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Parachute Underwear posted:Starting season 4. Yeah. Group home. Then seeing Randy for a brief time in Season 5, two years after what happened to him... ugh. Such a far cry from that bright eyed kid with the wide smile who had a knack for business. Buy for a dollar, sell for two-- except he was into candy bars, not nose candy. Lugaloco posted:
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Mar 15, 2013 20:45
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bettsta posted:Reading this thread has prompted me to do a rewatch of my own. It's been a while since I last watched the whole thing, but I caught something in Season 1 Episode 3 that confused me. After Omar and company steal the stash, Bubbles is watching the whole thing. Then, right before the police raid, I could've sworn that Kima was telling McNutty about Omar's stickup, and how Bubz saw the whole thing. Why doesn't Kima bring this up to Daniels? Did she not know that the detail was planning to raid the exact same stash house, or did she just decide it wouldn't change Daniels' mind? It wouldn't have changed Daniels mind-- he was doing what the Deputy told him. Hell, it worked out better in the long run, because the first raids were a bust and I feel that gave Daniels a little bit of spine to stop taking the deputy's poo poo.
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Mar 16, 2013 04:10
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Frostwerks posted:Whoa, they call season five a 10 episode poo poo factory. drat, wasn't that bad jesus. Yeah, and they said Bubbles was the best dressed character. Please! Marlo had some sweet threads, and they said he wasn't dressed well either.
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Mar 16, 2013 04:58
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Jerusalem is the best  Since you stole my shine, I'm going to scrutinize every detail of your write-up  (Annoying nitpicks: -The kid is already in Junior College... he's being scouted by major schools. -Wee-Bey took a shot from a pistol in the leg from Omar, not a shotgun.) I was never quite sure: what exactly is a tester? Is it a free vial to get people to try the product, so they'll come back for more? Or is it just what they call a new package? -The dealer's freestyle is hilarious. "I like Patti LaBelle, but Regina Belle is better..." escape artist fucked around with this message at 11:24 on Mar 18, 2013 |
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Mar 18, 2013 11:06
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TheOneAndOnlyT posted:I think it's both actually; Simon goes into this somewhat in The Corner. Testers are basically "free samples" of a new package (you'll notice the addicts in the episode aren't paying anything), and as Jerusalem mentioned, they're often of the highest quality, so that the addicts who try them will tell all of their friends that the new package is really good. Later on, when the addicts come back to buy more of this great new package, the dealers will make the vials inferior by replacing some of the drugs with baking soda or whatever, allowing them to make the same amount of money for the vials while needing less product for each one.
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Mar 18, 2013 20:21
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Fragmented posted:Wee-Bey makes the quickest food run ever in that last scene, the way it's edited makes it seem like he's only gone 1-2 minutes tops. Motherfucker even got cheese fries. Yeah that bothered me too.
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Mar 19, 2013 00:11
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Spoilers Below posted:I never noticed before that Prop Joe says his player is from Europe. Who knew The Greek was into basketball? The kid is from Baltimore. He played professionally in Europe. A lot of American players who aren't quite good enough to make the NBA get paid to play in Europe and in Asia. And not to rain on your parade, but being illiterate and not being able to read basketball play diagrams are not the same thing.
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Mar 19, 2013 00:22
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watt par posted:Lots of basketball players come from Eastern Europe. I think it's funnier that Avon doesn't think to look beyond some lameass JC kid who wasn't even good enough for the Terps. I'm going based on the dialogue between Avon and Joe.
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Mar 19, 2013 00:55
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For god's sake guys. He says "You can't even read a playbook." Not "You are illiterate." A playbook is just a bunch of sketches with X's and O's. I can't even loving read it, and I've been watching basketball for 20 years. It's a jab at him pretending to be something he isn't. An NBA coach. That's why it comes right after "You're out here dressed like Pat Riley and it's 85 degrees." Pat Riley was a highly successful NBA coach.
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Mar 19, 2013 03:27
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Jerusalem posted:To be fair, pretty much every single post is people pointing out how silly it is that there are people (as suggested by Spoilers Below's post) who have watched that scene and taken from it that Joe is illiterate. People are hearing the wrong thing though, still. "You can't read a playbook" is not the same as "You can't read any book." You all were agreeing but you were missing out on what Avon was actually saying. He's likely right, Joe probably doesn't know how to read a playbook. I cannot read a playbook. Avon was taking a jab. But it was right. Randomly Specific posted:I always took the illiterate thing as just a random jab, not meaning anything more. I think it's a huge reach. I still don't make the connection despite the write-up.
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Mar 19, 2013 03:35
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Redundant posted:I can't remember exactly, but I think right after he says "you can't even read a playbook" he says something along the lines of "be for real" and at some point Prop Joe says "look the part, be the part". It's not an illiterate thing, just Avon taking shots at Joe. Well, not being able to read a playbook is no big deal. I can read Shakespeare and do calculus, but I can't read a playbook, even though I love basketball. poo poo I was watching two basketball games at once when I typed that post. (one on my TV and one on the computer) And yeah, the guy was born in Baltimore, graduated college, played overseas professionally (seriously-- if you don't know about professional basketball... this is EXTREMELY common) and was back home at that point in his life.
