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Party Plane Jones
Jul 1, 2007

by Reene
Fun Shoe

Toph Bei Fong posted:

If you think about it, Landsman has a pretty baller job.

The thing I like about Landsman is he's a pretty decent detective should he get his mind set on it. The aftermath of Kima being shot is basically the only time you see him actually working.

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grilldos
Mar 27, 2004

BUST A LOAF
IN THIS
YEAST CONFECTION
Grimey Drawer
Landsman is an exceptional middle manager who earned the seat and is smart enough to know to stay put. I'm slowly reading Homicide and Simon very quickly and repeatedly shows the reader that knowing when to stop climbing the ladder is as important a skill as any. Like knowing how to stay on your rung.

Gargamel Gibson
Apr 24, 2014
The real Jay Landsman REALLY liked to gently caress with people. I wish they'd shown more of that in the show.

grilldos
Mar 27, 2004

BUST A LOAF
IN THIS
YEAST CONFECTION
Grimey Drawer
That was my first major takeaway in my unavoidable comparison of the Homicide novel to The Wire. Simon almost immediately spends pages and pages on human kind's greatest defense mechanism: inappropriate humor.

Max
Nov 30, 2002

I've watched this show more times than is healthy. Every time I start a new rewatch, I forget how disturbing Wallace's death is until it happens.

Frostwerks
Sep 24, 2007

by Lowtax

Snowcow posted:



There's not too much of this kind of thing (ARRI logo on the left) in the new HD version right? Just loaded up an episode at random to see what the transfer looked like and that was the first thing I saw. Hopefully they fix it for the Blu-rays...

I don't get it.

Zat
Jan 16, 2008

Frostwerks posted:

I don't get it.

A visible "ARRI" near the left edge.

And no, things like that are pretty rare.

Jerusalem
May 20, 2004

Would you be my new best friends?

Gargamel Gibson posted:

The real Jay Landsman REALLY liked to gently caress with people. I wish they'd shown more of that in the show.

"I am sorry I was late, sir, there was a German submarine parked in my driveway."

Frostwerks
Sep 24, 2007

by Lowtax

Zat posted:

A visible "ARRI" near the left edge.

And no, things like that are pretty rare.

What is ARRI?

stev
Jan 22, 2013

Please be excited.



Frostwerks posted:

What is ARRI?

Literally the first Google result for those four letters:

"Manufacturer of motion picture studio lighting, projectors and cameras with worldwide distribution."

Frostwerks
Sep 24, 2007

by Lowtax

Steve2911 posted:

Literally the first Google result for those four letters:

"Manufacturer of motion picture studio lighting, projectors and cameras with worldwide distribution."

You're not fit to have that av.

A good poster
Jan 10, 2010
Do you think Mahon's brother-in-law's video store went out of business before or after the end of the series?

Jeffrey of YOSPOS
Dec 22, 2005

GET LOSE, YOU CAN'T COMPARE WITH MY POWERS

A good poster posted:

Do you think Mahon's brother-in-law's video store went out of business before or after the end of the series?

actually in season 5 there's a brief scene with him in it protesting netflix

Skyl3lazer
Aug 27, 2007

[Dooting Stealthily]



That scene with Carver in the car after he leaves Randy at the group home :(

CAPS LOCK BROKEN
Feb 1, 2006

by Fluffdaddy

Jerusalem posted:

Something season 2 does a really good job of demonstrating, in my opinion, is how important the "work" is to these guys - it's a history and culture that they bought into hook, line and sinker. You have generations of guys who grew up being told by society that the work they did was noble and inspirational, that they were an integral part of something bigger (American Industry), that what they did mattered and as an extension so did they. Then around the 80s and the time of Ronnie "Union Buster"* Reagan, the rich dudes running those industries sold up, shut down, or otherwise moved on and many of those industries died or were so crippled to be practically dead.... and the workers are supposed to just shrug and walk away from the only life they and their families have ever known/the one thing that they perceive as ascribing value to them as people.

