The Wire Retrospective Part 2 – The Characters
Part 1 of this piece was walking through the Seasons of the show to talk about what happened and now Part 2 goes through the journey of the different characters on the show. I tried to tell each journey like a story but I wanted it to be seen from the perspective of the characters, so I tried not to include information that the characters themselves didn’t have. So, some of the stories end abruptly for certain characters bc they weren’t part of the conclusion of the story but only people that have watched the show would be reading this so they shouldn’t be confused. I did not copy or paste anything, I wrote out every single word for each character and tried to change certain words so it is at least a bit different. I go through each character’s story and add my own comments for certain events and include quotes from the show. Prob not something anyone would read in 1 sitting so I listed the characters in order so people can just skip to whatever character they want to read about. This show had so many amazing characters and so much happens in every episode, I def did not know what I was getting myself into when I committed to doing this piece lol but I’m so happy it did bc I understand the characters so much more now. Hopefully everyone reading this will have the same experience. So let’s get into, starting with 1 of my favourite characters, Cedric Daniels.
–Lt Cedric Daniels
-Det Jimmy McNulty
-Det Lester Freamon
-Det Shakima ‘Kima’ Greggs
-Det William “Bunk” Moreland
-Det Leander Sydnor
-Det Thomas Hauk “Herc”
-Det Ellis Carver
-Det Roland Pryzbylewski “Prez”
-Sgt Jay Landsman
-Maj William Rawls
-Police Commissioner Ervin Burrell
-Deputy Commissioner Stanislaus “Stan” Valchek
-Major Howard “Bunny” Colvin
-Assistant State Attorney Rhonda Pearlman
-Judge Daniel Phelan
-Bubbles
-Omar Little
-Avon Barksdale
-Stringer Bell
-Proposition Joe
-D’Angelo Barksdale
-Wendell ‘Orlando’ Blocker (strip club owner)
-Wee-Bey
– Preston ‘Bodie’ Broadus
-Malik ‘Poot’ Carr
-Wallace
-Maurice Levy
-Frank Sobotka
-Nick Sobotka
-Ziggy Sobotka
-Beadie Russell
-Spiros Vondopoulos “Vondas”
-The Greek
–Melvin ‘Cheese’ Wagstaff
-Slim Charles
-Clay Davis
-Felicia ‘Snoop’ Pearson
-Kenard
-Scott Templeton
-Alma Gutierrez
–Lt Cedric Daniels – 1 of my fav characters and 1 of the best performances on the show by Lance Reddick. Lt Daniels is the kind of guy you want to work for. He is immediately tasked with creating the Major Crimes Unit to investigate the Barksdale crew, but Commissioner Burrell shows it is not a priority by giving them a dirty, basement office to occupy. Then sends him the Detectives that other units don’t want but Daniels actually hits the jackpot with most of the people he is sent. Kima, Herc, Carver, McNulty and Michael Santangelo are the first members of the unit, 4 out of 5 are great police. Burrell instructed Daniels to make this quick and not a drawn-out investigation, so Daniels wants the strategy to be buys n busts. Half-assing investigations bc of the numbers/budgets was 1 of the more frustrating themes that would just get worse as the show went on. Daniels talks to State Attorney Rhonda Pearlman about the lack of quality police he has been given for his unit, but she can’t help him. He then talks to Lieutenant Walter Cantrell about it and finds out Prez is the nephew of Deputy Commissioner Valchek. To offset his worst man, Daniels asks for Det Sydnor, Lt Cantrell’s best. Daniels wish is granted, and Sydnor is assigned to the Major Crimes Unit.
We see the first cracks in the relationship between Daniels and McNulty when Daniels admonishes him for going around authority to arrest D’Angelo which negatively effected the work Kima was doing. Daniels is understandably furious when he learns about what happened at the Towers with Prez, Herc and Carver. He informs them that the mother of the boy that was assaulted by Prez is filing a police brutality charge with the IID and to come up with an iron-clad story about it being self defense or they could be in serious trouble. Daniels wife gives him shit for defending Prez, Herc and Carver saying the detail is a career killer. The incident stings worse when Daniels is informed that the boy will lose sight permanently in his injured eye. I felt for Daniels here, I understand protecting your guys, but Prez really should have been punished more severely for this. Daniels in a meeting with Burrell wants Prez regulated to clerical work until after the Grand Jury decides his fate, def could have been a lot worse. Helping Prez nets the Major Crimes Unit 2 unmarked cars and a surveillance van which will go along way to helping. But Daniels is again told to keep the investigation short.
Daniels frustration is amplified when Detectives Polk and Mahon come up with a picture of “Avon Barksdale” that is a middle-aged white man, obviously not the real Avon. After McNulty refuses to participate in the raid of a smaller Barksdale stash house, Daniels wants him to call in sick to explain his absence but Jimmy refuses again. “Daniels: Motherfucker, why didn’t you call in sick? McNulty: I’m not sick. Daniels: Yeah, you are. Write me up a 95 on why you are physically unable to participate in today’s activities. McNulty: You want me to lie so you can save face? Daniels: Go on. “I can’t jump off with the rest of my unit because my tummy hurts.” Lol Daniels is the superior and has his orders but I prob would have done the same as Jimmy, the smaller bust is not worth losing a shot at Avon or Stringer. But it was all for nothing as due to Omar’s robbery, they have nothing to show for the bust making things even worse for Daniels. We get some interesting information about Daniels through Fitz who tells McNulty that the FBI investigated Daniels years ago and found hundreds of thousands in unexplained assets, but Burrell refused to investigate. I liked the revelation to show that everybody had some flaws including the leader.
In a meeting with Burrell where he seems to soften on the short-term case requirement, Daniels tells him the only way to get the higher ups is to set up a wire and they get it. When Rawls is about to ruin the investigation by charging the case early, Daniels tries to reason with him to no avail, so Daniels goes above Rawls to Burrell who overrules and gives them another month. “Daniels: The murder warrants on hold. The deputy gave us another month. Also, whoever that was you brought in here today gave himself up as an eyewitness in the Gant murder. McNulty: Who, Omar? Daniels: And Greggs said to tell you she’d write it up in the morning. McNulty: Lieutenant – thanks. – Freamon: It cost you? Daniels: ……..” It helps the case, but it costs Daniels career advancement big time going forward proving that Daniels is truly great police and the kind of leader you want to go to war with. When the team arrests a young kid running drugs for the Barksdale crew, Daniels realizes it’s the same kid that Prez blinded but when Daniels offers to help the boy he snaps back at Daniels and is defiant. In a sign of things to come, the driver for Clay Davis, Damian ‘Day-Day’ Price, ends up in the same room as Daniels at a fundraiser he attends with his wife and starts talking about the potential money to be made off of all the valuables in the house until Daniels reveals he is a police officer. Wouldn’t be the last time we hear from Day-Day. After Bird is arrested and refuses to co-operate, Daniels lets his frustrations boil over helping Landsman and Kima deliver a beat down. Daniels is disgusted when the unit busts a driver for Clay Davis with a bag full of drug money but are forced by Burrell to give it back and label the stop unwarranted bc of the political connections. Burrell tells Daniels he is shutting down the unit for getting into shit they aren’t supposed to be in. Sometimes it’s hard to remember who the bad guys are.
Talking to his wife, Daniels tells her the superiors dislike wiretaps bc of how much drug money is involved in political contributions. Things are getting heated with McNulty who keeps asking for more time with the Wire, but Daniels is dealing with constant pressure to wrap the case up sooner rather than later. I felt for Daniels who I know wanted to do good police work but also wants to have a career. The attitude of the superiors in the series towards police work drove me insane at times. In trying to figure out what to do with Orlando, Daniels floats using him for a buy bust to move up the ladder of suspects. During a meeting with Burrell, Daniels says it might be better to wait a bit, but Burrell wants to go ahead with the buy bust now. After McNulty secures Wallace as an informant, Daniels drives him to his grandmothers where he can be safe until they need him at trial. Daniels would have been a good father; he treats Wallace good.
During the undercover bust where Kima gets shot, Daniels is frantically trying to figure out her location and get to her but cannot. Afterwards, Burrell demands “dope on the table” and for the team to start making busts but Daniels doesn’t want to ruin the investigation, so he is strategic in which spots to bust and which ones to hold back. In another meeting with Burrell, Major Reed is livid, shouting that he knows Daniels is holding back locations to bust making Daniels realize someone on the team is feeding information to the higher ups. Daniels has no choice but to go ahead with the bust on the cut house, so raids are made against the cut house, Savino’s home, and the tower. They get plenty of drugs, guns and money for a good photo-op for the Commissioner and others. Daniels goes to visit Kima and see’s a drunken McNulty outside her room and tells him to either go in to see her or get back to work. McNulty says he regrets starting the case that got her shot and that it means nothing, but Daniels reminds McNulty that it meant something to Kima, so they have to continue and bring these guys to justice. In a meeting with Burrell, he is told that the investigation is over with the wire going dead thanks to the Barksdale crew changing things up, but Daniels says they still have time on the court order and should see it through to the end. Burrell says he won’t need as many guys and orders Det Santangelo and Sydnor to return to their units.
After the body of Nakeesha Lyles, the woman who changed her testimony against D’Angelo, is found Daniels becomes extremely concerned for Wallace and orders his men to find him. Bc of the Major Crime Unit’s investigations into political/campaign contributions and the arrest of Clay Davis’s driver, Daniels has to have a meeting with Burrell and Clay Davis which is always good for a laugh, “Clay: Erv, will you explain to this motherfucker just what the fuck it is he’s doing here? Burrell: Lieutenant Dan-… Daniels: Excuse me, sir, but it’s pretty basic. If the senator isn’t involved in anything illegal, then he doesn’t need to worry. I can’t be any clearer than that. Clay Davis: Fool, what do you think? That we know anything about who gives money? That we give a damn about who they are or what they want? We have no way of running down them or their stories. We don’t care. We just cash the damn checks, count the votes and move on. Daniels: Anything else, Deputy Burrell?” Daniels and McNulty look at Wallace’s old spot, but it is abandoned with even the power lines gone. They go to see Wallace’s mother, but she couldn’t care less about where Wallace is. Sad, man. When the news comes in that Wallace is dead it visibly affects Daniels. Based on the information they get from the video camera installed in Avon’s office, borrow a tracker from the FBI and attach it to D’Angelo’s car allowing them to arrest him when he picks up a package of drugs from NY. Daniels and McNulty try to interrogate D’Angelo, but his guard is up after being tricked during the Gant interrogation.
With D’Angelo arrested, Burrell tells Daniels that the investigation is over, but Daniels thinks they can get more out of him if they pressure him and that he wants to see it through as long as they have time on the wiretaps. Burrell threatens to expose the dirt he has on him, but Daniels stands strong knowing that Burrell won’t risk the bad press, “Burrell: You came into a lot of money quick. You can go to jail just as quick if I start asking the right questions. This case ends, or you are done. Hell, I don’t even need you to lock up Barksdale. I can have your major debrief the detectives and type the warrants himself. This case is done. Daniels: You do what you feel. You wanna pull Avon in on half a case, you go ahead. You wanna put my shit in the street, feel free. But the Eastern had a lot of stories – mine ain’t the only one. A lot of people came through that district. If you were gonna do me, I’d already be done. But there ain’t nothin’ you fear more than a bad headline, is there? You’d rather live in shit than let the world see you work a shovel. You can order warrants, and I’ll serve ’em. But as long as I have days left on those dead wires, this case goes on.” With enough information to arrest Avon, Daniels and McNulty join the SWAT team to make the arrest themselves. Daniels is the one to put the cuffs on Avon.
With no new leads, Daniels is worried the investigation will be shut down when McNulty suggests they go over their superiors’ heads and take the case federal. At the meeting with the FBI and State Attorney, Lester presents the information that the Barksdale crew is buying property based on the information they get from politicians they bribe and then selling it at a higher price when the area is redeveloped. But the meeting is not what they had in mind; the FBI says they are hoping to use the drug dealer’s co-operation to nail the politicians. McNulty is furious and Daniels is not happy either, so he ends the meeting saying they are going in different directions. Daniels has a meeting with Carver after figuring out he is the one that has been giving Burrell information about the team. Carver admits it saying he had to bc of the rank. With Carver scheduled to receive his sergeant’s promotion soon, Daniels gives him a great speech, “Daniels: Couple weeks from now, you’re gonna be in some district somewhere with 11 or 12 uniforms looking to you for everything. And some of them are gonna be good police. Some of them are gonna be young and stupid. A few are gonna be pieces of shit. But all of them will take their cue from you. You show loyalty, they learn loyalty. You show them it’s about the work, it’ll be about the work. You show them some other kinda game, then that’s the game they’ll play. I came on in the Eastern, and there was a piece-of-shit lieutenant hoping to be a captain, piece-of-shit sergeants hoping to be lieutenants. Pretty soon we had piece-of-shit patrolmen trying to figure the job for themselves. And some of what happens then is hard as hell to live down. Comes a day you’re gonna have to decide whether it’s about you or about the work.”
As the season ends Daniels has to congratulate Cantrell, the man that got the promotion he was supposed to get but pissed off too many people with this investigation. When S2 starts, we see that Daniels has been punished by being sent to work the evidence room when Bunk goes to get what he needs for the Bird trial. Pissed me off seeing such a great cop like Daniels actually be punished for doing good police work. What a waste, he should be using his talents to keep dangerous criminals off the streets. After talking with his wife, Daniels is ready to retire and use his law degree to become a lawyer leaving the bullshit of the police force behind him. After Burrell calls a meeting with Daniels to offer him the chance to lead the Investigation of Sobotka, Daniels realizes that Valchek specifically asked for him giving him leverage against Burrell. Daniels asks for a promotion, his own major case unit if the investigation is successful and the freedom to pick his own people for the investigation. Burrell has no choice but to agree. When Daniels wife finds out about the new investigation, she is pissed and storms out of dinner. Daniels reaches out to Kima to be a part of the new unit, but she is hesitant due to Cheryl wanting her to stay out of the field, “I’ll tell your wife if you tell mine.” Rawls says Daniels must be desperate to get out of the evidence unit to get involved with the Valchek/Sobotka pissing match and approves all of Daniels choices except for McNulty lol so basically the entire team we like from S1 is back together. Daniels meets with Valchek who outlines the goal of getting Sobotka into handcuffs and taking down his union who Valchek refers to as thieves.
Daniels meets with Carver to offer him a position on the team which surprises Carver after Daniels discovered Carver was feeding Burrell information on the unit in S1. But Daniels tells Carver that after doing it once, he doesn’t believe he would do it again however Carver will not be recognized as an SGT and will be reporting to Kima. Daniels briefs the new unit on their target Frank Sobotka and orders DNR’s and finance investigations to make Valchek happy. He also puts Kima, Herc and Carver on the drug trade around the docks. After some time, Daniels reviews the information the unit has collected so far. Freamon says that Frank Sobotka lives within his means and that the union has seen declining membership causing problems paying their bills. Prez and Freamon have tracked a paper trail from the union to political figures to the tune of 70k. Herc reports that they have has success making hand-to-hand busts but so far have no connections from the drug dealers to the unions. Beadie suggests that extra money the union is making comes from the container smuggling. Daniels assigns Prez and Kima to work on the case involving the 14 dead girls while Bunk, Beadie and Freamon will track container movements. It was exciting to see the investigation start to really get rolling with the team back together.
Lester visits Daniels and is able to convince him to take on the case of the 14 murdered women in the container bc they will do it right and are on the right track with a good chance of clearing the case. Daniels meets with Rawls and says he will take the case as long as he gets 100% support from Rawls and the superiors. It’s a tougher sell to his wife as she thinks the case is a dead end for his career and says 1 of the things, she fell in love with him for was his ambition. I wanted this case solved and the girls to get justice, so it was frustrating to see people worried more about numbers and careers. After Herc, Carver and Kima collect evidence against the Sobotka’s and the Greeks, Daniels takes it to Rhonda Pearlman to try and get a wire set up. Daniels tells Rhonda about Herc and Carver linking Nick Sobotka to the drug dealer Frog but implies the information was from an informant and doesn’t tell her it was from an illegal wire. Rhonda thinks it is enough and takes the paperwork to the Judge who signs off on the wire tap on Sergei. Lester and Bunk once again ask Daniels to help McNulty and the case by pushing Rawls to let Jimmy off the docks and back into the Major Crimes Unit. Daniels agrees and goes to Rawls but is initially turned down again. “Daniels: You ever see how a dog gets when he smells a bone buried in the yard? Rawls: Yeah, and I seen one take a shit on my carpet, too. And don’t give me that he’s-got-that-fire-in-the-belly garbage, either. The answer is no.” lol Daniels brings up the agreement to take on the murders and Rawls finally gives in hoping Daniels and the Unit can clear them. Now that he has received the ok, Daniels calls McNulty to deliver the good news.
To cover for the illegal wire, Herc and Carver have Herc’s cousin pose as their informant ‘Fuzzy Dunlop’ lol but he demands 10% of the ‘Confidential Informants’ payments. Carver brings the paperwork to Daniels who thinks the name is ridiculous and the price is high but signs off on it anyways. After the detail is successful in tracking the stolen containers, there is suddenly a decrease in activity from their targets which means the alarm bells are being raised and the targets have switched up their routines. Daniels has Herc and Carver start watching the warehouse while Freamon, Prez, Bunk and Beadie continue to monitor their wire taps. Daniels and Pearlman have to brief Valchek on the case and go over the multiple impressive feats of police work they have accomplished in this investigation putting them in position to make some pretty significant cases but all Valchek cares about is Frank Sobotka. Just so unbelievably frustrating. The Major Crimes Unit could see 14 murders solved and big busts to the Barksdale Crew but if they don’t get Frank Sobotka then he doesn’t give a shit. Great police this guy is but make no mistake about it there are Valchek’s all over the police forces in our real world. Later, Daniels and Pearlman meet with the FBI after Valchek went and recruited them to work for his cause. They have no choice but to share the case with the FBI, but the FBI wants the main focus on Frank Sobotka and the union. Ridiculous. Daniels and Pearlman meet with Fitz to discuss the added problems of Valchek’s FBI agents and Fitz agrees to help track the origins of the dirty containers. Valchek arrives at the Major Crimes Unit and starts tearing into Daniels for failing to make a case against Frank Sobotka and demands Prez leave the unit bc it puts his own family against him. Daniels is completely stunned when Prez punches Valchek after 1 too many insults and if forced to confiscate Prez’s badge and send him home if Valchek doesn’t want to press charges.
The Major Crimes Unit serves warrants on most of the targets in the Sobotka/Greeks investigation. Daniels, Bunk, Kima and Lester lead the raid on Glekas warehouse, but it has already been stripped clean. Back at the unit, Daniels discusses the strategy of leaving Spiros on the street with Beadie saying they know Spiros isn’t the head of the food chain. They know he reports to someone higher so if they leave him on the street, he could lead them to the one calling the shots. Extremely risky strategy, either it pays off big time or is a complete disaster. But with all the experience these guys have, they know that if they don’t get the guy at the top then the ones they arrested will just be replaced and you’re back at square one. Bunk and Lester arrive and break the news that Glekas is dead and was killed by Frank Sobotka’s son Ziggy. Daniels is furious not only bc someone related to his investigation was arrested and he wasn’t contacted but bc only evidence related to the murder was collected. Meaning the giant warehouse full of evidence related to smuggling and theft was just left there. Just fcking unreal stupidity. Daniels delivers a great rant when he finally tracks down Landsman about not being contacted and all of the evidence being collected and this being a new low for a Police department that is already fucked.
After Daniels is briefed about all the interviews with the suspects they have arrested, he tries to ask Fitz for help arresting Spiros but since the union bosses have been arrested, FBI is no longer interested in the case which is fucked considering the depths of criminal activity going down. Daniels meets with Pearlman and Beadie to discuss the case and that they have identified The Greeks lawyer so if they reach out to him then they got em. Beadie thinks that if she talks to Frank then he might flip so Pearlman gives her the ok. Daniels meets with Valchek to try and plead for Prez’s career after the punch. He is successfully able to convince Valchek not to press charges after reminding Valchek that several detectives and FBI agents witnessed him insulting a subordinate officer. “Daniels: I’ll tell you the truth Major. Everyone who saw the punch wrote on it. And they’ve all got Prez throwing the punch, no question. They’ve also got you addressing a subordinate officer as uh, what was it? A shit-bird?
Valchek: Fuck you. This is the Baltimore Police Department, not the Roland Park Ladies Tea.” lol Valchek agrees to let Prez come back to the unit after 2 months of shit midnight shifts and if Prez writes an apology letter to everyone in the room saying that he hit Valchek unprovoked. Daniels, Pearlman and the FBI Team meet with Commissioner Burrell and Rawls about the case but with their main witness Frank Sobotka now dead the case has stalled but Daniels reminds them on the many arrests they have already made. Rawls is still focused on the 14 unsolved jane doe murders but unfortunately, they have no answers for him. During the meeting, Lester phones Daniels to let him know that Nick Sobotka has come in and is willing to talk.
Daniels and Pearlman interview Nick at the Major Crimes Unit and he tells them everything he knows. All the information he has about Spiros, Eton, Sergei, about how they lured Frank to the meeting saying they would help Ziggy, everything he knows he gives to the team. Nick even identifies the Greek in a surveillance photo that the team thought was just an innocent bystander. Back at the Major Crimes Unit, Daniels is confronted by Herc and Carver for the way they have been treated lately. They are pissed about being left on surveillance of Nick Sobotka’s house for 24 hours after he turned himself in bc nobody told them. Can’t blame them for being pissed on that one, I def would be. They feel like they are being treated as pack mules while everyone else does the important stuff and Carver his pissed his rank of Sgt is never recognized. Daniels tries to explain that surveillance is part of the job they all went through, but Herc and Carver have had enough. Carver is going to take a position under Major Colvin in the West district that will give him respect for his rank and better police work. Herc is also moving on to more exciting police work away from the Major Crimes Unit. Daniels helps Bunk lean on Sergei for information on the Greek and he does give up the place where they usually meet but the Greeks are 1 step ahead as Spiros and The Greek have already boarded a plane and are gone. That wraps up the investigation into the Greeks and the season on the docks. They did some good and made some key arrests but, in the end, it has to be classified a failure as they didn’t get the major players and didn’t change anything. Daniels is an awesome character, so I was excited to see him back leading the team but once again the future for the team was uncertain heading into another season. At the bar where they are celebrating/lamenting the case closing, Kima and McNulty show Daniels pictures of Stringer Bell and Prop Joe saying they should be the next targets for the Major Crimes Unit. Fitz tells Daniels that the FBI leak was from his office. Man, things would have been much different if the Greek didn’t have that Ace up his sleeve.
As S3 begins we see Daniels and Pearlman discuss giving up the wiretaps on the Barksdale/Prop Joe crews due to lack of results when McNulty comes in. McNulty asks to keep them going bc he believes they will eventually lead to prop Joe but most importantly Stringer Bell who McNulty sees as the top target. Daniels tells McNulty they need to yield some results to justify the wire taps. The team has been watching a dumb drug dealer named Drac that talks freely on his phone but they were wishing he was higher up so he would lead them to a bigger bust. So, the team hatches a plan to arrest the guy that supplies Drac so that Drac will be promoted which is pretty much guaranteed bc Prop Joe is Drac’s uncle. Daniels takes the plan to Burrell who is reluctant to ok yet another wiretap considering how few results the investigation has produced. Burrell also informs Daniels that he sent his promotion to the mayor, but the mayor is holding it up bc Daniels’ wife is looking to challenge one of the mayor’s allies in the upcoming election. Daniels faces the reality that he will never be commander until the mayor knows him and his allies are safe from candidates that pose a threat like Daniels wife. Bad news for the Major Crimes Unit when the promotion in Prop Joe’s crew goes to Cheese instead of Drac which is a big blow to the future of their Barksdale investigation. We see that things might not be going great for Daniels at home when Pearlman notices he has been living out of his office. Then later Daniels attends a political party for his wife at their home but then leaves after, confirming that his marriage is seriously on the rocks. Was hoping that wouldn’t lead to a downfall for Daniels.
After multiple murders involving the Barksdale crew and Cheese, the team takes their information to Pearlman. Daniels argues that they have enough to move on the dealers now while McNulty wants to wait to try and get Stringer but everyone else thinks they should move on it now and they do. Unfortunately, there was a miscommunication, and they thought the name of a dog was a person, so they have nothing significant to charge any of them with. The team is drowning their sorrows at the bar when Pearlman makes a move on Daniels after turning down McNulty. Daniels is game so they go back to his bachelor pad. Go Daniels, it’s your birthday lol loved that story direction, thought they would be a great couple. Daniels is considering moving on from the Barksdale crew to another target that is def someone you want off the street, but his arrest wouldn’t have near the impact that the higher ups in the Barksdale crew would. During the meeting, McNulty isn’t there to fight for the investigation, but Kima does, saying that she doesn’t agree with the reasons they are switching targets and that they should go after the bigger targets rather than a relatively insignificant one. I was def hoping they stayed on the Barksdale investigation but man it seemed like they were really going to give up on it at some points. Another reason this show is as great as it is.
At the big meeting for all the police leaders, Daniels is complimented by Rawls for the reputation he is building as someone that gets shit done. Major ‘Bunny’ Colvin congratulates Daniels for stopping the drug war, at least for a short time. They all discuss their plans on how they are gonna meet the targets Rawls has laid out for them. Pearlman delivers some bad news; Avon Barksdale is up for parole which def complicates things if he gets out. McNulty shows up at Pearlman’s for some lovin but notices that Daniels car is parked in front which leads to an awkward conversation between Daniels and McNulty. But it’s all good as McNulty is cool with Daniels and Pearlman’s new relationship and gives his blessing, not that they or she owed McNulty anything considering his behaviour. Daniels thanks McNulty for making it easy. We see Daniels attending another political party with his wife or soon to be ex-wife, they have to keep up the appearance of a happy marriage until after the elections are over. After the party they have dinner and Daniels wife suggests that maybe they give their marriage another chance. But we know Daniels has started to move on with Pearlman so all he can promise her is his support at these political events until the elections are over. Later in a conversation with Pearlman, Daniels admits that he feels like he owes her this support for all the years she supported him. A lesser man would have said fck it and let his ex-wife’s career go down the drain, but Daniels is def a good man.
McNulty and Kima have a meeting with Daniels and spin the facts to try and get Daniels to agree an investigation into Stringer who was spotted meeting with Marlo so he must still be involved in the day to day of the drug business. Getting more and more legit, McNulty wants to get him while he still has his hands dirty, but Daniels hand are tied until McNulty has some actual evidence to use so he denies the request. Daniels is called into a meeting with Colvin, Rawls and Burrell who inform him that he is to start an investigation into Stringer Bell and Marlo Stanfield. This is going to cause problems bc Daniels knows exactly why this meting is happening. Daniels tells the Major Crimes Unit that the new targets are Stringer and Marlo and that the investigation into the other dealer Kintell Williamson is being put on hold. Don’t have to wait long to see things come to a head when Daniels calls McNulty into his office and you know Daniels ain’t happy. Daniels accuses McNulty of going behind his back to his superiors to get the target of the investigation changed and McNulty freely admits it. Then Daniels drops the bomb on McNulty telling him to find a new home bc when Stringer is arrested, he is out of the Major Crimes Unit. This bummed me out bc I knew with the level of realism on this show that this betrayal would destroy the McNulty/Daniels relationship and the Major Crimes Unit would prob never be whole again after this.
A tragic situation puts even more stress on Daniels shoulders when Prez accidentally shoots and kills a decorated black police officer. Daniels rushes to the Homicide unit where Prez is being held. Despite the advice of Landsman not to go see Prez bc of potential legal trouble, Daniels goes into see Prez and advises him to ask to see a union lawyer bc of the racial element. Prez says it wasn’t racially motivated, it just happened really fast, but he tells Daniels that he doesn’t think he yelled out and identified himself as a police officer. Daniels keeps telling him to call a lawyer and just focus on the facts that it was an accident. After Daniels leaves the room, he tells Landsman that Prez requested a lawyer and tells Rawls to assign an officer to the room as Prez should be put on suicide watch. Unbelievable turn of events that I did not see coming at all. Valchek asks Daniels if he will back Prez on the racial issue as it would be very important with Daniels being Black and Prez’s commanding officer. But all Daniels can do is stare, he knows that Prez has a history of violence and possible racism but has also acted like a changed man since the incident at the towers in S1.
Daniels and Pearlman meet with Judge Phelan to talk about their difficulties with drug dealers using burner phones and tossing them quick before they can get a wire tap approved. Phelan flirts with Pearlman all meeting and eventually agrees to sign affidavits immediately after they get a phone number which is a huge win for the Major Crimes Unit. They meet with McNulty the good news but immediately McNulty wants to rush the paperwork, but Daniels cautions him. Don’t want to piss away a gift like this being sloppy. Just after they set up wiretaps on the phones, the Barksdale Crew tosses all their phones and Daniels is pissed they paid such a high cost to get the wiretaps for such a short window of time to monitor them. They come up with a new plan to sell pre-wired phones to the Barksdale Crew so they can maximize the time they have the wire up. Daniels gives the team a break in the case when he pins up the picture of a Barksdale lieutenant named Shamrock who Stringer is exclusively communicating with. Lester and McNulty nail down Stringers number but fear it won’t last long so Daniels calls in a favour from Fitz who says he can get the wiretap approved by the end of the day. Phelan signs the affidavit and Fitz delivers on his end by telling his superiors Stringers given name is ‘Ahmed’ which is an immediate terrorist red flag. So fucked up and shows you what kind of hell middle eastern people have been dealing with since 9/11.
With Stringer Bell dead, the walls are coming down around the Barksdale crew and Daniels is not letting up having the team stay on the wiretaps but be prepared to take the Barksdale safehouse. Daniels is waiting until they have no doubt about probable cause as they don’t want Avon getting off on a technicality. They get all the evidence they need and get ready to move on the Barksdale safehouse, but Daniels shows his great leadership advising his men and women to knock first bc he believes busting in would cause a firefight. Avon and the Barksdale crew are arrested without much incident, and they have enough to put Avon away for a long time. Daniels reports the success of the case to Burrell who refers to him as Major Daniels revealing that the promotion has been accepted thanks to Daniels ex-wife’s alliance with the mayor. This also means Daniels will be named District Commander, so all the bullshit is finally paying for Daniels which was def nice to see. Daniels celebrates the promotion with a meal in public with Pearlman and tells her that with the mayor’s support and the elections over, she doesn’t need Daniels anymore and he is free to be with Pearlman and they celebrate some more at home. Staying true to his word, Daniels follows through and removes McNulty from the Major Crimes Unit. I was hoping he would let him stay but this is the Wire and the ‘happy ever after’ ending rarely comes true. In the closing montage for S3 we see Daniels and Sydnor taking down the Barksdale investigation board for the last time.
We see that McNulty went back to being a beat cop as Major Daniels calls Officer McNulty into his office to try and convince him to get off the patrol division and go back to being a detective bc he is short on good detectives. McNulty refuses and Daniels says he is prob better off on a personal level doing patrol. Daniels gets Rawls to pull some strings to get Kima transferred to the Homicide unit after she becomes disillusioned with the direction of the Major Crimes Unit. In a meeting with Marimow the new asshole lieutenant of the Major Crimes Unit, Daniels has to give him extra manpower to make some raids, but Pearlman warns these low-level criminals not even worth her time and would be a waste of wiretaps but Marimow insists. Man, to go from a leader like Daniels to the Marimow clown would be fcking awful. Daniels meets with Prez who has once again redeemed himself and found new life as a teacher. Prez is asking Daniels to help a student of his Randy that witnessed a murder not get chewed up by the system. Surprisingly Daniels suggests Prez talk to Carver who has reformed his ways as a police officer and could help Randy. Daniels impresses Tom Carcetti the man that could be the next mayor by doing a great job of controlling the crime scene at a shooting. The people around Carcetti let him know that Daniels is different than most commanding officers.
Carcetti is showing a lot of interest in Daniels so Daniels has a conversation with Pearlman about how he should approach a meeting with Carcetti. She tells him to be himself and give him the truth. At the meeting, Carcetti asks Daniels what his concerns are about the Baltimore Police Dept. Daniels tells him that the majority of day-to-day police work in Baltimore is a waste of time, energy, money and in many cases talent. Blunt to say the least lol Carcetti says that Rawls blames Burrell’s numbers game. Daniels shows his character when he refuses to discuss his superiors with Carcetti. Carcetti offers Daniels a big promotion right under Rawls and Daniels wonders of he can trust Carcetti. I just came off watching Game of Thrones, so I was saying NO lol Carcetti makes his intentions to promote Daniels which ruffles the feathers of Burrell and Rawls. Burrell thinks Carcetti see’s Daniels as the perfect African American replacement for Burrell. Daniels is very optimistic about the potential of the new Carcetti administration to create some real change. Lt Mello informs Daniels that Burrell has instituted an ‘arrest everyone’ initiative to boost his numbers so neighbourhood people are being arrested for basically nothing. Daniels takes this information straight to Carcetti to show him that Burrell is trying to inflate the statistics to make himself look better. This makes Carcetti furious bc he wants to make the city better for the people not terrorize them.
Carcetti asks Daniels why he went above Rawls and came straight to him. Daniels says if Rawls already told Carcetti and he didn’t act then Carcetti was a liar. If Rawls didn’t report it to Carcetti it means he is content with that behaviour. Carcetti says Daniels already has his word that he is committed to change and thanks him for going outside the chain of command, but Daniels tells him not to get used to it. When Herc gets in trouble for wrongly arresting a pastor he thought was a drug dealer and getting rough with him, Rawls passes the decision on the punishment over to Daniels. Daniels asks Rawls to re-instate the Major Crimes Unit under Daniels command and Rawls agrees. First person Daniels talks to is Lester to move back to the Major Crimes Unit and pick his team and Lieutenant for all he cares, “Detective Freamon, you have carte blanche in picking your squad. In fact, you can pick your supervisor, for all I care. Motherfucker, as far as I’m concerned, you are the Major Crimes Unit. It’s morning in Baltimore, Lester. Wake up and smell the coffee.” Damn right. Not long after getting the Major Crimes Unit rolling again, Lester is already challenging Daniels when he finds bodies in abandoned houses in the projects. Lester needed permission to keep searching the house for more bodies that he knew were there but Daniels in his new position was concerned about how the numbers look. I guess in that position no matter how bad you want to bring criminals to justice, you have no choice but to care about the numbers.
Daniels brings the request to Rawls and explains that any homicide numbers will be attributed to the previous mayor’s administration which impresses and worries Rawls. He knows Daniels is a formidable threat to his bid to be commissioner. Daniels gives Lester the greenlight to look for more bodies. Burrell wants to know if they can connect the bodies to anyone yet. Daniels says that they believe the Stanfield crew is responsible and are gathering evidence. He also tells Burrell that the Major Crimes Unit was building a case on the Stanfield Crew until 3 months ago when Lt Marimow pulled their wire taps. In a surprise, Burrell offers Daniels whatever he needs and actually comes through when Daniels asks for more men to help search. After Chris and Snoop from Marlo’s crew are arrested when a gun is found, Daniels gets the ballistics reports and shares it with Lester. The gun found is clean of prints and not linked to any shootings. Lester tells Daniels that save for a trace DNA match or eyewitness, they are probably facing a long investigation. Just when you think they had Chris and Snoop they end up clean, hell of a way to end S4.
We start S5 with some shitty news, Burrell and Rawls tell Daniels that the Major Crimes Unit is being shut down due to budgetary reasons. Daniels questions the wisdom of stopping the investigations into the murders at the vacant houses and says that Carcetti has broken the promises he made to Daniels. The hits keep coming when Burrell tells Daniels they are also revoking take home vehicles from everyone ranked Colonel and below meaning Daniels has to give up his car. It’s like Rocky V for our favourites in S5 when already tight budgets are regressing to closing units. Ridiculous that Good Police like Daniels have pay for everyone else’s shortcomings. Daniels and Pearlman meet with the State Attorney Rupert Bond to talk about the closure of the Major Crimes Unit. They appeal to Bond to try and get Carcetti to change his mind. Bond only cares about the Clay Davis case and not the bodies in the vacant houses but Pearlman reminds Bond that she needs Lester to make the Clay Davis case, so Bond agrees to go with them to meet Carcetti. Instead of a meeting with Carcetti they have to settle for quickly talking to him as he walks to his next appointment, and it doesn’t go well as Carcetti denies their request to keep the Major Crimes Unit going until the Stanfield investigation is complete bc of the financial pressure. But when Bond explains that closing it will affect the Clay Davis case, Carcetti agrees to allow 2 detectives to remain working only on the Clay Davis case. Daniels is furious that a corrupt politician is more important than all of the people murdered in those vacant houses. I’m right there with him, just gross how the stats are more important than doing actual police work.
Daniels has to break the news of their closure to the rest of the Major Crimes Unit, and everyone is understandably pissed esp bc their efforts have reduced the Stanfield Crews operations during the investigation. Actually, making a difference doesn’t matter though, Daniels still has to try and apologize for something he was 100% against. Daniels obviously feels the same way and vows to get the team back together when the money situation improves but nobody is optimistic it will happen any time soon. Daniels meets with Burrell to try and make it clear that he has nothing to do with the recent scandals that are forcing Burrell to resign. He even offers to decline a promotion to show his loyalty, but Burrell doesn’t say a word the entire time. The next time they see each other is at the press conference to announce Burrell’s resignation where Burrell notices that Daniels looks nervous. Daniels once again tries to make it clear he had nothing to do with any of it, but Burrell reminds him that he knows about Daniels past but has forgotten bc it was so long ago. Def gotta take that as a veiled threat.
McNulty’s serial killer is starting to take center stage as Daniels presents McNulty’s report about a possible serial killer to mayor. Carcetti wants to give this all the attention it needs but is handcuffed by the brutal financial situations of Baltimore schools that must take top priority. Unfortunately, every answer Daniels can give him about a solution is more police on the case and approved overtime for those working the case which requires money they don’t have. Really frustrating to see how much money plays a role in policing and how much safer our streets would be if there was enough money to go around for everything. Carcetti approves unlimited OT for 2 detectives, but Daniels has to tell that 2 detectives simply isn’t enough to investigate the case and try to keep the streets safe from a potential serial killer. Everything requires more police and overtime. Daniels has a great line, “Overtime is the blood in the veins of the police department.” Carcetti can’t do anything but shake his head lol Daniels delivers a great performance at the press conference answering questions about what they are going to be doing about McNulty’s serial killer that is now front-page news. Rawls even congratulates him but laughs when Daniels implies, he will get more money go after this serial killer and tells him the budget strains mean there isn’t anything to give him. Never ends as Daniels is crushed realizing they expect him to deliver results without an increase in resources. Daniels is sitting in his office when a grim looking Kima walks in and this would have huge repercussions.
Daniels is present when the BPD reveals to Carcetti and his staff that the serial killer was a fabrication by detectives to bring funds for other investigations. Everyone is stunned at the revelations, but Daniels is pissed when they decide to wrap this up without any actual punishments, so it stays quiet. Daniels is Good Police and despite the detectives being people he prob considered friends at one point, he wants them punished to the full extent which is not going to happen now. Daniels and Rawls meet with McNulty and berate him for not only fabricating a serial killer but creating a copycat killer. They tell him to catch the copycat killer quickly but that this will be the last case he ever works. After the copycat killer is caught and they start to move on from McNulty’s serial killer mess, Daniels is once again asked to manipulate the numbers, so they look better than they actually are but refuses as he is done with faking actual police work rather than doing it. That is what caused all the problems in the first place. The superiors aren’t having it as the City Council President sends Daniels ex-wife Marla over to remind him, they have a file on his shady past and that his choices are play ball or resign. Daniels stays Good Police to the end as he decides to resign and dust off the Law Degree that he has for the rest of his working days. He doesn’t forget his friends on the way out as Daniels last acts are to hand out promotions including making Carver a lieutenant. Great moment.
Kind of brings things full circle as Carver has changed his ways becoming Good Police and is now the same rank that Daniels was when the series first started. In the closing montage, we see that Daniels has become a defence attorney and man if there was ever somebody I would want to defend me in a court of law it would be Cedric fn Daniels lol and that brings us to the end. Sucks to say goodbye to such a great character but the amazing performance from Lance Reddick will ensure Daniels is remembered as long as great TV characters are mentioned. One of the reasons The Wire became the iconic show it has is bc of characters like Cedric Daniels. I loved following along on the journey and will continue to for years to come. If only more police in the real world could be like Daniels.
Det Jimmy McNulty – What an interesting character Dominic West gave us in Jimmy McNulty. You want to root for him despite his many flaws but he def makes it hard esp towards the end of the series. Whatever you think of Jimmy, you def have to give him credit as 1 of the best murder police. ‘Why’d you even let him in the game?” lol we kick off the series with Jimmy trying to get information about guy named ‘Snot Boogie’ that was killed at a dice game and eventually he wears the guy down and gets what he is looking for. Jimmy shows up at the trial for D’Angelo Barksdale and watches the witness change her story so that D’Angelo is not implicated in the murder. He notices Stringer Bell sitting in the gallery and realizes the witness has been intimidated. Seeing the adversarial dynamic between Jimmy and Stringer gets you into the show right off the bat. After Phelan notices Jimmy in the courtroom despite not being the lead detective on the case, Jimmy vents his frustrations to Judge Phelan about the lack of investigation into the main players of the Barksdale crew, Avon Barksdale and Stringer Bell. Judge Phelan helps Jimmy out by calling the commissioner to get an investigation going but it def costs Jimmy. Rawls tears a strip of Jimmy for going around the chain of command to get the investigation going and vows to make his life hell. Safe to say I wasn’t a fan of Rawls to start the show lol McNulty tells Sgt Landsman that he dreads being assigned to harbour patrol, foreshadowing what lies ahead for Jimmy.
Jimmy is assigned to the new Major Crimes Unit created by Lt Daniels to investigate the Barksdale crew but is immediately frustrated with the plan of attack. McNulty wants to set up a wiretap to try and get the biggest players in the crew but that will take time so the Unit is planning to use buys n bust strategy which will be good for the short term but won’t net them the bigger players. I was def with McNulty on this one, would have been impossible for me to be police given these restrictions. We see that Jimmy has a contact with the FBI in Terrance “Fitz” Fitzhugh who informs Jimmy he can’t help with the Barksdale investigation bc after 9/11, the FBI is moving away from drug busts and focusing on terrorism. Jimmy meets up with his homicide partner Bunk Moreland at the bar and then by the tracks for drinks and some venting, we get a sense of Jimmy’s flaws with the excessive drinking and bitching about his ex-wife making it hard to see his kids. The more we get to know McNulty the less I was relating to him. Jimmy and Bunk investigate the murder of the second witness in the D’Angelo murder case, William Gant which Jimmy believes the Barksdale crew is responsible for. Jimmy tries to use Judge Phelan’s connection with Commissioner Burrell to expand the investigation but Phelan refuses having already caused enough trouble helping McNulty the first time. Jimmy wants to keep it out of the press so it doesn’t alert the Barksdale crew that the police are coming after them. McNulty and Bunk confront D’Angelo in the pit and arrest him. “McNulty: This is just us talking right? Just you, me, my partner and… what did you say your name was? Bodie: I didn’t say shit. McNulty: Just you, me, my partner and Mr. Shit here.” lol While in the holding cell, McNulty, Bunk and Kima play up the innocence of Gant even using pictures of Bunk’s kids pretending they are Gant’s. D’Angelo is moved and agrees to write a letter to Gant’s family offering condolences for the murder until the defense lawyer Levy arrives and stops D from writing and incriminating himself any further. Bunk and McNulty are def a great team.
McNulty is pissed when the story of a witness being killed Is front page news but Phelan denies being the one that leaked it. Daniels informs McNulty that they are going to be arresting low level dealers instead of waiting to catch the main players which pisses Jimmy off. He goes to see Rhonda Pearlman about what it would take to clone a pager and we learn they are sort of but not really in a relationship as they have sex. Infidelity with Rhonda among others is what cost Jimmy his marriage so it’s hard to sympathize with him when he bitches about his ex-wife, who is also freakin beautiful. Drives me nuts that characters like McNulty have hot wives but still cheat on them, even though Pearlman is also smokin. McNulty refuses to participate in raiding one of the small Barksdale stash houses thinking it will sabotage the case causing even more friction with Daniels. Fitz tells McNulty about the FBI investigating Daniels for hundreds of thousands in unexplained assets, but Burrell refused to investigate after the FBI gave him the info. I actually think this endeared Daniels more to McNulty knowing he wasn’t squeaky clean.
Landsman has McNulty and Bunk investigate the murder of Deirdre Kresson to help out since the Homicide unit is short staffed with McNulty in the Major Crimes Unit. Jimmy doesn’t think the murder is related to the Barksdale crew, but someone named ‘D’ is listed as a possible suspect. Hilarious to watch McNulty and Bunk going through the crime scene communicating only by saying ‘Fuck’ lol they actually find a bullet and casing the previous detectives missed. McNulty picks up Bubs after Kima has to go to class, and they end up at his kids soccer game. We see a tense interaction with his ex-wife who does not want to share custody with Jimmy. Kids need both parents so I was def hoping Jimmy would get the time he wanted. Back at the Major Crimes Unit, McNulty is discussing what they need for pager cloning and surveillance when Det Freamon reveals that the phone number he grabbed off the wall at the bust belongs to D’Angelo Barksdale. Jimmy is impressed and offers to buy Freamon a drink where he learns that they are more alike than he thought. Lester was punished being sent to the pawn shop unit for pissing off his superiors for doing police work the right way, kind of like Jimmy. Lester warns Jimmy his fate could be the same and to lie if he is ever asked where he wants to go the least. But Landsman already knows where Jimmy would least want to go. To get the wire up they need to prove exhaustion of all other methods, so Jimmy shows up drunk at Kima’s to see how her surveillance went. Kima says they got nothing which means they should be able to get permission for the wire.
With the wire set up on the Barksdale crew, Lester figures out their pagers are using a code, but they have no clue how to solve it until Prez steps up and figures it out. McNulty is actually impressed. Bubbles tells them where to find Omar’s van so McNulty and Kima track it down hoping Omar will co-operate, but he is nowhere to be found. Despite telling his ex-wife it was already done, it was encouraging and funny to see McNulty make an effort to build the bunk beds so his kids could stay with him. Back at homicide, McNulty learns that Bailey, one of Omar’s crew was just killed. McNulty and Kima see Omar’s van and follow it to a cemetery where Jimmy tries to reason with Omar that they have a common enemy in the Barksdale crew, but Omar is not cool with talking to police. But McNulty drops the info that Bailey was killed prompting Omar to reveal that Bird, one of Avon’s guys killed William Gant. McNulty has a meeting with Rawls and Landsman where Rawls tells McNulty he expects the case to be wrapped within a week and McNulty back in homicide but we know Jimmy ain’t doing that lol Rawls wants to charge the cases early which frustrates McNulty bc he know this will cause Avon to change things up ruining all the work they have done up to now. But Daniels comes through and has Burrell overrule Rawls so they can wait on charging the cases.
After leaving his card on Omar’s van, McNulty gets a call from Omar and they meet at the police station where Omar identifies Brandon’s body. After seeing what was done to Brandon, Omar is willing to co-operate and comes to the Major Crimes Unit with McNulty. Omar helps them match the pager activity to Brandon’s movements on the night and McNulty is upset they are always 1 step behind. After interviewing the arcade owner, McNulty and Freamon figure out the pay phone near the arcade is the one used on the night of the murder. McNulty and Bunk canvass the neighbourhood where Gant was killed and find an older lady that corroborates what Omar has said and is willing to testify in court. Omar gives them information about where Bird goes to get high, and the entire Major Crimes Unit participates in the take down of Bird. In addition to Gant, Omar tells them Bird is responsible for the death of a woman named Denise Redding which happens to be one of Santangelo’s unsolved cases. McNulty gives Santangelo the good news who returns the favour by telling McNulty that Rawls is out to get him. Later on, talking to Rhonda, McNulty is lamenting about being a target, “McNulty: They’re gonna do me, Ronnie. I love this fucking job, and they’re gonna do me.” I felt for him here bc despite his faults, he really did want to do the right thing with police work.
While out with his sons, McNulty spots Stringer and makes a dangerous move pretending to play a game so his sons will help him tail Stringer. They do a good job and actually get Stringers license plate but McNulty loses track of them at one point having to page them over the intercom. All ends well as they get back with him unharmed, but it shows how far Jimmy will go for police work, almost too far. The wire implicates Omar in the murder of Stinkum so they bring him in but Omar denies any involvement. McNulty and Bunk know it was Omar but don’t tell Det Cole who is working the case, so it doesn’t hurt their own investigation. They drink their guilt away and it’s so fn funny when McNulty has to pick up an absolutely trashed Bunk from the place of a girl, he slept with lol things are getting heated with Daniels as McNulty keeps pushing for more time on the Wire but Daniels is dealing with superiors that want the case wrapped up asap. McNulty is looking around the spot where Brandon’s body was found, and see’s that Wallace is tapping power from another apartment and knows they can use that to bring him in. He pays some cops cases of beer to sit on it until Wallace comes back. The cops bring Wallace in, and he is immediately co-operative giving up Wee-Bey, Stringer and other members of the crew. During this McNulty is having to fight for time with his kids in court, we learn his ex-wife had a PI follow him to obtain evidence of his affair with Pearlman. Jimmy is a dick for cheating, but he loves his kids and does take good care of them.
After Kima is shot, McNulty is in shock and is found by Rawls covered in Kima’s blood. Rawls actually consoles Jimmy and even brings him to the hospital where Kima is. At the hospital, Jimmy vomits after hearing the recording of how the shooting went down. Rawls again tries to hammer home the point the shooting was not McNulty’s fault, despite the seriousness of the situation Rawls speech is actually hilarious, “Rawls: Listen to me, you fuck. You did a lot of shit here. You played a lot of fucking cards. And you made a lot of fucking people do a lot of fucking things they didn’t want to do. This is true. We both know this is true. You, McNulty, are a gaping asshole. We both know this. Fuck if everybody in CID doesn’t know it. But fuck if I’m gonna stand here and say you did a single fucking thing to get a police shot. You did not do this; you fucking hear me? This is not on you. *McNulty nods* No it isn’t, asshole. Believe it or not, everything isn’t about you. And the motherfucker saying this, he hates your guts, McNulty. So you know if it was on you, I’d be the son of a bitch to say so. Shit went bad. She took two for the company. That’s the only lesson here.” Fn great scene, it’s kinda funny but also intense and proves that Rawls can be a great leader. He could have destroyed McNulty but he didn’t bc he knew he wasn’t in the wrong and McNulty def needed to hear that.
McNulty goes back to the Major Crimes Unit and starts drinking heavily, Daniels see’s this and tells him to stop. Jimmy says the case was not worth it and would give it all back to have Kima’s shooting not happen. After Bubbles is picked up and given rough treatment for paging Kima, he asks for McNulty who arrives and delivers the news that Kima was shot and is in critical condition. Bubbles is upset but they need his help. Jimmy doesn’t know Bubbles is trying to get clean and gives him money to go back the Barksdale corner and buy drugs to try and figure out who did this. Bubs finds out that Wee-Bey and Little Man are responsible and tells McNulty who lets him keep the money not realizing that it is putting Bubs in position to use again. McNulty uses Pearlman to threaten Levy into handing over Savino who he represents, or they will investigate Levy’s finances. Pearlman isn’t happy threatening Levy bc he is a powerful figure in Baltimore Law and McNulty vents his anger onto her, “McNulty: If only half you motherfuckers at the district attorney’s office didn’t want to be judges, didn’t want to be partners in some downtown law firm… If half of you had the fucking balls to follow through, you know what would happen? A guy like that would be indicted, tried and convicted. And the rest of ’em would back up enough, so we could push a clean case or two through your courthouse. But no, everybody stays friends. Everybody gets paid. And everybody’s got a fucking future.” She didn’t deserve that but it is true.
Levy brings Savino in to reveal that he had planned to scam Orlando out of his money using a bag of baking soda so he will only be charged with an attempt to distribute false narcotics. Not what McNulty or the police were looking for. With Burrell pushing for busts that will ruin the investigation, McNulty once again asks Judge Phelan for help to get Burrell off their backs and Phelan is reluctant since he just got back on the re-election ticket but decides in the end to help. But Daniels has no choice but to bust the cut house and deliver what the higher ups want so raids are made against the cut house, Savino’s home, and the tower. The find enough for a good photo-op for the higher ups that did none of the work. McNulty is drunk outside Kima’s hospital room when Daniels shows up and tells him to either go in or get back to work. Jimmy says he wishes he hadn’t started the case and that it doesn’t mean anything but Daniels reminds him that it meant something to Kima, so they need to continue and catch these guys. Lester tells Jimmy that the surveillance is struggling bc the Barksdale crew has changed things up.
When Daniels realizes Wallace is in danger, McNulty joins him in trying to find Wallace. They visit the old spot where Wallace was staying with the kids, but it is abandoned with the power cables gone as well, not a good sign. They visit Wallace’s mother house, but she is of no help and has no concern for where Wallace is. With the information the team gets from the video camera in Avon’s office, McNulty and Daniels borrow a tracking device from the FBI and put it on D’Angelo’s car. After D is arrested, McNulty and Daniels interrogate him, but D’Angelo is wary of them after the Gant interrogation. McNulty tells D that Wallace is dead, but he doesn’t believe him. With enough information to arrest Avon, McNulty and Daniels join the SWAT team to make the arrest themselves. They don’t have enough to arrest Stringer but McNulty see’s him and says, “I’ll catch you later,” loved that line.
With Daniels worried about the investigation being shut down due to having no new leads, McNulty suggests they rock the boat again and go over their superiors’ heads to take the case federal. Pearlman calls and says D’Angelo is being represented by a public defender instead of Levy showing there could be problems between D’Angelo and the rest of the crew so they move to try and flip D’Angelo. In the interrogation of D’Angelo, McNulty tries to shake him with pictures of the bodies of Nakeesha, Wallace, Orlando and Brandon and while D’Angelo can’t even look at them, he only gives them info on his and Wallace’ role in giving up Brandon and where Wee-Bey is hiding. McNulty talks with Fitz about the case going federal, but Fitz has his doubts since the FBI is more interested in terrorism than drugs and they have investigated Daniels for corruption. Jimmy tries to assure Fitz that Daniels is good police and did great work on this investigation, so Fitz agrees to take it to his supervisor Amanda Reese. She isn’t really interested until they reveal the investigation has uncovered political corruption so it’s decided they will take the case to the State Attorney. McNulty finally visits Kima who immediately asks about the Barksdale case pissing off Cheryl who wants her to quit. She asks why it took so long to visit and moved to tears; Jimmy says he felt responsible but Kima says all she regrets is not taping her gun to the seat better. Kima asks Jimmy to visit Bubbles and help him with an apartment but when he finds him, Bubs is already using again. McNulty delivers the money Kima wanted to give him and Bubs asks McNulty not to tell Kima he is using again.
At the meeting with the State Attorney, Lester presents the information that the Barksdale crew is buying property based on the information they get from politicians they bribe and then selling it at a higher price when the area is redeveloped. But the FBI says they are hoping to use the drug dealer’s co-operation to nail the politicians and McNulty is furious that they would allow dangerous criminals like Avon and Stringer to reduce their sentences. Daniels ends the meeting saying they have different priorities but not before McNulty calls them empty suits contributing to the death of West Baltimore lol Rawls calls McNulty for a meeting to give him loose congratulations for the case and to have a laugh about his conduct in the meeting. Rawls then asks him the dangerous “Where don’t you wanna go” question. McNulty attends the sentencing of the Barksdale crew and as he realizes the sentences are light and they didn’t get everyone, he exasperates “What the fuck did I do?” At the end of the season, we see Jimmy has been placed in the last place he wants to be, harbor patrol. Bunk delivers a bottle of whiskey to him as the season ends.
Season 2 starts with Jimmy on the Harbour Patrol helping a stranded ship that is hosting a party. Quite a change from the Barksdale investigation. The captain of the ship bribes McNulty to tow the ship out of shipping lanes but not into the dock so they could keep the party going. Things get more interesting the next day when McNulty on patrol find a female corpse in the water, but her legs were broken which is not normal. McNulty goes to homicide to see Bunk and runs into Landsman where he asks him if he told Rawls to send him to Harbour Patrol, but Landsman denies it. Jimmy learns Det Cole isn’t investigating the corpse properly and that Rawls has already passed it off to the County bc they found the body East of the bridge. Rawls is obsessed with keeping their unsolved murder rate low so McNulty starts studying charts that list the tides and is able to prove that the body was dumped in the water in Rawls jurisdiction, so they have the responsibility so solve it. I fn loved that lol when McNulty hears about over a dozen dead girls being found dead in a container, he thinks it may be connected to the woman he found dead in the water, so he heads down to talk to Beadie. They inspect the container and Jimmy realizes the air pipe was deliberately crushed making it a despicable murder. Jimmy and Beadie meet with the coroner who agrees that this is enough to determine that the girls were murdered.
Jimmy once again works to try and have the cases be assigned to Rawls homicide unit by having the coroner estimate the time of death based on the amount of air that would have been in the container matching up to the girl that was dumped in the water that Jimmy found. It works and the cases are assigned to Rawls. Jimmy, Bunk and Freamon are drinking at the bar to drown their sorrows when Bunk and Freamon order 14 shots for Jimmy to drink thanks to the 14 homicides he had assigned to their unit, “Bunk: Jimmy, the look on Jay Landsman’s face, he nearly cried! Lester: And Rawls! I swear to God the man stayed in his office all day! All afternoon, he just stays in his office with the door closed. McNulty: Careful, you’re giving me an erection!” lol McNulty is wasted but still is able to get with Rhonda however she is upset with how their “relationship” is going which gets worse when he tells her he wants to get back with his ex-wife. What a dick.
McNulty goes back to see the medical examiner Randall Frazier about what happened to the girls and learns that 3 of them got breast implants in Budapest and most had sex while on the ship. This leads Jimmy to figuring out what happened, and he goes to homicide to be the smartest guy in the room but his pride is about to be knocked down a few pegs, “McNulty: You see the preliminary? Positives for oral, vaginal, anal. No IDs, no passports, no visas, no real money – and the girls are coming across the water like that. Bunk: Yeah. Lester: McNulty has a theory… Bunk: Does he now? Lester: You deductive motherfucker, you. Bunk: So, he’s gonna wander in here with some Johnny-come-lately bullshit about how all these girls must be coming over here as prostitutes. Talking about how if they ain’t got the cash to travel better than a container ship, then they sure as shit don’t got the money to pay a plastic surgeon. Lester: Then he’s gonna go past that. And say something about that one found dead in the water – being tossed off the ship after she’s already dead from a beat-down? Bunk: But why did she get beat? He’s gonna ask us that like we don’t know. Lester: Then he’s gonna answer his own question, and say her swabs are negative, right? Fuck or fight with all them sailor boys – and she fought. Bunk: So, it got a little rough, she got banged around, she comes up dead. And then, somebody panics and tosses her in the harbour overnight before the ship ties up. Beadie: But the other girls saw. Bunk: So now the other girls, they get told to get back in that can. And our man, to cover this shit up, he gets up on top and bangs down the airpipe. Anything else you wanna tell us?” lol damn I thought McNulty was gonna get his moment, but they knocked him down cold.
But in the end McNulty really wants to identify the woman he found in the water and doesn’t want to see the other girls remain unidentified and become medical cadavers so it’s a good thing they are 1 step ahead of him. Despite being on better terms with his ex-wife Elena, she tells Jimmy she is sending him a separation agreement squashing his hopes of reconciliation. McNulty shows some fine police work using the photo he matched to the girl he pulled from the harbour to identify her clothes in the evidence. He finds a letter and gets someone to translate it learning the girls first name and some information about her family. After coming off the water, Bubbles is waiting for Jimmy and reports that he has found Omar for him. Jimmy has to pay Bubs more than usual due to the danger he faced from Omar and his shotgun. McNulty brings Omar in to be interviewed by the ASA Ilene Nathan in preparation of Bird’s trial but after talking with Omar, she thinks he is a sociopath and worries about putting him on the stand against Levy. To try and improve Omar’s appearance for the judge, she gives McNulty a voucher for new clothes. While Omar shops for clothes, McNulty goes to a federal building to see if they are holding any foreign-national suspects he can interview about the dead girls. There are none in Baltimore, but they do have some in New Jersey. Nobody else understands why McNulty is working so hard to identify these women which is def sad. Too much fn focus on numbers and not enough on the actual people.
McNulty is watching the court proceedings for Bird when Stringer tells McNulty he knows they are fabricating Omar as a witness saying the word on the street is that Omar was nowhere near the murder. But McNulty reminds him that the word on the street doesn’t mean anything in the court of law. In S1 when Stringer was in control for D’Angelo’s murder trial, the tables have turned here giving McNulty the control. Was loving the back n forth battle between Stringer and McNulty. Tough to see McNulty rip up the picture of the dead girl he found in the water after not having success in solving her death or figuring out her identity bc you can tell he cared, and the girl deserved justice. He says he is done playing detective and that he is going to try and reconcile with Elena. Hilarious scene when Jimmy shows up at Elena’s real estate business and starts undressing the mannequin while she is talking with clients. Jimmy manages to convince Elena to go to dinner with him and it seems they might be getting back together when they have sex afterwards. But it is not exactly what Jimmy wants as Elena asks him to leave before their boys get home, so they don’t think the family is back together. I always wanted to see them back together as long as Jimmy was changing his ways. But the failed reconnection with Elena leads Jimmy back into his old habits as he gets wasted at the bar and when he tries to drive home drunk, he crashes his car into a bridge abutment. His drunken mind can’t accept that he messed up the turn, so he reverses and tries again with the same results. Instead of going home he ends up in a diner and goes home with the waitress. Man between Elena, Rhonda, the waitress, Beadie, McNulty definitely attracts some sexy women. He is back drinking again with Bunk at the train tracks and it’s clear that he is in a bad place when he doesn’t have a real case to work. McNulty tells Bunk he wishes he could work with the Major Crimes Unit again.
Daniels calls McNulty to deliver the news he has been waiting for, Jimmy is back on the Major Crimes Unit. But there is no time to ease into it as the unit needs someone to go undercover into the apartments being used for human trafficking and Jimmy is the perfect candidate. Kima and Jimmy set up surveillance on the parking garage of the apartments and stop a john to get him to tell them how to contact the madam. They also note that the girls are being transported in a panel van. McNulty is having drinks with Beadie at the bar and phones the number for the madam to set up an appointment but isn’t having much luck. McNulty ends up driving Beadie home and you know where this is gonna lead but when McNulty goes inside and see’s pictures of her kids, he quickly leaves. I wasn’t sure how to feel about McNulty and Beadie hooking up. On one hand I thought she could be good for him to get him on the right path but on the other, Jimmy could be a destructive influence on her. Was definitely interested to see how it was gonna play out. On advice from Lester, McNulty finally has success booking an appointment using a bad English accent which is hilarious since Dominic West is actually British and normally talks with an accent.
Later McNulty meets up with his FBI agent contact Fitz to get some information on the guy the runs the warehouse George Glekas and apologizes for how he treated Fitz in their last encounter. Fitz looks it up and discovers that the file has been sealed by another FBI agent named Koutris. He puts in a call to Koutris who dismisses Fitz saying there isn’t much to the file but when he hangs up, Koutris immediately calls The Greek to tell him that other FBI agents are looking into their business. Pretty shocking development that The Greek has an FBI agent in his pocket but explains how their operation has been running so smoothly. McNulty successfully infiltrates the operation as a British john and is given 2 prostitutes to service him. Things are moving very quickly with the prostitutes, so McNulty tries to call the team in before things go too far. In one of the funniest scenes on the show, the team busts in and finds McNulty having sex with the prostitutes, “There were two of them. I was outnumbered.” LOL man the fact that he let things go that far and then the helpless look on his face as the team busts in made me laugh so hard bc of course McNulty would end up in that situation. Seriously awkward as Jimmy writes out his statement with a furious Rhonda watching over his shoulder. After this McNulty was back on the water but not to be punished, this time he is doing a fake fishing trip with Bunk and another agent to disguise their surveillance where they observe a meeting between Spiros and Eton. Much better situation than his last time on the water.
Back at the office, McNulty asks Fitz about the possibility of tracing a text message to get the phone number but unfortunately Fitz says it would be almost impossible. They would need to know which provider they used along with the time and location of the call. But after some convincing, Fitz and Bunk are actually able to trace a call using FBI technology and subpoena the phone company for the billing records. At the phone company, they are told they can have access with a search warrant but Fitz manages to get them to let him take a peak at some messages but their plan hits a snag when the messages are in Greek. Back at the Major Crimes Unit, McNulty, Daniels and Kima watch as an agent translates the message which reads ‘Shut Down Immediately.’ They have to act so the raid goes down mostly smooth, but McNulty and Fitz have to put in some work to take down Sergei lol they eventually get Sergei into custody but fail to get him to give up a name of his superiors. McNulty has much more success with Kima getting information from White Mike who is actually as dumb as he appears and trades information about Eton and Sergei for a hot dog and strawberry soda. But White Mike can only give them Sergei bc he knows nothing about the higher up players and it’s easy to see why.
Bunk and McNulty tail Spiros from his home to a meeting downtown with the rest of the team waiting to follow him on foot. After the meeting, McNulty gets some photographs of Spiros and even getting The Greek in one of them but none of the Major Crimes Unit have any clue what The Greek looks like, so they think it is just a random bystander. Spiros is able to shake the tail the team had on him in the parking garage so Bunk and McNulty wait at his home, but Spiros never shows up. With the trails on the Greek and Spiros gone cold McNulty has no choice but to move on but information from Bubbles makes things interesting. Bubbles tells McNulty and Kima that the West and East siders have been sharing territory when they are usually at each others’ throats and that the quality of product has gone way up. This information causes McNulty and Kima to start surveillance on the towers and they see Bubbles is telling the truth as they observe the 2 rival crews working together. Back at the unit, they check with Lester on Prop Joe’s supply, and he tells them Prop Joe has recently doubled his order. The pieces are starting to come together. McNulty and Kima photograph a meeting between Prop Joe and Stringer Bell and use them at the bar later to try and convince Daniels that Prop Joe and Stringer should be their next targets as we end S2.
We start S3 with McNulty and Sydnor working surveillance on one of Prop Joe’s lieutenants Cheese and it seems McNulty got his wish, and they are going after Prop Joe and Stringer. McNulty and Sydnor are relieved by Kima and Lester but back at the unit McNulty hears Daniels and Pearlman talking about ending the wire taps and vehemently expresses that they must continue with Stringer as the main target and everyone else second. It becomes clear that the investigation into Prop Joe and Stringer has been going for a while without yielding any significant results. McNulty says they will eventually get a break and nail Prop Joe and Stringer if they remain patient, but Daniels says they have to produce some results to justify the wire taps. McNulty, Kima and Lester observe a dealer named Drac who is very loose with his talk openly talking about drugs and crimes while McNulty wishes Drac was higher up in the food chain. They develop a plan to get the dealer above Drac arrested knowing that Drac will most likely get the promotion bc he is Prop Joe’s nephew and can lead them to the bigger targets they need. Nice change to see McNulty and Bunk take their kids to an Orioles game but McNulty is jealous of his ex-wife’s new boyfriend and spends most if his time watching them. McNulty and Kima make a clean arrest on Mann the dealer above Drac but the plan backfires when Cheese gets the promotion instead of Drac.
McNulty continues to go at Daniels and fight for the case to continue but Daniels doesn’t see the point given how few results it has produced. Lester gives McNulty shit for being so confrontational with Daniels and he is 100% right. McNulty just comes off as a narcissist that only cares about what he wants and has no thought of how his tone or attitude affects other people. If McNulty had his head on straight, he would understand Daniels point of view that they can’t just investigate people and use surveillance if neither of those things produce evidence of significant criminal activity. But the guy is just obsessed with bringing down Stringer Bell at any cost and isn’t thinking rationally sometimes. Most of the time lol Prez finds McNulty reviewing the file from the S1 investigation of the Barksdale crew to make sure they don’t make the same mistakes twice. He can be Good Police when he wants to be. McNulty visits his friend Randall Frazier the medical examiner at the morgue and learns that D’Angelo Barksdale died in prison but is skeptical of the cause being suicide. He asks Frazier to investigate the medical results. McNulty has drinks with Bunk who agrees that it is unlikely a black, male would commit suicide by hanging. No disagreement with McNulty who gives Bunk shit by saying he is the perfect example of an African-American man that has all the reason he needs to commit suicide but does not lol damn. McNulty is able to pick up a woman in the bar with Bunks help thanks to one of their games they play to pick up women.
Back at the morgue after examining the marks and bruises on the body, Frazier confirms McNulty’s suspicions saying D’Angelo’s death could have been a homicide. This leads McNulty to go see D’Angelo’s ex-girlfriend, but she is dismissive and unwilling to talk. After the unit hears of 2 dealers being murdered on the wire, Pearlman meets with them to decide what to do. Daniels wants to use the evidence they have to move on em, but McNulty wants to wait until they have enough to arrest Stringer. Everyone else agrees with Daniels and they move forward with the arrests. Bunk and McNulty interrogate Cheese and quickly start to realize they fucked up. The names they heard on the wire were referring to dogs not humans, so they have nothing real to charge Cheese with. McNulty and the team drown their sorrows at the bar where Pearlman shuts McNulty down when he tries to flirt with her. She ends up going home with Daniels which was great to see bc McNulty was bad for her. McNulty brings the D’Angelo Barksdale file to Bunk to ask his opinion and see’s a beaten suspect and wonders if the suspect confessed before or after the beating. The D’Angelo Barksdale potential murder is no passing matter for McNulty as we find him at the prison recreating the scene of D’Angelo’s “suicide.” It looks like McNulty determines the belt was too long for D’Angelo to have killed himself.
McNulty meets Pearlman, Lester and Kima at the bar for drinks where he learns they are officially changing targets to drug dealer Kintell Willamson and is predictably pissed. Lester tries to calm him down saying that Daniels has earned their loyalty. McNulty learns that his friend Det Ray Cole died, and we get to see a cool Baltimore PD tradition as they honour him by singing and drinking at the bar. We see McNulty and Kima make a deal with Bubbles for $30 a week to walk the Western District and give them a summary of the activity he sees. McNulty and Kima go back to the Major Crimes Unit and Lester asks where they have been and again tells McNulty that Daniels has earned some loyalty after everything he has done for McNulty. But McNulty says that he isn’t real police, and this confrontation is def escalating. Lester tells McNulty his self-destructive streak is all consuming but thankfully Kima steps in and settles things down before they got out of hand, but Lester is still critical saying that Daniels brought Kima up into this unit. As viewers we know it’s better to go after Stringer/Prop Joe, but Lester is really the one in the right bc he is following orders. Based on the information from Bubbles, Kima lets McNulty know that Marlo is a killer and possibly working for Stringer. McNulty goes down to the college that Stringer is attending to try and fill in some of the blanks like a phone number. By following Stringer, McNulty is able to get his phone number by matching the phone records to Stringer’s activity. When McNulty phones the number, Stringer answers using the name of his legitimate business.
McNulty goes back to the Major Crimes Unit to report what he found and puff his chest out a bit, but he is humbled when Lester says everything McNulty was about to say, they already figured it out. Def sucks to get smacked down like that but it would be comforting to know you have great cops working with you. Kima mentions the disposable cell phones and McNulty worries about being able to wiretap them. Lester tells McNulty he is gonna stop covering for him soon and that McNulty needs to swallow his pride and return to the unit. Later, McNulty has an awkward conversation with Daniels at the bar about Daniels dating Pearlman. But I think McNulty recognizes Pearlman deserves better than what he can give her, so he is totally cool with them dating and gives Daniels his blessing. McNulty continues following Stringer to his college classes to his apartment building that is being built but he quickly tires of that and decides to just confront Stringer in his printing business. Stringer is not fazed giving McNulty his card and offering him a condo to rent in his new apartments. McNulty tells Stringer he laments him going legit bc he was enjoying their game of cat and mouse.
When McNulty gets back to the unit, asks if he has anything on Stringer after the last week investigating him. McNulty tells them that Stringer has become ‘the bank’ for the Barksdale Crew, using legitimate businesses to produce funds to buy packages of drugs for distribution that he will never touch, keeping his hands clean. He asks about the Kintell Williamson investigation but all they have are some DNR’s on some payphones. Always liked to see McNulty with his sons, reminds you that McNulty is still human and that he is a good father when present. His kids remind him of an open house at the school the next day that McNulty is supposed to attend. McNulty arrives late to the open house and decides to wait at the buffet table until his ex-wife is done her conversation when he finds Theresa D’Agostino there doing fundraising work. They start flirting and end up having sex later at her place. After it’s over, McNulty wants to cuddle but she has had enough and tells him to leave lol that woman is cold, had me thinking that McNulty had met his match.
McNulty and Kima incorrectly report to Daniels that Marlo is working the best territory in the Western District for Stringer when he is actually running his own crew. They say Stringer’s meeting with Marlo shows that he is still involved with running the day-to-day operations and that they have to act fast to get him before he goes completely legitimate. But Daniels says until Stringer is on the hook for violence, they don’t have any grounds to investigate him. McNulty and Kima meet with Annapolis State’s Attorney Kendall Remnick to try and get the D’Angelo case re-opened due to the evidence they uncovered about it possibly being a murder. But once again the numbers game stops their progress as Remnick refuses to put another unsolved murder case on the books. After Kima hears about new murders from Bubbles who also clarifies the relationship between the Barksdale and Stanfield crews, she takes this new info with McNulty to Daniels to see if that is enough to start an investigation into Stringer. But Daniels is pissed that they are clearly not investigating the target they have been assigned and says no. Kima thinks if the request came from a higher up like Colvin, then Daniels would change his mind so McNulty goes to talk to Colvin about the case against Stringer. Colvin raises his eyebrows at McNulty going behind Daniels back and McNulty asks him to keep his name out of it when he talks to Daniels.
Daniels tells the Major Crimes Unit that their new targets are Stringer Bell and Marlo Stanfield and immediately requests a meeting with McNulty. Doesn’t take in investigation to figure out that McNulty is responsible for the new direction and Daniels is rightfully pissed at this betrayal. McNulty is not remorseful in the least and adamantly defends his position saying it needed to be done and that he would have gone to the devil himself to get the investigation focused on Stringer and Marlo. This scene had me thinking McNulty’s obsession with Stringer was gonna lead to a big fall. Daniels tells McNulty to find a new home bc when Stringer is arrested, he is gone from the Major Crimes Unit. I was pretty torn over this; I wanted the investigation focused on Stringer and Marlo but didn’t like seeing McNulty disrespecting Daniels and putting the Major Crimes Unit in jeopardy. They were such a great team I did not want to see anyone gone. McNulty, Kima and Sydnor get the surveillance going again starting with Bodie and decide to be proactive about getting his phone rather than wait for him to toss it. Kima and McNulty stop Bodie and his crew on their way to Hamsterdam and during the search McNulty switches Bodie’s phone with a similar model. McNulty calls for back up as Carver, Herc, Colicchio and Truck respond. After hearing Bodie mention Hamsterdam multiple times, McNulty asks Carver what it is and after some stalling Carver spills the beans about it being Colvin’s project, a specific zone where dealing/using drugs is legal. Colvin arrives to explain the situation and pleads with McNulty to keep this from the bosses while McNulty is impressed with the stones on Calvin to do this.
McNulty asked Prez to look into Theresa D’Agostino pretending it was for the case but it’s really bc he is interested in her. With Prez’s information, he figures out her whereabouts at a fundraiser so he decides to go. But once there he is very uncomfortable with the crowd, so he is about to leave when she notices him and they set it up to meet at her hotel later that night. For such a disaster of a guy, McNulty sure does attract some beautiful women. McNulty is late getting into the unit but shows up in time to hear the information they have figured out from tracking the burner phones. They have figured out there is a network of 15 phone users with 1 co-ordinator at the top and that the phones come with the numbers pre-programmed into them but the user information is confidential due to the company the phones come from. The next plan is to start collecting as many phones as they can, so McNulty goes to recruit Herc and Carver to start collecting. Herc drops a bomb on McNulty and Kima when he tells them he has seen Avon driving around but they don’t believe him. Back at the unit, McNulty and Kima check the computer and it is confirmed that Avon was granted parole and they are fn pissed. Def complicates the investigation with another major player involved.
Prez uses his smarts and skills to track Bodie’s phone and figure out where it is bought and who manufactures it. McNulty and Kima are tasked with going to the stores to see if they can get an eye-witness who remembers who bought the phones or better yet some security footage. They visit the mondo mart that sold some of the phones but they re-use their tapes every week so there is no chance they can get footage of people buying the phones. Kima wants to try their luck further out to see if they can find clerks with better memories or stores with more security footage. McNulty receives a call from Landsman saying that Briana Barksdale has been trying to contact him. Heading further out they have some luck as one of the stores keeps meticulous written records but they also re-use their security tapes, so they aren’t much more help. After seeing a local patrol car, McNulty thinks the local police can help and heads down to the station. Assuming they are racist bc it is more of a southern location, McNulty talks to the local sheriff being very racist saying the black dominant department is making things worse but doesn’t realize the sheriff’s wife is African-American putting his dumbass foot in his mouth. Def glad to see McNulty embarrassed here and that the sheriff was not that racist McNulty assumed he was. The sheriff says a business across the street has focused his camera on the mini mart to combat increased shoplifting and can get McNulty the tape in the morning. Out of earshot, the sheriff tells Kima that McNulty is a bit of an asshole, and she wholeheartedly agrees lol
They find a hotel to use for the night and start discussing infidelity when McNulty admits that he spent half of his marriages sneaking around in hotels and did it successfully bc his partner covered for him. Just gross behaviour that I could never understand. Despite Kima being a lesbian and getting back with Cheryl, McNulty still makes a move on her lol smh fcking guy. McNulty and Kima get back to the unit with the security tape and see Fitz there installing new equipment. This new equipment helps them enhance the image on the security tape and they are able to get the license plate number from the car they used to buy the phones. McNulty meets with Brianna and insists that D’Angelo could not have killed himself. Brianna says that nobody would have dared touch D’Angelo with Avon looking out for him and McNulty says that the murder must have been planned or it would have just been a swift shank. McNulty tries to make Brianna feel guilty saying that nobody cares enough about D’Angelo to want the murder investigated and blames her for convincing D’Angelo not to turn on Avon. Briana asks him why he didn’t come to her first and McNulty says that he thought she cared more about protecting the drug operation than protecting her own son. I felt for Brianna bc she def loved her son but Avon made sure they were taken care of, so she wanted to protect that too. She wanted to try and protect both but in the end, she lost everything she was trying to protect. Sad story.