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Mar 19, 2013 04:06
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The Rooster posted:Wow, there are people who thought Joe was illiterate or that Avon thought Joe was illiterate? Anyone who thinks that is more illiterate than Joe. How is it not obvious that it's just Avon poo poo-talking. They were cheering for opposite teams, and he decided to talking poo poo, how could that not be clear? I'm going to err on the side of "Jesus, I hope this is the case" and say that people just didn't know that a playbook consists of diagrams, and rather, thought it consisted of words. Not all Wire fans are sports fans. Also, some people might not have English as their first language, so they heard "You can't read a ????book." escape artist fucked around with this message at 05:31 on Mar 19, 2013 |
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Mar 19, 2013 05:13
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I love the "Vintage" tag I chose for this thread, because the show only ended 5 years ago... but it really does age like a nice wine. Also, Jerusalem, I went to the doctor today and got some medication to help with my pain and mobility. So if you want to swap episodes, we can do that. I know you probably want to do the next episode, as it's a great one, and you've earned it, pardna.
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Mar 19, 2013 22:25
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Jerusalem posted:I'm happy to trade off if you're feeling back up to it, I'll have the next one up sometime tomorrow if you want to start prepping for the (AMAZING) episode that follows that one. Thanks, and sounds good. Also, I updated the OP with links to all of your reviews! So it's caught up.
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Mar 19, 2013 22:38
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chesh posted:Did Prop Joe ever drop bodies? I was just about to bring this point up.
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Mar 19, 2013 23:17
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Okay, for all the manly men tough guys in this thread, us hardcore gangsters like Marlo and Chris, which moments made you cry (while you were sober)?
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Mar 20, 2013 01:24
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DarkCrawler posted:Bubbles' speech. You don't need me to clarify which one. As a former addict*, that is one of the ones that made me cry too. "Ain't no shame in holdin' on to grief, as long as you make room for other things." Other ones would be - Kima getting shot (mainly the horror and confusion of all of her fellow officers afterward) - D'Angelo getting killed - The end of Season 2... The montage that plays while Nick cries and looks at the dying docks... It really hits me when the ironic "I Feel Alright" music plays over it, and then you see a shitload of women being smuggled into the country to be sex slaves. - Dukie hooking up with the junk man** and shooting heroin Probably forgetting some too. *Correction: One an addict, you're always an addict. Even when you've been clean for years. Your "inner-drug-addict" is always whispering in your ear. ** Just noticed the double meaning of the junk man. How stupid am I to not get that? He salvages junk metal to sell, so he can get heroin (also known as junk, hence the term junkie) escape artist fucked around with this message at 01:44 on Mar 20, 2013 |
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Mar 20, 2013 01:40
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Like clockwork, Jerusalem! Nice work. Even to this day, that episode makes my spine tingle. It's so loving good. That one state police officer who was selling the "coke" to Orlando, I like to believe that once the cash exchanged hands, Orlando was handed a bag that had a police badge in it. That's always what I've imagined, but they don't actually show it. I'll have the aftermath episode write-up posted tomorrow. escape artist fucked around with this message at 10:51 on Mar 20, 2013 |
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Mar 20, 2013 10:47
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Savino appears in these episodes: Season one: "The Target" (uncredited); "The Detail" (uncredited); "Lessons" (uncredited); "Game Day"; "The Cost" and "The Hunt". Season five: "More with Less" (uncredited), "The Dickensian Aspect" and "Took".
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Mar 20, 2013 12:14
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Do you guys remember the actual conversation that Wee-Bey and Bunny had? When confronted with the fact that Namond might be dead in several years, Wee-Bey says "that's the game." Bunny hits him with some cold hard facts and after Bunny leaves, remember Bunny says "if it goes the way I think, he'll be back with his mother tomorrow." Don't give Wee-Bey the credit that Bunny deserves. Wee-Bey has to let these epiphanies, or rather, these truths that have just been thrown in his face, gestate for a while, and then he makes his decision. "Man came in here and said my boy can be anything he drat please." "Except a soldier." "Yeah... well look at me in here [in prison for life]. Who the hell would wanna be that if they could be anything else DeLonda?" A lot of it is Bunny cutting through the bullshit tough guy stuff and somehow, finding that tiny part of Wee-Bey that still has something resembling a conscience. Wee-Bey seems very perturbed to admit that his "standing tall" is actually an awful situation to be in. Watch the scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67CJxY-pF-8 Watch for Wee-Bey's tough outer shell slowly get broken down by Bunny's persistence. If it was anyone else, Wee-Bey would not have agreed. escape artist fucked around with this message at 01:17 on Mar 21, 2013 |
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Mar 21, 2013 01:12
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Fellis posted:I'm hoping whoever does the writeups for Season 2 can chart Ziggy's character development the same way. Expect the next write-up to be up tomorrow. I'll be going out tomorrow night so I'll probably have it up before noon.
