The Great Wire (Re?) Watch

The Vacants
Man, were they toying with us on those vacants, or what? I stupidly didn't realize how they were hiding the bodies for a few episodes, but once I did the entire season was me and my wife screaming at the TV, imploring people to tell Lester what they know. There were two or three near-revelations, and I think there were several different ways he could have found out. I was almost certain Dukie would end up solving it for him: he found a body in one of the vacants, he was so quiet, and he was opening up to Prez, who was being so kind to him. I figure he knows Prez used to be a cop, so at some point he trusts him enough to tell him about the body, and Prez mentions it to Lester, and boom, bodies galore. Perfect, right? Except that's not how he finds out!

Prez
I was so excited when Prez walked through that door in the first episode. I knew it was him on the security camera.

Herc
You really end up loathing him at the end of all this. We'd already been heading that way throughout season 3, when he made it clear that he just wanted to bust heads in, and even believed this was the best way to deal with the drug problem. I can't tell what happens to him from the end of this episode, but you kind of have to hope he loses his job. And if he doesn't, it'll just be another example of the broken system: the union being so strong, and the act of firing an officer so difficult, that even Herc gets to keep knocking heads for a living.

One thing that irks me just the slightest about Herc's increasing stupidity and Carver's increasing thoughtfulness: it seemed like it was going to go the other way in season 1, when Carver was no better and Daniels noticed Herc giving some new guys the same little lecture Daniels had given others about building bigger, better cases. It seemed odd to me that this little moment ends up being a bit of a throwaway, since they went in exactly the opposite direction. Still, I like Carv as a little Bunny disciple walking around now.

Carv
Speaking of Carv, how about that anger in his car? I saw it coming, and was kind of dreading it, but I can't think of a much better summary for the show. A guy spends years realizing what's wrong with the system, tries so hard to fight it, and in the end becomes enraged by his inability to do so.

McNulty
Jimmy McNulty back as a detective? I don't think I like this. I'm pretty torn on whether or not it'll go well, but I have to think it mostly won't. Or, at least, it won't go smoothly, whether he finds a happy medium between the self-destructive guy that puts the case before everything else in his life, and the happy but oh-so-slightly unfulfilled cop who misses the more complicated work. The smart thing is to take the sure, happy life.

What's really got me thinking is whether or not he's had this itch to get back to detective-ing for awhile, or whether or not it arose by chance. In other words (here comes another causal chain!): if he hadn't noticed Bodie sitting there eating, hadn't talked to him and started to bond with him, and therefore hadn't pulled some strings to get him out of jail, and therefore hadn't turned him into an informant, and therefore hadn't felt bad and riled up about him getting killed. Was Jimmy always going to give being a detective another shot, or was it only this dramatic, improbable series of events that ultimately pushed him over the edge? I feel bad for Beadie already, and the kids, even if they do call him "McNulty."

Ell. Em. Eh. Oh.
Prop Joe's white guy voice is friggin' hysterical.

Michael and Chris
Clearly, they share a few things in common. Time for me to talk about being both stupid and smart. First, stupid: it went right over my head, for a couple of episodes, that Bug's father had sexually abused Michael. Smart: I knew instantly that Chris understood what had happened to Michael, and that something similar may have happened to him. Chris is what Michael's going to turn into, if he keeps going. The revelation about Chris sure does paint him in a new light.

Randy
Poor, poor Randy.

Quick rant: I hate, hate, hate, hate, hate the "don't snitch" culture, in all its forms. All of them. It makes me furious, in part because it's so irrational and kneejerk and devoid of context, and it's perpetuated only because people don't stop to think about what it really means. This is one of many reasons I love On the Waterfront; because the speech by Father Barry is the best refutation of this kind of culture that I've ever heard, and it's so rare and so satisfying to hear someone really articulate its insanity.