We see McNulty awoken in the middle of the night by a phone call from Theresa D’Agostino who wants him to come to her hotel room. McNulty has his kids sleeping over, but you think that will stop him? No chance as he gives his son the number to call if they need him and he leaves to go see her. So fucked up and really made me want to step off the McNulty bandwagon. The guy only cares about what he wants and has no thought about consequences or how his actions could affect other people. He is starting to feel used for sex so he jokingly asks if they can have dinner first next time, but you know he is serious. Despite it being a Sunday, after dropping his kids back off to his ex-wife McNulty heads into the Major Crimes Unit to get back to work. This leads to some interesting conversation between McNulty and Lester. McNulty thinks that they are the best at what they do but Lester tries to remind McNulty that he needs more in his life than this job. “McNulty: We’re good at this Lester. In this town, we’re as good as it gets. Lester: Natural police. McNulty: Fuck yes. Natural police…. McNulty: You know something, Lester? I do believe there aren’t five swinging dicks in the entire department who can do what we do.” Which leads into Lester trying to talk some sense into McNulty, “Lester: Tell me something, Jimmy. How exactly do you think it all ends? McNulty: What do you mean? Lester: A parade? A gold watch? A shining Jimmy-McNulty-day moment, when you bring in a case sooooo sweet everybody gets together and says, “Aw, shit! He was right all along. Should’ve listened to the man.” The job will not save you, Jimmy. It won’t make you whole, it won’t fill your ass up. McNulty: I dunno, a good case.. Lester: Ends. They all end. The handcuffs go click and it’s over. The next morning, it’s just you in your room with yourself. McNulty: Until the next case. Lester: Boooy, you need something else outside of this here. McNulty: Like what, dollhouse miniatures? Lester: Hey, hey, hey, a life. A life, Jimmy. You know what that is? It’s the shit that happens while you’re waiting for moments that never come.” Fcking great exchange that seems to hit home with McNulty who notices a picture of Beadie, it also gives us a glimpse into the psyche of Jimmy McNulty.
In order to set up wire taps on the disposable phones, the team needs to show they have exhausted all other avenues so Daniels tasks McNulty and Kima with showing that nothing else they do is working. McNulty tries to call D’Agostino but can’t get past her assistant, not a good sign. Kima and McNulty convince Bubbles to act as a confidential informant to try and buy enough product from Bodie that he has to call for a re-up and it works perfectly with McNulty impressed that Bubbles negotiated a lower price for buying so much. Once again McNulty ties to contact D’Agostino but has no luck. Kima asks him about it, but he is in denial saying everything is all good. Back at the unit, Sydnor has had success tracking the guy buying phones and figured out he bought 24 phones from 5 different locations and Lester wants DNRs set up on all of them. Prez and McNulty go to buy Chinese food for the unit and are chilling listening to police radio waiting for the food when they hear a call for back up that is close, so they rush to action. They hear shots fired so Prez drops McNulty off so they can cover more ground. McNulty hears more shots and runs in the direction of them but comes around the corner to see Prez standing over a dead body. Other police show up as McNulty checks the dead body and finds a police badge hanging around his neck meaning Prez has killed a plainclothes police officer. Prez and McNulty are brought into the station for questioning. Daniels checks on McNulty who is fine, just worried about Prez.
McNulty sits at his old desk in homicide talking with Landsman and the other detectives about what happened where they learn the officer killed was a decorated 6-year veteran who was 16th on the current Sgt’s list. Not looking good for Prez. McNulty finally hears back from D’Agostino, and they set it up to meet in Washington. They have dinner and discuss their past and jobs with McNulty expressing his love for police work and contempt for politics which makes things a bit awkward as politics is D’Agostino’s life. She is def doesn’t have a lot of respect for the intelligence it takes to be a police officer and that def stings McNulty a bit. McNulty ends up alone after the dinner to end the night just like Prez although they are in far different situations. Back in Baltimore, McNulty is frustrated and complains to Lester that they are still not up on any wiretaps and that they are probably missing out on crucial information as they twiddle their thumbs waiting. Daniels and Pearlman meet with Judge Phelan who agrees to sign wiretap affidavits as soon as they get a phone number and when McNulty hears this, he wants to rush the paperwork but Daniels cautions him to do it right. McNulty is pissed that Judge Phelan is the assigned judge bc of the problems they had during the S1 Barksdale investigation, but Daniels responds that anyone that gets in the way of what McNulty wants is worthless to him and McNulty agrees. At least he is aware of what an asshole he is I guess.
With the wire finally up on Bodie, they hear about a meeting for a re-up with someone named Tweety Bird, so McNulty goes with Kima to watch the meeting. As they are waiting, McNulty talks about the failed relationship with D’Agostino with his main complaint being that D’Agostino seemed to doubt his intelligence. “McNulty: I feel like I don’t even belong to any world that even fucking matters. Kima: ‘Cause you’re a cop? McNulty: Nah, it’s not just that. It’s like, I went to meet her once; she was in a hotel room on the top floor. I punched the button on the elevator, and it doesn’t even go there. You gotta have some kind of special key to even get to that special fucking floor. So I go to the front desk, some sneering fuck calls upstairs, gives me permission to go and get laid. I listen to the shit she talks about and it’s the first time in my life I feel like a fucking doormat. Like anyone else with any smarts would do something else with his life, you know? Earn money, or … get elected. Like I’m just a breathing machine for my fucking dick. I’m serious; I’m the smartest asshole in three districts and she looks at me like I’m some stupid fuck playing some stupid game for stupid penny-ante stakes. She fucking looks through me, Kima.” McNulty is def a tortured soul made worse by being smart enough to know what he is. Tomorrow is a better day for McNulty as he is happy after trailing Tweety Bird to a possible stash house, but the team is bummed out after the Barksdale Crew ditched all their phones. Daniels is pissed that they paid a high cost for the wire taps and got such a short time to monitor them. They come up with a plan to pre-wire the phones and McNulty creates a plan to sell the pre-wired phones directly to Bernard the guy that has been buying them. Kima and McNulty meet up with Bubbles to see if what he knows about Bernard and his girlfriend Squeak and Bubbles does know Squeak. McNulty gets a call from Colvin and goes to the Western District to see him where Colvin gives McNulty a tip on Avon’s whereabouts but does not reveal his source. Kima and McNulty meet with Bubbles to talk to him about their plan to have Lester undercover selling phones to Bernard with the connection set up by Bubbles who agrees.
Back at the Major Crimes Unit, they have a meeting to discuss hoe they can nail down Stringer. Daniels provides them with a picture of Shamrock, the guy that Stringer exclusively meets with but don’t have a record of a call from Shamrock to Stringer on the numbers they have for both. McNulty explains that Stringer has isolated himself from the rest of the crew to keep his hands clean and only communicates with Shamrock using a separate cell phone that they don’t have numbers for. Lester says they can get almost everyone locked up under conspiracy charges but to get Stringer or Avon, they would basically need to pluck a number out of thin air. This causes McNulty to immediately leave and go to talk to Fitz to see if they can do exactly what Lester suggested. Fitz has good news saying it is possible and that they equipment needed is already available to the police thanks to a homeland security grant. McNulty gets the equipment and sets up with Lester in an abandoned building next to the print shop Stringer is running. They start recording all the numbers that are using the nearby tower for a signal and try to narrow things down by looking for specific times when Stringer would be on the phone. While they are monitoring him, Stringer gets a call requesting a meeting, so he changes his SIM card which changes the phone number and makes the call. They hear Shamrock tell Bodie that a meeting has been scheduled which really helps narrow things down for them. Stringer uses the clean number to phone Colvin which gives Lester a chance to pin down the number knowing the exact time it was used. Lester talks to McNulty about it who suggests they wait to see what the Stringer/Colvin connection brings them.
It doesn’t take long for Lester to figure out Stringer’s phone number, but they have to work fast to get the wire up bc he may toss the phone soon. Favours are called in from Fitz while Daniels and Pearlman get the affidavit signed by Phelan and the wire is up on Stringer. McNulty meets with D’Agostino for dinner, and she says she wants to try and re-ignite their relationship. But when she turns the conversation to Colvin and Hamsterdam trying to see what he knows, McNulty figures out she just wants information and leaves the dinner. The unit hears a call from Shamrock to Stringer where Shamrock says too much, Stringer catches him, but it’s too late, enough has been said that they can arrest Stringer. Finally, McNulty gets the victory he has been seeking. Or does he? McNulty and Kima head to the scene of a murder and the victim is none other than Stringer Bell. The victory McNulty has desired is ripped away from him right after he gets it. “McNulty: I caught him, Bunk. On the wire. I caught him. He doesn’t fuckin’ know it.” This quote really makes you realize that McNulty wasn’t doing this to get a dangerous guy off the streets, he just wanted to beat Stringer.
Bunk gives McNulty some cell phone chips found on Stringer and that Landsman is setting up a warrant for Stringer’s house. McNulty and Bunk serve the warrant to search Stringer’s house and after seeing the collection of books and nice things, McNulty realizes Stringer was not the guy he thought he was. McNulty goes to meet with Colvin who has been put on permanent leave with Hamsterdam now exposed. Colvin gives McNulty the location of Avon’s safehouse, a tip he got from Stringer. McNulty and Bunk spend the night drinking with McNulty surprisingly cutting back on the amount he drinks but Bunk is givin er lol Bunk speculates Omar was involved with killing Stringer bc of the shotgun shells, but McNulty thinks it could have been Marlo. McNulty gets a call from Cheryl asking why Kima hasn’t returned home and McNulty returns the favour his partners gave him and covers for Kima. I liked seeing the loyalty and respect McNulty had for Kima but hated that it was over cheating, can’t condone that in any situation.
In a meeting at the Major Crimes Unit, Daniels is hesitant to move on the safehouse bc they don’t have probable cause which causes McNulty to lose his patience and reveal the CI source of the safehouse as Stringer. The wiretap hears Slim Charles talking about the Barksdale crew moving against Marlo, so the team knows they have to move on the safehouse now to prevent a bloodbath. Thanks to expert leadership from Daniels, they move on the safehouse successfully and arrest all inside including Avon. One of Avon’s guys tries to take the blame for the weapons, but McNulty lets Avon know at the very least he will serve the rest of his original sentence for the parole violations. McNulty also makes sure to show Avon the search warrant, specifically the part that names the informant, Stringer Bell. Jimmy still gets a bit of a victory with that one. We see McNulty visit Colvin at the Western District and thanks him for the information and that Stringer is dead and Avon arrested. McNulty also makes sure Colvin know that Jimmy thinks he is Good Police. Def agree with that. In a refreshing turn, McNulty goes to see Beadie and says he is ready to pursue a relationship. She asks what changed and he says he finished something and that the things that make him a great detective also make him bad for everything else so it’s time to change things up. Beadie offers him a drink but he would rather meet her kids. As much of a fuck up Jimmy is, I was still rooting for him and thought this was where he finally made a change in his life for the better.
Daniels is a man of his word and now that the investigation is over, officially removes McNulty from the Major Crimes Unit but there is no push back at all from Jimmy who thinks he is better off doing something else in the Western District bc that feels like home. In the closing montage for S3, we see a uniformed McNulty looking happy and content as he gets ready for patrol duty. Jimmy is a phenomenal detective but he is right, the things that make him a good detective make the rest of his life a disaster so I was happy to see the change. Situations like this are also what separates The Wire from other shows. On other shows, McNulty def stays in the Major Crimes Unit after the mission was accomplished but the Wire runs on realism and in the real world, Jimmy would be gone no matter what and that’s exactly what happened.
S4 starts with Jimmy on patrol stopping to help Carver arrest Bodie and some of his crew since he knows them and McNulty gets Bodie to shut it down for the day. McNulty is called into meet with Major Daniels now and Lt Mello where Daniels actually begs McNulty to leave patrol bc he needs more good detectives. But McNulty turns him down and leaves to return to patrol. At a roll call meeting for police, Bunk talks to McNulty asking him if he knows the guy in Bodie’s crew named Lex and tries to set up a drinking sessions but McNulty counters by inviting him to Beadie’s for dinner. After the meeting, Jimmy grabs a discarded briefing binder to give to Beadie’s kids for school. Man what a difference from S1-3 Jimmy but def a welcomed change that got me back on the McNulty bandwagon. Bunk does make that visit to Beadie’s for dinner and tries again to get Jimmy out for a drink and is disappointed that Jimmy cleaned up his drinking habits. He uses an analogy of lake trout to say Jimmy is trying to be something he is not while Jimmy says somethings actually are as real as they look.
Jimmy meets with Bunk and Lester in the Western District and Lester echoes Daniels by saying he is disappointed that McNulty is not making the most of his detective skills but Jimmy is in a very good place in life being back on patrol. Bunk and Lester fill Jimmy in on how Marimow has destroyed the Major Crimes Unit. They try to get Jimmy to come for a drink with them but once again he declines. At a meeting about the upcoming shift, Lt Mello introduces a Warrant for the arrest of Omar for shooting a delivery woman during a robbery but McNulty knows Omar and doesn’t think he would shoot an innocent person. Kind of funny to see McNulty running a polling station. At the wake for Col Foerster, Bunk is disgusted to find Jimmy drinking club soda lol I was proud of Jimmy for staying strong and thought that he might really be making a lasting change to his character. To try and boost the stats, Lt Mello wants the patrol units to start arresting people for open container violations which is complete bullshit so Jimmy refuses to make any arrests for it or issue any tickets. He even starts giving an officer shit for issuing a ticket explaining they entitled to the “one true dictatorship” in choosing how to spend their shift and shows the guy that their time would best be spent on the church burglaries as Jimmy has noticed a pattern. Jimmy asks the guy to help him follow up on a lead and he agrees.
Later we see Jimmy and the other cop bring in a pair of suspects and the Sgt on duty is relieved that they are real criminals and not more of the kind that just boost stats. Jimmy and Bunk take their sons to dinner and Jimmy’s ex-wife Elena is impressed that the boys have done their homework and that Jimmy isn’t drinking. She is sorry their marriage ended now that he is growing up. Jimmy is a first class idiot for driving away a woman like that but I was happy he learned his lesson and found Beadie. After a police officer name Walker is assaulted by the neighbourhood kids, Jimmy finds Bodie hiding out in a diner and Bodie tells him police presence has driven him indoors. Jimmy says the assault on Walker riled up most of the patrol but Jimmy reveals he doesn’t like Walker bc he is a corrupt motherfucker. They are on good terms when Jimmy is called to leave.
We see Jimmy, Bunk and Lester in the bar talking about the bodies found in the vacant house and Lester bets Bunk he can open any panel with the same nails in those houses and find a body. Jimmy is still holding strong not drinking but goes with them to open some of the panels. They find a body right away and Jimmy suggests calling the crime lab but Lester says he isn’t allowed to find any bodies without permission from the superiors to add more unsolved murders to the stats. So fn pathetic. Jimmy wonders if they will ever get the ok and Lester says it is a new day with Daniels in charge now. As they leave, Lester remarks how fucked up it is that Jimmy is most suitable to drive of the 3 lol no doubt. Jimmy is back on the scene where they are finding more and more bodies when he sees Bodie kicking in a patrol cars window and getting arrested so Jimmy goes to the staging area to talk to Pearlman and she tells him 17 bodies have been found so far. He appeals to her to let Bodie go without charge and she agrees. When Bodie is released McNulty is waiting and offers to buy him lunch and Bodie accepts. But at the same time Bodie is getting into McNulty’s car, one of Marlo’s guys Monk is being brought in and sees this putting Bodie’s life in serious danger.
Bodie is frustrated with his current life and feeling like a pawn on a chessboard that has to play this part no matter what. He tells McNulty he might have information that can bring down Marlo. Jimmy tells Bodie that he is a soldier. Fn great scene. The next day Jimmy shows up for work and is informed by Carver that Bodie was killed. Jimmy grabs the report and throws it across the room after quickly reading it. We see Jimmy stop Poot and search him demanding to know who killed Bodie but all Poot will say is that the police are at fault for talking to him. Def hits home with Jimmy and he lets Poot go. In bed with Beadie, Jimmy laments the killing of Bodie and talks about the new major case the unit will be investigating with all the bodies found in the vacant houses. Beadie realizes that Jimmy wants to get involved but he assures her that with less vices and anger since being with Beadie, he should be able to handle to the job without going off the rails. I really wanted to believe that bc I loved the new Jimmy but was def concerned. As we end S4, Jimmy meets with Daniels to request a transfer and Daniels asks him if he is sure but Jimmy says he is confident that he can keep the job separate from his home life.
We start S5 with the team running surveillance on the Stanfield Crew and see McNulty and Dozerman watching Marlo’s courtyard from a rooftop. Dozerman is bitching about the department withholding their pay and tells a story he heard about McNulty allowing a prostitute to perform oral sex on him while undercover LOL that scene kills me every time. At the bar, we that unfortunately McNulty is back drinking and it’s his turn to bitch about being happy in patrol and lured away with promises of a new day for the Major Crimes Unit only to see the same ol shit if not worse. Kima says he was bored and wanted out but Jimmy says he really was happy there. Lester says the bullshit politics screwed over the case he was making against Marlo when he was still using cell phones. McNulty says that is another example that the higher ups can’t ever make the right decisions and now that Marlo isn’t using cell phones, he requires constant surveillance that the budgets can’t pay for. We see McNulty ask Bunk to buy him a drink when he arrives but Bunk is having the same financial problems that they are. Lester says they could rob a liquor store but that drunky McNulty would be the weak link lol heeeee’s back, poor Beadie.
Later we see McNulty is fully back to his old ways drinking and flirting with women in the bar. Sad to see him phone Beadie drunk and lie to her about why he isn’t coming home but she knows, she just wants to give him the benefit of the doubt and believe he is still the man he was. I wanted to knock him out for what he was doing to Beadie. Pearlman shows up at the Homicide unit to talk about new cases but McNulty gives her shit about not objecting to suspending the Stanfield investigation or the continued delays to Chris and Snoop’s gun charges. They continue the back n forth with McNulty saying “the game is rigged.” Kima gives McNulty shit about giving Pearlman a hard time bc she is not the problem. McNulty leaves to take the case that just came in and Kima says he is in a bad mood and Bunk adds that he is worried about him. Quite the change from the end of last season. Things are not going McNulty’s way as he cannot find a working car in the parking garage so he is forced to run up to the roof to use the last remaining vehicle. But when he gets up there he finds it has a flat tire and won’t work. McNulty loses his shit and starts kicking the vehicle, hurting his foot in the process. Sucked to see him start to go off the rails.
McNulty arrives to the crime scene on a bus bc he knew he wouldn’t be reimbursed for a taxi lol don’t see that every day. The case is just a natural/overdose related death but it is important bc it leads McNulty to learning information he would use for 1 of his biggest mistakes. While waiting for a medical examiners report on his case, the medical examiners partner recognizes McNulty and talks to him about her case. She tells him their victim likely overdosed and his body got wedged between the wall and the toilet. But when the EMTs arrived and tried to move the body, they left marks and bruises on the body where they were pulling on him that made it look like a strangling. McNulty is surprised that pressure on the neck after death would make it look like a strangling. After breakfast, McNulty runs into Lester who tells McNulty that he has continued to look into Marlo and that with 2-3 more weeks they would have what they need to make arrests. McNulty says Daniels was pretty clear that there are no more resources available to them but Lester thinks maybe they should talk to someone else. They meet up with Fitz and fck with him by doing the ol ‘pull up a little right as he gets to the car’ gag lol love that one. Fitz is shocked that the vacant murders case got shut down but McNulty tells him that 2-3 weeks of FBI manpower could break the case. There is a mandate to focus on terrorism and corruption in the FBI but McNulty said the groundwork is already done and that breaking the case would mean big headlines for the FBI. Fitz says he will take it to his superiors and they fck with him again by blocking his path as he tries to leave lol
Once again political bullshit gets in the way of doing actual police work as Fitz has to tell McNulty the request was denied and that there will be no outside help available for this investigation. McNulty meets up with Bunk and Lester at the bar and they all vent about the political bullshit making it acceptable to murder black men and not be pursued to the best of the police departments abilities. Bunk calls the vacant murders, ‘misdemeanor homicide’ of young black males. Great line that sums up a sad fcking truth. They all agree that if the victims were white women or children then the investigation would still be going. McNulty mentions a missing white cheerleader in Aruba to which Bunk responds, “this ain’t Aruba bitch.” Lol classic. Lester says that if the annual homicide rate was made up of white victims the city would be under martial law. Hard truth to swallow but you can’t argue with it bc it’s true. Too often the deaths of black males or minorities in general are looked at as expendable and not treated with the same level of justice and emotion that white victims are. I am a white person and even I can see how true that statement is. McNulty says there must be some way to get the funding they need and Bunk challenges him as the smartest person in the room to figure something out. Be careful what you wish for, Bunk. Lester sees McNulty flirting with women and comments about McNulty’s unfaithfulness. Should’ve smacked him.
McNulty shows up nursing a hangover and Bunk asks about the state of his relationship with Beadie while Kima points out McNulty is still wearing yesterdays shirt. Landsman assigns a case to Bunk and McNulty despite their pleading. They show up at their case and it looks like an overdose but McNulty is walking around looking distracted while Bunk is wondering if he is ok. McNulty dismisses the uniformed officer and goes to his car for a drink. When McNulty comes back he starts knocking shit over and even puts a hole in the wall. McNulty starts rubbing the plaster from the walls all over the victims clothes and Bunk asks if he has lost his mind. In a point of no return, McNulty crosses himself and starts to choke the victim and Bunk has had enough and can’t watch anymore. Afterwards, McNulty says “there is a serial killer in Baltimore, he preys on the weakest of us, he has to be caught.” Bunk tells McNulty that he wants no part of this and leaves the scene. McNulty continues setting up the scene and positions the victim face down in a kneeling position. WOW man what a turn of events. I absolutely wanted the investigation back on Marlo but this ruined McNulty as Good Police to me. For him to knowingly commit a crime and cross the line like this, there is no coming back from it from a lawful standpoint. Police need to have a moral high ground which is why it is so important for them to stay clean but with these actions McNulty lost it forever with me. There was no more separation between McNulty and the people he was investigating. They all do whatever it takes to survive.
We next see McNulty flipping through files of homeless victims wearing the same shirt as when he set up the crime scene so we know he hasn’t gone home yet. He notices a red ribbon on one of the victims wrists and this would be an important detail for later. Bunk arrives at the unit and asks when McNulty left and is told he has been there all night. In a interrogation room, Bunk admonishes McNulty for this plan and tries to talk him out of it. McNulty tries to take a swig of whiskey and Bunk grabs the bottle saying it is now 4am. Seriously being a detective is a death sentence for McNulty. Bunk reminds McNulty that he could go to prison for this and to think of his family and responsibilities. McNulty says he has reviewed case files of homeless murders the last 5 years and thinks he can successfully create the illusion of a serial killer. Bunk incredulous that McNulty would do this and says he will make the departments clearance rate even worse which only strengthens McNulty’s resolve saying that the obsession with stats is the problem in the first place. Bunk says that Marlo isn’t worth the trouble this is risking and McNulty responds saying that Marlo “doesn’t get to win, only they get to win.” Hoooo boy this is how someone not in a good place talks. You can see that McNulty has put all of the worth in his life into solving cases and it’s killing him. McNulty says the vacant murders are too important to cast aside by budget/political bullshit.
Claiming that he was brought back based on promises made to him made about the vacant murder case, McNulty says that he will make sure his superiors deliver on their promises whether they know it or not. Bunk tries to threaten to reveal the plan to their superiors but McNulty calls his bluff and says do it if he wants to. As he leaves, Bunk is adamant that McNulty keep his name out of any report and that he wants nothing to do with this. McNulty continues looking old case files and finds one worked by the late Ray Cole. We see McNulty out at the drug store picking up red ribbon that matches the type in the photo from the old case file. Back at the Homicide unit, McNulty practices tying it around his wrist and tries to make it look dirty and worn. After he is done he places the ribbon in the old file and closes it. Watching this it felt really gross, wasn’t the kind of thing you could cheer for. McNulty types out the fake report handing copies out to Landsman and Bunk while asking for a working vehicle but Kima offers to give him a ride. Before they leave Bunk pulls McNulty aside to try one more time to get him to stop this fake serial killer bullshit. McNulty has justified these actions to himself as he mentions that Kima is working a triple homicide by herself bc of the lack of funds but Bunk calls bullshit and says the two things aren’t related. Bunk asks about the ribbon and McNulty says he found one on the victim in an old case file so he put 1 in the case file Ray Cole was working and is going down to the morgue to tie one on the victim they found. Didn’t take long for McNulty to get in so deep he could drown himself. McNulty says that the department is ignoring a real serial killer in Marlo so they require some extra motivation to actually do something. He does make a good point there as Marlo is an extremely dangerous killer that is responsible for a rising double digit body count but doing it like this just feels so gross.
Bunk tells McNulty he is insane while McNulty takes another swig and tries to leave but they are locked in. When another detective lets them out he asks Bunk if McNulty fucked him and Bunk says he tried but mostly just fucks himself lol McNulty arrives at the morgue and manages to get some time alone with the body so he can tie the ribbon around the wrist. While talking with the senior medical examiner, McNulty points out the strangulation marks and says there were signs of a struggle and witnesses heard a struggle. He points out the ribbon and says it might relate to other cases and the medical examiner says her investigator missed the ribbon earlier. Man he got lucky with that one. The medical examiner announces the death as homicide by strangulation. McNulty goes back to the Homicide unit and happily points out to Bunk that the medical examiner has determined there is someone killing homeless men and tries to loudly talk about the red ribbon so the detective that has the case with the victim with a ribbon will notice. But he doesn’t despite repeated attempts lol McNulty tries to get Bunk to go for a drink with him but Bunk refuses and tells McNulty to go home to re-think this. McNulty facetiously says that he can’t go home while he is working a serial killer case.
McNulty goes drinking at a bar and starts flirting with a woman. We next see them having sex on the hood of McNulty’s car with no effort to conceal themselves at all. A patrol car rolls by and they shine a light on them but McNulty drunkenly flashes his badge and they drive away. This was where I got off the McNulty bandwagon once and for all, what a pathetic scene this was. The contrast between the sweetness of life with Beadie and the vulgarness of this scene was like a punch in the gut, Beadie’s life didn’t deserve to be connected with any filth like that. Between this scene and the fake serial killer bullshit, it was really hard for me to watch McNulty scenes for the rest of the season bc I was just ready for him to fuck off. I loved the character but I could not justify rooting for him anymore and his selfish obsessions were driving me crazy. Next day McNulty finally gets the reaction he wants from the other detective when he mentions the ribbon and the serial killer case is picking up momentum. McNulty and the other cop present the case to Landsman but he isn’t interested so McNulty phones the news paper and arranges a meeting with one of their reporters Alma Gutierrez. During the meeting McNulty turns on the charm while delivering the story to her and while she does run the story, it is buried in the paper far from front page news.
Bunk brings Lester into the office to try and get him to help talk some sense into McNulty but when McNulty lays out his plan, Lester is impressed thinking it has potential and starts giving him advice on what to do next lol thought it was hilarious that Lester did the exact opposite of what Bunk wanted. Lester tells McNulty that he needs to sensationalize the killings with a disturbing motive to get them on the front page. Bunk is disgusted that Lester supports this idea and Lester says that the dead men won’t care how they solve the case but Bunk has had enough and leaves. Lester tells McNulty the killer needs a name and McNulty looks a little too happy to say that they need to “kill” again. McNulty visits the medical examiners office to try and figure out where the homeless are dying and finds the biggest concentration of homeless deaths are in the Southern District at night. To make sure they are notified first when a homeless person is killed, McNulty figures they need a contact on the Southern District night patrol and Lester figures out he knows a guy on it. They talk to him about the potential serial killer they are investigating and he agrees to help them and notify them when a homeless man is killed. Lester tells McNulty that years ago the guy that helped them was unfairly re-assigned by Rawls for something that was done by the book.
McNulty and Lester do some canvassing in the Southern District and McNulty is hesitating about doing actual police work for their false case. But Lester says that it will still be worth doing the work bc then their office reports will be verifiable which decreases the chance of them getting caught for this. McNulty counters saying that he was working on the fake case in the squad room and nobody noticed but Lester warns that with the attention this case will bring, careless, sloppy mistakes could be their downfall. After getting a call from their cop in the Southern District about a homeless death, McNulty attends to the scene but the victim is not in the condition they need for their case so he can’t use it. But their cop makes McNulty write the report in exchange for letting him know about the body so McNulty has to eat some shit for this fake case. McNulty goes home to Beadie and tries to cover the alcohol on his breath with mouthwash but it doesn’t work, she can smell it a mile away. She asks him about where he was but is quickly realizing McNulty is slipping back to his old ways when his lies don’t add up with reality. Beadie tries to remind McNulty how strong their love is and that she used to defend him against people that said he would always slip back to his old self destructive ways. McNulty’s phone rings and he prepares to leave again. He tells her that he is chasing a serial killer and she says he is chasing more than that and to not come back if he doesn’t want to be there. If he was going to act like this then I wanted him away from her.
McNulty arrives at the scene and starts to set it up as a homicide including choking the victim to leave marks/bruising on the neck. We see McNulty remove and destroy drug paraphernalia so that it doesn’t look like an overdose and actually cut the victims hands so it looks like they have defence wounds. Lester calls him twisted and McNulty reminds him it was Lester’s idea to bite marks with dentures all over the victims but Lester says he was just following the progression of actual serial killers. After they put the bite marks all over the body with the dentures, McNulty ask Lester never to tell his priest or his Mother and Lester says he is taking it to the grave. After this latest “murder” becomes public, McNulty fields a call from Alma Gutierrez wanting more information about it. McNulty manages to convince her to go with a story about the killer acting from sexual compulsions but she needs to get permission first since her last story was buried. Later Gutierrez meets with McNulty as she needs more information before they will publish the story but she brings reporter Scott Templeton which annoys McNulty that 2 reporters now know he is the source but he rolls with it. Templeton asks for more information and McNulty tells them about the ribbon along with the fact that bite marks were found on the latest victim and that the killer is maturing in his pattern of activity with the bodies. They are happy with that info but McNulty reiterates that he must remain a confidential source.
McNulty proudly shows Landsman the increased coverage of his serial killer in the paper but Landsman is still dismissive and throws the paper in the trash. Later Landsman approaches McNulty and tells him that his request for additional man power has been granted but that OT is limited to 2 detectives and when McNulty asks about surveillance teams Landsman tells him he only gets Kima. McNulty is pissed that a high profile case like this only gets him 2 additional detectives. Bunk pulls McNulty into an interrogation room to give him shit bc this bullshit case has now pulled Kima off a triple-murder that needs real police work, “Bunk: You’ve lost your fucking mind, Jimmy. Look at you. Half-lit every third night, dead drunk every second. Nut deep in random pussy. What little time you are sober and limp-dicked, you’re working murders that don’t even exist!” McNulty says this case will bring in enough funds to arrest Marlo and that he will make it up to Kima. Bunk confronts him about his binge drinking but McNulty doesn’t say anything. McNulty tells Kima to continue working her triple murder and that he will make sure the reports say she is working the case she was assigned to. Don’t think McNulty realizes that not everyone is cool with breaking the law/rules whenever it suits them.
McNulty meets with Lester to talk about their real and fake cases. The unit now has a phone number for Marlo thanks to Herc but any wire tap would have to be illegally operated since they were supposed to stop working on the Stanfield investigation. McNulty is becoming a bit disillusioned bc he realizes a wiretap needs surveillance to be successful and that will be hard to pull off since they aren’t supposed to be working this case but Lester says they can deal with that when they come to it. In trying to figure out how to manufacture probable cause for a wiretap, McNulty realizes that their “serial killer” will need to make a phone call to someone so he tells Lester to get his guy in the Southern District to find them another body and then McNulty will make a call. Seems like such a simple idea at first but once you get going you realize just how deep you have to go to pull this off. While he was with Lester, McNulty was ignoring calls from his ex-wife and we learn that he missed a play one of his sons was performing in. McNulty shows up at his ex-wife Elena’s but his sons are pretty cold to him and just keep listening to their music. We see how out of touch McNulty is becoming with his sons when he asks why they aren’t listening to the Ramones and they give him a dismissive look. Sad man. The visit doesn’t last long as McNulty quickly leaves but Elena stops him and says she has talked with Beadie and knows his new relationship is prob coming to an end. Elena says she was happy to see him happy with Beadie and that she would be sad to see him ruin the relationship but McNulty has no response and just leaves.
McNulty arrives at Homicide to hear Landsman tell him that the serial killer has called the Baltimore Sun and that McNulty has to deal with it. Once at the paper, McNulty finds that Scott Templeton was the reporter that took the call from the serial killer but that Templeton has made up details about the killers intentions and created a grudge against the Baltimore Sun as a reason for the call. One of the top editors at the paper Gus Haynes is still skeptical bc there is no way to verify the callers story and says it would be very bad for the paper if this turns out to be a prank call. McNulty gets the number for the pay phone used, unsuccessfully tries to get Templeton’s notes but the Baltimore Sun legal team says those are property of the paper and off the record McNulty confirms some of the details on the call, even the ones made up by Templeton which unsettles him. The paper asks if they can include some of the details in the story and McNulty agrees. McNulty has even invented a second call placed to police but tells the reporters that they cannot reveal the killer has contacted police but allows them to use the quote that ‘police are taking the call seriously.’ Back at Homicide, McNulty successfully manipulates the information from the reporters to set up a wiretap on the killers phone. Lester helps set up the fake wiretap so they can get one up on Marlo their real target and shows McNulty he left a loose connection so nobody in Homicide will pick up on the Marlo wiretap.
McNulty picks up the Baltimore Sun and see’s his serial killer story on the front page and Bunk asks him if he is happy while McNulty celebrates that now he will have all the funds he needs to bring the Stanfield crew down. “Bunk: You called the reporter huh? McNulty: No, actually. That asshole’s making up his own shit. Brass called a press conference for this afternoon. They’ll be shovellin’ so much money at my bullshit it’ll make your head spin.” Bunk figures that McNulty called Templeton himself but McNulty says that Templeton is actually making up his own material. Call McNulty many things but lucky has to be one of em. Bunk is restarting the Stanfield investigation legally as he is assigned to start reviewing case files and notices some of the cases are still missing lab work while others have been thoroughly investigated. But unlike McNulty, Bunk says that he will go back and start from the beginning bc he is a true murder police, “Bunk:I’m a murder police. I work murders. I don’t fuck with no make-believe. I don’t jerk shit around. I catch a murder, and I work it.” Unbothered, McNulty offers Bunk any funds he needs bc he predicts the money will be flowing very soon.
McNulty arrives at the Major Crimes Unit and sees Sydnor there but Lester confirms Sydnor is with them. There hasn’t been much progress using the wiretaps which disappoints McNulty but Lester tells him to be patient and that he needs more man power to see how the phones are being used. McNulty says with the Baltimore Sun story, after the press conference there should be more than enough money flowing for McNulty to secretly assign a couple detectives to the case to help with surveillance. Pearlman and McNulty meet with Judge Phelan to try and get a wiretap for the Baltimore Sun phones but Phelan is reluctant bc of their right to protect their sources. Pearlman accepts the decisions while of course McNulty has to throw a few jabs over a wiretap he doesn’t even fucking need and Pearlman scolds him for his lack of diplomacy. McNulty delivers a request for surveillance teams to Landsman but he just tosses it in his desk bc more manpower has not been approved and McNulty sent Kima back to her triple murder. Landsman says if McNulty doesn’t want Kima then he is on his own.
McNulty meets with Lester to discuss the denied surveillance teams and bitch about the failed wiretap which causes Lester to ask why he is even pursuing it since they don’t need it and McNulty says it’s the principle of the matter. Oh just fuck off already. McNulty thinks they need another victim to get the fund they need and Lester agrees to call his friend in the Southern District. We see McNulty drinking alone and ranting to a statue of General Samuel Smith lol smfh. He gets a call from Lester’s guy in the Southern District and goes to the scene but finds Lester’s guy waiting for him along with a bunch of other Southern District officers bc now that the case is high profile, any body they find is treated as an urgent matter. McNulty meets up with Lester in the morning and learns Lester now need to intercept photos bc that is how Marlo and his crew are communicating. This will not be easy to accomplish but Lester says he is just following the thread of the investigation. McNulty asks if intercepting photos will guarantee a conviction and Lester says he still needs to break the code but has faith that he can do it but once they do they will need manpower to follow through. With the fast response from the Southern District officers, McNulty says they just don’t have enough time to fake another murder.
While caught in traffic, McNulty notices a homeless man weaving in and out of the cars so he parks his car and watches him. Later we see that McNulty has brough the homeless man to the Major Crimes Unit and is discussing him with Lester who says bringing the guy here is kidnaping but McNulty says he paid the guy to come with him. Lester asks if the man will be able to make his way home and McNulty says that eventually he will but by that time they will have completed the Stanfield investigation and anyone that finds out will write it off as a college frat boy prank. I want Marlo locked up as bad as they do but it is just gross watching McNulty do shit like fcking with an innocent homeless man that clearly has his own serious problems. Lester is worried the man knows that they are police officers but McNulty says the guy is crazy and shows Lester the guys pill bottle which contains anti-psychotic medication. McNulty says he is going to conceal the mans identity by taking his ID, scratching the information off the pill bottle and putting the ID from the first homeless guy McNulty found. Then McNulty says he will take pictures of the guy and send them to Templeton with threatening messages so they can get the photo intercept wiretap. This seems like it’s starting to push Lester to his breaking point who questions McNulty’s sanity and their willingness to complete this plan to carry out the plan but McNulty says that it is all necessary to bring down Marlo.
We see McNulty driving with the homeless guy trying to be nice but you can see the guy is very anxious despite McNulty assuring him that they were going to a nice place. McNulty brings the man to a homeless shelter and tells the staff “Donald” approached him outside of work and said he was from Cleveland. The staff don’t question McNulty’s story and take “Donald” in for something to eat. It’s clear McNulty feels like a real piece if shit as he watches “Donald” struggle to eat a sandwich and then leaves him there. At the very least I was happy to see that McNulty still has some of his heart left. With the homeless man now in another city, McNulty, Lester and Sydnor develop a plan to have the killer call Templeton. McNulty, posing as the killer with a voice distorter, acts angry that he has been portrayed in a sexual light and says no more victims will be found in the city and that he will now send pictures of his victims. Both the newspaper and the police higher ups assure their reporters/officers that they have the resources to see this case through to the end. Mission accomplished and now McNulty has all the funds and manpower he needs.
McNulty starts sending the surveillance teams he has been given to Lester and the manpower that has been assigned out to do actual police work and give detectives the OT they have been sorely missing. But with the case being so high profile, the higher ups keep sending McNulty more men and time than he can use so he starts giving it out to the detectives that need it and becomes a popular guy, much to his chagrin. Det Ed Norris wants a road car to go to New York to get a confession on a rape/murder case he has been working and guilts McNulty into saying yes. Then Det Michael Crutchfield asks for surveillance on a bus stop to catch a serial armed robber/killer and McNulty again grants the request. Crutchfield says ‘Thanks Boss’ which unsettles McNulty as he is getting more than he bargained for. The deep end would be shallow compared to the spot McNulty has got himself in with this case. McNulty finds himself at a ComStat meeting addressing the police commanders and Carcetti where he reports that the killer is focusing on Southern Baltimore bc of the large concentration of homeless people. Carcetti asks for leads on the missing homeless man McNulty took to Cleveland and McNulty reports no new info despite thoroughly looking for him. Rawls asks about a FBI profile and McNulty says he has set up a meeting with the FBI at Quantico while Rawls jokes about the sexual nature of the crimes.
Daniels asks McNulty what else he needs to complete the investigation and McNulty requests surveillance teams to follow sexual offenders and persons of interest and specifically asks for Carver. This confuses Daniels that McNulty would ask for someone out of the area when he could have requested a patrol from the Southern District and McNulty counters saying Carver’s experience with prolonged cases will be an asset. McNulty also says he needs good undercover cars for surveillance but that their motor pool is depleted so Carcetti agrees to let them use car hire if they need it and leaves the meeting. McNulty meets with Carver to discuss him joining the homeless murder investigation and Carver asks the same question as Daniels. So McNulty closes the door and fills him in on what is really going on while Carver is adamant that he doesn’t want himself or his people to get burned. McNulty explains he is using the resources allocated to him to help Lester in following up leads on the Stanfield crew. Carver is able to correctly guess that Lester is running a wiretap knowing he gave Marlo’s number to Lester and that the bosses stopped the investigation cold which disgusts Carver that they would allow the vacant murders to go unsolved. McNulty tells Carver that he will take care of all the paperwork and asks Carver to send him people that are willing to work which Carver agrees to. Later McNulty is talking on the phone to lester about the new manpower they have when Bunk comes up with a request to sign but tells McNulty in no uncertain terms not to enjoy the moment lol
McNulty and Kima head out to Quantico for the FBI profile on the killer. They talk about their relationships on the way there and she asks about Beadie to which McNulty responds that Bunk once told him that he’s no good for people. Kima tries to lighten it by asking if Bunk was drinking and McNulty says he was but that it doesn’t make him feel any better. Like I said earlier, McNulty’s state is made worse by the fact that he is smart enough to know what an asshole he is but can’t bring himself to change his ways. The FBI profile is supposed to be about the “killer” but it fuckin nails McNulty down flawlessly – the suspect is most likely a white male in his late 20s to late 30s who is not a college graduate but feels superior to those with advanced education and is likely employed in a bureaucratic entity, possibly civil or public service. They continue that he has a problem with authority and a deep seated resentment for those that have impeded his progress professionally. The sexual nature of the killings is thought to be a secondary motivation and the lack of DNA or saliva in the bite marks suggests possible post-mortem staging. The suspect is described as struggling with lasting relationships and potentially a high functioning alcoholic with alcohol being used as a trigger in the crimes. – Like I said, fucking nailed it lol it’s a random report but it’s almost like they were writing a report specifically for McNulty and he knows it. 1 of my fav scenes from S5.
After leaving Quantico, McNulty goes to Beadie’s to find an empty house with a note that reads – “Jimmy, one possible future. Be back tomorrow or the next day. Or not. Think about it B.” – and this seems to really hit home with McNulty. Bunk finds McNulty at the Homicide Unit telling him about Omar’s death and giving him Omar’s list of Stanfield crew members as a thank you for pushing the lab work through since Bunk got a DNA match to Marlo’s main hit man Chris Partlow on one of the victims. McNulty asks Bunk to hold off on arresting Partlow until Lester makes a break in the case and Bunk reluctantly agrees. Bunk tells McNulty he made his case the honest way and McNulty counters with the fact that if he hadn’t pushed the lab work through then Bunk would still be waiting for it. That is what makes S5 so tough. They were able to accomplish some real police work thanks to the extra funding but the means to get that funding does not justify what McNulty had to do to get it. A Det named Ray Barlow approaches and asks for money to pursue an out of town lead into a murdered transvestite but McNulty sees through it and says no. Barlow admits that he just wants to golf at a hard to book course but if McNulty doesn’t grant him the request he will expose what McNulty is doing to the higher ups so McNulty has no choice but to approve it. You had to know something like this was coming, just a matter of time.
McNulty is about to leave when he sees Kima walk in with an arm full of paper work saying she plans to spend the night going over files on sex offenders and the backgrounds of persons of interest. When McNulty realizes she is going to be wasting her time investigating his fake serial killer, he pulls her into an interrogation room and comes clean about the serial killer being made up to bring funds for real police work. Kima is horrified and tells McNulty that he cannot continue this but he says it will all be over soon and that he will give her whatever resources she needs to work her own cases. McNulty goes home to an empty house and gets a call from Det Christeson thanking McNulty for the manpower he provided for his and says that they have made an arrest. Well at least some good is coming out of this mess. Beadie returns with her kids refusing to tell McNulty where she was and warns him that next time he will be the one to leave the house that she owns. Beadie tries to tell McNulty that his family and close friends are the only ones that matter, his colleagues and associates will not be at his wake. It really is a great speech, “Beadie: All the guys at the bar, Jimmy, all the girls; they don’t show up at your wake. Not because they don’t like you. But because, they never knew your last name. Then a month later, someone tells them, “Oh, Jimmy died.” “Jimmy who?” “Jimmy the Cop.” “Ohhh,” they say, “him”. And all the people on the job, all those people you spent all the hours in the radio cars with, the guys with their feet up on the desk, tellin’ stories, who shorted you on your food runs, who signed your overtime slips. In the end, they’re not gonna be there either. Family, that’s it. Family, and if you’re lucky, one or two friends who are the same as family. That’s all the best of us get. Everything else is just…”
McNulty then admits that he faked the serial killer and is re-directing funds to Lester so he can continue the Stanfield investigation but is disgusted with himself for his actions. He tries to justify it saying he felt frustrated with his position when the Stanfield investigation was shut down and that he isn’t sure where his anger comes from or how to make it stop. Beadie is scared that McNulty could go to prison and chastises him for taking such a big risk without talking to her first. Then McNulty responds with a line that sums up his S5 but Beadie goes inside before he is done talking, “McNulty: You start to tell the story, you think you’re the hero, and then when you get done talking…” At this point I had no idea where the story was going. I wasn’t sure if McNulty would be exposed or if he would get away with it. I wasn’t sure if he had a future with Beadie. Great TV shows keep you guessing to the end and The Wire absolutely accomplished that.
It cost them their souls but McNulty and Lester’s efforts lead to a successful raid and arrests of the Stanfield Crew including Marlo and Chris Partlow. But McNulty is still dealing with the fake serial killer as Landsman bitches at him for the lack of progress on the serial killer investigation. It seems as if all of this has caught up to McNulty as he is looking very depressed but Kima has no sympathy still giving him shit. Once again McNulty tries to justify what he did by saying that Marlo, a dangerous killer is locked up but that’s not enough for Kima. When he goes to meet with Lester, McNulty won’t even accept a celebratory drink and expresses his regret over what they had to do to break the Stanfield investigation. McNulty still has to send out men to investigate the fake serial killer when Landsman tells him to go the scene of a another homeless death. Still not getting any sympathy from Kima over having to go to a crime scene that he knows is not a crime and knows is def not relevant to his real cases. McNulty is called to the scene of a potential kidnapping of a homeless man but when he gets there and sees that it is reporter Scott Templeton making the claim, he knows it is bullshit. “McNulty: You lying motherfucker, you’re as full of shit as I am. And you’ve got to live with it and play it out as far as it goes, right? Trapped in the same lie. Only difference is, I know why I did it. But fuck if I can figure out what it gets you in the end. But, hey, I’m not part of your tribe. Templeton: You’re not serious? McNulty: No, no, I’m a fucking joke. And so are you.” His suspicions are confirmed when an undercover policeman posing as a homeless man tells McNulty that the story is a lie. But McNulty lets Templeton go rather than charge him with making a false statement. Maybe trying to manifest leniency for himself but I doubt he will find it when his crimes are exposed.
Back at the Major Crimes Unit, McNulty is there when Lester arrives and tells McNulty that Daniels and Pearlman about the fake serial killer. McNulty wonders why they haven’t been arrested and Lester speculates that Carcetti is desperate to save face after using the serial killer to launch a platform on poverty and homelessness. Lester thinks they might even have more on them than they do on lester and McNulty. Next we get my least favourite scene/story in the series and 1 that is complete and total bullshit. Word comes down that another homeless man has been found murdered this time with a white ribbon on his wrist meaning they now have a copy cat killer. McNulty, Bunk and Kima arrive at the scene, anguished that this fake serial killer has inspired a real copy cat killer. The 3 of them start to argue as camera crews start to show up and McNulty is really feeling bad about what he has done. Later we see McNulty being berated by Daniels and Rawls not only for faking a serial killer but inspiring a copy cat killer. They instruct him in no uncertain terms to catch this copy cat killer quickly and make it look like he was the killer the entire time so they can clean up this mess. But they also let McNulty know that no matter what, this will be the last case he ever works.
McNulty proves he is great at his job one more time when he almost immediately figures out who the killer is, a psychotic homeless man he had met twice before that collects business cards. Now this was fucking ridiculous. There is no way this homeless guy had the mental capacity to understand the news stories about the fake serial killer, pick up on the ribbon thing and commit a copy cat murder. There is just no way. They only introduced this copy cat killer to justify Kima ratting on McNulty and to try and make sure there were no viewers that supported McNulty in this. To me, this was completely against the type of stories that The Wire told that were all based in realism. This copy cat killer was not based in realism at all, it was just a device created to justify a storyline decision. Can’t express how much I hated this part of the story lol but they capture the copy cat killer, only charge him with the murders he actually committed and allow him to go to a psychiatric facility rather than prison. Thus ends the story of the ‘Red Ribbon killer.’
The Baltimore PD hold a mock wake for McNulty who is done as a police officer for good after this. I’m glad they did this as I loved the previous wake scenes and doing one for Jimmy was the perfect way to end the series. Landsman says it all in his speech, “Landsman: He was natural po-lice. Yes, he was. And I don’t say that about many people. Even when they’re out here on the felt. I don’t give that one up unless it happens to be true. Natural po-lice… But, fuck, what an asshole!…Jimmy, I say this seriously. If I was laying there dead on some Baltimore street corner, I’d want you standing over me, catching the case. Because, brother, when you were good, you were the best we had. Bunk: Shit, if you were lying there dead on some corner, it probably was Jimmy that done ya. Landsman: If you caught the case, you’d be down there pissing in my ear!” lol so fcking great. McNulty and Lester make amends with Kima and they are better men than me bc I’d have told her to go fuck herself lol bc of her Marlo walked, a legitimate danger to the public and I just can’t be ok with that. But Lester and McNulty were and they leave on good terms with Kima. Jimmy goes home to Beadie hopefully to be the man she needs and knows he is.
As the series comes to an end, we see Jimmy pick up the homeless man he drove to Cleveland during the fake serial killer case and take him home to Baltimore. Nice to see Jimmy back. The last line of the series belongs to Jimmy, “Let’s go home.” And that’s it, man what a ride it was. Dominic West absolutely crushed this role and proved what a great actor he is. Jimmy McNulty brought so many emotions out of the viewer it’s ridiculous. We loved him, we hated him, he was frustrating, he kicked ass, he was smart, he was dumb, he was fcking stupid lol, he made you root for him, he made you root against him, you can’t deliver a character like that unless you’re a great fcking actor. Jimmy is one of the main characters so you want to root for him but by the end I was not on his bandwagon despite loving the character. I think my feelings on Jimmy McNulty are best summed up saying I loved him at his best and hated his guts at his worst. But I’m so glad I watched The Wire and got to experience this character. I was a fan of Dominic West from his role in 300 but The Wire made me realize just how good he is. Cheers to 1 of the best TV police, Jimmy McNulty!
-Det Lester Freamon – Cool Lester Smooth lol in the convo for my fav character on the Wire but def on the police side, phenomenal performance from Clarke Peters. Initially Daniels and McNulty were annoyed at having to take Lester on the Major Crimes Unit, but he would end up being one of the most valuable members. Lester immediately proves his worth providing a picture of Avon Barksdale after the Detectives Polk and Mahon produce a picture of a middle aged white guy they think is Avon. After hearing Kima talk about Avon being a former Gold Gloves boxer, Lester knows there would be a picture of him somewhere and hits up the local gym to obtain it. So fn smart and immediately made me a fan. Another smart play by Lester, noticing the phone number on the wall of the stash house they raid and writing it down. They didn’t get drugs or money but thanks to Cool Lester Smooth they didn’t come away completely empty handed. Lester shocks everyone when he reveals that the number he grabbed off the wall belongs to D’Angelo Barksdale. Jimmy is so impressed he buys Lester a drink where we learn that Lester was punished and sent to the pawn shop unit for pissing off his superiors by doing his job fully and the right way. He gives Jimmy the advice to lie if his superiors ever ask him where he doesn’t want to go.
After the wire gets set up on the Barksdale Crew, Lester realizes their pagers are using a code that they can’t figure out until Prez steps in and solves it surprising them all. Lester tells Daniels they need audio surveillance on the payphones to be able to make the case. He knows that this is the opposite of what Daniels superiors want from the case, but it won’t get solved without them and leads to 1 of my favourite lines in the show, “I don’t wanna go to no dance unless I can rub some tit.” LOL Lester notices the high level of pager activity on the night Brandon was killed and knows the wiretaps on the pay phones require in person surveillance meaning long hours for some on the crew. Herc whines about it which causes Lester to scold him asking what he thought they were going to be doing. Real police like Lester have no time for bullshit police that just want to coast through their shift. McNulty brings Omar into the Major Crimes Unit and Lester is able to match the pager activity to Brandon’s movements described by Omar. After interviewing the arcade owner with McNulty, Lester figures out the pay phone near the arcade is the one used on the night of the murder.
After receiving information from Omar about where Bird likes to get high, Lester goes undercover as a drunk and when Bird emerges, Lester smashes a bottle of liquor over his head and arrests him. Awesome moment. While staking out Orlando’s strip club with Kima, Lester identifies Shardene as a potential informant. Lester along with Sydnor and Prez start to follow the Barksdale money and finds that they are making significant political contributions as well as involved with numerous fronts like the strip club, funeral parlour, warehouses, etc… Lester takes Kima to pick up Shardene so she can identify Keisha’s body and Shardene is devastated for her friend. They ask her to become an informant as a way to avenge her friend’s death and she accepts. After Kima is shot, Lester takes control and makes sure the team gets on the wire to get any information they can about the shooting. There isn’t much traffic on the wire but Lester does notice a page was sent to Stringer Bell 20 min after the shooting so he goes with a team to dust anything they can for fingerprints. They find a print on a discarded drink can that belongs to Little Man.
When Burrell demands “dope on the table,” Lester suggests hitting the apartment Herc just observed dropping drugs to keep the cut house they discovered for another day when it has more impact.
Lester has the idea for Shardene to wear a wire into Avon’s club which she does but is not able to be in the room for any conversations about incriminating actions. After Nakeesha Lyles is killed, everyone is concerned for the CI’s working for them and Lester offers to let Shardene stay at his place to stay safe. I was hoping something would develop between Lester and Shardene as they had a lot of chemistry. They realize Shardene wearing a wire won’t work so they teach her how to use her footsteps to measure spots in the club like Avon’s office and they use that info to set up a video camera looking into Avon’s office using the vacant office next door. When they get information that Wee-Bey is in Philly, Lester goes to find him and turns to an old friend for help who isn’t on board until he hears it is to find the guy that shot Kima. At the meeting with the FBI and State Attorney, Lester presents the information that the Barksdale crew is buying property based on the information they get from politicians they bribe and then selling it at a higher price when the area is redeveloped. But the meeting goes off a cliff when the FBI says they are hoping to use the drug dealer’s co-operation to nail the politicians. Daniels ends the meeting as McNulty is furious.
Lester’s friend comes through with a number for Wee-Bey and they successfully arrest him. With the Major Crimes Unit being disbanded, Lester has done a good job on the investigation and not pissed too many people off, so he gets placed in homicide under Rawls. In S2 after the discovery of the bodies of 14 murdered women in a shipping container, Lester is hoping that it isn’t assigned to their unit bc it will be near impossible to solve but McNulty makes sure that they are. Lester, Bunk and McNulty are drinking at the bar where Bunk and Lester force Jimmy to down 14 shots due to the 14 murders he dumped on them lol not only are the cases assigned to homicide, but their cases are given to Det Cole while Bunk and Lester are given the 14 murders to solve. They head down to the docks to talk with Beadie and start interviewing the crew. Fn funny to watch their reactions to being given the case. Lester and Bunk have no luck trying to interrogate the crew of the ship the container travelled on as they all pretend to not speak or understand English. They end up letting the ship go not having the evidence or jurisdiction to keep them there. Landsman is pissed that they basically let the crime scene go but they really had no choice. Lester helps give McNulty’s pride a good beating when he tries to enlighten them on what happened to the girls in the container, but Lester, Bunk and Beadie are 1 step ahead of Jimmy and say everything he is going to say before he says it.
Lester and Bunk try to get information from Frank Sobotka and his worker Horseface at Delores’s Bar, but he doesn’t co-operate at all. Rawls informs Lester that he is being re-assigned to new unit Investigating Frank Sobotka and Lester is pissed thinking he got screwed over before getting a fair chance to clear the jane doe homicides, “Lester: Colonel, respectfully, did you just fuck me over without giving me half a chance to clear this case? Rawls: Let’s be clear, Detective Freamon. When I fuck you over, you’ll know it. You’ll be so damn certain; you won’t need to ask the question.” I understand Lester’s frustration, but I was just happy he was being out back on the team. Lester arrives at the new unit and immediately impresses them by recognizing Frank Sobotka’s picture on the board from the investigation into the dead women in the container. But he is not exactly thrilled to be back, “Kima: Cool Lester Smooth… hey, what’s happenin’? Lester: Same fuck-ups in the same shit detail, workin’ out of the same shithouse kind of office. You people lack for personal growth, you know that?” lol Lester reports to Daniels that Frank Sobotka lives within his means while the union is seeing declining membership causing problems paying their debts, so Frank isn’t keeping the extra money for himself or for union debts. Daniels assigns Lester to work with Bunk and Beadie tracking the container movements.
Lester starts to familiarize himself with the container process by watching how clean containers are processed. They have figured out that almost all of the dirty containers are processed by Horseface so whenever they see him processing a container, they call in Kima and Prez to start surveillance on it. Horseface processes a container, so Kima and Prez track it to Glekas warehouse where they see Sergei meeting with Prop Joe and Kima gets some good photos of the meeting. Bunk and Beadie show up to ask Lester to meet with Daniels and get him to take on the 14 murdered women bc they know Daniels will investigate it the right way. Bunk says it has to be Lester bc Daniels will listen to Lester. Freamon visits Daniels and is able to sell him on taking the case of the murdered women. After the investigation is up and running, Lester and Bunk appeal to Daniels to go to Rawls again and ask him to let McNulty join the unit bc when he has a good case to work, McNulty is a valuable asset. It works and McNulty is reinstated to the Major Crimes Unit. Lester, Prez and Beadie have tracking set up on the containers and notice a potential theft of a container so they tail it and see that it ends up at the warehouse. A second container is sent out but this time it is clean as Frank has figured out, they are being tracked and his suspicions are confirmed when Beadie organizes a stop of the container.
The unit has a wiretap on Sergei’s phone who is at the warehouse when the clean container arrives. Sergei phones Spiros to figure out what is going on and this is a huge break bc now Lester knows what Spiros’ phone number is. When the FBI agents arrive at the Major Crimes Unit, Lester and Bunk pretend to have a stand off with them, but they quickly laugh and share friendly greetings. Daniels and Lester meet with Fitz to discuss their goals and the FBI offers to help trace the origin of the dirty containers. After the intercept a message from Spiros telling his crew to shut things down, the targets of the Dock Investigation are served warrants as Lester, Daniels, Kima and Bunk try to raid Glekas warehouse, but it has been stripped clean. Lester and Bunk notice the blood stain from Glekas murder, so they know illegal shit was going down. Daniels, Lester and Kima talk about the disappearance of Spiros and the possible identity The Greek, they are all feeling pessimistic about the end of the case, but Kima says Frank Sobotka could still break the case. Unfortunately, Frank is found murdered so they will miss out on all of the major players. The investigation netted them some dangerous criminals but was probably classified a failure due to the main players getting away and no evidence to collect from Glekas warehouse. We see Lester collecting photographs of the headless/handless corpses Landsman sent over to Southeastern District when he sees Nick Sobotka turn himself in. Lester calls Daniels to make sure he knows asap that Nick Sobotka turned himself in. While talking with Fitz, Lester tells him it is best to keep Nick’s involvement quiet which makes Fitz do a check on Agent Koutris and realizes he has been gone from San Diego for a year and is the connection to the Greeks. We end S2 with Lester and Bunk trying to identify the body of the crewman from the photos of the headless/handless corpses. Bunk and Beadie get Sergei to confess that Spiros murdered the crewman bc the crewman was responsible for murdering girls in the container.
We start S3 with Lester, Prez and new Officer Caroline Massey monitoring a wiretap when they hear about a meeting between a drug dealer and 1 of Prop Joe’s lieutenants Cheese with Lester saying they have been working the wiretap for 3 months and still haven’t heard Cheese’s voice. In the evening, Lester and Kima relieve McNulty and Sydnor from surveillance of Cheese and his crew from a rooftop. Later, Lester, McNulty and Kima observe a dealer named Drac who is much less disciplined on the phone than Cheese so they are able to get a lot of information from him, they just wish he was higher in the crew so they could get one of the bigger players. Lester says Drac is supplied by a dealer named Lavelle Mann who Sydnor knows from his undercover work so they devise a plan to have Mann arrested so that Drac will be promoted since he is Prop Joe’s nephew but the plan backfires when the promotion is given to Cheese instead of Drac. The case has been going for 3 months with no significant results, so Daniels is under pressure to end it and McNulty is fighting for it but is very confrontational and Lester scolds him for it knowing it does more harm than good.
The Major Crimes Unit hears on the wiretap about some killings and even hear Cheese himself talk about killing his dog and the team is floored. Lester tries to call Homicide to find out how many new murders there are on the east side, but the detective Ed Norris has no time for it and hangs up on Lester. They can’t hang up in person, so Lester sends Kima home while he heads down to Homicide to find out himself. Later we see Lester, Kima and Pearlman having drinks when McNulty comes in and starts bitching about Daniels changing the direction of the investigation to Kintell Williamson when Lester re-iterates that Daniels has earned their loyalty. Lester is present at the wake for Det Ray Cole, and I really love these wake scenes, obviously sad that someone dies but the respect and camaraderie we see between the police is refreshing esp on this show. Back at the Major Crimes Unit, McNulty and Kima are late investigating the case they are not supposed to be working and Lester confronts them saying McNulty owes Daniels some loyalty for everything he has done for McNulty. But McNulty isn’t hearing it and things start to escalate quickly, “Lester: You even listening to me, McNulty? McNulty: I got a real case to bring in, Lester. Fella by the name of Stringer Bell. You mighta heard of him. Lester: You got a mouth on you, boy. McNulty: He’s still out there, Lester. He’s got his corners, his money, fuck it, by now, for all you know he’s got all that downtown real estate. Motherfucker probably owns half of Baltimore without us even knowing it. Lester: That ain’t the point. McNulty: Do you even know what happened to all that real estate, Lester? All that downtown property Bell had title on? Fuck no. He’s probably laughing his balls off right now at you, me, Daniels, all of us. Lester: You even pretending to speak for anyone other than yourself, McNulty? McNulty: I’m speaking for the job. Lester: You wanna talk about police work? I was doing the job when you were just dreamin’ on it. Daniels was out there, too. Now, you gonna fuck him when he pulled you off a goddamn boat? McNulty: He’s a boss; fuck the bosses. Lester: Maybe Daniels plays a few games to get by, but he’s cost himself plenty for the sake of the job! He’s earned some loyalty. McNulty: Fuck loyalty, and fuck you, Lester. I never thought I’d hear that chain-of-command horseshit come outta your mouth. Lester: Motherfucker, I’ve spent a lot of time in a lot of weak units, more than you. Now, this here? May not be perfect – but it’s a chance to be police. McNulty: Well, then, be one. Lester: You’re not even worth the skin off my knuckles, junior. Kima: Jimmy, don’t. Lester: You put fire to everything you touch, McNulty then you walk away while it burns.” Damn what an intense exchange. Good thing Kima was there but Lester even scolds her for not showing Daniels loyalty, “”Lester: I’m surprised at you, girl. Daniels raised you from a pup.”
Major ‘Bunny’ Colvin arrives at the Major Crimes Unit looking for info on mid-high level dealers and Lester, Daniels and Kima are able to provide him with all the info he needs. Later McNulty arrives back at the unit and Lester asks what new information he has after the last week of investigating Stringer/Barksdale crew and McNulty says that Stringer has become ‘the bank,’ someone that works legitimate businesses to generate money to buy packages that he will never touch keeping his hands clean. After McNulty goes behind his back, Daniels announces to Lester and the team that the investigation into Kintell Williamson is being paused and the new targets are Stringer and Marlo. They are starting to make some progress in the case after Bubbles provides them with a dealer’s phone to analyze but Prez thinks the info will be difficult to understand without knowing more about Marlo’s crew. Lester says that a phone from the Barksdale crew would help them map out the organization with all the info they already have but it would almost be impossible to get a wiretap going with how quickly they dispose of the phones. McNulty to the rescue as he was able to switch phones with Bodie during a search so now Lester has a phone from the Barksdale crew.
Lester and Prez are briefing Daniels and Pearlman on the info they figured out from Bodie’s phone when McNulty arrives to learn they have figured out there is a network of 15 phones users but none of the phones list user information bc of the company they belong to. There is a co-ordinator at the top of the pyramid and the phone are given to the dealers pre-programmed with numbers. Lester asks Kima to put out the word that they need patrol units to start collecting phones. Prez reports that he has been able to track Bodie’s disposable phone using the serial number to follow it from manufacturer to the wholesalers to the mondo mart where it was sold. Lester and Daniels are seriously impressed by his work. Prez also reports that 6 of the other phones are phones from the same company so he was able to track them to the stores they were sold but never more than 2 bought per store. Lester maps out the store locations and finds that they are all along 1 interstate from Baltimore to Richmond while Lester and Daniels can’t help but admire the discipline it takes to drive 200 miles every couple weeks. Next, Lester assigns McNulty and Kima that task of tracking the buyer of the phones. After McNulty and Kima are able to acquire a security tape, they arrive back at the Major Crimes Unit to see Fitz setting up new equipment with Lester and Prez. This new equipment will allow them to enlarge the picture so they can see the license plate number.
No rest for the weary as McNulty arrives at the Major Crimes Unit on a Sunday to see Lester and Prez preparing for undercover work, they plan to put a camera on Stringer’s print shop. McNulty wants to help but Lester turns him down bc McNulty is a known face and would blow their cover. The ego of McNulty comes out as he talks about how they have the best police in this unit, “McNulty: We’re good at this Lester. In this town, we’re as good as it gets. Lester: Natural police. McNulty: Fuck yes. Natural police….McNulty: You know something, Lester? I do believe there aren’t five swinging dicks in the entire department who can do what we do.” Can’t say I disagree. But Lester sees the roots of deeper problems in McNulty and his obsession with his cases and tries to help him out with some good advice, “Lester: Tell me something, Jimmy. How exactly do you think it all ends? McNulty: What do you mean? Lester: A parade? A gold watch? A shining Jimmy-McNulty-day moment, when you bring in a case sooooo sweet everybody gets together and says, “Aw, shit! He was right all along. Should’ve listened to the man.” The job will not save you, Jimmy. It won’t make you whole, it won’t fill your ass up. McNulty: I dunno, a good case— Lester: Ends. They all end. The handcuffs go click and it’s over. The next morning, it’s just you in your room with yourself. McNulty: Until the next case. Lester: Boooooy, you need something else outside of this here. McNulty: Like what, dollhouse miniatures? Lester: Hey, hey, hey, a life. A life, Jimmy. You know what that is? It’s the shit that happens while you’re waiting for moments that never come.” Fcking great exchange that solidifies the awesome character of Lester Freamon.
McNulty is frustrated and bitches to Lester about the unit not being up on wiretaps which means they are probably missing a lot of key information. As Daniels and Pearlman meet with Judge Phelan to try and speed up the wiretap process, Lester is able to match Bodie’s voice to a prior recording when he calls his grandmother. This gives the team probable cause for a wiretap. With the wiretap on Bodie up and running, they hear him talking in code about drugs to dealers that are sloppy and mention names on the phone. After the tragedy of Prez accidentally shooting the undercover police officer, Daniels is forced to ask Lester and Massey if they ever faced any racism for Prez and both say no. After Daniels leaves, Massey wonders if Prez would have shot the undercover cop if he was white but Lester defends Prez saying that the suspect was a number 1 male which is Baltimore Police code for an African American male. The team is still frustrated by the short window of time they have with the wiretaps due to how quickly these guys ditch their phones. Lester and McNulty devise a plan to provide the phones directly to Bernard, the guy that buys them.
Using Bubbles who has a connection to Bernard’s girlfriend, they are able to set up a meeting with Bernard and Lester who is undercover posing as the cell phone supplier. Lester is posing as a conman named Calvin and takes Bernard and his girlfriend to a fake cell phone shop. Massey is posing as Lester’s niece and assistant. ‘Calvin’ explains that his is taking discarded phones, paying to have them reactivated using bogus accounts and then selling them again as new. Bernard is buying it and wants to do business but insists on doctored receipts to agree to the deal. Daniels gives them a break when he posts a picture of Shamrock, the only person that Stringer communicates with about the drug business. The wiretap picks up Bodie asking for a meeting with ‘the man’ which means Stringer but there is never a call placed from Shamrock to Stringer that they hear. Lester and McNulty explain to Pearlman that Stringer has isolated himself from the rest of the Barksdale crew by only communicating with Shamrock and giving Shamrock a separate phone for their conversations. With all the information they have collected, they have enough to bring most of Barksdale crew from Shamrock down in for conspiracy charges but to be able to get Stringer and Avon they would basically have to pluck cell numbers out of the air. This inspires McNulty to go talk to Fitz to see if they have the equipment to do that and Fitz says they do and it is available to the police thanks to a homeland security grant.
Lester and McNulty set up this equipment across the street from Stringer’s print shop and they are able to record all cell phone numbers being used so they use the data they have of Shamrock’s calls to get a better idea of when Stringer would be on the phone. Pretty crazy they have the ability to do things like this. When Stringer is called for a meeting, he changes SIM cards and calls back which leads Shamrock to call Bodie saying a meeting has been arranged. Stringer uses his business phone to call Colvin and Lester is able to use this info to figure out Stringer’s number. Lester calls McNulty to let him know but McNulty thinks they should wait and see where the connection leads. Both Lester and McNulty are worried about the number not lasting long so they both call Daniels and Pearlman to try and get the wiretap set up asap. Next day, the team records a call between Stringer and Shamrock where Shamrock mentions contract killers, Stringer scolds him for the mistake but it’s too late, the team has what they need to arrest Stringer. But they would not get a chance as Stringer is killed that night. Back at the Major Crimes Unit, Lester and Kima are listening to the wiretaps and hear that Marlo is being blamed for Stringer’s death which Lester fears will bring more violence in the Barksdale/Stanfield war.
McNulty received a tip about the Barksdale safe house where Avon might be hiding, and Lester thinks that Stringer must have given Colvin the info and phones Daniels to let him know about the safe house. We see Lester go to meet with Prez in a park and they talk about Prez’s troubles. Prez is worried about the decision that will come down as the Vanguard Justice Society, a non-profit org representing black officers in the BPD, voted against him 6 to 4 but Lester urges him to fight the charges as 4 out of 10 officers just think he is an asshole. Prez jokes that he has always been guilty of failing to identify himself as a police officer and that is not meant to be a police officer while Lester asks him what career he thinks he is meant for. Prez is lucky to have a guy like Lester having his back bc if I was in trouble I’d want a guy like Lester in my corner. We see Lester arrive late for the meeting about the Barksdale safehouse and he hears Daniels say that he is reluctant to move against the safehouse bc he does not have probable cause which prompts McNulty to reveal Stringer was the source to try and speed things up. The wiretap hears mention of the Barksdale crew ready to move on the Stanfield crew so the Major Crimes Unit knows they have move now. The season ends with a successful raid of the Barksdale safehouse and the subsequent prosecutions of the Barksdale crew including Avon. The Barksdale investigation is over for now, but the Stanfield investigation is just beginning.
As we start S4, Lester and Kima meet with Pearlman to discuss the progress of the Stanfield investigation. Lester says that he is disappointed with the Stanfield crew as they have poor phone discipline but aren’t committing any murders that they know of. In an interesting request, Lester asks Pearlman to sign off on subpoenas of key political figures that they have identified through the Barksdale investigation money trail. Pearlman wonders whether the new lieutenant of the Major Crimes Unit will want to pursue a political case, but Lester says the new Lt is fearless. She also criticizes Lester’s timing with an upcoming election, but he pretends to not know what she is talking about. Back on the wiretap, Lester hears about the murder of a dealer named Fruit and Massey tells him that Fruit hasn’t used his phone in 2 hours, so it looks like true information. Bunk is able to get Lester a phone from Fruit’s body so they can try and get more numbers for the wiretap. Back at the Major Crimes Unit, Lester gets ready to serves the subpoenas on the political figures connected to the money trail while Sydnor and Pearlman are worried that doing this could damage all of their careers. Pearlman wishes she had run the subpoenas by her superiors before she approved them this close to an election and Lester scolds her for considering breaking policy for politics. But Pearlman has a lot to lose saying she cares about politics bc if this pisses people off, if her boss is re-elected, he will demote her to reviewing bail cases at Central Booking and if her boss’s African-American opponent wins she will likely lose her position as head of Narcotics prosecution bc of her race. Drives me nuts to see how police work and criminal prosecution is about basically everything but stopping the bad guys and making the good people safe.
Lester notices Pearlman has held back 2 subpoenas, Clay Davis and Andy Krawczyk. Pearlman says that she is holding them back until after the election. Lester explains that this is the only window for the investigation. Before the election the politicians have to worry about how their actions appear to the public but after the election that is not an immediate concern, and they would have the unit shut down for pursuing this investigation. Fn gross but that is reality unfortunately. Lester offers to serve the subpoenas personally to protect Sydnor and Kima knowing they need to be in the department longer than him due to their shorter tenures on the force. But Kima is defiant saying, “Fuck em where they live” so Kima serves Krawczyk, and Sydnor serves Davis. When Kima gets back, she discusses the stash at the corner shop with Lester who has been working on the cell phone records of Old Face Andre based on a call they recorded of him talking to Marlo. The unit has him connected to Monk and Fruit, but Kima doubts they will ever get a connection to Marlo while Lester wants to tie Old Face Andre to Tote or Chris Partlow. Lt Asher has to go see the deputy commissioner and asks Lester and Kima if they have got into anything that could get the unit in trouble, but they say it’s all good. Unfortunately Lt Asher has been relieved of his duties and the replacement is Lt Marimow who makes a speech telling the unit that he has worked his way up and values co-operation but most importantly supervision which worries the team.
Lt Marimow holds a meeting about the Stanfield investigation and the team’s worst fears are realized when he asks if it is really necessary that they continue the Stanfield investigation. Lester tells him that the Stanfield crew holds most of the corners in West Baltimore, but Marimow says they will no longer focus on drug dealers that aren’t committing murders and that he wants a minimum number of cases every month. Marimow also reminds them that the Barksdale investigation is closed and orders them to shut down the Stanfield wiretap. Lester tells Marimow that only a judge decides when a wiretap is finished and Marimow says he will have to talk to Rawls about it. Marimow was def near the top of the list of characters I wanted to punch in the face lol man what a douchebag. This basically ends the Major Crimes Unit as Kima asks to be transferred and Lester meets with Rawls who figures Lester will involve a judge in ending the Stanfield wiretap, so Rawls threatens Sydnor and Kima’s career to make Lester play ball. Rawls offers Lester a transfer back to Homicide and Lester accepts so he can get away from Marimow, but Rawls asks him to consider it a favour. Oh, fuck off.
We next see Lester in Homicide helping welcome Kima to Homicide by helping set her up for a prank call lol Lester and Bunk meet up with McNulty who is back on patrol in the Western District and Lester expresses his disappointment about McNulty not making the best of his detective skills, but Jimmy is content in his new role. They all bitterly discuss Marimow’s destruction of the Major Crimes Unit, and I’d say West Baltimore is def worse off not having these guys together working cases. Lester invites McNulty for a drink with them after but McNulty has quit drinking, so he turns them down. Shocking but def welcome change. Bunk and Lester are drinking in the bar after with Bunk chasing women and Lester focused on the case. Lester is starting to see a connection between the disappearance of Lex after shooting a Stanfield drug dealer to the lack of violence from Marlo and his crew despite their prominence. With the lack of bodies in the street, Lester figures Marlo must be hiding them somewhere like a sewer, park or a criminal funeral home. No doubt Lester is one of the best police.
Lester takes Bunk around Baltimore to look for bodies to link to Marlo and his crew checking with the coroner’s office, looking in sewers and Leakin Park where Lester tells a story about coming to look for a body as a cadet and being told to only worry about bodies matching their description or they would need more time. Sounds like a nice place lol damn. They come up empty handed so Bunk tells Lester to forget about this wild goose chase and focus on real murders. We see Lester at his desk making his mini furniture when Landsman tells him he is impressed with how much money Lester makes off them. Later Lester gives Kima advice about her case that helps her go in the right direction to solve it. Seems like things might be changing with a new mayor in Carcetti coming in so Daniels and Pearlman hold a meeting if the have any suggestions for the new mayor and Lester says they need more pro-active investigations and more time to prepare. Daniels brings good news to Lester Rawls has given approval for the Major Crimes Unit to get back up and running the way it was giving Lester the respect he deserves for his work in the unit, “Daniels: Detective Freamon, you have carte blanche in picking your squad. In fact, you can pick your supervisor, for all I care. Motherfucker, as far as I’m concerned, you are the Major Crimes Unit. It’s morning in Baltimore, Lester. Wake up and smell the coffee.” Gawdamn right. Lester returns the Major Crimes Unit headquarters and reviews the subpoenaed evidence that has been collected in his absence. While Lester is looking at the files, we see that Carcetti is at a function with the same names that are on the files which means trouble is coming.
Bunk and Kima try to tease Lester about returning to the Major Crimes Unit but that is more home to him than Homicide. Lester and Bunk go to find Herc and talk to him about Randy, but Herc says Randy didn’t have any information. Bunk doesn’t believe that but Lester acts as mediator and gets Herc to tell him everything he did during the investigation when he learns about Herc stopping Chris and Snoop and finding their nail gun which goes along with Lester’s theory that the Stanfield crew is hiding bodies. Lester and Bunk go to visit Prez at school after trying to talk to Randy, but he wouldn’t co-operate on Prez’s advice. Bunk is pissed accusing Prez of helping criminals, but Prez says he is just looking out for his kids. Lester once again plays mediator and wishes Prez the best. Bunk asks if Prez can give them anything, so Prez tells them Randy told Lex a fake story about a girl wanting to meet him at the playground. Lester and Bunk head to the playground and upon searching the area, Lester sees the vacant houses boarded up and when he checks them, he sees that one of the panels has newer nails. They look for a crowbar to open the panels as Lester says that the house is a tomb, and that Lex is inside.