Yeah there comes a point where it becomes almost childish as they stubbornly refuse to let go of their past, but I can absolutely understand that somebody whose entire life/career and that of their fathers and fathers' fathers revolves around this one particular way of life would struggle to then just go get a job working retail or a call center or some other kind of office job.

* Ronnie Reagan was once the head of the Screen Actor's Guild :smith:

More than just reagan. Carter was also anti-labor and a major reason why he lost was that unions refused to endorse him in 1980. The Wire does a good job of showing how the "pro-labor" party gives less and less of a poo poo about unions as they run rightward.

Alhazred
Feb 16, 2011




Skyl3lazer posted:

That scene with Carver in the car after he leaves Randy at the group home :(
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ClTuBXqQ24
"You gonna help me sergeant Carver?":smith:

freebooter
Jul 7, 2009

I can't be bothered screencapping it, but I'm watching the whole show again and I just noticed for the first time that Cutty actually did exactly what Avon didn't want, and put a poster of him up on the gym wall.

Except I only noticed it because there's a scene where Namond (I think) is talking, and they're just laughing and messing around like street kids (or maybe they're talking about what theyw ant to do when they're older? I forget) and the poster is sort of looming up behind his shoulder. Like the shadow of the ghetto is always coming after them. Unless I'm overthinking it.

Hard Clumping
Mar 19, 2008

Y'ALL BREADY
FOR THIS

freebooter posted:

I can't be bothered screencapping it, but I'm watching the whole show again and I just noticed for the first time that Cutty actually did exactly what Avon didn't want, and put a poster of him up on the gym wall.

Except I only noticed it because there's a scene where Namond (I think) is talking, and they're just laughing and messing around like street kids (or maybe they're talking about what theyw ant to do when they're older? I forget) and the poster is sort of looming up behind his shoulder. Like the shadow of the ghetto is always coming after them. Unless I'm overthinking it.

I wouldn't be surprised if that was intentional, but even if it wasn't, that's a good read. If they were specifically talking about what they want to do when they're older (they definitely did that in the gym but I can't remember if the sign is above them right then) then I'd bet money it was intended. Especially if it was in focus.

During my first watchthrough (of very many) I was irked in the beginning how often the characters talked about the good old days and the kingpins/cops that preceded them since we never got to see any of it, but once I hit season 4+ I realized that I was thinking about the Barksdale organization at the start of the show as the good old days. It took me a moment to take off my nostalgia helmet and realize that things were just as lovely back then, too. Seeing that poster loom over the gym made me conscious that I was doing the same thing as the season 1 characters, and suddenly it all made sense.

welp time for ol' clump to do another watchthrough

theblackw0lf
Apr 15, 2003

"...creating a vision of the sort of society you want to have in miniature"
President Obama and David Simon sat down together to talk about The Wire and the issues it raised

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=xWY79JCfhjw&app=desktop

awesmoe
Nov 30, 2005

Pillbug

theblackw0lf posted:

President Obama and David Simon sat down together to talk about The Wire and the issues it raised

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=xWY79JCfhjw&app=desktop

I find it endlessly amusing and not at all surprising that david simon even interrupts the president

New Yorp New Yorp
Jul 18, 2003

Only in Kenya.
Pillbug
One of my friends made me watch this awful movie (on VHS, no less) he found a few weeks ago in a dumpster (don't ask...). The movie is called Kiss me Guido and it's just an awful movie full of gay and italian stereotypes. One of the actors looked and sounded awfully familiar, though...

A young, haired Herc was one of the italian stereotype side-kicks. It made the rest of the movie tolerable because of how unexpected it was.

speshl guy
Dec 11, 2012

Skyl3lazer posted:

That scene with Carver in the car after he leaves Randy at the group home :(

I can't help but feel that it was kind of an empty gesture. Sure he tried to adopt him but after that he kind of just gives up and never visits him again. Randy ceases to be a part of his life and Carver is never portrayed even giving him a second thought again.