And, of course, Randy's casual chain is worth mentioning, too, because it's one of the craziest of the series (not all of this is from memory, obviously):

He's asked to be lookout for the little sexual romp with Tiff in the bathroom...the two boys later humiliate her...she gets back at them by accusing them of rape...Randy gets called to the office to explain his role in things and blurts out something about Lex's murder to avoid getting in trouble...Prez, when he learns of the murder angle, goes to Daniels instead of Lester...Daniels assigns it to Carver, who calls Bunk...INTERRUPTION WITH RELATED CHAIN...Omar's framing leads him to call Bunk to cash in his favor from Ilene Nathan...Bunk doesn't care because he's guilty of other murders, anyway, and Omar points out that that still leaves a killer on the streets just before Bunk walks out on him...Bunk interferes in Crutchfield's case and pisses him off...Crutchfield takes Carver's message for Bunk and throws it away in anger as a result...END OF SUB-CHAIN, BEGINNING OF ANOTHER RELATED CHAIN...Prop Joe tells Marlo to steal the camera Herc's moronically planted outside...Herc desperately tries to bring in a murder to distract from his screwup...Herc is so incompetent that Sydnor leaves him to interrogate Little Kevin by himself, and he gives up Randy's name...Little Kevin tells Marlo about it (because Bodie convinced him to be upfront about his run-in with Herc)...Marlo decides to let Randy's thing slide, but Snoop speaks up and suggests they spread the rumor around instead...

...and all that leads to Randy being branded a snitch, his foster mother ending up in the hospital, and Randy ending back up in a group home. Brutal.

Oh, none of it would've happened if he hadn't been selling candy at the dice game right at that moment, either.

Carcetti
Ugh. So close. He was clearly going back and forth between genuine reformer and run-of-the-mill ambitious politician, and for awhile it looked like he was going to end up being the (re)former. Meeting with all the right people, asking all the right questions about the department, and man, strolling into each public works department and telling them there's a problem without giving them an address was friggin' brilliant...

...but the end makes it clear that he's chosen his own career over helping the city. It may be true that he can/will do more good as Governor in two years, but a) that's assuming he wins, b) it's a convenient rationalization for political expediency, even if it might be sorta true, and c) if he becomes Governor, he'll tell himself the same thing about the country as a whole, so he can run for President. This isn't the kind of choice you stop making. All because he couldn't swallow his pride (and risk a far greater career, even though he's already come further than he must have thought was really possible) with the Governor. It's clear to me that we're supposed to view this as the "wrong" choice, for any number of reasons. And it's clear his wife thinks so, too, although she didn't speak up when she had the chance. But the fact that he asked her while simultaneously talking up the Governor rationalization shows that they both know it's the wrong call, deep down, or else why try to sell it at all?

That shot at the end, though, with him in the chair...it tells us all we need to know. I still think he'll do some good, but when his ambitions clash head-on with running the city the best way possible, we know what he'll choose. I think this still makes him a damn sight better than Royce, but it makes him a damn sight worse than he could be, too.

Dialogue
This post is insanely long so I'll just point out two brilliant double-meanings: Norman signing "...we won't leave until we get some," referring to both figgy pudding and statewide funds, and Royce's "don't mention it" to Herc, referring to both the generosity he's showing him and the indiscretion he saw.

The End
Daniels saying he used to go to school in the gym where they're storing the bodies was perfect. "Got a pretty good education, too," he says, which tells us a lot. It tells us that being in at least a decent school is why he's become an accomplished professional, and it may have been the only thing keeping him off the streets. It also confirms what had already become pretty clear: that the show itself, if it were a person, would have voted for Tony Gray, who was talking about education throughout the campaign, and was drowned out by sexier, scarier issues like murdered witnesses and crime in general.

The Wire clearly suggests, with this line, that the problem is too big to fix now; that it has grown to the point at which you can only fix it later, by starting earlier in the process. But in the midst of a campaign, who's going to be roused by such a dire, important truth?

Now, it looks like season 3 was just an attempt at reform necessary for learning the hard way how it really had to be. Bunny tried something a bit crazy, but he did it for the right reasons, and it led him to the real solution: start younger, start earlier. You don't partition addicts from other people, you partition one generation from the next.

The MCU
...I actually applauded at the reconstituted MCU. Daniels has oversight, Marimow is gone, and Lester has free reign to take down Marlo and Prop Joe however he can. Beautiful. His challenge is greater than ever, as the MCU over the years has, with its successes, also had the side effect of making the drug trade far more cautious, but I know they'll find a way.