Lester continues to search the area that he found Lex’s body and says they will be able to tell where other bodies are due to the nails used bc the HDC uses screws to seal the vacant houses. Landsman shows up at the scene and orders Lester to stop opening vacant houses bc finding bodies at this stage of the year will destroy their clearance rate. Absolutely pathetic and Lester is enraged, as he should be, but Bunk calms him down. It’s not all bad as Lester arrives back in time to the Major Crimes Unit just in time to see Marimow leaving which must have been a beautiful sight. With Marimow gone things get back on track as Lester tells Sydnor to restart surveillance on the Stanfield crew, asks Det Dozerman to go down to city hall to look at high value property sales and to look for luxury car purchases. Lester asks Herc to reacquire their wiretap equipment and then heads down to the missing persons department. Later we see Lt Asher return to the Major Crimes Unit wondering what the superiors are thinking after just transferring him out, but Lester takes his mind off it by asking about his beach house lol Herc asks Lester who Asher is and Lester says he is one of the most effectives commanders in the police department. Not hard to figure out that its because Asher is very hands off and doesn’t try to micromanage everything.
Lester meets with Daniels and Pearlman to make the case that they should be searching the other vacant houses for bodies. Daniels is concerned about the murder rate while Pearlman asks what evidence they have that links Marlo and the Stanfield crew to the missing persons Lester has found/bodies in the vacant houses. Lester says that there are links to some already and that he has a plan to follow the money along with resurrecting the wiretaps. He asks if Landsman has said anything about the bodies, but he has not so Lester leaves it up to Daniels on what to do who says he will talk to his superiors. Bunk, Lester and McNulty sit at the bar drinking with Bunk trying to take their minds off the case, but Lester can’t talk about anything else. Lester bets that they can open any panel with matching nails on the houses and find a body which Bunk accepts so they go there to open some panels. The 3 of them quickly find a body so McNulty suggests calling the crime lab, but Lester says he isn’t allowed to find any more bodies without permission and by that time McNulty will miss out on the investigation. McNulty questions if the superiors will ever give the ok but Lester says that it is a new day with Daniels in charge if CID and Carcetti as Mayor. As they leave, both Lester and Bunk comment on how weird it is that McNulty is the most suitable of the 3 to drive home lol accurate.
Lester meets with Herc and Sydnor the next day and is disappointed to learn that the Stanfield crew is not using phones with Sydnor adding that if they hadn’t been shut down for 2 months, they would not be having these problems. The news Lester was waiting for comes down as he gets the ok to start looking for more bodies after Daniels reminds Rawls that the murder stats will fall under the outgoing mayor’s term. Lester also gets an ok to add 2 more CID officers and goes to ask Kima but she is loving being in Homicide, so he decides not to ask her. Back at the vacant houses, Lester is commanding his team as they all search for more panels with nails instead of screws and they have found 9 bodies so far. Kima is there and Lester tells her that the scary part of this is that they are only searching a single block in a single district, so he phones Daniels to try and get some patrol units to help with the searching. Lester receives the news from Daniels that patrol units will be helping in the search so Lester assigns Sydnor and Dozerman to instruct the patrol units on what to look for. Daniels calls a meeting for the detectives, and they learn that Herc found a nail gun when he stopped Chris and Snoop and that the size of the nails in the panels match the nail gun. Lester suggests the next step is to seize Chris’s truck and get blood/hair samples from Chris and Snoop. Pearlman steps in and says they simply don’t have the probable cause to take blood/hair samples from Chris and Snoop. Bunk wants to use Randy as a witness to Chris and Snoop involvement in lex’s death which would give them probable cause, but Lester says Randy is just a source, not a witness.
Bunk has had enough and goes to see Lex’s mother to get her to say what she knows, and she says that she heard Chris and Snoop were responsible. That is enough to get them a warrant, so Lester, Kima and Bunk stop Chris and Snoop when Kima finds a hidden glove box with a gun inside. They arrest Chris and Snoop on the weapons charge and then execute the warrant for blood/hair samples when they are in custody. Later we see Daniels talk to Lester about the ballistics report and it says the gun found in the car was clean of prints and has not been linked to any crimes. Lester says that a DNA match could break the case but that they are probably looking at a lengthy investigation. The future is cloudy knowing that the Major Crimes Unit could be shut down at any time. We open S5 with the team running surveillance on the Stanfield crew with Lester in a car helping follow runners going to meet with Chris Partlow. Seems like things are going good but that is def not the reality as Marlo is aware of all the surveillance having spotted Kima and Sydnor in their van plus someone in his crew saw McNulty climbing onto the roof of a nearby school. Lester wants to continue the surveillance, but Kima thinks they should give it up as they aren’t even being paid so times tough again for the Major Crimes Unit.
Back at the Major Crimes Unit, Lester thinks that Stanfield and his crew might become lazy noticing they have started to use the same meeting places and that they will eventually break the case against them despite the efforts to hide their moves. Dozerman complains about the lack of OT pay and when Lester suggests going to the bar, Kima can’t afford it so it’s pretty clear there isn’t a ‘new day’ in the department and that things are worse than ever. But Lester agrees to cover Kima’s tab so they all head to the bar where we see McNulty back drinking and bitching about being lured out of patrol where he was happy with promises of a ‘new day’ that have turned out to be bullshit. Lester is frustrated that the bullshit politics they have to deal with prevented him from making a case against Marlo and his crew when they were still using cell phones. Bunk shows up and is having the same issues as Kima with money so Lester suggests robbing a liquor store but that a drunk McNulty would be the weak link lol
We see Lester and Sydnor getting paperwork ready for the case against Clay Davis and Sydnor has figured out the method Davis uses to embezzle money but wonders who they are going after if Davis can be turned as an informant. Lester explains there is money in the paperwork that cannot be explained by campaign finance reports and he thinks Davis can help them figure out where it comes from and who it pays. Sydnor says he prefers street work but Lester tells him that this case is connected to the real problems in the city so they are actually helping the street which is why it appeals to Lester and that he could die happy if he is able to bring this case to a close. With the surveillance stopped, Sydnor wonder what Marlo is doing and Lester figures that he is celebrating. On his own time, Lester is continuing the surveillance of the Stanfield crew and sees Marlo meeting with Chris and Snoop. Really frustrating that this case isn’t getting the full support of the superiors bc I wanted Marlo locked up. Bc of the surveillance, Lester is late for a meeting with Sydnor and Pearlman who asks them to prepare their case from the outside working towards Davis to make sure they cover all their bases. Later at the bar, Lester, Bunk and McNulty are disgusted talking about how it is apparently ok to murder dozens of African Americans and not be pursued to the fullest extent of their abilities. They talk about how if the victims were white then things would be much different and it’s hard to argue with any of that. McNulty starts flirting with women and Lester is very disapproving.
After McNulty has started creating his fake serial killer to try and direct funds to the police department, Bunk brings Lester in to try and talk some sense into McNulty but Lester ends up thinking that it is a good idea lol I was a bit surprised but after thinking about the situation and the character Lester Freamon, it makes sense bc at this point the police department was allowing a real serial killer in Marlo to be free to kill. Creating a fake serial killer wasn’t going to hurt anyone but it would give them the funds they need to arrest legitimately dangerous killers, so I thought it made sense that Lester was ok with it. Lester starts giving McNulty advice like sensationalize the killings with a disturbing motive, so it gets the attention they need to start the money flowing. Bunk is disgusted but Lester defends it saying that dead men won’t care about the manner in which they conduct the investigation if it brings justice to their murders. Lester tells McNulty that the killer needs a nickname and McNulty seems a bit too excited about the ‘killer’ having to ‘kill again.’ I wasn’t a huge fan of this story twist, but I hated Marlo and his crew and wanted the show focused on bringing them down. This was a case where the realism of the show was working against my enjoyment of the show bc yes in the real-world cases get dropped all the time bc of politics/money but this is TV and I wanted to see the Major Crimes Unit at full speed kicking ass and taking names esp in the last season. So bc of this I was siding with McNulty and Lester at first but the lengths they would have to go to, to keep this fake serial killer going would change that by the end.
Back at the Major Crimes Unit, Lester is studying the Stanfield investigation board while Sydnor continues to work on the Clay Davis case when he discovers that an 80k withdrawal from Davis’s account was to pay his mother back for a loan. The loan was for a mortgage down payment and Lester is excited bc Davis broke federal law by lying on a mortgage application claiming his parents’ money as his own. Lester and Pearlman take this new evidence to the States Attorney Rupert Bond who reviews the new info as Pearlman explains that this charge carries a sentence of 30 years. Lester says this is a common situation and is known as the ‘head shot’ in financial circles but that they need to take this case federal. The evidence is solid, but Bond is hesitant and asks Lester to leave so he can talk to Pearlman. Bond tells Pearlman that he wants to keep this local and that with the 3 local theft charges carrying a sentence of 10 years each, that should be sufficient and not require taking the case to a federal level. Lester and Sydnor meet Pearlman at the courthouse to discuss the theft charges and as they are revieing the case, Clay Davis himself walks in. Pearlman goes to meet with Davis while Sydnor remarks that Davis is taking this well, but Lester responds that Davis coming to the courthouse indicates his guilt. After the meeting they see Davis leave who is visibly shaken and Lester remarks that he hasn’t even heard their entire case yet. There is a large gathering of reporters waiting for Davis and Sydnor wonders how they knew about a private hearing and Lester figures that Bond let them know to try and raise the profile of the case.
With the fake serial killer plan going ahead, McNulty phones Lester to let him know that he checked with the medical examiner and the biggest concentration of homeless deaths is in the Southern District, so they need to find a contact there. McNulty and Lester head down to the Southern District to check the roster and see if they know anybody on it and Lester notices his old partner Oscar Requer is on it. As they are driving to try and find Oscar, Lester is preparing a set of dentures and McNulty remarks that Lester has come up with their most sick idea to date but Lester says he is just improving on McNulty’s original plan. They find Oscar and approach him to ask if he can notify them immediately of any homeless deaths that are unattended by police and Oscar agrees even offering to help McNulty buy property as Oscar is a real estate agent in his day job. McNulty is surprised that Oscar is willing to help while Lester explains that Oscar was unfairly reassigned from Homicide after correctly asserting his authority over an area chief at a crime scene when the general orders gave Oscar the authority to do it. The area chief in question was Rawls so that pretty much says it all. McNulty and Lester are canvassing the area where homeless people gather for the night while McNulty feels guilty about doing actual canvassing for their fake case. But Lester reassures him it is worth doing bc it will make the police reports verifiable and protect them from the consequences of their plan if it is exposed. McNulty says he was working on the fake case in the squad room and Landsman barely noticed but Lester warns him that if they are successful then the case will draw a lot of attention and sloppiness could be their downfall.
Oscar calls McNulty after a homeless man is found dead so McNulty heads to the scene to start faking the strangulation cause of death and Lester meets him there. They use the dentures Lester was preparing earlier to put bite marks all over the body to give them the sensationalism needed to attract attention to the case and reflect a real serial killer by escalating their crimes. Def tough to see Great Police like Lester doing this but as I said earlier, my only priority was seeing Marlo and the Stanfield crew get what they had coming. Later we see Lester leaving the Davis detail office when Carver approaches him and gives him Marlo’s cell phone number while Lester is stunned wondering where it came from and Carver just says, ‘police work.’ Lester calls the number pretending to try and order food confirming it is Marlo’s number and then takes the number to Daniels imploring him to deliver more manpower so they can break the case. But Daniels says that more manpower is not possible which enrages Lester who demands that Daniels bring it to the mayor which Daniels refuses. This exchange has fired up Daniels who now sternly says that he has gone to the Mayor for Lester on the Major Crimes Unit and the homeless murder getting no both times and will not go a third time when he knows the answer.
Lester meets with McNulty who is frustrated that there is no increase in funding despite his manufactured serial killer while Lester says that with Marlo’s number, they will need a wiretap that will have to be operated illegally bc Daniels told them to stop working the case. The wiretap can be worked by Lester who says that he might need to involve Sydnor while McNulty reminds him that they will need surveillance teams to follow up leads from the wiretap but Lester says they can deal with that when the times comes. Lester tries to reassure McNulty that the case will be much easier to break now that Marlo is using a cellphone. McNulty wonders how to fake the probable cause needed for the wiretap and figures that the killer needs to call someone. Lester thinks they could work the wiretap on the Stanfield crew with false paperwork from the serial killer case so McNulty tells Lester to have Oscar find him another body and he will fake a phone call. McNulty is successful in getting a wiretap on the phone supposedly belonging to the killer so Lester helps set up the fake wiretap so they can get a real wiretap set up on Marlo. Lester shows McNulty that he left a loose connection in the Homicide units wiretap so nobody will pick up on any activity. Back at the Clay Davis investigation office, Lester is monitoring his wiretap on Marlo and hears a call from Chris to Marlo but nothing incriminating is said.
Next we see Lester talking to Sydnor and telling him that he is going to continue the Stanfield investigation despite orders to stop and that if Sydnor has a problem with it, he completely understands and should get as far away from him as possible, “Freamon: When they took us off Marlo this last time, when they said they couldn’t pay for further investigation… I regarded that decision as illegitimate. Sydnor: Illegitimate? Freamon: And so… I’m responding in kind. I’m going to press a case against Marlo Stanfield without regard to the usual rules. I’m running an illegal wiretap on Marlo Stanfield’s cellphone. Sydnor: Fuck. Lester? Freamon: If you have a problem with this, I understand completely, and I urge you to get as far fucking away from me as you can.” Sydnor gives Lester his answer by entering the wiretap room and shutting the door. They start listening to the wiretap hear Marlo making a lunch order which has Sydnor wondering if they are talking in code and worrying about the possible consequences of taking these steps just to hear bullshit conversations. Lester admits that he has heard no drug talk at all so Sydnor says they should shut the wiretap down if they aren’t gaining anything from it, but Lester reveals that he has recorded several 30 second long conversations where nothing is said and believes they are significant. McNulty arrives and is disappointed to hear they have not learned anything from the wiretap, but Lester assures him they are close and requests more manpower to figure out how the phones are being used. With the serial killer story gaining relevance bigtime in the news paper, McNulty says he will soon have all the funding they need and that he will secretly assign detectives to help Lester when it comes in. McNulty leaves and Sydnor asks what the significance between the homeless murders and the Stanfield crew is, but Lester doesn’t say anything.
Lester continues to work on the Clay Davis case while monitoring the wiretap and radios Sydnor when a call is made but Sydnor reports no cell phone activity. Pearlman arrives with notes for the Clay Davis case to go over, but Lester gets rid of her by saying Sydnor is about to bring in a confidential informant. Sydnor arrives back with surveillance photos of Monk from the time Marlo received the last silent call and Lester notices Monk holding the phone away from himself. Sydnor thinks they are using text messages to communicate but Lester reminds him that these dealers are the product of the Baltimore Public School system and lack the intelligence for text messaging and figures that Monk is looking at a picture. Lester meets up with McNulty and explains that he now needs to be able to intercept photographs sent by cell phones and McNulty is annoyed that the requirements have changed again calling Lester a supervisor’s nightmare, but Lester says he is just following the thread of the investigation. McNulty wants assurance that intercepting pictures will guarantee an arrest while Lester explains that the photographs are probably sent in code, but he is confident that he can break any code. Lester also reminds McNulty that when he does break the code, they will need further manpower to track down a stash or resupply, but McNulty says that with all the attention the response to the homeless murders is too fast now for him to set up the scene.
Later, McNulty brings in a homeless man that is clearly having mental health issues and Lester says that is kidnapping but McNulty says that he paid the man to come with him. Lester is concerned asking if the man will be finding his way home and McNulty says not anytime soon and by that time they will have already wrapped up the Stanfield investigation and anyone that hears about it from the man will write it off as a fraternity prank. Still concerned Lester asks if the man knows they are police officers, but McNulty assure him that the man is crazy and shows the anti-psychotic drugs the man is taking. McNulty says he is going to hide the man identity by scratching the info of the pill bottle and placing the ID from the first homeless death McNulty investigated. Then McNulty will take pictures of the man and send them to the reporter Scott Templeton with a threatening message which would give them probable cause for intercepting photos. This is almost the breaking point for Lester as he questions McNulty’s sanity and their ability to carry this out, but McNulty says that it is necessary to be able to bring down Marlo and his crew.
Next we see just how deep these guys are going in as Lester, Sydnor and McNulty set up a voice modifier so McNulty can pose as the serial killer and call Scott Templeton from the Baltimore Sun. McNulty makes the call saying that he is upset about the crimes being portrayed in a sexual light and that bc of this no more bodies will be found in the city and he will instead send pictures of his victims. The call is a success as they get the permission/equipment to be able to intercept photos, but Lester realizes it won’t be as easy as he thinks to break the code as the pictures are of clock faces with a different time on each one. Lester needs more manpower to see what Marlo’s crew does when they receive these photos from The Greeks. With the funds now rolling in, McNulty is able to send Lester the surveillance teams that he needs to break the code. The prosecution lost the case against Clay Davis, so Lester meets up with the Maryland State Attorney with evidence from the investigation hoping to take the case federal with the local case failing but the State Attorney refuses to take the case. There is no point bc the local prosecution made such a mess of it and with Davis found not guilty a lot of the evidence is inadmissible in the federal case. Lester nailed Clay Davis but the corrupt politics across the board let him off the hook.
After returning to the Stanfield investigation, Lester is able to intercept a photo of a clock face reading 10:55:34 and calls Sydnor to see which of their targets is moving. Sydnor reports that Marlo and Monk are moving, and they end up meeting each other which Sydnor observes. Lester gets another photo message to Marlo of a clock face reading 4:40:35 and Sydnor says all the targets are not moving so there must be somebody in the network that they don’t have eyes on. Another photo message of a clock face comes through reading 5:15:35 but Sydnor has lost Marlo after a traffic accident. McNulty arrives telling Lester about Bunk getting the murder warrant on Chris Partlow but Lester worries that arresting Chris could cause the Stanfield crew to change how they operate again. But McNulty assures Lester that Bunk agreed to hold the warrant until they are ready and then drops the bomb that Omar is dead and hands Lester Omar’s hit list. After taking a look Lester recognizes Cheese but is surprised bc he is supposed to be Prop Joe’s guy. They knew that Marlo had to be wholesaling to other dealers but McNulty figures that Cheese being on the list means that he is part of the Stanfield crew now. Before he leaves, McNulty drops the biggest bomb that he told Kima about the fake serial killer and Lester is stunned he told anyone else and asks how she took it, but McNulty just shakes his head and leaves.
We see Lester track down Clay Davis who is in a celebratory mood after beating the local prosecution where he basically owns the jury, but Lester is not gonna let him off that easy, “Clay Davis: You were on my thing, right? I guess I owe you a drink on that. What’s your poison? Lester: I’m OK, senator, thank you very much. Clay Davis: Obonda, huh? That’s a good one. Lester: You know, that was mostly my evidence you beat back there, right? You think you could do that again? Clay Davis: Excuse me? Lester: Except this time, the jury’s a federal one. Say, nine white, three black. Clay Davis: Time for you to tip on out, detective. Freamon: Bank records on that mortgage application you made on the Calvert County property years back. Now, why don’t you take that back to Billy Murphy? Ask your attorney what you’re exposed to. At this point, this is just between us two gentlemen here, senator. And no one else till I make it so. Clay Davis: What? You tryin’ to sell a case back to me? Motherfucker, if you don’t get… Lester: I don’t get paid like that. I get paid when I come back in a couple nights time with questions and you, sir, have answers. Or my next call will be to the US Attorney’s office, and we will go again. But for real.” Man, Lester Freamon is a real one, if they weren’t gonna let him put Clay Davis behind bars then he was def gonna get something out of this case. Loved the scene, 2 great actors going toe to toe.
Lester returns to the office to find that Sydnor has cracked the clock code the Stanfield crew uses and explains that the time is revealing a location to meet and that the second hand means a page number in the map atlas book. The hour hand is the longitude, and the minute hand is the latitude. Each grid square that the clock face reveals has a pre-determined meeting place so everyone knows where to go. Sydnor is confused by the messages only revealing a location and not a time to meet while Lester figures that getting a message means the meeting happens within an hour of receiving it after Lester notices all locations are within 30 min driving distance. Then Lester figures out what happened with the message where they didn’t see anyone moving, the second hand is always at 34 but for that message the hand was on 35 which is in East Baltimore meaning Cheese is prob involved. Lester is about to Sydnor why Cheese would be associated when a pissed off Kima comes in and berates Lester for being involved and refuses to listen to any reason or excuses. Kima adamantly says she is not cool with this plan and leaves.
Next, we see Lester still looking at the clock faces trying to figure something out when it seems that he does as he phones Sydnor who is tailing Monk and tells him to peel off and head to another location. We know this is big bc Lester phones McNulty and says, “It’s on.” Lester meets with Sydnor who tells him about what he has observed and tells him about Chris checking out a shipment at the docks, but Lester says to leave him for now and to go for the big kill. “The case is in the phones” Lester tells Sydnor but knows they would need a Title III to be able to look at them. As Lester goes to leave, he tells Sydnor it is time to ‘fess up.’ We see Lester go to the station to find Daniels and tell him about the sting on Marlo they have ready. During the conversation, Sydnor calls Lester to tell him that they caught Monk riding dirty. After talking with Sydnor, Lester tells Daniels the names that he needs arrested and Daniels is stunned calling Pearlman and saying, “are you sitting down.” The takedown of the Stanfield warehouse begins as Lester arrives to help them uncover even more drugs. Lester goes to Marlo’s hang out spot to make the arrests and is disgusted to see the clock that they have been using to send the photo message as Marlo and his crew are on the ground in cuffs. At the bar, McNulty won’t accept Lester’s celebratory drink bc he is disgusted with himself and says that he regrets the fake serial killer case. Lester def participated in faking the case but McNulty had to do some fucked up shit to make it happen so I def understand where he is coming from whereas Lester can celebrate the fact that legitimately dangerous criminals are off the streets.
We see Lester meet with Clay Davis and it is another fucking great one so I have to share it, “Clay Davis: Levy. Lester: ‘Scuse me? Clay Davis: Levy. The lawyer. Lester: I know who he is. I’m not looking for any lawyers. I’m following the money. Clay Davis: Follow the lawyers. Levy, Bronfman, Silverstein, Cray… All those guys who take the high-end drug work. They don’t just make money off the criminal fees. Lester: How’s he… Clay Davis: The lawyers? They make a path for all this street-corner money. They showin’ all these kingpin motherfuckers how to send it overseas, bring it back, Invest the shit. They the ones who these ignorant ghetto motherfuckers always listen to when it comes to cash money. And Levy, man, he got the most grease. Lester: So, Levy routes it through who? Clay Davis: Anyone who got a project or a game in need of cash. Developers, people lookin’ to capitalize, elected folk like myself. There’s a lotta people need a dollar now an’ then… Lester: And the lawyers take their cut. Clay Davis: On both ends, though I got to say, he gonna let you rob one of his clients only so much. I mean once you get a Barksdale or a Joe Stewart on the hook, you want to go deep on they ass. Levy will let you get a taste, but he won’t let you run wild. Cause once you get past these motherfuckin lawyers, you can really play the pimp. This one time, I had this fella named Bell hooked up on this Howard Street condo thing. Got him so that he wasn’t runnin’ his shit past the lawyer…Boy, I tell you, we bled that motherfucker… Lester: Lawyers, huh? Clay Davis: Most definitely, detective. Me? Shit, I’m just small potatoes. Just a workin politician from Walbrook Junction, tryin’ to make his way from this world into the next. Lester: What else can you give me on Levy? Clay Davis: Nothin’ other than what I have. I ain’t up in his business or nuthin’. I just takin’ what he throws. Lester: Bullshit. You got something solid or I’m on my way to the US Attorney. Clay Davis: You ain’t nuthin’ but a shakedown artist. How’s this… Levy got someone at the courthouse. Oh, hell yeah. Levy been buyin’ papers for years and sellin’ ’em to whoever needs an early look. And don’t think there ain’t no real money in that. Lester: A prosecutor? Clay Davis: I don’t have a name. Truly I don’t, but it seems to me, you start lookin at the people hangin around the grand jury, you’ll find I’m right. Now I know I’ve said enough to buy my case back.” So great with some cool reveals like the fact that Davis was purposely bleeding Stringer dry but most importantly it does give Lester the leverage that saves his and McNulty’s asses.
Kima has told Daniels about the fake serial killer so all of the higher ups and the mayor are aware but Lester and McNulty are not so they continue moving forward with their other investigations. With the information he got from Clay Davis, Lester now wants to figure out who is the mole in the courthouse that is giving Levy the documents. Lester discovers that a Grand Jury prosecutor named Gary DiPasquale has a major gambling problem with his yearly losses 3 times larger than his annual income and that he just took out a 3rd mortgage on his house. Doesn’t take much for DiPasquale to admit that he is guilty of leaking sensitive court documents to drug defense attorneys so Lester tells him to resign rather than face criminal prosecution but now before recording a phone call that implicates Levy who DiPasquale admits has been paying him for documents. Lester meets Pearlman at the courthouse and provides her the name of the mole in the courthouse along with the recorded conversation of Levy and DiPasquale. She is happy at these breaks but is still extremely pissed off and tells Lester that she and Daniels know about the fake serial killer.
Lester arrives back at the headquarters and tells McNulty that Daniels and Pearlman know about the fake serial killer and the illegal wiretap while McNulty wonder why they haven’t been arrested yet. But Lester figures that Carcetti is gonna be desperate to save face after running a platform of poverty and homelessness based on the serial killer so if anything they have more on them than they have on us. The verdict on Lester and McNulty is that they will avoid criminal charges but will never be allowed to work another case and both must leave the police force. Bc of the illegal wiretap the prosecution didn’t want to aggressively pursue the cases against Marlo so Pearlman uses the recording to cut a deal where Chris Partlow serves a life sentence for the murders, Monk and Cheese serve 20 yrs for possession and Marlo is allowed to walk provided he leave the drug business. I cannot express how livid this made me, Marlo deserved to pay for his crimes with either prison or Omar and we didn’t get either. All of Lester’s great police work gone to waste. That was a tough story twist that I didn’t expect.
With their careers over, the BPD hold a mock wake for Jimmy McNulty which was awesome bc I love those scenes and 1 for Jimmy where he is still alive is a best case scenario. Lester is there with his beautiful wife and tells everyone that he had enough time in to take a full retirement. It’s a travesty that Great Police like Lester are not out there making the world safer but at least it didn’t end up hurting him too much. And that brings an end to the story of 1 of the best TV police we have ever scene. If I had to pick a favourite character, I might have to say Lester Freamon bc he was not only a kick ass detective but a good person too. Loved watching him work these cases and start to figure shit out. Legendary performance from Clarke Peters who made it seem like we were watching a real person rather than a TV character. I wasn’t a big fan of the fake serial killer story and despite how fucked up it was, I don’t think that it ruined the character of Lester bc he recognized that the lie was not really hurting anyone and that Marlo and his people were a dangerous crew that had no problem with killing. Marlo wasn’t a serial killer in the traditional sense but his body count surpassed some of the worst so to allow him to continue to operate unopposed was a serious danger to the community. From the first time he was on screen I was a fan of Lester and stayed that way to the end. Cheers to a real one, Lester Freamon!
-Det Shakima ‘Kima’ Greggs – 1 of my fav characters on the show turned into 1 of my least fav by the end but we’ll get there lol Sonja Sohn def delivered an awesome, realistic performance in her portrayal of Kima. We meet her making a traffic stop bust with Herc and Carver and learn quickly she is one of the better police when she finds the gun under the seat that Herc and Carver overlooked. Interesting twist that Kima is a lesbian, would def help keep the focus on police work and not have to worry about being hit on all the time. Kima along with Herc and Carver are assigned to the Major Crimes Unit to investigate the Barksdale crew. She visits Bubbles at the hospital after Johnny is beaten and secures Bubs help as a CI on the Barksdale crew as revenge for the beating. Kima helps McNulty and Bunk interrogate D’Angelo and convince him to write a letter expressing condolences to Gants family. Bubbles becomes a huge asset to the Major Crimes Unit with his plan to put a red hat on the main players of the Barksdale crew while Kima watches and even comes into the Unit to put names to the pictures that have on the bulletin board.
Kima can’t believe the incompetence of Detectives Polk and Mahon when they uncover a picture of a middle-aged white man and claim it is “Avon Barksdale.” Scary to think these are the guys backing her up. We get to see Kima at home with her partner Cheryl and they are def cute together. Kima and Jimmy see Omar’s van and follow him to the cemetery to try and get him to work with them since they have a common enemy in the Barksdale crew, but Omar is not down with police. After Jimmy reveals one of his guy’s Bailey was killed, Omar tells them that Bird, one of Avon’s guys killed Gant. Later after Brandon is killed, Omar comes to the Major Crimes Unit and Kima is able to secure Omar’s testimony in court when they arrest Bird for the murder of Gant. After arresting Bird, he refuses to co-operate, so Kima helps deliver a beat down with Daniels and Landsman. Kima and Lester pick up Shardene to identify Keisha’s body and Shardene is heart broken. They ask her to become an informant to bring justice to the people that did this to her and Shardene accepts. Kima helps Omar get some discreet medical help for his shotgun wound. Bubs comes to her asking for money to get a place of his own so he has a better chance of staying clean and she says she will give it to him the next day. Almost famous last words.
When Daniels organizes the buy bust, Kima goes undercover with Orlando to make the bust. They pick up Savino but he is suspicious about Kima discreetly trying to alert the wire to where the car is going and keeps turning up the radio so the team can’t hear her causing them to lose track of the car. I thought it was gonna be a normal bust but started to feel the butterflies in my stomach when they lost track of her. Savino leaves to go get the drugs and Kima tries to give allocation but the street signs have been switched around so the team gets confused and can’t find her. Kima see’s shadows in the alley and I knew shit was about to get fcking bad. 2 men emerge and shoot Orlando dead. Kima tries to get her gun she taped under the seat, but it has slipped back where she can’t get it and she is shot multiple times in the neck and chest. The detail is frantically trying to find her and call in a police helicopter that eventually spots her. They pull her out of the car and call for medical assistance. I thought she was dead for sure, and it hit me good. Unbelievably intense scene, I was on the fn edge of my seat. The way it went down hearing it on radio really upped the intensity. Fn tough to see Cheryl break down at home seeing the highlighter marking on the couch from earlier in the season. Kima remains on life support in the episodes after.
In the S1 finale Kima miraculously wakes from her coma to a waiting Bunk and Det Cole who are eager for her to identify Little Man and Wee-Bey. Kima recognizes Little Man but says she didn’t see the second shooter so she can’t confirm it is Wee-Bey. Bunk tells her that they have Wee-Bey’s DNA on a hoodie they found in the getaway trail, a page from Bey to Stringer 20 min after the murder and implies that she should just say she recognizes Wee-Bey to make the trial easier, but she refuses to lie. As the season ends, we are unsure about Kima’s future as Cheryl wants her to quit the dangerous part of police work and it looks like Kima will oblige her. As S2 starts we see that Kima is recovered and back working Narcotics but now at a desk job instead of in the field. She has to decline when Herc asks her to come along for a bust and Herc gives her shit for being whipped lol Kima and Cheryl are going to start a family and are trying to decide about a male to use for artificial insemination. Daniels meets with Kima about joining the new investigative unit going after Frank Sobotka and while Kima is def tired of the desk job, she knows Cheryl will be pissed if she goes back into the field, “I’ll tell your wife if you tell mine.” Lol but she agrees to join the new unit. Daniels puts Kima, Herc and Carver on the drug trade around the docks and they set up an investigation in an abandoned apartment.
After Herc reports no connections found between the drug dealers and the union, Kima and Prez are reassigned to work on the case involving the 14 dead girls. Kima talks to Shardene, the stripper they worked with in S1, about trying to find other European girls working in the city. Shardene connects them with a friend of hers who is happy to help bc the European girls are hurting business for her. But this requires going into a strip club so Kima has to come clean with Cheryl who is pissed Kima is back doing field work and jealous she will be around beautiful naked women, so Cheryl joins them going into the strip club. Shardene’s friend tells them there is a Madam that organizes the operation and gives them the details, the girls are kept in a motel and driven back and forth to work, and they are carefully guarded and prevented from becoming close with their customers. Cheryl starts to understand Kima’s interest in the case when Kima tells her how the girls in the container died. Kima and Prez use the information from Shardene’s friend to locate the place where the European girls are staying. Kima gives Prez shit about how awkward he is doing this, but Prez does figure out that the girls stay on the 6th floor.
Bunk and Kima meet with Rhonda Pearlman to discuss how to proceed with the human trafficking part of the investigation. They tell her that the same company owns the warehouse and the apartments and figure the apartments are being used as a brothel. To get more information, they agree they need someone to go undercover in the apartments and new member of the unit Jimmy McNulty is the perfect candidate. Kima and McNulty set up surveillance of the parking garage at the apartment building and stop one of the johns to get him to tell them how to contact the madam. They also note that the women are being driven in a panel van. It’s time to raid the brothel with McNulty in there undercover so Kima and Bunk are leading the team in when one of the officers gets ready to break the door down when Kima and Bunk suggest that they could just knock and achieve the same result. And it works so they lead in the team to make arrests but are mortified to find McNulty ‘engaged’ with 2 of the prostitutes lol such a funny scene. After the successful raid we see Kima and Cheryl having some cute relationship banter about who shops for what when Cheryl asks Kima to feel her belly bc the baby is moving but you can tell Kima is unsettled about the baby. Back at the unit, Kima asks Beadie about balancing a career with being a mother and Beadie tries to be encouraging but Kima thinks she would miss going on raids with her fellow officers.
After Fitz helps them intercept text messages sent by The Greeks, Kima is there when 1 is translated to read ‘shut down immediately’ so the team knows they have to move on the Greek’s operations now and Kima phones Beadie to let her know it’s going down. Daniels leads Kima, Bunk and Lester into Glekas warehouse to make the bust, but they find that has been stripped clean while Kima finds cocaine residue in the drain. The team isn’t having much luck getting information out of The Greeks crew but Kima and McNulty are able to get some good info from the dealer White Mike when they play him recordings of him saying incriminating things on the wire so White Mike gives them info on Sergei and Eton in exchange for hot dogs and strawberry soda lol if only they were all that easy. Unfortunately, White Mike has info on Sergei and Eton but knows nothing about anyone higher than them. After the teams gets eyes on Spiros, Bunk and McNulty trail Spiros from his home to a parking garage at a hotel where Kima and Beadie follow him into the parking garage. Beadie tracks Spiros on foot into the hotel while Kima waits by Spiros car and Beadie does a great job not being see and even getting the hotel room number. But unfortunately, they lose Spiros after he switches cars leaving Kima to wait by his original car. As Kima leaves the parking garage, she walks right past The Greek but none of them have any idea who The Greek is. So close yet so far.
Daniels, Kima and Lester are disappointedly discussing the disappearance of Spiros and The Greek who they now realize was the old man at the parking garage while Kima tries to assure Daniels that Frank Sobotka could still help them break the case. After Bubbles is busted trying to steal from an ambulance, Kima and McNulty arrive to talk options with Bubbles and tell him that he needs to give them some good information for the charges to be dropped but Bubbles says he doesn’t have any info right now. His buddy Johnny reminds Bubbles about Brother Mouzone shooting Cheese, but Bubbles says that was nothing bc Mouzone used a ‘rat round.’ Bubbles does give them information about the East side starting to move into Barksdale territory which Bubbles explains is Stringer Bell and the East side crew sharing and also tells them about the big increase in quality of the Barksdale drugs. This info leads Kima and McNulty to start surveillance on the towers where they see the Barksdale and East side crews working together. Back at the detail, Kima and McNulty ask Lester about Prop Joe’s supply orders from The Greeks and Lester tells them that Prop Joe recently doubled his order. Later we see Kima and Cheryl and Kima is so clearly uncomfortable that Cheryl notices and this hurts Cheryl who admonishes Kima for it. I felt bad for Cheryl and the baby bc you could see where this was going, 1 person taking care of a baby while the other person is there, but they really aren’t there. As the season closes with the Docks/Greeks investigations over, the team meets at the bar where Kima and McNulty show Daniels photos of Prop Joe and Stringer to try and make them the next targets of the investigation.
We start S3 with the investigation into the Barksdale crew and Prop Joe’s crew up and running as Kima and Lester relieve McNulty and Sydnor at the surveillance position on the roof. Later we see Kima, Lester and McNulty observe a dealer named Drac who has no problem mentioning names of people and drugs freely on the phone which is a gift to the Major Crimes Unit but they all wish he was higher on the food chain. So, they come up with a plan to have the dealer above Drac arrested so that Drac will get a promotion and lead them to a bigger bust. Kima and McNulty make a clean arrest on the dealer Mann so that Sydnor can maintain his undercover, but the plan doesn’t work when Cheese is promoted over Drac. Later they think they have Cheese on murder charges, but Lester needs to get more info before they move forward so he sends Kima home for the evening and we see her have a very uncomfortable evening with Cheryl and the new baby. After realizing that Cheese was talking about an actual dog and not people, so they had nothing to charge him with, the team drinks their troubles away at the bar and we see Kima go home to see Cheryl sleeping in bed with the baby. But instead of joining them, Kima leaves and goes back out drinking. Def sad to see her start to go the full McNulty bc you never wanna go full McNulty lol
Unfortunately, the Major Crimes Unit hasn’t been able to come up with any significant evidence during this latest investigation so the superiors are changing the target of the investigation from the Barksdale/Prop Joe crews to a deal named Kintell Willamson which is a significant step down in significance. McNulty is not there to fight for the Barksdale/Prop Joe investigations but Kima steps in to question the reasons for the change in targets and highlight the irrelevance of Kintell Williamson. After the meeting Prez compliments Kima saying she embodied the spirit of McNulty. See, full McNulty lol later at the bar we see McNulty explaining that he missed the meeting bc he was investigating D’Angelo’s ‘suicide’ that is most likely a murder. McNulty is pissed at the change in targets while Lester says Daniels has earned their loyalty. Kima and McNulty continue to drink after everyone else leaves and Kima starts venting about her relationship problems, “Kima: How come they know you’re police when they hook up with you. And they know you’re police when they move in. And they know you’re police when they decide to start a family with you. And all that shit is just fine until one day it ain’t no more. One day, it’s ‘You should have a regular job.’ and ‘You need to be home at five o’clock’. McNulty: “You need to call more. You need to stop fucking waitresses.” Yeah, McNulty prob isn’t the person I would go to for relationship advice lol Kima should have been honest about not wanting a family yet bc now a child is involved and ‘not being there’ has consequences on an innocent child.
After leaving the bar, Kima and McNulty decide to cruise the Western District to see what if anything has changed since the towers were destroyed instead of moving their focus to Kintell. Next day we see Kima and McNulty talking to Bubbles, asking him to keep his eyes open when walking the Western District so he can observe the movements of the Barksdale Crew and report back to them. When Kima and McNulty get back to the Major Crimes Unit, Lester questions where they were and confronts McNulty about not showing loyalty to Daniels by going after the Barksdale Crew instead of Kintell. A fight almost breaks out between Lester and McNulty before Kima steps in to try and cool things down, which she does but then Lester admonishes her for going against Daniels since he has basically raised Kima in the department. Tough call for Kima as that is def true but she knows that the real danger to the community is the Barksdale Crew and not investigating them is in itself a crime. Bubbles reports back that he observed Marlo Stanfield talking to Fruit and got Fruit’s license plate number which he provides for some more cash lol get yours, Bubs. But Bubbles also learned that the Barksdale Crew is sharing territory with Prop Joe’s crew and that Marlo has his own little territory on the lower avenue corners all to himself. When Kima runs Marlo’s plater] number, she finds that he is 22 years old and has a criminal record.
Kima goes over to Homicide to take with Det Holley about Marlo’s previous investigation and finds that Marlo escaped a murder conviction by killing a witness named Pooh-Bear despite the efforts of Det Holley to protect Pooh Bear. Holley describes Marlo Stanfield as pure evil. Later we see Kima tell McNulty that Marlo is a killer and might be working for Stringer. The rest of the day is spent with Kima mapping out drug dealer territory with Bubbles on a map and she learns that the dealers are using burner phones and tossing them quickly so a wire can’t be set up on them. Back at the Major Crimes Unit, Kima brings up the burner phones to Lester and McNulty which causes them to start trying to figure out how to get a wire up on them with Lester also telling them they need to be focusing on Kintell. Next day Kima meets with Bubbles again as he gives her more info about the Stanfield Crew like that Chris Partlow is Marlo’s main bodyguard and we see Kima ignore a call from Cheryl. Sad to see Kima pull away from Cheryl as the baby arriving gets closer. Bubbles gives her a burner phone from a Stanfield dealer named Fruit. Using the info from Bubs, Kima is able to track Marlo down and sees him meeting with Stringer at his headquarters and calls in for more support. McNulty arrives to see what is going on and is unimpressed until Stringer walks out of the building. Next day Kima and McNulty don’t have the full scope of what’s going on so they report to Daniels that Marlo is working the best territory in the Western District on behalf of Stringer and they believe that bc the Barksdale crew made the transition from the towers so easily that they must be working with Marlo. McNulty says Stringer meeting with Marlo is proof he is still involved in the day to day of the drug game and they need to act now before he completely pulls himself out of illegal activity but Daniels says until Stringer participates in violence, they have no reason to investigate him. Afterwards Kima and McNulty meet with Annapolis State Attorney Kendall Remnick to see if she will reopen the D’Angelo case based on the coroners determination that it may not have been suicide but she says she will not put another murder on her books without a suspect. So Kima and McNulty drown their sorrows at the bar and discuss their failing relationships.
Later Kima meets with Bubbles again and he tells her about the shooting that killed Tank and Tosha and he also sets her straight about Marlo letting her know that the Stanfield and Barksdale crews are def not working together. Kima and McNulty take this info to Daniels who won’t entertain it due to their insubordination of not working the cases that they have been assigned. After they discuss Daniels stubbornness and Kima suggests that a request from Colvin might make Daniels act knowing that McNulty is exactly the kind of shit disturber that will go behind Daniels back lol the plan works as Daniels announces that the new focus of the Major Crimes Unit is Marlo and Stringer so Kima, Sydnor and McNulty restart their surveillance work and wait for Bodie to toss his phone. McNulty gets impatient and convinces the other 2 to come drinking with them saying he knows an easier way to find a phone but bc of this they miss a meeting between Avon and Bodie. Kima arrives home drunk and decides this is the time to discuss the relationship problems with Cheryl lol never a good idea but it’s happening. Kima tells her that she went along with Cheryl’s desire to have a child bc she didn’t want to disappoint her, but Cheryl says she has never been more disappointed in her and asks Kima to leave. Back on duty, Kima is with McNulty when they stop Bodie and Puddin who protest that they are immune to searches bc of Hamsterdam, but Kima and McNulty have no idea what that is. McNulty switches out Bodie’s phone for a similar model during a search and lets them leave. McNulty calls for back up so Herc, Carver, Colicchio and Truck respond so Kima and McNulty ask Carver what Hamsterdam is, and he is forced to reveal everything. Both are stunned as he asks them to keep it quiet.
Back at the office, Kima asks Massey if she can stay at her place for awhile. Thanks to the burner McNulty got form Bodie, Freamon and Prez figured out their network and they explain it to the rest of the team. Freamon asks Kima to get the Western District officers to start collecting phones, so she and McNulty go find Carver and Herc to recruit them for phone collecting. Herc tells them he saw Avon driving around and they don’t believe him, but he says he is telling the truth. They had back to the office to check the computers and sure enough, they are outraged to see that Avon’s status is changed to paroled. Next day, Kima and McNulty are tasked with tracking the burner phones so they go to the Mondo Mart but learn that their tapes are re-used after a week so there is no chance of getting video of the buyer. Kima thinks they might have more luck with the stores that are further away from Baltimore, so they head out on the route and when they reach a store in Virginia, the owners are more helpful but they also re-use their tapes after a week. McNulty thinks the local police might help so he goes to the local station and assumes they will be racist since they are further south, so he tells Kima to stay in the car. McNulty comes out and the Sheriff has agreed to help them but when McNulty is out of earshot, the Sheriff says that McNulty is a bit of an asshole and Kima agrees lol
They find a hotel to spend the night at and start discussing cheating with McNulty admitting he has spent half his career in hotel rooms and that that he managed to cheat on his wife bc his partners would cover for him by saying they are working a late-night case. Kima reveals that she has moved back in with Cheryl, but McNulty makes a move anyways lol what an idiot. Kima and McNulty get the security tape from the store across the street from the mini mart and head back to the office where Fitz is installing new surveillance equipment with Prez. The equipment allows them to enlarge the video from the security tape and get Bernard’s plate number. Kima and Prez track the plate number to a rental car agency, and they learn that Bernard rents a different car from them every couple weeks. Next day Daniels and Pearlman discuss what is required to be able to set up a wire on the Barksdale Crew and they assign Kima and McNulty the job of proving to the brass that they are unable to infiltrate the Barksdale Crew with undercover work or CI’s. So, Kima and McNulty to go find Bubbles to pay him to act as their CI and they put a wire on him and give him money to buy enough vials that Bodie’s crew will have to call in for a re-supply. Bodie is suspicious of Bubbles having that much money, but Bubbles says he got it selling his t-shirts and impresses Kima and McNulty when he is even able to negotiate a discount for buying so many vials at once.
After Prez is involved with accidentally killing an undercover African American officer, McNulty gives her the news and she breaks the news to the rest of the Major Crimes Unit. Tough bc it looked like Prez was redeeming himself as a person and was proving valuable to the unit. But the show must go on as Kima, Freamon and Sydnor man the new DNR’s looking to match one to Bodie. Next day the get a wire up on Bodie and hear him order a resupply for a dealer named Tweety Bird so Kima and McNulty go to try and watch the meeting and once there, McNulty complains about his failed relationship with D’Agostino saying the worst part is that she questioned his intelligence. There is good news the next day when McNulty tells the team that he has followed Tweety Bird to a stash house but the team is deflated since the Barksdale Crew has ditched all their phones making the wires they had up now completely useless. The cost of getting the wire taps up is too high for such a short period of time and Kima wonders if it’s worth it to try it again with the new batch of phones. But Freamon comes up with a plan to supply the phones directly to Bernard so Kima and McNulty go talk to Bubbles about having him contact Bernard to set up a meeting and Bubbles recognizes Bernard’s girlfriend Squeak so he agrees to do it. They set up a plan with with Bubbles to set up a meeting with Bernard and Squeak with Freamon there undercover acting as Bubbles phone supplier.
The plan is a success and they get the information they need to arrest Stringer but unfortunately Stringer is killed before they can. Kima and McNulty show up at the murder scene crushed that they were so close to arresting Stringer with McNulty particularly upset that Stringer will never know that they finally got him. Back at the Major Crimes Unit, Kima and Freamon are manning the wiretaps and hear that Marlo is being blamed for Stringer’s death. That night we see things are not good between Kima and Cheryl as Kima has a one night stand while ignoring calls from Cheryl. Next day they have located the Barksdale safehouse so Kima and Sydnor head there immediately to start surveillance. Eventually back up arrives and they execute the successful take down of the safe house arresting everyone inside. Back at the homicide department we see Kima questioning Shamrock. S4 Starts with Kima and Freamon discussing the Stanfield case with Pearlman and they are disappointed that the Stanfield crew seems to not be committing any murders. Freamon asks Pearlman to sign off on subpoenas for prominent politicians like Clay Davis and Andy Krawczyk bc of links the Major Crimes Unit found to them from the Barksdale crew. Pearlman is nervous of the fallout considering the upcoming election and questions Lt Asher’s willingness to approve this investigation but Freamon says he is fearless. Kima goes to Lt Asher to get the signatures she needs using conversation abut his boat to distract him and it becomes clear why he is “fearless.” Clueless is probably more appropriate lol but hey at least he isn’t trying to kill the investigation.
Next day Freamon offers to serve the subpoenas himself to protect Kima and Sydnor but they both deny that and say they will serve them with Kima adding, “Fuck em where they live” lol Kima confidently serves the subpoena to Krawczyk and he tries to intimidate her by asking for her name and unit but she happily provides them. Next day at the Major Crimes Unit office, Kima is discussing the stash house at Old Face Andre’s corner store and Freamon says they are working off his cell phone record after recording a call between Andre and Marlo directly. They have tied Andre to Monk and Fruit so far but Kima doubts they will get a link to Marlo but Freamon would settle for a link to Tote or Chris. Lt Asher is about to leave the office to go downtown for a meeting when he asks them if they have done anything to get the unit in trouble but they say everything is good. That is def not the case. The fallout from the subpoenas to Davis and Krawczyk is Lt Asher being replaced by Lt Marimow who in his first speech says that he understands the streets bc he worked his way up and emphasizes supervision in the unit which def has Kima and the rest worried. Their worries are immediately confirmed correct as Marimow holds a meeting about the Stanfield investigation and says that Marlo is not a viable target, he wants to target low level dealers to meet a minimum number of cases every month. He also emphasizes that the Barksdale investigation is closed and orders the Stanfield wiretap to be shut down but Freamon says only a judge can do that so Marimow tells him to talk to Rawls. What a disaster.
Kima is not sticking around for that bullshit so she meets with Daniels to see if he can get her out of there. Daniels is commanding the Western District and Kima is desperate to go back there but Daniels urges her to try and move up the ladder instead of going back down the ladder. Next day we see Kima show up at the Homicide Unit to be working as a detective and man thank God she has a great commander like Daniels looking out for her. Kima tells Landsman she is trying to avoid Lt Marimow and he says that is common theme around there since Freamon also transferred and says, “”Marimow does not cast off talent lightly. He heaves it away with great force.” No doubt. Kima is shown around by Landsman as she sees Bunk interrogating Lex’s murder suspect and as the tour continues, we see Landsman give Kima a phone message that she is really adamant she return. Kima phones the number and all the detectives laugh as it’s a prank they pull on all the new detectives. Later we see Bunk and Crutchfield take Kima through her first crime scene and Bunk tells her to have “soft eyes” when viewing a crime scene so she can see everything. Kima notices something in the victims hand but it’s just another joke lol they’re all fn 10 years old. Back at the Homicide Unit, Kima is beyond shocked when she learns Det Norris has been reassigned and she is now lead detective on the high profile case of the murdered state witness considering it’s her first case. Next day Kima is called into Landsman’s office where he informs her that Det Norris is joining her on the murdered state witness case and that Rawls is going to claim they were working the case together the whole time. Kima is not happy being humiliated twice in 2 days and Landsman warns her she better be ready to play the political side of the game now that she has moved up to a high profile unit like Homicide. Before she leaves Landsman tells her she must attend a press conference about the case.
Next day is finally some good news, Norris lets her know that a prisoner has agreed to give them information about the murdered state witness for a deal and Norris wants to move on the information quickly to get it out before the election and fuck with the politicians who have been dicking him around on this case. After wading through endless bullshit, Kima and Norris finally bring in the informant for questioning and Landsman, knowing their investigation has been purposely slowed, asks about their progress and Kima angrily says that their investigation has been slowed by political interference. Kima discusses the case with Freamon who urges her to move forward with interviewing the witness asap. The informant who is named Wardell has Levy for an attorney but they surprisingly agree to a poly graph test but outside the room Kima talks with the man administering the test and he offers to let her determine the results and she is disgusted. Wardell tells Kima that he would never have killed the state witness bc he is family. Kima is reviewing the case when she notices a detail that was missed, nobody noticed the gunshot that killed the state witness. She goes back to the crime scene and masterfully traces ricochet patterns of the bullets around the alley and sees broken bottles and potatoes that have been shot through and now she knows what happened. Someone was trying to practice using a potato as a silencer and the state witness caught a stray bullet. Kima returns to Homicide and tells Norris she has solved the case thanks to the soft eyes needed to investigate a crime scene.
We see Kima, Carver and Pearlman attend the ceremony for Daniel promotion to CID Colonel. Later, Bubbles catches up with Kima to ask her for help with the junkie that was been robbing and assaulting him but Kima says as a Homicide detective there is not much she can do but says she can put him in touch with Herc who might be able to help. Kima is excited about how good the OT pays in Homicide and she goes to Cheryl’s apartment to pay overdue child support for their child Elijah. It seems like Kima has intentions to repair the relationship but we see Cheryl’s new girlfriend is in the apartment and when Kima leaves, Cheryl tells Elijah to say goodbye to Aunt Kima. Fn tough moment to know that you have been replaced but I mean she did it to herself. Next day after Daniels gets the Major Crimes Unit running again and replaces Marimow, Kima and Bunk give Freamon shit for running back there. Next day, Freamon intends to ask Kima to return to the Major Crimes Unit but before he can, she talks about how much she loves Homicide so he decides not to ask her to leave. When Bubbles is brought to the rehab facility after he turns himself for the hotshot he had that killed Sherrod and tries to hang himself but survives, Kima and Walon go to visit him but Kima cannot bring herself to go in. She watches Walon comfort a shattered Bubbles. Sad that Kima was so afraid of emotion, I liked her friendship with Bubbles. I think that was Kima’s problem, she was afraid to be emotional about things bc emotions makes you vulnerable to pain. That’s why she didn’t embrace having a child bc what brings out more emotions than a child. That’s why she ended up pulling away from Cheryl and that’s why she can’t be there for Bubs. Just wanna give her a big hug sometimes.
Next day Kima is helping to uncover the bodies in the vacant houses and Freamon is excited bc they have found so many bodies in such a small search area and wonders what they will find when they expand it. Freamon finally gets the ok to search and assigns Kima with finding Herc, who is currently suspended, to get him to help search but she finds him drinking in the morning and hesitant about getting involved while suspended. She calls him out asking if he is police or not and that leaves him no choice so he comes with her. First they head to the spot where he pulled over Chris and Snoop to find the nail and he finds the mark but the nail is gone. Back at Homicide, Herc has been complaining all day about why IID is investigating him with Marimow gone and Daniels giving him mild punishment and Kima is tired of his bellyaching so she asks him what he did. Kima and Bunk shake their heads in disbelief when Herc admits he falsified paperwork, misappropriated and then had the surveillance camera stolen. Kima and Bunk meet with Daniels to report that Herc identified the nail gun as the same one used on the nail at the vacant houses but that they could not find the nail. Freamon wants to seize Chris’s truck and get blood and hair samples from Chris and Snoop but Pearlman interrupts to remind him that they do not have the probable cause to do that. Bunk suggests using Randy as a witness to Lex’s murder as probable cause but Freamon says Randy is not a witness, only a source.
After Bunk is able to get enough information from Lex’s mother to obtain a warrant, Kima, Freamon and Bunk stop Chris and Snoop but this time Kima uses her street knowledge to find the hidden glove box compartment that is holding a gun. Chris and Snoop are arrested for the weapons charge and asked to provide give blood and hair samples. Unfortunately the gun is clean of prints and hasn’t been used in any shootings so the investigation stalls as S4 ends. S5 starts with Kima and Sydnor running surveillance on Marlo and they watch as his guards prep a dealer to meet with Marlo by taking his phone and all electronic devices. They are impressed at the steps Marlo is taking to stay off the wire. When Chris goes on the move, Kima and Sydnor follow him and Kima disappointedly says that they have been doing the same thing for a long time. Chris meets with a scooter and then heads back to Marlo so they follow him. At the meeting of Chris and Marlo, Freamon wants to continue the surveillance but Kima says they should give it up since they aren’t even being paid for OT. Freamon thinks they will get lazy and make a mistake so they just have to be patient and asks Kima to come for drinks but she says she can’t afford it. But Freamon says he will pay so she is down. At the bar McNulty complains that he was happy in patrol and lied to about promises of a new day in the unit under Daniels as Kima says he was bored but McNulty insists he was happy. Freamon laments being prevented from building a case against Marlo when he was still using phones by the political bullshit and McNulty says it’s proof the bosses can never do the right thing. After the Major Crimes Unit is once again shut down by the mayor, Kima and McNulty are back in Homicide under Landsman.
Next day Crutchfield delivers good news that the cap on secondary employment has been lifted and Bunk jokes that he his is considering looking for a job so Crutchfield offers up a position as a security guard and Kima thinks it’s pathetic they can’t get paid to solve murders but can to watch property. Things get a bit tense after McNulty goes at Pearlman for the Stanfield case being shut down, “Kima: Why the fuck chew on Ronnie’s arm, huh? She ain’t the problem. McNulty: Tired of being jerked around. Bunk: I think I’m gonna get me a secondary job at that high-end cigar shop on Baltimore Street. McNulty: As what? The Indian out front? Bunk: I’d like to scalp your ass, motherfucker. McNulty: Got it. *a call comes in for a case* Who’s up? Bunk: There you go, givin’ a fuck when it ain’t your turn to give a fuck.*McNulty walks away* Kima: He’s a pissy little bitch today.” lol Kima tellin it like it is. After a night of drinking, a severely hungover McNulty comes into the Homicide unit as Bunk asks about his status with Beadie and Kima remarks that he is wearing the same shirt as yesterday. Kima and Crutchfield are assigned a triple homicide case at Junebug’s residence and Officer Castor is managing the scene as he tells them that the suspect most likely escaped through the rear of the building since the back door is open but Kima corrects him that there are 2 suspects since there are both handgun and shotgun shells at the scene. Castor says the cameras pointed outside were shut off and Crutchfield says this was a carefully planned attack as Kima hears couching from the closet. She opens the closet to find a child hiding in there and scolds the patrol officers for being so careless and carries the child out the back to avoid the media.
Next day Kima arrives at Homicide as Bunk is leaving after having told McNulty off, not an uncommon occurrence by any stretch, but Bunk seems especially agitated and Kima asks about Bunk’s mood and McNulty says the Bunk is surprisingly emotional despite his gruff veneer lol Kima is getting ready to interview the child that survived the shooting at Junebug’s house but Kima see’s through the 2 way mirror that the child is extremely withdrawn and won’t engage with toys or the psychiatrists. This prompts Kima to phone Cheryl and apologize for the time that has passed and asks to see Elijah so they set up a meeting for the next day. When they are finished meeting with the child, Kima talks to the psychiatrists and they tell her that the child, Devonne, is too traumatized to revisit the event yet. Next day we see Kima at Cheryl’s watching Elijah while he colours and while he won’t respond to any of her questions, she is eventually able to get him to engage with her by playing LEGO which was cute to see. The situation with Devonne forced Kima into that emotional place of caring for a child she didn’t want to go but once there she realized it wasn’t a bad thing at all and that sends her back into Elijah’s life. A child def makes you vulnerable but it also makes you stronger than you could ever be without them and I’m glad Kima finally let herself feel that emotion. After being assigned to work McNulty’s serial killer case, Kima tracks him down to ask what he wants her to do and Bunk mentions that she is being taken off her triple murder case and Kima says she could def do more work on that case. Bunk and McNulty meet in the interrogation room and when they come out, McNulty tells her to keep working her case and he will fake her notes for the serial killer case.
Next day Kima is waiting for Bunk at his desk to tell him that an informant has linked her triple murder case to Marlo which links it to Bunk’s case on the vacant house murders and that the community is so scared of Marlo that she can’t even find 1 witness to the triple murder. She asks about how Bunk’s case is going and he tells her he is waiting on lab results for 14 of the 22 crime scenes and that Landsman is constantly ignoring his requests so not great lol if it was McNulty, Kima says he would have gone to the press but Bunk firmly tells her that he is not McNulty and she responds asking if he is gonna take no for an answer. Def not as we see Kima and Bunk go to the crime lab so Bunk can confront them about the delay of over a year to process the samples and they learn that a temp lab assistant mixed up the samples so now they have no clue which scenes the samples go with. Unbelievable. Bunk is forced to take a different approach and searches the computer for anyone known to be associated with the Stanfield crew looking for any kind of crime juvenile or adult. Kima thinks it’s a longshot at best but Bunk finds a match to a juvenile record for Michael Lee and sees that it is also attached to a Homicide case file for the murder of a man named Devar who is the step-father of Michael. Kima thinks it is unlikely to be connected bc the cause of death was a beating in an alley rather than a shooting but Bunk decides to follow up anyways bc he has nothing else after the crime lab debacle.
The serial killer case is too hot to avoid so Kima spends the day getting background information on all the victims which she says ruined her whole week. After work she is getting Elijah for the night and asks McNulty where to get children’s furniture and he says Ikea but fails to mention that she has to assemble it herself. This clearly does not go well as she ends up sleeping in a chair and letting Elijah sleep in her bed. Elijah wakes up saying he can’t sleep so Kima cuddles with him as they look out the window saying goodnight to the neighbourhood. Such a sweet moment man I was so happy for Kima and Elijah. Next day Kima is trying to hurry McNulty as they head to Quantico for an FBI profile of the serial killer and asks if he has ever used the profiling team before and McNulty says once but that he feels the process is useless. Kima questions why go if it’s not useful and McNulty says they are going to say they tried it. On the way they discuss their relationships again as McNulty asks if she misses her relationship with Cheryl and she says she feels responsible for the end of it bc of her cheating but that she does not miss it, “McNulty: You miss what you had though? Kima: I still got too much dog in me to be settled like that.” If that’s how you feel then don’t be in relationships so you don’t have to hurt someone. Kima does say that she feels a connection to Elijah and asks about his relationship with Beadie and McNulty says kids are great but mentions something Bunk once told him, that he was no good for people and Kima asks if Bunk was drinking. McNulty laughs and says he was but that doesn’t make him feel any better.
At Quantico, the meeting starts but is interrupted by the units deputy director Arthur Tolan who tries to brag about his work on high profile cases and even the TV show CSI but Kima and McNulty act unimpressed so he leaves with his tail between his legs. The other FBI agents tell them he worked the Unabomber case but they are again unimpressed bc it took 16 years and was only broken by the killers brother coming forward as an informant. As the FBI team reads the profile, you realize that it is perfectly describing McNulty and after the meeting, Kima asks what he thought about the profile and McNulty says it’s in the ballpark lol back at Homicide, Kima comes in with an arm full of paperwork planning to spend the night working the serial killer case when McNulty pulls her aside and admits that he fabricated the fake serial killer to bring in funds to investigate Marlo. Kima is beyond shocked and disgusted and says that he cannot continue to go on with this but McNulty says it will be over soon and offers her a share of the resources for her case as he leaves. Next day Landsman is berating McNulty for his lack of progress in the serial killer case who looks depressed and Kima makes it worse with hard hitting inside comments. McNulty tries to defend his actions saying Marlo is locked up but Kima is not happy at all.
Later, Kima goes to talk to Carver and asks him how he felt bringing charges against his fellow officer, Colicchio, for brutality against a citizen and he says he has made peace with it and it’s clear she is considering blowing the whistle on the fake serial killer. We see Kima approach Daniels office looking nervous so we now what is about to happen. Next day, Kima, McNulty and Bunk arrive at the scene of another homeless murder but this is after the fake serial killer has been exposed so they are all upset that the fake serial killer inspired a real copycat. After McNulty and Freamon are officially but unofficially fired, at the mock wake for McNulty, Kima admits to them that she told Daniels about the fake serial killer but they say they forgive her with McNulty saying if she felt it was right then it was the right thing to do. That’s the last we see of Kima and I gotta say I was so pissed off at her when I watched it. The fake serial killer was def fucked up but Marlo was 1 of the most dangerous criminals Baltimore had seen and was responsible for over 30 murders and that number just kept growing. Getting Marlo and his crew off the street was worth it but now bc Kima just had to tell Daniels, 2 of the best police are no longer able to work cases and Marlo actually got to fucking walk free like what an absolute joke. I know people will bring up the copycat killer but that was such a bullshit storyline that was only included to justify Kima’s snitchin but there is no way that homeless guy was coherent enough to understand the situation to become a copycat. Kima turned on McNulty and Freamon so fast too, I know they forgave her but I don’t lol it sucks bc I loved her character and the growth I saw in her esp with Elijah but allowing Marlo to walk free and ending the careers of Freamon and McNulty was too much. I was with McNulty, I needed Marlo to lose but in the end he was 1 of the winners thanks to Kima. Huge props to Sonja Sohn though who not only hung with a great lineup of actors but became a heavy hitter herself.
-Det Moreland “Bunk” – How can you not love Bunk lol fantastic job by Wendell Pierce bringing this awesome character to life. We meet him at the courthouse with McNulty who warns Bunk not to answer his calls from homicide since they aren’t on rotation, but Bunk does and catches a case. Later at the murder scene Jimmy delivers a famous line to Bunk, “That will teach you to give a fuck when it ain’t your turn to give a fuck.” And then a good one from Bunk, “You moldering motherfucker don’t even think about coming back a murder. Don’t even think of that shit.” Lol Later the 2 of em are having drinks and conversation by the tracks, something we would see frequently from them. The story of Bunk killing the mouse in his house with his gun was fn funny. Bunk and McNulty go investigate the murder of Deirdre Kresson to help out Landsman despite not thinking it is related to the Barksdale crew, but someone named ‘D’ is listed as a possible suspect. So funny to watch them go through the crime scene communicating only by saying ‘fuck’ lol they actually find a bullet and casing the previous detectives missed.
Bunk gets more good news when the ballistics come back to say the bullet is connected to the Barksdale crew being matched to a gun used in 2 other murders. A witness in the Deirdre Kresson murder tells Bunk that D’Angelo was at Deirdre’s apartment the night of the shooting and that Deirdre had threatened Avon with going to the cops. Bunk also learns that Orlando’s strip club is a front for the Barksdale crew. Landsman on Rawls orders, tells Bunk to charge the murder cases early but Bunk doesn’t want to bc he knows it will hurt the Barksdale investigation. Daniels goes to Burrell to buy them more time, so Bunk doesn’t have to charge the cases yet. Bunk and McNulty canvass the neighbourhood where Gant was killed and find an older lady that corroborates what Omar told them and is willing to testify. Omar tells Bunk about another murder he knows Bird committed that just happens to be one of Santangelo’s unsolved cases helping Jimmy avoid the heat for now. Great exchange between Bunk and Omar, “Bunk Moreland: So, you’re my eyeball witness, huh? So, why’d you step up on this? Omar: Bird triflin’, basically. Kill an everyday workin’ man and all. I mean, I do some dirt, too, but I ain’t never put my gun on nobody that wasn’t in the game. Bunk: A man must have a code. Omar: Oh, no doubt.” This conversation would be important later on in the series.
After the wire implicates Omar in Stinkums murder, he is picked up by McNulty but denies all involvement. Bunk and McNulty know it was Omar, but they don’t tell Det Cole who is working the case, so it doesn’t ruin their investigation. They drink their guilt away and it is fcking hilarious when McNulty has to rescue an absolutely trashed Bunk from the apartment of the woman he slept with. Couldn’t stop laughing seeing he burnt his clothes to cover what he did lol Bunk is called to the scene when Wallace is killed and recognizes him. During the interrogation of D’Angelo, Bunk shows him the picture of Deirdre Kresson and gets the real story about what happened. D says Wee-Bey killed her, not him. Bunk and McNulty figured out where she was standing when she was shot when they were at her place and the story confirms it. After Wee-Bey is arrested, Bunk goes to interview him, and Wee-Bey confesses to pretty much every murder they have including Gant which Bunk knows is bullshit but Bey refuses to co-operate and give up Avon or Stringer. As the season ends, Bunk delivers a bottle of whiskey to Jimmy who has been transferred to the docks.
At the start of S2, the trial for Bird in the shooting of Gant is coming up and Bunk needs to track down Omar, but Jimmy can’t help him. Bunk goes to the evidence room to get the evidence for the trial, and we see that Lt Daniels punishment for the Barksdale investigation was being sent to work the evidence room. The evidence for the Bird trial has been lost in the room so Daniels decides they will tear up the room to find it. Bunk can’t catch a break with this case. But Bunk’s problems are just beginning when Jimmy makes sure that the 14 women that were found dead in a shipping container are considered murdered and that they are assigned to Rawls homicide unit. At the bar, Bunk and Freamon order 14 shots for Jimmy to represent the 14 murders he saddled them with. But not only are they assigned to the homicide unit but Bunk and Freamon are made the lead detectives on it. They head down to the docks to get brought up to speed by Beadie and when she asks if they know McNulty, Bunks responds “He’s dead to us.” LOL Bunk and Lester have no luck trying to interrogate the crew of the ship the container travelled on bc the crew is pretending not to speak or understand English. Bunk does figure out that there may have been prostitution going on after he hears a lot of the crew members asked for advances in pay. But with little evidence and being out of their jurisdiction, they have to let the ship go which pisses Landsman off but what could they do. Bunk and Beadie try to track the movements of the container, but all of the paperwork is bullshit and not done right.
Bunk and Lester try to get some information out of Frank Sobotka and his guy Horseface at Delores’s Bar, but they are uncooperative. Speaking of uncooperative, Bunk helps serve Grand Jury summons to Frank Sobotka and his union guys, but they don’t give up anything, “Bunk: How’d we do, Charlie?
Charlie: I almost got one to swear that the docks are actually near the water.” Lol Frustrated Bunk asks Beadie if she has any contacts on the dock that can help them and is disappointed that she doesn’t. When Daniels assigns Bunk, Beadie and Freamon to track the containers, Beadie tells them that this will require long hours of surveillance. Bunk is drowning his sorrows about the long hours of surveillance on the containers they are looking at and tells McNulty he thinks Rawls expects him to solve the cases or he will be forced out of the unit. The next day Bunk struggles through a meeting with Daniels thanks to a nasty hangover lol Bunk, Beadie and Freamon have figured out that all the smuggled containers lead back to Frank Sobotka’s worker Horseface, but Daniels is still reluctant to connect the 14 murdered women to the smuggled containers case. Everyone is afraid to touch the 14 dead girls’ case bc they think it most likely won’t be solved and they will be stuck with 14 unsolved murders. Bunk and Beadie try persuading Lester to talk to Daniels to convince him to take the case of the 14 murdered women bc they know Daniels will do it right and give them what they need. This leads to a fcking hilarious exchange, “Bunk: It’s you Lester, it’s gotta be you. Lester: Me, huh? Bunk: We need to bring in the Lieutenant, his detail and all of the manpower and toys that go with it. Daniels listens when you talk. You got the smell of wisdom on you brother. Now look, we all got roles to play. Lester: What’s your role? Bunk: I’m just a humble motherfucker with a big ass dick. Lester: You give yourself too much credit Bunk: OK then, I ain’t all that humble.” LOL Lester is successful in getting Daniels to take the cases.
Next night we see Bunk and McNulty drinking in the trainyard again and McNulty is struggling with being out on the boat patrol unit and implies that without a case or his family he feels worthless. So, the next day Bunk and Freamon once again appeal to Daniels to help get McNulty back in the unit, “Bunk: The thing of it is, Lieutenant… Jimmy McNulty, when he ain’t policing he’s a picture postcard of a drunken, self-destructive fuck-up. And when he is policing… he’s pretty much the same motherfucker. But on a good case, he runnin’ in front of the pack. That’s as close as the man comes to bein’ right.” LOL this is def the running theme of people’s opinion on McNulty. Later we see Bunk and Kima talk to ASA Pearlman about the vice aspect of the smuggling and they tell her that the same company owns the warehouse and the apartments, so the apartment is prob used for prostitution and they figure they need to send someone in undercover. Enter McNulty lol next day Bunk, Freamon, Prez and Beadie man their wiretaps. After Valchek calls in FBI agents to help work the Sobotka case, the agents arrive, and it looks like there might be a confrontation, but it quickly turns into laughs and handshakes. Later we see Bunk, McNulty and Claude Diggins on a fake fishing trip so they can run surveillance on the Greeks, and they see Spiros hold a meeting with Eton and then he tosses his phone in the water.
Back at the office, Bunk, Freamon and McNulty are discussing Prez punching Valchek and the fallout from that when McNulty asks Fitz about tracing text messages, but he says it would be near impossible without knowing the service provider and exact time and date of the message. Bunk and Fitz use FBI tech to trace the message and subpoena billing information from the service provider. Once at the phone company, Fitz convinces the clerk to let them peek at the records before the warrant is ready and they are disappointed to see the messages are all in Greek. Back at the Major Crimes Unit they translate the message to say, “SHUT DOWN IMMEDIATELY.” The raid goes down the next day as we see Daniels lead Bunk, Kima and Freamon into the warehouse but they are crushed to find that it has been stripped of evidence as Bunk notices the bloodstain from where Ziggy shot Glekas. After the raids, Bunk and Freamon returns to the office to let everyone know that Glekas was murdered by Ziggy but nobody told them so they could come and collect evidence and that gave the Greeks time to clean everything up and Daniels is livid at this information. They left Spiros on the street hoping he will lead them to the guy in charge so Bunk and McNulty tail him and have a funny exchange about his fashion sense, “Bunk: A different look for our boy. McNulty: Yeah, Perry Ellis, or something. Bunk: Now, how would a just-rolled-out-of-bed-looking motherfucker like you, know the designer? McNulty: Okay, I’m guessing. Bunk: It’s a Joseph Abboud. He puts dark buttons instead of brass on his blazers. That’s the Abboud signature. McNulty: You know what they call a guy who pays that much attention to his clothes, don’t you? Bunk: Mm-hmm, a grown-up.” lol
Beadie is the one to tail Spiros into the hotel and Bunk and McNulty remark on how impressed they are of how she has developed into good police. Despite their efforts, Spiros is able to lose them, and we see Bunk and McNulty running surveillance on his house but Spiros never comes back. Next day we see Bunk and Freamon tasked with identifying the murdered crewman from Philadelphia that the Greeks killed and they are going over records of headless and handless corpses, “Bunk: I bet you there’s a fucking police detective somewheres else looking at a table full of heads right now.” lol Bunk and Beadie travel to Philly to try and get more information out of the crew and while they don’t get any useful info from them, they learn that there is a security camera that had a perfect view of the crime. Finally, a big break their way. They show the footage to Sergei, and he finally caves and starts talking. Bunk reports the info from Sergei to Daniels who urges them to try and get more information on The Greek. Too late as The Greek and Spiros board a plane to presumably leave the country. S3 starts with Bunk and McNulty taking their kids to a Baltimore Orioles game as McNulty checks out his ex-wife’s new boyfriend. Unfortunately, Bunk is called in to work a case so he has to leave early. Next night we see Bunk and McNulty drinking in the bar as McNulty complains about the state police botching the investigation into D’Angelo’s apparent suicide that McNulty believes was a murder. Bunk agrees bc he thinks it is unlikely a black male would commit suicide by hanging and McNulty jokes that Bunk is a great example of an African American male who has all the reason in the world to commit suicide but doesn’t lol Bunk helps McNulty pick up a woman from the bar before he leaves.
After the unit thinks they caught Cheese talking on the phone about a murder, they arrest him and bring him so Bunk and McNulty can interrogate him about the murder. Bunk mockingly repeats what Cheese said on the wire about killing his dog and Cheese breaks down in tears but as he starts to tell them story, they are embarrassed to realize that his dog he was talking about killing wasn’t a nickname, it was his actual dog that he killed. Worse they could charge him with is animal cruelty but it’s not worth their time, so they let Cheese go. Next day McNulty brings D’Angelo’s file to have Bunk review, but he sees a beaten suspect in the interrogation room and Bunk tells him that it’s the drug dealer that shot Dozerman and stole his gun. McNulty asks if the confession came before or after the beating and Bunk says he arrested him and had to make an unscheduled “tune up” stop in the Western District where the officers handed out some revenge. Unfortunately, the dealer sold the gun to someone named Peanut and Col Foerster interrupts to let Bunk know that the Dozerman case isn’t over until he finds the gun. Needle in a haystack would prob be easier. Bunk runs the name Peanut in the database and gets 89 matches, “Bunk: 89? And that’s just the ones with Westside addresses. Det Holley: Man, you got to narrow that shit down. Find some way to work with all them “Peanuts.” Bunk: Motherfucker, do I look like George Washington Carver?” lol
A call comes in for Holley to work the shootout with Omar that led to the deaths of Tank and Tosha but he already has a case, so he is able to convince Bunk to be the lead detective on it. They both head down to the crime scene and Bunk is sympathetic towards Tosha believing she was caught in the crossfire and is disgusted to see the neighbourhood children pretending to be Omar while acting out the shootout. Back at the office, Landsman corners Bunk to reiterate that finding Dozerman’s gun is the top priority. So fucked up and you know that won’t sit well with good police like Bunk. After Det Ray Cole dies, Bunk and a big crew of detectives gather for his wake at the bar with Landsman delivering the eulogy and everyone singing “Body of an American” by The Pogues. Sad to lose someone but their way of saying goodbye with these wake’s was def cool. Next day Bunk interviews drug dealers that have been rounded up from the western District and tells them they have a free pass in exchange for the gun, but nobody says anything. After the shift at the bar, Bunk is drinking with McNulty and asks him for help gettin a sit down with Omar to talk about the murders of Tank and Tosha. Before he leaves, Bunk pretends his mother has died in order to pick up a woman lol next day Bunk is back to canvassing the area of the shooting for witnesses and manages to find someone named Bruiser that can confirm Omar was there but when Bunk gets back to the office, Landsman gives him shit for not working the missing gun case and won’t allow him to bring Bruiser in for a statement. Landsman tells him that they have requests from arrested dealers to exchange information about the gun for a free pass but when Bunk interviews them, he finds that they are all bullshitting him and none of them have any clue where Dozerman’s gun is.
Next day Bunk hands a report to Landsman detailing the efforts he put in to retrieve the gun but that he is now going to focus on the Tank and Tosha murders and Landsman finally agrees. Bunk interviews the family of Tosha who are upset but Bunk is honest about her involvement in the shooting and asks to be put in touch with Omar leaving his card for them. Eventually Omar contacts Bunk for a meeting and they meet on a park bench. Omar tries to defend himself and brush off the murders, but Bunk’s response is fucking legendary, “Omar: Shoot, the way y’all looking at things, ain’t no victim to even speak on. Bunk: Bullshit, boy. No victim? I just came from Tosha’s people, remember? All this death, you don’t think it ripples out? You don’t even know what the fuck I’m talking about. I was a few years ahead of you at Edmondson, but I know you remember the neighborhood, how it was. We had some bad boys, for real. Wasn’t about guns so much as knowing what to do with your hands. Those boys could really rack. My father had me on the straight, but like any young man, I wanted to be hard too, so I’d turn up at all the house parties where the tough boys hung. Shit, they knew I wasn’t one of them. Them hard cases would come up to me and say, “Go home, schoolboy, you don’t belong here.” Didn’t realize at the time what they were doing for me. As rough as that neighborhood could be, we had us a community. Nobody, no victim, who didn’t matter. And now all we got is bodies, and predatory motherfuckers like you. And out where that girl fell, I saw kids acting like Omar, calling you by name, glorifying your ass. Makes me sick, motherfucker, how far we done fell.” Fcking WOW. Just, wow man that was such a powerful scene and nobody better to be delivering that speech than Bunk who always felt like the middle ground between the streets and the police. I loved Omar as a character, but this really makes you check yourself and look at him in a different light. Bc it’s a TV show you don’t think about the ripple effects of death but that’s why this show is so great, bc scenes like this slap you with reality and really make you think.
