this case is bigger than that now, and Valchek grumpily asks "missy" if she has a charge on Frank Sobotka or not. They do, but charging him now would wreck the wiretap and their real targets, infuriating Valchek who yells that Frank IS the real target. Burrell tries to play peacemaker, saying to be patient, and Valchek snaps that Burrell owes him on this... and Burrell puts his foot down at last. Valchek wanted the Detail, he got the Detail. He wanted Daniels, he got Daniels. Burrell has provided. Valchek is furious, getting up with what dignity he can muster before cracking and accusing them all of being against him, especially Burrell now that he has the votes and is secure in the Commissioner's Office. He storms out, insisting this is HIS case. An unlikely turn of events has occurred, now Rawls and Burrell are the ones supporting Daniels and his Detail, because there is a big case and 14 unsolved murders to bring in.

loving ratfuckers, all of ya!

Brianna has bad news for Stringer. Off-screen she has visited Avon in prison and made her case, and Avon... said no. As Butchie noted, Avon has no flex, he simply does not accept the notion of needing to give up the towers. He perceives it as showing weakness, he doesn't want to give up any of the towers he worked so hard for, and he forsees Joe getting over on them and never letting them out. Stringer completely disagrees with this take, reminding Brianna that they have weak product and no muscle, and she doesn't disagree.... neither does Avon for that matter, but he believes that he can solve both of those issues without resorting to Joe. He is still actively looking for a fresh connect even from inside prison, and as for muscle... he has organized with New York to send them... Brother Mouzone.

The Wire is a mostly realistic show with important things to say about many things, but every so often they provide a larger than life figure to contrast against the every day. Omar has been just such a figure in season one and two, and now a fresh "legend" is set to appear. Stringer is obviously taken aback by this revelation from Brianna, Avon got them Brother Mouzone? Apparently he is working on retainer, coming down to help them hold the towers for as long as is needed. This is obviously a complication that Stringer didn't take into account, he's not exactly staging a coup here but he is operating directly against the wishes of his leader and best friend, even if he believes that is in Avon's best interests. Brother Mouzone is there to hold the towers for them... but what good is holding the towers when they have no product to sell... or at least, no product worth buying?

Bunk happily reads McNulty's report of the brothel incident, which includes the truth that the undercover officer was "brought to a sexual act". Bunk laughs that McNulty is going to be a pervert's legend in the BPD for this, but McNulty insists he can't perjure himself, actually seeming to take this somewhat seriously since it pertains to the big case and that is policework that he truly respects. Bunk reminds him that there isn't going to be a trial/charges, the raid was done to tickle the wiretap, and Pearlman arrives and reads over McNulty's shoulder, apparently discovering for the first time that McNulty actually had sex with the prostitutes. He tells her he was outnumbered and she walks out in disbelief, Bunk slapping McNulty's shoulder with a smile - included in this scene is the casual acknowledgement that the prostitutes (sex slaves) arrested are all being deported.

Proposition Joe has just gotten the unwelcome news from Stringer that Brother Mouzone is coming because he and Brianna tried to sell the necessity for the deal on the notion that they couldn't hold the towers without proper muscle. There is even more unwelcome news, Stringer wants to maintain their new relationship but can't be seen to be responsible for taking Brother Mouzone out, so he wants one of Joe's people to do it. Joe nips that poo poo right in the bud, pointing out that Brother "got more bodies on him than a Chinese cemetery". Stringer admits this is true, and Joe reminds him that this is STRINGER'S problem, not his, and if he wants Joe's product, then he has to deal with it. Stringer soothes him though, reminding him of certain facts - Avon is going to have to organize all of this from prison, Brother is going to have to prepare, come down and set-up, they have at least a couple of weeks of prep-time. They get Joe's people into the towers, they get things running with all of them selling Joe's product, and when the money starts flowing, Stringer is convinced that Avon will see it his way... once again, Stringer fails to understand an intrinsic facet of Avon's personality - money is secondary to him, a distant second. It's not for Joe though, and he sees the logic in what Stringer has to say.