The Vacants
Man, were they toying with us on those vacants, or what? I stupidly didn't realize how they were hiding the bodies for a few episodes, but once I did the entire season was me and my wife screaming at the TV, imploring people to tell Lester what they know. There were two or three near-revelations, and I think there were several different ways he could have found out. I was almost certain Dukie would end up solving it for him: he found a body in one of the vacants, he was so quiet, and he was opening up to Prez, who was being so kind to him. I figure he knows Prez used to be a cop, so at some point he trusts him enough to tell him about the body, and Prez mentions it to Lester, and boom, bodies galore. Perfect, right? Except that's not how he finds out!

Prez
I was so excited when Prez walked through that door in the first episode. I knew it was him on the security camera.

Herc
You really end up loathing him at the end of all this. We'd already been heading that way throughout season 3, when he made it clear that he just wanted to bust heads in, and even believed this was the best way to deal with the drug problem. I can't tell what happens to him from the end of this episode, but you kind of have to hope he loses his job. And if he doesn't, it'll just be another example of the broken system: the union being so strong, and the act of firing an officer so difficult, that even Herc gets to keep knocking heads for a living.

One thing that irks me just the slightest about Herc's increasing stupidity and Carver's increasing thoughtfulness: it seemed like it was going to go the other way in season 1, when Carver was no better and Daniels noticed Herc giving some new guys the same little lecture Daniels had given others about building bigger, better cases. It seemed odd to me that this little moment ends up being a bit of a throwaway, since they went in exactly the opposite direction. Still, I like Carv as a little Bunny disciple walking around now.

Carv
Speaking of Carv, how about that anger in his car? I saw it coming, and was kind of dreading it, but I can't think of a much better summary for the show. A guy spends years realizing what's wrong with the system, tries so hard to fight it, and in the end becomes enraged by his inability to do so.

McNulty
Jimmy McNulty back as a detective? I don't think I like this. I'm pretty torn on whether or not it'll go well, but I have to think it mostly won't. Or, at least, it won't go smoothly, whether he finds a happy medium between the self-destructive guy that puts the case before everything else in his life, and the happy but oh-so-slightly unfulfilled cop who misses the more complicated work. The smart thing is to take the sure, happy life.

What's really got me thinking is whether or not he's had this itch to get back to detective-ing for awhile, or whether or not it arose by chance. In other words (here comes another causal chain!): if he hadn't noticed Bodie sitting there eating, hadn't talked to him and started to bond with him, and therefore hadn't pulled some strings to get him out of jail, and therefore hadn't turned him into an informant, and therefore hadn't felt bad and riled up about him getting killed. Was Jimmy always going to give being a detective another shot, or was it only this dramatic, improbable series of events that ultimately pushed him over the edge? I feel bad for Beadie already, and the kids, even if they do call him "McNulty."

Ell. Em. Eh. Oh.
Prop Joe's white guy voice is friggin' hysterical.

Michael and Chris
Clearly, they share a few things in common. Time for me to talk about being both stupid and smart. First, stupid: it went right over my head, for a couple of episodes, that Bug's father had sexually abused Michael. Smart: I knew instantly that Chris understood what had happened to Michael, and that something similar may have happened to him. Chris is what Michael's going to turn into, if he keeps going. The revelation about Chris sure does paint him in a new light.

Randy
Poor, poor Randy.

Quick rant: I hate, hate, hate, hate, hate the "don't snitch" culture, in all its forms. All of them. It makes me furious, in part because it's so irrational and kneejerk and devoid of context, and it's perpetuated only because people don't stop to think about what it really means. This is one of many reasons I love On the Waterfront; because the speech by Father Barry is the best refutation of this kind of culture that I've ever heard, and it's so rare and so satisfying to hear someone really articulate its insanity.