I recall the woman saying there was a lengthy process to be approved for adoption but he never attempts to go through with it and come back to get Randy later. Carver goes on to do good things, but I feel that if you actually formed enough of a relationship with someone to earnestly consider adopting them in their time of need, one little hurdle of getting certified/approved shouldn't be enough to discourage you forever.

It's pretty poetic in that a lot of people get into the profession to help people but so many doors shut in your face that after a while you become so jaded that you stop looking for a back door altogether.

bucketybuck
Apr 8, 2012

speshl guy posted:

I recall the woman saying there was a lengthy process to be approved for adoption but he never attempts to go through with it and come back to get Randy later. Carver goes on to do good things, but I feel that if you actually formed enough of a relationship with someone to earnestly consider adopting them in their time of need, one little hurdle of getting certified/approved shouldn't be enough to discourage you forever.

I always thought that was the point, he hadn't formed enough of a relationship and deep down he knew it. He was trying to atone for Herc's fuckup and part of that meant saying the words about adoption, but he was never actually close enough to Randy to really mean it. Randy was a symbol to Carver, a symbol of the real cop he wanted to be, but he was not a real part of his family that he would go to any lengths for and on some level Carver knew that.

speshl guy
Dec 11, 2012
Wow that adds an element of tragic heartbreak to his breakdown in the car for me, thanks. It's not just his frustration over not being able to help Randy, but his disappointment at the realization of who he really is. Jesus. This show.

YF-23
Feb 17, 2011

My god, it's full of cat!


It's very likely that he doesn't visit Randy not because he's forgotten about him, but because he's too ashamed, too afraid of what the whole deal says about him - like buckety said, of what his failure symbolises, and that's something he has understandable trouble looking at head on. I would say that given his behaviour in the final season, going as far as to actually move the disciplinary process against Collichio, that he has not forgotten about Randy (or at least what he learned at the end) but Randy himself is a burden too heavy for him to carry even past his catharsis.

speshl guy
Dec 11, 2012

YF-23 posted:

It's very likely that he doesn't visit Randy not because he's forgotten about him, but because he's too ashamed, too afraid of what the whole deal says about him - like buckety said, of what his failure symbolises, and that's something he has understandable trouble looking at head on. I would say that given his behaviour in the final season, going as far as to actually move the disciplinary process against Collichio, that he has not forgotten about Randy (or at least what he learned at the end) but Randy himself is a burden too heavy for him to carry even past his catharsis.

Also probably wouldn't be great for someone with a reputation as a snitch to be getting regular visits from a Detective in a group home.

forever whatever
Sep 28, 2007

Hitting the wall.
Carver also mentions to Herc in season 5 when they were talking about his decision to charge Colliccio that when Herc dropped the ball on Randy (Herc was supposed to hand him over to Bunk as a source of information for one of the Chris/Snoop murders), it actually mattered. It was definitely a formative experience for Carver. He had to move on from Randy, but it impacted him deeply.

kaworu
Jul 23, 2004

forever whatever posted:

Carver also mentions to Herc in season 5 when they were talking about his decision to charge Colliccio that when Herc dropped the ball on Randy (Herc was supposed to hand him over to Bunk as a source of information for one of the Chris/Snoop murders), it actually mattered. It was definitely a formative experience for Carver. He had to move on from Randy, but it impacted him deeply.

God, what a great moment that was. So many shows would have milked that for some cheap dramatic payoff and used it to create like, conflict and enmity between Herc and Carver or something. But instead, they're actually realistic about it, because Carver gets it. It was all so formative and he learned so much that he understands that Herc truly did not intend to do anything wrong, and that the best he can do is learn from it and not make the same mistakes, and make sure such things don't happen anymore. And it's all there, but it's all implied and unspoken. I just miss shows where you really feel like you're being treated like an actual adult.

Also, it's downright surreal seeing David Simon and the President talking like that. What I hope is that they had some serious talk when the cameras were off, you know? Simon strikes me as the sort of guy who wouldn't let an opportunity like that go to waste, and would be incredibly eloquent and heartfelt talking off-camera with Obama in ways that aren't possible on-camera about these issues.