Next day Bunk cuts the tie off a sleeping Det Crutchfield in a running gag at the office that if you get caught sleeping, you’re prob waking up with half a tie lol Bunk gets a call from Butchie about Dozerman’s gun so Bunk heads to Butchie’s bar and Butchie hands over the gun wrapped in the tie Omar wore for Bird’s trial. But Bunk hands the tie back telling Butchie that he hopes Omar might need it in court one day. We next see Bunk being questioned by Rawls and Foerster about his work on the murder of Stringer Bell and he explains how the investigation is proceeding with there only being 1 witness, the politician Andy Krawczyk. Rawls explains that Krawczyk is a major contributor to the mayor and that other politicians have already been calling about him. During questioning, the only info Krawczyk can give is that Stringer was killed by a big black guy with a gun and Bunk says that is a typical witness statement using the term BNBG which he explains means, “Big Negro, Big Gun.” Bunk makes his way to the crime scene and asks the crime scene tech to rush the ballistics comparison as McNulty and Kima arrive disappointed to be so close to arresting Stringer with McNulty upset that Stringer will never know that McNulty had finally got him. Bunk gives McNulty the cell phone chips they found on Stringer, and they go to be there for the search of Stringer’s house which shocks McNulty bc it was not what he expected at all. As the season ends, it’s payback time as we see Crutchfield cut off a sleeping Bunk’s tie lol
S4 starts at the Homicide Unit where Bunk is investigating the murder of a Stanfield dealer named Fruit and he gives Freamon a phone that they recovered from his body. Later, Bunk visits McNulty to ask about Lex the suspect in Fruit’s murder but McNulty says Carver would be better to talk to. Bunk invites McNulty to drink with him but McNulty having turned over a new leaf, instead invites Bunk to dinner at Beadie’s. Next day Bunk goes with Carver to talk to Bodie about Lex and Bodie isn’t talking but 1 look from Bunk has Bodie on guard lol the search continues as Bunk goes to Lex’s home and his mother isn’t talking but Bunk tells her this isn’t about drugs, it’s about a murder and it def registers with Lex’s mother. Next day, Bunk takes McNulty & Beadie up on their offer mad has nice dinner with them and asks McNulty to come out with him after and Beadie pushes him to go. Bunk says he is disappointed that McNulty stopped drinking and tries to use a lake trout analogy that is a great scene, “Bunk: You know those little corner joints in the ghetto that sell subs, fried chicken, lake trout? McNulty: Lake trout. Bunk: Like egg creams in New York. McNulty: No eggs, no cream. Bunk: Exactly—no lake, no trout. McNulty: Like Pogies. White fish. Trash fish. Bunk: White trash fish? I mean, lake trout, that’s all marketing—it’s just all dressed up like something it ain’t. You know what I’m saying? McNulty: Sometimes it is what it is. It really is. Bunk: That’s deep. I like the way you think. McNulty: Yeah, you too.” Man, they were awesome together.
Next day we see Bunk and Freamon visit McNulty working patrol in the Western District before they conduct a raid on Lex’s house and Freamon expresses disappointment that McNulty is not making the most of his investigative talents, but McNulty says he is happy where he is. Bunk says Marimow has the reputation for being a departmental unit killer as they all lament the destruction of the Major Crimes Unit. Back up arrives so the go ahead with the raid and once inside, Bunk see’s that Lex’s mother is grieving and has set up a shrine for her son but he still intimidates her promising more raids, but she says she has no information to give him. Later, Bunk is drinking with Freamon and focusing on picking up women while Freamon is thinking about the Stanfield case, and he figures that Marlo must be hiding bodies somewhere bc there is no way he has been the kingpin without dropping any bodies. Next we see Bunk and Crutchfield take Kima through her first crime scene as Bunk tells her she needs to have “soft eyes” in order to see everything and she notices something in the victims hand but it’s just another joke lol next day Bunk accompanies Freamon on a search for bodies that Marlo may or may not have stashed but they find nothing and Bunk tells Freamon he should focus on real murders.
After Omar is arrested for murder, Bunk interviews him and Omar is def fearing for his life, “Omar: I’ve got a bounty on my head man. Five figures! If I’d known I’d be sharing quarters with all these boys – I’d probably wouldn’t have robbed so many of them. Bunk: Aww, yeah, that golden rule.” lol it continues when Omar tries to profess his innocence, ” Omar: Come on now, when have you ever known me to out my gun on someone thats not in the game? Bunk: lol Omar…” Omar tries to hand Bunk the card ASA Ilene Nathan gave him after he helped them in the Bird trial, but Bunk says that get out of jail free card was good for a minor felony at best never mind “a taxpayer murder with an eyeball witness” which is 1 of the most serious felonies to the BPD. Even Omar throwing out his role in turning Dozerman’s gun and saying that Old Face Andre is lying can’t change Bunk’s opinion responding that even if Omar is innocent of this murder, he has committed dozens of other crimes talking about the shotgun shells found at Stringer’s crime scene. It isn’t until Omar appeals to the good police in Bunk and says that if he is innocent and goes down for this then an actual murderer goes free and drops his famous line that Bunk said to him in S1, “Omar: A man gotta have a code.” Later at the Homicide unit, Bunk tries to get Crutchfield to reopen Omar’s case due to his probable innocence, but Crutchfield won’t even entertain the idea of Omar being innocent and is pissed that Bunk is sticking his nose in the investigation. Bunk tracks down ASA Nathan and gives her Omar’s card but she says the same thing that Bunk did, that card was good for a minor felony at best but Bunk appeals to her to move him to a safer facility saying that she owes Omar a debt. ASA Nathan agrees but says that she now considers the debt paid.
Next day Landsman is briefing the unit about 2 items, the new Mayor Carcetti will be observing them today and that Col Foerster has died and there will be a wake for him that evening. After the briefing, Bunk again tries to convince Crutchfield and Holley to revisit the crime scene considering the witness old Face Andre is shady at best as Carcetti approaches them and tries to establish a rapport offering sympathy about their case loads, but Crutchfield says they can handle it and moves the conversation with Bunk to the interview room. Crutchfield is livid that Bunk is treating Omar like he is special and not some 2-bit thug criminal whose names comes up on at least 2 of Bunk’s open cases and only gets angrier as he accuses Bunk of trying to discredit one of his clearances. He leaves and Bunk appeals to Holley to just take one more look at the crime scene. That night at Foerster’s wake, Bunk is so wasted he pukes and drunkenly scolds McNulty for drinking club soda lol next day Bunk and Holley go to Old Face Andre’s store to check the crime scene and immediately find holes in the story like how Andre came out from behind the bullet proof glass to save the delivery woman’s life after being threatened with a 9mm. Bunk notices the reinforced steel door and cameras watching it and also the bullet hole from the time Omar actually did rob the store. Andre gives Bunk the typical ‘it was a guy wearing a mask’ and i didn’t have the time to report it story and Bunk asks him to come with them for questioning but Andre refuses knowing he is dead if seen with police.
Outside the store, Bunk tells Norris about the steel door and cameras and says considering that plus the low inventory, he knows the store is a cover for a drug depot and says it makes no sense that Andre survived to act as a witness. Also, the fact that Andre said Omar used a 9mm this time when he used a shotgun strong enough to shoot through the glass last time. Bunk figures Andre did this to get revenge on Omar for the first robbery and has done enough to convince Holley that Andre has ran a con on the police. Later we see Bunk return to the store with a Grandy Jury summons and there is no refusing this time, so Bunk brings him in and they let Andre know that lying to a Grand Jury carries a 10 year sentence that is strictly enforced so Andre has no choice but to retract his story. Bunk and Holley report this to Landsman who is pissed that Bunk has lost them a clearance and urges Holley to stand up for himself. Imagine being punished for solving a case smh just unreal. After Omar is released from prison, Bunk is waiting for him, “Omar: You my ride? Bunk: I’m your mother fucking savior is what I am.” LOL for all the help, Bunk is able to get Omar to swear he will never kill again and offers him a ride to the train station, but Omar says he can’t leave, Baltimore is all that he knows. Next day we see Bunk and McNulty having dinner with their sons. After Daniels gets the Major Crimes Unit going, Bunk strolls over to Freamon who is packing up to go back, “Bunk: So, was it the Bunk’s cologne huh? Oh *sniffs* pussy. I’m gonna miss you, too, bitch. Lester do love listening to other people’s phone calls, don’t he….bit of a pervert that way. Kima: You could use a wiretap case or two–broaden your horizons.. Bunk: Oh no no. The Bunk is strictly a suit-and-tie motherfucker. *with English accent* At all hazards a man must keep up appearances…Dignity, I say, dignity above all, governor, hear hear!” when Carver arrives to ask Bunk about Randy but Bunk says Herc never gave Randy over to him and they both realize Herc is at fault for Randy being in danger with Bunk especially pissed that he could have had a witness to talk to.
Bunk and Freamon find Herc to ask him about Randy and Herc says that Randy didn’t have any relevant information about Lex’s murder, but Bunk doesn’t buy that. Freamon asks Herc for all the details and Herc tells him about the traffic stop of Chris and Snoop and firing the nail into the pavement which could be key to the Stanfield investigation. Bunk and Freamon head to talk to Prez at the school and they tell him they tried to talk to Randy, but he said Prez told him not to talk to them and Bunk says Prez is helping with the criminals. But Prez says that he is just looking out for his kids. Bunk appeals for any kind of information and Prez tells them about Randy being told to tell Lex to meet a girl at the playground. So they head to the playground to search the area and Freamon notices that some of the vacant houses are boarded up with newer nails and says they need a crowbar to search them bc he believes many bodies including Lex’s are inside. Next day Freamon has figured out that they need to search the house that have boards with nails bc the HDC uses screws when they seal them, but Landsman shows up to shut it all down since adding all the bodies will kill their clearance rate as Bunk tries to calm Freamon down. Unbelievably frustrating. At the bar we see Freamon discussing the problem of trying to get the ok to search for bodies with Bunk and McNulty and Freamon bets that he can open any board with nails and there will be a body in there. Bunk takes the bet and again tries to get McNulty to drink with them, but he refuses. At the vacant houses, it doesn’t take long to find a body and they discuss if they should call it in with Freamon saying he is not allowed to search for bodies yet. McNulty questions if the brass will ever give the ok but Freamon assures him that it’s a new day with Daniels in charge. Both Bunk and Freamon talk about how fucked up it is that McNulty is the only one sober enough to drive.
Next day at the Homicide unit, Kima and Bunk are listening to Herc complain about being investigated by IID even after Marimow has been replaced and Daniels gave him a light punishment for the minister incident and Kima has enough, so she asks Herc what he did. Neither Bunk or Kima can believe their ears when Herc admits he falsified paperwork, misappropriated and then had the surveillance camera stolen. Just an unreal level of stupidity. Later, Bunk and Kima report to Daniels that Herc confirmed the nail gun he found in Chris’s truck was the same one that fires the nails they found at the vacant houses, but they couldn’t find the nail he shot into the ground. Freamon wants to seize Chris’s truck and get blood and hair samples from both Chris and Snoop but Pearlman interjects to remind them that they do not have the probable cause for that. Bunk suggests using Randy as witness to Lex’s murder for probable cause but Lester says Randy is a source, not a witness. This pisses Bunk off so he tells them to give him an hour and he will get them probable cause. Bunk goes back to Lex’s mother and demands that she give him something he can use so she finally tells him that she heard Chris and a girl named Snoop were most likely the 2 that killed Lex. This is enough to get them a warrant so Bunk, Kima and Freamon stop Chris and Snoop and upon searching the truck, Kima finds a hidden glove box with a gun in it. That’s the break they needed as they arrest Chris and Snoop for the weapons charge and are able to get blood and hair samples from them. Unfortunately the gun is clean of prints and hasn’t been used in a murder so the investigation stalls and that’s where S4 ends.
S5 starts with Bunk trying to get a confession out of a suspect named Pookie with Norris, Crutchfield and Landsman and they all try to make the suspect think his partner ratted on him, “Bunk: He’s tellin’ it like a bitch. We even went to Mickey D’s for him because he was so motherfuckin’ helpful. Two quarterpounders. Big fries. MacDonaldland cookies. Dr. Pepper… That’s how your boy roll, right?” Lol crazy that they can do that. It’s tough bc if the guy is guilty then fuck em but it’s just so dirty it feels wrong. They get a confession when they pretend the photo copier is a lie detector smh. Afterwards Bunk drops a famous line, “Bunk: The bigger the lie, the more they believe” no doubt. Bunk shows up at the bar and McNulty asks him for a drink but Bunk is as broke as the rest of em thanks to pay being held back. So fucked up that a solution to money problems is to not pay their officers. Next day Crutchfield delivers good news that Carcetti has lifted the cap on secondary employment as Bunk jokes he is gonna look for a job, “Bunk: I think I’m gonna get me a secondary job at that high-end cigar shop
on Baltimore Street. McNulty: As what? The Indian out front? Bunk: I’d like to scalp your ass, motherfucker. McNulty: Got it. *a call comes in for a case* Who’s up? Bunk: There you go, givin’ a fuck when it ain’t your turn to give a fuck. *McNulty walks away* Kima: He’s a pissy little bitch today.” lol same line McNulty said to him in S1. Crutchfield offers up a position as a security guard and Kima think it’s pathetic they can’t get paid to solve murders but can to watch property.
Later at the bar, Bunk, Freamon and McNulty vent about Marlo being allowed to put bodies in the street, “McNulty: Guy leaves two dozen bodies scattered all over the city, no one gives a fuck. Bunk: It’s because who he dropped. Freamon: True that. Bunk: You can go a long way in this country killing black folk. Young males especially. Misdemeanour homicides. McNulty: If Marlo was killing white women… Freamon: “White children …Bunk: Tourists… McNulty: One white ex-cheerleader tourist missing in Aruba. Bunk: Trouble is, this ain’t Aruba, bitch. Freamon: You think if three-hundred white people were killed in this city, every year, they wouldn’t send the 82nd Airborne? Negro, please. McNulty: There’s got to be some way to make them turn on the faucet. Bunk: Come on, Jimmy. You’re the smartest boy in the room. You come up with something in this broke-ass city.” Funny exchange but boy would Bunk regret telling McNulty that. McNulty starts flirting with a woman and Freamon says to Bunk, ” Isn’t he married or some shit now?” Probably wasn’t a good idea to push McNulty to start drinking again. Next day a seriously hungover McNulty comes in and Bunk asks about his status with Beadie as Kima points out McNulty is wearing the same shirt as yesterday. Landsman assigns Bunk and McNulty a case despite McNulty begging him not to lol
Bunk and McNulty arrive at their scene to see that it’s not a murder but looks like an overdose and they are just waiting for an ambulance. The whole time they are there McNulty is distracted to the point that Bunk asks if he is ok as McNulty dismisses the patrol officer and goes back to the car to get a drink. When he gets back he starts putting plaster from the walls on the body and knocking over furniture and punching holes in the wall as Bunk asks if Jimmy has lost his mind. It gets worse as Bunk looks on in horror as McNulty crosses himself and starts choking the body and Bunk can’t watch. McNulty says after that, “There is a serial killer in Baltimore, he preys on the weakest among us, he needs to be caught.” Bunk says he wants no part of this and leaves the scene. I was with Bunk when this was going down, could not believe what I was watching. Bunk arrives back at Homicide at 4am to say he is the early relief and asks when McNulty went home but is told that he never left and Bunk finds him in an interrogation room. He questions McNulty’s decision making and says it’s a terrible idea to try and fake a serial killer. McNulty takes a swig of whiskey and Bunk snatches it out his hand telling McNulty it is now 4am. McNulty says he has gone over the case files of homeless murders over the last 5 years and thinks he has enough to create his fake serial killer and Bunk has had enough, “Bunk: You’re going to jail behind this shit. Yes, you are. You know what they do to police in jail? Pretty police like yourself? Motherfucker, we have kids. Houses. Car payments. Furniture–Jimmy, I just bought brand new lawn chairs and a glass patio table. Now you don’t buy no shit like that if you planning to lose your job and go to prison. You won’t even get past the Medical Examiner. McNulty: Watch me. Bunk: You’re dumpin’ murders on us that we can’t solve, you’re fucking the squad’s clearance rate. McNulty: Fuck the fucking numbers already! The fucking numbers destroyed this fucking department. Landsman and his clearance rate can suck a hairy asshole. Bunk: Marlo ain’t worth it, man. Nobody is. McNulty: Marlo’s an asshole. He does not get to win. WE get to win!” Terrible idea but something had to be done bc it is insane to allow a guy like Marlo to just do what he wants unchecked by police.
McNulty says he left the patrol unit bc of promises made about the vacant house murders investigation and he will make sure that his superiors deliver on their promises one way or another. Bunk threatens to reveal McNulty’s plan if he doesn’t stop but McNulty knows Bunk wouldn’t do that and tells him to do what he hs to do so Bunk emphasizes that he wants his name nowhere near any of the reports and that he will not help out in any fashion. Later Bunk sees McNulty typing up case reports about the fake serial killer and he gives one to Bunk and Landsman. As McNulty is about to leave, Bunk pulls him aside and one last time pleads with him to reconsider going through with this but McNulty points out Kima working a triple homicide alone now that Crutchfield has been returned to the rotation but Bunk says the two things are not related. McNulty tries to defend his actions but Bunks warns him about getting caught and McNulty just laughs it off saying the department is too inept to catch him. Bunk asks about the ribbon and McNulty says he saw a victim with a ribbon in Det Barlow’s notes so planted one in Det Cole’s case files and is going to the morgue to plant one on their victim. Bunk can’t believe what is happening and McNulty says that the superiors are ignoring a real serial killer in Marlo and that they require fabrication to do the right thing by the police department. McNulty takes another swig and Bunk tells him he is insane and tries to leave but finds the door locked so he is stuck with Jimmy and his problems lol that’s why I love this show man. As Bunk walks out, Crutchfield asks him, “did he fuck you” and Bunk answers, “tried, but mostly he just fucks himself.” hahah amazing.
McNulty returns from the morgue and gloats to Bunk that the medical examiner has determined that someone is killing homeless men and loudly talks about the ribbon hoping Det Barlow will notice but he doesn’t. Bunk declines when McNulty asks him to go for a drink and tells him to reconsider his actions but McNulty says he cannot go home while he is working a serial killer case. After McNulty leaks his serial killer story to the press, he is disappointed to see it was not given anything close to headlines and was just buried in the metro section as Landsman comments on the stories insignificance and Bunk asks if he is finally done with his scheme. Later, Bunk, knowing he can trust him, brings Freamon in to try and talk some sense into McNulty about his fake serial killer plan but to his horror, Freamon is not only ok with McNulty’s plan but starts giving him suggestions like he needs to sensationalize the killings so that they get the headlines they need to bring in funds to investigate Marlo. Bunk is absolutely disgusted and leaves while Freamon says the victims will not care about how they went about bringing Marlo to justice. Next day Bunk hands in a report about the vacant house murders and Landsman immediately shoves it in his desk drawer and this obviously pisses off Bunk but Landsman says Bunk is essentially handing him the same report over and over just with a different date. Bunk angrily says he is forced to repeat his requests bc he is still waiting for the crime lab to process evidence on 14 of the 22 vacant house murders. As Bunk leaves McNulty tries to show Bunk he is working on a link between all the murders but Bunk basically tells him to fuck off lol
Next day Bunk is reading the paper and McNulty points out his fake serial killer story is getting close to the front page but jokes that you shouldn’t believe everything you read. Landsman interrupts to tell McNulty he has been granted OT for 2 detectives but when McNulty asks about surveillance teams, Landsman says he only gets Kima and McNulty is pissed at the lack of support from the department. Bunk points out that Kima is being pulled from her triple homicide and Kima says she could def do more work on that case. This prompts Bunk to pull McNulty into an interrogation room and lays into him for his fake serial killer pulling Kima off of working real murders but McNulty defends it saying that locking Marlo up will more than make up for pulling Kima off her case for a few weeks. Bunk comments on how McNulty is falling apart as a person, “Bunk: You’ve lost your fucking mind, Jimmy. Look at you. Half-lit every third night, dead drunk every second. Nut deep in random pussy. What little time you are sober and limp-dicked, you’re working murders that don’t even exist!” lol well who’s the guy that just couldn’t get him to start drinking again fast enough like Bunk should def know better. McNulty tells Kima to keep working her case and he will fake her case notes for the fake serial killer. After McNulty’s serial killer makes the front page as headline news, Bunk sarcastically asks McNulty if he is happy and McNulty can’t hide his excitement at finally getting the funds to put Marlo away. Bunk correctly guesses that McNulty is feeding the reporter, Scott Templeton, all the information about the fake serial killer but a happily surprised McNulty says that Templeton is actually making up his own material, “Bunk: You called the reporter huh? McNulty: No, actually. That asshole’s making up his own shit. Brass called a press conference for this afternoon. They’ll be shovellin’ so much money at my bullshit it’ll make your head spin.”
Bunk tells McNulty that he is restarting the Stanfield the legal way bc of evidence he is uncovering working the vacant house murders and says some are still waiting for lab work while some are complete but he will nonetheless start from the beginning bc he is real murder police, “Bunk: I’m a murder police. I work murders. I don’t fuck with no make-believe. I don’t jerk shit around. I catch a murder, and I work it.” And that’s gawddamn right lol Bunk discusses the Lex murder case with Landsman and Holley saying that he stayed away from Randy out of respect to Prez but is planning to try and get a new interview with him. Landsman and Holley show Bunk a set of sealed indictments that were found in the electronics shop owned by Prop Joe including 1 of a guy named Charlie Burman who fled the year prior before he could be arrested. Bunk wonders out loud who they can’t trust down at the courthouse knowing that someone down there is dirty. We see Bunk try to interview Randy but he is a completely different kid than we saw last and won’t even take a seat when Bunk asks him to sit down. Bunk says they are still investigating Lex’s murder and threatens Randy with criminal charges if he doesn’t tell them everything he knows about it. Randy defiantly asks Bunk if he is gonna save him from his present situation and says that the role of the police is to deceive black youth. This leaves Bunk speechless and as Randy leaves the interview, he says he would have hit Bunk if he was forced to stay and shoves a smaller kid out the way as he walks up the stairs.
Back at Homicide, Kima is waiting for Bunk at his desk to tell him that an informant has tied the Junebug triple murder to Marlo Stanfield which ties it to Bunk’s work on the vacant murders. Kima says everyone is so scared of Marlo that she can’t even find 1 witness for the triple murder and asks how his case is going. Bunk tells her is waiting for lab work on 14 of 22 murder scenes and his requests are constantly being ignored by Landsman. Kima says McNulty would have gone to the press and Bunk firmly states that he is not McNulty so Kima asks him if he is gonna take no for an answer. We see the answer when Bunk and Kima confront Ron, the crime lab supervisor, about taking over a year to process the vacant crime scenes and Ron initially drops the usual lack of funding excuse but eventually admits that a temp lab assistant mixed up the samples and now they have no idea which crime scenes they belong to. The incompetence is never ending. This causes Bunk to take a different approach to the case and he searches the computer for anyone known to be associated with the Stanfield crew looking for court appearances, gun permits, probation, department of correction, parole and open bail. Kima thinks it’s a longshot at best but Bunk says he is just playing the hand he was dealt. The search shows a match to a juvenile record for Michael Lee and Bunk see’s that it’s also attached to a Homicide case file, the murder of Devar Manigault who is the step-father of Michael, and Kima thinks it’s probably not connected since the cause of death was a beating not a shooting but Bunk decides to check it out anyways since he has no hope to get any results on his 14 cases missing lab work.
Bunk interviews Michael’s mother Raylene at her home and she says Michael doesn’t live there and that she is not responsible for his criminal activity. Bunk says he is actually investigating the murder of her husband Devar and says he thinks it was a crime of passion with a woman at the centre of it. She denies any knowledge but Bunk threatens her with a Grandy jury hearing and she confesses that Michael, Chris and Snoop are a part of it. Bunk doesn’t buy it until she says that Michael told her that Devar wasn’t coming home before his body was found so he immediately goes to the crime lab and demands DNA comparisons between known suspects in the vacant house murders and DNA from the Devar scene to be processed immediately. Ron tells him that he will get it done. Next day Bunk refuses the attend a mandatory meeting about the serial killer for obvious reasons and chooses to work on his real case instead. Carver brings Michael to Bunk so he can interview him but Michael says nothing and Bunk is getting close to his breaking point dealing with McNulty’s fake serial killer bullshit and then all the bullshit with his real case. Just a pile of bullshit no matter where he steps. He really gets frustrated knowing that processing for the serial killer scenes are taking priority of his case. Next day, Bunk approaches McNulty to ask him to sign a request form but warns him not to gloat and immediately takes the form the to crime lab stating that his case is now tied to the homeless murders so it jumps to the front of the line. They don’t call The Bunk good police for nothin.
Later we see Bunk called to a murder scene and he is shocked to see the victim is Omar. Witnesses say that Omar was probably trying to rob the Korean grocery store. Crutchfield is at the scene and says to Bunk that he should have let him give Omar the years in jail as he would’ve been better off and Bunk just stares a hole through him. Bunk thanks Norris for calling him to the scene and checks out the body speculating that he was killed professionally. Crutchfield says that was his first thought but the store owner witnessed the whole thing and says it was a small kid that did it. Bunk sees that Omar has no weapons and Norris tells him that the young hoppers in the area took some souvenirs from the body as Bunk notices a piece of paper and picks it up. It is a list of the Stanfield Crew including Marlo, Chris, Monk, etc.. and Savino, who was recently murdered, is crossed off the list so Bunk thinks Omar was on the hunt again. Ron from the crime lab calls Bunk in to report that he found Chris Partlow’s DNA on Devar’s body but says that he knows there was no real link to the serial killer case and warns Bunk not to play him again. Back at Homicide, Bunk delivers Omar’s list to McNulty as payback for signing the request form and says Omar was hunting the Stanfield crew. McNulty asks him to hold off on arresting Chris so Freamon can make a break in the case and Bunk reluctantly agrees but reminds McNulty he made his case honestly but McNulty counters that without his serial killer Bunk would still be waiting on lab work.
Next day Sydnor breaks the code the Stanfield crew is using so Freamon has what he needs and the raid of Marlo and the rest goes down as we see a joyful Bunk arrest Chris with a cigar in his mouth lol after the fake serial killer is exposed to the bosses, we see Bunk, Kima and McNulty looking distressed at the crime scene of another homeless man bc the fake serial killer has inspired a copycat killer. The fallout of the fake serial killer sees McNulty and Freamon officially but unofficially fired and the BPD hold a mock wake for McNulty at the bar where Landsman gives the eulogy and Bunk gets in one last shot, “Landsman: He was natural po-lice. Yes, he was. And I don’t say that about many people. Even when they’re out here on the felt. I don’t give that one up unless it happens to be true. Natural po-lice. … [pretends to choke up] … But, Christ, what an asshole!… Jimmy, I say this seriously. If I was laying there dead on some Baltimore street corner, I’d want you standing over me, catching the case. Because, brother, when you were good, you were the best we had. Bunk: Shit, if you were lying there dead on some corner, it probably was Jimmy that done ya. Landsman: If you caught the case, you’d be down there pissing in my ear!” lol ah man that’s the last we see of Bunk and it was tough to say goodbye to such a great character. I loved how Bunk understood the streets but still respected his superiors and followed the law. I’m glad he was against McNulty’s serial killer bc it wouldn’t have felt right if he was cool with it. So many laughs from this character, so many legendary lines. If there is a murder in my town, I want The Bunk workin it.
-Det Leander Sydnor – Really enjoyed the strong but silent performance Corey Parker Robinson gave us, Sydnor wasn’t usually the center of attention but was a seriously valuable member of the unit. Def a wake-up call for him when he is given the ancient audio recorders he is supposed to use going undercover. McNulty uses his FBI contact Fitz to get some updated wires that Sydnor can wear undetected. “McNulty: Where’s ya’ mic? Sydnor: Down at my dick man. I figured they ain’t gonna go down there anyway, right? Carver: I don’t know Sydnor, the way you twirlin’ around, it might be the first place they look.” Lol Bubs gives Sydnor some advice on how to play his undercover character better and they head down to the Pit to buy drugs while Kima watches. When Lester figures out that the Barksdale crew uses the same payphone for re-ups, Sydnor and Carver are assigned to watch it much to their chagrin. But it pays of after Det Santangelo identifies ‘Little Man’ part of the Barksdale crew and Sydnor tracks him to a house that is heavily fortified, so they know it’s the one they want. Sydnor and Prez pose as garbage men so they can steal the garbage bags and sift through them for evidence.
With the wire going silent after the Barksdale crew changes things up, Burrell orders Sydnor sent back to his original unit but before going he helps Daniels try to track down Wallace and learns he left his Grandmothers house 2 days before they got there. Sydnor laments having to leave saying it was the best case he has ever done and feels it is not finished. Sydnor isn’t in S2 at all, so we don’t see him again until S3 when he is doing surveillance on a drug dealer named Cheese with McNulty and Sydnor notices that Cheese is not using a phone, only conducting business face to face. The team comes up with a plan to arrest a drug dealer named Mann, who Sydnor has a connection with thanks to months of undercover work, in order for a less disciplined dealer named Drac to be promoted. Unfortunately, the plan doesn’t work, and the promotion goes to Cheese instead. When the target of the investigation changes from Kintell to Stringer and Marlo, Sydnor is disgusted that all their work so far is going to be wasted and vows to one day work for a real police department. But the show must go on, so Sydnor, McNulty and Kima start their surveillance work on Bodie to try and get one of their phones. Eventually they start to figure out the phone operation the Barksdale crew is using, buying burner phones and tossing them quick so a wire can’t be set up. Sydnor is tasked with following Bernard, the guy that buys the burners so they can know exactly when new phones are coming in and then reports back to Freamon and Prez letting them know he bought 24 phones from 5 locations buying more the further away from Baltimore he was. Back at the unit office, Sydnor helps work the DNRs on the new phones. Later we see Sydnor watching the camera they have on the print shop, and he observes Stringer smoking and pacing around nervously.
After Stringer is killed, McNulty brings in his phone with the chips he used to switch in and out and Sydnor realizes this is why Stringer never used the disposable cell phones the rest of the crew did. They receive information about the location of the Barksdale safe house, so Sydnor and Kima immediately set up surveillance on it. The raid takes place without incident and Avon is finally arrested. S4 starts with Sydnor nervous about the career implications of 2 subpoenas Freamon is planning to serve to Senator Clay Davis and Andy Krawczyk, 2 men with strong political connections. ASA Pearlman is also worried about the career implications, but Freamon is undeterred knowing the 2 politicians are dirty and need to be taken down. Despite the nerves and offer from Freamon to serve them himself, Sydnor does his job and confidently serves the subpoena to Clay Davis. The fallout from the subpoenas is Daniels out as unit commander and Lt Marimow is in. Sydnor learns just what kind of asshole Marimow is when he asks why officer Massey isn’t at the meeting and Sydnor explains she worked the night shift so is excused from day meetings. Marimow says that attendance at all meetings is now mandatory. What a fn dick. Next day, Sydnor and Massey are the only 2 left after Kima and Freamon transferred out. Herc and Dozerman arrive as new members of the unit and Herc is disappointed to learn that Kima and Freamon are gone. Marimow is skeptical of Herc’s qualifications as he only drove for the mayor for 3 months and you can tell Herc immediately dislikes Marimow. Herc could be a dick at times but def not on Marimow’s level.
Next, we see Sydnor and Dozerman recruited by Herc to help run a surveillance camera on Marlo’s courtyard but when they set it up after they think Marlo’s crew is gone, Monk spots them setting it up and reports back to Marlo. the odd man out to work the midnight shift on the camera is Sydnor and he doesn’t even get relieved when Herc shows up in the morning, just briefs him on the night and then Herc leaves to make campaign calls. Herc says that they can build a case using the camera if they hire someone that knows how to read lips and Sydnor questions the legality of all of it but Herc says it will be fine lol next day is more of the same as Sydnor watches the camera with Herc at least bringing him coffee this time and urges him to keep goin despite nobody to relieve him. Later we see Sydnor and Herc work with a lip reader to try and figure out what was said during a meeting they captured on tape and the lip reader tells them Marlo got a call about “picking up a skinny girl from New York” which Herc guesses is cocaine. Sydnor questions the fact that Marlo is going anywhere near a package, but Herc insist that Marlo is an idiot and a soft target and follows him to the train station. After they see Marlo attempting to carry a woman’s bags, they arrest him but when they search the bag, it’s nothing but women’s clothes and Herc realizes that Marlo set him up. It goes from bad to worse when Sydnor and Herc are seeing nothing but birds on the camera and when they get to the location, they see that it has been stolen. Later we see Carver hand Randy over to Sydnor and Herc bc Randy can give them a murder and Carver insists that they take care of Randy who starts to tell them about the murder but all Herc cares about is the camera which Randy knows nothing about. And when Herc realizes that all of Randy’s information is second hand, he tries to intimidate Randy into saying he was actually there when Lex was murdered but Sydnor is not cool with that bullshit. Herc gives up and lets Randy go as he complains to Sydnor about Carver not being able to give him a murder and vows to go at Marlo head on for the camera.
Herc is able to track down Little Kevin and interrogates him with Sydnor, but he is not giving up anything, so Herc tells him he has an informant that puts him at the murder scene and when little Kevin guesses it was Randy, Herc tips his hand that it was. Sydnor leaves the room disgusted at what Herc is doing and outside tells Dozerman that they aren’t gonna get anything considering they have no charges against Little Kevin to use as leverage. Next day Herc discusses his latest plan to get back the stolen camera using Bubbles as Sydnor urges him to come clean to Marimow, but Herc is worried about the fallout. It is a glorious day when Lt Marimow is replaced with Lt Asher and the investigation into Marlo gets back up and running as Freamon tells Sydnor to re-start surveillance of the Stanfield crew. Sydnor and Herc meet with Freamon the next morning who is frustrated to learn that Marlo’s crew is not using phones and vents that if the wiretaps had been left up 2 months ago, they wouldn’t have these problems. 2 detectives from IID arrive asking Herc about the surveillance camera and start to question Sydnor and Dozerman but Herc steps up to say only he is responsible. After they receive authorization to search the vacant apartments for bodies, Freamon assigns Sydnor and Dozerman to lead the patrol units in the search.
S5 starts with Sydnor and Kima in a van running surveillance on Marlo’s courtyard and they talk about being impressed at all the precautions Marlo takes to avoid being listened to. The new day for the Major Crimes Unit lasted about that, a day as it gets shut down again and Sydnor and Freamon are reassigned to the Clay Davis case. We see them preparing paperwork for it as Sydnor figures out Davis’s methods, he raises money for false community projects and then keeps it when they don’t arise, but he wonders who they are going after if they are interested in turning Davis into an informant. Freamon says there is unknown money on the campaign books and that Davis could tell them where it came from potentially leading to bigger arrests. Sydnor admits he prefers street work while Freamon says the inter-connected nature of the case to the real problems facing the city is what excites him about the case and bringing it to a satisfying conclusion would let him die happy. Now that they aren’t watching him, Sydnor wonders what Marlo is doing and Freamon figures he must be celebrating. As he continues to work the case, Sydnor finds evidence that Davis took out 80k to repay his parents for a loan he used to get a mortgage with, and this excites Freamon bc it means Davis falsified a mortgage document and broke federal law. Big break for them.
Sydnor and Freamon meet Pearlman at the courthouse to discuss Davis theft charges as they see Davis arrive and Sydnor remarks at how he seems to be coping well but Freamon says his appearance at the courthouse shows his guilt. After Davis is grilled in court, Sydnor asks Pearlman why they even held the Grand Jury hearing at all given they knew Davis would just plead the 5th and Pearlman says the answer is the all the press outside. Sydnor wonders who tipped them all off and Pearlman figures it was State Attorney Bond to try and raise the profile of the case. Once he is back at the Major Crimes Unit, Freamon drops the bomb on Sydnor that he is going against orders to continue investigating Marlo, “Freamon: When they took us off Marlo this last time, when they said they couldn’t pay for further investigation… I regarded that decision as illegitimate. Sydnor: Illegitimate? Freamon: And so… I’m responding in kind. I’m going to press a case against Marlo Stanfield without regard to the usual rules. I’m running an illegal wiretap on Marlo Stanfield’s cellphone. Sydnor: Fuck. Lester? Freamon: If you have a problem with this, I understand completely, and I urge you to get as far fucking away from me as you can.” Sydnor goes in the wiretap room and shuts the door. He’s in.
They start monitoring Marlo but he is talking about useless things like lunch orders and Lester is concerned that they are risking so much to get nothing so Sydnor says they should shut it down if it is not gaining them any information. Freamon mentions several 30-second-long calls that were completely silent that he feels are significant. McNulty arrives to show them the newspaper story about the homeless murders saying that he will soon have a full-fledged investigation into them and that he will secretly assign them some detectives when he does. After he leaves, Sydnor wonders what the connection is between the homeless murders and the Stanfield investigation, but Freamon doesn’t tell him about that. Later, Sydnor returns to the unit with surveillance photos on Monk from the last time he received one of those 30 second silent calls and Freamon notices Monk is holding the phone far away from his face. Sydnor thinks they are using text messages but Freamon says most drug dealers are educated by the local public school system and lack the skills for text messaging, so he figures Monk is looking at a picture.
Sydnor, Freamon and McNulty devise a plan to have McNulty’s serial killer call the Baltimore Sun reporter Templeton to tell him the killer will only send pictures of his victims via text and that they will not find any more bodies in the city. They do this so they can get the equipment required to intercept pictures and figure out what Marlo and his crew are looking at. Sydnor is at the unit office when Freamon calls him and tells him he intercepted a message, so they need to move, and Sydnor assigns everyone a target taking Marlo himself. He gives the team tips on how to find their targets and reminds them McNulty is taking care of paperwork and any evidence they gather is for their own intel only it won’t be used in court. Not suspicious at all lol Freamon is intercepting messages as the team tries to track the movements, but Sydnor eventually loses Marlo in traffic but when he uses the atlas to try and get back on track he realizes the pages numbers match 1 of the numbers on the clocks. Freamon arrives back at the Major Crimes Unit to find that Sydnor has cracked the code; The time gives a location to meet, the second hand indicating the atlas page, the hour hand the longitude and the minute hand intervals the latitude. Sydnor figures they have a pre-arranged meeting location in every grid but can’t figure out why there is a location but not a time to meet. Freamon figures that they are to meet within an hour of the message being sent due to the close proximity and traces the messages to Cheese’s territory which surprises Sydnor to hear Cheese’s name mentioned with Marlo, but Freamon is interrupted before he can explain. Kima arrives and gives Lester and all of the rest shit for going along with the fake serial killer plan.
Sydnor is tailing Monk when Freamon calls him off sending him to another location saying they have a fresh one. Later, Sydnor meets with Freamon to tell him about the movements of Chris while Freamon is excited about going for the big kill but as he leaves, he tells Sydnor that it’s time to fess up. We see Freamon get a call while meeting with Daniels and it’s Sydnor telling him that they just caught Monk riding dirty which mean they finally have something on Marlo. Sydnor is ready to lead the raid on the warehouse but cautions his men to stay on the gate. The raid is a success, and they get pretty much the entire Stanfield crew. In a cool end to his story, the last we see of Sydnor is meeting with Judge Phelan and going on almost the exact same rant that McNulty went on in the first episode of the season. Sydnor def had the least amount of screen time on the team, but he always made the most of his scenes and you never questioned the realism of his performance. Happy he was the one who cracked Marlo’s code bc he was always that x-factor to me that gave them an edge over the drug dealers bc his time undercover would give him a unique perspective on everything. Def know he went on to be great murder police taking some inspiration from both Freamon and McNulty.
-Det Thomas Hauk “Herc” – Can’t lie I had a love/hate relationship towards Herc throughout the show but by the end I was def more of a fan than not. Great performance by Dominik Lombardozzi to keep Herc likeable despite his flaws. We first see him on a traffic stop bust with Kima and Carver. The three of them are assigned to the Major Crimes Unit to investigate the Barksdale crew. Herc, Prez and Carver get drunk and go to the towers to do some “police work” but it goes very bad when Prez smashes a kid in the face with his gun causing the tenants of the towers to start throwing anything they can down at the 3 cops. Herc is injured by some of the falling debris, but it isn’t serious. Once recovered he joins the bust at the Pit and helps carver and Kima beat down Bodie for punching Det Mahon. Herc and Carver go to try and get Bodie to flip at the low security facility he is at but find he has escaped. Herc and Carver bust into Bodie’s grandmothers house and are acting like assholes, but Herc has a moment of clarity and apologizes for their actions and starts speaking politely to Bodies grandma. Big moment as Herc could have easily been seen as a villain after that.
Herc and Carver eventually track Bodie down and arrest him again with more physicality. Bodie won’t cut a deal and is still defiant, so they rough him up again but then actually kind of bond with him waiting to hand him over to the juvenile intake while playing pool. Herc and Carver take the sergeants exam hoping for a better position within the police department. Prez tries to send them on an assignment, but they laugh it off until Kima asks them to go on the same assignment. They make a bust-on Clay Davis’s driver finding a bag full of cash and bring him in for questioning. But bc of the political connections, they have to give the cash back and label the stop as unwarranted. Herc and Carver get info from the Wire that Wee-bey will be moving some money, so they stop him and confiscate the cash. They consider taking some for themselves but know they will be caught so they decide against it. But when they hand the money over to Daniels, he tells them some is missing and demands it be returned. Both guys are suspicious of each other, but the bag ripped open in the trunk and after thoroughly searching it they find the missing money in slipped down the side of the trunk. Def would be tempting to take some cash for yourself.
During surveillance, Herc notices drugs being dropped out a window to Bodie, so he notes the window doing the drops for future use. This is key after Kima is shot and Burrell wants them to make busts to deliver “dope on the table.” They can use this spot to bust and save their bigger locations for later when it will make more impact and not ruin the investigation. Raids are made against the cut house, Savino’s home, and the tower where Herc and Carver are alone when they find a stash of money so they both keep some for themselves this time. Herc passes his Sergeants exam and is in lone for a promotion. In the aftermath of Avon’s arrest, Herc is able to arrest all of the dealers he has a warrant for except 1. Bad news for Herc as he learns he is not getting his sergeants promotion anymore and believes his brutality incidents will hurt his career advancement. He congratulates Carver who has moved up the ladder instead.
In S2 we see Herc is back working street cases for Narcotics while Kima is working a desk job and we get a funny exchange when Herc asks Kima to come with them on a bust, “Herc: How about you come on the raids tomorrow? Take a few doors for ol’ time’s sake. Kima: You takin’ doors? Herc: Yeah. Two houses an’ a bar on Kane Street. C’mon Kima, mount up wit’ us. I know you miss it. Kima: I’m done rollin’ around the gutter. I am inside now. Herc: Oh, you’re a house cat now, huh? Kima: I made a promise. Herc: I gotta say Kima, if you were a guy, and actually in some ways you’re better than most of the guys I know. But if you were a guy, friends would buy you a beer and let you know. Kima: Let me know what? Herc: You’re fuckin’ whipped. Kima: Whipped? Herc: Pussy whipped within an inch of your life. I kid you not.” Lol fn Herc. When Daniels takes over the unit investigating Frank Sobotka, Herc is brought in to be on the team again and is pumped to be back working with Carver. Herc is also excited about getting a chance to go undercover since most of the dealers around the port are white. After some success making hand to hands, Herc reports to Daniels that they have found no links so far from the drug dealers to the union. At the meeting with Daniels, Herc meets Beadie for the first time and asks her out on a date, but she shuts it down, much to Carver’s amusement lol
Herc and Carver want to step things up in their investigation of the drug trade around the docks so they go to buy a bug. The investigation is going well but these dealers are so stupid they could get some serious info if they had ears on the corner. They go to the surveillance shop but find the bug they want to use costs $1250. Herc’s credit card is maxed but he convinces the shop owner to let them use it as long as they leave Carver’s card for collateral. You knew this wasn’t going to end well. Funny line from Carver when Herc is trying on glasses, “His name is Head. Dick Head.” Lol They put the bug in a tennis ball and it’s getting them great information with even bigger potential when Nick Sobotka shows up. But Frog spots the tennis ball and starts bouncing it distorting all the audio until eventually tossing it over a building. Worst case scenario for Carver who chases the ball but can’t save it from being run over by a truck. Gotta believe Herc is on the line for at least half of that. The team presents the information they have gathered to Rhonda Pearlman to try and get a legal wire tap going but imply that Herc n Carver got their info from an informant and not an illegal wire. To cover for it, Herc has his cousin pose as ‘Fuzzy Dunlop’ lol for the CI pictures but the cousin wants 10% of the ‘Confidential Informant’ payments which is a high price but one they need to pay to keep the investigation moving forward.
Next we see Daniels send Herc and Carver to watch the warehouse after the team figures out the Greeks have changed up their routine to throw them off. It’s more grunt work the next day as they deliver computers to the Major Crimes Unit office and the boys are def feeling like the odd men out with all the surveillance work they have been given recently. It pays off when they observe Nick Sobotka going to the Greek’s cafe. Next day the warrants for the Sobotka investigation are ordered to be served, Herc and Carver get to serve the one on Nick and they try to catch him at home but he isn’t there so they end up back there running surveillance and ready to arrest him when he tries to come back. But they are left waiting out there for a ridiculously long time and Herc is able to convince Carver that they must leave the detail to get any respect. Eventually they get frustrated enough to confront Nick’s Dad and tell him Nick needs to give himself up when Nick’s Dad tells them that Nick has been in custody for over 24 hours. This is the last straw, the disrespect of being left out there is the catalyst for both men to leave the Major Crimes Unit. I don’t blame em I would’ve been beyond pissed off. They march into Daniels office and Herc officially leaves for more exciting police work. S3 starts with Herc and Carver working in the Western District preparing for a sting on a drug corner and Herc is listening to the theme of Shaft to get pumped up, “Herc: [to the theme from “Shaft”] Carv. He’s a complicated man, and the only one that understands him is his woman. Carver: Seek therapy.” lol they spot a runner but Craver says to leave him as he is probably a decoy but when the runner picks up a bag, Carver orders them to go after him but they lose him in an alley.
Next day we hear a hilarious conversation between Herc and Carver as they are cruising the Western District, “Herc: Anybody I want? Carver: Anybody. Herc: I want more than one. I want the Olsen Twins. Carver: You got ’em. Slaves. All they live for is to get you off. But so now who are you gonna do for ’em? One guy, one act, one time. Herc: Right, and the minute I name a guy, you’re gonna be like, “I knew you’re a cocksucker from the first time I laid eyes on you. Steve McQueen? Huh, that’s your fantasy? You fucking closet case motherfucker.” Carver: Steve McQueen? Herc: Fuck you. It’s a setup. Carver: Both Olson twins. Ashley. Kate… Herc: Mary-Kate. And yeah, I admire her body of work. Carver: They’re yours. All you gotta do is name a guy. Herc: I’m not catching, I’m pitching. Carver: No problem.” LOL so stupid but so funny. Anyways, they start messing with the corner kids as Herc asks one of them where he can purchase a hat with a sideways brim when Herc see’s Poot working a new corner now that the terrace has been demolished and they pick him up and ask how he can just walk into another territory without trouble from other dealers. Poot unsurprisingly refuses to answer any of their questions. Later that night we see Herc, Carver and Dozerman at the movies with dates and they run into Bodie, Poot and Puddin with dates of their own and this amuses the hell out of Bodie, Poot and Puddin as they tell their dates the cops fck with them to try and find their stash but always fail. The boys yell ‘see ya tomorrow’ as they leave the cops lost for words. Later, Carver and Dozerman give Herc shit for choosing Gus Traindos as the guy in their hypothetical scenario lol fun stops when Dozerman is sent out on a late night hand to hand undercover deal when it goes bad and he is shot with his gun stolen by the perp.
Next day Herc and Carver are discussing Burrell taking responsibility for the delayed academy class when Kima and McNulty show up asking for information on some drug dealers in the Western District but they have nothing to give them so Kima gives Herc shit for not taking her advice on the value of informants. After Colvin struggles to get his Hamsterdam plan going, he decides to focus on moving the mid level dealers to the free zones so Herc and Carver go to find Marlo to bring him in. They find Marlo in a courtyard surrounded by his soldiers refusing to move. Herc does not recognize the danger they are in but Carver def does and convinces Herc to leave without Marlo. Later we see Herc, Carver and Colicchio working Hamsterdam on Vincent St when 1 of the dealers complains that there are no customers so Carver tells them to round up some addicts and send them to the free zone. Herc is not cool with that and objects to it but Carver pulls rank on him so Herc and Colicchio go and find Johnny and send him to the free zones. Def not something that would make you feel good about being police on that day but there are health/treatment options in the free zones too so it’s not all bad. During 1 of his shifts working Hamsterdam, Herc spots Avon driving away but can’t remember his name and is surprised that he is out of jail already. A fight breaks out and Craver moves in to stop it but Herc and Colicchio refuse to help him trying to make a point about their disdain for Hamsterdam.
Next day we see McNulty and Kima meet with Herc and Carver to get them to help collect phones from dealers when Herc drops them bomb that Avon is out of jail. They don’t believe him but he knows what he saw. After some dealers are robbed, they escape and complain to Herc, Carver and the other officers that if they can’t carry weapons in Hamsterdam then the police need to protect them. Later we see Herc bring the dealers into the precinct to have some fun with them by letting them use the computer to make a picture of their attackers. Colicchio is disgusted at co-operating with the dealers while Herc is impressed at their computer skills. Carver arrives and does not find it funny either. Afterwards the guys go out for beers and start discussing Hamsterdam with Colicchio stating that it is moral midgetry and it breaks his heart to show up and work Hamsterdam. Carver says that Colvin always has his men’s back and after 30 years he deserves the chance to try what he feels is right. Herc says that Hamsterdam is supposed to be temporary but Colicchio doubts that. Next day Herc and Carver discover a dead body in Hamsterdam which would bring an end to the free zones so Carver wants to move the body but Herc and others refuse. Carver is able to get 2 officers to help him move the body out of the free zone but unfortunately when Det Crutchfield arrives at the new scene to investigate the murder and realizes the body has been moved. Later we see 1 DEU officers questioning Herc and Prez who accidentally shot an undercover African American detective but Herc is distracted and when they are done, he phones the Baltimore Sun to tell them about Colvin and Hamsterdam.
Next day we see Herc and Garrick taking the reporter on a tour of Hamsterdam and revealing every detail of Colvin’s plan. I can sympathize with some of what Herc and Colicchio are feeling about Hamsterdam but at the same time they ignore every bit of good it does and I can’t respect Herc for snitching like this. When the raid of the Barksdale safehouse goes down, Daniels asks Herc for some officers but Herc says they are too busy with Hamsterdam and can’t spare any. With the story now fully public, we see Herc, Garrick and Colicchio enjoying the press filming Hamsterdam in all it’s glory. They eventually got the order to bring Hamsterdam to an end and Herc is more than happy to fuck with these people again while Carver has learned from this experience and does not share the enthusiasm. In the montage ending S3, we see Herc and Colicchio arresting young dealers. These guys just want a way to vent their racism and it’s honestly pathetic. As S4 starts we see that Herc is now a part of Mayor Royce’s security detail so the Herc and Carver show is over which made me sad to see not only bc they were funny together but Carver brought out the best in Herc and I wanted to see some growth in Herc. Herc immediately notes that his partner does not share the same humour as Carver but when Nerese Campbell walks in to meet with Mayor Royce, they both share an attraction to her so they have at least 1 thing in common.
Next day we see Herc waiting for the mayor with his new partner when he decides to go find Lt Hoskins and double check about a meeting that was planned for the mayor but when he goes to find Lt Hoskins, he walks in on Mayor Royce receiving a blow job from his secretary lol def not what he expected to find. Later we see Herc meet with Carver to as for advice but Carver says it is out of his pay grade and suggests talking to someone with mor experience like his old commander Valchek. So Herc meets with Valchek on the docks who assures Herc that this will work in his favour if he keeps his mouth shut saying that Herc has already earned Sgt, will be a Lt in 2 years and a Major in 4 following a victory in the election for Mayor Royce. Herc is worried that Mayor Royce will send him to the midnight shift and Valchek says if that happens then Herc can use the information against Royce. Relieved, Herc thanks Valchek while Valchek says that Herc might be able to repay the favour one day and laughs about the advantageous position Herc is now in, “What I wouldn’t give to be in your shoes right now, Kid, careers have been launched on a helluva lot less. Just shut up and play dumb.” Next day we see Herc meet with Mayor Royce who wants to talk about Herc’s career plans and he says he wants to make Sgt but is 32nd on the list. Mayor Royce says Herc is a good and loyal officer and should be do request that Herc be moved to the top of the list for the next available Sgt posting. Herc says the help is unexpected and Royce says “Don’t mention it” and it’s clear he is talking about the BJ. Everything happened exactly like Valchek said it would.
Herc and Dozerman arrive as new members of the major crimes unit and Herc is disappointed to learn that Kima and Freamon are gone. Lt Marimow is skeptical of Herc’s qualifications as he only drove for the mayor for 3 months and you can tell Herc immediately dislikes Marimow. Herc could be a dick at times but def not on Marimow’s level so I was glad they didn’t end up friends. next day we see Herc and the rest of the Western District part of a briefing from Lt Marimow about the upcoming raids on low level targets and after the meeting Carver questions the strategy of these bullshit low level street rips. Herc just thinks all drug dealers are stupid and will be easily dealt with. Carver asks Herc about the situation with Mayor Royce and tells him to stick close to Royce bc that information is more valuable than gold if he wins the election. Marimow’s raids are such disaster that even Herc is disappointed with them and didn’t really enjoy himself. We see that Marimow is like Herc in thinking that drug dealers are stupid and says they must have been tipped off with most of his blame coming down on Herc for not having more information about Marlo. But Carver steps in to let them know where and when Marlo holds court with Marimow insisting that Herc use this information to find out more about Marlo. At least Herc is showing some kind of growth when he accepts that a buy/bust approach to Marlo is not the best tactic. Herc recruits Dozerman and Sydnor to set up a surveillance camera on Marlo’s courtyard after they all leave but when they set it up they are spotted by 1 of Marlo’s crew.
In the morning Herc shows up to talk with Sydnor who watched the camera overnight and he figures they can build a case against Marlo if they can find a professional that reads lips lol hey I like any out the box thinking like that. Sydnor questions how legal this all is but Herc brushes it off saying it’s fine. Herc leaves an exhausted Sydnor to make campaign calls for Mayor Royce and has success doing it thanks to his unique style. Next day we see Herc show up with coffee for Sydnor but no relief from his surveillance duty as he urges Sydnor to keep grinding. After the camera catches a meeting with Marlo and his crew, Herc brings in a lip reader and she tells them Marlo got a call about “picking up a skinny girl from New York” which Herc guesses to be cocaine. Sydnor questions the fact that Marlo is going anywhere near a package but Herc insist that Marlo is an idiot and a soft target and follows him to the train station. After they see Marlo attempting to carry a woman’s bags, they arrest him but when they search the bag, it’s nothing but women’s clothes and Herc realizes that Marlo set him up. It goes from bad to worse when Herc and Sydnor are watching the camera realizing they see nothing but birds and when they get to the location, they see the camera has been stolen. Herc meets with Carver to talk about the stolen camera and Carver says Marlo has a pigeon coop basically confirming that he stole the camera and Herc thinks that Marimow will use this to end his career. Carver remembers Randy and his information about Lex’s murder and to help Herc, offers him a chance to talk to Randy first.
Later, Carver brings Randy to Herc and Sydnor but pleads with them to make sure that they take care of Randy. Herc brings Randy into the interview room, buys him some food and ignores Lex’s murder to ask him about the camera but Randy knows nothing about that. Randy outlines the events of Lex’s murder but when Herc realizes most of the info is second hand, he loses his cool and starts to try and intimidate Randy into saying that he was there for Lex’s murder. This is too fucked up for Sydnor who does not participate and Herc finally gives up and lets Randy go. He complains to Sydnor that Carver was not able to give him a murder and vows to go at Marlo head on for the camera. Next day Marimow is giving Herc shit about the harassment complaint he received from the woman at the train station and is reprimanded right in front of his subordinates as Marimow demands to know where the tip on Marlo came from. Herc says Fuzzy Dunlop, the fake CI he uses. When they spot Marlo driving, Herc stop him demanding his camera back and Marlo doesn’t commit 1 way or the other but does take Herc’s card. Afterwards Dozerman urges Herc to come clean with Marimow about the camera before things get worse but Herc decides to keep harassing Marlo instead by raiding his courtyard. Herc see’s Chris and Snoop driving so he stops them and doesn’t find any guns but does find the lime and nail gun and fires a nail into the ground before demanding the return his camera. Now that intimidation has failed, Herc remembers Randy’s info about Little Kevin’s involvement in Lex’s murder so he goes to find him to try and get leverage on Marlo to get his camera back.
We see Herc and Dozerman pull up on Bodie, Poot, Little Kevin and other corner kids as Herc asks about Little Kevin but nobody tells him their names. So Herc, not realizing the name is a joke on his large size, rounds up the 4 smallest kids as Bodie, Poot and Little Kevin walk away laughing about how stupid the police are lol after Herc appeals to Kima for help finding Little Kevin, she sets him up with Bubbles who uses his old red hat trick to identify Little Kevin, the fattest member of the crew and Herc and Dozerman are dumbfounded that Little Kevin’s name was a joke on his actual size lol idiots. In exchange, Herc promises Bubbles that he will come within 5 minutes the next time he is being assaulted. That night Bubbles see his attacker and leaves a message with Dozerman for Herc to come help him immediately but Herc is interviewing Little Kevin and blows it off telling Dozerman to tell Bubbles to wait until tomorrow but there is no way to contact Bubbles. The interrogation isn’t yielding any useful info so Herc implies that he has talked to an informant that places him at the murder scene. Little Kevin asks if it was Randy and Herc basically implies that it was. Sydnor is disgusted and leaves the room. Unbelievable piece of shit move by Herc to do that to Randy. Herc with a badge is like Jimmy McGill with a law license, chimp with a machine gun.
Herc visits with Bubbles, who is outraged at the audacity of Herc asking him for help again after Bubbles was viciously beaten when Herc ignored him, for help finding the stolen camera. Bubbles says he still needs help with his attacker and Herc makes more promises even giving Bubs a Cell Phone and some money telling him to call him the next time he sees his attacker. Herc discusses his plan of using Bubbles to help him get the stolen camera back with Dozerman and Sydnor who urge him to tell Marimow to keep this from getting worse but Herc is worried about his reaction. We see Herc meet with Marimow and start to try and confess but he is met with hostility as Marimow threatens an internal investigations division case so Herc doesn’t come clean about the camera. Bubbles gives Herc a lead on his stolen camera, a license plate number, so Herc jumps on it and they pull the vehicle over. Herc aggressively arrests the man in the vehicle who is claiming to be a minister and throws him to the ground along with his possessions as they search the vehicle. Next day Freamon and Bunk question Herc about Randy and Herc claims Randy had no useful information on Lex’s murder but Bunk is not satisfied with that answer. Freamon asks Herc to explain every detail of what he did and learns about Herc firing Chris and Snoop’s nail gun into the ground which could be a huge break if they can find the nail.
It’s a glorious day when Herc shows up at the Major Crimes Unit and sees the back of Marimow who has been officially replaced by Lt Asher and he tells the team that instead if Marimow ruining his career, he is the one out the door. Freamon starts giving out the directions for the team to re-start the investigation and Herc pulls him to the side after and asks if he can be the one giving the directions since he is the Sgt. 2 seconds out of the fire and he is already throwing matches again smh. The new commander Lt Asher comes in and Herc asks who he is and Freamon says he is one of the best commanders in the department. In the morning, Herc and Sydnor meet with Freamon who is frustrated that Marlo’s crew is not using phones lamenting that the wire tap they had up 2 months ago was shut down. 2 detectives arrives from IID and ask Herc if he remembers borrowing a surveillance camera from ISD and then tell him they need a statement regarding the camera and his CI paperwork. They also start to ask for Sydnor and Dozerman too but Herc steps up and says it was only him. Herc receives the punishment for his false arrest of the minister off of Bubbles false tip and is suspended. Def no sympathy from me he brought all this one himself.
Kima finds a suspended Herc drinking in the morning and gets him up to help her find the nail he fired in the ground when he stopped Chris and Snoop and he doesn’t think it’s a good idea to come along when he is suspended but she convinces him and they leave. They actually find the hole the nail made but cannot find the nail. Herc is constantly whining about why IID is still investigating him with Marimow gone and a light punishment from Daniels for the minister incident and Kima finally has had enough and ask him what he did. When Herc tells Kima and Bunk that he falsified paperwork, lied about a CI and then lost a surveillance camera, all they can do is shake their heads in disbelief. This lets Herc know that he might lose more than his Sgt rank when this hits the fan. S5 starts with Herc, Carver, Colicchio and Dozerman meeting for drinks where we learn that Herc is gone from the police force as Carver remarks that he left at the right time. Herc shows off his new business suit and says he has more work that he can handle as an investigator for defense attorneys and asks them to look up a name for him in exchange for a round of drinks. Afterwards we see Herc take the info he received to Levy who isn’t impressed it only cost Herc a round of drinks considering he has an expense account. After Randy I was happy to learn Herc was not police anymore.
We see Herc meet with Carver to discuss Carver’s current problem of disciplining Colicchio for assaulting an innocent motorist as Herc tries to defend Colicchio telling Carver that Colicchio is too proud to beg for his job and that Carver cannot turn against his own men even if he is close to making a higher rank. But Carver says it is not about rank it is about their past and he talks about regretting the decision to hand Randy over to Herc but in a sad note he doesn’t even remember Randy’s name at this point showing how fast these kids become lost. Herc admits he was wrong in the case but doesn’t see the relevance so Carter explains that it means everything they do matters even if they want to think it doesn’t. Comparing his own situation to Colicchio’s, Herc asks if Carver thought his own dismissal was fair and when Carver doesn’t respond, Herc says that it prob was but that Carver will get a bad reputation if he does this but that he should do what is right. Gotta give him credit that is good advice. Next day, Herc is in the office with Levy when Prop Joe brings Marlo in to meet Levy and Marlo recognizes Herc and asks him about the camera he stole from him. Herc has to swallow his tongue and admit that incident got him fired much to Marlo’s amusement. Levy goes into another room to meet with Marlo so Herc waits with Prop Joe and lets him read the paper making a comment about the Burrell story. Prop Joe tells him Burrell was in in the year before him at Dunbar High School and that Burrell was in the Glee Club and stone stupid.
Next day Herc arrives at Levy’s office as Marlo is leaving and remarks to Levy that he is not happy he has Marlo as a client. Levy says they will soon see a steady stream of money thanks to a wiretap case against the Stanfield crew since Marlo is using a cell phone and that Prop Joe referred Marlo to the firm just in time. Later that night, Herc returns to the office and writes down Marlo’s number from his rolodex and takes it to Carver before the morning briefing the next day telling him to consider this his payment for any actions that have upset Carver. He also asks him to remind Marlo of his stolen camera when he is inevitably arrested. Fn great moment for Herc that his character desperately needed after what he did to Randy. I know it was fueled by the desire for revenge but he still risked a lot to do the right thing and get the number. We see Herc in the room when Snoop and Levy tell a reluctant O-Dog that he will be taking jail time for Snoop’s gun charge but will be significantly compensated. After they leave, Herc makes a comment on how different is it when officers take “one in the line” compared to street soldiers and Levy says Marlo runs a tighter ship. Next day, Levy is going over the Stanfield arrest warrants convinced there is something not right bc the only 4 people that knew the clock code were all arrested so he figures the police had an illegal wiretap and used it to decipher the code beforehand. Herc says it was just a simple wiretap that brought him down but Levy has all he needs to bring up fraud in court.
That is the last we see of Herc and what a great character he was bringing out such a wide range of emotions. Very realistic performance as I’m sure most people feel like they have a Herc in their life and I really enjoyed his scenes with Carver they had great chemistry. Being a cop did not bring out his best so I’m glad he ended up where he did.
-Det Ellis Carver – Man I had no idea that Father Gabriel from the Walking Dead was on The Wire, makes me like the character even more now. Really great performance from Seth Gilliam that is completely different than Father Gabriel, shows his range. Carver is partners with Herc and we meet him making a traffic stop bust with Kima. He is assigned to the Major Crimes Unit along with Herc and Kima to investigate the Barksdale crew. Carver, Herc and Prez get drunk and go to the towers but it goes bad when Prez smashes a kid in the face with his gun starting a small riot. Not a smart move at all to go there and I was surprised Carver went along with it. Carver is at the unsuccessful bust at the pit and helps Herc and Kima beat down Bodie for punching Det Mahon. He goes with Herc to convince Bodie flip at the low security facility he is at but they find Bodie has escaped. They eventually track him down and arrest him again with some physicality. But the 3 of them actually have kind of a bonding moment playing pool while they wait to hand Bodie over to juvenile intake. Carver and Herc take the sergeants exam hoping to move up in the scheme of things. They laugh off a request from Prez to follow suspects until Kima makes the same request and they take it seriously. They stop Clay Davis’s driver and find a bag full of cash so they bring him in for questioning. But bc if the political connections they have to give back the money and label the stop unwarranted.
Carver and Herc get info from the Wire that Wee-Bey is going to be moving some money so they stop him and confiscate the cash. They consider taking some but figure they would be caught so they don’t. When you see what the drug dealers make compared to the police it would def be tempting. After they turn the money in, Daniels says some is missing and demands they bring it back. Each is suspicious of the other but they eventually find the money in the trunk of the car down the sides. After Kima is shot, Carver has the tough task of informing Cheryl of what happened. Raids are made against the cut house, Savino’s home, and the tower and this time when Carver and Herc find a stash of money they are alone so they keep some for themselves. Carver has moved up the list ahead of Herc and is in line for a sergeants promotion. As the season ends we see Carver being promoted by Burrell. In S2 we see Carver working in the field writing parking tickets for Frank Sobotka and his union guys at the request of Valchek. When Daniels is put In charge of the new unit investigating Frank Sobotka, he requests that Carver be brought into the investigation.
Daniels meets with Carver and offers him the position on the team which Carver cannot understand after he was caught informing Burrell of what was going on in the unit in S1. But Daniels tells him that bc it happened once, he doesn’t believe Carver will do it again. It’s not all good news as Daniels tells Carver he will not be recognized as a SGT and will report to Kima. Carver, Herc and Kima begin investigations into the dealers around the port. It’s going well but Carver and Herc want to step things up so they go to a surveillance store to buy a bug to use on the dealer Frog they are monitoring. But the price tag is $1250 so Carver wants to abandon the plan but Herc convinces the store owner to let them use the bug if they leave a credit card but of course Herc’s is maxed out so they have to use Carver’s lol great line when Carver is watching Herc try on sunglasses, “His name is Head. Dick Head.” Lol they put the bug in a tennis ball placing it by the curb where Frog is working, the bug is working great picking up Frog making deals and it is about to pay off big time when Nick Sobotka shows up. But Frog picks up the tennis ball and starts bouncing it distorting all the audio. Carver’s worst nightmare comes true when Frog tosses the tennis ball over a building. He tries to chase it down and save it but a truck runs over it meaning Carver is out the $1250. Ouch. I didn’t want Nick to get busted so I was happy Frog tossed the tennis ball but I felt for Carver seeing his money go down the drain.
After the team figures out the Greeks have switched up their operation to throw off the police, Daniels assigns Carver and Herc to watch the warehouse. Later when Freamon notices a container going missing, he has Carver watch for it and Carver reports on the arrival of the truck carrying the container. Next day Carver and Herc deliver some computer equipment to the Major Crimes Unit office and they are def feeling like the odd men out with all the surveillance work they have been given recently. On one of their surveillance runs, Carver and Herc see Nick Sobotka arriving at the Greek’s cafe. After the Sobotka warrants are ordered to be served the next day, Carver and Herc try to find Nick at his house but his isn’t there so they end up running surveillance on his house waiting for him to come home. They are left sitting out there for an insanely long time and their frustration builds until they finally confront Nick’s Dad and tell him Nick needs to turn himself in but Nick’s Dad drops the bomb that Nick has been in police custody for over 24 hours. Both men are completely disgusted and enraged at the level of disrespect they have received so they head into Daniels office with the intent to leave the Major Crimes Unit. Carver tells Daniels that he feels his rank is being disrespected and that there is a post under Bunny Colvin in the Western District where they have a great reputation for street work so he is going to take that position. Daniels tries to say that surveillance work is part of the job, which is true but disrespect like being left out there when it would have taken 2 seconds to get on the radio and tell them Nick was in custody is not. Big loss to the Major Crimes Unit losing good police like Carver.
S3 starts with Carver commanding a new squad of officer including Herc as they get ready for a sting on a drug corner and Herc is playing the them of Shaft to get pumped up, “Herc: [to the theme from “Shaft”] Carv. He’s a complicated man, and the only one that understands him is his woman. Carver: Seek therapy.” lol def great chemistry with these 2. They spot a runner but Carver instructs them to wait bc he is probably a decoy but when the runner grabs a bag, Carver orders them to go after him but they lose him in an alley. A frustrated Carver gets on top of his car and delivers a speech letting it be known that they will catch the runner eventually. Next day Carver and Herc are cruising the Western District and eh hear such a stupid but funny conversation, “Herc: Anybody I want? Carver: Anybody. Herc: I want more than one. I want the Olsen Twins. Carver: You got ’em. Slaves. All they live for is to get you off. But so now who are you gonna do for ’em? One guy, one act, one time. Herc: Right, and the minute I name a guy, you’re gonna be like, “I knew you’re a cocksucker from the first time I laid eyes on you. Steve McQueen? Huh, that’s your fantasy? You fucking closet case motherfucker.” Carver: Steve McQueen? Herc: Fuck you. It’s a setup. Carver: Both Olson twins. Ashley. Kate… Herc: Mary-Kate. And yeah, I admire her body of work. Carver: They’re yours. All you gotta do is name a guy. Herc: I’m not catching, I’m pitching. Carver: No problem.” LOL too funny. Anyways, when they see some corner kids and start messing with them asking where Herc can buy a hat with a sideways brim until they spot Poot working a corner and pick him up. They ask him how he can go from working the terrace and walk onto another corner without trouble from other dealers but Poot isn’t giving them anything so they let him go.
That night Carver, Herc and Dozerman are out at the movies with dates when they see Bodie, poot and Puddin out with dates of their own and the boys have a good laugh at the cops expense telling their dates that the police try everyday to fck with them and find their stash but they never do. The police don’t have a response so the boys jokingly yell ‘see ya tomorrow’ as they leave. Later on Carver and Dozerman make fun of Herc for picking Gus Triandos as the guy in their hypothetical scenario lol the fun stops when Dozerman is sent out on an late night undercover hand to hand deal but is shot when the deal goes bad and his gun is stolen by the perp. Carver is blaming himself for sending Dozerman out there alone. Next day, Carver and Herc are discussing Burrell taking responsibility for the delayed academy class when Kima and McNulty show up asking for some information about dealers in the Western District but they have nothing for them. Kima gives Herc shit for not taking her advice about the value of informants as Carver is called away to the roll call briefing and jokes that the downtown detectives are lost and confused. At the briefing, Colvin unveils his Hamsterdam plan that legalizes drug in a specific area and outlines how his officers are to achieve this.
Next day we see Carver squad start to try and move the dealers to the free zones but most do not trust it yet and are still dealing on their usual corners. After Colvin’s Hamsterdam plan struggles to get going, Carver suggests creating a flex squad to put pressure on the dealers but Colvin turns it down bc it is more of the same. After the meeting, Colvin comes up with a new plan to focus on the mid level dealers and asks Carver for a list but Carver has none of that information and Colvin expresses his disappointment in him. Later, Colvin calls a meeting of the district and orders the officers to bring in the lieutenants in their cars, not the wagons and to forget about the low level dealers for now. Carver questions why Colvin thinks he will have more success with the mid level dealers and Colvin responds that he can sympathise with their position as middle management. Next we see Carver and Herc go to try and bring in Marlo but they find him surrounded by his soldiers refusing to move. Carver recognizes the danger he and Herc are in while Herc is not worried but Carver convinces Herc to leave without Marlo. Def a good call on his part. We see Carver, Herc and Colicchio working the Hamsterdam zone on Vincent St and 1 of the dealers complains that there are no customers. Carver wants to round up addicts and bring them to the free zone which Herc objects to but Carver pulls rank and Herc has no choice.
The drug trade in Hamsterdam is now up and running so Colvin tells Carver and the other officers to crack down hard on any drug trade outside the free zones using any force they deem necessary. So we see them towing cars, delivering beatings, using pepper spray, throwing away their shoes and even driving some dealers into the countryside to make their point. Later after a shootout happens in the district, Colvin asks Carver for some information on it but once again, Carver has nothing. Next day we see a fight break out and Carver moves in to break it up but Herc and Colicchio refuse to help making a point about their disdain for Hamsterdam. Carver and Herc take over for a shift on 1 of the corners and Craver is bothered by the fact that there are so many children. Colicchio says they are unemployed as lookouts and runners since trade is legal so Carver tells the dealers they need to pay $100 a week to deal in Hamsterdam and that money will go to the young kids. With the first payments, Carver buys a basketball net for the kids. After McNulty arrests Bodie who is protesting that this is breaking Colvin’s promise so McNulty calls for back up and Carver, Herc and Colicchio respond. McNulty and Kima ask about Hamsterdam having heard Bodie mention it multiple times and Carver is forced to explain it. Colvin arrives and pleads with them to keep it quiet. That night Colvin visits and Carver admits that he would be ok with Hamsterdam if there weren’t so many children around. No doubt. McNulty and Kima meet with Carver and Herc again to get them to help collect phones when Herc drops the bomb that Avon is out of jail.
Next day Carver checks in with his officers on Hamsterdam and they tell him it has been quiet aside from a few overdoses. After some dealers are robbed, they escape and complain to Carver and the other officers that if they can’t carry weapons in Hamsterdam then the police need to protect them. Later, Carver arrives at the precinct to find Herc messing with the dealers having them make a picture of their attackers on the computer and is not impressed. Afterwards Carver, Herc, Colicchio and Garrick go out for beers and starts discussing Hamsterdam. Colicchio says it’s a heart breaker to come in every day and work Hamsterdam but Carver says Colvin has always backed up his men and after 30 years he deserves a chance to try what he feels is right. Herc brings up that Hamsterdam is supposed to be temporary but Colicchio is doubtful of that. Next day a body is discovered in Hamsterdam but Carver wants to move it out bc if anyone comes to investigate it the free zones are done. He asks Herc for help but he refuses so Carver is able to get 2 officers to help him move the body out of the free zones but unfortunately when Det Crutchfield arrives at the new scene to investigate the murder, he realizes the body has been moved. Colvin meets with Carver to tell him that Crutchfield knows the body was moved and that he knows Carver did it out of loyalty to him so he instructs Carver to say it was Colvin who moved the body if anyone asks.
As Hamsterdam begins to crumble down, Colvin meets with Carver to thank him for his loyalty AND says he thinks he is a good man and a good supervisor but then berates him for failings as an investigator esp for not have any CI’s. It’s actually amazing speech that I need to highlight, “Colvin: This drug thing, this ain’t police work. I mean, I can send any fool with a badge and a gun to a corner to jack a crew and grab vials. But policing? I mean you call something a war, and pretty soon everyone is going to be running around acting like warriors. They gonna be running around on a damn crusade, storming corners, racking up body counts. And when you at war, you need a fucking enemy. And pretty soon, damn near everybody on every corner is your fucking enemy. And soon, the neighborhood you’re supposed to be policing, that’s just occupied territory. You follow this? Carver: Think so. Colvin: Okay The point I’m making is this: Soldiering and policing, they ain’t the same thing. And before we went and took the wrong turn and start up with these war games, the cop walked a beat, and he learned that post. And if there were things that happened on that post, where there be a rape, a robbery, or a shooting, he had people out there helping him, feeding him information. But every time I came to you, my DEU sergeant, for information, to find out what’s going on out on them streets… all that came back was some bullshit. You had your stats, your arrests, your seizures, but don’t none of that amount to shit when it comes to protecting the neighborhood, now do it? [sighs] You know, he worst thing about this, so-called drug war, to my mind…it just, it ruined this job.” Wow man what a speech, exactly what Carver needed to hear.
The night before the Hamsterdam story goes public, Carver discusses with his men what kind of effect the story breaking is gonna have on Colvin’s career. We see Carver walking around Hamsterdam as Johnny approaches him asking for some money but Carver recognizes him as an addict and refuses. Once the story breaks, they eventually get the word from Commissioner Burrell to put an end to Hamsterdam and Herc is thrilled but Carver is def not showing that what he has seen in Hamsterdam and Colvin’s speech hit home. As S3 ends, we see Carver, Santangelo and McNulty who has transferred back attending a roll call briefing and later Carver stops by Cutty’s gym happy to see him training young boxers. S4 starts with Carver trying to establish authority with Bodie and his crew calling out all their names and what their roles are in the drug game. McNulty shows up to see if Carver needs help and reminds him that Bodie beat the wiretap by claiming entrapment so they just leave him to close his shit down for the day. Funny exchange as Carver leaves, “Carver: Okay, so let’s try this again. I say, “Have a good evening, Mr. Broadus!” Bodie: And a good evening to you, Sgt. Carver. Carver: See. Bodie: And a VERY good evening to you, Officer Collichio! Colicchio: Fuck yourself with a 40, shit-breath.” lol smh. Carver reminds Colicchio that if they come down hard on everyone, they won’t have anyone to go to for information if they need it showing that Carver has def learned from Colvin.