And, of course, Randy's casual chain is worth mentioning, too, because it's one of the craziest of the series (not all of this is from memory, obviously):

He's asked to be lookout for the little sexual romp with Tiff in the bathroom...the two boys later humiliate her...she gets back at them by accusing them of rape...Randy gets called to the office to explain his role in things and blurts out something about Lex's murder to avoid getting in trouble...Prez, when he learns of the murder angle, goes to Daniels instead of Lester...Daniels assigns it to Carver, who calls Bunk...INTERRUPTION WITH RELATED CHAIN...Omar's framing leads him to call Bunk to cash in his favor from Ilene Nathan...Bunk doesn't care because he's guilty of other murders, anyway, and Omar points out that that still leaves a killer on the streets just before Bunk walks out on him...Bunk interferes in Crutchfield's case and pisses him off...Crutchfield takes Carver's message for Bunk and throws it away in anger as a result...END OF SUB-CHAIN, BEGINNING OF ANOTHER RELATED CHAIN...Prop Joe tells Marlo to steal the camera Herc's moronically planted outside...Herc desperately tries to bring in a murder to distract from his screwup...Herc is so incompetent that Sydnor leaves him to interrogate Little Kevin by himself, and he gives up Randy's name...Little Kevin tells Marlo about it (because Bodie convinced him to be upfront about his run-in with Herc)...Marlo decides to let Randy's thing slide, but Snoop speaks up and suggests they spread the rumor around instead...

...and all that leads to Randy being branded a snitch, his foster mother ending up in the hospital, and Randy ending back up in a group home. Brutal.

Oh, none of it would've happened if he hadn't been selling candy at the dice game right at that moment, either.

Carcetti
Ugh. So close. He was clearly going back and forth between genuine reformer and run-of-the-mill ambitious politician, and for awhile it looked like he was going to end up being the (re)former. Meeting with all the right people, asking all the right questions about the department, and man, strolling into each public works department and telling them there's a problem without giving them an address was friggin' brilliant...

...but the end makes it clear that he's chosen his own career over helping the city. It may be true that he can/will do more good as Governor in two years, but a) that's assuming he wins, b) it's a convenient rationalization for political expediency, even if it might be sorta true, and c) if he becomes Governor, he'll tell himself the same thing about the country as a whole, so he can run for President. This isn't the kind of choice you stop making. All because he couldn't swallow his pride (and risk a far greater career, even though he's already come further than he must have thought was really possible) with the Governor. It's clear to me that we're supposed to view this as the "wrong" choice, for any number of reasons. And it's clear his wife thinks so, too, although she didn't speak up when she had the chance. But the fact that he asked her while simultaneously talking up the Governor rationalization shows that they both know it's the wrong call, deep down, or else why try to sell it at all?

That shot at the end, though, with him in the chair...it tells us all we need to know. I still think he'll do some good, but when his ambitions clash head-on with running the city the best way possible, we know what he'll choose. I think this still makes him a damn sight better than Royce, but it makes him a damn sight worse than he could be, too.

Dialogue
This post is insanely long so I'll just point out two brilliant double-meanings: Norman signing "...we won't leave until we get some," referring to both figgy pudding and statewide funds, and Royce's "don't mention it" to Herc, referring to both the generosity he's showing him and the indiscretion he saw.

The End
Daniels saying he used to go to school in the gym where they're storing the bodies was perfect. "Got a pretty good education, too," he says, which tells us a lot. It tells us that being in at least a decent school is why he's become an accomplished professional, and it may have been the only thing keeping him off the streets. It also confirms what had already become pretty clear: that the show itself, if it were a person, would have voted for Tony Gray, who was talking about education throughout the campaign, and was drowned out by sexier, scarier issues like murdered witnesses and crime in general.

The Wire clearly suggests, with this line, that the problem is too big to fix now; that it has grown to the point at which you can only fix it later, by starting earlier in the process. But in the midst of a campaign, who's going to be roused by such a dire, important truth?

Now, it looks like season 3 was just an attempt at reform necessary for learning the hard way how it really had to be. Bunny tried something a bit crazy, but he did it for the right reasons, and it led him to the real solution: start younger, start earlier. You don't partition addicts from other people, you partition one generation from the next.

The MCU
...I actually applauded at the reconstituted MCU. Daniels has oversight, Marimow is gone, and Lester has free reign to take down Marlo and Prop Joe however he can. Beautiful. His challenge is greater than ever, as the MCU over the years has, with its successes, also had the side effect of making the drug trade far more cautious, but I know they'll find a way.

I actually didn't catch the potential role reversal of Herk and Carver in season 1. I did always think though that if any of those two guys were going to be developed into a fully functional and and effective lawman, it was always going to be Carver just going by his guilt for the stitch up on Daniels at the end of season 1. From then on I figured this guy would go through a bit of a journey. Herk on the other hand is always like 'i ****ed up' and that's it. No self reflection in his actions, just more concerned with looking like a douche (which he often does) and losing his job.