Herc and Carver report that the truck is being moved out of Pyramid after sitting untouched for two days, and Freamon and Prez understand now that the smugglers have been testing them, seeing if they were being watched. They didn't take the bait, and now as confirmed by Eton's cellphone call to Vondas, they're about to start up proper operations once more. Even better, the call mentions the Brother raid - Ilona is "home" but the "children are gone", but "there are always more children". Prez asks why they don't tap the number of whoever Sergei's Boss (Eton) just called and Freamon says that call may just be the Probable Cause they need to do it, showing Prez that the number is the same as that they earlier picked up as the "Boss Man". It's not, of course, but getting up to Vondas takes them one level from the very top - they've been as smart and patient as The Greek usually is, and it's paying off for them.

At the towers, Colvin and Mello watch the peaceful atmosphere, made possible by the high presence of police officers nearly everywhere. Mello comments that things are peaceful today, and Colvin - who knows their elevated presence will last only so long - pointedly comments,"Today." They get into the car and drive away, and another car pulls up, one with New York plates. The legendary killer Brother Mouzone has arrived far earlier than Stringer predicted, stepping out to observe the towers he will soon be protecting/guarding all by himself. A patrolling officer passes by and he offers a respectful greeting, the officer not seeing him as suspicious at all. Why not? Surely the renowned killer's ferocious aura stands out to everybody around him?

In The Wire, even the over-the-top legendary figures are never quite as straight-forward as you might expect.

# ? May 14, 2013 15:00

Toph Bei Fong: Feb 29, 2008

Jerusalem posted:

the game is more than the rep he carries or the corner he holds, he understands the need to be fierce and the place that has, but there needs to be flex...

Interesting double meaning here. Stringer obviously means flex as in "flexibility," but flex is also slang for showing off, like a bodybuilder does. Or like hiring a deadly assassin to protect what's yours in an obvious show of strength to your competitors...

# ? May 14, 2013 20:09

SpookyLizard: Feb 17, 2009

Two minor nitpicky corrections: It's magazine, not clip (as far as the wire is concerned, it will always be magazine) and "gum bag" instead of "gym bag". Other than that, another wonderful write up. The whole scene with McNulty in the brothel is sort of depressingly hilarious, because while it's played for laughs and all, if you think about it for more than a minute, it's really depressing.

And ziggy actually has a plan this time. That works. And isn't hosed up. :smith:

# ? May 14, 2013 20:16

Ainsley McTree: Feb 19, 2004

SpookyLizard posted:

Two minor nitpicky corrections: It's magazine, not clip (as far as the wire is concerned, it will always be magazine) and "gum bag" instead of "gym bag". Other than that, another wonderful write up. The whole scene with McNulty in the brothel is sort of depressingly hilarious, because while it's played for laughs and all, if you think about it for more than a minute, it's really depressing.

And ziggy actually has a plan this time. That works. And isn't hosed up.

It's a dumb thing to stand out, but I have that exact same gum bag and it weirds me out every time I see it in that episode.

# ? May 14, 2013 20:34

escape artist: Sep 24, 2005; Slow train coming

Jerusalem posted:

My man!

# ? May 14, 2013 22:24

ShaneMacGowansTeeth: May 22, 2007; I think this is it... I think this is how it ends

Fabulous write up J-Ru, and even better censorship!

# ? May 14, 2013 22:35

the black husserl: Feb 25, 2005

Jerusalem posted:

The sound of sirens and the cries of "ONE TIME!" (police who only show up for a particular incident and aren't regular fixtures down on the corners)

Sorry but this is wrong. You call them 'one time' because you only get one look at them - look twice at the cops and they'll think you're suspicious and haul you in. It's not slang for any special police, it's just slang that means "I see the cops".