At a roll call meeting, the Western officers are given a lecture about soft targets for terrorism and they all think that it is a complete waste of time esp in West Baltimore. Santangelo says, “If them terrorists do fuck up the Western, could anybody even tell?” and Carver adds that if they terrorists came to West Baltimore to blow up a chicken joint they would most likely be robbed of their camels and robes by a local stick up crew. Don’t like the racism but their overall point is funny. Next day we see Herc meet with Carver to discuss his current predicament of walking in on Mayor Royce receiving a blow job from his secretary lol but Carver says it is out of his pay grade and suggest talking to someone with more experience like his old commander Valchek. When Bunk needs some information about a gangster named Lex, Carver takes him to Bodie is not really co-operative sarcastically saying he will call them if he sees Lex but knowing Lex is most likely dead. Later, Carver sees the neighborhood kids Donut and Namond driving in a stolen SUV and calls it in but decides not to pursue since he knows most of them anyways. And Carver does track them down making it clear that he will deliver a back alley beating instead of arresting them and drops all their names, addresses and hangouts when Namond is disbelieving of Carver’s threats so they know he is for real.
Next day Colvin and Dr Parenti visit the Western District to look for subjects for their new initiative and Carver lets them interview a prisoner named Shaun Williams. After the interview, Dr Parenti acknowledges that 18-21 year old’s are prob too seasoned which amuses Carver and Colvin bc they could have told him that. Carver and the rest of the Western District are forced to listen to a briefing from Lt Marimow about the start of raids against low level targets and how important they are but afterwards Carver talks to Herc about the logic of these bullshit raids. Herc is stuck in a racist mindset so he thinks all drug dealers are stupid and will be easily dealt with. Carver checks with Herc about his roll with the mayor and advises him to stay close to Royce bc the information Herc has will be priceless if he wins the election. As expected, Marimow’s raids are a disaster resulting in little to no arrests or narcotics. Marimow like the asshole he is tries to shift blame onto Herc for not having more information on Marlo so Carver steps in to let them know where Marlo holds court. Marimow tells Herc to use this information to find out more about Marlo. After Prez recommends Carver to Daniels to help with a kid involved in a murder investigation named Randy, we see Carver meet with Randy’s foster mother Miss Anna at their home where he explains that randy has unknowingly acted as a go between in the murder of Lex by passing along the message that sent him to his death. Miss Anna questions how when Lex could still be alive but Carver says randy knows it is common knowledge on the street that Lex is dead. She is concerned for Randy’s safety if anyone finds out he has talked to police but Carver assures her that he will be safe as long as he cleans up. While Miss Anna is disappointed in Randy’s behavior, Carver tells her that he doesn’t think Randy is a bad kid.
After his surveillance camera is stolen, Herc meets with Carver about seeing the images of birds and being worried that Marimow will use this to end his career so Carver tells him that Marlo has a pigeon coop basically confirming who has the camera. Carver remembers needing to phone Bunk about Randy and offers Herc a chance to interview Randy first who can give him the murder of Lex and help soften the blow of losing the camera. Later we see Carver hand Randy over to Herc and Sydnor insisting that they take care of him. Next day Carver and Colicchio catch Namond’s crew working their corner so they chase them with everyone getting away except 8 year old Kenard who is caught by Carver. He smashes his vials but lets him go saying that Kenard is not worth processing, “Carver: I like to think that until the handcuffs actually fit, there’s still talking to be done.” We are seeing real growth with his character. Carver catches up with Namond and his crew at Cutty’s gym to warn them for being so careless and that if he catches them dealing drugs again, he will give them a beating and deliver them to be processed for juvenile detention. Next day is more of the same so Carver busts them again but when he finds drugs, he arrest Namond and brings him to the station. They cannot get a hold of Namond’s mother so Carver tells Namond he has to spend the night in juvenile booking which terrifies the kid. Carver is sympathetic and allows Namond to spend the night on the bench in his office.
In the morning after roll call, Carver tells Namond he must find somewhere else to stay and Namond begs him to phone his teacher Mr. Colvin. At first Colvin jokingly says to send Namond to juvenile detention but eventually relents and talks with his wife about taking Namond in. After Randy starts being harassed at school, Prez meets with Carver and accuses him of betraying his trust by being careless and endangering Randy’s life so Carver promises to assign a plain clothes officer to watch his house and find out how Randy was exposed. Next day we see Carver visit Miss Anna at Randy’s house to assure her they still have plainclothes officers watching the house. Carver heads to Cutty’s gym after Cutty calls him for help with Namond after he angrily sent Michael away and regrets it. Cutty says Namond is dealing drugs but Carter knows he is not dealing at the moment. Later we see Carver call Colvin again after dealing with Namond’s Mother, “Carver: His mother… [shakes head] Colvin: Lovely lady. What she say? Carver: “Put that bitch in baby booking where he belong. Let him learn something.” Sad but at least he had Colvin in his corner. Unfortunately we see Carver visiting the hospital after Randy’s house is fire bombed and Miss Anna is in serious condition with 2nd and 3rd degree burns. Randy is despondent on the bench and Carver tries to console him but Randy isn’t having it, “Carver: I’m sorry, son. I’m gonna talk to Social Services. We’ll get you some help. Randy.[Carver tries to put his hand on Randy’s shoulder, but Randy pushes him away][After sitting silently for a little while, Carver gets up and starts to walk away] Randy: You gonn’ help, huh? You gonna look out for me? You gonna look out for me, Sergeant Carver? You mean it? You gonna look out for me? You promise?! You got my back, huh?!” Tough, tough scene bc you know Carver meant well but now Randy’s life was gonna be a living hell and there is nothing that Carver could have said to help him in that moment.
Next day, Carver is desperately trying to find Randy a suitable place to live since he can’t stay with Miss Anna anymore due to her injuries but there is nothing on such short notice. He is adamant that Randy cannot go to a group home but Mello just tells him to take what is offered. We see Carver personally visit social services to ask them to put Randy’s name at the top of the foster list but they can’t do that. He even offers to foster Randy himself but they say he has to undergo 3 months of screening before he can do that. Carver can’t bring himself to turn Randy over to a group home so he lets him stay on his bench for the night. But when Mello sees Randy still there in the morning, he yells at Carver to immediately hand him over to social services. Randy offers up his savings to use as a bribe to get into a foster house. Just breaks your heart, man. Carver drops Randy off at a group home and Randy tells Carver that he forgives him and thanks him for trying to help. Back in his car, Carver’s frustration boils over and he starts hammering the steering wheel with his fists and man I felt that. Carver was good police and not being able to help a kid like Randy is a brutal moment. Back at the unit, Carver breaks the news to McNulty that Bodie was killed as McNulty tosses his papers across the room in disgust.
S5 starts with Carver, who is acting as Sgt in charge, giving a briefing to the Western District officers but it quickly goes off track bc the department has been withholding pay from the officers and they are rightfully pissed off. An officer named Brown begins to leave but Carver commands Brown to return to his seat and momentarily gains control of the briefing before letting them know that all vehicle maintenance is cancelled until further notice and this causes another uproar with Brown actually leaving this time. Not being paid and forced to drive unsafe vehicles, can’t imagine why they’re upset lol Carver discusses the briefing with Mello but it’s interrupted by officer Castor telling them there is an incident in the parking lot and we see Brown arguing with officer King over the state of the vehicle he is handing in and it turns into an actual fight. But Mello refuses to break it up saying morale is already as low as it can get. That night we see Carver, Herc, Colicchio and Dozerman meet for drinks to complain about the state of the department and Carver tells Herc he left the department at the right time after the fallout from the minister incident and stole camera. Herc brags about his suit and how busy he is as an investigator for defense attorneys and even has a name for them to check in exchange for a round of drinks.
When Colicchio attempts a raid on Michael and his crew’s corner, they do so in a way that blocks traffics and is causing a big lineup. Carver arrives and reprimands his men for blocking traffic as 1 motorist is yelling at them to move the vehicle which enrages Colicchio but they motorist doesn’t stop and despite Carver’s efforts to calm him, Colicchio attacks the motorist trying to drag him from his vehicle. Carver and Brown end up having to restrain Colicchio. The next day Carver arrives at the precinct to warn Colicchio that the motorist was a teach on his way to an afterschool program and that the incident is being investigated by IID. But Carver tries to give Colicchio good advice and coach him on how to make this go away but Colicchio is being a little bitch about it and shows no remorse whatsoever and refuses all of Carver’s suggestions. Carver says that leaves him no choice but to charge Colicchio with excessive force and conduct unbecoming an officer and Colicchio says that will him a rat but Carver says he will accept the consequences. Carver meets with Herc about it who is trying to argue Colicchio’s case saying that he is too proud to beg and that Carver cannot go against his own men even with being so close to a higher rank. Carver tells Herc it isn’t about rank and reminds him of their past saying he regrets handing Randy over to Herc but doesn’t use Randy’s name bc he forgot it. Tough to hear that. Herc admits he was in the wrong but doesn’t see the relevance and Carver says it shows that everything they do matters even if they convince themselves it doesn’t. Comparing his situation to Colicchio’s, Herc asks Carver if he feels Herc’s dismissal was justified and when Carver doesn’t answer, he admits is probably was but warns Carver he will get a bad reputation if he does this but to do whatever he feels is right.
Next day, Herc catches Carver before the morning briefing and shocks him by handing over Marlo’s phone number with Herc saying that he hopes this makes up for any of his actions that may have upset Carver also asking him to remind Marlo of his camera when they arrest him. Great moment. Carver tracks down Lester as he is leaving the Davis detail office and it’s his turn to shock someone as he hands Freamon the paper with Marlo’s number on it and Freamon can’t believe it. He asks how on earth he got it and Carver just slyly says “police work.” Later we see McNulty meet with carver to ask him to join the homeless murder investigation and Carver wonders why McNulty would choose him instead of a Sgt from 1 of the districts where the murders occurred and McNulty says there is a catch while Carver can smell what’s coming and says he doesn’t want him or his people getting screwed over. McNulty explains that he is using resources from the homeless murder investigation to help Freamon with the Stanfield investigation and Carver correctly guesses that Freamon is running an illegal wiretap. McNulty denies knowledge and Carver reveals he was the one that gave Freamon, Marlo’s phone number. Carver again correctly guesses that the bosses are holding Freamon back from investigating and is disgusted that they would allow the vacant murders to go unsolved. The question of paperwork comes up but McNulty says he can handle that and just needs Carver to send him people to work the case. Before he leaves, carver asks McNulty about cars and he says the department has an account with a hire firm.
Carver meets with his new surveillance team and explains that the Major Crimes Unit is running an investigation that requires officers to run surveillance and Brown is excited at the news of unlimited OT. All the officers are pumped to learn they will be driving nice, newly rented cars. We see Kima meet with Carver to ask him how he feels about bringing those charges against Colicchio and he says he is at peace with it. Carver’s end on the show is being promoted to Lieutenant in Daniels last act as Commissioner and fck yeah I was pumped to see a character get the end that they deserved. Carver showed his shortcomings at times but in the end he learned from the lessons he was taught and grew into legit great police, 1 that you know Colvin is proud of. I already was a fan of Seth Gilliam from his time on the Walking Dead so Carver was a fav character right away but I genuinely am a fan of his after that great run. Testament to his talents that the 2 characters couldn’t be more different. If they ever did another season of the Wire, I would be shocked if Carver was not the Police Commissioner.
-Det Pryzbylewski “Prez” – Man what an interesting ride it was for this character. Ridiculously flawed to start, works to redeem himself only to suffer a serious relapse into his worst flaws but then comes back from it one more time. Takes a heav of a performance to pull off a character like this and we def got it from Jim True-Frost. When we first meet Prez, I thought he was an absolute moron that was going to make zero positive contributions to the Unit. We seem him discharge his gun inside the office trying to show how light the trigger was and learn he almost lost his job shooting up his own police car while claiming he was shot at lol to say I didn’t have high hopes for his character was an understatement. Prez is def lucky he is the son-in-law of Deputy Commissioner Valchek. It gets worse when Prez, Herc and Carver go to the towers to cause trouble and Prez smashes a kid in the face with his gun. Really pissed me off and had me hating Prez hoping the fallout from this would have him off the show. The residents start raining all kinds of shit down on them and eventually torch their vehicle when they leave the scene. Prez is allowed to continue doing clerical duty until the Grandy Jury has made their decision thanks to Daniels deciding to help protect him.
I wanted Prez punished but I have to admit I actually enjoyed watching his true talents come out figuring out puzzles and codes. Hats off to the writers for going a different direction than making him a total loser and successfully trying to rebuild his character. After the wire is set up on the Barksdale crew, Freamon realizes their pagers are using a code but they have no idea what it could be until Prez steps in and figures it out in no time. Prez went from a complete liability to a huge asset to the team. Really awkward moment when a runner the teams has arrested and brought to the unit ends up being the kid that Prez blinded and Prez can’t even look at him bc he is so ashamed. Prez once again shows his skills by helping Shardene figure out how to use her steps to measure spots in Avon’s club like the office. I couldn’t believe that I was starting to become a fan of Prez. In the S1 finale, Daniels gives Prez his badge and gun back with he brutality case behind him but Prez is reluctant to take it. He likes being in the office and knows that being out in the field hasn’t brought out the best in his character. Prez is def better off in the office using his skills to help solve cases. Prez is the one that takes down the investigation board and man was I bummed to realize that the team was being broken apart and that the Major Crimes Unit was done at least for now.
Prez is put on the new unit investigating Frank Sobotka and his union being made one of the lead investigators due to being Valchek’s son in law. Prez is immediately disappointed with Lt Grayson that is put in charge of the new unit when he won’t approve a wire on Frank Sobotka’s phone and realizes that the investigation is not being handled with any kind of priority. At Valchek’s anniversary party, Prez tells him the investigation is going nowhere under Lt Grayson and that Daniels would be a much better choice to lead it. After Valchek visits the new unit, he realizes Prez is right and demands Daniels be put in charge. With the new unit Prez and Freamon have followed a paper trail of the union making political contributions that add up to 70k so they have an idea of what the extra money is being used for. After getting an idea of where the investigation is, Daniels reassigns Prez and Kima to focus on the investigation of the 14 dead girls in the container. Kima drags Prez along to the strip club to try and get information about who controls the European girls in the city. I stress the word ‘drags’ bc Prez is visibly uncomfortable being in the strip club and refuses to look directly at any of the women. The awkwardness continues when Prez and Kima use the information to locate the place the European girls stay as Kima gives him shit about it. But Prez comes through and figures out that the girls stay on the 6th floor which is crucial information. Pretty damn funny to see Prez way put of his element and how he reacts.
Prez is back in his comfort zone when he is called to go with Kima and track the containers as they leave the docks. They track the latest container to Glekas warehouse where they see Sergei meeting with Prop Joe and Kima takes photos. Next day Prez, Lester and Beadie are watching the computers when they see Horseface working another container that is moving so they track it and it goes right to Glekas warehouse. The Greeks are aware of the Major Crimes Unit investigating them so they have been much more careful which means a lot of boring hours listening to the wiretaps that are giving them nothing. We see Prez starting a shift admiring the case board and all the information they have on the Greeks but Valchek is obsessed with Frank Sobotka and cares about nothing but his arrest. So much that he went over their heads and brought in the FBI who are shifting the focus from the Greeks back to Frank. Just unbelievably frustrating watching people like Valchek not care about the dangerous criminals. Valchek comes into the office later and starts unloading on Daniels for moving the focus away from Frank, telling Daniels that he won’t allow him to use his own people against him so he is taking Prez away from the unit. But Prez refuses to leave so Valchek hits him with some serious insults and this crosses the line as Prez snaps and drills Valchek with a punch. Such a satisfying punch but I couldn’t really enjoy it knowing that Prez was in for a world of shit. Prez hands over his gun and walks into Daniels office. Daniels is able to convince Valchek not to ruin Prez’s career over this but there will be some punishment like working the midnight shift fir a few months and writing an apology to ever person in the room absolving Valchek of any role in provoking Prez. Oh fuck off Valchek.
S3 starts and thankfully we see Prez back in the Major Crimes Unit working a wiretap on the Barksdale crew but the dealer named Cheese they have been following is so careful that in 3 months they haven’t heard his voice. They are monitoring a dealer named Drac who isn’t smart enough to use code words and Prez has a great line, “If that idiot worked for us, he’d be a deputy commissioner by now.” No doubt. After a meeting where Kima kept challenging Daniels about moving the target of the investigation to a lower level dealer, Prez tells her that she embodied the spirit of McNulty and I don’t know if that was a compliment or not lol later after Lester has a confrontation about McNulty not working the new lower level target they are assigned, he has Prez look up the property purchasing records for the front business that Stringer has and they learn he has been working as a property developer. McNulty comes in trying to look impressive by giving them the exact same information they just got, making McNulty look bad bc they did while working the case they were supposed to. Lester gives McNulty room to work the Stringer case for a week and he reports back to them that Stringer acts as ‘the bank’ for the Barksdale crew, using funds from legitimate businesses to buy packages. This system means Stringer is hands off and wouldn’t ever be around or touching the drugs.
Daniels informs the Major Crimes Unit that the focus of investigation is being changed from Kintell Williams to the Barksdale Crew which is disappointing to Prez and Lester who have put a lot of effort into building a case against Kintell. Prez and Lester start to work on the phone Bubbles got them but Prez says the info will be hard to figure out without knowing more about Marlo’s crew. He says they need a Barksdale phone to be able to map out the entire organization. Later, Prez sets up the case board with pictures of Stringer, Bodie and Marlo as they try to come up with a plan to get a Barksdale cell phone. Prez and Lester are able to figure out that there is a network of 15 cell phone users that are managed by a co-ordinator at the top, the phone numbers are pre-programmed into the phones but none of the phones have any user info bc of the company used. They task the District unit to start collecting all burner phones they find.
Next we see Prez reporting to the Major Crimes Unit that he has tracked Bodie’s cell phone and managed to trace its journey from the manufacturer through several wholesalers to the store where it was sold to the user. Lester and Daniels are very impressed. 6 of the other numbers are phones from the same company and Prez has tracked them to the stores they were sold at but no more than 2 bought at any store and they are all bought at stores along the interstate from Baltimore to Richmond. They all admire the discipline the dealers have to drive 200 miles every 2 weeks for new phones. Later after McNulty and Kima get a surveillance tape with a shot of the dealers license plate, new technology from Fitz and the FBI allows Prez to enlarge the picture so they can get the plate number and track the car. They track the car to a rental agency and learn that the dealer rents a car from them every 2 weeks. Was great to see Prez go from a liability to a valuable asset for the Major Crimes Unit.
On Sunday we see Prez and Lester preparing for undercover work to try and get a camera on Stringer Bell’s copy shop when McNulty shows up to try and help but Lester shuts him down. After Sydnor tracks the dealer Bernard on his latest run of buying new phones, Lester moves to set up DNR’s on all of them and the investigation really seems to have some momentum now. Prez and McNulty head out to grab Chinese food for the Unit and as they are waiting outside the restaurant for the food, the hear a call for backup on the radio and realizing they are close, they immediately start driving to the location. They hear shots so Prez lets McNulty out to move on foot and continues to the scene. More shots are heard and when McNulty arrives to the scene he finds Prez standing over a dead body that is African-American. McNulty checks the body and to his horror finds a police badge on a chain around his neck meaning that the dead man is an undercover cop. Prez says that he saw a gun and fired. When other officers arrive on the scene, they confirm that the man was an undercover officer named Derrick Waggoner and are clearly angry about Prez being the shooter given his history.
Prez and McNulty are brought into the station to give statements and Prez meets with Daniels who tries to convince Prez to ask for a lawyer bc of the racial element involved but Prez says it wasn’t motivated by racism, fear or anger as it happened so fast. Daniels tries to start putting together a defence for Prez suggesting that he must have shouted that he was a police officer before shooting but Prez is being 100% honest saying that he doesn’t remember identifying himself. He asks Daniels if Waggoner had a family and Daniels says he doesn’t know but again urges Prez to ask for a lawyer. Prez says either way he is done as a police office and as Daniels is leaving, Prez asks him to apologize to Lester. Man I was so fcking stunned when this went down, I thought Prez had left incidents like this behind and was ready to be a force to be reckoned with for the Major Crimes Unit. Kinda broke your heart to see all that potential Prez was showing as a detective and the growth he had made as a person all erased after this. And then it gets you wondering if he really had changed or if it was all just an act. Terrible for the character but great twist to the story for the viewer.
In the finale of S3 we see Prez meet with Lester on a park bench to discuss his case and his future. Prez tells Lester that he is worried about the review boards decision bc the Vanguard Justice Society, a non-profit that represents black police officers, voted against Prez 6 to 4. Lester urges Prez to fight the charges and tries to lighten the mood telling Prez that 4 out of 10 officers think he is just an asshole lol Prez laughs and jokes that he has always been guilty of failing to identify himself as a police officer and says he was not meant to be police. Lester questions what Prez thinks he was meant to do as they leave. Thought that was it for Prez but much to my surprise, in S4 we see Prez as a trainee teacher pending his certification, heading into the school to apply for a job. Principal Withers doesn’t seem impressed until she learns Prez is a former Baltimore Police officer and immediately hires him. I don’t know if I would be flattered or scared lol we see Prez attend a teaching seminar that is about as useful as the seminars he used to attend as a police officer. The seminar is talking about using praise and self belief to motivate their students which might as well be telling them to use unicorns and elves considering the environment. The teachers question the lady running the seminar what the plan suggests when students vandalize the classroom and try to use textbooks and pencil sharpeners as weapons. Prez heads to his new classroom which is a mess but he seems happy and excited about the opportunity to make a difference by teaching. After everything that had happened, I was rooting for Prez to be successful as a teacher but def thought it was gonna end in disaster again.
Next we see Prez removing the gum from under the desks in his class as he gets ready for the new school year and heads off to find some teachers for advice on rules he should enforce. They tell him the rules are simple; insist the children double space their work so it is easier to read, use consistent headings on work and keep the windows closed to keep the class drowsy. The last one might raise some eyebrows but when you see what the teachers have to deal with, it makes sense. Prez wonders if he can stop the kids from chewing gum but they advise him to stick to rules that he can enforce. Next day it’s time for Prez to see what he is made of as a teacher as classes begin and his students come into the class as Prez tries his best to get them to follow a seating chart. He has trouble getting the classes attention until Randy helps him out and settles the class down so Prez can talk. Prez tries to start thing off light with a joke about his name but it lands to crickets lol so he starts to hand out bus passes only to realize that the students didn’t follow his seating plan so the passes are all mixed up and when he tries to collect them back, Randy asks for a hall pass to use the bathroom so Prez tells him to grab one from the desk. But with Prez distracted, Randy grabs a bunch of hall passes before another teacher Mrs. Sampson comes in to help get things in order and the kids all hand the bus passes back.
Later we see Prez teaching a class that includes Michael, Dukie and Namond when a girl sitting next to Dukie asks to move bc he smells. Prez tries to urge her to show Dukie some compassion but she isn’t having it and moves to the back of the room. When Prez tries to teach a math problem about driving to Philadelphia, he is constantly side-tracked by the kids focusing on all the minor details that have no relevance to the math equation lol I thought it was so funny to hear all the little things the kids focused on in the problem. These are the kind of minds that should become detectives bc they can focus on things that most people would look right past. They see things differently than most people. It’s such a shame that we live in a world that tries to correct minds like that instead of celebrating them and nourishing them to help them become stronger. A girl named Chiquan is bullying a girl named Laetitia by reflecting light off her watch into Laetitia’s eyes and they start fighting and when Prez breaks it up, Randy slips out of the room.
In the afternoon classes, Prez is still not having much luck teaching the math problem as the students that want to learn are constantly disrupted by the students that want to cause trouble. At the end of the day, Prez is cleaning up the desks when he sees notes on the problem which makes him happy to know that he was able to reach 1 kid. But that balances out when he sees derogatory graffiti about him using the nickname ‘Prezbo’ lol hey you win some you lose some but at least it wasn’t a total loss of a day. Next day Prez tries a different example using a rocket ship instead of driving to Philly and it is slightly more successful as the kids can’t make as many jokes but they still aren’t figuring out the answer. Randy is the only one that is able to answer the question correctly and this gave me high hopes for Randy’s potential with Prez as a teacher bc you could tell Randy was on another level with his intelligence. Unfortunately the situation between Laetitia and Chiquan escalates when Laetitia attacks her and cuts her face with the box cutter. Prez is shocked at the violence and is threatened by Laetitia before Mrs. Sampson comes in and slaps Laetitia, takes the knife and has another student call 911. They comfort Chiquan and try to stop her bleeding as Dukie comforts Laetitia and gives her the broken electric fan that he fixed. Man that is the unfortunate reality of working in the schools in these neighbourhoods but it’s still tough to watch. Nothing Prez could have done to prevent this from happening so I was confident it wouldn’t derail his teaching career but def not what you want to happen in your 1st week.
We see Prez at home with his wife planning a talk to his class to help them get over the violent incident they witnessed. His wife urges him to take a break and get out of the house but he is too focused on planning the talk to take her advice. Back at school, Bubbles protege Sherrod is introduced to Prez and joins the class. Prez attempts to talk to the class about the incident but is constantly interrupted by Namond and others questioning him about his past as a police officer. Randy and Sherrod use these distractions to sneak out and Prez sees Sherrod outside taking a book from the ground outside the classroom window which makes Prez suspicious. Next day Prez attempts to restore order in the class by instituting new rules like prizes for good behaviour and for the top 4 performing students and an hour detention for kids that constantly disrupt the class. A kid named Zenobia tests Prez by asking for a pencil and then throwing it away so she gets detention. Michael is refusing to attempt his work so Prez gives him detention. Kareem sees the principal searching the bushes where Sherrod took the book and alerts Namond as the kids crowd around the window to see the principal find a knife that Namond had stashed there. As Prez gets the kids back to their desks, he sees that Namond has not done his work so he gives him detention. Namond swears at Prez so he sends him to the office to see the principal. Def the right thing to make some rules but kids are gonna test them so Prez has to stand firm.
Detention is a full house with the exception of Michael who did not show up. After the kids pressure Prez to let them go early, he finally agrees and they leave as Randy, Dukie, and Namond show up and Namond apologizes to Prez for his actions saying he feels unable to control himself. Namond also tells Prez that he has been suspended. Recognizing that Dukie is in a vulnerable situation, Prez gives him a bag of clothes and toiletries. Randy sees Michael’s name circled on the detention sheet and informs Prez that Michael will never attend detention bc he has to pick his little brother up from school thanks to his Mother’s drug addiction. This hits home with Prez and they all leave the school together. They see a kid named Donut waiting for someone in Mrs. Sampson’s detention saying she never lets anyone leave early. Prez is missing his keys and Dukie sees them inside Prez’s car which is of course locked so Randy has Donut pop the lock in about 10 seconds lol loved this scene bc it’s like, you don’t want kids knowing how to break into cars but damn if it isn’t nice to get your keys back with no hassle. Next day, Prez meets with Michael and encourages him to come talk to him if he can’t make it to detention. Prez also meets with Dukie and gives him some of his lunch, a hall pass and some change to get a drink. After Dukie leaves, Prez asks another student why Dukie isn’t wearing the clothes that he gave him and she tells Prez that Dukie’s family steals his clothes/possessions to sell for drug money. So brutal man you just want to help Dukie and his family bc nobody should have to live like that.
Next morning, Prez stops the boys as they head to class and asks Dukie to come with him as Prez takes Dukie to a locker in the gym where Prez is going to put fresh clothes for Dukie to wear each day. He also says he will wash Dukie’s dirty clothes if he leaves them in the locker and also offers to let him in the school early so Dukie can use the shower. Man this is what I wanted to see from Prez, teaching is def his true calling. After some kids attack Randy in the hall, Prez breaks it up and talks to Randy about what happened who tells him everyone knows he talked to the police so Prez tells him not to talk to police anymore. Later we see Prez stop at the Major Crimes Unit to talk with Daniels about Randy who is in trouble for his role in the alleged sexual assault that occurred at school. Prez pleads with Daniels to not let Randy get chewed up by the system and even surprises Daniels by saying that Carver would be the best person to help Randy. Daniels questions Prez’s motives and Prez just says that Randy is 1 of his students and that he cares about his wellbeing. Next day at lunch, Prez sees Michael and Karim playing poker and tells them that they can eat lunch in the classroom as long as they don’t gamble. When Michael wins the hand, Prez talks to Karim about making bets based on the odds which intrigues Michael and he asks to learn more. Finally getting them interested in learning, Prez rolls with it and goes to the stock room to get some dice from old board games. Ms. Sampson tells him where to get the dice but also urges him to stay on curriculum. But when Prez gets to the storage room, he is stunned to find unopened math textbooks and brand new computers, both of which he immediately puts to use in his classroom. He has the computer set up for a special class project and has the students using the new textbooks and when he checks the kids work, it’s not a total victory but Michael finished the entire assignment and others are starting to engage with the material. It’s baby steps when it comes to teaching these kids but you can make progress if the patience is there. The contrast between the beginning of the new program Colvin is running and the environment in Prez’s class is significant, the new program has the kids acting out while Prez has his class interested in learning math through the dice games. Ms. Sampson observes the class and Prez explains that his plan is to trick them into thinking they aren’t learning when they actually are. Honestly this is a more effective method than trying to teach the kids with examples that have nothing to do with their world.
We see Prez teaching an afternoon class as he observes Randy and Calvin not paying attention so he asks Calvin the answer to the question and he answers correctly. Prez asks him to explain how he got the answer and Calvin says he saw the answer on the board from the previous class lol hey at least he is honest. As Prez tries to get the students ready for the state exam, a couple students are very frustrated with the differences between how Prez presents the problems and what is on the tests. But we see Dukie able to apply what he has learned to figure out the problem but when he tries to help Charlene, she gets mad and leaves the class. You want the whole class to get it but def gotta take the small wins, he is getting through to some of the kids and that is a win. Later we see Prez discussing the difficulty his class is having with the state tests and the other teachers assure him that expectations are very low for the results but Mrs. Hanson and Mrs. Shapiro re-iterate that it is important to stay on the curriculum for this reason. Ms. Sampson suggests that Prez spend half the time teaching the state tests and the other half with his own approach that has been working. Mrs. Hanson says that your first year teaching is all about surviving. Man teachers def do not get paid enough. At lunch, Prez observes Dukie using the computer to show Crystal how to shop online but sees a despondent Michael in the back. Prez offers to talk or direct him to the school social worker but Michael doesn’t say anything. Tough bc you want to help but you can’t help someone that doesn’t want it.
Next day Prez is approached by Randy and Dukie about using his credit card to buy candy in bulk online for Randy’s business. Prez is reluctant but wants to keep them engaged so he agrees but only if they give him the money up front and warns them about selling drugs to get the money faster. Trying to walk that line of authority and friends is really tough and can go bad very fast so I was nervous about Prez helping them but you could tell that the kids appreciated having someone they could count on. Assistant Principal Donnelly holds a meeting to inform the teachers of new teaching material only designed to get the kids to pass these tests. The way it is structured the kids will probably not actually learn much but they should be able to pass. This doesn’t sit well with Prez who actually wants to help these kids learn and comments that this feels like ‘juking the stats’ from his days as a police officer. Back in class, the kids are def bored by the new material and as Prez goes over their answers, it is clear that they are not getting it. Next day Prez notices that the temperature has gone up in his class and Ms. Sampson informs him that this time of year they switch to longer classes to prepare for the state exams and the higher temps keep the kids drowsy and less disruptive. Later we see Prez being watched by Miss Sheperdson as he teaches the state exam but as soon as she leaves, he goes back to teaching his style of lessons. Next day Prez stops in to see Carver and confronts him about feeling betrayed about how Carver has handled Randy who is now being seriously bullied bc the police weren’t careful enough about protecting him and now everyone suspects that he is a rat. Carver is apologetic and says he will put a plain clothes unit on Randy’s house and will work to find out exactly how Randy was exposed as an informant.
Next day Prez visits Randy and his foster Mother Anna at home where Randy is staying to try and keep him safe until everything dies down. Prez gives him his schoolwork and tells Anna he hopes this won’t continue much longer but she says they are considering switching schools to keep this from escalating anymore. As he leaves, Prez notices a car down the block and you hope it’s the plain clothes unit. In the morning, Prez meets with Asst Principal Donnelly to try and convince her that Dukie is not ready for Grade 9 and to keep him in Prez’s class for another year but Donnelly says despite the efforts she has seen Prez put in with Dukie, he can’t get too close to his students and must accept that they will move on. Back in class, the kids are disruptive at first but eventually Prez is able to successfully focus them on the preparation for the state exam questions. After school, Dukie talks to Prez about his fears of moving onto Grade 9 as Prez tries to assure him that he is ready and that he can come see Prez anytime if he needs anything. So sad to see the numbers being more important than the person, Dukie would have thrived in life with another year under Prez but instead he is looked at as another problem to get rid of. The day for the state exams is here and Prez watches as almost all of his students put in effort to complete the exam. When he receives the results, Prez is initially very pleased that over a 3rd of the class have been given a ‘proficient’ grade but Ms. Sampson grounds him saying that ‘proficient’ means the student reads at an age 2 years below their own. Prez bashfully says he still has a lot to learn but Ms. Sampson assures him he will be fine. We watch as Prez welcomes back the special class students and despite an initial outburst from Albert, everyone settles into the class without disruption.
We don’t see Prez again until the final episode of the series when Dukie, who has been left to fend for himself on the streets and has connected with a heroin addicted junk collector, comes into the school to ask Prez for a favour. Duk asks Prez for money to get an apartment so he can enroll in community college to get his GED. Prez is def skeptical and agrees to give Duk the money but, “Prez: I can do it, if that’s what you want. And I don’t even care about the money. But understand I’m gonna go down to B.C.C.C. in a few days and find out if you’re enrolled. And if you are, I’m gonna say, ‘Great. Duquan can come past with his certificate when he gets it and we’re still friends. And he can still rely on me.’ But if you aren’t enrolled, then… well, I imagine I’m not gonna see you again, am I?” Dukie agrees but Prez watches him leave and sees Dukie take the money right to the junk collector and they drive off together. Prez knows in that moment that a good kid with potential has become another statistic and that he will never see Dukie again. So fcking sad to see a teacher that wants to help and a student that wants help but the system won’t allow it. Something is really wrong with us when we set up society this way and refuse to change it even when we are aware of the shortcomings. What a ride of emotions Prez took us on, man you never knew what was coming next with his character. Just when I thought I had the answers, Prez would change the questions. That’s what you want out of characters, to make you feel and question what is coming next. 1 of the great, complex characters in TV history. I’m really happy that Prez ended his story as the best version of himself and hopefully he inspired many more teachers in real life to be the Prez in their school.
-Sgt Jay Landsman – Couldn’t help but like this character, thought it was funny that he was usually either eating or looking at porn lol great job by Delaney Williams making the character likable when he easily could have been annoying in a bad way. We first see him warning McNulty that if he keeps pushing his luck he could find himself assigned to exactly where he doesn’t want to be. Rawls is leaning heavily on Det Santangelo for dirt on McNulty going so far as to deliver an ultimatum that Santangelo either clear one of his unsolved cases by the end of the day or deliver some dirt on McNulty. Since there isn’t any dirt on McNulty, Landsman suggests visiting a psychic and Santangelo is so desperate he actually does it lol Landsman was on the scene of Kima’s shooting trying to keep people clear so the detectives could investigate. As S2 starts McNulty visits Homicide and Landsman denies telling Rawls that McNulty didn’t want to go to harbour patrol but we know he did. The homicide unit is obsessed with keeping the unsolved murder rate down so Jimmy moves to get some revenge, “Rawls: Sergeant! Your floater’s come back. County boards are puttin’ her on our side of the bridge. Landsman: No fuckin’ way. Rawls: Yeah, some useless fuck in our marine unit faxed ’em a report on the early morning tides and wind currents. Shows the body went into the water west of the bridge and drifted out. Landsman: McNulty. Rawls: Fuckin’ Jimmy. Fuckin’ with us for the fun of it. I gotta give the son of a bitch some credit for wit on this one. Cocksucker. Landsman: Motherfucker.” LOL
Landsman gives Beadie the ok to drop the uniform and wear plain clothes while working the case in the way only he can, “Landsman: There is some charm to a woman in uniform. But the fact remains we work plain clothes in Homicide. Not to say that the clothes need be plain. For you, l would suggest some pantsuits muted in colour. Something to offset Detective Moreland’s pinstriped, lawyerly affectations and the brash, tweedy impertinence of Detective Freamon.” Lol Landsman is frustrated when Bunk and Beadie ask to use a computer to track the container movements but gets happier when he thinks there might be a chance Daniels takes the 14 murdered women case. He wasn’t a bad guy but Landsman was one of the poster child’s for caring more about numbers than the actual cases and the people they affected. Landsman is the office that takes the confession from Ziggy after he kills Glekas. Landsman could tell Ziggy was a good kid that made a horrible decision and was afraid for what this kid was about to walk into. You could read the empathy on Landsman face which gave me a lot more respect for him. He can be an asshole that makes you think he doesn’t care but when it gets real he usually becomes the kind of police we want him to be.
After one of the officers named Dozerman has his gun stolen, Landsman is hounding Bunk to track it down bc a cop’s gun used in a murder is the last thing they need right now. When Landsman see’s Bunk working on a murder case instead of looking for Dozerman’s weapon, he gives him shit and denies Bunk’s request to bring in a witness. Instead Landsman tells Bunk that they have multiple drug dealers claiming they have the weapon and wanting to exchange it for a better deal but Bunk quickly realizes they are all bullshitters. Eventually Landsman relents and allows Bunk to work on the murder case realizing that is more important. Bunk is able to locate Dozerman’s gun which is given back to him at a press conference with Burrell and Carcetti. Later when Briana Barksdale tries to reach McNulty, Landsman immediately reaches out to him to give him her number knowing that McNulty has been working the Stringer Bell case hard. After Prez accidentally kills an African American undercover officer, Landsman advises Daniels not to go talk to Prez due to the potential legal implications but Daniels insists so Landsman lets him into the room. Afterwards, Landsman is discussing the incident with McNulty and Det Holley and tells them that the undercover officer killed was a 6-year decorated veteran and was 16th on the Sargeant’s list. Landsman also lists all of Prez’s failings as an officer and admits the whole things is a cluster fuck considering a highly decorated officer was killed by a consistently inept officer.
S4 starts with a state witness being murdered and we see Landsman discussing it with the lead detective Norris who instructs him to downplay the witness aspect of it but to use as much OT as he needs to solve it. Once Norris leaves, Landsman phones Valchek to inform him of the investigation as that info is good political capital. Next after Kima flees Lt Marimow and the Major Crimes Unit to join Homicide, Landsman greets her and shares her disdain for Marimow saying, “Marimow does not cast off talent lightly. He heaves it away with great force.” No doubt. Landsman informs her that Freamon just arrived at Homicide yesterday and continues to show her around eventually giving her a phone message. Freamon and Landsman encourage Kima to answer the message and it turns out to be a prank lol so stupid yet still funny. Later we see Foerster back from meeting with Burrell and Rawls to tell Landsman that the state witness case is being reassigned to Kima and they both share doubts about this being a good idea. After all hell breaks loose for Mayor Royce with a rookie detective being assigned to the murdered state witness case, they add Norris back to the case and Landsman breaks the news to Kima who laments being embarrassed twice with this case. Landsman tells her that she better be ready to play the political part of the game now that she is in Homicide and sends her to a press conference about the murder.
Next day there is a potential break in the case but Rawls shows up to meet with Landsman to explain why it would be very bad for a break to happen in the case before the election. Rawls says that they are 2 officers short for polling station duty and Landsman knows that Norris and Kima are filling those spots to keep them busy until after the election. Just makes you shake your head. After the election, Kima and Norris bring in their informant and Kima lightly snaps back at Landsman about political interference when he comments about the progress in the case. Landsman see’s Freamon working on his miniature furniture and is impressed with how much money Lester makes off of them. Next day Landsman is introduces Mayor Carcetti to the Homicide unit and informs them that Carcetti will be observing them for the day. Landsman also announces the death of Col Foerster and that there is a wake for him that night at the pub. When the meeting breaks, Carcetti tells them to just act normal and they all stop pretending to work and look busy lol later we see Landsman arrives at the vacant buildings where Lester is finding all the bodies that Marlo’s enforcers have hid in them not to help him, oh no, but to stop him bc adding more unsolved murders to their board will kill the clearance rate for the year, “Landsman: We do not go looking for bodies. Especially moldering fucking John Does!” lol funny in the context of a TV show but really not considering it is closer to reality than fiction in the real world the show is supposed to represent.
Next day Landsman walks in the office singing a Christmas carol when he sees the case board with 10+ John Doe’s added to it thanks to Lester searching the vacant apartments. Lets just say he is not happy, “Landsman: All that from overnight Det. Ed Norris: All that from Freamon. He’s out early today rooting through empties. Landsman: You know what he is? He is a vandal. He is vandalizing the board. He is vandalizing this unit. He is a Hun, a Visigoth, a barbarian at the gate clamoring for noble Roman blood and what’s left of our clearance rate.” LOL can’t help but laugh. Landsman can’t believe it when he learns Norris is working a case without a body but is relieved to learn the perpetrator is in custody having turned himself in. In the interrogation room we see that it’s Bubbles who is going through the effects of withdrawal and vomits on the detectives. They leave to clean up but when they return they see Bubbles hanging and frantically try to get him down and revive him. Bubbles survives and tells Landsman the entire story about Sherrod’s death and begs Landsman to lock him up. But Landsman knows this was not murder and that Bubbles is not a bad person so he instructs them to send Bubbles to rehab. For all his bullshit, when it gets real, Landsman is good police.
S5 starts and we get the opposite end of the spectrum when Landsman helps manipulate a suspect into thinking his partner is turning on him and pretending a copy machine is a lie detector. I know the suspects are guilty but still feels so dirty. After the numbers game costs Burrell his job as commissioner, we see Landsman relaying the story to Norris about Burrell resigning, Rawls stepping in as temporary commissioner until Daniels eventually takes the job permanently. Landsman feigns offence that he wasn’t considered for the job and bets that Daniels doesn’t last the year. Bunk arrives with another report about the vacant murders which Landsman immediately shuts away in a drawer and Bunk is rightfully pissed that his reports are being ignored while Landsman says Bunk is basically submitting the same report just with a different date. Bunk vents about his reports being ignored and still waiting for the crime lab to process evidence on 14 of the 22 vacant murder victims. So fn frustrating but his pleas are falling on deaf ears with Landsman in full numbers mode. Next day after news about McNulty’s serial killer hits the papers, McNulty tries to show Landsman but he says he is already aware of it but is refusing to accept that this is an actual serial killer. Later we see Landsman looking at a women’s clothing catalogue and he remarks tat it’s a nice change of pace to see women with their clothes on lol fn guy. When McNulty arrives at Homicide, Landsman sends him right back out bc McNulty’s serial killer has called the Baltimore Sun.
Next day we see Landsman discussing cases with Bunk and Norris when Landsman reveals they found sealed indictments at Prop Joe’s place, 1 for a politician that fled before he could be arrested last year so they now know there is someone dirty at the court house. After the press conference from Carcetti, Rawls and Daniels about supporting the police in catching McNulty’s serial killer, McNulty puts in a request to Landsman for surveillance which Landsman immediately puts in his desk saying that despite the press conference, he hasn’t received any more funds or manpower. Landsman also reminds McNulty that he refused to take Kima as a 2nd detective on the case and that if he doesn’t want her then he is on his own. After Marlo and his crew are arrested, we see Landsman berating McNulty over his lack of progress in the serial killer case and McNulty is just a depressed mess about it. After word gets around that the serial killer was made up by McNulty and Freamon, they both quietly leave the force and a mock wake is held for McNulty and we see Landsman deliver what would I guess be the eulogy, “Landsman: He was natural po-lice. Yes, he was. And I don’t say that about many people. Even when they’re out here on the felt. I don’t give that one up unless it happens to be true. Natural po-lice. … [pretends to choke up] … But, Christ, what an asshole!…Jimmy, I say this seriously. If I was laying there dead on some Baltimore street corner, I’d want you standing over me, catching the case. Because, brother, when you were good, you were the best we had. Bunk: Shit, if you were lying there dead on some corner, it probably was Jimmy that done ya. Landsman: [as the other cops laugh] If you caught the case, you’d be down there pissing in my ear!” lol fuck that was great and a perfect final scene for Landsman bc when he was good and actually gave a shit, he was 1 of the best. But he also went to the Rawls school of being a good soldier in the department rather than good police and that got him to where he is so it’s hard to fault him for it. I know that if it was up to Landsman, the legit investigations would get the support they need. Great character that added to the realism and brought a funny side to the seriousness of the show.
-Maj William Rawls – As much as I couldn’t stand Rawls most of the time, gotta give John Doman credit for his great job playing a sort of villain but at the same time not going all the way with it. Rawls is def an antagonist for most characters but needed to retain some likeability which he did. I was always hoping for Rawls to stop being such an asshole and embrace guys like Jimmy who wanted to do real police work. But he really pissed me off in S1 constantly going after McNulty, he wants Jimmy punished for his pursue of the Gant investigation which clearly was a witness being killed and that would def warrant an investigation. Fck off and be real police. Gotta admit Rawls hatred of McNulty did lead to some funny exchanges, “Rawls: McNulty! Where in fuck is he? Landsman: I— uh… he’s detailed, Major, to narcotics. Rawls: I fuckin’ know where he’s detailed. I fuckin’ already know that.” LOL Rawls can’t punish McNulty yet so he has his personal items removed from his desk. Rawls calls a meeting with Landsman and Mc Nulty where Rawls informs McNulty he expects him to be finished with the case and back to homicide within a week but that ain’t happening. Rawls is especially being a dick telling Landsman to have Bunk charge the cases prematurely knowing it will cause Avon to change things up negating all the work the Major Crimes Unit has done so far. Daniels comes to ask Rawls personally, “Daniels: Major, I’m asking as a favor. Rawls: As a favor? Daniels: Yes, sir. A favor. Rawls: In that case… no!” Unreal lol but Daniels goes to Burrell to overrule Rawls and wait to charge the cases. Rawls is pissed and asks his mole in the Major Crimes Unit Det Santangelo to give him information about any misdeeds in the unit esp McNulty.
With nothing incriminating on McNulty, Rawls gives Santangelo an ultimatum to either clear one of his unsolved cases by the end of the day or deliver some dirt on McNulty. The guy is a fn menace this season. But in the episode after Kima is shot, Rawls proves he can actually be a decent guy first clearing the crime scene for Landsman, “Rawls: What do you need? Jay Landsman: Room to work. I keep ordering people off the scene, and… between Narcotics, DEA, and the two districts, we keep collecting more and more bodies around here. Rawls: Nobody move! I said, nobody fucking move! If you have not been assigned a specific task by a homicide detective, you need to step away from this crime scene. Is there anybody doesn’t understand a direct order? If you have not specifically been instructed otherwise, then remove your useless, interfering asses from the area. Now! Slow this thing down to a crawl. Give these bastards no chance to fuck up in a meaningful way.” The DEA gave the money to the Major Crimes Unit to use for the bust and they ask Rawls about it showing callous disregard for Kima and Rawls basically tells them to fuck off. Rawls finds McNulty at the scene in shock covered in Kima’s blood and actually consoles him and brings him to the hospital. They hear a recording at the hospital of how the shooting went down and McNulty vomits forcing Rawls to again try and hammer home that this isn’t his fault. I couldn’t help but laugh at Rawls “pep talk,” “Rawls: Listen to me, you fuck. You did a lot of shit here. You played a lot of fucking cards. And you made a lot of fucking people do a lot of fucking things they didn’t want to do. This is true. We both know this is true. You, McNulty, are a gaping asshole. We both know this. Fuck if everybody in CID doesn’t know it. But fuck if I’m gonna stand here and say you did a single fucking thing to get a police shot. You did not do this, you fucking hear me? This is not on you. *McNulty nods* No it isn’t, asshole. Believe it or not, everything isn’t about you. And the motherfucker saying this, he hates your guts, McNulty. So you know if it was on you, I’d be the son of a bitch to say so. Shit went bad. She took two for the company. That’s the only lesson here.” Man what a great scene, there is humour to it but keeps the seriousness it requires and shows that Rawls can be a great leader when the events call for one. He easily could’ve destroyed McNulty but he didn’t bc he knew he wasn’t at fault and McNulty def needed to hear that in the moment. Added layers to Rawls that made the character great.
Rawls brings McNulty in to gives him sarcastic congratulations for the case and to have a laugh about his conduct in the meeting, “Rawls: Great work you all did. And the number of clearances I’m looking at here? I mean, Christ, for the first time this year, we got the clearance rate up over 40%. That’s on the one hand. On the other hand, I know the Deputy Ops got a call from the First Deputy U.S. Attorney this morning asking whether an asshole such as yourself really works for us. And, of course, this is the first the deputy hears his troops are creeping behind his back, trying to take a case federal when they’ve already been told the case is closed. You’re a good detective. And I’ve got to admit you got some stones on you. Did you actually call the first deputy an empty suit? [Chuckles] I want to see you land okay, Jimmy. So, tell me, where don’t you wanna go?” Unfortunately for McNulty, Rawls knows the answer to that question. Season 2 starts and we see that Rawls sent McNulty to the last place he wanted to go, the Marine Unit. But it backfires when a body turn up in the water and Rawls tries to assign it to another district but McNulty knows it was in Rawls territory so he types up a report on the exact location of the body that gets the case sent back to Rawls and they know exactly who did it, “Rawls: Sergeant! Your floater’s come back. County boards are puttin’ her on our side of the bridge. Landsman: No fuckin’ way. Rawls: Yeah, some useless fuck in our marine unit faxed ’em a report on the early morning tides and wind currents. Shows the body went into the water west of the bridge and drifted out. Landsman: McNulty. Rawls: [laughs] Fuckin’ Jimmy. Fuckin’ with us for the fun of it. I gotta give the son of a bitch some credit for wit on this one. [laughs] Cocksucker. Landsman: Motherfucker.” LOL too funny.
After 13 Jane Doe’s are found dead in a shipping container, Rawls meets with Robert Norris, commander of the port police, to ensure that the cases are not assigned to Rawls unit and the meeting is a success. But Rawls happiness is short-lived bc at the same time as the meeting, McNulty was investigating and saw that the crushed air pipe that caused the Jane Doe’s to suffocate was deliberately crushed making it murder and not accidental death. McNulty was also working with the coroner to confirm that the time of death of the 13 Jane Doe’s matched up with the Jane Doe McNulty found in the water. With McNulty’s help, the coroner determined that Jane Doe McNulty found came from the container making it 14 homicides of unknown women and Rawls unit is responsible for investigating every single one. Def satisfying to see McNulty get one back on Rawls here. After a 9 year old boy is killed by a stray bullet in a shootout involving Bodie and his crew, Rawls is on the scene to try and show his leadership. Rawls was absolutely a fn dick most of the time but when things got serious, you could see the good in him like this scene and when Kima is shot. The public needs to see some action from police after something like this so Rawls orders Colvin to have his units arrest as many dealers as they possibly can.
Next we see Rawls meet with Bunk and Lester who tell him that they need to understand how the goods move through the port to figure out what is happening with the shipping containers. Rawls is pissed that they didn’t hold the ship in port and says that they are his scapegoats if the investigation does not lead to arrests. Next, Rawls informs Lester that he has been re-assigned from the 14 murders to the Sobotka investigation, “Lester: Colonel, respectfully, did you just fuck me over without giving me half a chance to clear this case? Rawls: Let’s be clear, Detective Freamon. When I fuck you over, you’ll know it. You’ll be so goddamn certain, you won’t need to ask the question.” lol McNulty can confirm that. Later we see Rawls meet with Daniels to try and get him to take the 14 murders and while he initially refuses, Lester, Bunk and Kima convince him to take them bc they feel they can solve the case under Daniels. But Daniels only takes them after Rawls assures them that they will have his full support. We see just how much Rawls wants to punish McNulty when he approves all of Daniels choices for the new unit he is in charge of to investigate Frank Sobotka…except McNulty who Rawls says has 2 chances of getting out of the marine unit, quitting or drowning lol but eventually after Daniels once again makes a pitch for McNulty to join his team, Rawls finally agrees bc he knows he needs Daniels to clear those 14 murders and that is worth more to him than continuing to fuck with Jimmy. As the season closes, we see Rawls and Landsman celebrating after the 14 Jane Doe murders were cleared from the board.
S3 starts with Rawls and Acting Commissioner Burrell in a police dept review meeting where they are being grilled by councilmen Carcetti and Gray abut the increase in violent crime in the Eastern district. Rawls and Burrell hold COMSTAT meetings and berate the commanders for not focusing in getting the numbers down. Burrell delivers the news that they need to cut their crime numbers by 5% and keep murders under 275 which frustrates the commanders considering their resources are already stretched too thin. Rawls says he will not accept any excuses and says that Baltimore would have 4000 murders if they had the population of NYC. It is suggested in not so many words that the commanders juke the stats but ‘Bunny’ Colvin wonders aloud how you can make a body disappear. He is met with no sympathy as Burrell says they will consider replacing any commander that cannot reduce his crime stats. Next day we see Rawls at a COMSTAT meeting giving the East District commander Maj Taylor serious shit for his terrible crime stats and actually tells Taylor that he has 8 hours to produce some results or he is done in the unit. It’s like handcuffing someone’s hands behind their back and then getting mad at them bc they aren’t using their hands. At the next COMSTAT meeting, Rawls continues to berate Taylor until Burrell steps in and demotes Taylor. The berating continues at the next COMSTAT meeting with Colvin taking the brunt of it this time being the only commander whose stats have risen. Rawls actually singles out Daniels as a great example after he solved the shootings in the Eastern District. Burrell makes it clear that nothing will save the commanders jobs if they don’t lower their numbers.
Next we see Rawls and Burrell in a meeting with Carcetti who is asking about a murdered state witness and Rawls tries to defend their efforts saying that they have homicide and narcotics task force officers working the case as well as reaching out to the FBI and DEA for support. But Gray says it is too little too late and that more should have been done to protect witnesses before a tragedy occurred. Just a never ending cycle of the higher ups demanding things that cost money but never giving any money to accomplish the goals. At the next COMSTAT meeting, Rawls and Burrell target the Auto Theft Unit and give them shit for operating during the day when most thefts occur at night lol after Colvin starts his “Hamsterdam” project unbeknownst to everyone else, the numbers go down significantly which Rawls questions but nobody is taking credit for it, “Rawls: Amazing. Crime is down and no one wants to take any credit. What is wrong with this picture?” He figures Colvin must be messing with the numbers to get that kind of drop and asks for Colvin’s records so he can double check the stats. Later we see Rawls and Burrell in one of Carcetti’s public safety sub-committee meetings where Carcetti is grilling them about the sudden significant drop in numbers from Colvin’s Western District and the lack of a witness protection program but they don’t really have any good answers for him.
After Prez accidentally kills an African American undercover officer, Rawls, Valchek and Col Foerster are discussing the incident with Valchek defending Prez who is his son in law while Rawls assures Valchek that they are not trying to ruin anyone’s career over this. But Rawls adds that there is a racial aspect to the case bc considering the way that it happened, there is a question to whether Prez would have fired his weapon if the undercover officer was white. At the next COMSTAT meeting, Colvin details his Hamsterdam plan and Rawls figures out how he achieved the significant drop in crime, “Rawls: Bunny, you cocksucker, I got to give it to you, a brilliant idea. Insane and illegal, but stone fuckin’ brilliant nonetheless. After all my puttin’ my foot up people’s asses to get the numbers down, he comes along and in one stroke, gets a 14 fuckin’ percent decrease. Fuckin’ shame it’s gonna end our careers, but still.” lol love him or hate him but the man has a way with words. Burrell immediately ends the meeting and calls Colvin, Rawls and Maj Reed into his office declaring he is dead while Maj Reed says the entire department is going down. Colvin says he acted alone but will lie about who sanctioned the plan and Burrell can’t believe he would threaten them in his position. Burrell says the decrease in crime stats won’t save them and tells Colvin to take his vacation time as to not draw attention to himself. On his way out, Colvin drops the final bomb that a Baltimore Sun reporter knows about Hamsterdam and is just delaying the story a week. Prob about the last thing Rawls expected to deal with when he woke up that morning. Later in the episode, another character that has no connection to Rawls go into a gay club and sure enough we see Rawls in the background having drinks. Such a crazy moment bc you have no idea what to do with that information or what it means and then it never comes up on the show again.
Next day, Rawls suggests that they could avoid major political fallout from Hamsterdam if they shut it down immediately and Maj Reed checks to confirm that they are ready to move on it and just need the go ahead from the mayor’s office which has surprisingly not come yet. Burrell phones the mayors office and eventually learns that Mayor Royce wants more time for his office to discuss the situation and strategy going forward. Rawls questions Burrell on the motive for this stance and Burrell thinks Royce is trying to position the police department to take 100% blame for Hamsterdam and decides to take action to spin this against Mayor Royce and his office. Next day, Burrell finally gets the OK to move on Hamsterdam which Rawls is more than happy to oblige as we see him execute the order with ‘Rise of the Valkyries’ playing in the background. At night, Rawls tours Hamsterdam with Coleman Parker from the mayors office and promise to have everything demolished overnight. Officers discover the body of Johnny, Bubble’s friend and Rawls has him transported in a prisoner transport vehicle instead of an ambulance as to not draw attention to his death. Sad end for Johnny. Next day it is time to take down Colvin as Rawls and Burrell meet with him to deliver his punishments. Burrell has personally phoned Johns Hopkins to inform them about Hamsterdam and kill Colvin’s job as director of security and Rawls tells Colvin he must also take full responsibility for Hamsterdam and accept a demotion with a smaller pension if he wants to protect his people. If he doesn’t accept these conditions, Rawls threatens to refuse promotions and find discharge/misconduct excuses to punish Colvin’s shift supervisors. At the next COMSTAT meeting, Rawls and Burrell relieve Colvin of his duties and give the promotion to Mello.
S4 starts with Rawls discussing Burrell’s latest headache over 2 state senators with high political connections being served subpoenas by the BPD leading to a pissed off Mayor Royce chewing out Burrell and demanding action. They wonder who the instigator of the subpoenas could be and of course Rawls guesses McNulty but Burrell says he has been on Western patrol for a year so it can’t be him. Next guess is Freamon bc of his detective skills, don’t give a fuck attitude about upsetting politicians and the fact that he is working relatively unsupervised. Rawls suggests that he be given “proper” supervision instead of removing him from the unit bc that could lead to bad press and Burrell agrees. Just fucked that these 2 are going to put inferior leadership in place to prevent a detective from doing his job. At the mayoral debate between Carcetti and Royce, Carcetti uses a recently murdered state witness to deliver a stinging blow to the mayor who was not aware of it and Rawls is concerned about it coming back to hurt them since they should’ve informed the mayor about it. Next day Rawls briefs the new unit commander Lt Marimow about taking over the Major Crimes Unit and Marimow is concerned about the subpoenas served coming back to bite him but Rawls says they won’t be responded to before the election and will be ignored after that. Rawls relives the good Lt Asher from his duties to make way for Lt Marimow who is a real piece of trash. Later we see Rawls meet with Freamon and Rawls admits a reluctant respect for Lester and guesses correctly that Lester will involve the judge to keep his wiretaps from being shut down but Rawls threatens the careers of Kima and Sydnor if he does. Rawls offers Lester a chance to be transferred to Homicide and he accepts wanting nothing to do with working for Marimow and Rawls tells him to consider it a favour. Oh fuck off lol next we see Daniels meet with Rawls on behalf of Kima to request that she be moved to Homicide with Rawls who says that while Freamon just filled the only spot, he will “see who he doesn’t love anymore” to move out and make room for Kima.
Next day we see Rawls and Burrell meet with Col Foerster to discuss how the murdered state witness has cost the Mayor Royce politically and that he has asked them to slow the investigation and make the sure the motive is not determined to be the upcoming testimony. Burrell orders Foerster to reassign the case from Norris to Kima who is a rookie detective so there is less chance of it being solved. Foerster, who looks fcking done during this meeting lol, tries to protest but Burrell is not budging. After the meeting, Rawls talks to Foerster and agrees that it is a mistake to reassigning the case. Doesn’t take long for Rawls to be proven right as the next day Mayor Royce meets with Burrell and Rawls to berate Burrell about his careless, overzealous tactics to slow the case like assigning a rookie detective to it. After listing off all the problems Burrell has had during his run as Commissioner, Royce tells Burrell to get out of his office. Once Burrell leaves, Royce questions Rawls about the tactics and while Rawls says he is loyal to Burrell, he also admits that he told him it was a mistake. He adds that he could not handle the pressure of Burrell’s situation. Royce says that if Rawls can make this go away, he won’t forget it implying that Rawls could have Burrell’s job after the election. After an officer on the Mayor’s detail witnesses the fallout between Mayor Royce and State Delegate Watkins, a very important political ally, he phones Rawls with the info and he immediately tracks down Carcetti. Rawls ain’t staying on a sinking ship he is taking the first life boat and this is def one. Rawls tells Carcetti that he is disappointed with the mayor and wants a chance to do the right thing in the department for a change.
Next day there is a potential break in the murdered state witness case so Rawls show up at Homicide to cut that shit right off. Rawls tells Landsman why it would be very bad for a break to happen before the election and that they are 2 officers short for polling station duty which means Norris and Kima are filling those spots to keep them busy until after the election. As Rawls leaves he shows no shame, “American Democracy in action, let’s show those third world fucks how it’s done!” lol just unbelievable. In a shocking result, Royce lost the election making Carcetti the new mayor which looks good for Rawls future. At the next COMSTAT meeting, Rawls and Burrell listen to Daniels tell them about how he has dropped his murder rate but has seen other crime rates increase and Rawls asks if he is going to take credit for this decrease? Daniels refuses bc he doesn’t want to be blamed when the rate increases lol smart man. Daniels pisses off Burrell when he tells them that he is not making street level arrests and is just pushing crime away bc he is only interested in significant cases that can lead to arrests that might make a difference. He then highlights the problem that most of his officers are insufficiently trained to handle significant cases. I bet Rawls could taste the Commissioner job at this point. Next day Mayor Carcetti meets with Rawls about the practice of making bullshit low level, stats based arrests instead of going after the major players. Rawls blames the pressure that Royce put n them to deliver stats and says that affirmative action has turned the police department into a numbers game saying that the hiring increase of African American recruits has caused early promotions for insufficient officers creating inadequate leaders in the department. Then the focus on simply decreasing crime stats rather than training officers to do good police work puts them in an impossible position to make an actual difference. Rawls says that his focus would be major players in the drug game but that he respects the chain of command no matter who is in charge and thinks it is more important to be a good solider in the department than good police. He finishes saying that the BPD is putting a band aid on cancer with their plan for policing and that he would love to work for an administration that had a different strategy. Damn that’s a lot to take in lol he def has a point but at the same time you can’t just generally say that affirmative action doesn’t work bc it does but every situation is different. In this situation, a temporary change in focus is needed to sufficiently train new officers for leadership positions but ending affirmative action would be a huge step in the wrong direction.
Next day we see Mayor Carcetti meet with Rawls to tell him that Burrell is to undertake no new initiatives without Carcetti’s approval and that he is requesting 2 promotions, Valchek to Deputy Commissioner and Daniels to CID Colonel replacing Foerster. Carcetti adds that he is giving Daniels freedom to overhaul the investigative units as he sees fit. At the promotion ceremony, Burrell remarks to Rawls that he is stunned that Carcetti promoted Daniels as Rawls walks away leaving Burrell to realize that Carcetti now has an African American replacement for him. Next we see Rawls meet with Norman Wilson to give him a memo from the mayor outlining the new strategy for the police department, the mayor wants community based policing and high end police work. Rawls questions why they haven’t fired Burrell yet and Wilson admits that they do not yet have the political capital to do it referencing the recent incident with Herc and the Reverends and Rawls asks if they want Herc fired. Wilson says they do not want to interfere with the day to day goings on of the police dept so Rawls reads between the lines and says the police dept cares about the perception of the investigation and suggests that Daniels be given the authority to hand out punishment to Herc. We see Rawls meet with Daniels to officially hand him the investigation of Herc and tells him in a minor case like this, Daniels can issue a summary judgment or pass the case to the trial board and actually finishes with “do the right thing” lol the actual “right thing” and Rawls “right thing” are very different and Daniels knows it.
Next we see Rawls meet with his commanders to give them the policy change and most are pessimistic about it knowing that the money always stops flowing and they go back to stats based policing but Rawls insists they follow through on the mayors order. Daniels requests to reconstitute the major crimes unit under his command in the CID which Rawls approves. After the meeting, Valchek tells Rawls that he is smart to support Daniels since he will likely be the next commissioner and we realize that Rawls thought he was going to be the next commissioner and it now sinks in that Carcetti is positioning Daniels to be the next commissioner. Valchek says that Rawls will never be commissioner in a city like Baltimore with an African American majority. Next day we see Rawls meet with Daniels who explains Lester’s theory about Marlo having his enforcers stash bodies in the abandoned apartments and being able to identify them by the screws used. Daniels throws it out there that if the bodies were uncovered now they would be attributed to Royce’s administration and this lets Rawls know just what a force to be reckoned with Daniels is bc that is a fn savvy thought process. Rawls orders Daniels to keep the suggestion to himself for now and then turns around and presents the idea to Carcetti as if it was his own. This guy has no fucking shame lol Carcetti gives Rawls shit for thinking of stats but is thankful for the suggestion and tells him to get the bodies uncovered before the new year. Next day we see Rawls and Burrell meet with ASA Rhonda Pearlman to discuss the details of the vacant apartments murders wanting to make sure they can be tied to a specific organization. Pearlman says they believe Marlo Stanfield and crew are responsible and they had a wiretap on him until it was pulled 3 months ago by Lt Marimow. Burrell says Daniels has whatever support he needs and Daniels immediately requests patrol officer to search vacant apartments. After the meeting, Rawls tells Burrell is Daniels solves the case he will take a big step towards commissioner but Burrell scoffs saying that Daniels and Rawls are a long way from his job. Burrell taunts Rawls that he made his move against him too soon and Rawls admits it while Burrell warns Rawls not to cross him.
S5 starts with Rawls and Burrell meeting with Mayor Carcetti and his advisers Michael Steintorf and Norman Wilson to talk about a further decrease in sending but Burrell says they have already cut back on vehicle maintenance as much as possible and Rawls adds that they are withholding pay from their men. Unreal. When Carcetti asks about the crime stats, Rawls says that it will be impossible to deliver the decrease he promised in his campaign with the budget that he provides them. Carcetti asks them to be patient for the money he promised them as he needs all available funds for the schools and asks for further areas where money can be trimmed from the police department. Rawls suggests ending the investigation into the vacant murders as they are not close to an arrest and while the politicians are nervous about the public perception, Rawls says they can spin it to say that they are temporarily suspending the investigation pending further information. Burrell says they need to end the cap on secondary employment to boost morale and keep officers from leaving to which Carcetti reluctantly agrees. After the meeting, Rawls and Burrell meet with Daniels to break the news that the major crimes unit is being shut down again due to budget issues and Daniels challenges the wisdom of not investigating the murders and says that Carcetti has broken the promises that Carcetti made to the department and personally to Daniels. Burrell tells Daniels that they have also had to revoke all take home vehicles from officer ranked Colonel and below. Next day we see Rawls meet with Burrell to let him know that they have cooked the stats as much as they possibly can with City Hall demanding clean stats.
Next day Burrell and Rawls meet with Carcetti and his advisers Michael Steintorf and Norman Wilson and delivers numbers that show crime has not risen meaning that the numbers have seriously been cooked. Carcetti asks if Burrell is willing to vouch for the numbers and Burrell says he does so Carcetti reiterates that the numbers must be clean. An annoyed Burrell says he knows that. And that is checkmate for Burrell as commissioner bc Carcetti knows the numbers have been cooked and Burrell vouching for them seals his fate, he is out as commissioner and Rawls is in as interim Commissioner until Daniels is ready for the position. I guess this is why Rawls always says it’s more important to be a good soldier in the department than good police bc now he gets a shot as commissioner which should significantly effect his pension. Before the press conference announcing Burrell is resigning as commissioner, Rawls visits Burrell in his office and Burrell jokes that Rawls just wants to see a dead man walking. Rawls tries to lift his spirits saying that he is deserving of the consolation positions he is receiving but Burrell isn’t happy since they are being offered not for his years of service but for carrying politicians water for all these years. Burrell says he knows that Carcetti views him as a bad commissioner and he admits he very well may be one but most of the blame for his failings should go on the bullshit, schizophrenic policies and pressure he constantly received from politicians and adds that the mayor’s office doesn’t interfere in any other public institutions like they do with the police department. Before they part ways, Burrell warns Rawls that he might think he can avoid the political shitstorms that come with the commissioner job but that they will come for him and Daniels too when he gets the job. Seems like it hit home with Rawls as he leaves.
During the press conference for McNulty’s serial killer, Rawls takes over for Carcetti to reiterate the police departments commitment to solving the murders and then passes it to Daniels who does a great job with it. Afterwards, Rawls congratulates Daniels on his performance but Daniels says he was only following Carcetti’s lead which makes Rawls laugh as he breaks the news that while the mayor’s office shares the commitment to solving the case, they cannot afford to allocate any more funds for it. Daniels is disgusted that once again he is being asked to do more with less. After an FBI profile is set up for McNulty’s serial killer, Rawls asks about it and Daniels says they are sending detectives to Quantico to discuss the case as Rawls makes a joke about the crimes being sexually motivated. Yep that’s your leader right there smfh. New administration, same bullshit as we see Rawls and Daniels meet with Steintorf from the mayor’s office who is asking them to keep cooking the crime stats going as far as saying “be creative.” What more can you say about it at this point. After it is revealed that the serial killer was made up by McNulty and Freamon, we see Rawls and Daniels tearing a strip off McNulty for not only fabricating a serial killer but inspiring a copycat killer. Rawls tells him to get the copycat case solved ASAP and make sure the press believes he was also the original killer but drops the bomb that this will be the last case that McNulty ever works. I know Rawls always had it out for McNulty but I doubt he ever saw something like this coming.
Once the cases are considered solved, Rawls is made an advisor to city hall and as the show comes to an end, we see that Carcetti delivered on his promise and made Rawls the Superintendent of the Maryland State Police and that ends both the show and Rawls run as a character. Man he was such a dick at times I never thought that Rawls would be around for all 5 seasons *and* come out on top at the end but honestly that’s how it usually works in the real world for guys like Rawls. Great character that I def loved to hate and even wanted to root for at times, some of the best one-liners and quotes came from him. The show def needed the authoritative presence he provided and his ability to be an entertaining asshole.
-Police Commissioner Ervin Burrell – Perfect casting choice for the role, Frankie Faison put in a great, realistic performance. His character just constantly frustrated me bc he was more worried about budgets and political fallout than actual police work but I guess that what comes with being Commissioner. If you don’t keep the budgets low then the higher ups raise hell. If you start to pull back the curtain on the political money trails, you lose your job. Yet the higher ups demand that the crime numbers drop which costs money so he is really in a thankless position. Almost damned if you do and damned if you don’t. Despite the frustrations I did enjoy the character. He is pressured to ok an investigation into the Barksdale crew but bc of budget constraints, wants it to be short and sweet even if it means they don’t get bigger players in the game. I believe Burrell purposely plays dumb to avoid investigations that will cost money like when he says the murder of Gant is not bc he was a witness to a Barksdale crew murder. Daniels knows it, any good cop would be able to see and I know Burrell is a good cop. Or at least he was at one point. Burrell has Valchek provide Daniels unit with 2 unmarked police cars and a surveillance van for helping Prez avoid serious punishment but once again insists that the Barksdale investigation be kept short. After Judge Phelan is disappointed that the investigation isn’t close to getting the higher ups in the Barksdale crew, Burrell allows them to take the investigation to the next level setting up a wire.
Gotta take the good with the bad with Burrell and we get the bad when he forces the unit to release a driver for Clay Davis that they found with a bag of drug money bc of the political connections. The unit also has to give back the money. After this, Burrell says he is going to shut down the Major Crimes Unit. At the hospital after Kima is shot, Burrell has to talk to Cheryl which was tough for him to do but at least he stepped up and did it. In response to the shooting, Burrell demands Daniels produce “dope on the table” and start making busts which Daniels does and finally gives Burrell what he wants. After D’Angelo is arrested, Burrell tells Daniels the investigation is over but Daniels says he has more time on the wiretaps and D’Angelo will give them more if he pressures them. Burrell tries to threaten Daniels with exposing what he has on him but Daniels calls his bluff knowing Burrell will avoid bad press at any cost. In S2 Burrell is still the Deputy Commissioner and is seeking the nomination for Commissioner. Valchek after requesting a meeting, tells Burrell he will use his police connections to help him get the nomination for Commissioner if Burrell ok’s an investigation into Frank Sobotka and his union. Burrell agrees to give him a unit of 6 men for 6 weeks but it’s basically the same unit that he gave the Barksdale investigation, they police that nobody else wants.
This comes back to bite Burrell after an enraged Valchek comes to a fundraiser to make Burrell commissioner and threatens to use his contacts to make sure Burrell never gets to be commissioner. Valchek demands that Lt Grayson be replaced with Daniels immediately which Burrell has no choice but to make reality. Burrell meets with Daniels to offer him the command of the Sobotka detail as a favour to stay in the department but Daniels see’s through it and realizes he was asked for by name. Daniels demands a promotion, his own unit to command if the investigation is successful and the freedom to choose his own team which Burrell has no choice but to accept. As S3 starts, Burrell is Acting Commissioner and meets with Daniels who requests funds for additional wiretaps which Burrell is reluctant to grant. Burrell informs Daniels that he has sent his promotion to the mayor’s office but they are holding it up bc Daniels’ wife Marla is going to challenge 1 of the mayors allies in the next election and makes it clear that Daniels will not be a Commander until the mayor knows where his wife stands politically. The political bullshit that holds back good police and crucial investigations is so damn frustrating. Later we see Burrell and Rawls at a police dept review meeting getting grilled by councilmen Carcetti and Gray about the increase in violent crime in the Eastern District. After the meeting, Carcetti asks Burrell out to lunch where Carcetti offers to help with the crime review subcommittee if the mayor shorts Burrell on funding but Burrell says he believes in chain of command and is loyal to Burrell. Later Burrell talks to another African American police officer about the audacity of Carcetti offering to help him wondering what a white councilman could do for him that a black mayor couldn’t.
After Carcetti fills the next subcommittee meeting with press, Burrell meets with Mayor Royce and his chief of staff Coleman Parker to discuss Carcetti’s motives and they believe that he is going to run for mayor. Royce thinks Carcetti has no chance due to his race but Parker says Carcetti will exploit the rising crime numbers under Royce’s term. Burrell wonders if they can do anything to get Carcetti to delay his mayoral run but Royce says they can’t get favours in Carcetti’s district given it is mostly white. Since they can’t call Carcetti off, Royce and Parker tell Burrell to get the numbers down which is almost impossible without an increase in funding that they definitely aren’t getting. At the next COMSTAT meeting, Burrell informs the commanders that they need to cut the crime rate by 5% and keep the murders under 275. It is suggested in not so many words that the commanders should try to juke the stats to hit their numbers but ‘Bunny’ Colvin wonders aloud how you make a body disappear. The commanders are frustrated at the directives considering their resources are already stretched too thin but Burrell and Rawls show no sympathy and suggest that commanders who can’t meet their goal will be replaced. Next day, Burrell meets with Valchek who convinces Burrell to take a meeting with Carcetti after Carcetti directed funds to Burrell to fix broken down police vehicles. At dinner, Burrell thanks Carcetti for the help and with a bond of trust seemingly formed, gives Carcetti the information that he has 70 officers retiring and mayor Royce has not yet delivered the funds to train new officers. Carcetti offers to look into the situation.
At the next COMSTAT meeting, Burrell demotes Taylor for not providing the numbers they need. After Carcetti goes to the press with the story about the mayor not providing the funds to train new officers, he phones to warn Burrell who is furious knowing that the mayor will likely blame him. Politics is a dirty fn game. Burrell meets with Mayor Royce and Parker who ask him to take the blame for the lack of training for new officers and he has no choice but to agree. Later we see Burrell at a 1st District fundraiser as 1 of the only African Americans there, trying to win some support from the mostly white district. At the next COMSTAT meeting, Burrell arrives as Rawls is berating Colvin who is the only commander to see his stats rise and steps in to add that Colvin’s veteran status won’t help him and that he will lose his post if his numbers don’t start going down. Burrell adds that “The Gods will not save you” to make sure the commanders know that the numbers are the only thing that matters. Sad but it is the unfortunate reality. Next we see Burrell and Rawls in a meeting with Carcetti who is asking them about the murdered state witness and they are scrambling to defend themselves but Gray says it is too little too late and more should have been done to protect witnesses before this happened. Later Burrell meets with Carcetti to confirm there is no current witness protection program and that Mayor Royce still has not acted on Burrell’s request to investigate the death of the state witness. This time Carcetti promises to leave Burrell’s name out of it.
Later we see Carcetti host his public safety sub-committee meeting with Burrell and Rawls starting with his concern about the significant drop in numbers from Colvin’s Western District being a misrepresentation but Burrell tries to assure him the numbers are an aberration. Carcetti asks about the witness protection program and Burrell says there is no money for it and Carcetti does not hold back his frustration. At the next COMSTAT meeting all hell breaks loose as Colvin details his Hamsterdam plan and how he achieved the drop in numbers by legalizing the drug trade in 1 specific area. Burrell is enraged and immediately ends the meeting and calls Colvin, Rawls and Maj Reed into his office declaring that he is dead while Maj Reed says the entire department is going down. Colvin says he acted alone but will lie about who sanctioned the plan if any of his sub-ordinates are punished. Burrell is incredulous that Colvin has the audacity to threaten them in his position while Colvin tries to defend himself pointing to the decrease in crime stats but Burrell says that is not enough to save them. Still in shock, Burrell tells Colvin to use his vacation time immediately so he doesn’t draw attention to himself as Colvin drops the final bomb that a Baltimore Sun reporter knows about Hamsterdam and is just delaying the story a week. Man talk about a bad day lol next day Rawls suggests that they should shut Hamsterdam immediately to avoid major political fallout and Maj Reed confirms they are ready to move they just need the OK from the mayors office which surprisingly hasn’t come yet. Burrell phones the mayors office and is put on hold for awhile before finally speaking to Mayor Royce who says they need more time to regroup and rethink the strategy going forward. Rawls wonders what the motive could be for holding back and Burrell says they are most likely trying to position the police department to take 100% responsibility for Hamsterdam. Burrell decides to take action to spin this against the mayors office and Rawls wonders if he will go to the press himself but Burrell says he will leave that to a contact.