LloydDobler
Oct 15, 2005

You shared it with a dick.

Aaaand the blu-ray box set is down to $110 pre-order on Amazon today. I'm thinking it's not going to drop much below that, at least until another year or so goes by. It's low enough to convince me to pre-order anyway.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UCOXZLU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Mira
Nov 29, 2009

Max illegality.

What would be the point otherwise?


That's a good-rear end deal. Thanks for the look-out.

Not Al-Qaeda
Mar 20, 2012
Rewatching, holy gently caress I forgot Mcnulty actually kidnapped a homeless person. The craziest thing is Lester actually agreeing with the whole thing.

Jerusalem
May 20, 2004

Would you be my new best friends?

Not Al-Qaeda posted:

Rewatching, holy gently caress I forgot Mcnulty actually kidnapped a homeless person. The craziest thing is Lester actually agreeing with the whole thing.

Rawls: You're not actually killing them yourself, are you Jimmy? Tell me that much at least.

forever whatever
Sep 28, 2007

Hitting the wall.
McNulty and Freamon's serial killer scheme was probably (nah, definitely) the least believable subplot on the entire show, but I guess it does serve to highlight how completely hosed the department was after five years of McNulty's petulant bitching about it.

NOTinuyasha
Oct 17, 2006

 
The Great Twist

Jerusalem posted:

Rawls: You're not actually killing them yourself, are you Jimmy? Tell me that much at least.

Wonderful! We've eliminated one suspect.

Jeffrey of YOSPOS
Dec 22, 2005

GET LOSE, YOU CAN'T COMPARE WITH MY POWERS

Jerusalem posted:

Rawls: You're not actually killing them yourself, are you Jimmy? Tell me that much at least.

I like that he still lied about the guy they kidnapped and said it was his cousin or something.

forever whatever
Sep 28, 2007

Hitting the wall.

Jeffrey of YOSPOS posted:

I like that he still lied about the guy they kidnapped and said it was his cousin or something.

Yea but that was just to that shitbag journalist..."and that missing guy, he's my second cousin. We sent him up to Atlantic City with a roll of quarters."

freebooter
Jul 7, 2009

Jerusalem posted:

Rawls: You're not actually killing them yourself, are you Jimmy? Tell me that much at least.

"You're not killing them yourself, McNulty. At least assure me of that." I only remember it verbatim because it's my favourite Rawls quote ever.

And I love the hint of a smirk in McNulty's mouth as he shakes his head. Like, as much as he knows he's in deep poo poo, he's sort of appreciating the final whirl of his crazy mutually antagonistic relationship with his old boss.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XB3fxE1V66s

Jeffrey of YOSPOS
Dec 22, 2005

GET LOSE, YOU CAN'T COMPARE WITH MY POWERS

forever whatever posted:

Yea but that was just to that shitbag journalist..."and that missing guy, he's my second cousin. We sent him up to Atlantic City with a roll of quarters."

Oh I got those mixed up, I thought it was to Rawls. That makes more sense.

grilldos
Mar 27, 2004

BUST A LOAF
IN THIS
YEAST CONFECTION
Grimey Drawer

forever whatever posted:

McNulty and Freamon's serial killer scheme was probably (nah, definitely) the least believable subplot on the entire show, but I guess it does serve to highlight how completely hosed the department was after five years of McNulty's petulant bitching about it.

Remember, the show is a series of 9/11 metaphors.

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forever whatever
Sep 28, 2007

Hitting the wall.
Well I suppose I never looked at that particular subplot through that lens. I was in the Army and was in Iraq in 04-05 and became pretty anti-interventionist as a result of what I saw as a complete breakdown in security over there as the result of a lie. In season 3 of The Wire, the parallels are so vivid that Slim's little speech to Avon towards the end, "this is war, once you in it, you in it. If it's over a lie, than you fight on that lie", or words to that effect, seemed almost heavy handed. I suppose that season 5's serial killer plot could be another example of the unintended consequence of the government using lies to pursue major goals.

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