The final Carver scene where he switches in the car is pretty profound, you are right. Definitey a case of pure frustration. I mean, there a lot of people out there who will tell you 'oh well if you want it you gotta do it yourself', and even though I genuinely agree with that statement, I have come to accept the fact that there are forces in life that just can't be manipulated no matter how hard you try. An individual can only do so much and I do think that Carver ends up having a hard time accepting that because it wasn't until that season where he REALLY tried to fight and unfortunately there was the opposite result of his intentions. What can you?


McNulty..boy, I don't want to say too much about season 5. In fact, I will say nothing accept that I imagine your initial reservations will prove to be right. I didn't like the idea of him coming back as a full on detective either, and season 5 just reinforces why. West is a good actor, but I find McNulty very irritating. Not sure why West gets first billing too considering this is an ensemble piece. Should be in alphabetical order which means he should pop up right at the end. That's a minor criticism, however, just think you'll be somewhat disappointed with his arc in season 5, though.

I don't want to say too much about Michael and Chris having seen season 5, but it is pretty obvious where he is heading. It's a shame aswell because Michael clearly has so much potential to contribute to any society. He has strong leadership skills, he physically tough, a bizarre mix of street wise and emotional intelligence. He, like quite a few of the criminals in The Wire, is an example of wasting youth. I always understood that he was sexually abused, just going by how he reacted around male adults and other stuff.

Some more thoughts later, but watching it again is almost as hypnotic as it was the first time I watched the show.

Lets get this thread going a bit more, guys . We'll save Deadwood for another thread as I think it is definitely a show that deserves one.

I actually didn't catch the potential role reversal of Herk and Carver in season 1. I did always think though that if any of those two guys were going to be developed into a fully functional and and effective lawman, it was always going to be Carver just going by his guilt for the stitch up on Daniels at the end of season 1. From then on I figured this guy would go through a bit of a journey. Herk on the other hand is always like 'i ****ed up' and that's it. No self reflection in his actions, just more concerned with looking like a douche (which he often does) and losing his job.

The final Carver scene where he switches in the car is pretty profound, you are right. Definitey a case of pure frustration. I mean, there a lot of people out there who will tell you 'oh well if you want it you gotta do it yourself', and even though I genuinely agree with that statement, I have come to accept the fact that there are forces in life that just can't be manipulated no matter how hard you try. An individual can only do so much and I do think that Carver ends up having a hard time accepting that because it wasn't until that season where he REALLY tried to fight and unfortunately there was the opposite result of his intentions. What can you?


McNulty..boy, I don't want to say too much about season 5. In fact, I will say nothing accept that I imagine your initial reservations will prove to be right. I didn't like the idea of him coming back as a full on detective either, and season 5 just reinforces why. West is a good actor, but I find McNulty very irritating. Not sure why West gets first billing too considering this is an ensemble piece. Should be in alphabetical order which means he should pop up right at the end. That's a minor criticism, however, just think you'll be somewhat disappointed with his arc in season 5, though.

I don't want to say too much about Michael and Chris having seen season 5, but it is pretty obvious where he is heading. It's a shame aswell because Michael clearly has so much potential to contribute to any society. He has strong leadership skills, he physically tough, a bizarre mix of street wise and emotional intelligence. He, like quite a few of the criminals in The Wire, is an example of wasting youth. I always understood that he was sexually abused, just going by how he reacted around male adults and other stuff.

Some more thoughts later, but watching it again is almost as hypnotic as it was the first time I watched the show.

Lets get this thread going a bit more, guys . We'll save Deadwood for another thread as I think it is definitely a show that deserves one.

Avon would have had D killed had Stringer not done it?

Avon would have had D killed had Stringer not done it?

You're saying that you didn't twig that Michael's father abused his little brother for a few episodes. The way I read it was that this was a story concocted by Michael to get dad out of the way, seeing that child abusers are the lowest rung of the criminal ladder and Chris would have no problem dealing with him.

You're saying that you didn't twig that Michael's father abused his little brother for a few episodes. The way I read it was that this was a story concocted by Michael to get dad out of the way, seeing that child abusers are the lowest rung of the criminal ladder and Chris would have no problem dealing with him.