Later we see Burrell meet with Carcetti in a dimly lit bar as Burrell details the entire Hamsterdam plan but spins the story so that most of the blame falls on the mayors office for the constant pressure the put on the police department. Carcetti wonders why Royce wouldn’t have already closed Hamsterdam down and Burrell says he fears he will be specifically used as a scapegoat also asking Carcetti to give the story to Gray, who will be running for Mayor, since he is burning his bridges with Royce. Next morning Burrell, Rawls and Reed are discussing the media now reporting on Hamsterdam and they are concerned that Mayor Royce is going to put all the blame on them. Afterwards we see Burrell arrive at the mayors office to discuss the strategy for dealing with Hamsterdam and he learns that they plan to blame him for it and then relieve him of his post. But Burrell is ready and threatens to go to the press to blame Mayor Royce for the constant pressure on the police department and for delaying the closure of Hamsterdam. But Burrell offers an option that benefits them both; make him a full term commissioner and he will blame Colvin as much as possible as well as taking blame upon himself and the police department. It’s not pretty but this is how you navigate the political waters, loyalty to the winner. After the meeting, Burrell orders Rawls to move on Hamsterdam.
Next day the hammer comes down on Colvin as Burrell and Rawls meet with him to deliver his punishment revealing that Burrell personally called Johns Hopkins to tell them about Hamsterdam which killed the director of security job Colvin had lined up. They tell Colvin that he must accept full responsibility for Hamsterdam and accept a demotion with a smaller pension. Rawls says that if Colvin doesn’t accept these conditions, they will refuse promotions and find discharge/misconduct excuses to reprimand his shift supervisors. Colvin tries to protest his lower pension but Burrell has no sympathy saying, “Fuck your vacation time. You’re out today at the lower grade!” Man did Colvin pay the price for trying to do some good. At the next COMSTAT meeting, Burrell and Rawls relieve Colvin of his duties and give his post to Mello. Later we see Burrell meet with Daniels about he success of the Barksdale case and refers to him as Major Daniels letting him know that with Colvin’s demotion, Daniels will be made District Commander. S4 starts and things are not getting any easier with Burrell who fields an angry call from the mayor after 2 state senators with strong political connections are served subpoenas by the BPD. Burrell assures the mayor that there will be no more surprises from the BPD but that there is nothing he can do about subpoenas already served. Later Burrell discusses the problem with Rawls and they wonder who the instigator of the subpoenas is and Rawls figures McNulty but Burrell says he has been on Western patrol for a year so it can’t be him. Next suspect is Freamon bc of his detective skills, currently operating under little to no supervision and not giving a fuck about upsetting politicians so Rawls suggests “proper” supervision instead of removing him from the unit bc they would lead to bad press. Leaders of the police conspiring to fuck with a great detective…that is just so fucked up and probably not far off reality. At the mayoral debate between Carcetti and Royce, Carcetti brings up the state witness who was recently murdered having no protection from police and this stuns Royce who didn’t even know about the murder and Burrell worries that not informing the mayor may come back to haunt them.
Next day Burrell attends a meeting with Mayor Royce and others about the murdered state witness as Burrell promises the mayor that he will downplay the witness aspect of the story. Royce asks Burrell and State Attorney Demper to continue to downplay the role of witness and to take any heat for it onto themselves. Next day Burrell and Rawls meet with Col Foerster to discuss how the state witness murder has cost the mayor politically and he has asked Burrell to slow the investigation and to make sure that the motive for the murder is not determined to be the upcoming testimony. Burrell orders Foerster to reassign the case from Norris to Kima and Foerster tries to argue even saying that no further details will be leaked to the press and Burrell says he resents the implication. Foerster just looks fcking done during this meeting lol shit hits the fan the next day when the press starts reporting on the murdered witness and Mayor Royce tracks down Burrell to angrily confront him about the extreme measures he took to slow the witness case like assigning the case to a rookie detective. Royce lists off the problems that Burrell has had as Commissioner and then tells him to get out of his office. Won’t be his office for long as Royce shockingly loses the election making Carcetti the new mayor and that is prob worse for Burrell. At the next COMSTAT meeting, Burrell and Rawls listen to Daniels tell them that his murder rate has decreased but other crime rates have risen. Daniels wont take credit for the decrease bc he doesn’t want to be blamed when there is an increase. And there will be an increase lol Burrell is pissed to learn that Daniels only wants the significant cases so he is not making street level arrests and is simply pushing drug traffic away. Daniels further frustrates Burrell when he says that most of his officers are insufficiently trained for significant cases.
The executioners sword is about to come down on Burrell and you the stress on him when he meets with Rawls to discuss an alliance to try and impress the new mayor together. But Rawls admits that he has already been talking to Carcetti and Burrell correctly assumes that Rawls is taking his opportunity to move up the ladder and go against Burrell. You know Burrell would do it if the situations were reversed. Next day we see Burrell meet with Carcetti, Norman and Delegate Watkins to try and coax him to step down but Burrell knows their predicament of not having an African American candidate to replace him and vows not to go quietly and make them fire him. After Carcetti, unaware to Burrell, requests promotions for Valchek and Daniels, we see Burrell at the promotion ceremony talking to Rawls about understanding the Valchek promotion but is stunned about Daniels as Rawls walks away. Burrell slowly realizes that Carcetti now has an African American candidate that can replace him as commissioner and that his days as commissioner are definitely numbered. Next day we see Burrell being played like a puppet by Senator Clay Davis as Davis tries to assure him that bc of his race, his job is safe now that Carcetti is mayor and urges him to impress Carcetti with police work. Burrell is dumbfounded at the suggestion like that thought had never occurred to him before but in Baltimore, Davis might as well have suggested Burrell have the officers use Unicorns instead of cars. Later we see Davis ahs arranged a meeting between Burrell and City Council President Nerese Campbell where Burrell tries to convince her that Daniels is unsuitable for police commissioner. Davis asks Campbell to holdback the full pay rise that Carcetti is requesting for the police so that Burrell has time to impress Carcetti and destroy the credibility of Daniels. That isn’t going over so Davis suggests Campbell approve a half raise and she does.
Next day we see Burrell playing golf with Davis and they discuss Herc’s punishment for his false arrest of a local Reverend of 2 weeks extra duty not being sufficient enough for the Reverends and Burrell arrogantly boasts that only he knows how to play the game. I don’t think I would be talkin shit in his position but hey that’s me lol next we see Burrell meet with a reluctant Carcetti and says that he doesn’t care about the new strategy undermining his own and wants to discuss Herc’s punishment saying that the sensitivity training will not be enough to satisfy the Reverends. Burrell says that he can find a sufficient reason to fire Herc without any fallout from his history as a narcotics officer that will satisfy all the voices that want justice and adds that his best asset is being able to work with a mayor’s needs. Next we see Burrell and Rawls meet with ASA Rhonda Pearlman to discuss the details of the vacant apartments murders wanting to make sure they can be tied to a specific organization. Pearlman says they believe Marlo Stanfield and crew are responsible and they had a wiretap on him until it was pulled 3 months ago by Lt Marimow. Burrell says Daniels has whatever support he needs and Daniels immediately requests patrol officer to search vacant apartments. After the meeting, Rawls tells Burrell is Daniels solves the case he will take a big step towards commissioner but Burrell scoffs saying that Daniels and Rawls are a long way from his job. Burrell taunts Rawls that he made his move against him too soon and Rawls admits it while Burrell warns Rawls not to cross him.
S5 starts with Burrell and Carcetti meeting with Carcetti and his advisers Michael Steintorf and Norman Wilson to discuss a further decrease in police budget but Burrell says they have cut back on vehicle maintenance as far as possible and Rawls adds that they are withholding pay from their officers. Carcetti asks about the crime stats and Rawls answers that it is impossible to deliver the lower stats Carcetti promised in his campaign with all the budget cuts he has put on the police department and all Carcetti can do is ask for patience saying he needs all available money for the schools. Steintorf asks for other areas that can be trimmed and Rawls suggests that they shut down the investigation into the vacant apartment murders as they are still not close to an arrest. The politicians all share their concern with public perception over ending the investigation but Rawls says they can spin it to say the case is being temporarily suspended pending further information. Burrell suggests they end the cap on secondary employment as a boost to morale and keep officers from leaving to which Carcetti reluctantly agrees and asks the police for forgiveness knowing he asks them to do more with the little he can give. Man what a difference 1 episode can make, such a downer to go back to the major crimes unit being over. Burrell and Rawls break the news to Daniels and he challenges the wisdom of ending an investigation into 10+ murders and says Carcetti has broken his promise made to the department and himself. Burrell adds that they have also had to revoke all take home vehicles for officers ranked Colonel and below.
After Clay Davis is indicted, we find him in Burrell’s office losing his shit and demanding that Burrell intervene with Carcetti and the State Attorney and reminds Burrell he negotiated a pay raise for him. But Burrell says he would have to go around Daniels to interfere in the case and that Daniels is loyal to Carcetti which could cost him his job and also adds that it would be a criminal act. Davis refuses to accept any rational explanation and accuses Burrell of believing he is finished and that he will remember Burrell’s attitude when this storm passes. After the meeting, Burrell meets with Rawls who tells him that the numbers have been cooked as much as they can be with City Hall demanding clean stats. Next day we see Rawls and Burrell meet with Carcetti and his advisers Michael Steintorf and Norman Wilson and Burrell delivers numbers that show no increase in crime meaning that the numbers have seriously been cooked. Carcetti asks Burrell if he vouches for the numbers and Burrell says he does so Carcetti reiterates that the numbers must be clean and Burrell is annoyed but says he has been clear on that. The next day Burrell learns that his career as police commissioner is over when the Baltimore Sun prints the story about Daniels about to be named the next commissioner and we see Burrell sitting defeated in his office as Rawls tries to contact him. Vouching for the cooked numbers ended Burrell’s career bc it gave Carcetti an excuse.
Next day, Daniels is in Burrell’s office trying to plead his innocence in regards to the storm that is forcing him out as commissioner but Burrell just stays silent as he practices his putting. Later, Nerese Campbell meets with Burrell to explain that Carcetti is going to promote Daniels to commissioner after a short trial in the Deputy Ops position. In a desperate attempt to save himself, Burrell reveals that he has evidence that Daniels has a history of skimming drug money and gives Campbell an FBI probe into Daniels finances. But Campbell says that Daniels past does not matter now considering that Burrell signed off on cooked stats and Burrell argues that the stats were approved by staff review. Campbell simply says that Burrell’s time as commissioner is over so Burrell threatens to expose Daniels if he is forced to resign. This pisses off Campbell and she tells Burrell that fcking with Daniels will leave Rawls as commissioner which would really upset his stronger allies like herself and the Reverends. She explains that if he leaves without a scene, they will ensure that he receives a job in the Mayor’s criminal justice co-ordinating council and then a Washington police association job with a guaranteed six-figure salary. Campbell offers the file on Daniels back to Burrell which he will take if he refuses he offer but decides not to take and leave the commissioners job quietly. She tells him to maintain an appearance of propriety at the press conference.
Before the press conference, Rawls pays Burrell a visit in his office and Burrell jokes Rawls just wants to see a dead man walking but Rawls says that Burrell is getting a much deserved consolation job. Burrell isn’t happy at all bc the job isn’t for his years of service but for carrying politicians water for all these years. He says he knows Carcetti thinks he is a bad commissioner and he very well may be but says he never had a chance thanks to the bullshit schizophrenic policies forced on him by politicians and adds that the mayor’s office doesn’t interfere in any other public institutions like they do with the police department. Rawls looks amused but before he leaves Burrell has a warning for him, “Burrell: You might think it’ll be different… when you sit here… but it won’t. You will eat their shit. Daniels, too, when he gets here.” Last time we see Burrell is at the press conference where he remarks to Daniels that he looks nervous and Daniels again tries to assure Burrell that he did not ask for this promotion. Burrell credits Daniels for calling his bluff on exposing Daniels past and says he doesn’t even remember the contents of the fil it was so long ago. One last line of bullshit to go out on lol Carcetti starts the press conference talking about Burrell’s career and that is where the story for Burrell ends. Such a great character that made the political bullshit in the police department actually entertaining. His fall from grace was fast but considering he is falling on 2 cushy high paying jobs I think he’ll be ok. Frankie Faison has such good energy about him that I found myself wanting to see Burrell fight the good fight instead of going along with the political bullshit and yet other times I couldn’t stand him lol really great run for the character and he didn’t just fade away, got to end it with a good storyline.
Deputy Commissioner Stanislaus “Stan” Valchek – Good, realisticperformance from Al Brown bringing Valchek to life. He really got on my nerves with his ridiculous vendetta against Frank Sobotka but he was a fun character. We meet him in S1 advocating less punishment for Prez who is his son-in-law after Prez blinds a kid in one eye after an assault. Valchek tells Daniels he will owe him a favour if Daniels helps Prez which he does. As S2 starts, Valchek is giving Prez advice on where to take his career from here. Prez wants to work to solve cases like he did with the Barksdale investigation but Valchek wants him to focus on trying to move up in the ranks of the police. We see the stained glass windows Valchek is going to donate to the church which is what kickstarts the story for S2. When Valchek realizes that the bigger window display is going to Frank Sobotka, he is furious and starts trying to fck with Frank and the union. People like Valchek disgust me, using the church for their own pride not actually caring about or following what the church teaches. Valchek orders his officers to start issuing bullshit parking tickets to Frank’s guys down at the docks. At the union hall, Valchek has a heated conversation with Frank about the windows displays and accuses him of illegally funding them. Franks basically tells him off and reminds Valchek that they grew up in the same neighbourhood and that people still remember Valchek’s fuck ups, “Valchek: You don’t want my finger in your eye, you better do what’s right here. Frank: What’s right, huh? What’s right would be for you to come down here to my house like a decent human being and ask a common courtesy. But that’s not you, it’s not your way. My old man always said you were a half-ass punk over at Holy Redeemer as a kid, and my sister said you were a pain in the ass pest at all them C.Y.O. dances when none of the girls would even look at you. And damn near everyone down the point said when you got your badge it was too much for anybody named Valchek to have even a patrolman’s drag, and sure enough, you been an official asshole every day since. (Valchek spits and coughs) Fuck you! And your window!” Boom lol
We see Valchek try to get his donation back from the church, what a scumbag. But while doing this he learns that Frank and the union have been making significant political contributions, hired a lobbyist to push to re-open the docks and show a lot of money for a union considering the struggles on the docks. Valchek visits Burrell and offers to use his connections in the police force to help Burrell get nominated for Commissioner if Burrell will give him a unit to investigate Sobotka. Burrell agrees and gives him basically the same unit he gave for the Barksdale investigation in S1, minus a few key players. Valchek makes sure Prez is a lead investigator on the unit and explains the goal of bringing down frank Sobotka. I was happy to see the team get back together but still can’t stand Valchek.
Valchek meets with the new detail and lays out the goal for them to put Frank Sobotka in handcuffs. He makes sure they know that Prez is a lead investigator but he doesn’t realize Burrell gave him the guys no other department wanted like Det Polk. Valchek receives pictures of his surveillance van at a new location with other union stickers on it is pissed. He visits the detail and finds Lt Grayson gone and most of the detectives playing poker. Valchek is furious that he has been deceived and tracks down Burrell ready to blow up his nomination for Commissioner due to the quality of detectives he assigned to the unit, “They couldn’t catch the clap in a Mexican cathouse with a fistful of fifties.” Lol never liked Valchek but that’s funny. Valchek demands that Grayson be replaced with Daniels or he will make sure Burrell doesn’t make Commissioner so Burrell has no choice but to make it happen. Losing the surveillance van is a huge embarrassment for Valchek to the point he lies and says he lent it out when Kima asks him if they can use it.
Valchek is pissed about the focus of the investigation shifting from Frank Sobotka to the Greeks so he goes behind their backs and calls in the FBI giving them all the details of the case. He also asks them to recover his surveillance van lol loved that Frank got that over on him. Later we see Valchek arrive at the detail office to give Daniels shit for failing to make a case against Frank so Valchek says he is taking Prez with him bc he won’t let Daniels use his own people against him. Prez says he isn’t leaving but Valchek says that he is and insults him so Prez actually punches him in the face. Well deserved too but man I was concerned for the wrath Prez would receive after this. An embarrassed an angry Valchek gets up and leaves. Next day we see the Major Crimes Unit serves warrants on the targets of their investigation including Frank but of course Valchek is gonna serve that one himself and waits to do it at the union offices so it is as high profile as possible. Once Frank arrive sat the union offices, the FBI raids the offices and arrests Frank and Horseface as a boastful Valchek looks on like the pompous ass that he is.
With the warrants served we see Valchek meets with Daniels who is making a case to help Prez avoid serious punishment for the punch. Daniels tells Valchek that witness statements show that he insulted a subordinate officer but Valchek scoffs, “Daniels: I’ll tell you the truth Major. Everyone who saw the punch wrote on it. And they’ve all got Prez throwing the punch, no question. They’ve also got you addressing a subordinate officer as uh, what was it? A shit-bird? Valchek: Fuck you. This is the Baltimore Police Department, not the Roland Park Ladies Tea.” LOL Valchek eventually agrees not to make a charge and let Prez return to the unit if he works the midnight narcotics shift in the southeastern district along with a written apology to everyone in the room saying that Prez punched Valchek unprovoked. Before he leaves Valchek confesses his dislike for Prez saying he is a burden and he told his daughter not to marry him adding that he only helps Prez advance in the department bc of his daughter. If Prez is a burden then Valchek is a fcking boulder attached to their necks by chain. Later we see that despite Frank being murdered, he is still a pain in Valchek’s ass as Valchek gets another postcard of the surveillance van and this time it is in Australia. Even Valchek is amused.
As S3 starts we see Valchek in a COMSTAT meeting where Sgt Bunny Colvin stands up to Rawls after being told to “juke the stats” asking how he makes a body disappear when there is a murder. An amused but surprised Valchek asks Colvin what got into him and Colvin says he is close to retirement so there isn’t much they can do to ruin his career. Next day we see Valchek meet with Carcetti to talk about the plan to use the subcommittee to put pressure on acting commissioner Burrell, “Valchek: So, what’s my role in your little drama? Carcetti: I thought you might broker a meeting, you know… help your fearless leader see the light about his new friend on the council. Valchek: And I should tell him, what? Make nice or invest heavily in petroleum jelly? Carcetti: Hey, his ass, his choice.” lol Valchek says it is a win-win situation for him, if Burrell caves then Valchek has an inside man in the Mayor’s office (Carcetti) but if he doesn’t then Valchek gains political capital by harassing Burrell over rising crime stats. Carcetti agrees to the plan and Valchek arranges for Carcetti to meet with Burrell. Next day there is another COMSTAT meeting where Rawls criticizes Colvin for the crime rate rising in his district and commends Daniels who solved the Eastern shootings. After the meeting, Valchek congratulates Daniels on the solid reputations he is building but Daniels is more worried about the wiretap he just lost. The district commanders talk together and Valchek says he will cheat the stats if he has to in order to make Rawls’ targets. Colvin says he is considering legalizing drugs and everyone laughs like he is joking but as we would find out… lol
After Prez accidentally shoots and kills an African-American police officer named Waggoner, we see Valchek, Rawls and Colonel Foerster discuss the incident with Valchek defending Prez and Rawls assures him that they are not looking to destroy anyone’s career. Rawls also says there is a racial aspect bc the officer killed was African-American and in the way he was killed, it’s questionable if Pez would have fired his weapon if Waggoner was white. Daniels comes in to ask if Prez has seen a lawyer and says that details are crucial to Prez’s chances so he starts going over everything he can get out of Prez. After, Valchek asks Daniels if Prez can count on his support as his commanding officer and an African-American police officer but Daniels doesn’t answer him. Just a terrible situation but it was nice to see Valchek support Prez after everything that has happened when he could have easily turned on him. Next we see him is in S4 when Carcetti meets with the police officers at the FOP lodge and tries to get their support away from Mayor Royce. The police officers don’t agree to support Carcetti but they do agree to withhold their support from Royce and Valchek tells Carcetti that’s the best he could have hoped for.
Later we see Valchek meet with Herc who is worried and wants advice after walking in on Mayor Royce getting head from his secretary but Valchek assures him that this will be good for him as long as he keeps quiet. Valchek figures that with this info Herc has already earned his Sgt post, will be a Lieutenant in 2 years and a Major in 4 following a Royce victory. But Herc is worried that Royce will send him to the midnight shift as punishment and Valchek says that if he does that then Herc can use the info against him. Herc thanks Valchek who says that Herc might be granting him favours one day and laughs, “What I wouldn’t give to be in your shoes right now, Kid, careers have been launched on a helluva lot less. Just shut up and play dumb.” Great advice lol next we see Valchek visit Carcetti to deliver some inside info about a veteran detective Det Norris, being re-assigned from the murdered state witness case in favour of rookie detective Kima Greggs. The murdered state witness case is Carcetti’s biggest weapon against Royce so Carcetti is gonna owe Valchek for this one.
After Carcetti defeats Royce and becomes mayor, Carcetti comes through on his end of the deal and promotes Valchek to Deputy Commissioner of Administration. Politics is a dirty fn game, man. Next we see Rawls talk to his commanders about the new focus towards higher profile criminals and give Daniels the ok re-start the Major Crimes Unit. Valchek tells Rawls that he is smart to support Daniels bc he is likely the next commissioner and is amused by Rawls reaction. Rawls hadn’t considered Daniels being nominated as next commissioner and now realizes why Carcetti has delayed firing Burrell for so long. Valchek tells Rawls that there is no way for him to become commissioner given that Baltimore is an African-American majority. We next see Valchek in S5 trying to move up the ladder again as he delivers the latest crimes stats to Carcetti and tells him that stats have risen and he now has the ammo he needs to fire Burrell. Valchek suggests that he could be interim-commissioner until Daniels finds a suitable African-American candidate, knowing that he would never be approved as the permanent commissioner. This promotion would bump up Valchek’s pension so he really wants it but Carcetti says he needs time to think about it.
Eventually Burrell steps down as commissioner into a high paying position and Daniels becomes Commissioner but also steps down after the homeless serial killer is revealed to be faked by McNulty and Lester but it is kept quiet to save embarrassment. Carcetti goes on to become Governor and in the closing montage of the show, we see new Mayor Nerese Campbell make Valchek the new Police Commissioner. At least someone got a win on the show but Valchek would be every low on my list of characters that deserved to end with a win lol I think everyone has met someone in a power position like Valchek, acting like a dick most of the time simply bc they can but also just enough of a nice guy at times to keep you guessing.
-Major Howard “Bunny” Colvin – A great underrated performance from Robert Wisdom as Bunny Colvin. We first meet Colvin in S2 after a 9 year old boy is killed during a gunfight between the Barksdale Crew and rival dealers. Rawls tasks Colvin with arresting as many dealers as he possibly can to show the public that they are taking action over the boys death. We can see right away that Colvin isn’t your typical cop, he is smart and is aware of little effect some of their ‘policework’ has on the grand scheme of things. We don’t see him again until S3 as he is welcoming 2 new officers to his district and gives them the usual speech about the familiarity of your location being the key to survival and gives them compasses. Herc and Carver show up to tell Colvin they finally caught their runner and Colvin hopes that they have drug charges. But they were only able to charge him with loitering so he is disappointed with their use of resources. Next we see Colvin head out into the district and checks with Carvers squad on his way hoping that they have some drug arrests or leads on targets higher up the food chain but is disappointed to hear about more loitering arrests. After this Colvin is walking the district when 1 of Marlo’s young dealers approaches him as a customer and Colvin is shocked. Colvin knows that this is most likely not the 1st time he has done this so either there is no fear of police or his officers are engaging in criminal conduct. Either way it means significantly more stress for Colvin.
At a meeting with his community relations SGT 0and Lt Mello, Colvin learns that his officers spend a lot of time reclassifying crimes to reduce the felony rate to produce better numbers for politicians. For real police like Colvin, he is naturally disgusted. During an undercover hand to hand bust, an officer named Dozerman is shot 3 times and survives but has his gun stolen. Colvin visits his friend the Deacon and laments the fact that an officer not dying from a shooting is considered a good day at this point and feels he needs to change that before he retires. Next day at a briefing with his officers, Colvin tells them that all undercover narcotics work is being suspended. This is an amazing speech that Robert Wisdom delivers with great conviction,
“Colvin: Somewhere back in the beginning of time, this district had itself a civic dilemma of epic proportions. The city council had just passed a law that forbade alcoholic consumption in public areas; on the streets and on the corners. But the corner is, it was and it always will be the poor man’s lounge. It’s where a man wants to be on a hot summer’s night. It’s cheaper than a bar. Catch a nice breeze and watch the girls go on by. But the law is the law so what are the western cops gonna do? They arrest every dude for tipping back a High Life, there’d be no time for any other kind of police work. And if they look the other way, they open themselves up to all kinds of flaunting, all kinds of disrespect. Now, this is before my time but somewhere back in the 50’s or the 60’s, there was a moment of goddamn genius by some nameless smoke hound who comes out the Cut-Rate one day and on his way to the corner he slips that just bought pint of elderberry into a paper bag. A great moment of civic compromise. That small wrinkled ass paper bag allowed the corner boys to have their drink in peace and gave us permission to go and do police work. The kind of police work that’s actually worth the effort, that’s actually worth taking a bullet for. Dozerman got shot last night buying three vials. Three. There’s never been a paper bag for drugs. Until now.” Wow man.
Next day we wee Colvin and Mello surveying the district with Colvin wanting to find a location away from schools/houses while Mello is worried about Colvin’s plan esp to keep everything from their superiors. Back at the office, Colvin tells everyone to stop reclassifying the numbers and just to report them as is. This causes expected drama at the COMSTAT meeting when Rawls gives Colvin shit for being the only 1 that has seen crime stats rise in his districts. Colvin makes no excuses and simply says that what they are doing isn’t working. When Burrell arrives he adds to it telling Colvin that his veteran status as an officer means nothing and if the numbers don’t improve then he will lose his post. What a miserable position to be in, asked to do the impossible and then being publicly shamed for not getting it done. After the COMSTAT meeting, all the commanders are talking about how they are gonna meet Rawls/Burrell’s demands and Colvin says he is gonna legalize drugs. Everyone laughs like he is joking but if they only knew lol we see Colvin meet with his officers to discuss his new strategy of moving the drug trade into 3 designated areas where dealers can move product free from police intervention as long as there is no violence. I knew whether it was good or bad, this was gonna be the end for Colvin but was def excited to see how it was gonna play out.
Next we see Colvin attend a town hall meeting in his district where the residents are venting frustrations over the drug trade and violence and Colvin has no answers for them. He admits that they have failed in their efforts so far and that any of the usual tactics they try will just leave the residents at the mercy of the drug war. The residents are surprised at his honesty but most of them are happy that a police commander isn’t just feeding them bullshit. Later we see Colvin go to a meeting at John Hopkins University to talk about a potential job after he retires. He def feels out of place with all the affluent academic types but is reassured that it is the perfect place to work security in retirement bc it is quiet and relatively crime free. It’s time for Colvin to try to implement his plan so he uses the school gym to talk to the young dealers they have rounded up to try and explain the free zones to them. But they are not listening and just act out leaving Colvin to find other options. The other officers offer sympathy to Colvin for his failed plan obviously anxious to move on as fast as possible before shit hits the fan.
But after the latest COMSTAT meeting Colvin has a new plan, instead of talking to the low level pushers they need to talk to the mid-level dealers and crew chiefs to move their hustle to the free zones which are nicknamed Hamsterdam. Colvin talks to the CID Narcotics Unit commander but their records are shockingly shallow but the commander says that is bc of Rawls shifting the focus to street level dealers only. Disappointed but not giving up, Colvin goes to the Major Crimes Unit and is very impressed when they are able to give him all the info he needs and more. Man how great would it have been to have Colvin on the team with police like Lester, McNulty and Kima. McNulty, who Colvin refers to as ‘Bushy Top’ lol, arrives and they have a pleasant exchange as Colvin was McNulty’s old commander. Withall the info he needs, Colvin calls a meeting with his district officers and tells them to round up all the mid-level dealers that he names. Carver questions the plan and this leads to 1 of the greatest quotes in the show, “Carver: The hoppers wouldn’t listen. What makes you think these guys will? Colvin: These are lieutenants running the corners and I personally feel their pain. Now, middle-management means that you have just enough responsibility that you got to listen when people talk and not so much that you can tell anybody to go fuck themselves.” Fuck man what a quote and it is 100% truth.
The officers round up everyone they can and Colvin lays out the new rules about the free zones but Bodie speaks up figuring this is a trap. Colvin gives them his word that it’s not a trap and Bodie asks what happens if they don’t move to the free zones and this leads to another legendary quote, “Colvin: I swear to God, I have over 200 sworn personnel and I will free them all up to brutalize every one of you they can. If you’re on a corner in my district, it will not be just a humble or a loitering charge. It will be some Biblical shit that happens to you on the way into that jail wagon. You understand? We will not be playing by any rules that you recognize.” lol damn man Bunny was a fn legend. After the meeting, Colvin looks at the free zones and only sees 1 person. This doesn’t last long bc now that people realize Hamsterdam is legit, almost all of the drug trade int he area moves there and there are people everywhere. Colvin tells his men that they need to crack down hard on all drug trade outside of the free zones and to use any force necessary to make the dealers move to Hamsterdam. The areas in the district outside of the free zones see an immediate impact as without the drug trade taking over everything, honest people can come back out to the corners. On the other hand, the scene inside Hamsterdam is shocking. The squalor people were living in, the state of families and children, the desperation of addiction, the open drug use, it was really a lot to take in and would def make you question if it was a good thing.
There is 1 resident that hasn’t moved out of Hamsterdam yet and Colvin approaches to tell her about a relocation program available but she doesn’t want to move and asks why he can’t just deal with the drug problem instead of her having to move. No matter what anyone thinks of the area or Colvin’s plan, that is still her home and I can def understand not wanting to move. Colvin pulls some strings to get the paperwork to help the woman move faster. Next day we see Colvin discussing crime statistics with Mello who tells him that crime overall is down but it is up near the tolerant zones so it is working and he thinks they should tell their superiors about Hamsterdam. But Colvin knows they need much more than that before anyone can find out so he tells Mello to continue to keep it quiet. Later that night, Colvin visits Hamsterdam and talks with Carver who says he would be fine with Hamsterdam if there wasn’t so many children. Hard to disagree with that. Next day, Carver is forced to tell Kima and McNulty about Hamsterdam so Colvin comes to explain his actions and beg them to keep this quiet. Of course McNulty is impressed with how Colvin is challenging the authority so no worries about him talking lol
After some dealers are robbed bc of Hamsterdam’s ‘no weapons’ policy, Bodie and others get Carver to talk to Colvin about protecting them since they are following his rules. So Colvin suggests to Carver that he start paying the kids that used to be lookouts for drug dealers to start watching for trouble in Hamsterdam which will give these kids something to do. Man I was getting ready for a major disaster bc it seemed like Colvin was building the foundation for Hamsterdam with straw and soon it would collapse or catch fire. Colvin brings the Deacon on a tour showing the clean areas first but then takes him into Hamsterdam and the Deacon is disgusted at what he sees asking Colvin, “What in God’s name have you done?” Such a tough question, are the abhorrent conditions in Hamsterdam worth all the clean corners? Nobody is forcing anyone to be in Hamsterdam but if you look at it like drug addiction is treading water in the middle of the ocean, then Hamsterdam is like the rescue boat just turning around and leaving the person to tread water until they die.
The Deacon insists that Colvin get moving on giving out clean water, needles, condoms and treatment centers since he has all the addicts in one place but Colvin says that those things are beyond his call. At the next COMSTAT meeting, Rawls assumes Colvin has doctored his numbers to explain the big drops in crime but Colvin says the numbers are legit but offers no explanation for the drops. Later we see Colvin, the Deacon and a community leader named Roman meet with the public health board to provide all the things the Deacon outlined earlier. The worker is concerned that this isn’t officially sanctioned but the Deacon just urges him to move quickly. The next day we see all the services being rolled out in Hamsterdam and the users are accepting all of the help including treatment for their addiction. Back at the Western District HQ, the Deacon is talking to Colvin about Hamsterdam as Colvin assures him that he is retiring soon and won’t force anyone to keep it going, he will let the next person decide for themselves. The Deacon tells Colvin that with the drug truce and all the addicts in one place, they have a unique opportunity to reach the most vulnerable people with help they desperately need. The good of Hamsterdam was starting to shine through.
After a murder takes place inside Hamsterdam, Colvin meets with Carver at the scene to learn that Carver moved the body out of Hamsterdam but the lead Det. Crutchfield figured out that the scene had been staged. Colvin knows that Carver acted out of loyalty to him so he tells Carver to say that Colvin moved the body if the shit starts to come down on him. 1 of the keys to keeping Hamsterdam going was no murders to draw attention so this could be the end but Colvin appeals to Crutchfield saying that he promises to deliver a murder suspect if he leaves that info about the body being moved out of the report. Colvin meets with the drug crew chiefs and lays down the law, “What I’m sayin’ is, come tomorrow, if I don’t have a shooter in bracelets, the Hamsterdam thing is over, finished. It’s back to the corners for all of us and fuck y’all any way we can. You hear me? It was good while it lasted. For y’all it was cash on the barrel and no one needs no bail money. For me, I had clean corners damn near everywhere I looked. But that’s all gone tomorrow unless y’all bring me my shooter.” The man can deliver a speech lol it works and the crews make sure the murderer turns himself in.
Next we see Colvin go to talk with Carver to thank him for his loyalty and Colvin tells him he is a good man and supervisor but is below standard as an investigator. Colvin specifically chastises Carver for his lack of CI’s. It’s another great speech that deserves to be highlighted, “Colvin: This drug thing, this ain’t police work. I mean, I can send any fool with a badge and a gun to a corner to jack a crew and grab vials. But policing? I mean you call something a war, and pretty soon everyone is going to be running around acting like warriors. They gonna be running around on a damn crusade, storming corners, racking up body counts. And when you at war, you need a fucking enemy. And pretty soon, damn near everybody on every corner is your fucking enemy. And soon, the neighborhood you’re supposed to be policing, that’s just occupied territory. You follow this? Carver: Think so. Colvin: Okay The point I’m making is this: Soldiering and policing, they ain’t the same thing. And before we went and took the wrong turn and start up with these war games, the cop walked a beat, and he learned that post. And if there were things that happened on that post, where there be a rape, a robbery, or a shooting, he had people out there helping him, feeding him information. But every time I came to you, my DEU sergeant, for information, to find out what’s going on out on them streets… all that came back was some bullshit. You had your stats, your arrests, your seizures, but don’t none of that amount to shit when it comes to protecting the neighborhood, now do it? *sighs* You know, the worst thing about this, so-called drug war, to my mind…it just, it ruined this job.” Fcking wow man that is so right on the money. That first part about calling something a war and what it does to your perception is sobering.
They are interrupted by Lt Mello who breaks the news that Hamsterdam has been discovered by reporters as Colvin heads down there and tries to get the reporter to hold off on the story for a week which he agrees to do. Colvin discusses his options with Lt Mello and figures he has no choice but to admit that it was his idea and accept the consequences. At the next COMSTAT meeting, Colvin details the Hamsterdam plan showing the clean corners that were once uncontrollable but Rawls realizes Colvin legalized drugs in certain sections and declares him insane. Burrell is furious and immediately ends the meeting and starts laying into Colvin about how this will bring down Burell and the entire department. Colvin says that he acted alone but will lie and say Burrell sanctioned it if any of Colvin’s sub-ordinates are punished. Burrell cannot believe Colvin has the audacity to threaten him at a time like this. Colvin reminds Burrell about the lower crime stats but Burrell says that will not be enough to save them. Burrell tells Colvin he is taking vacation time instead of being suspended to avoid attention but on his way out, Colvin tells Burrell that a reporter knows about Hamsterdam and will be making it public within a week. This storyline really makes you think hard about if drugs being illegal is better or worse for society. Later we see Colvin meet with McNulty to pass on a tip he received about Avon Barksdale’s whereabouts.
With all the political fallout from Hamsterdam, Colvin is visited at home by Carcetti who wants to hear Colvin’s side of things instead of Burrell’s. Colvin takes Carcetti on a tour of the Western District showing him the empty drug corners, district headquarters where real police work can now be done to catch a felony church burglar and finally to a neighbourhood council meeting where Carcetti hears that community policing is possible again and that the residents are happier and feel safer. Colvin questions why Carcetti is so interested in their district and tells him a story about the funeral parlour in the neighbourhood that was once for whites only until a demographic shift changed the area. The kids in the neighbourhood once asked the man if he would ever serve blacks and he responded that he would if he could bury them all at once. Carcetti is taken aback at the extreme racism of the man and at the fact that Colvin is amused by the story but Colvin says that he respects the mans honest racism bc at least you know where he stands compared to people that are just as racist but hide it. Carcetti has seen all the good of Hamsterdam but now Colvin says it’s time to show him the bad and he takes Carcetti into the heart of Hamsterdam where Carcetti sees open drug dealing in abhorrent living conditions and questions why Colvin would do something like this knowing that it would never last and would cost him his career. Colvin says he was sick of the status quo and wanted to try something that could actually make a difference. Carcetti is disgusted by what he sees but Colvin says that is a journey he must take is he wants to reach to the people of the Western District. They part with Carcetti unsure of what to think about Hamsterdam but Colvin has his respect.
You knew the end of Hamsterdam was gonna be ugly for Colvin but damn was it ever. He loses a post-career job as Deputy Director of Security for John Hopkins after Hurrell phones them personally to inform them about Hamsterdam. Burrell and Rawls are out for blood and tell Colvin he must admit full responsibility for Hamsterdam and will also accept a demotion along with a smaller pension if he wants to protect his people. Rawls makes it clear that they will refuse promotions and find discipline and discharge excuses for Colvin’s shift supervisors. Colvin tries to reason with them about the lower retirement and the fact that his men weren’t involved but Burrell is not hearing any of it. At the next COMSTAT meeting, Colvin is officially relived of duty. Back at the Western District, McNulty visits Colvin to thank him for the tip that led to Stringer’s death and Avon’s arrest but also tells Colvin to remember that he is good police. Hamsterdam ends up being torn down and as the season ends, we see Colvin standing amongst the demolished building as he watches Bubbles and his new protege pick through the rubble. Colvin asks Bubbles if Hamsterdam was a good thing and Bubbles just says that he isn’t sure. Tough to say, Hamsterdam def started some conversations that desperately need to be had about new strategies to deal with hard drugs but it cost a great police that will no longer be able to make a difference with his badge. Obviously it was hard for anyone to really make a difference with all the bullshit that comes with being police but guys like Colvin are so important to the identity of what police are really supposed to be. They are already a dying breed so to lose a great one like Colvin is major blow.
In S4 we get a glimpse of life after police for Colvin as the Deacon visits him to talk about his current job as a hotel security manager and a potential new opportunity. Colvin says he is happy with the pay, benefits and company car but does not get along with his new boss. The Deacon tells Colvin about a grant from the U of Maryland school of social work to look at repeat violent offenders and that Colvin’s name has come up due to his efforts to deal with drug crimes. Colvin says he is not interested bc he has had his fill of trying to do good. After the meeting we see Colvin working at his hotel job dealing with a situation where a prostitute was beaten for trying to steal from her clients wallet. Colvin wants to kick the man out of the hotel but the man is a good client of the hotel so Colvin’s manager refuses and tells Colvin that he is not a police officer anymore. No way good police like Colvin could do a job like that and allow scumbags to do whatever they want. Next we see Colvin visit the Deacon who notices that Colvin isn’t driving the company car and Colvin tells him that he quit. They immediately go to meet the man responsible for the grant, Dr David Parenti. Dr Parenti tells them that they are going to focus on a specific target group to try and prevent them from becoming repeat violent offenders and they want Colvin to be a field researcher to recruit subjects for the target group. They prefer 18-21 year old’s bc that is a peak age for violent crimes but Colvin thinks that is too old bc most of them are stuck in their ways at that point.
Colvin and Dr Parenti go to Colvin’s old district where Carver allows them to interview one of the drug enforcement’s prisoners Shaun Williams. Williams is verbally abusive and when asked by Colvin what he would do if his sister was attacked, says he would respond with violence or have someone respond on his behalf. When Dr Parenti suggests involving the police, Williams attacks him forcing Colvin to restrain him lol Parenti just be writing those teaching seminars that Prez attended. After they leave, Dr Parenti concedes that 18-21 is prob too old much to Colvin and the Deacons amusement. Next they visit the school where Prez works and after observing how out of control the kids are between classes, Dr Parenti agrees that this is where they should focus their target group. Next day we see Colvin and Dr Parenti meeting with a politician to explain their plan to start an in-school program with the goal of preventing kids to group up and become repeat violent offenders. The politician is eager to accept the money after they confirm that this will not bring bad publicity to the education board. The 3 of them meet with the principal at the school where Colvin and Dr Parenti sign confidentiality agreements and safety waivers. After the meeting, Colvin meets with the teacher Mrs. Sampson who tells him that the teachers are not optimistic about this new initiative and lets him know that the kids usually have their best behaviours on Wednesdays bc they have spent the most time in a safe environment at school. You don’t realize the level of psychology that goes into things like this until you watch a show like The Wire. Colvin walks the halls, looking in on classes and notices that the best behaviour is in the younger classes.
Next we see Colvin talking with Mrs. Sampson and Dr Parenti about the initiative and Colvin suggests they split the kids into 2 groups, stoop kids and corner kids. Stoop kids are better parented at home and more likely to behave while corner kids have bad environments at home and are already acclimated to street life so they are more likely to continually disrupt classes. Colvin believes both groups would do better separate and Mrs. Sampson agrees while Dr Parenti says this sound similar to the ‘tracking’ of students which has a negative image. But Mrs. Sampson says that is only bc it suggests lowered expectations of students and goes against the governments ‘no child left behind’ slogan. Mrs. Sampson says it is important to create a program that can benefit the corner kids. After the meeting, they see Namond in the hall who swears at Dr Parenti lol they are all over this guy. Mrs. Sampson in check with 1 word and hurries him down the hall to the office. Later we see Colvin meet with Principal Withers who agrees to the new initiative with the 2 classes but is quickly called away. Assistant Principal Donnelly wants to make sure Colvin protects Principal Withers bc any fallout from this will reflect on him. Asst Principal Donnelly suggest they start with 10 kids and the initiative is ready to get started.
Next day the 10 kids are brought into the class and listen as Ms. Sampson explains the program to them and lets them know that attendance is mandatory. After Ms. Sampson explains that they are being separated bc they have proven they are not ready for regular classes but this program will get them ready for it. Namond makes the analogy that the school is prison and this class is solitary confinement while the regular classes are general population. Colvin jumps on this comment and tries to use it to intimidate the kids. Def have to establish authority immediately or the kids will eat them alive. Colvin and Dr Parenti attempt to teach the 1st class the next day but it is def a rough start as 1 student won’t stop brushing her hair so she is removed and Namond is obviously trying to get himself suspended from the class. But Colvin informs him that the class has a no-suspension policy and instead they will just temporarily remove the student from the class. Later, Namond is removed from the class again and refuses to talk to Colvin or Dr Parenti just responding with profanity and disrespect. In the class, a kid named Albert responds angrily when asked to read a book out loud and Colvin wonders what they have got themselves into while Dr Parenti is interested in the clinical aspects of the kids behaviour.
Next day in class the corner kids have accepted that they aren’t going anywhere no matter how bad they behave so there is a slight increase in their engagement in the class. The teacher asks the kids what they think of themselves and she gets some interesting responses and then has them write down where they see themselves in 10 years. Sad to hear Namond and Markeith says they think they will be dead but some others have aspirations like becoming a brain surgeon or NBA players. Colvin is impressed with the teach and Dr Parenti tells him that she is a doctoral candidate in sociology. Namond gets caught with a magazine and tries to say is wasn’t his but Colvin steps in having heard the excuse 1000x from his police days and tells the class he thinks they see the school as a safe environment to practice corner life. When he asks them what makes a good corner boy, they excitedly bombard him with opinions. The discussion leads to talking about what is required to control a corner and the kids talk about not letting people steal from you and beating those that do. Colvin questions why a beating is necessary and the kids say bc someone is always watching for weakness. They might not conform to normal societal standards but they are fn smart. Next day we really see the intelligence of Namond when he brings up the hypocrisy of a system that doesn’t play by the rules that they put on these kids and the corners. They demand good behaviour and punish bad behaviour from the kids but turn around and do the same bad shit with liquor, cigarettes, Enron, etc… “Namond: We do the same thing as y’all. ‘Cept when we do it, it’s “Oh, my God, these kids is animals!” Like it’s the end of the world comin’. Man, that’s bullshit, aight? This is like, what’s it, hypocrite–hypocritical. Zenobia: We got our thing, but it’s just part of the big thing.” It might be uncomfortable but he is 100% right.
Colvin, Dr Parenti and the teacher of case study class discuss the performance of teachers at the school observing that they get good results overall but that some students, mostly the most troublesome students are not participating. The teacher says she has observed kids with legitimate psychological problems that are holding them back and Parenti wonders if they can get them to engage in discussions other than what they already know about like corner life. Next day we see Colvin present a teamwork challenge to see if they can work together and splits the class into groups. The challenge is to assemble a model building without using instructions and the group that wins will get a fancy dinner on Colvin. Man this would be fun, wish we did stuff like this in school but I did get taken to McDonalds for reading the most books in elementary school. Namond, Darnell and Zenobia successfully build the tower but there is a piece left over that they couldn’t fit anywhere so Namond pockets it. Colvin is suspicious but doesn’t see anything out of line so he awards them the winners and they go out to Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse for a meal. The night starts out good with the kids appreciating the Billie Holiday song Colvin plays in the car and seem excited for a new experience. But once in the restaurant, things slowly deteriorate as the kids become more and more uncomfortable. The more they look around, they more they realize how out of place they are and the rules/etiquette for the restaurant start to overwhelm them and they start to act out. They leave the restaurant disappointed and the kids refuse Colvin’s request for a picture. On the way home, Darnell asks to go to McDonalds for french fries and Namond changes the radio to hip hop and turns it up despite Colvin’s protests. Next day, Colvin discuss the night with Dr Parenti and says that the kids were capable of behaving and enjoying a new experience but reverted to their corner ways as soon as they got uncomfortable. They know that acting out will get them removed from the uncomfortable situation and back to familiar surroundings. Parenti thinks this is going to be a barrier to future progress. But later Colvin sees the group bragging to the rest of the class about how awesome the dinner was so even though it was a disappointing end to the night, the good experience made an impact.
After Namond is arrested and his mother refuses to come get him, Namond has Carver call Colvin who shows up and jokes that they should send Namond to juvenile booking before calling his wife to see if Namond can come stay with them for the night. “Carver: The young man seems to think highly of you boss. He invoked your name with a measure of respect. Colvin: It wasn’t but a few weeks ago when I was in a room with him being called everything but a child of God. “Mr. Colvin sir. Fuck you.” Namond: Yo’ at least I said mister.” LOL She agrees and Colvin brings Namond home who is on his best behaviour and very polite. He hears Colvin’s wife call him Bunny and we get a hilarious exchange, ” Namond: Bunny? Colvin: Only my friends call me Bunny. Namond: Yeah, but why? Colvin: You don’t need to know. And if you tell anybody, I’ll cut your balls off.” LOL in the morning, Colvin returns Namond home but is greeted with rudeness and disrespect from his mother as she shames Namond for being afraid to go to juvenile booking. Next day Colvin is pulled out of the class by Dr Parenti and Asst Principal Donnelly who have bad news, despite the goals of the focus group the school board wants them to teach the state exams and also require a meeting with Colvin and Dr Parenti. They meet with Miss Sheperdson from the school board and explain the recent night out with the 3 students but Sheperdson is insistent that they simply teach the exam which enrages Parenti considering they outlined the goals of the focus group very clearly. Colvin tries to explain why these kids should not be treated just like everyone else but Sheperdson is still skeptical about the effectiveness of excluding the kids from standard practices. It’s another fcking great speech from Colvin I gotta highlight it, “Colvin: You put a textbook in front of these kids, put a problem on the blackboard, teach them every problem in some statewide test, it won’t matter. None of it. ‘Cause they’re not learning for our world; they’re learning for theirs. They know exactly what it is they’re training for and what it is everyone expects them to be. It’s not about you or us or the test or the system. It’s what they expect of themselves. Every single one of them know they’re headed back to the corners. Their brothers and sisters, shit, their parents. They came through these same classrooms. We pretended to teach them, they pretended to learn and where’d they end up? Same damn corners. They’re not fools, these kids. They don’t know our world but they know their own. They see right through us.” Wow.
Sheperdson observes the special class with Principal Withers and of course there is a fight between Zenobia and Chandra and the teacher Miss Mason is knocked to the ground during it. Withers admits that this is the first time he has observed the special class and things couldn’t have gone worse for the future of the special class. Afterwards Sheperdson discusses the situation with the teachers as Asst Principal Donnelly voices support for the special class and Colvin and the team are all passionate about continuing the class but Miss Mason isn’t sure the program is working and Sheperdson is def still leaning towards being against it. Back in the special class, Miss Duquette is using a trust fall exercise to teach the kids and Albert refuses when asked but Namond agrees after getting a nod from Colvin and it goes well. After Namond completes it, they ask Albert again but he responds with profanity and walks out of the class. Colvin follows him and asks what’s wrong and Albert says that he found his mother’s dead body last night and his grandmother sent him to school despite Albert wanting to be home with his mother. My God man that is so heart breaking and this isn’t just a show, this is happening in real life right this second. We have to take inspiration from shows like the Wire and make a better world for these kids. How could anyone be expected to learn or behave after dealing with brutal tragedy like that. After class, Colvin talks to Namond about what happened to a police officer named Walker that was covered in yellow paint by some kids and Namond tells him the true story of how they did it. Colvin is impressed and tells Namond he has made significant progress and might be ready to rejoin the regular classes.
But the next day it’s bad news as Colvin meets with Asst Principal Donnelly who tells him the school board is ending the special class. Colvin, Dr Parenti and Donnelly meet with Sheperdson to try and make a case to continue the special class but Sheperdson says the school board is under too much scrutiny at the moment and that they can only continue the program with approval from city hall. Good fn luck with that esp in Baltimore. Next day Colvin meets with the Deacon to discuss the end of the special class and the Deacon agrees to speck with State Delegate Watkins to see if he will help save the program. Back in the special class, the team has no choice but to focus the kids on the state exam preparation and Namond says he feels cheated now that his class is the same as everyone else and Colvin can’t help but agree. Colvin and Dr Parenti are both concerned that the state exam preparation does not speak to the students at all. Next day as the state exams begin, Colvin tells the special class that the program is ending and they will al be returning to regular classes. The special class might be ending but Colvin is not giving up on Namond as he goes to see Cutty in the hospital who agrees to arrange a meeting between Colvin and Namond’s father Wee-Bey. Colvin meets with Wee-Bey who recognizes Colvin from his police days but Colvin explains he is more of a teacher now and sees a lot of potential in Namond but that Namond won’t survive life on the streets. Wee-Bey says the risks of the game will determine Namond’s fate but Colvin says it doesn’t have to be like that. Namond’s good nature should determine his future and Colvin asks Wee-Bey to give him custody of his son. Big moment but best case scenario for all involved.
Colvin goes to pick Namond up from school and talks with Dr Parenti and Miss Duquette saying that he believes Wee-Bey will deny him custody and return Namond to his mother. Parenti tells Colvin they have to go meet the mayors office and Colvin is nervous due to his history with Hamsterdam but calms when he learns Carcetti will not be in the meeting. The meeting takes place with Andy the mayors new chief of staff and Gerry another senior staffer who are skeptical about the program and say it seems like tracking and that it would leave students behind. Colvin laughs that students are already being left behind and shakes his head at the systems refusal to admit their shortcomings. After the meeting, Colvin scolds himself for his shortcomings in the political arena but Dr Prenti blames the process and focuses on the valuable academic findings they have found. In the season ending montage, we see Namond on Colvin’s porch having been integrated into their family so we know that Wee-Bey agreed to give custody to Colvin. The Wire is set in the real world so there aren’t a lot of happy endings but this really did feel like one. Namond could be in an environment that gives him a chance to be the best version of himself and Colvin can actually make a lasting difference in the world. In season 5, we see Colvin and his wife watching proudly as Namond delivers a speech to the Urban Debate League about AIDS and man it was awesome to see that Namond was thriving. As they leave, Colvin sees Carcetti and shakes his head in disgust while Carcetti is apologetic, “Carcetti: You know, I always wanted to say how sorry I am about how things turned out. There wasn’t anything I could have done with your experiment in the Western District, there wasn’t anything that anyone could have done with that. Colvin: Yeah, well, I guess, Mr. Mayor, there’s nothing to be done.” Colvin stayed true to himself to the end, he wasn’t going to let any politician off the hook for not trying to fix the actual problems the city is facing. They are gonna have to sell their political bullshit to someone else bc Colvin def ain’t buyin it.
‘Bunny’ Colvin is one of the greatest TV characters of all time and def 1 of my favourites on The Wire. So many great speeches filled with hard, legitimate truth. We should be taking lessons from Colvin for our society. I’m glad he wasn’t killed off or just faded away into retirement, he deserved to make an impact on the story and he absolutely did.
-Assistant State Attorney Rhonda Pearlman – Wasn’t sure if she would be a long-termcharacter but I’m def glad she was as Deidre Lovejoy did a great job with her performance. Our first impression of her is a meeting with Daniels about the quality of the members of the Major Crimes Unit. She tells Daniels about the questionable history of Prez and implies he has friends that keep him employed. We learn that she has some kind of relationship with McNulty after he shows up wanting to clone a pager and they end up having sex. “Rhonda: Let me understand. You’re married and a date is a room at the Best Western with the blinds closed. Now you’re single, and a date is you coming over unannounced to learn the legal requisites for a pager intercept? McNulty: Pretty much.” She deserved much better than Jimmy. Awkward for her that Judge Phelan is clearly attracted to her and flirting with her but it will come in handy in the future. After Kima is shot, McNulty uses Rhonda to threaten Levy into handing over Savino who he represents. Rhonda is not happy bc Levy is a powerful figure in Baltimore Law so McNulty vents his anger onto her which she didn’t deserve. She meets with the State’s Attorney who is worried about the Major Crimes Unit looking into political/campaign contributions and shows her that contributions to their office have been returned by people worried about the investigation. Rhonda denies any knowledge of the investigations saying the record are public so nobody had to ask her to get them. She is worried that these investigations will have a negative impact on her career. Sucked to see a good Attorney like her have to worry bc the police were doing the right things.
Rhonda learns that D’Angelo is being represented by a public defender instead of Levy which tells her there might be problems between D’Angelo and the rest of the crew so she goes with McNulty to interview him to offer a deal if he will talk. They show D’Angelo pictures of Nakeesha, Wallace, Orlando and Brandon but he can’t bring himself to look at them. He admits to the role he and Wallace played in telling Stringer where Brandon was and he also gives them Wee-Bey’s location in Philadelphia. When they show D’Angelo a picture of Deirdre Kresson and D’Angelo tells a completely different story than the one we heard him tell his crew saying that Wee-Bey killed Deirdre not him. The success of the interview with D’Angelo has Rhonda excited about the potential for her career calling it a “career case.” She is so excited that she has sex with McNulty in the police parking garage lol but her excitement is short lived when she learns that Levy is back representing D’Angelo and goes to meet with him. Levy makes it clear that Wee-Bey is taking the murders as solely his doing, only the assets linked to the case will be seized and that Avon will only be looking at a short sentence for attempted possession. Rhonda oversees all of the prosecution on the Barksdale crew.
In S2 we see that the fling with Jimmy is still ongoing as he shows up wasted to her house and they sleep together. But Rhonda is disappointed with how their “relationship” is going which is made worse by Jimmy telling her he wants to get back with his ex-wife. Man she deserved so much better. The Major Crimes Unit meets with Rhonda to report on their case and see if they can get some wiretaps set up to further the investigation. The unit has discovered a link between George Glekas warehouse and ‘White’ Mike, Prop Joe and Sergei. They were able to track Sergei’s cell phone and learn that every time a container goes missing, Sergei calls Glekas’ warehouse. The warehouse is obviously how they move all the stolen merchandise from the containers. Daniels introduces the evidence that Herc and Carver have linked Nick Sobotka to the drug dealer ‘Frog’ but conveniently leaves out the details that Herc and Carver used an illegal wire to get the info. Rhonda looks over their paper work and believes they did enough to get a wire set up on Sergei and takes it to the judge. The judge signs off on it and the wire on Sergei is a go but only after Herc and Carver move an air conditioner for the Judge and wash his windows lol hey gotta do whatever it takes to get the wire.
Next we see Pearlman meet with Kima and Bunk to discuss how to proceed with the vice aspect of the case as Kima explains that they have discovered that the same company owns the warehouse and the apartments. They figure the apartments are being used as a cathouse and figure they need someone to go undercover with McNulty being the consensus choice lol after Valchek gets the FBI involved in the Sobotka investigation, Pearlman and Daniels meet with the FBI and agree to share the case with them but the FBI wants the focus to be on the union. Next day Daniels meets with Pearlman to discuss the case and they have identified Spiros lawyer and have an address for him bc he rented the hotel room and believe he is the head of the smuggling ring. Daniels asks Pearlman what they can offer White Mike in exchange for information and Pearlman says witness protection since the case is federal. Beadie asks why Frank Sobotka hasn’t been given the same offer and says he would flip if Beadie could talk to him so Pearlman gives her the green light. After Beadie talks to Frank and gets him to flip, he comes in to meet with Pearlman and asks for leniency for Nick and for Ziggy to be transferred to a safer prison. He also says he will not give up union men and they are fine with that so Pearlman tells him to return with a lawyer the next day.
Unfortunately Frank is killed so Nick turns himself in and meets with Pearlman and Daniels telling them that Spiros promising to help Ziggy was what lured Frank to the meeting. Nick gives them all the information he can on Sergei, Eton and Spiros linking Sergei to the Philadelphia crewman killing and even identifies the Greek in 1 of their photos but doesn’t have any more info than that. S2 ends as we see Pearlman prosecuting Eton and Sergei. S3 starts at the Major Crimes Unit office as Pearlman and Daniels discuss ending the wiretaps since most dealers are not using phones anymore but McNulty is adamant that if they stick with it they will get Stringer and Prop Joe saying Stringer is the main target and all others are secondary. Daniels says they need a break in the case to justify the wiretaps. Next day as Daniels is assigning his men to hand to hand, Pearlman looks around and comments that Daniels has been living in his office obviously not on good terms with his wife. The Major Crimes Unit meets with Pearlman the next day to discuss the murders they heard on the wire and Daniels wants to use the evidence to make arrests while McNulty wants to wait to gather more evidence for a bigger score. The rest of the team thinks the murders are enough to move on them so they make the arrests but after interrogating Cheese, realizing the person he was talking about killing was actually his dog so they have nothing serious to charge him with. The unit feels sorry for themselves at the bar that night and McNulty tries to take Pearlman home but she shuts him down and makes a move on Daniels who takes her home to his struggling bachelor pad lol fck yeah I was so happy to see her tell McNulty to beat it bc she deserved a good guy like Daniels.
Pearlman and Daniels become an official couple but can’t be public yet bc Daniels wife has political aspirations and needs to show a stable family life until after the elections and Daniels feels he owes it to her to play along bc she sacrificed for his career for so long. Next day Pearlman, Daniels and a running late McNulty are briefed by Freamon and Prez about how they have identified a network of 15 cell phones with pre programmed numbers with a co-ordinator at the top of the 15 phones and that they replace the phones every few weeks. Next we see Pearlman meet with the Major Crimes Unit to discuss the legal requirements to setting up wiretaps; McNulty and Kima need to prove they are unable to infiltrate the Barksdale crew using undercover detectives or confidential informants, Freamon and Prez will start typing up wiretap affidavits to be ready and Sydnor will track Bernard to see when new phones are coming in. McNulty and Pearlman go to meet with the cell phone company and the executive tells them it will take 30 days to respond to a court order for a wiretap and this sets off Pearlman at the audacity of the company selling a phone that can be used anonymously, caters to drug dealers and then holds up court ordered wiretaps. Not taking any more shit, Pearlman says that she will issue a public statement saying that the phone company is deliberately protecting drug dealers and the executive immediately caves saying they will get it done in 4-5 days but they need it faster.
Afterwards Pearlman and McNulty meet with Fitz and Amanda Reese from the FBI to ask for help but Fitz says counter terrorism and political corruption remain the priority over drugs and that they haven’t had success dealing with phone companies in the past. Next day Pearlman and Daniels meet with Judge Phelan to talk about the dealers discarding phones every few weeks making it difficult to get a wire set up in time and he asks for other options but Pearlman says her boss State Attorney Demper is too busy with the upcoming election and the feds are unable to help. Phelan offers to sign the wiretap affidavits as soon as they get the number for them so that’s something at least. Phelan was awkwardly flirting with Pearlman the entire time lol and Daniels amusedly comments on it as they leave. Later, Pearlman and Daniels discuss the meeting with McNulty who wants to rush the paperwork but Daniels tells him to be careful. McNulty is pissed that Phelan is the judge considering he is still upset about how Phelan stalled their original Barksdale investigation but Daniels says McNulty thinks anyone that gets in his way is worthless and McNulty can’t deny it. After the Major Crimes Unit come up with a new plan to pre-wiretap the phones, Pearlman and Daniels meet with Judge Phelan who comes through and approves them despite it being legally shaky. Back at the office, Freamon and McNulty explain to Pearlman that Stringer has isolated himself from the crew by only talking to Shamrock and providing Shamrock with a phone only used for communication with him. Freamon says they could have 99% of the crew nailed on conspiracy charges but to get Stringer and Avon, they need to pluck cell numbers out of thin air. This causes McNulty to leave and when he returns he has a borrowed a machine from Fitz that can do just that.
After Daniels is promoted and his wife safe in her political position, Daniels celebrates having a public dinner with Pearlman saying now that his wife has the Mayor’s support she doesn’t need him and they finish the evening having sex at home. After the Barksdale Crew is arrested, Pearlman and McNulty interrogate Bodie in a funny scene, “McNulty: You heard the tapes. Bodie: Look, he came to me and said we can sell drugs if we moved down to Vincent Street. And that’s where I moved my crew. And you know I did! Because you the one that popped me with a G-pack on my way to the spot and let me go, remember? Pearlman: You were selling drugs in Major Colvin’s free zone? You can prove that? Bodie: [motioning to McNulty] Ask him, he know… Man, this-this must be one of them contrapment things! Pearlman: You mean “entrapment”? McNulty: [amused and impressed] Kid’s gotta point…” lol no doubt. S3 ends with Pearlman prosecuting Avon and most of the Barksdale crew who are being represented by Levy. 2 heavy hitters in the law game on different sides, would have loved to see more of a season dedicated to Pearlman and Levy having a war of a trial. S4 starts with Pearlman meeting with Freamon and Kima to discuss the Stanfield investigation and Freamon is disappointed that they aren’t murdering anyone but only bc violence is the only way to justify investigating a target. Freamon also asks Pearlman to sign off on affidavits for key political figures and Pearlman can see the shit storm coming with these and asks about Lt Asher’s willingness to investigate this. Freamon says Lt Asher is fearless and Pearlman knows he is doing this on purpose so close to the election but Freamon acts innocent.
Next day Pearlman is pacing around the Major Crimes Unit office as Sydnor shares her nerves about Freamon serving the subpoenas to the key political figures and she wishes that she had ran them by her superiors esp this close to an election. Freamon tries to give her shit for considering breaking protocol for politics but she has 2 very good reasons; if her boss State Attorney Dempsey is re-elected then he will demote her to reviewing bail cases at the Central Booking holding facility but if his opponent, an African American named Rubert Bond, wins then she is likely to be replaced bc of her race. Fn bullshit that doing the right thing could cost her everything she has worked for in hr career but isn’t that always the way it goes. Freamon catches her trying to hold back 2 subpoenas, 1 for Clay Davis and 1 for Andy Krawczyk, until after the elections but Freamon says this is their only chance bc politicians have to care about how their actions look during an election but after the election they will just shut them down and punish everyone involved. Pearlman realizes that Freamon has played her waiting until now to push this forward and they weren’t delayed by other cases but Freamon again claims innocence. Later in bed with Daniels, Pearlman discusses resenting Freamon for what he did but Daniels says Freamon did have a case and makes her laugh talking about Freamon’s tried and tested manipulations and says he is glad Freamon is manipulating someone other than him these days.
After the Major Crimes Unit is gutted as consequence of the subpoenas, Pearlman and Daniels meet with the Lt Marimow now in charge of the unit to discuss executing warrants in the Western District. Pearlman says that he is wasting time on low level targets that she won’t litigate but he says that is her problem and she adds that she won’t cover for his mistakes. Later, Pearlman talks with Daniels about her career saying that with Marimow in charge of the Major Crimes Unit and the subpoenas issued to key contributors to Mayor Royce’s office, she has lost hope in her job and is wondering where she should ask Demper to re-assign her. After Rupert Bond wins the election, Pearlman goes to meet with him thinking she is about to be demoted from Head of Narcotics to Head of Misdemeanour cases but Bond shocks her by offering her a promotion to the Violent Crimes Unit. Bond says he is impressed with her record and courage and wants the right prosecutors to help run the State’s Attorney office. Fck yeah he def got the right person. Bond seems like he actually wants to do his job instead of being like Demper and dismissing cases to keep his favourable conviction rate. Breath of fresh air on this show that’s for sure. After Col Foerster dies, they hold his wake at the bar at Pearlman attend with Daniels and Ilene Nathan. Next day, Pearlman visits Daniels in his office and he tells her the new Mayor Carcetti wants to meet with him to ask about what is successful in the police department and Daniels wants to know how honest he should be lol she says to just be himself despite his worries that the mayor will never get rid of Burrell and Rawls.
After Carcetti promotes Daniels again and gives him full support to overhaul the investigative units as he sees fit, he tells Pearlman there’s a chance Baltimore might turn itself around under this new administration and she attends his promotion ceremony with Carver, Kima and Sydnor. Next we see Pearlman and Daniels host a meeting with the Homicide using asking for suggestions to pass on to the new mayor and State Attorney and they get great ideas but Landsman isn’t buying this new day stuff. Next day Freamon meets with Pearlman and Daniels to make a case for searching other vacant houses for bodies but Daniels is concerned about the murder rate while Pearlman asks about what other work the team is doing on Marlo and if there are links between the missing persons on Freamon’s list and Marlo. Freamon says there are some links says his strategy is going to be following the money and getting the wiretaps going again. Freamon asks if Landsman has been telling Daniels about the bodies and Daniels says he hasn’t. Pearlman says the decision to search more vacant houses is up to Daniels and he says he will talk to his commanders about it. After they find 9 bodies in the vacant houses, Pearlman has to field questions from Burrell and Rawls after Daniels is called away and she reports that the forensics teams are attending each crime scene and they are looking for 9mm bullet casings, vacuuming for hair/fiber and laser printing for footprints. Daniels returns to take over and confirms that the bodies are most likely linked to Marlo but their wiretaps were shut down 3 months ago thanks to Marimow and Burrell offers full support as S4 ends.
S5 starts with Pearlman standing with Daniels and Bond at the court house as Chris Partlow asks them for directions to the criminal clerks office and they do having no clue who he is. Later, Pearlman and Daniels meet with Bond to tell him about the Major Crimes Unit being shut down and they suggest that he appeal to Carcetti to keep the Stanfield investigation going but he is more concerned with the Clay Davis case. Pearlman says that she needs Freamon to make the Clay Davis case so Bond agrees to accompany Daniels to the meeting with Carcetti. Next day Pearlman and Sydnor meet with Freamon and Pearlman tells them to start their cases from the outside and then work towards Clay Davis to make sure they cover everything. Sydnor asks her if she thinks Clay Davis is expecting his indictments and she says he has probably been fearing it the whole time. Later we see Pearlman arrive at the Homicide unit to ask about new cases and there is only 1 but McNulty confrontationally says that the murder rate will prob rise now that they aren’t watching Marlo. Pearlman defends herself saying that the police department, not the State’s Attorneys office suspended the investigation but McNulty counters that the State’s Attorneys office did not object to it just like they didn’t object to Chris and Snoop’s gun charge hearing being postponed twice. She says that postponements are pro forma and he just says the game is rigged and she leaves nodding goodbye to everyone except McNulty. Man he could be a dick sometimes or all the times lol
Next day, Pearlman is taking depositions from witnesses at the Grand Jury hearings and the first is mostly boring financial details but the second is Clay Davis’s driver Damien Price and Pearlman asks him about being stopped and found with Barksdale drug money. She asks him about holding 2 salaried positions with charities linked to Clay Davis and asks him how he handles 3 jobs and he is unable to answer any of her questions. After Freamon uncovers evidence of Clay Davis committing mortgage fraud which is a federal crime, Pearlman accompanies him to meet with Bond to talk about the new evidence that would carry a sentence of 30 years. Freamon says this is a very common situation in finance crime and is known as the head shot so they need to take this federal. Bond isn’t sure he wants to do that and needs more time to think as he ends the meting and Freamon leaves. Pearlman stays behind and Bond asks how strong the other charges are against Clay Davis hoping to keep the case local and she says the 4 theft charges are straight forward and strong, supported by documented evidence. Bond believes a conviction on the theft charges is enough so he decides to keep it local. Pearlman meets Sydnor and Freamon at the court house and as Freamon is recapping the charges, Clay Davis walks in and Pearlman welcomes him saying she is looking forward to hearing him explain some financial irregularities. Sydnor thinks he is coping with the indictment well but Freamon says his presence at the court house shows his guilt.
In the Grand Jury hearing, Pearlman presents the evidence of payments from city developers to Davis’s charitable organizations and then deposits and withdrawals from the charity accounts into Davis’s personal account. She asks him to explain how the money got into his personal account and Davis gets upset saying that he was originally going to co-operate but that they are looking for blood and refuses to answer any more questions leaving the stand visibly shaken. Freamon says that Davis hasn’t even heard their entire case as Sydnor questions why even hold the hearing if they knew Davis would just refuse to answer and Pearlman says the answer is outside where a throng of reporters waits to talk to Davis. Next day Bill Zorzi from the Baltimore Sun angrily confronts Pearlman about her not contacting his paper for the story but Pearlman says she left a message for Gail Henderson but she hasn’t worked at the paper for months and from now on to phone him. After Prop Joe is killed and his house searched, Daniels approaches Pearlman with leaked documents from the court house including sealed indictments and they know they have a serious problem with a leak at the court house. Pearlman meets with Bond about the Clay Davis and Bond is determined to try Bond himself as Pearlman shows him the leaked documents and they have a new problem with a leak.
Pearlman and McNulty meet with Judge Phelan to discuss wiretapping the phones of the Baltimore Sun now that the serial killer has phoned a reporter there but Phelan doesn’t want to approve it bc a paper has a right to protect their sources and he wants to avoid the political consequences of making an enemy of the paper. McNulty openly expresses his disappointment but Pearlman accepts his decision and outside gives McNulty shit for his lack of diplomacy. Next day Clay Davis actually takes the stand and puts on a heav of a performance saying that he took the cash out to make sure he had it on hand to give to his constituents that needed it lol oh boy but in an insane twist, the Grand Jury finds Clay Davis not guilty and Bond and Pearlman cannot believe it. The whole Clay Davis investigation/trial went way too fast for it to be believable or to really get invested in it so it honestly didn’t feel like the big deal that it should. After the Major Crimes Unit catches Monk riding dirty, Daniels phones Pearlman to tell her who they need warrants for and says, “Are you sitting down.” But the good news stops when Daniels and Pearlman visit evidence control and confirm what Kima confessed to Daniels, that the serial killer was made up by McNulty and Freamon as they see the phone that was supposed to be the serial killers actually belonged to Marlo.
Next day Mayor Carcetti is informed of the fake serial killer and after a discussion with his office, despite the protests of Daniels and Pearlman, they decide to wrap it up quietly and those that are responsible will be reassigned and kept out of sight in exchange for silence. At the courthouse, Freamon meets with Pearlman to let her know the leak is Grand Jury Prosecutor Gary DiPasquale and he has been selling the court documents to Levy but there is good news in that Freamon has a recorded call between DiPasquale and Levy who implicates himself in crimes. Pearlman appreciates the evidence but is so mad about the fake serial killer that she can’t hold it in and tells Freamon that everyone knows. After Levy goes over the arrest reports for the Stanfield crew, things do not add up and he believes that they used an illegal wiretap to decipher their code before they had a legal wire and tells Pearlman that whatever fraud was present will come out in court. Michael Steintorf, Mayor Carcetti’s Chief of Staff, tells Pearlman and Bond to settle the Stanfield case out of court as quietly as possible making sure the illegal wiretaps are never exposed. Pearlman meets with Levy and plays the tape of him asking to buy the sealed indictments which carries a sentence of 10-12 so Pearlman says the tape goes away if he settles the Stanfield case out of court. Chris Partlow will plead guilty to all murders and serve life in prison with no chance of parole, Monk and Cheese will plead guilty with possession with intent to sell serving up to 20 years each and the charges against Marlo will be abated under the condition he leaves the drug game permanently. I had to pause and get up to leave the room at this point bc MARLO GETS TO WALK FREE!?!?!?….oh man I was so disgusted.
As the series ends we see that Pearlman becomes a judge! Oh man that is such a great role for her even though it sucks to lose her ability to try a case bc she was one of the best. Def loved her character, she felt like a real life person that just happened to be on the show. And I am so happy she got away from McNulty and ended up with Daniels, 1 of the few people on the show that got a happy ending they deserved.
-Judge Daniel Phelan – Wasn’t sure if Judge Phelan was going to be someone we disliked but he ended up a valuable ally for Jimmy and the team. Peter Gerety gave the character the realistic performance it needed. We start off with Jimmy asking for help to get the Barksdale investigation going and Judge Phelan delivers. After William Gant is killed, Phelan talks to the press about it after Jimmy asked him not to which causes friction between them. Phelan starts to redeem himself in a conversation with Burrell expressing disappointment over the higher ups in the Barksdale crew not being investigated which changes things in the favour of the Major Crimes Unit. But Phelan does come through in signing the affidavit so they can clone D’Angelo’s pager. Kind of funny to watch Phelan attempt to flirt with Rhonda, he def liked her. Phelan comes through big time after Burrell tries to shut down the Major Crimes Unit after the arrest a driver for Clay Davis found with drug money but Phelan threatens Burrell with contempt if he doesn’t allow the wiretaps to go the full length. “Who’s your daddy now” lol
Supporting McNulty and the case is starting to have negative effects on Phelan’s political aspirations and he starts to cool on helping them, “Judge Phelan: McNulty, I hold you in contempt. McNulty: Who doesn’t?” lol Phelan is finally back in good political graces being put back on the re-election ticket when McNulty asks him for help getting Burrell off their backs. Despite what it could cost him, Phelan agrees to help. Judge Phelan presides over all of the Barksdale convictions. During the trial of Bird, Omar wins the respect of Judge Phelan with his charisma and blunt honesty. Doesn’t help Bird’s case when he keep taking Omar bait and lashing out making himself look guilty. Once the jury turns in a guilty verdict, Judge Phelan isn’t fucking around recommending Bird be given life in prison with no chance of parole.
We don’t see him again until S3 when Pearlman and Daniels meet with him to discuss their problems with dealers discarding phones as Phelan awkwardly flirts with Pearlman the entire time lol she is def beautiful but not cool, dude. Phelan asks for other options than a wiretap but Pearlman says that her boss State Attorney Demper is too busy with his re-election campaign and the feds are also unable to help so Phelan says he will sign the wiretap affidavits as soon as they have a phone number. The Major Crimes Unit is able to get a phone number so Phelan signs the wiretap affidavit and recognizes Stringer’s name from the previous investigation but McNulty still gives him a hard time about holding them up in the 1st Barksdale investigation and Phelan tells him to let it go for his own good. Prob not a good idea to make an enemy of a judge, esp one that is now helping you lol fn McNulty i tells ya. This was his last appearance until S5 when McNulty and Pearlman meet with him to discuss wiretapping the phones at the Baltimore Sun now that the serial killer has called a reporter there but Phelan can’t allow it bc of the newspaper’s right to protect their sources and to avoid the political consequences of making an enemy of the newspaper and obviously McNulty expresses his disappointment while Pearlman accepts the decision and they leave.
Next day Phelan meets with McNulty and Pearlman and has a good quote about Carcetti’s luck, “Phelan: Gets himself elected on law and order ticket, crime doesn’t go down much, and then uh, couple o’ weeks before he starts gearing up for Governor, some wing-nut starts killin’ people, takin’ photographs, sendin’ ’em to the newspaper. You know something, you might wanna check up on the governor’s alibi’s.” lol Phelan may be a lot of things but stupid isn’t one of em. As the series ends, things come full circle when we see Sydnor approach Phelan in his chambers to complain about the incompetence of the Commissioner which is pretty much exactly what McNulty did at the start of S1. Finally gets rid of 1 McNulty and another one immediately takes his place lol great way for Phelan’s run on the show to end, I was happy to see him help not hinder the Major Crimes Unit bc he deserved to be seen as a good character.
Bubbles – I think Bubbles is the consensus for the best character on the show and I would never argue that, loved Bubs. Andre Royo put in an incredible performance as Bubbles and def should have won an Emmy for it but I don’t think he was even nominated. We first meet Bubs getting ready to scam a drug dealer with his buddy Johnny using fake money. It works once but the second time Johnny is caught and Bodie leads the crew in a serious beatdown of Johnny, so bad it puts him in the hospital. This leads to Bubs becoming a confidential informant for Kima, giving information on the Barksdale crew to get some revenge. Considering he was talking to the police, I didn’t want to get too attached to Bubs as I thought he would be saying goodbye within a couple seasons. Thought it was a brilliant plan by Bubs to identify the bigger players of the Barksdale crew by putting the red hat on their head. Bubbles actually goes down to the Major Crimes Unit and helps Kima put names to the pictures they have on the bulletin board. The more Bubs helped out the more concerned I was for him.