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Mar 21, 2013 02:13
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Protocol 5 posted:There's a really funny bit of character development that happens with Bodie in Season 2. If you don't know what I mean, pay close attention to his mannerisms next time you rewatch. What? His spitting? You can talk about any episode in here. Like the time that Omar got shot in the back of the head by Kenard.
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Mar 21, 2013 07:06
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Steve Yun posted:Doesn't have to be like the Wire, I just care if it's quality writing. Sounds good, thanks guys! Seriously, this thread is riddled with spoilers. Read the OP. This thread is for people who have seen the show and want to watch it again, under a microscope. We're not really interested in the opinions of someone who is in the process of watching it for the first time. The chances you'll contribute something worthwhile to the discussion on your first viewing is as slim as a garter snake. I mean this with the utmost respect and sincerity, because it really is tragic if you get certain moments in the show spoiled, but you really should just go ahead and  until you have finished the whole thing. There's another Wire thread if you want to use that one to post your thoughts. People also take precaution with the spoiler tags. escape artist fucked around with this message at 23:06 on Mar 21, 2013 |
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Mar 21, 2013 23:04
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watt par posted:I'm interested. I meant for this thread. I am interested too, it's always fun to see it through the eyes of a new viewer, but this is the re-watch thread. He should post in the other thread.
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Mar 22, 2013 01:57
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I was supposed to have the review up Friday by noon, but something came up.... http://www.hulu.com/browse/picks/1591 Yeah, 24 Kurosawa films are up for free to watch, through midnight on Sunday. Exigent circumstances, folks.
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Mar 23, 2013 22:13
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Jerusalem posted:I'm more than happy to do the write-up (I will happily do ALL the write-ups, I never need an excuse to rewatch this show!) and you can get the next one. Okay, go for it. Sorry for flaking out, as usual. It's not every day you get to see 24 Kurosawa films for free. I'll make a kind of supplemental post to your write-up. Episode 1x12 I actually have listened to the DVD commentary for, so I should have a good write-up for that one. Also, if anybody wants to watch Yojimbo or Sanjuro, or any Kurosawa film with a ronin Samurai, you will notice that Omar is very similar to those characters. In the way they dress, the way they are without a master, the way they walk with their weapons hanging out in plain view, the way they formulate their own moral code. Omar's character definitely drew inspiration from the ronin. escape artist fucked around with this message at 22:45 on Mar 23, 2013 |
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Mar 23, 2013 22:41
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I used to have the Corner, but ironically, I sold it, because I didn't have drug money. Before I could read it. Also, I love your write ups too, but have to agree-- you're a little hard on our beloved D'Angelo.
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Mar 24, 2013 06:30
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That episode really, really makes you hate Commissioner Frazier. Over all of the seasons, I never felt that contempt for Burrell, that I did for Frazier in one single episode.
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Mar 24, 2013 15:57
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cletepurcel posted:I absolutely love the callback to the joke in season 4. Didn't catch it until rewatch. "You'd gently caress a guy to have a chance to gently caress a hot broad? You don't think that makes you some kind of fag or something?" "It's just an expression man." *Funny look on Herc's face* It's easy to forget because immediately afterward is one of the funniest most "holy poo poo" scenes in the show.
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Mar 30, 2013 02:06
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Am I the only one who wished that Omar blew a hole through Andy Krawcyzk before he killed Stringer?
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Mar 30, 2013 21:14
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I don't know if you guys like hip-hop, but this is a great song that came out in the early 90s, and it's "moral" or the didactic end of the story, reminds me of The Wire. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A__90V2h_9o Basically it's about a man who hustles for a living, and through certain circumstances, comes to realize that he only knows "half the game" and is disgusted and alarmed when he overhears a discussion between the Mayor and a corporate executive. It's a great song, and well, it always reminds me of The Wire because of the conclusion to the story.
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Mar 30, 2013 23:37
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Frostwerks posted:What was the initial revenge against Omar again anyway? I can't recall and I'm not that far along yet. Killing Butchie. Or was it shooting the delivery lady and framing him for it? Either one was loving ruthless and I couldn't imagine Avon or Stringer doing it, because they were of an older, a somewhat more respectable (comparatively) generation than Marlo's. escape artist fucked around with this message at 06:59 on Apr 1, 2013 |
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Apr 1, 2013 06:54
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BattleCake posted:I think the delivery lady was first. Not to mention putting a bounty on his head. As for Butching, they also tortured him before killing him. I know the order of the events and everything that happened, I was just wondering what he meant when he said "initial revenge"? My issue was about whether or not he asking about revenge for the poker game or the huge heist at the end of Season 4. Sorry, I could have made that clearer. cletepurcel posted:Stringer knew Butchie and his connection to Omar but was still classy enough not to exploit it like Marlo did. It's at Butchie's bar that Stringer sets Omar after Brother Mouzone (though he still required Joe to set up the parlay - perhaps it was only his relationship with Joe that kept him from doing anything, or maybe he was just smart enough to know that killing Butchie would be more trouble than its worth). It's funny, if he just killed Butchie, he probably would have succeeded in drawing out Omar, and Stringer would have never been killed by Mouzone and Omar. But I think that it was a generational thing. Butchie was a respected, retired gangster-- moved a little dope, I think, but other than that, he was retired. Marlo had no disregard for the rules. Could you imagine Marlo ever getting upset about the Sunday truce like Avon did? It goes to the point that everyone (including David Simon) always makes that Marlo represents end-stage capitalism-- devoid of respect and rules, just ruthless and cutthroat. (As an aside: I was thinking of closing this thread and saying that Jerusalem and I had a dispute over episode write-ups, so I was no longer participating... and then letting you all have enough time to read it and stew for a day... and then re-opening it and posting the next episode. But you know what stopped me from doing it?? The fact that I don't want to take a break from talking about this show. I loving love reading about and talking about this show.) escape artist fucked around with this message at 07:28 on Apr 1, 2013 |
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Apr 1, 2013 07:23
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HelmetCheese posted:Christ, I thought people were kidding when they said this show would ruin other TV for you. I was watching The Walking Dead recently and found myself rolling my eyes at how heavy-handed the storytelling was in one episode. Thanks a lot, David Simon I'm notorious in the Breaking Bad thread for making criticisms and everybody likes to jump on me and add "BECAUSE THE WIRE DID THIS INSTEAD" comments. I try to explain to them that I still love Breaking Bad, but it's flaws are more apparent because of how good of a show it is. You hold certain shows to higher standards.