...if Bunk hadn't made Omar promise not to kill anyone, he might have killed Marlo for them. Oops

...if Bunk hadn't made Omar promise not to kill anyone, he might have killed Marlo for them. Oops

Yeah, I think Taccy said that about McNulty in season 5, too. From the vantage point of not having seen it, I wonder if that's it genuinely being "meh," or just a reflection of how frustrated we become with the character? Don't answer that, I'll find out soon enough.

Yeah, I think Taccy said that about McNulty in season 5, too. From the vantage point of not having seen it, I wonder if that's it genuinely being "meh," or just a reflection of how frustrated we become with the character? Don't answer that, I'll find out soon enough.

Yeah, absolutely. I think Chris goes down for some of those murders (or Marlo kills him because it looks like he might), and Michael takes his place.

Yeah, absolutely. I think Chris goes down for some of those murders (or Marlo kills him because it looks like he might), and Michael takes his place.

That's a tough one, isn't it? I lean towards "no," but only just barely. I do think that Avon would've kept giving DeAngelo chance after chance, if nothing else. But mainly, when I think of the Avon/Stringer confrontation, it "rings true" in the sense that it feels as if the things said there are meant to be taken as true. I'm sure you know what I mean; a very trustworthy or wise character says something, or the music swells, or they go on a bit longer than you'd expect, and it becomes clear we're being told something.

Anyway, when Stringer held Avon down (albeit with an injured shoulder) and told him he had DeAngelo killed because Avon would've never been able to do it, I took it as the truth.

That's a tough one, isn't it? I lean towards "no," but only just barely. I do think that Avon would've kept giving DeAngelo chance after chance, if nothing else. But mainly, when I think of the Avon/Stringer confrontation, it "rings true" in the sense that it feels as if the things said there are meant to be taken as true. I'm sure you know what I mean; a very trustworthy or wise character says something, or the music swells, or they go on a bit longer than you'd expect, and it becomes clear we're being told something.

Anyway, when Stringer held Avon down (albeit with an injured shoulder) and told him he had DeAngelo killed because Avon would've never been able to do it, I took it as the truth.

I'm saying I didn't twig that Michael's father had abused Michael. I don't think Bug was ever abused, specifically because Michael was looking out for it the whole time and had it dealt with, albeit with murder.

I'm not sure if you're suggesting that Michael was lying about being molested, or lying about Bug being molested, but either way, if he's being sly, he's being very sly, given that he never actually names the crime, so he'd have to a) know that Chris had been molested somehow AND know that he'd pick up on a subtle non-answer or b) have just gotten lucky on that front.

I'm saying I didn't twig that Michael's father had abused Michael. I don't think Bug was ever abused, specifically because Michael was looking out for it the whole time and had it dealt with, albeit with murder.

I'm not sure if you're suggesting that Michael was lying about being molested, or lying about Bug being molested, but either way, if he's being sly, he's being very sly, given that he never actually names the crime, so he'd have to a) know that Chris had been molested somehow AND know that he'd pick up on a subtle non-answer or b) have just gotten lucky on that front.

I don't think it's such a great leap to think that Chris has spoken with Michael about growing up hard with a rotten father. Whether Chris's dad did anything more than hit him is a moot point - he understands what Michael is hinting at.

Michael wants dad out of the way ASAP and the way the situation plays out becomes his first 'hit'. He's got no love for the man, only emptiness.

EDIT - I think I've seen season 4 three times now and it's always played out that way to me. I never thought for one moment that Michael was telling the truth - there's not a hint of it when you see the family together other than dad being a lazy waster who's mere presence is bad for all of them.

I don't think it's such a great leap to think that Chris has spoken with Michael about growing up hard with a rotten father. Whether Chris's dad did anything more than hit him is a moot point - he understands what Michael is hinting at.

Michael wants dad out of the way ASAP and the way the situation plays out becomes his first 'hit'. He's got no love for the man, only emptiness.

EDIT - I think I've seen season 4 three times now and it's always played out that way to me. I never thought for one moment that Michael was telling the truth - there's not a hint of it when you see the family together other than dad being a lazy waster who's mere presence is bad for all of them.