Bubbles saw Omar rob the stash house and tells Kima but is disappointed she doesn’t know who Omar is. With Kima going to class, McNulty picks up Bubs which leads to a fn hilarious exchange, “McNulty: I’m late for soccer practice. Bubbles: Suck what?” LOL Bubbles visits Johnny in the clinic and learns Johnny has AIDS, a seriously sobering moment esp for someone that uses and shares needles a lot. Bubs tells Johnny that he is working with the police as revenge for the beating but Johnny is actually upset with Bubs for doing this. Johnny gets out and runs a scam with Bubbles to steal copper and sell it for drug money. But when Johnny goes to buy the drugs, he is arrested and Bubbles cannot believe his bad luck. As a thanks for all his CI work, Kima helps Johnny avoid possession charges as long as he goes to rehab. This is a pivotal moment as Bubbles meets Walon at the meeting, someone that would have a big impact on Bubs life going forward. Bubbles and Johnny see Walon in the projects and Bubs thinks he is getting high but Walon says he is clean and just looking for his nephew. Bubs is inspired by Walon and goes to visit his sister telling her of his desire to get clean. She has heard this story before but Bubbles convinces her he is serious and she gives him a key to use the basement but doesn’t allow him to come upstairs.
Bubbles is enjoying a week of being clean sitting on a park bench visiting with Walon who gives him some sobering advice about staying clean, “Walon: Look, forgiveness from other folks is good, but ain’t nothin’ but words comin’ at you from outside. You want to kick this shit, you got to forgive your own self. Love yourself some, brother. And then drag your sorry ass to some meetings. Bubbles: Meetings? Walon: What the fuck do you wanna hear? That you’re strong enough to do this by yourself? Gettin’ clean’s the easy part. And then comes life.” Bubbles meets with Kima and asks her to give him money so he can get a place of his own and have a better chance of staying clean. She says she will give him some money the next day. Bubbles pages her the next day but the cops are monitoring her pager after the shooting and pick Bubbles up instead. Det Holley roughs Bubs up for not co-operating but Bubs doesn’t know anything and asks for McNulty. Jimmy shows up to save him from the beating and breaks the news that Kima was shot and is in critical condition. Not realizing Bubs is trying to get clean, Jimmy gives him money to by drugs and sends him back to the Barksdale corner to try and get some information. Bubbles learns that Wee-Bey and Little Man were responsible for the shooting. McNulty won’t listen to Bubs about being clean and despite Bubs trying to give the money back, Jimmy lets him keep the money putting him in position to use again. As the season ends, we see Bubbles has given up on trying to get clean and is back on the hustle with Johnny.
Into S2, Bubbles and Johnny are shoplifting from a store when McNulty see’s them but doesn’t bust them. McNulty needs their help to track down Omar so he tells Bubs that they have to pay a tax to avoid being arrested and the tax is finding Omar. Bubbles is leery knowing Omar’s reputation but agrees to do it. Later at a crack house, Bubbles asks around about Omar and Kimmy, 1 of the females in Omar’s crew overhears and tells Omar someone is asking about him. Omar tracks Bubbles down and sticks his shotgun in Bubs face but doesn’t hurt them, “Snitchin Bubs…you been lookin for me.” Bubbles meets with McNulty after and tells him he found Omar despite some considerable danger, “McNulty: He play you hard? Bubbles: I go at him respectable. He put that damn shotgun in my face, man. I’m looking at two damn tubes of the Harbor Tunnel staring right at me. Each one about yea-big. I damn near piss my pants.” Lol Bubbles asks for more than his usual fee which he gets.
Next we see Bubbles buying drugs from Bodie after he gives Bubs a lower price than the other dealers that work for Cheese. Later, Bubbles and Johnny are walking around looking for a hit when they spot an addict that has overdosed on the new, more powerful product being attended to by an ambulance so Johnny keeps watch as Bubbles tries to steal drugs and supplies from the ambulance. But they are busted by officer Santangelo who takes them down to an interrogation room in the South Eastern District as Kima and McNulty go in and discuss the options with Bubbles. They say he needs to give them some significant information to get the charges dropped but Bubbles says he doesn’t have much to give em until Johnny speaks up about Brother Mouzone shooting Cheese. Bubbles says that was just a rat round so it was nothing but does mention that East Side dealers have moved into Avon’s territory and it looks like East Side crews are working with Stringer and the Barksdale crew. Last piece of info he has is about the increased quality of the drugs being sold now and this is enough for Kima and McNulty to help them as S2 ends.
S3 starts with Bubbles and Johnny pushing a cart with a haul of scrap metal when they accidentally lose control and smash into a car which just happens to be Marlo Stanfield’s. His driver gets out and threatens Bubbles with a gun but Marlo calms him down saying they have to go and just takes Bubbles and Johnny’s pants instead lol humiliating but better than being left in the street. They buy new pants but that leaves them short to buy enough drugs for both of them and as they find their beds, Bubbles is pessimistic as they go to sleep while Johnny is optimistic about tomorrow being a new day. Couple days later, Kima and McNulty approach Bubbles and Johnny to ask them if they want work and Johnny is skeptical but Bubbles says he loves working with the 2 detectives. Next day, Bubbles negotiates his wage with Kima and McNulty, “Bubbles: This pay how much? Kima: Let’s treat it like a real job. Say $5 an hour, $30 on a day, max. Bubbles: That’s less than minimum wage. McNulty: But there’s no withholding, Bubs. It’s tax-free.” Seems kinda low but the police budget is not exactly overflowing with cash. Bubbles job is to walk around the Western District to get an idea how the crews are working but esp where the Barksdale crew is now set up.
As he walks around, Bubbles notices Marlo talking to his dealer Fruit and writes down Fruit’s license plate. When he is done, Bubbles reports to Kima and McNulty that the Barksdale crew is mostly sharing territory but Marlo has the lower corners and the PO housing closer to the city all to himself. For a bit more cash, he gives them the license plate number lol atta boy, Bubs. Next day, Bubbles and Kima work together mapping out territory in the Western District and Bubs lets her know that the dealers are using burner phones for a short time and then disposing of them. Next day, Bubbles and Johnny are arguing about if it is right to work as a Confidential Informants to make money instead of just when they need to get out of trouble, “Johnny: No, Bubs. I mean, there’s gotta be rules, or else things get fucked up. Bubbles: Ain’t no rules with dope fiends. When the police got you shackled up, you make a move, right? You help yourself out. Johnny: But to just start snitchin’ for no reason… Bubbles: Whoa, whoa, whoa. Let me track this. You hypopulatin’ that you can tattletale when you locked up but you can’t do it straight up for the money? I mean, no offense, son, but that’s some weak-ass thinkin’. You equivocatin’ like a fuck. Johnny: OK, so a snitch is a snitch, right? Bubbles: There you go. Johnny: So why be one, man? We’re gettin’ by with our capers. Bubbles: We gettin’ by out here rippin’ and runnin’ and ain’t got shit to show for it. It’s part of bein’ a soldier, right? That’s what you say. That’s why I put all this mileage in these feet. You wait till you ain’t a pup no more. See if you ain’t lookin’ for something a little more steady for your own self..{Johnny vomits] What the fuck? You ill already? It’s ain’t even past morning. Johnny: I’m cool, man. I’m fine. Bubbles: Look, we hook up with my girl Kima, we get paid, you gonna be better. Johnny: Fuck that, Bubs, all right? I’m not a fuckin snitch. Bubbles: You know, I could argue the other side – say if you drop dime to duck a charge, you a snitch. You do it as a living, you a professional.” Hypopopulating lol
From a street perspective, Johnny has a point bc being a professional snitch would not have a high life expectancy but on the other hand, Bubbles knows that Kima and McNulty are good police and is doing the community a favour by giving up information on scumbags like Marlo. As they are talking, Johnny sees an opportunity for a scam and Bubbles doesn’t want to but Johnny convinces him so they pretend Bubbles is attacking a stranger and Johnny saves him. The strangers gives Johnny money as a thank you and an excited Johnny looks for Bubbles but Bubs is gone. Next day, Kima tracks down Bubbles selling his oversized T-Shirts and he tells her about the gunfight at the corner of Mount and Fayette that left 2 Barksdale soldiers dead. When he realizes Kima thinks the Barksdale and Stanfield crews are working together, he brings her up to speed on the fact that they are enemies. After Hamsterdam is up and running, we see Bubbles trying to sell T-shirts there but the atmosphere is almost too much even for him. He spots Johnny in one of the vacant buildings looking and rough so he tries to get him to leave but Johnny refuses. Next day, Kima and McNulty pay Bubbles to act as a CI and give him enough money to buy enough drugs from Bodie that he will have to order a re-supply. Bubs asks if he can keep the drugs lol but Kima firmly says no. Bodie is suspicious when Bubbles places such a large order but Bubbles says he has made good money selling T-shirts and even gets Bodie to agree to a discount for buying so much. Shame that addiction was destroying Bubbles potential bc he had a lot of smarts and skills that could have taken him to good places in life.
The work is coming steady for Bubbles as Kima and McNulty track him down to ask about a member of the Barksdale crew named Bernard and his girlfriend Squeak and Bubs says he recognizes Squeak bc they were friends at one time so he can talk to her. Bubbles tracks down Squeak to reconnect with her and shows her he is now selling cell phones at lower prices than the stores so she tells Bernard and they set up a meeting between Bernard and Freamon who is working undercover posing as Bubbles cell phone supplier. Next day, Bubbles continues to sell T-shirts in Hamsterdam as a young homeless kid questions the wisdom of selling T-shirts and says he should be selling hoodies since the weather is about to change. As S3 ends, we see Bubbles with the homeless kid picking through Hamsterdam after it was shut down and things go back to normal when Bubs sees Colvin standing around contemplating Hamsterdam and says hello. Colvin asks Bubbles if Hamsterdam was a good thing and Bubbles says he is not sure and walks away. S4 starts with Bubbles and Sherrod, the homeless kid from S3, selling various goods from a shopping cart as Sherrod struggles to add up the price of the cart so Bubbles gives him shit saying that if he had math skills he could be running his own cart. Back at home, Bubbles hides his drug use from Sherrod who is clearly upset at the criticism of his math skills as he tells Bubbles he will go back to school.
Right away Sherrod starts missing classes so Bubbles lectures him and says that if he doesn’t attend school then their business partnership is over. Bubbles decides to try to help by posing as Sherrod’s uncle and they head to the school to talk with Assistant Principal Donnelly who encourages Sherrod to attend his classes but Bubs has questions about the classes Sherrod is in, “Bubbles: One thing though been bothering me, ma’am–if Sherrod already missed the last three years, should he maybe be back in the fifth or sixth grade, instead of up with his age. I mean, so he can follow the work. Donnelly: Social promotion. Bubbles: Excuse me: Donnelly: We don’t have the resources to repeat grade levels, and we feel to place the older children in the younger classes is unfair to teachers who are responsible for maintaining order. Your nephew has been socially promoted. He’s an eighth-grader, headed to high school.” Bubbles was right but we know that there is nothing Donnelly could do even if she wanted to. Just sucks that we don’t live in a world where schools have more than enough money and education comes before profit. Later at home, Sherrod claims to be doing homework using a study book and a work book but 1 book is on Algebra and the other is a French dictionary. Bubbles doesn’t say anything bc he knows that Sherrod has been failed by the system and will never get the education he needs at school which is fucked to say but it’s true.
Next day, Bubbles spots Sherrod working for a drug crew and gives him shit for skipping school again but the addict buying from Sherrod is pissed that Bubbles interrupted the purchase and gives Bubbles a beating and steals his money, leaving him humiliated. That night at home, Bubbles tells Sherrod that he can stay the night but can’t come back unless he is going to school. Next day, Bubbles goes to the school to see Sherrod but Donnelly tells him that Sherrod is on the list for skipping school and one the way out we Bubbles bump into Prez and joke that he will keep his secret identity a secret. Bubbles is pushing around his cart, that now contains pirated DVDs, looking for Sherrod when the addict that assaulted him earlier comes over and does the same thing giving Bubbles a beating and stealing money, drugs and items from the cart. Fck this pissed me off but you know Bubbles isn’t a fighter so how is he gonna get revenge on this asshole bc it has to happen. Bubs waves down a police car but it’s the scumbag officer Walker and he shakes down Bubbles some more bc of the pirated DVDs. Not long after, Bubbles is beaten and robbed a third time by the same guy and at this point I wanted to get in there and help my boy Bubs lol I thought maybe Marlo might hear about this and see an opportunity to recruit Bubs as his eyes and ears on the street bc this would have been one of the few times I would’ve been fine with Chris and Snoop showing up. Bubbles tracks down Sherrod dealing on a corner and pleads with him to come home but when Bubbles arrives he isn’t there.
Bubbles is desperate so he reaches out to Kima to ask for help with this asshole terrorizing him but Kima says as a Homicide detective now, there isn’t much she can do put says she will connect him with Herc who can help. Bubbles meets with Herc who first wants Bubbles to help him find Little Kevin so Bubs uses his hat trick from S1 and puts a red hat on Little Kevin. Herc is grateful and tells Bubbles to contact him and he will come within 5 minutes the next time this asshole attacks him. That night, Bubbles sees the asshole and phones the Major Crimes Unit and leaves a message with the location and for Herc to come immediately. Soon after, Bubbles sees a police car coming and gets the asshole’s attention but it’s not Herc and the car just keeps driving so the asshole gives Bubbles another beating. Couple days later, Herc tracks down Bubs and asks him to help retrieve the stolen surveillance camera and Bubbles can’t believe that Herc has the audacity to ask him for another favour after failing to come through as he promised. Still desperate, Bubbles asks for help with the asshole and Herc gives more promises saying this time he will come through even giving Bubs a phone and some money, telling Bubs to phone him when he sees this asshole. Bubbles sees the asshole and phones Herc but he doesn’t answer and Bubbles has had enough.
Time for revenge as Bubbles sees a Reverend driving around and phones in a drug re-supply giving the Reverend’s plate number so when Herc makes his bust, he will be in for some trouble considering how much political power the Reverends hold in Baltimore. Next day, Sherrod finally returns home and Bubbles asks him to stay and offers him food as Sherrod admits that he owes money to the drug dealer he worked for and was out of place on the corner. Bubbles says they can take care of his problems together and reassures Sherrod that he has come home. They get right to work the next day to make money to pay off the debt and Bubbles is enthusiastic about it especially when they find a toppled street light that will fetch them some good scrap money. But the good day turns bad when that stupid asshole robs them again. Next day we see Bubbles visit the horses yard to talk with the Fruit vendors he works with sometimes and as about help with what to do about this asshole beating and robbing him. They have a few suggestions like cutting his coke with formaldehyde and rat poison but they ultimately settle on cyanide, ” Fruit dealer: What you need to use is that sodium cyanide. That shit looks and cooks just like the real thing. Bubbles: Where I find that? Fruit dealer: Try, uh, Minter’s over there by the tracks, or one of those metal shops where they do plating. Bubbles: How much I need? Fruit dealer: It ain’t gonna take much. A vial of that shit’d kill every horse in this stable. Bubbles: That’s all there is to it? Fruit dealer: It ain’t no thing to kill a ngga who’s already about the business of killing himself. Bubbles: And the police, they ain’t gonna pay no never mind. Fruit dealer: You the one’s got to live with it is all.” Sucks that Bubbles was pushed to kill but he tried going to the police and can’t just let this asshole kill him so he only has a few options left.
Bubbles successfully buys the cyanide and prepares several vials of poisoned product so the asshole will rob him, take the vials and not wake up and leaves them at home as he heads out to work. When he sees Sherrod he tells him that he is giving him his own cart and route to sell on but Bubbles warns him not to resist the asshole is he tries to rob him and just let him have the stuff. When Bubbles returns home that night, Sherrod is lying on his bed with the money he made that day on the table. But the next day, Bubbles wakes up to a nightmare, ” Bubbles: Yo, I just dreamt something gave me an idea today. Hey, Sherrod. You remember when we turned that knocked down Iight pole at the scales? Pulled $80? I been thinking we can get to toppling a couple of those bad boys ourselves, get all Paul Bunyan and shit, you know? I mean, we’ll be all discreet and all. Not take the hacksaw to no more than a couple on some quiet streets, leave more than enough for some people to have light and all. Thing is, I got this other thing I still need to take care of today. Come on, Sherrod. Wake up. It’s late……No no no! What you do? What you do? What you do? Aw, man, come on, Sherrod. Come on, man. Come on. Come on. You weren’t supposed to do this, man! Oh, man!” Sherrod found the vials and took one of the poisoned vials so he is dead and Bubbles is devastated.
Next day, Bubbles is in an interrogation room at the Homicide unit having turned himself in and Norris and Landsman try to take his confession but Bubbles is having a rough time with withdrawals and vomits all over the 2 of them. They leave to clean up but when the come back in, Bubbles is hanging from the ceiling and they scramble to cut him down and start CPR. Fuck man I actually stood up out of my chair when we see Bubbles hanging, I could not believe it and did not want Bubbles to go out like that. Thankfully Bubbles survives and Landsman talks to him after as Bubbles tells him the entire story about why he had the poisoned vials and how Sherrod got one and took it. Bubbles is completely devastated and begs Landsman to lock him up and punish him as harshly as possible. Knowing he is not a murderer or a bad guy, they have mercy on Bubs and send him to rehab instead of charging him. As S4 ends, Bubbles friend Walon comes in but Bubs is so disgusted with himself he doesn’t want anyone to come see him and tries to push him away but Walon hugs him and Bubs collapses into his friends arms. Oh man what a tough scene and just incredible acting from Andre Royo, felt so bad for Bubs and Sherrod too. Thank God he had a friend like Walon.
S5 starts with Bubbles sober and sitting quietly in his sister’s basement but when she has to go to work overnight, she insists that he leave bc he has pawned her appliances while she was gone before. Bubbles appeals to her to let him stay and that he is sober and has changed but she refuses to change her rules so he spends the night wandering the streets surrounded by temptation from drug dealers and old associates that see him. In the morning Bubbles gets to work selling the Baltimore Sun to commuters, 1 of whom is Nerese Campbell and she is pissed to see a story about her on the front page. Next day at a Narcotics Anonymous meeting, a recovering addict named DeeDee makes a powerful testimony, “DeeDee: You know how that go, right? Gave myself all these little rules about what I wouldn’t do. Like, I told myself I’d do a lot of shit to get high, but I swore I wouldn’t never trick. So, after I’m trickin’…I thought, “This ain’t so bad. I’ll do this for a while, except I’ll make some more rules for myself, like…I’m gonna use condoms, and I’m never gonna go with more than one guy at the same time, and…Well, let’s just say there are certain things I told myself I wouldn’t never do. You know what my disease did to my rules, right? Yeah. Whatever it is you tell yourself you won’t do to get high, you’re pretty much making a list of everything you will do as soon as your inner addict tells you to. I mean, that bitch wants to kill me. She does. Even on my way here today, she was telling me not to come. She was tellin’ me that I was all right on the street, that it was all good. I’m about done. I want to thank you all for letting me share.” Wow man can’t describe addiction much better than that. And the ‘inner addict’ is a demon..my brother told me when he was at his lowest and went to rehab to get clean, he was sitting there and started to pray but a voice in his head that sounded like him but wasn’t him, started mocking him as he prayed. Sounds hard to believe, i wish demons were just another word for bad behaviour but it’s all too real and why a relationship with Jesus is so important esp when you are struggling with addiction.
After DeeDee, Bubbles is next and charms the room with jokes about the ‘dope fiend lean’ lol but when he starts to get into the heavy stuff, he can’t continue and has to stop for the day. Outside, Walon credits him for the humour but is disappointed that he stopped sharing his story saying that humour is second to the truths that need to be told and uses DeeDee as an example. Walon mentions that Bubbles should think about talking about Sherrod and the wounds are still hurting and Bubbles turns away from Walon who reminds him that he is supposed to be on a journey of searching and fearless moral inventory. Bubbles says he lives with his actions everyday but Walon says to finally let go of his emotions, he has to let his feelings out and feel the pain of the regret but adds that Bubbles problem was never feeling, even as an addict. Next wee se Bubbles at Viva House, a community center that offers food to anyone struggling and as Bubbles sits down, he sees a mother screaming at her child and threaten violence but a staff member steps in and says that there is no tolerance for violence. At the next NA meeting, Walon encourages Bubbles to speak but he still refuses so Walon says that Bubbles needs to do something to occupy his time so Bubbles volunteers at Viva House. He is offered a job to serve food but Bubbles says he can’t and gets to work washing the pots and pans.
Later, Bubbles goes to the crab restaurant where Walon works and asks him to accompany him as he gets tested for AIDS. Walon wonders why now and Bubbles says he is working at Viva House and worries about serving food if he is positive but Walon says AIDS cannot be transferred by touch. Bubbles still wants the test and says he already went to the clinic but couldn’t bring himself to go in so Walon agrees and we see the nurse have to fight to find a vein with all the scars present from his using. An hour later they get the results and Walon opens it to reveal the negative test result so Bubbles does not have AIDS or HIV. Bubbles can’t believe it and actually seems disappointed saying that he shared needles with Johnny who for sure had AIDS so it doesn’t make sense. Walon says that Bubbles is having these feelings bc he is trying to punish himself and that shame is not worth as much as he thinks. Before he leaves, Walon pleads with Bubbles to let his feelings go. While Bubbles is working at Viva House, a reporter named Mike Fletcher comes by looking for stories on the homeless but Bubs says this isn’t really a spot for the homeless which surprises Fletcher. Bubbles offers to take the reporter around to get stories about homeless people and we see them at an expressway overpass and Fletcher begins getting stories. When he is finished, Fletcher tries to pay Bubs but he refuses and just tells him to right the story the way he feels.
Fletcher was so happy with the story he did that he starts working with Bubbles to write a story about him and Bubs is willing and is there to when Bubbles asks his sister if he can cook for her to celebrate a sober milestone, “Bubs sister: Reginald. You down there? Bubbles: Yes. Bubs sister: Come to the steps. Got a coupla things for you. Soap, deodorant and the like. Bubbles: Appreciate that. Usin’ the washing basin to clean up. And to pee in. Don’t worry, I rinse it out. I was wonderin’… I got this anniversary comin’ up, at the meetin’ place. Sometimes kin folk come along to show support. I was wonderin’, maybe you could… Bubs sister: It’s hard for me to make plans with my schedule at the hospital. Bubbles: We got a little celebration after. Thinkin’ I could cook us some dinner. I mean wouldn’t be a fancy thing, mac and cheese, like that, but I guarantee it’ll be good to you. Bubs sister: We’ll see. OK. [talking to Fletcher] My sister. She good people. Been through a lot though, you know?” I can sympathize with his sister that she was still skeptical bc if you have ever loved and supported someone with an addiction, you have gone through the same song and dance 100 times but it’s worth it when you finally get to the time that it sticks.
Bubbles is finally ready to share his story with the group at the NA meetings but I’ll start as he walks in with Fletcher and Walon bc it’s a great exchange about his real name, “Fletcher: Not a problem. I’m just here with Reginald. Walon: I’m his fuckin’ sponsor and I don’t believe I ever got a Christian name out of him. Reginald. Hot shit. Bubbles: See what you done? Fletcher: What, man? Bubbles: My name is…My name is…Reginald. Round the way they call me Bubbles. NA group: Hey, Bubbles. Bubbles: I’m a drug addict. Celebratin’ my anniversary. My people couldn’t make it here tonight. I left a trail of fire behind me. Time gonna make it right with them, I guess. Same thing get me right with myself. Coupla days ago, I took a walk down in Druid Hill Park, right when the sun was goin’ down. You know how that time be like, with the sun throwin’ shadows an’ all. Got me thinkin’ ’bout when I was a young man, sittin’ in that park. You know, watchin’ the girls, smokin’ on a little herb, drinkin’ a cold beer. You know where this is goin’. I had this moment where, you know, I was wantin’ to feel that way again. I remembered, what y’all said, if the urge was to come, call a group member up and talk. First thing I called Walon up, him bein’ my sponsor an’ all, turns out he’s on a ride with his motorcycle club. So I pulled out that sheet that got passed out… Dialed a few numbers, couldn’t get an answer. I left a coupla messages, but nobody called me back. NA member that is feelin Bubs lol: You didn’t call me. ‘Cause I would have got up with you, Reginald. You can believe that. Bubbles: Obliged. Well, anyway… I didn’t get high. See, I knew if I did I wouldn’t get that good feelin’ back that I was daydreamin’ on. That’s right. It got me thinkin’ about a friend of mine… Boy named Sherrod. I been carryin’ his passin’ for a long while. Like that memory I had about those summer days in the park. Thinkin’ on that make me smile. With Sherrod, it’s more of a hurt. But not as… Not so bad like it was. Ain’t no shame in holdin’ on to grief. As long as you make room for other things, too. It’s all right. So thank you for listening. Thank you for lettin’ me share. NA group: Thanks for sharing.”
I know he was just a TV character but I was so fucking happy to see Bubbles, excuse me, to see Reginald make his way out of his addiction and be strong enough to tell his story and maybe one day be a leader in the addiction community. And what a fucking great final line, “Ain’t no shame in holdin onto grief as long as you make room for other stuff too.” Just incredible. Too many friends never made it to where Reginald did so maybe that is why the emotions were as strong as they were. As upset as I was that Marlo got away, seeing Bubbles crawl through a river of shit and come out clean on the other side left me with a great feeling as the series came to an end. Next day Reginald hasn’t agreed to let the story run but reads the finished story on him as Fletcher hands out copies at the Baltimore Sun offices and Bubs tells him he is touched that he found his story so interesting but is pretty nervous about people reading about the circumstances of Sherrod’s death. Fletcher says that people will find Reginald’s story thought provoking but Reginald isn’t as confident. Reginald lets Walon read the story and after he is finished, Walon smiles and says that this reporter gets you saying that he didn’t go lightly on Bubs and takes an objective look at his life and all his faults. Eventually Walon is able to convince Reginald that it isn’t the negative aspects of the story that Reginald is scared of, he is scared of somebody calling him a good person and Bubbles admits since Sherrod’s death he has been unable to see himself as a good person, “A lot of folks volunteer places. A lot of folks share at meetings. Plenty of folk wake up every day and not get high. Man makin’ me sound special for doin’ what the fuck I need to be doin’.” Our true selves are not us at our worst moments, but at our best and at his best, Reginald was a good fucking person. He tells Walon that he is gonna let Fletcher run the article.
As the series ends, we get the best moment of the entire show when Reginald comes upstairs and sits down at his sisters table for dinner, having regained her trust to share the house. Almost brought a tear to my eye. Not many happy endings on The Wire and Bubbles/Reginald def got one although it’s sad that it took Sherrod’s death to get him clean. They were def mirroring real life saying that Bubbles/Reginald’s story was thought provoking bc damn was it ever. Bubbles might be the consensus favourite character for fans of the Wire bc I don’t know how you can not root for him but he is no doubt 1 of the most memorable. Being able to appreciate a great character like Bubbles/Reginald is why I’m so happy I watched this show. Bubs/Reg made you think, made you feel, made you react, made you not want his story to end and you can’t ask for anything more out of a TV character.
-Omar Little – Prob the most badass gay character that has even been on screen, didn’t expect that twist to his character but it’s a great way to break the stereotypes surrounding gay people. Michael K Williams delivered a legendary performance as Omar and was def 1 of my fav characters. We first meet Omar staking out the Barksdale stash house at the Pit. Kima isn’t the only one watching Bubbles and Sydnor buys drugs as Omar and his crew are also observing trying to figure out where the Barksdale stash is. Omar figures it out and robs the stash house during the re-up. One of Omar’s crew Bailey accidentally used his name during the robbery. We learn quickly that Omar isn’t messing around and doesn’t make empty threats, shooting Sterling in the kneecap when he refuses to give up the money. After that, he gave up the money lol Omar isn’t worried about being recognized as his reputation as a badass gangster is well known but he is worried about retaliation towards Brandon the guy on his crew that is also his lover. We see Omar give an addict with a baby a hit, can’t say I’m cool with that.
Omar, Bailey and Brandon plan their next robbery and come up with a plan for Bailey and Brandon to set up in the alley while Omar comes from the front. Omar walks up whistling the ‘Farmer in the Dell’ song and when the dealers notice Omar coming they run into the alley where Bailey and Brandon are waiting for them. Omar walks up and says, “the cheese stand alone.” Fucking badass scene that has to make you a fan of Omar. Had me whistling that tune for days lol after Brandon is brutally murdered, it completely changes the game for Omar. He goes down to the station to meet McNulty and Kima to identify Brandon’s body and the photographs really shake up Omar who now wants revenge. Omar agrees to come to the Major Crimes Unit to help with the investigation and tells them Brandon’s activity on the night of the murder which helps the team match it to the pager activity. Omar then agrees to show up in court as witness against Bird whenever they need him, “Kima: You saw the murder? Omar: Yeah. Kima: You can ID this man Bird as the shooter of William Gant? And you ain’t afraid to go into court downtown and testify against one of Barksdale’s people? Omar: Omar don’t scare.” Fck yeah, biggest mistake Stringer ever made was ordering Brandon killed.
Omar gives the Major Crimes Unit information on where Bird likes to get high leading to his arrest. He also tells them about another murder Bird committed which helps both Jimmy and Santangelo avoid the heat from Rawls. Legendary exchange between Omar and Bunk that would be important down the road, “Bunk Moreland: So, you’re my eyeball witness, huh? So, why’d you step up on this? Omar: Bird triflin’, basically. Kill an everyday workin’ man and all. I mean, I do some dirt, too, but I ain’t never put my gun on nobody that wasn’t in the game. Bunk: A man must have a code. Omar: Oh, no doubt.” Omar watches Wee-Bey, Stinkum and Savino torch his van and you know revenge is coming. And it does when Wee-Bey and Stinkum area about to rob another dealer, Omar appears killing Stinkum and wounding Wee-Bey. This gives us the best and most iconic line of the series, “Ayo, lesson here, Bey. You come at the king, you best not miss.” Such a fucking badass line. I had heard that line used before and loved it but had no idea if first came from Omar. Absolute legend.
The wire implicates Omar in the murder of Stinkum so McNulty and Kima bring him in but Omar denies all involvement but is unapologetic about what happened, “Look man, I do what I can do to help y’all. But the game is out there, and it’s either play or get played.” Omar spots the board linking Avon to Orlando’s club and starts to stake it out after he leaves. Omar approaches Prop Joe and gives him some of the loot he has acquired from the Barksdale robberies in exchange for Avon’s pager number. Using Wee-Bey’s code, Omar lures Avon outside Orlando’s to the pay phone but before he can kill him, Wee-Bey pulls up making Avon realize he is being set up and just avoids Omar’s shot. Wee-Bey wounds Omar in the shootout making it a total failure as Omar doesn’t get Avon or anyone else. He can’t go to a regular hospital so Omar contacts Kima to help him get treatment which she does. Omar goes to the truce meeting with Stringer set up by Prop Joe wearing a wire and demands a 5k retirement gift if they want this truce. Omar doesn’t believe the truce is real so he boards a bus to NY and McNulty tells him to keep in touch lol The final shot of S1 is Omar robbing a dealer in NY, “Omar: All in the game yo…All in the game.” Love it.
Omar is back in S2 with a new partner/boyfriend Dante and they are staking out a stash house to rob when 2 female thieves Kimmy and Tosha hit it first. They follow Kimmy and Tosha back to their place and rob them but Omar must have been impressed bc he brings them into his crew. The 4 of them stake out and rob another stash house after Tosha pretends to be a neighbour. They made a great crew, instead of Omar just coming in guns blazing which the dealers were starting to plan for, the girls could play different roles to force the dealers to let their guard down and then Omar could show up with his shotgun. Greatly improved his chances of a successful robbery and not getting killed. While getting info on their next target, Kimmy overhears Bubbles asking about Omar and she relays the information to Omar. While Bubbles and Johnny are looking for scrap metal, Omar surprises them with his shotgun, “Snitchin Bubs…you been askin for me?” Omar hooks up with McNulty and comes in to get ready to testify against Bird. The ASA is worried about Omar’s appearance in front of the judge so she gives McNulty a voucher so Omar can get some new clothes. Omar ain’t feelin the suits so he just buys a tie lol
Cool moment that shows Omar is more than just a street thug when he solves a crossword question for the bailiff. It’s time for Omar to testify against Bird and it is 1 of my favourite sequences, “Ilene: And what is your occupation? Omar: Occupation? Ilene: What exactly do you do for a living, Mr. Little? Omar: I rip and run. Ilene: You… Omar: I robs drug dealers. Ilene: And exactly how long has this been your occupation, Mr. Little? Omar: Well, I don’t know exactly. I venture to say maybe ’bout eight or nine years. Ilene: Mr. Little, how does a man rob drug dealers for eight or nine years and live to tell about it? Omar: Day at a time, I suppose.” Omar puts Bird at the scene and perfectly describes the gun Bird used to give himself credibility with the jury and Judge Phelan. But Omar is constantly insulting Bird saying he is too stupid to get rid of the gun and Bird flips out and threatens Omar ruining his own credibility with the jury and Judge Phelan. I wasn’t sure if Omar would be able to hold his own against levy but he def did, “Omar: That wasn’t no attempt murder. Levy: Then what was it, Mr. Little? Omar: I shot the boy Mike-Mike in his hind parts, that all. Fixed it up so he couldn’t sit right. Levy: Why’d you shoot Mike-Mike in his, um… hind parts, Mr. Little? Omar: Let’s say we had a disagreement. Levy: A disagreement over? Omar: Well, you see, Mike-Mike thought he should keep that cocaine he was slingin’ and the money he was makin’ from slingin’ it. I thought otherwise.” But the best exchange comes when Levy tries to attack Omar’s character and Omar compares the two of them saying they are alike, “Levy: You are amoral, are you not? You are feeding off the violence and the despair of the drug trade. You’re stealing from those who themselves are stealing the lifeblood from our city. You are a parasite who leeches off– Omar: Just like you, man. Levy: –the culture of drugs… Excuse me, what? Omar: I got the shotgun. You got the briefcase. It’s all in the game, though, right?” Boom. Omar more than holding his own with Levy earns him the respect of ASA Nathan and Judge Phelan. The guilty verdict comes in and Bird once again threatens Omar but Omar doesn’t sweat it at all. ASA Nathan gives Omar a ‘get out of jail free’ card good for anything up to aggravated assault. Like I said, 1 of my fav sequences that solidified Omar as one of the best characters.
Next we see Omar quickly drop off his latest take to Butchie who acts as a bank and advisor to Omar. Later, Omar returns to Butchie’s bar to meet with Stringer who has requested the meeting but it is being watched by Butchie’s nephew in case anything happens. Stringer tells Omar that Brother Mouzone was responsible for torturing Brandon in S1 to try and build his reputation in the Western District and that Stringer will give Mouzone up if Omar agrees to stop robbing them. Omar takes the tip Stringer gave him and confirms that Mouzone is in the hotel room with 1 guard outside and Omar watches the guard to figure out the secret knock he uses. Kimmy and Tosha use a dog to distract the guard who gets knocked out by Omar as he is petting the dog and Omar uses the secret knock to get Mouzone to open the door, “Mouzone: What is it, Lamar? {Mouzone opens the door and Omar shoots him in the gut] Mouzone: No need to prolong this. Omar: No, we got time. Mouzone: You kill my man? Omar: No, he restin’..I’m saying, ain’t you wanna know? Mouzone: Not particularly. Omar: About a year ago, a boy name Brandon got got here in Baltimore. Stuck and burned before he passed. Mouzone: The game is the game. Omar: Indeed. But see, that boy was beautiful. Wasn’t no need for y’all to do him the way y’all did. You feel me? Mouzone: A year, you say? Omar: About that. Mouzone: You’ve got some wrong information. Omar: Man, you lying to live. Mouzone: I’m at peace with my God. Do what you will. So you know? What happened to your boy, it’s not my style. Omar: The way you bleeding out your back, looks like that bullet bore clean through. Mouzone: Nine at close range will do that. {Omar phones 911] 911: Emergency. Police or ambulance? Omar: I wanna report a shooting at the New Motel. On North Avenue. Room 221. [Omar puts the phone down] 911: Sir?” This episode was a double shock for me bc I never thought Omar would actually get a shot at Mouzone and then when he did I did not think Mouzone would survive.
As S2 ends we see Omar discussing Brother Mouzone with Butchie who assures Omar that Mouzone would not have had anything to do with Brandon’s death and tells him that Avon, Stringer and Avon’s father are all pure evil. Now that Omar confirms that Stringer set him up and tried to use him like a puppet to kill Mouzone, he vows revenge. LFG. S3 starts with Barksdale dealers Shamrock and Country arriving at a house with a resupply of product for their dealers as Omar poses as a veteran returning from the hospital with Kimmy acting as his nurse to get themselves inside the house. As soon as they get inside they draw their weapons and let Dante and Tosha in. Shamrock and Country come downstairs with the money and run right into Omar and his crew who take the money. Next day, Omar and the crew are watching a Barksdale stash house as Omar notices increased defenses but says it will be easier to take in the morning. Kimmy asks what his beef with the Barksdale crew is but he refuses to answer. In the morning, they move on the stash house with Kimmy posing as a mother looking for a lost child to disarm Gerard at the front door and when they get inside they disarm the guards Perry and Rico and check to make sure the upstairs door is locked. They force Gerard to show them the stash which is behind a plaster board that is screwed in place but he unscrews it and they get the stash but before they leave, someone unlocks the door so Omar shoots it and the screw runs into the street. They get pinned down behind a parked car but as they make their way to their car, Tosha is killed so Kimmy walks into the street and kills 1 of the Barksdale guys named Tank as Omar grabs hr and pushes her into their car and they escape.
The crew mourns Tosha’s death at their hideout as Omar takes responsibility for Tosha’s death and apologizes to a devastated Kimmy but she says his apology means nothing to her. Omar mourns Tosha’s death his own way by watching Slim Charles and other Barksdale soldiers from the shadows. No rest for the wicked as the crew prepares for another robbery and tensions are high after Dante accidentally shot Tosha and when Dante complains about having an outside role, Kimmy is confrontational. Omar tells them that if they can’t get along then they will leave the crew. Next day, Kimmy lets Omar know that a detective named Bunk is looking to talk to him and gives Omar Bunk’s card as Omar tells her to let him handle the police. Later, Omar finds the witness that named him at the scene named Bruiser at a card game and convinces him to change his story. After doing this, Omar phones Bunk and sets up a meeting on a park bench. They meet and go back n forth a bit until Omar suggests that there isn’t really even a victim to speak of and this sets Bunk off and he rocks Omar with a great speech, “Omar: Shoot, the way y’all looking at things, ain’t no victim to even speak on. Bunk: Bullshit, boy. No victim? I just came from Tosha’s people, remember? All this death, you don’t think it ripples out? You don’t even know what the fuck I’m talking about. I was a few years ahead of you at Edmondson, but I know you remember the neighborhood, how it was. We had some bad boys, for real. Wasn’t about guns so much as knowing what to do with your hands. Those boys could really rack. My father had me on the straight, but like any young man, I wanted to be hard too, so I’d turn up at all the house parties where the tough boys hung. Shit, they knew I wasn’t one of them. Them hard cases would come up to me and say, “Go home, schoolboy, you don’t belong here.” Didn’t realize at the time what they were doing for me. As rough as that neighborhood could be, we had us a community. Nobody, no victim, who didn’t matter. And now all we got is bodies, and predatory motherfuckers like you. And out where that girl fell, I saw kids acting like Omar, calling you by name, glorifying your ass. Makes me sick, motherfucker, how far we done fell.” Wow man that was powerful. Omar sits in silence as Bunk walks away.
Next day we see Omar visit Butchie to talk about the meeting with Bunk and Omar admits he has been feeling guilty but Butchie says it is a strategy and Bunk was just saying that to try and make him feel exactly like he is. Still, Omar can’t help but feel bad so he decides to use Butchie’s contacts to find officer Dozerman’s stolen gun and return it to Bunk. Omar has decided to move his crew to the East District and is having great success robbing the dealers over there but then they return to the Western District and see Hamsterdam, Omar sees a trap and says it’s too good to be true so he refuses to go in. On Sunday, Omar arrives at his Grandmothers house to take her to church but as they make their way to the taxi, 2 Barksdale crew members open fire but thankfully Omar is able to get his Grandmother into the taxi and they escape. Back at home, base, Omar talks to Kimmy and Dante about what happened and says he is ashamed of his life that almost killed his Grandmother when she thinks he works at the airport cafeteria. Omar he is livid that they would attack him when he was with his Grandmother and do it on a Sunday. There is supposed to be a Sunday truce of no violence but the Barksdale crew broke it to get at Omar so there will be hell to pay. Omar vows to go after the Barksdale crew again but Kimmy says if he does then she is out bc there is much easier money to be made out there. Dante stands with Omar but says that he will have to attack the Barksdale crew on his own. I couldn’t believe the Barksdale crew would risk increasing the wrath of Omar by attacking him with his Grandma.
Next we see Omar meet with Butchie to discuss the attack and Butchie is disgusted that they would break the Sunday truce so he decides to tell Omar about the Barksdale crew home base in the funeral home. Omar is pissed that Butchie kept this information from him but Butchie says he was just trying to protect Omar and after we see Omar staking out the funeral home even seeing Stringer himself leaving. Next day Brother Mouzone returns and catches up to Omar, “Mouzone: That’s far enough. Drop your laundry and turn slowly. Omar: So you gonna rob me now? I need to remind you who I am? Mouzone: Omar, isn’t it? Pull it slowly. Then toss it. Omar: Oh, I will move slow. I ain’t tossing nothing, Bow Tie. So whatever you gonna do, you might as well go ahead and make it quick. I knew you’d come back. Mouzone: I trust you didn’t lose sleep over it. Omar: Worrying about you would be like wondering if the sun gonna come up. I ain’t about to wild out over it. What I want to know is how you find me. Mouzone: Your boy, he didn’t give you up easy. Ain’t no sugar-water run through them veins. Omar: You kill him? Mouzone: He’s resting. I see you favor a .45. Omar: Tonight I do. And I keeps one in the chamber, in case you pondering. Nice showpiece you got there. Walther PPK .380, double action. Hear them Walthers like to jump some. Mouzone: As will you, with one in your elbow. Omar: That gun ain’t got enough firepower to make my joint useless. It definitely won’t stop me from emptying out half my mag. Mouzone: You might not hit me. Omar: This range? And this caliber? Even if I miss, I can’t miss. Mouzone: I admire a man with confidence. Omar: I don’t see no sweat on your brow neither, bro. I suppose we could stand here all night. Mouzone: Suppose we could. Or settle this once and forever. I want to ask you something, brother. Omar: Omar listening.” Oh shit if Mouzone isn’t gonna kill Omar then you know revenge for who actually set him up to be shot is coming.
Few nights later we see Stringer arrive at his development site to meet with Andy Krawczyk but Omar and Mouzone bust into the meeting and kill Krawczyk’s bodyguard as Stringer flees up the stairs and Omar calmly follows him walking past a cowering Krawczyk in the corner. Stringer runs into a dead end as Omar and Mouzone set up with their weapons drawn in front of him, “Stringer: I ain’t strapped. I ain’t involved, yo. I ain’t involved in none of that gangster bullshit. [Both gunmen are silent, Stringer is breathing hard from running] Stringer: What y’all nggas want, man? Huh? Money? [Silence] Stringer: IS THAT IT? Cause if it is, I can be a better friend to y’all alive. Omar: You still don’t get it, do you? This ain’t about your money, bro. Your boy gave you up. That’s right. And we ain’t had to torture his ass neither! [Stringer is silent, realizing both men have come for retribution] Stringer: Well it seem like… I can’t say nuttin’ to change y’all minds. [long silence] Stringer: Well, get on with it, motherfu… [Omar and Mouzone shoot him to death]” Such an intense scene, Stringer was a main character so there’s a chance he could get out of it but you also knew there is no way these 2 let him go. Love that Omar made sure Stringer knew it was Avon that gave him up. Next we see Omar and Mouzone arrive at Mouzone’s hotel room where Lamar is holding Dante and Mouzone gives Dante back to Omar along with his gun saying he trusts Omar to dispose of it since this is his home town. As S3 ends we see Omar toss a bunch of guns into the Baltimore harbour and in the background we can still see posters of Frank Sobotka. I knew Stringer was pushing his luck too much but was still surreal to see him killed and I’m glad Omar got a part of the kill.
S4 starts with Omar jumping out of bed after hearing a noise but after checking it out sees that it was just the garbage men. Omar is living with his new boyfriend Renaldo who has eaten all the cereal so Omar heads out to buy more, without his gun bc he can’t find anywhere in his pajamas to put it lol as he is walking, lookouts announce his presence, “Omar comin!” so the dealers on the street run away. That’s respect right there. He is disappointed the store is out of his favourite cereal Honey Nut Cheerios, great choice, so he buys something else and when he stops for a cigarette on the way home, a dealer drops his stash out the window thinking that Omar is robbing him. But that is too easy for a guy like Omar and when he gets home, Renaldo is impressed with the drugs but Omar says he doesn’t even want them bc there was no effort needed to take them and he worries it might make him soft, “Omar: “It ain’t what you takin’, it’s who you takin’ from, ya feel me? How you expect to run with the wolves come night when you spend all day sparring with puppies.” Def a good point. Later, Omar and Renaldo stake out a potential target, Old Face Andre’s corner shop but Omar spots Kima watching it too and they both see a resupply delivered by a guy with his kid. Kima goes into the store to look around quickly and then leaves as Omar tells Renaldo that he respects Kima as long as she stays out of their way but she needs more patience.
They keep watching and see another resupply delivered to Omar sends Renaldo in to take it but Old Face Andre sees Renaldo carrying a low calibre gun so he says the plexiglass in front of him is bulletproof. Just then, Omar steps in and shoots the glass and the bullet goes right through. Omar makes him hand over the drugs, then buys a pack of cigarettes and forces Andre to give him the correct change as he relishes seeing the terrified look on Andre’s face. Next day, Omar meets Prop Joe and Butchie at his bar after Butchie arranged the meeting and Prop Joe starts by saying he had nothing to do with Stringer trying to kill him and wants to make a peace offering of information about a high stakes card game that Marlo attends. Joe of course asks for 25% of the take but says there are no strings attached to the info. Omar says he will check it out but will hold Joe personally responsible if anything goes wrong. At the poker game, Omar doesn’t see anything amiss so he decided to rob it, “Omar: All right, everybody, Let me see them hands, yo. Hands… Hey, yo, big man, back up… I don’t know about cards, but, uh, I think these four-fives beat a full house… Hey, yo, banker, cash me out, yo….Boy, you want a head on that body, you best hop to. Marlo: That’s my money. Omar: Man, money ain’t got no owners, only spenders. I tell you something else– I like that ring, too….Boy, you got me confused with a man repeats himself. [Marlo hands over the ring] Marlo: This ain’t over. Omar: Oh, that’s how you carrying it, Shorty, huh? ‘Cause I can find your peoples a whole lot easier than they can find me. Marlo: Wear it in health. Omar: No doubt.” Oh man did I enjoy this scene, seeing Marlo have to sit there and seethe with anger while getting robbed was great.
Next night, Omar is in a convenience store when he realizes that officer Walker is waiting outside for him so he stashes his gun in one of the coolers and goes out side where Walker stops him and when he searches him, he pockets Marlo’s ring and calls for backup. Omar talks back so Walker shoves him hard up against the wall knocking him down as Omar says this is unfair since there is no charge for him but Walker says Omar is facing a murder charge. McNulty and Colicchio arrive as Colicchio mocks Omar for not having his shotgun and is being arrested on a robbery and murder warrant. Omar begs McNulty to let him have a phone call as officer Santangelo shows up with the wagon and McNulty obliges dialing Butchie on his phone and letting Omar talk. Butchie says he will bail Omar out but Omar says there is no bail bc it’s a murder charge so Butchie says he will give his support in another way. When Omar gets to jail, we see how bad his situation is when most of the inmates react with anger to seeing him considering Omar has robbed them or killed friends of theirs. 2 men approach Omar and he thinks he is gonna have to fight for his life as 1 has a knife but they tell him that they were sent by Butchie to protect him.
Next day, Omar is reading in his cell when Butchie’s guys come in and strap think books around his torso and as Omar walks in the cafeteria line, someone comes up and tries to stab him but the books stop it and Omar ends up stabbing the guy with his own knife making sure everyone knows what will happen if they try him. Butchie’s guys tell him the bounty on his head was placed by Marlo so Omar asks for a phone to call the police saying they owe him a favour. Next we see Omar meeting with Bunk, “Omar: I’ve got a bounty on my head man. Five figures! If I’d known I’d be sharing quarters with all these boys – I’d probably wouldn’t have robbed so many of them. Bunk: Aww, yeah, that golden rule.” lol and he hands him the ‘get out of jail free’ card he got when he testified in the Bird trial but Bunk says that was good for a small felony at best and not ‘a taxpayer murder of an eyeball witness’ the most serious of felonies tom the BPD. Omar brings up returning Santangelo’s stolen gun but Bunk still thinks he is guilty so Omar tells him Old Face Andre is lying and that he is running drug packages out of his corner store, “Omar: Come on now, when have you ever known me to out my gun on someone that’s not in the game? Bunk: [laughing] Omar…” I know Bunk thinks it’s funny but it really is true. Bunk says even if Omar isn’t guilty of this murder, he is guilty of countless others bringing up the shotgun shells found at Stringer Bells murder scene but Omar counters saying that if he did not commit this murder then a guilty man will walk free. This seems to resonate with Bunk as Omar finishes with the same line Bunk said to him in S1, “Omar: A man gotta have a code.” No doubt, and that goes for the streets and police.
Omar is released from prison and Bunk is waiting for him, “Omar: You my ride? Bunk: I’m your mother fucking savior is what I am.” LOL Bunk manages to get Omar to promise never to kill again and offers him a ride to the train station to leave town but Omar says he has to stay bc Baltimore is the only town he knows. Back in town, Omar and Renaldo stake out Old Face Andre’s corner store and while Omar says he intends to keep his promise to Bunk, threatening Andre with a gun should be enough but when it’s clear he isn’t there, they leave. They head to the court yard where Marlo run his business hoping to see him bc they only know his name but when Omar recognizes Marlo from the poker game, he understands why he was framed for the robbery/murder he didn’t commit. Renaldo is concerned about Marlo talking to Michael but Omar says he is just a kid. Next day, Omar and Renaldo continue to watch Marlo and Omar is confused when he sees Slim Charles, a Barksdale enforcer, working with Marlo saying the association doesn’t make sense. Instead of watching Marlo, Omar and Renaldo follow Slim Charles to a meeting with Prop Joe and Omar is even more confused that Slim Charles is working with both Marlo and Prop Joe as Renaldo complains about having to go to the bathroom so Omar hands him toilet papers and points to the alley lol nasty
Omar follows Prop Joe to a Co-Op meeting noticing that Marlo and Fat Face Rick are also arriving so he figures that the Baltimore drug dealers are all working together. After the meeting, Omar shows up at Prop Joe’s electronics shop with a clock to fix, “Omar: Now Joe, you been so busy being devious, you done messed around and got yourself caught up in a web” and says that he wants Joe’s help in stealing from Marlo adding that if Joe double crosses him, he will let Marlo know who told him about the card game. In the car, Renaldo asks Omar if they can trust Prop Joe and Omar says he trusts his fear. Great line. When Cheese leaves the shop, Omar and Renaldo follow him. This continues the next day and the follow Cheese to a meeting with Marlo so Omar organizes a meet up at Butchie’s bar to put a team together to rob Omar. Butchie offers the 2 guys that helped him in prison but Omar wants to be more subtle as Kimmy walks in and is welcomed with open arms. Omar is following Cheese as Prop Joe phones him to tell him where he can steal from Marlo but Omar doesn’t answer but he already has it covered. Kimmy poses as a prostitute to distract the guard as Renaldo pretends to be a paint crew and blocks in the truck delivering the product and the Omar makes his move demanding that they open the truck. Next day, Omar shows up again at Prop Joe’s electronics store as Cheese and Slim Charles act hostile towards Omar but Joe is more cordial and wants to hear him out. Omar offers to return the drugs at a price of 20 cents on the dollar as Cheese threatens to torture Omar but Joe brushes him off and agrees to the deal. Joe hands Omar back the clock he gave him to fix and Omar pays him for it. Almost like a sign of greater respect to do legitimate business together.
After getting the money, Omar gives Butchie his share saying that he will act as Omar’s bank now and we see Omar lock the drugs in a shed and let Prop Joe know so he can get them. As S4 ends, Butchie warns Omar that there will be more consequences for this robbery. In S5 we see Omar enjoying retirement at a Spanish speaking beach with Renaldo when his world turn upside down hearing that Butchie was murdered. Omar returns to Baltimore and visits the home of 1 of Butchie’s former bodyguards where his current bodyguard body guard Big Guy is recovering from being shot in the leg during Butchie’s murder, “Omar: How you still alive yo’? Donnie: They needed to send a message. (motions to Big Guy) Tell him. Big Guy: They said ‘Tell Omar he put his hand in the wrong pocket’. Donnie: And you need to know, Marlo’s dogs didn’t let Butchie go easy. Omar: Oh, I’m gon’ work them. Sweet Jesus, I’m gon’ work them. Donnie: I want in. Omar: Nah this one on me, yo’. Donnie: But you don’t know them people. [Donnie tosses Omar a shotgun]” Fck yeah it’s on now. Can’t express how pissed off I was at Butchie’s murder and I was ready for Omar to get some TV revenge. We had 4 seasons and change of reality but I was sure it was time to let Omar loose and fuck the Stanfield crew up good.
Omar lies in wait at Slim Charles house and smashes him in the back of the head with his gun when he refuses to give up Prop Joe’s location and appeals to Omar to consider why Joe would give up Butchie knowing it would bring Omar’s vengeance down on him and that Omar could implicate Joe in robbing Marlo. Slim says he would help Omar if Prop Joe gave up Butchie but he didn’t and asks Omar to just finish it but Omar lets him live. Later, Omar and Butchie’s friend Donnie stake out Marlo’s courtyard but he isn’t there figuring Marlo know Omar will come for him so Omar says he will attack the Stanfield crew until Marlo is forced to confront him. Donnie’s mention Monk is a Stanfield Lieutenant so Omar agrees to target him. Next day Omar and Donnie watch Monk’s apartment and not that he arrives home early with 2 bodyguards and 1 leaves but Omar wants to catch him alone so they decide to wait longer and it pays off when the other bodyguard leaves so they decide to make their move. But it’s a trap and an ambush is waiting for them and Donnie is shot but was wearing a bullet proof vest as Omar returns fire and hits O-Dog in the leg. They try to take cover in the living room but Chris rushes in and shoots Donnie in the head. Omar is pinned down behind a sofa under fire from Chris, Snoop and Michael and decides to make a last move to save his life and busts through the glass door of the balcony and risks the 4 storey drop jumping over the side. Man my heart fucking sank when I realized it was an ambush bc the revenge I wanted might not be coming.
Somehow Omar survived and we see him in the maintenance room of Monk’s apartment trying to bandage a fucked up right leg and he uses a broom as a crutch to limp out of the building and man did the tables turn fast. Omar waits for Fat Face Rick at Boots Bail Bonds and uses a glass bottle to hold him up with Rick saying he’ll give Omar anything he wants. Omar takes Rick’s gun telling him he just has a message, that he is calling Marlo a “straight bitch” and that he doesn’t have the guts to face Omar in the street. He lets Rick go who asks if he killed Hungry Man and Prop Joe and Omar just laughs at the suggestion and Rick says he never believed Marlo’s claims. Next, Omar attacks a Stanfield crew shooting 1 of them in the leg and drives the rest away with warning shots into their parked SUV as Omar tells the wounded guy that his injury should be proof to Marlo that he is telling the truth and to tell Marlo that Omar said he is not man enough to face him in the street, “Omar: Now you make sure you tell old Marlo I burned the money. ‘Cause it ain’t about that paper. It’s about me hurtin’ his people and messin’ with his world. Tell that boy he ain’t man enough to come down to the street with Omar. You tell him that!” Omar puts the Stanfield crew’s money in the SUV and blows it up. Next day, Omar surprises Savino, a former Barksdale crew member now working for Marlo and Savino pleads for his life saying he wasn’t there when Chris and Snoop tortured Butchie but Omar says he wouldn’t have tried to help anyways and kills him. Later, Omar limps towards Michael’s corner and they all scatter with Omar yelling that he wants them to tell Marlo that he killed Savino and will kill all of his muscle until Marlo faces him himself. As Omar is walking away, Kenard is mean muggin him showing that he is not intimidated.
Next day, Omar tells officer Truck and Dozerman that 2 dealers on a corner nearby are carrying weapons so the officers arrest them and leave the area so Omar goes down a back alley to approach the corner as Kenard and some kids are torturing a cat, so fcking sad for the cat and those kids, and they all run away except for Kenard. The dealers see Omar so they drop their stashes and run with Omar throwing the drugs down the drain. He walks down the block to the stash house and demands that they turn it over before he opens the door with his shotgun and eventually they drop it down. So Omar once again throws it down the drain while yelling about how Marlo is afraid to face him. Omar heads into a corner store to buy some smokes as we hear another customer enter the store but Omar glances over and it’s not big deal so he looks back. And then BOOM! a shot goes off and Omar drops with Kenard standing there with a gun. Fuck talk about a jaw dropping moment, my jaw almost came clean off when this happened. In the moment I was in denial that Omar was dead so I was thinking, ‘ok the bullet just grazed him he’s just knocked out’ but you quickly realize it’s real, Omar is dead. No showdown with Marlo, no justice for Butchie, no surviving the show, no more Farmer in the Dell, no epic last stand, just a quick shot and the great Omar is gone.
Fuck man I was as devastated as you can be for a TV character, right up there with Jane from Breaking Bad, I wanted Omar to get revenge on Marlo so bad and for it to be stolen by Kenard, a fucking kid was just brutal. I had to rewatch everything after Omar dies immediately after bc for the rest of the episode I was just in shock trying to process everything that happened and everything that we wouldn’t get in the last few episodes. Omar was kind of like a Robin Hood type of character only robbing drug dealers, he didn’t really give to the poor but he created his own version of it and now Omar is just as much a legend as Robin Hood. What a joy it was to watch this character, every time he came on screen you didn’t want to miss a moment but fck did it bother me that Omar died before Marlo. And not only that, but Marlo gets to walk free at the end of the show…still sticks in my craw to this day lol but that’s why we love The Wire, it sticks close to real life and that was a real life way to die. When you let your guard down, anything can happen and it cost Omar his life. Omar was such a different twist on the badass gangster considering he was gay but Michael K Williams played it to perfection. So many epic quotes that are still used by fans today but none better than my favourite, “You come at the King you best not miss.” This is the last character I had to write about and I saved it bc we lost Michael K Williams in 2021 to a drug overdose after we all thought he beat his addiction but as this show taught us, addiction is a battle you have to fight every day and it’s one of the toughest battles you will ever face. I just recently saw a quote that made me sad, it was Michael K Williams saying, “If I’m not Omar anymore, who am I?” and man I wish I could have told him that Michael K Williams wasn’t Omar, Omar was Michael K Williams. The energy that brought Omar to life is the real life energy of Michael K Williams so he could never not be Omar anymore.
He was such an incredible actor and had so many more characters to bring to life with his energy so it just breaks my heart that we lost him. But it wasn’t hyperbole when I said Omar is just as much a legend as Robin Hood, fans of The Wire will be talking about the legend of Omar for generations to come. New fans will watch the show and get that excited feeling when an Omar scene happens in an episode. The quotes will live forever. I just wish I had watched the show when it was airing live bc man waiting week to week hoping Omar would be in the next episode would have been fun. what a journey on the show it was for Omar, 1 of the greatest TV characters of all time that wasn’t all action, he really made you think with some of the things he said and did. Hopefully he knew how much everyone loved him.
-Avon Barksdale – Left side! Strong side! Lol I was excited to learn that Julius from Remember The Titans was playing one of the main drug dealers on the show. Completely different character than Julius but Wood Harris crushed it as Avon. I had just come off watching the Sopranos when I started The Wire so I thought it was awesome that like Tony Soprano, Avon used a strip club as a front for his business. Def not the same kind of characters but were similar in that both commanded respect from their crews and ruled their territory with an iron fist. We meet Avon after D’Angelo goes to meet him after he is found not guilty of murder but Avon scolds D’Angelo for being so reckless and bringing heat on the crew. Avon informs D that he will have to be demoted for this and work his way back up from the Pit. But D’Angelo is Avon’s nephew so we can see he has a lot of love and loyalty towards him. Avon gives D shit for writing that letter but if it was someone that wasn’t family I don’t know if he would have been as forgiving.
Avon is pissed off about Omar robbing the stash and puts a bounty on his head which he doubles when Bird tells Avon that Omar is gay. Stringer is worried about the pit with the robbery and heat from the cops but Avon says it’s all good. All Avon is concerned with is a possible rat in D’Angelo’s crew. When someone calls his girlfriends phone but immediately hangs up, Avon starts to realize something is up and has the phone lines removed and becomes paranoid about using pay phones. Avon takes D’Angelo to visit his brother who is comatose and explains why he works so hard, bc acting careless and making even 1 mistake could see both of them end up like Avon’s brother. After a runner in his crew is arrested, Avon wonders why the driver Stinkum is still free knowing the police would have figured out how to find him by now. Avon tells D’Angelo to change it up and stop all drug trade for the time being. Later D’Angelo mentions the side deal Orlando talked to him about and Avon is not happy. He scolds Orlando for putting the clean name on his liquor license in jeopardy, beats him and throws him back into the club. When Avon hears the Stinkum was killed and Wee-Bey injured, his is pissed and ups the bounty on Omar to 10k.
With an east side/westside basketball game coming up, Avon and Stringer recruit a star high school player to play for them. String wants to lie low and let Omar come to them but Avon says they need to hunt and kill Omar to keep their reputation in tact. We get our first interaction between the east and west side kings as Avon and Proposition Joe who runs the east side banter about the game. Prop Joe suckers Avon into doubling the bet knowing he has a ringer ready for the 2nd half. After the game Avon is at Orlando’s and receives a page using Wee-Bey’s code but it’s actually Omar. Avon is on the pay phone as Omar is stalking him but in a stroke of luck Wee-Bey pulls up so Avon knows he is being set up and dives out of the way before Omar can kill him. Wee-Bey returns fire and wounds Omar. Things have gone far enough so Avon asks Wee-Bey to arrange a meeting for a truce with Omar. Stringer tells Avon he should take a step back from operations to protect himself so Avon gives up his pager. Everything goes through Stringer now. Avon and Stringer meet with Levy who tells them that now that they know they are being investigated, they should walk away from Orlando’s bc he prob told the cops about it. Stringer again tells Avon to insulate himself from the crew and let him deal with the business.
D’Angelo comes for a meeting where Avon and Stringer ask about Wallace and D pleads with Avon to leave him alone. Avon is cleaning out his office at Orlando’s just as the team sets up a video camera which should have him in the clear but he makes 1 last mistake that costs him big time. He brings D’Angelo in for a meeting and asks D to drive to New York and pick up the crew’s latest package. He asks D to do it bc he is family and can trust him. Thanks to the video camera, the team is able to arrest D’Angelo with the package which causes D’s mother/Avon’s sister to go off on Avon for allowing D to be arrested. Avon meets with Stinger and Levy and bc of the volume of arrests figures it was a wire and not a snitch that has them in legal trouble. He knows he fucked up meeting D’Angelo in the office but assures Levy and String that D’Angelo can be trusted bc he is family. Avon and Stringer check out the funeral parlour where they will relocate their business and Avon is skeptical until he see’s pallbearers playing dice in the alley. Brianna arrives and Avon asks her to pick up product for them and to talk D’Angelo into allowing Levy to represent him. He also tells Brianna he will make it up to D’Angelo and she says he better. The team has enough to arrest Avon so Daniels and McNulty join the SWAT team to make the arrest themselves. Avon is still running things in prison and is locked up with D’Angelo and Wee-Bey.
As S2 starts, Avon is still locked up with Stringer running the operations on the outside. Stringer tells Avon that NY is scamming them by not delivering the product they paid for and Avon tells him to be firm when dealing with them so they know they can’t fuck around. When Stringer asks how Avon is dealing with being locked up we get one of the best lines on the show from Avon, “You only really serve two days, the day you get locked up and the day you are released.” Great line. Avon’s sister/D’Angelo’s mother Brianna visits Avon to make sure that he looks out for D’Angelo considering he is taking 20 years for the family which Avon assures her he will. Brianna also tells him that D’Angelo’s girlfriend has been out of contact with her and Avon realizes she hasn’t come to visit D either which could be a problem. They also discuss New York not wanting to meet with Stringer or do business with the Barksdale crew bc of the heat from police so Avon suggests a contact in a tire rim shop in Atlanta instead. Wee-Bey complains to Avon about a guard named Tilghman constantly harassing him and tossing his cell so Avon agrees to talk to the guard and make it right. Wee-Bey is taking a ridiculous amount of heat for the crew so Avon has to make sure he is always taken care if. But the guard reacts harshly to Avon and blows him off which means Avon needs to figure out another wat to neutralize him. Stringer visits Avon to tell him the tire rim connection is set up and Avon tells Stringer he is gonna need help with the guard Tilghman. Avon also tells String to find Donnette and make sure she visits D’Angelo regularly. Stringer questions D’Angelo’s loyalty again but Avon assures him that D can do the time and be trusted bc he is family. Later Avon goes to check up on D’Angelo and see’s him doing coke in his cell with another inmate and says they need to talk. Drugs make people unstable so I was starting to wonder if Avon would see D’Angelo as a liability.
When Stringer discovers Tilghman is bringing drugs into the prison, Avon has him arrange for a bad batch to be given to Tilghman next time and to make sure Butchie is compensated if he co-operates. Avon meets with D’Angelo and convinces him to lay off the cocaine for a few days to make sure he isn’t killed but doesn’t tell him there is a bad batch is coming in. He also tells D that there may be a way to shave some time off their sentences. Tilghman brings the drugs in as usual but this time several inmates die from the bad batch and Avon calmly listens to music as inmates are rolled by his cell on stretchers. Avon can seem like a nice guy at times but he is a cold motherfucker. Avon tries to get D’Angelo to use the information about Tilghman to help shave years off of his sentence but D’Angelo is sure that Avon is responsible and is turning over a new leaf so he wants nothing to do with Avon or the Barksdale crew anymore. Levy makes sure the investigators know that Avon has information on the bad batch to trade for a chance to go for parole after 1 year. The investigator thinks Avon is directly responsible for the bad batch but has no choice but to agree to the trade so they can make an arrest in response to all the deaths. Based on Avon’s info, Tilghman is busted with the drugs and arrested. Stringer visits Avon in prison to bring him up to speed on their inferior product starting to hurt sales as addicts have recognized it and are not buying as much. Prop Joe and the East side crew have the best stuff right now. D’Angelo’s state of mind is brought up and Avon once again goes to bat for him saying he needs to find his own way right now and the crew owes him a lot for not talking and doing the time.
After D’Angelo’s death, Avon is discussing it with Wee-Bey and thinks that D did this to hurt him knowing they would be upset about it. Avon even says ‘Fuck him’ and that D’Angelo was weak. If he only knew. You can tell Avon is hurting and trying to absolve himself from blame but obviously feels guilty. Thought that all hell would break loose if Avon ever found out it was Stringer who made it happen. At the end of S2, Stringer comes to talk with Avon about Brother Mouzone’s failure to protect their territory and Avon worries that if they cannot maintain their reputation then they will lose everything. Avon says Stringer should not have asked Mouzone about his attacker but gives him good news that he has agreed to work with Prop Joe and the 2 reiterate their loyalty for each other as S2 ends. S3 starts with Avon in prison meeting with Wee-Bey and Cutty in the yard but as Avon makes his way over to them, he walks right through the middle of the basketball game and they just stop playing to let him walk through. No doubt Avon still has his reputation and power in prison. Cutty was a legendary soldier in the drug game and is being paroled after 14 years so Avon asks him for help in securing new territory and gives him a number to call when he gets out for a welcome home gift. After Cutty walks away, Avon tells Wee-Bey he is worried that prison has broken Cutty but Bey believes Cutty is still strong.
Things are looking up for Avon when we see him and Levy at a parole hearing thanks to the deal made during sentencing despite Pearlman’s strong recommendation to the parole board that Avon remain in prison. Next Avon is released from prison and picked up by Stringer who has a fresh set of clothes for him as Avon says the only thing he is taking from prison is the idea of ‘never again.’ We see him later that night at his welcome home party. Avon sees Gerard and Sapper come into the party high and has Slim Charles throw them out as Stringer pulls Avon away to show him his new apartment and tell him that they now have enough legitimate money to put anything they want out in the open in their own names but all Avon is concerned about is women. Stringer says he is leaving but knocks on the door soon after saying he forgot something and when Avon opens the door, 2 women are waiting for him including the one he had his eyes on when he walked in the party. If Avon had the mindset of going legitimate like Stringer, they would probably already be out the game. Next day we see Avon and Stringer visit their development site and are not happy that costs are rising and Avon blames their contractor Andy Krawczyk saying he is supposed to have the expertise to help them avoid these problems but he says cost overruns are the nature of the beast.
Afterwards, Avon, Stringer and Slim Charles survey territory and Avon wonders why they don’t have a crew near Marlo’s and Stringer says there was a setback and Slim confirms that their crew was ran off by the Stanfield crew. Avon is pissed that they are letting their best territory go and Stringer tries to convince Avon it’s not a good idea to fight for territory but Avon responds with his reality, “Avon: I ain’t no suit-wearin’ businessman like you. You know, I’m just a gangster, I suppose. And I want my corners.” Oh man war is coming. Later, Avon asks Slim Charles about their muscle and learns most of the enforcers they know are unable or unwilling to work with Avon so he tells Slim to take his best guys and hit Marlo and his crew. The attack is a failure after 1 of SLim’s guys Gerard fired early and alerted the lookouts before Slim and Cutty were in position which got 2 of their guys killed and Gerard seems to have escaped. Slim says they won’t know what went wrong until they talk to Gerard. Stringer is worried the deaths will draw police attention and that they should slow down to try and build up muscle. Avon wants to kill Marlo himself but String reminds him that he is on parole. Slim asks to handle it with just him and Cutty so there are no mistakes and Avon agrees. Stringer tries to change the subject to Hamsterdam but Avon is lost in thought.
The second attack also fails so Slim and Cutty meet with Avon to explain, “Avon: How’d it go? Slim Charles: We got one out of two of the motherfuckers, y’know? Avon: You mean you motherfuckers come strollin’ in here, all walking tall and shit. Slim Charles: Yo, B. I’m saying man, we was blazing on them dudes, you know what I’m sayin’? Just got in the heat, man. We was blazing, though, it was like- Avon: Alright, alright, relax, man. I already heard, go sit down. I’m not tweaking behind none of this – that’s one less motherfucker that’s breathing than there was yesterday, you know what I’m sayin’? So we all good. [to Cutty] But I’m surprised at you though, man. Shit didn’t get by you, back when. Slim Charles: Wasn’t my man’s fault, man. I unloaded on the young’un too soon, gave him enough room to buck and run, man. I fucked up that shit up myself, y’know- Cutty: Hold on… it’s on me. I had that kid in my sights, close enough to take off his Kangol and half his dome with it… couldn’t squeeze the trigger. Couldn’t do it, man. Avon: Hmm. Why not? Cutty: …Wasn’t in me, I guess. You know, whatever it is in you, that lets you flow like you flowing? Do that thang? It ain’t in me no more. Avon: …A’ight. So you done soldiering, but you ain’t done; could use you for what you got in your head. We gonna put you on a corner, you could be inside-Cutty: No, man. I ain’t making myself clear… the game ain’t in me no more. None of it. Avon: But you ain’t done shit else, y’know what I’m saying? So what you gonna do? Cutty: I don’t know. But it can’t be this. Avon: …A’ight, then. We straight. [Avon and Slim Charles hug him. Cutty leaves] Slim Charles: B, he was a man in his time, you know? Avon: Yeah… he a man today. He a man.” Thought for sure Cutty was dead but def gained a lot of respect for Avon over how he deals with Cutty bc if that’s Marlo then Cutty is dead for sure.
Next day, Avon and Slim Charles are watching police activity on the corners from their SUV and Slim tells him that Marlo has withdrawn all his crews from the corners and Avon tells Slim to take them as soon as the police are gone. After Marlo’s crew execute a drive by on Poot’s corner, Rico is killed and we see Avon and Slim Charles at his funeral where Avon vows revenge on Marlo. Back at the office, Avon puts Slim Charles in charge of finding information on Omar’s relatives and gives him a contact in social services but Slim says it might not be smart to split their attention between 2 dangerous targets like Marlo and Omar. Avon isn’t worried and assures Slim that now that he is back, they can handle anything and says that they will have to get ‘Devonne’ on Marlo. After Devonne makes contact with Marlo and sets up a meeting the next day at a restaurant, Avon is waiting in a nearby SUV when Chris Partlow opens fire on it wounding Avon but killing Tater. Slim Charles take Avon to a veterinarian to treat his wounds bc he can’t go to a hospital for obvious reasons. Afterwards, Avon meets with Shamrock, Slim Charles and Perry telling them they will wait out Marlo and force him to return to the corners to get revenge as Stringer interrupts and warns of the consequences of war. Avon then fires a stiff verbal shot at Stringer, “Avon: You know the difference between me and you? I bleed red and you bleed green. I look at you these days, String, you know what I see? I see a man without a country. Not hard enough for this right here and maybe, just maybe, not smart enough for them out there.” Damn man tell him how you really feel lol
Stringer counters that just bc he thinks before he kills, that does not make him soft so Avon asks him who he has killed and Stringer tells him about Brianna talking to McNulty and drops the bomb that he had D’Angelo killed adding that his was a life that had to be taken. Avon explodes and charges Stringer but he is injured so Stringer quickly over powers him and says that he had to do it to protect Avon from D’Angelo turning on him. Stringer lets Avon up who walks away but then sits down and just stares in shock. Next day after Gerard and Sapper break the Sunday truce and fail to kill Omar, they are waiting at the funeral home but Avon coldly walks by ignoring them to talk to other soldiers. Stringer arrives back from the Co-Op and Avon tells him about the new east side soldiers they have on retainer to be ready for Marlo as Stringer relays the Co-Op’s disapproval of the war with the Stanfield crew but Avon doesn’t care. If both Avon and Marlo agree to meet, Prop Joe has offered to mediate but Avon doesn’t like the chances and instead wants to talk about Stringer breaking the Sunday truce, “Avon: Sunday truce been there as long as the game itself ….. I mean, you can do some shit and be like what the fuck, but hey, never on no Sunday.” Stringer says he had no idea Omar was with his Grandmother or on his way to church and Avon gives him more shit about breaking the truce and that rumours have started about the incident. Trying to change the subject, with business down, Stringer suggests that they move their crews to Hamsterdam.
Avon and Stringer meet with Brianna at the funeral home and she tells him about McNulty thinking that D’Angelo was murdered and did not commit suicide as Avon tries to convince her that McNulty is lying. Brianna pleads with Avon for assurance he knew he could trust D’Angelo and this causes Avon to act offended but also tip his hand, “Avon: The fuck you even thinking? That I had something to do with it? That I could do that to my own kin? Is that what you think? The fuck is in your head Brie? I ain’t do nothing to Dee. I ain’t have shit to do with it. Brianna: To do with what?” I think she has her confirmation. Next day, Slim Charles reports that 2 members of the Stanfield crew have been killed but this brings down more police presence on the corners. As Avon continues to plan his war against Marlo with Slim Charles, Stringer interrupts with the news that Marlo may be open to a truce and when Avon hesitates to accept the truce, Stringer says the Co-Op will shut them out if the violence continues. Stringer says Avon is high on the power of the war and tells Avon they didn’t get in the game for street notoriety but to make money. Avon tells Stringer that Marlo killed Devonne so he is definitely continuing the war.
Next day after a meeting with Levy, Stringer comes looking for Avon who is there in the next room but Slim Charles says Avon will be back soon and we see that things are falling apart for Stringer, “Stringer: Where Avon at? Slim Charles: He’ll be along shortly. Stringer: That’s good, ‘cuz I came to see you anyway. Slim Charles: What’chu need? Stringer: …I need you to hit somebody. Slim Charles: Who we hittin’? Stringer: Clay Davis. Slim Charles: The Clay Davis? Downtown Clay Davis? Stringer: That supposed to mean something to me, man? That ngga need to be got. Slim Charles: Shit, String, murder ain’t no thing… but this here is some assassination shit, man! Stringer: Listen, I tell you you getting somebody, you getting them. I ain’t asking! Slim Charles: Damn, String, I don’t know.. Stringer: Ngga, I gotta remind you who the fuck you work for?! Avon: Ayo. I think Slim gonna have to sit this one out, boss. So you finna go hit a state senator now, huh? Yo, you kill a downtown ngga like that, the whole world gonna stand up and take notice. I’m talking about the state police, federals, all of that! You need a Day of the Jackal type motherfucker, basically, to do some shit like that, not a rumble-tumble ngga like Slim. Stringer: That ngga took our money, man. Avon: I seen it coming. Stringer: Well, heh… he gotta go. Avon: Nah, you a fucking businessman! You wanna handle it like that, you don’t wanna get all gangsta wild and shit with it, right? What’d I tell you about playing them fucking away games? Yeah. They saw your ghetto ass coming from miles away, nigga. You got a fucking beef with them?! That shit is on you!” I gotta side with Avon in this one, he def warned Stringer about this but he wouldn’t listen and you can’t expect Avon to eat the costs for that. It’s a different story if he hadn’t been warning him but he did so Stringer has to eat the loss himself.