You're awesome at these write ups but it is really cute to see a definition of american slang that you don't get

I recommend Urban Dictionary for all your future needs: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=one%20time

the black husserl fucked around with this message at 04:27 on May 15, 2013

# ? May 15, 2013 02:43

Protocol 5: Sep 23, 2004; "I can't wait until cancer inevitably chokes the life out of Curt Schilling."

Two things about this episode:
Ziggy's plan is a clever one, that he came up with all on his own. It shows that he's capable of being competent and working an angle. It all goes to poo poo for him, but hey, that's Ziggy for you.

This episode also had the character moment that I alluded to awhile back, where Bodie suddenly realizes that even homicide detectives are mostly bullshitting their way through cases and hoping for a suspect to gently caress up. They know he was involved, but they can't prove it, and he understand that there's nothing they can do about it as long as he sticks to his story. In Homicide, Simon tells a story about the real Dennis Wise, an infamous hitter, who was always getting hauled in as a suspect in this murder or that, and the detectives didn't even bother to try to interrogate him after awhile, he'd just politely ask for a lawyer and they'd leave it at that. This is pretty much the point where Bodie has come to the same conclusion: the cops aren't any smarter than anyone else, and anything you tell them is just giving them more information to work with.

# ? May 15, 2013 05:08

Jerusalem: May 20, 2004; Would you be my new best friends?

Something that I keep coming back to after watching this episode - the Colombians tried to shortchange The Greek over $400,000 because they assumed he was making pure profit and would accept the half amount because it's still all "found money". They did this over a shipment that was worth FORTY-FIVE MILLION DOLLARS, and that's just one shipment. Jesus Christ. You'd think this was short-sighted stupidity on their behalf but I imagine there are any number of actual legitimate companies who probably do very similar things and get away with it - we're big dogs and you should be grateful for our custom, so we're going to only pay half what we agreed on and you'll like it :colbert:

the black husserl posted:

Sorry but this is wrong. You call them 'one time' because you only get one look at them - look twice at the cops and they'll think you're suspicious and haul you in. It's not slang for any special police, it's just slang that means "I see the cops".

You're awesome at these write ups but it is really cute to see a definition of american slang that you don't get

I recommend Urban Dictionary for all your future needs: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=one%20time

Thanks, but this is slightly frustrating because I actually just recently read (in Clockers, of all places) the description of ONE TIME! I used in this write-up, and I thought,"Oh hey so THAT'S what it means, I always wondered about that!" You lied to me, Richard Price! :argh:

# ? May 15, 2013 05:21

SpookyLizard: Feb 17, 2009

Protocol 5 posted:

Two things about this episode:
Ziggy's plan is a clever one, that he came up with all on his own. It shows that he's capable of being competent and working an angle. It all goes to poo poo for him, but hey, that's Ziggy for you.

This episode also had the character moment that I alluded to awhile back, where Bodie suddenly realizes that even homicide detectives are mostly bullshitting their way through cases and hoping for a suspect to gently caress up. They know he was involved, but they can't prove it, and he understand that there's nothing they can do about it as long as he sticks to his story. In Homicide, Simon tells a story about the real Dennis Wise, an infamous hitter, who was always getting hauled in as a suspect in this murder or that, and the detectives didn't even bother to try to interrogate him after awhile, he'd just politely ask for a lawyer and they'd leave it at that. This is pretty much the point where Bodie has come to the same conclusion: the cops aren't any smarter than anyone else, and anything you tell them is just giving them more information to work with.

Bodies a real clever cocksucker if gets the chance. He's also the only one on the corner who knows what Entrapment meant.

# ? May 15, 2013 05:23

Jerusalem: May 20, 2004; Would you be my new best friends?

SpookyLizard posted:

Bodies a real clever cocksucker if gets the chance. He's also the only one on the corner who knows what Entrapment meant.