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Apr 2, 2013 23:18
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Jerusalem posted:Hey escape artist... is that write-up coming any time soon? Yes. edit: (I couldn't resist) "Jerusalem used my name? In the thread? Did he call me a punk? Yo, when we get out of here, let everybody know, word did not get back to me. Escape Artist will step to anybody-- Jerusalem, Aatrek, Lowtax, whoever. My name is my name!" escape artist fucked around with this message at 01:43 on Apr 3, 2013 |
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Apr 2, 2013 23:54
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Without further ado: Season 1, Episode 12 Cleaning Up The episode begins with Daniels' exiting Kima's hospital room to meet the McNulty in the lobby. Kima is stabilized, but is in and out of conciousness due to the strong pain medication that is being administered. Daniels suggests McNulty go in and see her. Daniels says McNulty can either go back to work, or go pay his respects to Kima, but cannot remaining moping around in the lobby. McNulty says "gently caress the case" and Daniels is surprised that, now, at this point, McNulty wants to "call off his crusade." McNulty explains that the case was only a way for him to show demonstrate his intelligence and expose the faults within the BPD. "It was never about Avon Barksdale... it was all about me" McNulty says. Daniels is quick to respond that everyone knew that, while McNulty says the brass was correct the whole time-- Burrell, Rawls, everyone was right that the case didn't mean anything from the beginning. Daniels explains to McNulty that now, after Kima's shooting, the case is personal, and it will be proceeding with or without him (and his liquor smell and self-pity).  The credits roll and we are given the opening epigraph, which is from Wallace. As we've all seen the show before, I'd like to point out a pattern I noticed: whenever a major character is going to be killed in an episode, they are the ones who are quoted in the epigraph. Wallace, D'Angelo, Stringer and Snoop, come to mind immediately.  D'Angelo runs his shop with Bodie and Poot in the pit, fretting that they cannot get anyone on the phone about a re-up, and that they are about to tap out. Bodie goes through D'Angelo's bags and notices a curious item: fish food. Stringer arrives with a solemn look on his face. He collects everyone's pagers and says that no pay phones or pagers are going to use. Cell phones are given to Bodie and D'Angelo only, and they are instructed to memorize three numbers -- one for muscle, one for re-ups, and one for Stringer-- and to only use the phones to set up face to face meetings. The bust of the main stash house has certainly rattled the usually calm and collected Russell Bell. Stringer departs and D'Angelo chases him down, informing him that they are in desperate need of a re-up.  "Re-up from where?" Stringer asks D'Angelo, informing him that the police have seized all the drugs from the main stash. Back in the detail's headquarters, Lester helps Shardene put in her new contact lenses, so that she can identify faces. "Dang, you all are focused." Shardene says excitedly, now being able to see well without glasses. "What man wouldn't be?" Lester, smooth as ever, manages to turn her benign statement into a remark about Shardene's beauty. Herc and Sydnor lock eyes and smile about Lester's brazen comments. McNulty enters the room and looks at the computers, noticing all the wiretaps have been interrupted. Lester gets him up to speed, telling him that there has been no activity since the bust of the main stash, and that Prez is downtown looking for finance reports. McNulty seems to panic, but Lester is just as calm as ever. He introduces the new CI to McNulty. As Shardene tells Lester how scared she is, the stoic detective calms her down, and then gets her some coffee-- he knows exactly how she prefers it. Back at Orlando's, Avon is panicking, while meeting with Levy and Stringer. Levy suggests "cleaning up"-- explaining how Avon needs to distance himself and sever all ties from anyone who can hurt him. Levy suggests the witness that they turned, the security lady, Nakeesha Lyles. Without explicitly saying so, Levy is telling Avon to kill Nakeesha, and anyone else that can hurt him. Avon is confident that Nakeesha is fine, because she's been paid off... Levy steers him otherwise. This is a point where the audience is made to realize just how much of a scumbag Levy is. Avon would not have greenlit Nakeesha, without his lawyer's advice. Levy departs after making himself clear, saying "the less I hear, the better."  Avon and Stringer go down the list of everyone connected to them. Wee-Bey is a rock. Bird will stand tall. Savino can handle a 3 year jail sentence. Little Man is dead. "Who else" Avon asks? Daniels is in Burrell's office, along with Major Reed. Daniels stands up to him, invigorated by his friend and colleagues nearly fatal shooting, saying that he is going to keep the case moving forward. Burrell says it's not up to him. Burrell decides to let him keep a few detectives-- "the old guy from the pawn-shop unit and Valchek's braindead son-in-law." Burrell has no idea that these two detectives have blossomed in the past three months.  Major Reed laughs at Deputy's Burrell's decision, as Lt. Daniels smirks subtly, knowing that the detectives Burrell thinks are useless are in fact the opposite. Burrell says that Daniels needs to brief him on anything else that happens with the case, and that if he plays his cards right, he can get promoted to Major, as the Northwestern commander is retiring soon. In state's attorney Demper's office, Rhonda Pearlman is informed about all the extra stuff that Freamon has been hiding from her, investigating campaign finance reports. "You got back doored too, huh?" Demper remarks. Demper gives Rhonda some paperwork that shows several checks, for campaign contributions, have been returned. This implies Demper knows the money is dirty and though despite Rhonda not having any idea about what is going on, she is instructed to take the paperwork to the detail to clear Demper's name. (Note: This is the first appearance of State's Attorney Demper. He appears twice in season 3 and once in season 4, as he loses the election to Rupert Bond.) D'Angelo arrives to a meet with Stringer and Avon in the strip club. D'Angelo's expression turns grim when he realizes that he has been called up so that Stringer can "holler at" Wallace. D'Angelo, indignant, stands up to his superiors Avon and Stringer (much like Daniels finally stands up to Burrell and Reed) and says to "let the boy be." As D'Angelo exits, Shardene stares at him, with her newly corrected vision. Shardene begins to play with her hair, and then we cut to the surveillance van outside. Shardene has a wire in her hair. Sydnor and Herc discuss chili dogs, very loudly, and Freamon tells them to be quiet. Avon meets with a couple of his underlings who have been waiting outside the office, and thus are being recorded by the wire in Shardene's hair. He scolds them: "you niggas talk to drat much." We cut to a murder scene. A couple of officers, the first-responders, discuss the victim: she was a civilian security guard. "She wasn't armed, or nothing?"  Cut back to the strip club, Shardene departs and frantically runs to the van as Lester laments that there is no reason for Shardene to be in the office, where the wire might actually be effective. The next day, Bodie and D'Angelo greet Wallace-- who has taken a bus back to Baltimore. Bodie and Wallace and Poot discuss meaningless stuff-- stuff that children their age should be discussing-- getting girls and shopping for shoes. Wallace wants back counting the money; Bodie chastises him and says that he has to start out at the bottom of the totem pole; D says Wallace can be back on the money if he wants to, but he may be considering a return to school. D'Angelo instructs Wallace to walk with him. Poot says "You didn't cornhole no animal for real, did you?"  It's a bittersweet moment, as those of us who have seen the show realize, this is basically the last moment of any of these kids' innocence (Bodie, Wallace and Poot). Bunk delivers the news of Nakeesha's murder-- Detective Garvey has caught the case, but isn't going to tell the bosses about the witness angle until he's got solid evidence. McNulty realizes Avon is cleaning up. It's at this moment that Freamon realizes that Wallace is in danger.  His face says it. Then Bunk vocalizes it. Bunk wonders why Wallace hasn't been "grand juried" yet-- Kima's shooting led to everyone forgetting about Wallace... everyone in the unit, at least. Stringer certainly hasn't forgotten. The plan is to pick up Wallace and he will sleep on Daniels' couch, and see the grand jury in the morning. Shardene will be protected by Freamon. Daniels tells Freamon to remember who he is, and Freamon makes a double entendre: "protect... and serve!" Wallace is back in the courtyard and D'Angelo tries to dissuade him from staying. D'Angelo, much like the police in the previous scene, are looking out for Wallace, given recent situations. Brianna Barksdale stops by and brings D lunch-- spicy fish cakes on crackers with mustard. He kisses his mother goodbye, and returns to talk to Wallace. Wallace thinks Brianna is D's "new girl". When asking where the food came from-- a place called Sterling's-- D'Angelo says "Don't you know anything?" Wallace remarks with the epigraph: "if it ain't west side, I don't know poo poo... This is me yo, right here." A declaration of loyalty which will do nothing to save him in the end. Daniels meets with Burrell again, this time with Senator Clay Davis. Burrell wants to know what's up with the campaign finance reports, and Clay declares that he will "help" with whatever he can. When it's made clear that Daniels will not lay down, Clayton becomes indignant: "Erv will you explain to this motherfucker what the gently caress it is he is doing here." We get a glimpse into the politics of Baltimore: "We don't care about who gives us the money... we just cash the checks, count the votes, and move on." Clay says. He scolds Burrell, saying that he is taking money from the Mayor, and other prominent politicians.  Befuddled Burrell. Back with the detail, Herc has received the results of the Sgt's exam: Herc is 18 on the list-- 19 spots ahead of Carver, who constantly harped on Carv to study. This scene is important in retrospect, but not at first glance: we find out Carver is absent because he is training elsewhere. (This is why Burrell is not getting all the updates like he normally would; Carver is the mole in the detail.) Daniels congratules Sgt. Hawk. The mood quickly turns somber: the police in the county have informed Daniels that Wallace left 2 days ago. Back in the Franklin Terrace Projects, Stringer beckons Bodie to his car. Bodie informs Stringer of what has been up with Wallace lately-- something D refused to do. (Here's a parallel to think about : Stringer -- D'Angelo -- Bodie are like Burrell -- Daniels -- Carver. Both D'Angelo and Daniels refuse to take orders lying down from their superiors, Stringer and Burrell, respectively. But each one is undermined by someone below them in the chain of command-- D'Angelo undermined by Bodie who squawks to Stringer, just like Daniels is undermined by Carver who squawks to Burrell.) Stringer asks Bodie if he is dedicated, strong and if he has a gun. The implication is obvious: Bodie is to kill Wallace for Stringer. Bodie puts up a front for Stringer, but when he departs, Bodie is visibly disturbed. (Consider how Carver explains his snitching to Daniels: "Burrell is the Deputy loving Ops.) Both of these institutions run on fear.  