Doesn't he call it contrapment? :3:

But yes, Bodie doesn't panic when they bring him in, even when they pull out the bag he thought he'd dumped in the ocean, his reaction isn't panic but more,"Well gently caress now I guess I have to go to jail, harumph" and the moment he realizes that Cole and Norris are bullshitting (I love their line about stupid people not knowing they're stupid) you can see the confidence just flow back into him.

# ? May 15, 2013 05:28

Ainsley McTree: Feb 19, 2004

SpookyLizard posted:

Bodies a real clever cocksucker if gets the chance. He's also the only one on the corner who knows what Entrapment meant.

That's one thing I wonder about; if that defense worked for him on the Hamsterdam thing, shouldn't it have worked for everyone else who got busted in it too?

Or maybe it did work for everyone, and it was just never a plot point. I don't think they ever really follow up on what happened to the people who got arrested in the Free Zones.

# ? May 15, 2013 06:05

Jerusalem: May 20, 2004; Would you be my new best friends?

The whole thing was completely illegal, Bodie is basically cut loose because he's smart enough to know what entrapment is and mention it while being arrested while near a sympathetic/amused ear. I'm sure that because of the sheer bulk of the arrests that did happen most of the others just got told to cut deals and get reduced sentences by lawyers who were keen to get through the mass, encouraged by the ASAs who knew this was a huge mess that they needed to sweep under the carpet as soon as possible. Poot gets out fairly quickly, if I remember right.

The whole thing was basically a giant clusterfuck caused by one pissed off District Commander deciding,"gently caress the law," and just doing what he thought was necessary to make things better.

# ? May 15, 2013 06:12

escape artist: Sep 24, 2005; Slow train coming

Jerusalem posted:

The whole thing was completely illegal, Bodie is basically cut loose because he's smart enough to know what entrapment is and mention it while being arrested while near a sympathetic/amused ear. I'm sure that because of the sheer bulk of the arrests that did happen most of the others just got told to cut deals and get reduced sentences by lawyers who were keen to get through the mass, encouraged by the ASAs who knew this was a huge mess that they needed to sweep under the carpet as soon as possible. Poot gets out fairly quickly, if I remember right.

The whole thing was basically a giant clusterfuck caused by one pissed off District Commander deciding,"gently caress the law," and just doing what he thought was necessary to make things better.

I thought Poot was caught on weapons charges, not in the Hamsterdam affair? I could be wrong.

# ? May 15, 2013 14:31

SpookyLizard: Feb 17, 2009

It's been awhile, but he says it in front of McNulty or Kema or someone and they all laugh and end up letting him go.

# ? May 15, 2013 16:17

Ainsley McTree: Feb 19, 2004

SpookyLizard posted:

It's been awhile, but he says it in front of McNulty or Kema or someone and they all laugh and end up letting him go.

I remember the scene (it's McNulty and Pearlman, I think), I always just wondered why that defense wouldn't work for anybody else who tried it if it worked for Bodie. Even the most overburdened of public defenders would be able to look at a thing like Amsterdam and instantly think "entrapment". I mean, Bodie didn't even know the name for it and he got it.

I guess it could just be a matter of McNulty admiring Bodie's gumption and being like "yeah alright we're bros, you can just go," I just can't remember if it was ever really addressed that closely. I just remember that there's a scene later in Season 4 where someone runs into Bodie (Carver or McNulty, I forget which) and mentions something like "there he is, the guy who got off on entrapment". Any lawyer would have been able to think of that, surely.

# ? May 15, 2013 16:31

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# ? Apr 16, 2024 22:36

Maxwells Demon: Jan 15, 2007

Bodie gets the entrapment defense because the police let him go earlier in the series when he's bringing a re-up to Hamsterdam. He got arrested by Major Crimes but Colvin comes in and gets Bodie and his crew out of it.

# ? May 15, 2013 16:50

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > TV IV > The Wire: The Rewatch... and all the pieces matter.

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