Daniels and McNulty go to where Wallace and Poot used to live. They notice that there is no longer a power cord, nor are there juice boxes in the refrigerator: the place is not vacant. We are shown that Wallace and Poot are now living elsewhere. Wallace brings home some chinese food to feed the kids, and Poot smiles to himself as he watches how good Wallace is at taking care of the kids (despite Wallace only being a kid himself.)   (A couple of warm family photos, before the poo poo hits the fan...) Back at the details' HQ, everyone discusses the search for Wallace. Santangelo is sent back to Homicide, confident that he will not be punished by Rawls for not snitching. (Next episode we'll see Rawls busts him back, and Sanny is downgraded from detective to officer.) Freamon has blueprints for Orlando's, and says that Shardene is going to help them figure out where to put a remote mic and possibly a fiber optic camera. He explains to the "draft-dodging peace freaks" the military step -- the Quick Time. More info, if you really care, here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_step Bodie informs Poot of Stringer's orders. When Poot asks "Why?" Bodie replies simply: "because the man said so, that's why." Poot explains: "Wallace ain't no snitch." Bodie explains that they have to follow the orders-- "that's the game." Poot watches the kids that Wallace looks after gleefully playing in the pit.  Rhonda arrives and confronts Daniels about the scolding she received from Demper. "Have you ever heard of a Baltimore politician giving money back?" All of the addresses are Eastside, so Freamon and Daniels are unaware if they are Barksdale's money. Rhonda admits that they have scared the bosses, and asks why she wasn't informed of the details of an investigation of which she is an ongoing participant. "Aren't you better off that we didn't?" Lester asks, rhetorically. Shardene practices the military step outside of the office. Rhonda gives everyone a confused look and departs. Bodie, Wallace and Poot have lunch, and Wallace reminisces about his childhood, and how his alcoholic mother used to put rum into the drinks she ordered from this place. Poot says "there wasn't much she didn't put it into." Bodie derides Wallace for talking about his mother. Wallace tells Bodie that he doesn't have to act like a tough guy all the time. Bodie asks Wallace if he is a boy or a man? Wallace says that he is a man, and then asks "what are we going to do-- go have some fun?" At Orlando's Shardene has done her deed. She tells Lester exactly where Avon's office is located on the buildings blueprints. As Herc writes down all her measurements, (future math teacher) Prez already has made the calculations in his head. You might find that a lot of these moments are just coincidences, but they are not. Simon had all 5 seasons mapped out at the beginning of the show (but at the same time, had each season mostly self-contained, in case HBO ever cancelled them-- which almost happened, many times). Since the adjacent wall to Avon's office is a vacant building, there is no need for judicial authorization to bug Avon's office. Wallace, Bodie and Poot are dropped off by a man who wants $15 for the ride, but Bodie only gives him $10. Wallace laughs, blissfully unaware, at Bodie's defiance. In the vacant building next to Avon's office, Herc drills a hole and Lester tells him that it only needs to be the size of a regular finger-- not a giant sausage finger like Herc's. Herc says "You know what big hands mean?" and repeats it again. The commentators on the DVD say the first time he says it is not funny, but the second time is what makes it funny. (Note: this episode was written by George Pelecanos, an acclaimed crime novelist, who writes many of the penultimate episodes of each season. You should check out some of his books. They are fun and very Wire-ish.) McNulty arrives and says that they have a fresh address for Wallace's mother. McNulty and Daniels depart in a hurry. Wallace looks around for the children he takes care of, and Bodie and Poot follow him from behind. He can't find them downstairs, so he goes upstairs. Bodie follows Wallace upstairs while Poot remains at the bottom of the stairs, with a reluctant countenance. Bodie motions for him to continue.    Make note of the way this scene is shot, because it is deliberately paralleling a scene later in the episodePoot follows Bodie up the stairs. It's time. Wallace enters a room and is cornered. Bodie pulls out his gun. Bodie calls Wallace weak, among other things. Tears are welling up in Poot's eyes. After a protracted statement by Bodie about what Wallace should have done to prevent this, Poot has had enough-- "Just do it goddammit if you're going to." he yells at Bodie.  The gun is shaking in Bodie's hands before he pulls the trigger. And after he does, he is shocked. Wallace groans after being shot. Poot steps up, and shows that he is actually "more of a man" than Bodie-- as he puts two bullets in Wallace, in rapid succession, to finish him off.  Note how Poot holds the gun correctly, as Bodie holds it the way he's likely seen people do in the movies. (Even after having seen this show 10 times over, I have to say that the acting in this scene by J.D. Williams, Trey Chaney, and Michael Jordan is spectacular-- Bodie, Poot and Wallace, respectively.) McNulty and Daniels arrive to meet Wallace's mother, who is up past 3am, very drunk. She says that she's looking for him to, because he took $10 from her recently, presumably for heroin. She says that if he sees him, she will "slap the bright out of his eyes." A haunting line. Wallace never had a chance. McNulty futilely gives Wallace's mother his card. Avon enters Orlando's the next morning, and is being recorded by Freamon and Prez. Prez and Freamon are disappointed-- Avon is packing everything up and leaving the office. Meanwhile, Poot pays a girl to call 911 and say "there's an animal hurt inside the house" so that Wallace's body is found. D'Angelo enters Avon's office and is instructed to run down to NYC to pick up some heroin, an emergency supply to hold them over for the time being. D'Angelo's face shows reluctance, but he agrees to do it anyway. Freamon calls McNulty and gives him the good news-- they've finally got something real. Bunk is the primary once Wallace's body is discovered. He is not shaken at all by the sight of a young dead black man in Baltimore, but once he realizes it is the one who was essential to his friend's case, he lets out an audible expression of his disappointment: "poo poo!"  Sydnor puts a GPS tracking device on the car that D will use to make the drug pick-up. Daniels receives a phone call about the murder of Wallace. McNulty utters one word: "Wallace?" and from the expression on Daniel's face as he nods yes, he can deduce what has happened. Back in the vacant building, Prez eats some chicken wings and uses the Baltimore Sun to absorb the excess grease. He tosses it in the trash, and something catches Lester's eyes. He pulls the filthy newspaper out of the trash and reads it, an expression of intrigue on his face.  "Poor loving kid" laments Daniels, who is sitting in the car with McNulty, as they surveil D'Angelo. "With Wallace gone, that's Stringer out of the box." McNulty doesn't care about the kid like Daniels does, he only cares about the case. Daniels is visibly disgusted. D'Angelo emerges from his apartment and McNulty realizes D'Angelo was in his apartment the entire time just to change his clothes, he points out to Daniels, in astonishment. "Boy had to get himself correct." Daniels states plainly. With the GPS tracker, there is no need to follow D'Angelo. He is picked up on the way back to Baltimore, after staying in NYC for only 30 minutes. As D'Angelo is placed in handcuffs, McNulty, Daniels, Herc and Carver pull up. D'Angelo realizes he has been caught, dead to rights.  In the interrogation room, Daniels and McNulty try to talk to D'Angelo. D won't budge-- he only wants his lawyers. McNulty explains that despite D'Angelo having done nothing wrong, D will take the heat for Avon's gently caress-up. McNulty also points out that Levy puts Avon's interest before D's. It doesn't matter to D-- he's not saying a word. As they leave, McNulty informs D of Wallace's death. An incredulous D'Angelo thinks it's another one of McNulty's games. Brianna chastises her brother, for his carelessness which led to D'Angelo's arrest. "He should have been trailing a mule. Haven't you ever heard of a trap car?" Brianna demonstrates her knowledge of the game. Avon apologizes, and after an anti-Semitic remark about Levy, Brianna expresses her confidence that D'Angelo will not flip. Stringer and Levy meet with D'Angelo and says that he was the one who didn't gently caress up. Stringer says "then who did?" D'Angelo is skeptical about their ability to help him... and wants to know one thing: where is Wallace? Stringer tells him to shut up. A wonderful (and improvised) performance by Larry Gilliard Jr. makes this scene noteworthy: he screams at Stringer and Levy and tells them to get the gently caress out of there. Yes, this classic and powerful scene, was in fact improvised by the actor portraying D'Angelo. Daniels is meeting with Burrell, and the Deputy tells the Lieutenant that it is time to wrap up the case. When Burrell says that Daniels didn't brief him on the new wire, Daniels snidely says "I thought your little bird told you everything." Burrell, furious about the campaign finance reports and feeling pressure from his political superiors, instructs Burrell to shut it down. Daniels says he would have done this before, to help cover up the dirt, but not after Kima is shot. Daniels doesn't play the game that way anymore. Burrell counters with his report about Daniels' thievery during his time in the Eastern district, threatening to destroy his career. Burrell flaunts the binder full of FBI field reports and threatens to put Daniels in jail.  "This case is done." Daniels calls his bluff. He says that Burrell fears nothing more than a "bad headline." "You can order us to serve warrants, but as long as I have days left on those dead wires, this case will go on." Daniels has grown a spine, and a strong one at that. Burrell is surprised. Daniels salutes him and exits the room. The SWAT team gathers outside Orlando's, ready to arrest Avon. Stringer and Avon watch on security cameras and laugh "look at these delta force motherfuckers." Stringer is already on the phone with Levy, who will meet them at the courthouse. Avon opens up the safe-- he is frugal, and the police can have the $150,000 inside of it. He doesn't want them to have to destroy it. Meanwhile, Daniels and McNulty have similar feelings about the SWAT team. McNulty says "What, do they think it's Tony Montana up there?" (Dominic Williams British accent slips through when he says Montana). McNulty proposes that he and Daniels make the arrest themselves. Daniels agrees, and orders the SWAT team to stand down. Avon and Stringer turn around, and put their hands behind their backs. They are willing to go peacefully. Daniels cuffs Avon. McNulty looks at Stringer and says "catch you later." Stringer and Avon exchanged confused looks. Daniels leads Avon down the stairs in handcuffs. Here is the parallel scene I mentioned earlier. Remember Bodie instructing the reluctant Poot to follow him up the stairs to kill Wallace? Daniels instructs the reluctant McNulty to follow him down the stairs, leaving Stringer.   McNulty follows, without Stringer. Back at the detail's HQ, Freamon pins the Baltimore Sun to the board, and says nothing. There was deliberately no dialogue here. The camera simply pans from the cover of the Sun to the cluster of Avon's vacant property, almost identical images. (In exchange for campaign contributions, Avon has been given tips as to what vacant properties to buy-- he's been tipped off about a redevelopment downtown. Meaning, he can flip the property for a much higher price than what he bought it for. This way, both Avon and the politicians get paid.)  Sydnor informs Prez and Freamon that Barksdale has been arrested. Freamon updates the bulletin board:  They all gaze at the board and Sydnor remarks "this is the best work" he's ever been involved with, but he can't shake the feeling that "it's not enough. . . it just ain't finished." Freamon shakes Sydnor's hand and walks away. Prez shoots a smile at Sydnor.  The detectives depart.  The final shot of this episode shows the pit, which has been decimated by the police's activity. The iconic orange couch, for the first time, is empty. The credits roll and the familiar song plays. 
escape artist fucked around with this message at 09:34 on Apr 3, 2013 |
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Apr 3, 2013 03:29
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Frostwerks posted:So I finally tried Utz crab chips. They're really good chips. Not just the flavor either. Like the actual chip has a great crunch and a good texture. Utz makes fantastic chips. The crab flavored ones are great, but most of them are good. It's a shame I can't get them in my state. One time, when I was flush with money and on a Wire binge (before Season 4 even aired), I went to their website and ordered 4 bags of chips for like $22. Jerusalem posted:Something else I like is that Freamon finally has to sit on stake-out like Sydnor, Carver and Herc etc have to do and he loses his goddamn mind in the space of a few minutes Well, he's used to drudgery too-- pawn shop unit, anyone? But he takes the case seriously, and knows that all the pieces matter... unlike the other two. Luckily, Sydnor grows into a good detective by the end of the show.
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Apr 3, 2013 06:34
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I don't think Poot lacks empathy at all. He leaves the drug trade because of how many people around him are killed. He finishes off Wallace, tears in his eyes, so that he doesn't suffer and choke to death on his own blood. I think Poot just realized that he had no choice in the matter. If he had protested Wallace's death, then Poot would have been killed himself, you know? He was given two lovely outcomes, and he chose the less lovely of the two. Also, another factoid: Poot was not a character originally written into the show. The creators were so impressed with Trey Chaney's performance, that they invented the character for him. vvv That's what I'm saying. vvv escape artist fucked around with this message at 08:14 on Apr 3, 2013 |
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Apr 3, 2013 08:05
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ShaneMacGowansTeeth posted:The dialogue runs as follows: It seemed like Sydnor was fully on board. I just presume that McNulty and Freamon took the weight to save his rear end, and the brass bought it because they didn't want to have to can as many members of the force as possible.
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Apr 3, 2013 22:21
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I beat you Anyway, I thought Wallace's death was handled fine. It was made pretty apparent from the beginning of the episode that he was going to get killed, which just made every scene with him excruciating to watch. And the scene where he is actually killed tops it all off. Not to mention, a lot of those scenes about Wallace fleshed out characters very well. D'Angelo, Bodie, Poot... and after his death, McNulty and Daniels. I thought Pelecanos did a spectacular job with that episode. There's not a scene that is unnecessary or wasted, and there is so much plot and character development contained in that one 55-minute episode. escape artist fucked around with this message at 22:36 on Apr 3, 2013 |
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Apr 3, 2013 22:23
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