Afterwards, Avon is at a barbershop getting a haircut when Brother Mouzone shows up and he is not playing games, “Avon: You look healthy. Mouzone: For a man who was gut shot. You reached out to a third party, who engaged me in the purpose of holding your towers. That third person’s word was your word, as he represented you. Avon: That’s right. Mouzone: And I ran those east Baltimore gentlemen off. I held up my end of the agreement… at least, for as long as I as physically able. Avon: You did. Mouzone: Your man then set up a meet at Butchie’s bar. Your man told Omar Little that I was responsible for the torture of a young boy who was close to Mr. Little’s heart. Your man, in effect, sought to have me hit. Avon: Omar told you that and you believe that motherfucker? Mouzone: He doesn’t strike me as a man who tells stories – even at the point of dying. Avon: [muttering] Shit… Prop Joe, package- Brother Mouzone: The inner workings of your organization don’t concern me. Avon: If there’s a way- I mean, if my man… if he made a mistake here, then I’m willing to pay the cost. [pause] Avon: How can we fix it? You want money? Mouzone: Money? Avon: Yeah. This is business. Mouzone: Business is where you are now, but what got you here is your word and your reputation. With that alone, you’ve still got an open line to New York. Without it? You’re done.” Basically telling Avon that if he doesn’t give up Stringer, he is dead too. Nobody to blame but Stringer who was counting on Omar killing Mouzone but when he survived, Stringer should have finished it. Later, Avon is chilling when Cutty arrives and starts talking about his plans to open a boxing gym but when he tries to bring up Avon’s boxing past to build a rapport, Avon cuts him off and just asks how much. Cutty nervously says 10k as Avon and Slim Charles erupt in laughter lol Avon gives him 15k and tells him to take care of his young charges. Prob could’ve got 50k but better to ask for an amount that Avon laughs at, less chance of him showing up for it one day.
That night Avon meets with Stringer for a drink and they both have no idea that they have given each other up. Stringer apologizes for not dealing with Marlo sooner as Avon reminisces about their shoplifting days growing up and asks Stringer to dream with him. But Stringer says with all the real estate they have, they don’t have to dream anymore. It’s getting late and Stringer says he can’t drink too much bc he has to meet Krawczyk at the development site tomorrow but Avon asks what time and this sets the alarm bells off in Stringer who stutters to respond. Avon tells him to relax and Stringer says he will when everything settles down and claims he doesn’t take his work too seriously lol uh huh. Avon says it’s just business and this worries Stringer even more but the 2 friends as close as brothers embrace one last time and go their separate ways. Even though he knew it was coming, Avon is crushed by Stringer’s death and even refuses to talk to Shamrock at the funeral home. Slim Charles is able to talk to Avon about Stringer’s death and Avon confesses that String was killed for reasons beyond his control and that it had nothing to do with Marlo. Surprisingly Avon says he has now lost interest in the war with Marlo but Slim says they are in too deep to stop now, “Don’t matter who did what to who at this point. Fact is, we went to war and now there ain’t no goin back. I mean, shit, it’s what war is, you know? Once you in it, you in it, If it’s a lie, then we fight on that lie. But we gotta fight.” I don’t think this applies in every situation but def does here bc Marlo is a shark and your blood is already in the water.
After Avon arrives at the safehouse, he learns that his guys have Marlo in their sights at Vinson’s rim shop with minimal protection and are waiting for Avon to give the green light but before he can, the Major Crimes Unit leads a raid on the safehouse as Avon orders his guys not to shoot and to just let the police in as Perry says all the weapons are his. McNulty tells Avon he will serve the remainder of his original sentence but Avon replies with his famous quote that he will only serve 2 days, the day he goes in and the day he gets out. Avon is shocked when McNulty shows Avon the search warrant pointing out the name of the source, Stringer Bell. As S3 closes we see Avon at his trial as Brianna walks out when Avon looks at her. Marlo and Chris show up and Avon nods seeing Marlo for the first time and the season ends with Pearlman prosecuting Avon and the Barksdale crew.
The next and last time we see Avon is when Marlo goes to the prison to meet with Sergei but is shocked to see Avon sitting there instead, “Avon: Surprise. Heh. My man Sergei thought we should talk first. Marlo: Talk about what? Avon: That’s on you, young’un. Whatever business you trying to do through the Russian, you gotta go through me first. Marlo: Yeah? Avon: Yeah. ‘Cuz up in this bitch here, I’m- I’m what you might consider… an authority figure. Y’know, everybody gotta get my help or ask my advice, like, all kinds of shit. Sergei stepped to me the other day, saying this nigga Marlo, who he don’t even know, just be sending him cash money to get on his visiting list. So then he asked me if I knew Marlo; I told him “Hell yeah, I know Marlo real well.” Y’know, over in the west-side, everybody know everybody, right? [silence] Avon: Let me help you find your tongue – you trying to get to the Russian so you can get a line to his people. You trying to get to the Greek motherfuckers… because if you can, you wanna cut Proposition Joe and all them other east-side bitches out the connect. I mean, you a natural businessman, right? (Marlo chuckles) But this is the thing, though. And I mean, y’know, I’m wit’chu on all that as far as it goes, you know? West-side definitely need to stick together, you know what I mean, and all the fuss about you coming at me? I say let bygones be bygones, but fuck all them east-side bitches. That’s just the way I feel about it; I got nothing but love in my heart for west-side niggas, nothing but love. Of course… I mean, y’know, I got to have my taste, too. Marlo: Figured that. Avon: So send my sister a hundred large… and the next time you come in Jessup, it won’t be my grill talking at you. My word on that. Marlo: A hundred large, huh? Avon: …So wassup, man? Wassup wit’chu otherwise, y’know? Marlo: Ah, the game is the game. Avon: Always.” Great exchange between the 2 big bosses even though I hated Marlo’s guts lol they would’ve ruled West Baltimore a long time if they could have got along.
And that ends the run on the show for Avon and I gotta say when he got out of jail, I thought he would either survive the show or be killed. Def didn’t expect his time on the show to end in jail. Wood Harris is such a great actor that I wanted him on the streets in a big role but him being in prison allowed other characters to shine when they might not have otherwise so it wasn’t a total loss. Avon had a ruthless side but also had heart too, he was smart but could also be fcking stupid lol really interesting character that I wish had a longer run on the show bc he was def a favourite.
-Stringer Bell – Really great performance from Idris Elba as Stringer presenting us with a unique kind of gangster. ‘Fuck you detective’ lol not hard to see what kind of character he was with that 1st impression. Stringer def established an intimidating presence right from the start. His attendance at the trial along with Savino, Wee-Bey and Stinkum makes sure the witness changes her story so that D’Angelo Barksdale is not convicted of murder. Stringer shows up at the pit when McNulty and Bunk arrest Barksdale to try and intimidate the police but it doesn’t help D and the cops get Stringers license plate number. Later when D’Angelo has been released, Stringer is impressed with the increase in profit since D’Angelo started working at the Pit again. He informs D of their strategy to sell lower strength heroin and cocaine so the addicts will have to purchase more of it. With no competition, this is a sound plan. Stringer becomes worried about the operation at the pit with all the police heat and Omar robbing it. Avon assures him everything is cool but that D’Angelo may have a rat in his crew. Stringer is not everybody’s fav character but the man was smart and knew the game. He has D’Angelo withhold pay from his crew and then watch to see who doesn’t need an advance. Anybody that isn’t hitting him up for money is getting money from another source and most likely a rat. “D’Angelo: Yeah, but, Stringer, if you don’t pay a man, he ain’t gonna work for you. Stringer: What, you think buddy’s gonna get a job? You think…you think it’s gonna be like, ‘Fuck it, let me quit this game here and go to college’? No, they’re gonna buck a little, but they ain’t gonna walk. And in the end, you gonna get respect.” Lol Smart mtherfcker. Stringer see’s Poot with a cellphone and gives D’Angelo shit bc that is gonna get them all busted.
After D’Angelo tells Stringer that Brandon from Omar’s crew is in an arcade, Stringer arrives there with Wee-Bey and Stinkum to confirm with Poot and Wallace who first saw him. Stringer then OK’s the hit on Brandon which would end up having bigger consequences than anyone would have imagined. After a runner in the crew is arrested by Stinkum gets away, Stringer berates him for talking on the phone. Stringer’s guard is way up now and he still suspects there is a leak in D’Angelo’s crew. To be safe he has all the pay phones in the pit removed. We see Stringer working at a printing shop, another Barksdale front and reprimands the crew there for not acting like professionals since they want that legitimate business to actually make money which would be clean. We see McNulty follow Stringer to a community college where he is taking an economics class, Stringer was def serious about bringing the businessman game to the gangster life. Stringer and Avon are recruiting a star high school player for the upcoming east vs west basketball game. Avon wants to continue to go after Omar to save their reputation but Stringer thinks the smarter play is to lie low and let Omar come to them.
After the attempt on Avon’s life and heat coming from the cops, Stringer advises Avon to take a step back from the game to protect himself so no everything will run through Stringer. Avon is lucky he had a guy like Stringer or he wouldn’t have lasted as long, they made a great team. Stringer goes to the truce meeting with Omar and doesn’t deny being involved with Brandon’s murder but makes sure to keep Avon’s name out of it which is huge bc Omar is wearing a wire. After Kima is shot, Stringer meets with Wee-Bey to hear about what happened and Bey tells him he wasn’t going to kill the female passenger but Little Man acted first and shot her. String tells Bey she was a cop and to kill Little Man. He also tells Wee-Bey to prepare to go into hiding to avoid the heat from the cops. With the heat from the shooting still hot, Stringer tightens things up and takes all the pagers from D’Angelo’s crew and gives cell phones to D’Angelo and Bodie telling them to only arrange meetings on the phones conducting all business face to face. Levy hammers home the point that Stringer and Avon need to clean things up now that they know they are being investigated and suggests walking away from Orlando’s club since he prob told the cops about it. Stringer again tells Avon to insulate himself from the crew and allow all business go through him. In a meeting with D’Angelo, Stringer asks about Wallace and D pleads with them to leave Wallace alone. Stringer asks Bodie about Wallace and Bodie tells him that Wallace is weak so Stringer orders him to kill Wallace. In a powerful scene, Stringer and Levy meet with D’Angelo when D is locked up and D’Angelo passionately asks Stringer over and over where Wallace is knowing that Stringer had him killed. The meeting ends abruptly with Wallace refusing to be represented by Levy.
In a parking garage, Stringer and Avon meet with Levy to discuss strategy with all the arrests in the Barksdale crew including D’Angelo. Bc of how many arrests there have been, Avon thinks it was prob from wiretaps/surveillance and not a snitch. Stringer suggests they risk showing money and start bailing people out before guys start flipping on them to avoid prison time. They are done with Orlando’s strip club and move operations to their funeral parlour. Despite the move, Stringer is very paranoid about listening devices and nothing is talked about indoors. Avon is arrested but they don’t have enough to bring Stringer in. Since they lost a package due to D’Angelo’s arrest, Stringer orders another one that is delivered successfully. Stringer instructs the lieutenants on how to maximize the package by making weaker hits and makes sure they know to spread the word that their business is back up and running. In court after Avon is given a light sentence, Stringer mockingly congratulates McNulty. As the season ends we see Stringer counting profits at the funeral parlour showing that despite the investigation, nothing has really changed. Having Wallace killed really soured me on Stringer’s character but I did respect his hustle. In S2, Stringer is running the show for Avon while he is in prison. The stash that Bodie is supposed to bring back is not in the car he was driving but Stringer knows Bodie didn’t steal it bc he had him followed. Stringer talks to Avon and tells him the connection in NY is trying to scam them by not delivering the product they paid for. Avon tells String he has to be commanding when dealing with them. Stringer meets with a contact from NY who tells him that the guy he was dealing with Roberto, has been arrested and that they will return Stringer’s money but don’t feel comfortable moving product to him after Avon’s arrest and all the heat from police. Anyone else may have caused problems but Stringer was smart and knew that connections could be made whole again down the road.
Stringer meets with Avon to tell him that the new contact in the tire rim shop in Atlanta is good to go but once again asks about D’Angelo’s reliability which Avon assures him is solid bc D’Angelo is family. Avon asks String to go meet D’Angelo’s girlfriend Donnette to insist that she make regular visits to D in prison. Stringer goes to meet Donnette and deliver the message but the two of them are flirting the entire time and eventually kiss and have sex. Shady move but with 20 years time to do, Stringer was def not worried about D’Angelo. Stringer follows the prison guard Tilghman and figures out he is bringing drugs into the prison and gets his package from Butchie. Avon tells Stringer to meet with Butchie to arrange a bad batch to be given to Tilghman next time and Butchie agrees when Stringer assures him he will be compensated. Cherry, the manager of the cut house, tells Stringer that the quality of their package is not good but Stringer still tells her to dilute it even further as they need to make it last until they find a better connection. In his economics class, Stringer asks his teacher for advice selling an inferior product in an aggressive marketplace. The teacher advises him to decrease prices even at a risk of a loss to move some product but not to keep them low for too long or they could lose credibility.
Stringer visits the prison and tells Avon about the problems with the addicts not wanting the products bc it is so inferior and that Prop Joe and the East side crew has the best shit right now. D’Angelo’s state of mind comes up and Avon says he needs to find his own way but they owe him a lot for the time he is doing. String suggests putting some property in D’Angelo’s name so he has something to look forward to when he gets out. With the advice of his teacher in mind, Stringer holds a classroom type meeting with the crew and lays out the new plan: change the cap color, change the name and divide the product to create fake competition. At the court hearing for Bird, Stringer knows Omar didn’t witness the murder and tells McNulty the word on the street is that Omar was nowhere near the scene of the murder. But McNulty responds that the word on the street doesn’t mean anything in the court of law. Much different scene than the first episode when Stringer watches D’Angelo get away with murder. With D’Angelo pulling away from Avon and his family, Stringer takes drastic measures to keep himself and the crew safe ensuring that D’Angelo doesn’t talk. We see Stringer meet with a contact from DC to deliver money for a hit and Stringer is adamant that this can’t be traced back to him. I was enjoying both Stringer and D’Angelo’s characters and didn’t want either to die but knew that 1 of em was going down.
Stringer meets with his DC connection who oversteps his bounds a bit, “D.C. Guy: But did your man Avon even knew about it? You on your own here huh? Stringer: You right, it ain’t none of your business. And if I were you, I wouldn’t let a word of this mess end up in Avon’s ear. D.C. Guy: Baltimore muthafuckas off the hook, I swear. All ya’ll.” I was thinking there is no chance this doesn’t get back to Avon causing a war with Stringer. After D’Angelo’s death, Stringer tries to talk to Brianna but she is inconsolable. Donnette is much calmer and taking it almost as something she expected or even welcomed, I’m sure banging Stringer had something to do with that. After the funeral, Stringer meets with Prop Joe who offers to supply the Barksdale crew if they let him sell in some of their territory. More territory means more profits but with the high quality of the drugs Prop Joe can get, the increase in sales should balance it out so Stringer is open to the idea but Avon is not. Their product is still not selling and the addicts are seeking out the drugs from Prop Joe’s dealers. Fed up, Stringer meets with Prop Joe again to start to form an agreement to let Prop Joe in on some of the Barksdale territory in exchange for selling the Barksdale crew the high quality drugs he can get. Prop Joe is worried about Avon not being down with that plan but Stringer says when Avon see’s how much money they are making, he will come around but I don’t think Stringer believes that.
Stringer meets with Bodie who reports about the death of a 9 year old boy during their gunfight with a rival crew. He is obviously pissed bc a murder of a child is going to mean even more heat on their territory and make it even harder to run their business. This leads to Stringer trying to make Bodie understand that the game is about more than just strength and violence, “This here game is more than the rep you carry, the corner you hold. You gotta be fierce, I know that, but more than that, you gotta show some flex, give and take on both sides.” Solid advice but easy for Stringer to say when he isn’t on the streets dealing with rival dealers. Later, Stringer asks Brianna to talk to Avon about the deal and to tell him with a weak product and lack of muscle, they are out of options. Brianna reports back that Avon refuses the partnership with Prop Joe but is working on getting a new drug supplier and is bringing in muscle from New York, someone named Brother Mouzone. Stringer is kind of rattled and goes to see Prop Joe to fill him in on the details and Prop Joe is even more concerned than Stringer about Brother Mouzone coming into their territory. This is a problem for their new arrangement and Stringer suggests they work together to deal with Brother Mouzone but Prop Joe is not gonna send any of his guys up against Mouzone considering his lethal reputation.
Next day we see Stringer accompanied by Cheese, meet with Bodie to tell him that Cheese will be taking over 3 of the 6 towers and Bodie wonders why they are just giving up territory so Stringer asks him where he thinks the new product came from. After Prop Joe arranges a meeting between Omar and Stringer, we see Stringer tell Omar that a man named Brother Mouzone was responsible for torturing Brandon, Omar’s lover, in order to build his reputation and says he will give up Mouzone if Omar stops fucking with the Barksdale crew. Omar agrees and uses Stringer’s tip to go find and kill Mouzone. After Omar shoots but doesn’t kill Mouzone, Stringer visits his bedside and vows to find who did this but Mouzone says that won’t be necessary as Avon’s obligation about this and their agreement is now over. Stringer slips up and says that he will “get them myself” but Mouzone hadn’t told him that there were 2 guys and def notices but says nothing else about it. Later we see Stringer visit Avon in prison to talk about Mouzone’s failure to protect their territory and Avon worries that if they cannot maintain their reputation they will lose their territory and business. Avon says Stringer should not have asked Mouzone about his attackers but also says that he agrees to work with Prop Joe and the 2 reiterate their loyalty for the other. Afterwards, Stringer meets with Prop Joe personally to give him the news about Avon agreeing to work together but Prop Joe says there will be a slight delay with the next shipment as S2 ends.
S3 starts with Stringer holding an organization meeting at the funeral home to discuss the direction they should take after their main territory, the 221 Towers, has been demolished. Bodie backed up by Poot says they should take new territory by force when Stringer reminds Bodie how much police attention they received after Bodie got into a shootout with another crew that led to a small child being killed. Slim Charles wonders how they can operate their business without territory and Stringer says it’s time to focus on supplying the product rather than fight over territory but Poot and Slim are not convinced, “Slim Charles: But what if they don’t cop our re-up, though? Stringer: Well, I’ma worry about that when it happen. Until then, Mr. Charles, we’re going to handle this shit like businessmen, sell the shit, make the profit and later for that gangsta bullshit. [Poot raises his hand.] Yeah. Poot: Do the chair know we gonna look like some punk-ass bitches out there- Stringer: Motherfucker, I will punk your ass for sayin such shit! Shamrock: Yo, String, String! Stringer: What?! Shamrock: Poot did have the floor, man. Stringer: Shut the fuck up, this ngga too ignorant to have the fuckin’ floor!” LOL Stringer urges them to start thinking like grown men as the meeting ends.
Next day Stringer visits Avon in prison to talk about the demolition of the 221 Towers and how Stringer wants to focus on supplying other dealers with product instead of them working the corners. Avon agrees and says they should target specific high-target areas but adds that they need to maintain their reputation. Stringer agrees but says it was the violence that got Avon put in prison and that if they can make money and avoid violence, they should do it. Afterwards, Stringer holds another meeting at the funeral home where Bodie and Country talk about the difficulties they faced in getting dealers to take their packages so Stringer immediately tells Bodie to go find Marlo. Shamrock reports Omar’s robbery of them and Slim Charles says that is the second robbery this week. Stringer trying so hard to change up the game but if there is 1 thing this show taught me, it’s that the game don’t change. Next night we see Stringer meet with Prop Joe who lets Stringer know that the Major Crimes Unit brought Cheese in and revealed that they have a wire up on them so Joe advises to keep things boring for awhile to keep the police at bay.
After another robbery, Slim Charles meets with Stringer to tell him about the robbery and Stringer is very disappointed that at not only his guys being constantly robbed but at the performance of their business lately, “Stringer: That’s good. That’s like a forty degree day. Ain’t nobody got nuttin’ to say about a forty degree day. Fifty? Bring a smile to your face. Sixty? Shit, nggas are damn near barbecuing that mothafucka. Go down to twenty? Nggas get they bitch on. Get they blood complainin… but forty? Nobody give a FUCK about forty. Nobody remember forty, and ya’ll nggas is giving me way too many forty degree days. What the fuck?!” Man the Barksdale Crew is lucky that Stringer didn’t have an attitude to violence like Avon or God forbid Marlo bc with his intelligence, it would have been bad news for anyone that crossed him and he lets his crew get away with a lot of shit that would get them killed working for other crews. During the meeting, D’Angelo’s girlfriend Donette tries to get a hold of Stringer through Shamrock but he won’t take the call and tells the crew to watch Tosha’s funeral in case Omar shows up. Next day Stringer, in an attempt to add legitimate business to his profile, meets with Andy Krawczyk and State Senator Clay Davis to discuss Stringer’s properties in up and coming areas to turn them into residences. Afterwards Stringer meets with Donette when he learns that McNulty has been to see her and String assures her that Avon’s name would have been enough to protect D’Angelo from harm and says he doesn’t want to keep her at arm’s length anymore. Stringer is picked up by Shamrock and Stringer gives him 2 instructions, handle the receipts from Bernard buying the cell phones for the organization and to put Donnette through to him if she calls.
Thanks to McNulty following him, we see that Stringer is attending community college to take an economics class and he receives a call from McNulty who has managed to find out his number and when Stringer answers he uses the name of his front company B&B. Such a smart move to take classes like that but the drug game is always lurking to bring him down from either side of the law. Stringer heads to the copy shop he owns where McNulty confronts him but Stringer knows he has nothing on him and hands McNulty a business card and offers him a condo in his new development. Both an insult and proving to McNulty that he has gone legit. As McNulty leaves he laments Stringer going legit, “McNulty: I had such fuckin’ hopes for us.” Next day Stringer holds a meeting with high-level dealers like Prop Joe, Kintell and Fat Face Rick and after he notices that Shamrock was actually taking minutes, “Stringer: Yo. Motherfucker, what is that? Shamrock: Robert Rules say we got to have minutes for the meeting, right? These the minutes. Stringer: Ngga, is you taking notes on a criminal fucking conspiracy? [Rips the notepad out Shamrocks hands] What the fuck is you thinking? [Tears out minutes and crumples them]” LOL fck that was funny. Afterwards, Stringer picks up a paroled Avon and has a gift of fresh clothes for him. Later, Stringer meets with Bodie who tells him about Colvin’s Hamsterdam where drug trade is legal and Stringer is annoyed that Bodie went around proper channels to talk to him, Bodie says he didn’t think anyone but Stringer would consider it. Bodie says he was picked up with other Barksdale Lieutenant’s like Tucky and Little Mike and Stringer thinks Bodie is wearing a wire, “Stringer: Well, you shouldn’t sell drugs.” Takes a second but Bodie understands what he means and pulls up his shirt to show he’s not wearing a wire. Not sure yet if Stringer believes him, he also starts to unbuckle his pants until Stringer tells him that’s enough lol Bodie once again reminds String of the problems with Marlo.
Stringer meets with Marlo and explains the Co-Op and are the uses that it has for Marlo esp when it comes to laundering money but Marlo stays silent throughout Stringers pitch so String leaves without an agreement. After the meeting, Stringer attends Avon’s welcome home party and talks business with Levy, Krawczyk and Clay Davis. Stringer pulls Avon away to show him his new apartment and says that they have enough legitimate money now to put anything they want out in the open with their own names but Avon is more concerned about women. So Stringer excuses himself leaving Avon in his room but knocks on the door saying he forgot something and when Avon opens the door there are 2 women waiting for him. Next day Stringer and Avon visit their property development site and are frustrated that costs are increasing and Avon puts the blame on Krawczyk saying he is supposed to have the expertise to avoid these problems but Krawczyk says cost overruns are the nature of the business. After they head to meet Slim Charles to survey territory and Avon winders why they don’t have a crew nearby to Marlo’s and Stringer says they had a setback as Slim Charles confirms they were ran off by Marlo letting their best territory go. Stringer tries to talk Avon out of fighting for territory but Avon says he is a gangster, not a businessman and he wants his corners.
Stringer goes with Bodie to tour Hamsterdam and tells him to move a small crew down there to test the waters and tells Bodie to report directly to him. After, Stringer calls Shamrock to tell Avon he apologizes for being late and then heads to his development site where he is told that city hall is holding up construction. Krawczyk tells him to go see Clay Davis to get him to move things along bc that is what they pay him for but when Stringer meets with Clay, he asks for 25k to move things ahead and promises the permits by Monday. The tough part for Stringer is that once you put in significant amounts of money, you have to keep going or risk losing it even if you think you are being swindled. Later, Stringer is with Avon when Slim Charles and Cutty report their failed attack on Marlo’s crew that resulted in multiple members of their crew dead and Stringer says the killings will draw more unwanted attention from police and that they should slow down to re-build their muscle. Avon wants to do it himself but Stringer reminds him that he is on parole. Slim Charles asks to handle it with just him and Cutty so there are no mistakes and Avon agrees while Stringer tries to change the subject to Hamsterdam but Avon is lost in thought. Next day Stringer has dinner with Donette at her apartment and she tells him about Brianna asking Donnette to accompany her to the police station to talk to McNulty and Stringer is mad that she has talked to Brianna. He asks when Brianna plans to go to see McNulty and she tells him Brianna has contacted the lawyer Levy.
Later, Stringer meets with Levy who confirms that Brianna contacted him and Levy thinks they should tell Avon but Stringer says that he will handle it. Def doesn’t want Avon to even consider the idea that Stringer had D’Angelo killed. Next day Stringer meets with Clay Davis to talk about the lack of progress for his development and Clay tries to smooth things over giving him a contract to supply lightbulbs but that is nothing compared to what Stringer is looking for. Clay tells him that they will be operating at a federal level in 3 years and Stringer says he is ready to run now but Clay says he has to work his way up. Stringer in public office would have been something lol next we see Stringer meet with Andy Krawczyk who tells him about a rival property developer that has had success working with Clay Davis. So Stringer goes to meet with Davis to tell him he wants faster progress with Clay making him money so Clay offers to put Stringer in contact with his contact that arranges federal funding but the contact refuses to talk to Stringer. Clay says that they will work with the contact but it will require more money so Stringer returns with a brief case full of cash but when he asks Clay for assurances that he will get what he paid for, Clay says this is a sign he is still not ready. Big red flag right there, if being ready means not asking questions or not getting a return on my money then you are conning me. Back at the funeral home, Brianna visits looking for Avon but only Stringer is there and he tries to tell Brianna not to contact Avon and he refuses to put her in contact with him.
Shamrock reports to Stringer and tells him that Avon was shot and Tater was killed when Chris Partlow fired into their SUV and also says Brianna has still been trying to contact Avon and Stringer tells Shamrock to keep Brianna away from both Avon and himself. Later, Stringer interrupts Avon holding a meeting with Shamrock, Slim Charles and Perry talking about waiting for Marlo to return to the corners to get revenge and warns him about the consequences of war. Avon has a pretty harsh response, “Avon: You know the difference between me and you? I bleed red and you bleed green. I look at you these days, String, you know what I see? I see a man without a country. Not hard enough for this right here and maybe, just maybe, not smart enough for them out there.” Damn man that was stiff. Could be true but I don’t think it was that Stringer wasn’t smart enough for the suit game, just he was more that he was naive and with more experience would have figured shit out and started to rise. Stringer responds saying that thinking before he kills doesn’t make him soft so Avon asks who he has killed and Stringer tells him about Brianna meeting with McNulty and shockingly admits that he had D’Angelo killed and that it had to be done. Avon lunges at Stringer but his is injured from the shooting so Stringer over powers him and says he did it to protect him from D’Angelo turning on him. Stringer lets Avon up who walks away and then sits down in shock. Next day Stringer hosts a Co-Op meeting with Prop Joe, Fat Face Rick, Shamrock, Kintell and Phil Boy and they all stand together against the Barksdale territory war with the Stanfield crew and remind him that 1 of the original goals of the Co-Op was to reduce violence. Prop Joe blames Avon as Shamrock gets a call from Gerard who has spotted Omar taking his Grandmother to church but there is a Sunday truce of no violence that all crews adhere to but Stringer gives the green light anyways.
Stringer arrives back to talk to Avon who tells him he has some new soldiers from the East side on retainer ready to go at Marlo and Stringer tells him of the Co-Op disapproving of the war with Marlo but Avon doesn’t care. If Avon will agree to meet with Marlo, Prop Joe says he would mediate the meeting but Avon doesn’t like the chances and is more interested in Stringer’s role in breaking the Sunday truce to hit Omar. Stringer says he did not know Omar was with his Grandmother or on the way to church but Avon is still not happy that Stringer disrespected the Sunday truce and tells him that rumours have started to spread. In an attempt to change the subject, Stringer tells Avon about the drop in business bc of Hamsterdam and suggests they move their crews there. Later, Stringer meets with Clay Davis and is pissed off that he has given a lot of money in bribes to Clay but is still facing bureaucratic red tape. Clay asks for more time but Stringer is out of patience and wants results as Clay pleads with Stringer to leave the street mentality behind but Stringer ain’t hearing it. One of the Barksdale crew chiefs meets with Stringer and Shamrock to discuss Colvin’s ultimatum of having the person that committed a murder in Hamsterdam in custody or they shut down Hamsterdam and come down on the corners harder than ever. Stringer asks if the murderer has any connections and when he hears No, he orders them to have the kid turn himself in.
Next day we see Stringer meet with Shamrock at the funeral home and is annoyed that Slim Charles has replaced his normal bodyguards. He asks Shamrock about their business and Shamrock says they are running out of product so Stringer heads to a meeting with Prop Joe and the other members of the Co-Op in the back of a pawn shop and Joe tells him that if the war vs Marlo continues then the Barksdale crew is out of the Co-Op. He also tells Stringer that Marlo may be open to a truce if he can keep his territory and even questions Stringer’s leadership of the Co-Op, “Prop Joe: The feeling is it ain’t right for you to be at the head of our table, when you can’t call off your dog. Call it a crisis of leadership.” You could see Stringer was reaching a breaking point and something was gonna give. Later, Stringer interrupts Avon and Slim Charles planning the war vs Marlo to tell them that Marlo may be open to a truce but Avon doesn’t seem open to it so Stringer says that if the violence continues they will be shut out of the Co-Op. Stringer says Avon is high on the power of the war and tells Avon to remember why they got in the game, “Stringer: You know, Avon, you gotta think about what we got in this game for, man. Huh? Was it the rep? Was it so our names could ring out on some fucking ghetto streetcorner, man? Naw, man. There’s games beyond the fucking game.” Avon def had a blood lust for Marlo but I don’t blame him bc I hated Marlo too. Avon responds saying that Marlo killed Devonne so he will continue the war.
Back at his print shop, Stringer looks pained about a decision and we see him call the Western District so you know he has decided to turn on Avon. Wow man that was def a shocker to see it actually happen even though you could see it coming. Stringer learns that property grants have been awarded to a company that isn’t his so he has Shamrock get some papers ready to take to Levy. Next day Stringer meets with Levy to talk about the lack of return he is seeing on his political investments but Levy breaks the bad news that he has been ‘rain made’ by Clay Davis which means he was paying someone to make it rain when they have no control over the rain. Levy explains that Clay Davis has been pocketing all the money himself instead of using it for bribes bc there are no bribes in the development business, everyone that receives money for contracts does so by passing all the specifications and that when the permits come through, Clay Davis acts like he got them. He adds that Clay Davis a known hustler with a reputation for asking for and then pocketing the bribes.
Stringer is outraged and goes to see Avon and gets riled up even further when he is prevented from going in by the new soldiers but when he sees Slim Charles, we learn just how angry Clay Davis has made him, “Stringer: Where Avon at? Slim Charles: He’ll be along shortly. Stringer: That’s good, ‘cuz I came to see you anyway. Slim Charles: What’chu need? Stringer: …I need you to hit somebody. Slim Charles: Who we hittin’? Stringer: Clay Davis. Slim Charles: The Clay Davis? Downtown Clay Davis? Stringer: That supposed to mean something to me, man? That ngga need to be got. Slim Charles: Shit, String, murder ain’t no thing… but this here is some assassination shit, man! Stringer: Listen, I tell you you getting somebody, you getting them. I ain’t asking! Slim Charles: Damn, String, I don’t know.. Stringer: Ngga, I gotta remind you who the fuck you work for?! Avon: Ayo. I think Slim gonna have to sit this one out, boss. So you finna go hit a state senator now, huh? Yo, you kill a downtown ngga like that, the whole world gonna stand up and take notice. I’m talking about the state police, federals, all of that! You need a Day of the Jackal type motherfucker, basically, to do some shit like that, not a rumble-tumble ngga like Slim. Stringer: That ngga took our money, man. Avon: I seen it coming. Stringer: Well, heh… he gotta go. Avon: Nah, you a fucking businessman! You wanna handle it like that, you don’t wanna get all gangsta wild and shit with it, right? What’d I tell you about playing them fucking away games? Yeah. They saw your ghetto ass coming from miles away, nigga. You got a fucking beef with them?! That shit is on you!” Man, Clay Davis had Stringer shook, I think he always sees himself as the smartest person in the room so being taken for a ride like a mark has got to just eat away at him. And I know it’s a serious scene but Stringer’s attitude about it made me laugh. The Stringer/Avon partnership had reached a breaking point and the dam was about to burst.
Next we see Stringer meet with Colvin to give him information about Avon saying that he loves Avon like a brother but cannot see him continue this war with Marlo knowing where it will end. Stringer says he chose Colvin to talk to bc he was the man that created Hamsterdam and gives him the location of Avon’s safehouse insisting that this is strictly business. That night, Stringer meets with Avon for a drink not knowing that they have both given the other up, Stringer to Colvin and Avon to Brother Mouzone. But it’s a friendly meeting as Stringer apologizes for not dealing with Marlo sooner and Avon reminisces about their days shoplifting as kids. Avon asks Stringer to dream with him but Stringer says that they don’t have to dream anymore since they own so much real estate and says he can’t drink that much bc he is visiting the development site the next day and Avon asks what time. This raises Stringer’s suspicions and he stutters trying to think of an answer so AVont ells him to relax more and Stringer says that he will when things settle down but tries to claim he doesn’t take his work too seriously lol if you say so. Avon says it is just business and this puts Stringer even more on guard. But the 2 guys that were as close as brothers still share an embrace for the last time and then go their separate ways.
Next day, thanks to the Major Crimes Unit figuring out Stringer’s cell number despite the different SIM chips he uses and get a wire up on him so we hear Stringer conducting business with Bodie and making a call to Colvin. Later they get Stringer talking to Shamrock who mentions contract killers on the wrong line and even though Stringer catches the mistake and scolds him, the Major Crimes Unit now has the evidence they need to arrest Stringer. That night, Stringer arrives at the development site where Andy Krawczyk is waiting with his bodyguard when Omar and Brother Mouzone burst in shooting and kill the bodyguard. Krawczyk cowers in a corner as Stringer runs upstairs but hits a dead end and is trapped by Omar and Mouzone with nowhere to go. Stringer starts to try and save his life but that ain’t happening, “Stringer: I ain’t strapped. I ain’t involved, yo. I ain’t involved in none of that gangster bullshit. [Both gunmen are silent, Stringer is breathing hard from running] Stringer: What y’all nggas want, man? Huh? Money? [Silence] Stringer: IS THAT IT? Cause if it is, I can be a better friend to y’all alive. Omar: You still don’t get it, do you? This ain’t about your money, bro. Your boy gave you up. That’s right. And we ain’t had to torture his ass neither! [Stringer is silent, realizing both men have come for retribution] Stringer: Well it seem like… I can’t say nuttin’ to change y’all minds. [long silence] Stringer: Well, get on with it, motherfu… [Omar and Mouzone shoot him to death]” Ah man love him or hate him it sucked to say goodbye to such a great character and like everything, Idris Elba just crushed it.
Stringer Bell is a really polarizing character, some people really love him and some people really hate him. When I look at Stringer I see a man driven by fear in everything he does. Stringer was afraid of being a victim of the game so he joined it. Then he was scared of being killed on the streets so he became a boss. Then he was scared of spending his life in jail so he tried to become legitimate. Fear brings out negative emotions like anger, resentment, jealousy, etc.. so I understood why he it seemed like he looked down on other criminals or even other African-Americans. Stringer was afraid of being another statistic so anything that wasn’t rising above that was negative to him. That’s why he let Clay Davis con him, accepting that it was a con job and ending it means he goes back to square one and that can be a scary place to be esp when your partner is hell bent on a violent war with Marlo. Time was not in his side. Stringer was def not a saint, he made some fucked up decisions like killing Wallace, Brandon and attacking Omar on a Sunday with his Grandma but nobody on this show was. No doubt though that Stringer was a legendary character that helped make the show as great as it is and was a lot of fun to watch.
Proposition Joe – Awesome performance from Robert F Chew, Prop Joe added so much to the show. We first meet him coaching the east side in a basketball game vs Avon which he wins thanks to a ringer in the 2nd half. Later Omar approaches him and makes a deal to trade drugs for Avon’s pager number which Prop Joe provides. Thought Avon killing him might be a big moment in S1 but was happy to see it not go that way. Joe helps set up a meeting for a truce between Avon through Stringer and Omar giving us some hilarious dialogue from Prop Joe, “Proposition Joe: He said y’all would be paying my fee rather than his own, so… Stringer: Your fee? Proposition Joe: I’m doing like one of them marriage counselors. Charge by the hour to tell some fool he need to bring some flowers home. Then charge another hour telling the bitch she oughta suck some cock every little once in a while. You know, keep a marriage strong like that. *Omar walks up* Speaking of cocksuckers…Don’t believe we met. Proposition Joe. You ever steal from me; I’ll kill your whole family.” Lol after the problems with Ziggy and Cheese who is part of Prop Joe’s crew, the Greeks arrange a meeting between Nick, Sergei and Prop Joe to settle things. Prop Joe is receiving drugs from the Greeks and know they are dangerous so he agrees to compensate Ziggy for his car that Cheese burned but Nick is a little naïve about how things are going down, “Nick: Thanks for bein’ straight on this. Proposition Joe: Fool, if it wasn’t for Sergei here, you and your cuz’ both would be cadaverous motherfuckers.” Lol no kidding, Nick and Ziggy would be long dead without the Greeks.
Prop Joe is seen by Kima meeting with Sergei at the warehouse, thought Prop Joe’s days as a free man were numbered after that. With his new connections, Prop Joe wants to expand his business so he discusses a partnership with Stringer, Joe and his crew will provide the Barksdale Crew with premium quality drugs in exchange for being able to sell in Barksdale Territory. Joe is concerned that Avon, who is still in jail, won’t be happy with this partnership but Stringer assures him that Avon will come around on it when he see’s how much money they are making. But Prop Joe receives bad news when Stringer tells him that Avon is sending in a guy named Brother Mouzone to act as muscle for the Barksdale crew. The lethal reputation of Brother Mouzone has Prop Joe scared and refuses to send any of his guys to go up against Mouzone. This was a great way to immediately establish Brother Mouzone as a major player and force to be reckoned with. Seeing Prop Joe’s reaction had me excited to see it all play out. After Cheese has a confrontation with Brother Mouzone where he got shot in the arm but thankfully it was just a rat shot, he talks to Prop Joe about it and wants to retaliate but Joe ain’t having that knowing how lethal he is and that if Mouzone found out he would come after Joe first. Joe speculates that Avon hired Mouzone to protect his territory and even Stringer can’t move against Mouzone bc that would be twice that he went against Avon and tells Cheese there is only 1 man that could go up against Mouzone but he doesn’t work for any contract. No secret that man is Omar.
The Major Crimes Unit is raiding the Greeks operations so The Greek and Spiros are leaving town but Spiros meets with Prop Joe in the park before he leaves telling him that he has new people coming in to restart the operation. Joe asks him where they are moving to but Spiros just walks away without answering. Later, Stringer meets with Prop Joe to tell him that Avon has agreed to use Joe’s crew to supply the Barksdale crew with the good product and Prop Joe says there will be a slight delay in the resupply but they will be running smooth again soon. As S2 ends we see Prop Joe taking a shipment of drugs out of a truck at the same time as a group of disoriented women also walk out of the truck. The more things change the more they stay the same. S3 starts with Prop Joe meeting with Stringer to tell him that the Major Crimes Unit tipped their hand about having a wire set up on them after they brought Cheese in thinking he killed someone but it was his dog that he killed after losing a dogfight. Joe tells Stringer to keep things boring to take the police attention off of them. Next we see Prop Joe attend a meeting in a hotel room with Stringer and other high level dealers like Kintell and Fat Face Rick and afterwards head to a welcome home party for Avon. At the next meeting of the Co-op, Prop Joe, Fat Face Rick, Kintell and Phil Boy are all united against the Barksdale turf war with the Stanfield crew saying 1 of the original goals of the Co-Op was to reduce violence and Prop Joe blames Avon for the recent escalations.
Afterwards, Prop Joe meets with Marlo’s advisor Vinson to try and organize a meeting for a truce with Joe offering Marlo a chance to join the Co-Op and keep all of his territory but Vinson says Marlo believes Avon is weak and wants to take over the West side. After more murders between the Barksdale and Stanfield crews, there is another police crackdown on the Western District affecting members of the Co-Op like Fat Face Rick and they complain to Prop Joe about it. So Prop Joe and the other disgruntled members of the Co-Op head to a meeting with Stringer in the back of a pawn shop where Prop Joe tells Stringer that if the Barksdale/Stanfield war continues then the Barksdale’s will be shut out of the Co-Op. They also tell Stringer that Marlo may be open to a truce if he can keep his territory as Prop Joe draws a line in the sand, “Proposition Joe: The feeling is it ain’t right for you to be at the head of our table, when you can’t call off your dog. Call it a crisis of leadership.” Prop Joe was in the game but he was a businessman first and violence is bad for business so something has to change. We don’t see Prop Joe again until S4 when the Co-Op meets in a hotel room to discuss their biggest problems; Marlo is trying to grow his territory in the Western District and New York dealers encroaching on the Eastern District territory. Fat Face Rick suggests striking against the NY dealers and everyone agrees while Fat Face Rick suggests including Marlo in the strike against NY. They all discuss Marlo’s success at hiding bodies and Slim Charles reveals their trick of stashing the bodies in boarded up vacant houses. Slim also tells Prop Joe that he is unlikely to successfully negotiate with Marlo considering Stringer wasn’t even able to.
Next day Prop Joe gives negotiating with Marlo a shot and tries to convince him to join their offensive against the NY dealers who are trying to move into East Baltimore. But Marlo couldn’t care less bc his territory is only in West Baltimore so Joe offers him protection from surprise through his information network along with legal support and the highest quality product to sell. Marlo thinks that he is already untouchable so he does not take Joe’s offer and immediately ends the meeting. Later we see Prop Joe sitting at Butchie’s bar waiting to meet with Omar and when Omar walks in, Joe immediately tries to assure Omar that he had nothing to do with Stringer trying to kill him despite arranging a meeting between the two, “Proposition Joe: Business men, such as myself, does not believe in bad blood with a man such as yourself. Disturbs the sleep. Omar: Oh, I bet it do.” lol no doubt. As a token of his sincerity, he offers Omar information about a high stakes card game that Marlo attends and of course asks for a quarter of the take but says there are no strings attached to this information lol even with his life on the line Joe is still tryin to make a buck, gotta love him. Omar says he’ll think about but that he will blame Joe if anything goes wrong at the poker game. Huge gamble but 1 he needed to take bc he couldn’t afford to have Omar as an enemy esp when dealing with Marlo too. After Marlo finally agrees to meet with Prop Joe, Joe reiterates that he has a vast network of sources that provide him with information on activity on the street and within the justice system and shows Marlo a warrant for a drug kingpin named Charlie. Joe says he might help the Charlie but then again he might not bc he is outside of the Co-Op. Marlo talks to Joe about the surveillance camera that is watching his courtyard and agrees to join the Co-Op in exchange for Joe helping him with information about who is investigating him.
We see Prop Joe meet with Marlo on a park bench and Marlo tells him about his failed attempts to figure out who is investigating him so Joe tells him to steal the surveillance camera and see who comes looking for it. Federal agents have large budgets and won’t bother with a stolen camera but local police have much lower budgets and would def come looking for it. Next day Marlo returns to give Herc’s card to Prop Joe as the plan worked and Herc came around asking about the camera so Joe says he will look into it. Slim Charles tells Marlo his technique of hiding bodies is lessening the impact of the kills and Marlo agrees to leave some bodies on the street. After the meeting, Prop Joe disguises his voice and calls the police department looking for Herc and learns he has been transferred to the Major Crimes Unit. Next day Prop Joe tells Marlo the Major Crimes Unit are investigating him and they are the same ones that took down Avon and Stringer so they should stop using cell phones entirely. Marlo and Chriss immediately toss their phones. Later, Old Face Andre approaches Prop Joe to ask him for help leaving town bc Marlo is after him but Andre doesn’t know that Marlo has joined the Co-Op. Joe agrees to give him $2,000 and a ride to a northern city in exchange for his convenience store and Andre says that is way too low but Joe says Andre is not in a position to negotiate. Afterwards we see Marlo pay Prop Joe for a package and ask for a discount since he helped deal with the NY dealers but Joe says that has already been factored into the price however he is about to return something that Marlo wants at no charge. Pretty obvious he is gonna double cross Old Face Andre and deliver him to Marlo.
At his electronics store, Prop Joe is chilling with Cheese and Slim Charles when Omar comes in
and gives Joe a clock to fix as he accuses Joe of lying about the card game and says Joe is gonna give him information so he can rob Marlo. Omar threatens to tell Marlo about Joe’s involvement in the card game robbery if he tries to double cross him and Joe agrees. After Omar leaves, “Proposition Joe: Omar on the one side holding a spade. And maybe Marlo to the other holding a shovel. And just at this moment… I managed to crawl out my own damn grave. No way do I crawl back in.” Def walking a razor’s edge. Next day, Prop Joe calls Omar to where he can rob Marlo’s next shipment and after it happens, Cheese reports the robbery to Prop Joe who worries that the rest of the Co-Op will think he is holding back all the product for himself. Next day Prop Joe holds a meeting with the Co-Op to discuss what to do about an entire shipment being stolen and suggests buying a replacement shipment until they figure out how to get the stolen shipment back. The rest of the Co-Op thinks that Joe is responsible for the loss since his people were in possession of the shipment when it was stolen so Joe says that he will cut the rest of the Co-Op off from his product if that is the direction they want to go and this settles things for now. Marlo asks who was there when the shipment was stolen and Joe says his nephew Cheese but that he will protect Cheese from any retribution and will even introduce Marlo to his contact to prove Cheese is innocent. Bad idea.
Prop Joe discusses this with Cheese and Slim Charles who are against letting Marlo meet their supplier bc he will eventually try to take it over for himself and cut them out. Just then Omar arrives and both Slim Charles and Cheese act hostile towards him but Joe stays calm and hears Omar’s offer of selling the heroin back to them for 20 cents on the dollar. Cheese threatens to torture Omar but Joe knows the best course of action is to agree to the deal and he does. Joe hands Omar the broken clock he brought in that is now fixed and Omar is impressed so he pays Joe for the work. Loved that little exchange of legitimate business. Later, Joe goes with Marlo to introduce him to Spiros who confirms that Cheese had nothing to do with it and immediately leaves. S5 starts with a meeting of the Co-Op as they discuss the redevelopment of East Baltimore by Johns Hopkins causing problems by moving ghetto neighbourhoods out into Baltimore County and Marlo, who has grown more brash and bold, suggests that the territory should go to those that take it. Prop Joe says the new territory should go to those who are losing territory bc of the redevelopment and Marlo mentions that includes Prop Joe himself but Joe says it’s not just him but also Hungry Man, Parker and Ghost while Marlo will be unaffected. Marlo keeps pushing Joe’s buttons asking if he will assign 1 of his lieutenants to work the territory and Joe says how he runs his organization is nobody else’s business. Stepping up the disrespect, Marlo offers Slim Charles a job working the new territory with the Stanfield crew but he obviously declines and 1 of the other members tries to check Marlo for his disrespectful comments. Slim says they gotta watch Marlo as Cheese sits silently by Prop Joe. Marlo was already a monster but introducing him to Spiros is like giving him a nuke, you’re fucked.
Few days later, Marlo talks to Prop Joe about how to launder money and Joe says he will help him bc he is a member of the Co-Op and later asks Joe to exchange 200k in dirty bills for clean money and Joe agrees but says his price is 20 cents on the dollar and it would be more bc of the 1 day turn around but bc he’ll give a deal to a Co-Op member. Marlo is disappointed at losing 40k but agrees. Man for a smart guy it sucked to watch Joe tee Marlo up to take everything he had worked for. Before Marlo leave she offer sup 50k for information leading to anyone associated with Omar. After he leaves, Prop Joe with a great line about Marlo, “Proposition Joe: It ain’t easy civilizin’ this motherfucker.” Joe tells Cheese that he will not give Marlo info on Omar bc Omar has left Baltimore and Joe doesn’t want to see him return ever again. Later, Prop Joe meets with Marlo to give him the details about the bank account he has set up for him overseas to launder his money. Marlo is worried about his money being in someone else’s hands so Joe hands him a passport so he can fly to the Caribbean and withdraw it himself. Come in Joe how did you not see this was a really bad idea. After Butchie is killed, Prop Joe and Slim Charles visit Pearson’s florists to send flowers for his funeral and Joe tells the florist that Butchie was a careful and subtle player in the drug game and tells him to have the card say, “Butchie, woe to them that call evil good, and good evil. From your true and loyal friend Proposition Joe” Love that message.
Outside Slim Charles worries that nothing will stop Omar from coming for revenge on them and asks about Marlo with Joe saying that he doesn’t blame Marlo but whoever told Marlo about Butchie, “Prop Joe: Marlo is Marlo, man. He weren’t the one that put me in this trick bag. The motherfucker who snuggled up and whispered in Marlo’s ear did that..” Joe figures it was Cheese but says he won’t act without proof and says he will go into hiding leaving Slim in charge telling him to watch Cheese to see if he spends the reward money. AT the next Co-Op meeting, Fat Face Rick and Hungry Man are bragging about the money they will be making off of property deals but this bores Marlo and he frustratedly asks if there is any more actual business. Hungry Man has a grievance about division of new territory with Cheese who gets angry and insults Hungry Man so Prop Joe steps in to say Cheese is out of line as he is not an original member of the Co-Op. Joe tells Hungry Man that Cheese will respect the agreed to boundaries and ends the meeting as Cheese storms out. After the meeting, Marlo shows Joe the money he successfully laundered and asks Joe what’s next and Joe says he can open another door for him but Marlo should focus on working with others and he agrees. Next day Prop Joe takes Marlo to meet the defense attorney Maurice Levy that works with Prop Joe and many other Co-Op members. Joe waits outside as Marlo meets with Levy and Herc, who is off the police force and now working for Levy, mentions the Burrell stepping down as Commissioner story Joe is reading and Joe says he was the year before Burrell at Dunbar High School and that Burrell was in the glee club and stone stupid lol not a lot of respect for Burrell on either side of the law.
That night we see Cheese helping Prop Joe get ready to leave town and Cheese asks him why he kept his house so long considering he could’ve easily bought a better one and Joe says his grandfather bought that house and was the first African-American in the neighbourhood to own a house. Cheese heads outside but before he leaves Prop Joe tells him to be careful now that Omar has returned but Cheese tells him not to worry bout him. As soon as Cheese leaves, Marlo walks in and Prop Joe knows Cheese double crossed him and Marlo is there to kill him and Marlo nods when Joe talks about Cheese giving him up. Prop Joe says Cheese was always a disappointment and starts to try and reason with Marlo, “Prop Joe: I treated you like a son. Marlo: I wasn’t made to play the son.” Joe says that killing him will cause Marlo to lose the connection to the Greeks but Marlo says they have already agreed to do business with him. As Chris comes into the house, Joe tries 1 last proposition to save his life, “Prop Joe: Proposition, then–I just step out the way. You never hear from me again. I just disappear. Marlo: Joe, you’d be up into mischief in no time. Truth is, you wouldn’t be able to change up any more than me.” Marlo tells Prop Joe to close his eyes and that this will not hurt. Joe closes his eyes and Marlo nods to Chris who fires a shot into the back of Joe’s head. The game finally caught up with Prop Joe but what a great character he was. And man after this I would’ve killed Marlo and Chris myself lol I was so pissed and ready to watch Omar exact some revenge. Prop Joe was how you wish all gangsters were, he did things the right way as far as that life is concerned. I was hoping he would survive the show but the fact that Marlo got the better of him bugs me. Great performance from Robert F Chew, sad to say he died in 2013 but he left a great legacy as Proposition Joe.
-D’Angelo Barksdale – It’s Bob lol I’m a fan of Lawrence Gilliard Jr so was def happy to see 1 of the more memorable Walking Dead characters have a big role on the show but I wasn’t expecting D’Angelo to be such a nice guy considering we meet him on trial for a cold blooded murder. D’Angelo is Avon’s nephew so he gets more slack than others might but Avon informs him he is going to have to pay for bringing the heat on the crew with his recklessness. We learn D worked his way up to have a bigger role in the Barksdale crew but Stringer informs him bc of the heat from the murder, has to go back to working the towers with a young crew. Hilarious exchange about chicken nuggets between D, Wallace and Poot. “Please, the man who invented them things, just some sad-ass down at the basement of McDonald’s, thinkin’ up some shit to make some money for the real players… Fuck ‘right.’ It ain’t about right, it’s about money. Now you think Ronald McDonald gonna go down in that basement and say, ‘Hey, Mr. Nugget, you the bomb. We sellin’ chicken faster than you can tear the bone out. So I’m gonna write my clowny-ass name on this fat-ass check for you’?… Man, who invented them things still workin’ in that basement for regular wage, thinkin’ up some shit to make the fries taste better, some shit like that. Believe” lol classic. He isn’t back long when he see’s the body of one of the witnesses that testified against him, William Gant, lying dead in the street. Gant was just an innocent, hard working man and I believe this is where the seeds were planted for D’Angelo to want to walk away from this life. D’Angelo is arrested by Bunk n McNulty in the pit and while in the holding cell, feels so bad about the murder after Bunk n McNulty spin a tall tale about Gant’s non-existent kids that he agrees to write a letter offering condolences to Gant’s family. The defense lawyer arrives before the letter is finished and stops D’Angelo from writing and digging himself a bigger hole. The Gant murder def shakes up D’Angelo.
A visit with Avon at a church function calms him down despite being scolded for writing that letter to Gants family. We see that D has a young son and a girlfriend making him more likeable. You can see the change start to come in D’Angelo when he talks about the unnecessary violence in the drug trade and instructs his crew to treat the addicts with more respect. Love D’Angelo breaking down the game of chess for Bodie and Wallace and trying to teach them to play. “The king stay the king.”D’Angelo is impressing Stringer with his increase in profits since working back at the Pit and learns Stringer purposely sells lower quality drugs so the addicts have to buy more. D’Angelo goes to get food during the re-up and returns to learn that Omar and his crew robbed them of the money. Wee-Bey is giving D shit for leaving during the re-up but Bodie provides Omar’s name to Wee-Bey as the one responsible which helps. After Bodie escapes from the low security facility and comes back to the pit, we learn that the suspect named ‘D’ in the murder of Deirdre Fresson is actually D’Angelo. Chilling to hear him tell the story of tapping on the window to get her to come close and then shooting her.
Stringer has D’Angelo withhold pay from his crew to try and figure out if there is a rat amongst them but D doesn’t think the plan will work. D’Angelo takes his girlfriend Donnette out on a date to a fancy restaurant where there is mostly rich white folks but D’Angelo starts to get anxious feeling he is out of place and no matter what his past will always define who he is. Later on, Orlando tells D about hookup he has found and a chance for them to make some money outside of their deals with Avon. I knew nothing good was going to come of that. D’Angelo has been flirting with a stripper Shardene that works at Orlando’s and finally makes a date with her. Avon takes D to see his brother who is comatose and tells D’Angelo that acting careless and making even 1 mistake could see this happen to them. Def a sobering moment for D. Poot and Wallace call D to tell him they have found Brandon in an arcade which D’Angelo then relays to Stringer. Later on, Stringer call D’Angelo to tell him the work is done. D’Angelo sleeps with the stripper Shardene and it seems they are heading towards a relationship.
D’Angelo has to tell Wallace the hard truth when Wallace expresses anguish at what happened to Brandon. D tells Wallace he knew what would happen when he called him and that death is a big part of the drug game. We see real change from D’Angelo when he re-assigns a lookout in his crew named Cassandra after he realizes she is conspiring with another guy to steal a small amount of drugs and sell them on the side. D’Angelo doesn’t tell anyone but Wallace about it bc he knows they are dead if he does. Was starting to become more and more of a fan of D, another case of a guy starting out as a villain and then finding a path to redemption. Avon, Stringer and Stinkum deliver reward money for the info about Brandon to D and Wallace and confirm to D’Angelo that Wee-Bey and Bird killed Brandon. D’Angelo tells Stringer their plan didn’t reveal any rats in his crew and Avon tells D that if he keeps up the good work he will start receiving points on the package meaning a significant bump in money. After discussing it with Wee-Bey and Stinkum, D’Angelo tells Avon about the side deal Orlando offered him which was bad news for Orlando. To celebrate Stinkums upcoming promotion, they throw a party but it goes bad when stripper named Keisha overdoses and dies. We see D’Angelo’s good character come out again when he is the only one shaken up about her death but there was nothing he could have done to save her. Talking with Shardene later, she tells D to leave the game if he is unhappy.
Wallace tells D’Angelo he wants out after the murders of Brandon and Stinkum and D allows it even giving him some money to use for a fresh start. Things are going good with Shardene until Keisha dies. The Major Crimes Unit brings in Shardene and after she agrees to become an informant, breaks it off with D’Angelo letting him know that she knows what happened to Keisha. Shardene knows D’Angelo’s story about thinking Keisha was sick the last time he saw her was bullshit. D’Angelo can’t focus when he is with his girlfriend Donnette and leaves to go try and make things right with Shardene but she ain’t having it. D’Angelo hears about the Kima shooting and thinks its unrelated to their crew until Bodie tells him Savino is wanted and Little Man has disappeared. Bodie thinks someone fucked up and that Avon will put a hit out on them. D’Angelo is worried when Stringer summons him and tells D to go with Wee-Bey but neither will say where they are going. But he isn’t in danger, Wee-Bey just needs D to feed his fish while he is in hiding lol
D’Angelo has a meeting with Avon and Stringer where they ask about Wallace and D pleads with them to leave Wallace alone. Wallace comes back to the pit asking for his old position back, Bodie says he will have to take a demotion but D’Angelo overrules and says Wallace can go back to where he was. D takes Wallace aside and gives him advice on how to handle coming back, “D’Angelo: If anybody asks you if in you in this game, you tell ’em you in it for life, a’ight?. You play it hard, you play it tight, and you make sure niggas know you gonn’ stand by your people. No loose talk, no second thoughts and no snitching. Play it like that.” We were really seeing a change of character from D. After a meeting with Avon, D’Angelo agrees to go to New York to pick up their latest package but is stopped and arrested thanks to the video camera the team installed in Avon’s office. D is told that Wallace is dead but he doesn’t believe McNulty who has messed with D before. When Levy and Stringer visit D’Angelo to make sure he is good to go, we get one of the more powerful scenes in the series, “D’Angelo: Where’s Wallace at? … Where’s the boy, String? Stringer: D’Angelo, shut your mouth. D’Angelo: Where’s Wallace? That’s all I wanna know. Levy: Kid, you better think… D’Angelo: Where’s Wallace? Where the fuck is Wallace? Huh? Huh? String? String? Look at me! Where the fuck is Wallace? HUH!? I don’t want this Payless-wearing motherfucker representing me. I’ma get my own man. So just get back in your car and get the fuck back down south. Stringer: A’ight, you stupid motherfucker, you made your decision. D’Angelo: Yeah, I made my decision. Where’s Wallace at? Where the fuck is Wallace? Where’s Wallace, String? String! Where the fuck is Wallace? Huh? Stringer?!” What a scene, incredible acting from Lawrence Gilliard Jr.
D’Angelo is brought into interrogation and offered a deal if he can give them information about the murders they are trying to solve. They show him pictures of Nakeesha, Wallace, Orlando and Brandon but Wallace can’t even look at them. He admits to the role he and Wallace played in giving up Brandon to Stringer and also tells them where Wee-Bey is hiding in Philly. But when Bunk shows him the picture of Deirdre Kresson, D tells a completely different story than we heard him tell his crew. D’Angelo says he was played by Avon over the killing telling D he was going to deliver coke to her while Wee-Bey drove him and that it was Wee-Bey who knocked on the window and shot her by the refrigerator when she went to put the coke “on ice.” His mother Brianna visits D’Angelo is prison to try and get him back on the same page with Avon and to allow Levy to represent him. She tries to sell him on Avon taking most of the punishment if D can step up and take over but D’Angelo says he can’t and is looking for a way out. Brianna reminds him that hurting Avon would hurt his family including his son and asks him how he could start over without his family. I can kind of understand where Brianna was coming from but it didn’t seem like anyone was really concerned with what D was going to have to go through. D’Angelo allows Levy to represent him but still receives the maximum 20 year sentence.
In S2 we see D’Angelo doing coke with another inmate before Avon comes in to talk with him, really thought D was eventually gonna flip on em. Avon visits D’Angelo and convinces him to give up cocaine for a few days but doesn’t tell him it’s bc a bad batch is coming in. He also tells him that there may be a way to shave some years off both their sentences. After the prison guard Tilghman smuggles the bad batch into the prison, D’Angelo is horrified to watch as prisoners die realizing that Avon is responsible. Avon says he didn’t have anything to do with it and tries to get D’Angelo to use information on the security guard to help shave years off his sentence. But D is becoming a better man and refuses, telling Avon he wants nothing to do with him or the Barksdale crew. Had a lot of respect for D’Angelo taking a stand but figured it was gonna cost him. Donnette visits D’Angelo bringing their son along telling him that Stringer has been supporting her and has plans to help D when he gets out. But D’Angelo isn’t having it and tells her Stringer and Avon are doing this bc of business and to keep D’Angelo from talking.
D’Angelo flushes the remaining drugs he has down the toilet and attends a book group meeting where they discuss ‘The Great Gatsby.’ This leads to an incredible speech from D, “D’Angelo: The past is always with us. Where we come from, what we go through, how we go through it; all this shit matters. Like at the end of the book, ya’ know, boats and tides and all. It’s like you can change up, right, you can say you’re somebody new, you can give yourself a whole new story. But, what came first is who you really are and what happened before is what really happened. It don’t matter that some fool say he different ’cause the things that make you different is what you really do, what you really go through. Like, ya’ know, all those books in his library. He frontin’ with all them books, but if you pull one down off the shelf, none of the pages have ever been opened. He got all them books, and he hasn’t read nearly one of them. Gatsby, he was who he was, and he did what he did. And ’cause he wasn’t willing to get real with the story, that shit caught up to him.” Wow that was great. I don’t necessarily agree that your past is always who you are but def gives you something to think about.
His mother Brianna visits him and begs D’Angelo to use the information about Tilghman and the drugs to shave some years off his sentence but D refuses and says he knows Avon was behind it and that shit was evil. Then D’Angelo drops the bomb on her that he wants Stringer, Avon and Donnette to leave him alone. D’Angelo passes Avon in the hallway and refuses to speak with him. Then we get one of the more shocking, sad moments on the show when D is attacked in the library and strangled to death. The murderer sets up D’Angelo’s body to look like he committed suicide by hanging himself tying the belt to the door handle. I was on the edge of my seat hoping D would fight him off or someone would come and stop it. Then I held onto irrational hope that D was still alive and would be fighting for his life in the hospital but he was really dead. Bummed me out bc I was really starting to cheer for his character and the transformation he was undergoing. Plus Lawrence Gilliard Jr was doing a great job playing D’Angelo. I think D was determined to do his time and not flip but just like the mafia, if you’re in the drug game and look like you could potentially become a rat they take you out and don’t leave room for anything else. Sucked to know his son would grow up without him, def a sad end to a great character. Even though he was getting out of the game at the end of his life, thought the flower arrangement in the shape of the Towers he worked was a nice tribute. Tough to see Brianna’s reaction to his death.
-Wendell ‘Orlando’ Blocker (strip club owner) – Wasn’t around long but def had a big impact esp at the end, I enjoyed the performance from Clayton LeBouf. Orlando is a key member of the Barksdale crew as his name is clean and they need it to stay that way bc he is on the license for the club so he is not involved in the drug game. At the club, Orlando approaches D’Angelo about making some side money off a hookup for drugs Orlando has found. I knew this was gonna go bad. Orlando’s hook up was not legit as it leads him to buying drugs from an undercover cop and gets arrested. He drops Avon’s name to try and cut a deal with the police. Levy shows up not to defend him but to take his name off the liquor license meaning Avon is severing ties with him. The Major Crimes Unit sets up a bust with Kima along as an undercover agent but they are walking into a trap. The Barksdale crew plans to kill Orlando and take the money he was going to use to buy drugs but they are unaware that Kima is a cop. Orlando is killed in the attack while Kima is seriously wounded. Once Orlando talked about the side deal with D’Angelo, I figured his days were numbered but despite only lasting 1 season, Orlando was def a memorable character.
-Wee-Bey – Wish he hadn’t been locked up as I actually liked Wee-Bey and wanted to see more from him. Really good, realistic performance from Hassan Johnson. And now I know where the famous meme came from lol We meet him picking up D’Angelo from court and he establishes the character as no dummy telling D not to talk about business in the car or on the phone. Avon has Wee-Bey remove the phone lines from his girlfriends apartment bc he is afraid of a wire tap and even becomes increasingly careful about using pay phones but Bey thinks he is being too paranoid. Wee-Bey, Stinkum and Savino raid Omar’s place and torch his van. The 3 of em throw a party to celebrate Stinkums impending promotion after they kill a dealer named Scar and take his corner. At the party a stripper overdoses and dies but Wee-Bey is not concerned. The promotion never comes bc when they are about to carry out the hit on Scar, Omar appears killing Stinkum and wounding Wee-Bey. Revenge would come for Wee-Bey when he saves Avon from an attack at Orlando’s by Omar and wounds him.
Wee-Bey appears out of the shadows with Little Man during Kima’s undercover bust and kills Orlando while Little Man seriously wounds Kima. In a meeting with Stringer about what happened, String orders Bey to kill Little Man for shooting a cop despite him not knowing who Kima was and tells Bey to prepare to go into hiding. Bey brings D on a ride and you think he might be getting ready to kill D but he actually just wants him to feed his fish while he is in hiding lol did not expect that but I liked it bc it’s a unique part of the character. He goes to Philly to hide while the heat is on but unbeknownst to him D’Angelo gives up his location and he is arrested. Wee-Bey proves what a loyal soldier he is by taking the rap alone for almost all the murders that the Barksdale crew is accused of including Gant and by admitting to the murders and avoiding trials he also avoids the death penalty. In S2 we see that Wee-Bey is having troubles with a guard name Tilghman that is a cousin of someone Wee-Bey is accused of murdering. Tilghman won’t stop harassing him and is constantly tossing his cell to confiscate and break his stuff, including plastic fish lol damn he loved those creatures. Wee-Bey expresses his frustration to Avon who assures him it will be dealt with. I thought Wee-Bey not being taken care of might become a big storyline considering what he was doing for the family and how much information he had on everyone.
After D’Angelo dies, Wee-Bey is talking with Avon trying to help him process it….while drinking a Big Gulp lol taking care of him like that is the only way you get him to take the time for all those murders. Wee-Bey tells Avon it’s not his fault and since D almost rolled on him already, who knows if he would have in the future and this was probably for the best. No doubt Bey is the kind of soldier you want to surround yourself with, could have def seen him rising up to Stringer’s position if he hadn’t caught those murder cases. Next time we see him is S3 when he is talking to Cutty, a legendary drug soldier that is about to be paroled after 14 years, as Avon walks across the yard to them with a basketball game stopping to let him pass showing the respect he has in the prison. Avon tells Cutty he needs help securing new territory and gives him a card with a number to call when he gets out to receive a welcome home gift. As Cutty walks away, Avon tells Wee-Bey that he thinks the prison time has broken Cutty but Bey says he is still strong. I loved the realism of the Wire but also didn’t at times bc in a TV world, they figure out a way to get Wee-Bey out of prison but in the real world, he ain’t goin anywhere so we don’t see him again until S4.
In S4 we are introduced to some neighbourhood kids, 1 of them named Namond and we learn that Wee-Bey is Namond’s father when Namond and his mother De’Londa visit Bey in prison. Bey assures them that he is doing good and makes sure that they are still receiving payments from Brianna Barksdale and of course he asks about his fish lol De’Londa is annoyed about the stupid fish but Namond has been taking good care of them. Noticing that Namond is starting to get facial hair, Bey jokes with him about it. Wee-Bey asks about how Namond working for Bodie is going and De’Londa says that Namond is not giving it his all so she is threatening to withhold money for school supplies if he doesn’t start working harder. Fck school, work harder to be a drug dealer lol smh fn sad man. Bey gives Namond the same advice that Bodie did saying that his ponytail makes it easy for the police to recognize him. Later we see Namond and De’Londa back to visit Bey again with De’Londa wanting to talk about Namond’s suspension from school but Wee-Bey just ends up talking about his days specifically mentioning that Marlo would be dead for breaking the rules he has if Bey was still on the streets with his crew. Oh fuck I would have paid real money to see Wee-Bey get out of prison and kill Marlo lol such a damn shame he was locked up.
Next day De’Londa talks to Wee-Bey on the phone after Brianna Barksdale told her she is cutting them off but Wee-Bey looks like he couldn’t care less. Not much he could do bout it at that point anyways. In the final episode of S4, we see Colvin meet with Wee-Bey at the prison and Bey recognizes him right away from Colvin’s time as police. Colvin is there to talk about Namond who he says is a bright boy with tons of potential but that he will not survive the life on the streets. Wee-Bey says that the risks of the game will determine Namond’s fate but Colvin appeals to him to let Namond’s nature play a part in his future and asks Wee-Bey to give him custody of Namond. Tough moment for Wee-Bey, he know she will never be out of prison to be a real father to Namond and you can’t ask for a better step father so to speak than Colvin but Wee-Bey is a legend in the drug game so you know a part of him wants his son to continue that. We see Wee-Bey talk to De’Londa and tell her that if she has thrown Namond out of the house then he will stay out of her care. She says she was just trying to harden him but Bey reiterates that if she does not let Namond go then he will use his reputation against her so she asks if this means he is cutting her off and he reassures her that their marriage is not over, “Wee-Bey: Who the fuck you talkin to right here? Remember who I am. My word is still my word, in here, in Baltimore – in any place you could think to call home – it’d be my word that finds you…Man come down here and say my son can be anything he damn please. DaLonda: ‘cept a soldier. Wee-Bey: Yeah, well look at me up in here. Who da fuck would wanna be that if they could be anything else. DaLonda: Hmm, so we done? Wee-Bey: You still got me. We’ll get by. But you gon’ let go of that boy. Bet that.” Awesome scene. As the season ends, Wee-Bey tells Namond that he is still his father and then we see Namond fitting right in at home with Colvin and his wife. Loved that Wee-Bey didn’t fight this and just did what was the best thing for his son. Def a tough thing to do but Namond was headed down a bad path and this sets him right.
Last time we Wee-Bey is in the series finale when he is seen in the prison yard having a friendly conversation with Chris Partlow. Cool scene bc you have the top enforcer for the Barksdale crew and the top enforcer for the Stanfield crew. Loyalties def can change in prison and since they’re both in for life, might as well stick together bc who is gonna fuck with em. Not too many people I’m guessing. Wee-Bey was almost a waste as a character bc he was so great and had so much potential but was stuck in prison for 90% of the show so we missed out on a lot of great scenes. But Wee-Bey always stood out when he was on screen and brought a sense of realism to the show with a great performance.
– Preston ‘Bodie’ Broadus – 1 of my fav characters on the drug side of things, JD Williams delivered a great performance throughout the show. Bodie is young and naïve in S1 needing to be schooled by D’Angelo about receiving drugs and money in the same place. After Johnny is caught trying to scam them with fake money, Bodie participates in the beat down that puts Johnny in the hospital. Omar robs the stash house but Bodie hears Brandon mention Omar’s name and reports it to Wee-Bey showing he is a valuable soldier. Bodie is on the other end of a beating when he loses his cool during the bust of the stash house and punches Det Mahon leading to Craver and Kima putting the boots to him. Rather than do the time, Bodie escapes from the low security facility he is placed in. Bodie goes back to the pit but Poot and Wallace wonder how he got out so fast after hitting a cop. Def dangerous to be out so quick but he did legit escape so he has a good reason. Bodie is humbled after D’Angelo tells the story of killing Avon’s girlfriend that was threatening to cause trouble realizing he has a long way to go as a gangster.
Herc and Carver track Bodie down to arrest him again with more physicality. Bodie won’t cut a deal and is defiant dishing out insults so he gets another beating. But while waiting to be handed over to the juvenile facility, the 3 of them actually kind of bond while playing pool. In court Levy works his magic to keep Bodie out of jail, only having to call a parole officer twice a week. After he is free, Herc and Carver arrest him again not realizing he was been legally released to home supervision so it doesn’t last long this time. Bodie is called to the towers on the cell phone he was given by Stringer where he is asked about Wallace and Bodie says he has returned. Stringer asks his opinion on Wallace and Bodie says he is weak which leads to Stringer ordering Bodie to kill Wallace. Bodie tells Poot about what he has to do and Poot insists that Wallace is using drugs and couldn’t be an informant but Bodie says that makes him unreliable. But Bodie finally says he was given the order so he has no choice, “Bodie: Look, the man gave the word, so we either step up or we step the fuck off. That’s the game, yo.” Bodie and Poot take Wallace out for a meal but when they come back all the kids staying there are gone and they corner Wallace in his bedroom. Wallace pleads for his life and Bodie hesitates until Poot pushes him to do it so he shoots Wallace with Poot firing the last few shots. I def wasn’t Bodie’s biggest fan here bc he def contributed to the order being given but it was also clear that Stringer would have killed Wallace with or without Bodie.
After D’Angelo is arrested there is a lull in business but Stringer gets things rolling again and Bodie shows they are back by getting the dealers in the Pit together and chasing off an independent crew with bats which is observed by Herc and Carver. Bodie is eventually moved up to the towers while Poot works the Pit. Bodie starts S2 on mission to pick up a re-supply for Stringer by picking up a car and bringing it to a body shop to be stripped down to retrieve the hidden stash. But at the body shop, they find there is no stash and Bodie is worried. He wrote down the mileage to prove that he didn’t go anywhere but where he was instructed. Bodie reports back to the funeral home where Stringer reveals he knows Bodie is telling the truth bc he had him followed to be sure. Later we see that Bodie has moved up to the corners running things with a new crew. A member of the crew working with Poot calls Bodie to let him know the addicts are starting to complain about the low quality of their product and are starting to avoid buying it. Bodie realizes they need to talk to Stringer about bringing in better stuff. After D’Angelo’s death, Bodie is responsible for buying the flowers and orders an arrangement for flowers that look like the towers. Not much emotion from Bodie but you knew he had love for D’Angelo. Scene was kind of funny watching Bodie deal with the florist but this is what hit it home that D’Angelo was really dead. Seeing the flowers at the funeral, it was a great arrangement that looked like the Towers and paid a good tribute to D.
Bodie and Poot are walking through their territory but are def not in good spirits due to the drop in business thanks to the weak product and it is the same story at the Towers when they talk to Puddin. They eventually notice another crew dealing on their territory having more success than they are so they decide to drive them off their territory. The next day Bodie, Poot and their crew arrive early before the other crew to set up shop and hold their ground with violence when the other crew arrives. They won that battle but they know retaliation is gonna be coming so they better be ready. And it comes in the form of a gunfight as the rival crew shows up and starts shooting which has tragic consequences when a 9 year old boy is killed in his room from a stray bullet. Absolutely heart wrenching to watch that but a reality that many have to face in real life. The carelessness and recklessness of the drug game is a danger to anyone that is near it whether you are in the game or not. Scenes like this are the reason we need to fix the systems in society so that people of every creed and colour have an opportunity to make enough money to have a good life and stay away from the lifestyles like dealing drugs that destroy so many lives.
Bodie reports to Stringer about the gunfight and is reprimanded for their recklessness that will now cause their business to be disrupted with all the heat that is coming from the boys death. Stringer lectures Bodie on the fact that their business is about more than violence, territory and reputations. If Bodie wants to be a big time player, he needs to show flexibility and intelligence when dealing with potential problems. Definitely the truth but easy for Stringer to say when he is far removed from the day to day grind of the business. Bodie collects the weapons in a bag after wiping them clean and tries to throw them into the river but there was a ship passing under the bridge and the bag of guns lands on the ship. Tough break but once again shows how careless and short-sighted Bodie can be. The cops eventually find the bag of guns and bring Bodie in for questioning. Ray Cole tries to lie and tell Bodie that they have matched his prints to one of the guns but when Bodie asks which one, Cole picks the wrong gun and Bodie knows they don’t have shit on him and demands to talk to his lawyer. Bodie has a lot to learn but he is still savvy, I thought he was done when that bag landed on the ship but Bodie was able to successfully navigate those dangerous waters.
Bodie is back on the street the next day and is impressed that the new package is finally selling well to the point he has to order a re-up from Mo Man going through Puddin to do it. Stringer shows up with Cheese and tells Bodie that Cheese will be taking over 3 of the 6 towers and Bodie doesn’t understand why they are just giving up territory but Stringer tells him to think about where the new package came from. So Bodie responds by stealing a sale to Bubbles from Cheese’s guys by undercutting their prices and Cheese acts like it doesn’t bother him as the 2 continue to talk shit back n forth. Next day Bodie, Poot and Puddin are reminiscing about their days working for and living around the 221 towers before they watch it get demolished and head to an organization meeting with Stringer to discuss what to do about new territory since their main territory, the 221 towers, is gone. Bodie suggests taking new territory by force with Poot agreeing but Stringer reminds him how bad his violent actions were last year in bringing police attention to them. Slim Charles doesn’t know how they survive without new territory but Stringer says he wants to starting focusing on supplying dealers product instead of selling and fighting for territory. Slim and Poot don’t agree and Stringer scolds them to start thinking like grown men.
Next day we see Bodie, Poot and Puddin leaving the movies with their dates when they run into Carver, Herc and Dozerman out with dates of their own and the boys have fun with the cops telling their dates that these cops harass them every day for their stash but never get it. The police are caught speechless and the boys laugh as they leave mockingly saying ‘see ya tomorrow!” Stringer assigns Bodie, Country and Shamrock the task of approaching mid-level dealers to try and take over as their supplier and Bodie is supposed to find Marlo but can’t find him. Bodie approaches a Stanfield dealer named Jamal and learns Marlo is nowhere to be found so Bodie has his crew start selling which gets the attention of other Stanfield dealers. Later, Bodie reports his problems finding Marlo and Stringer sends him back out to find Marlo asap and Bodie finally tracks Marlo down at 1 of his corners but Marlo won’t make eye contact with Bodie and tells him to move along while he is still being a gentlemen. Next day Marlo has his guys move on the Barksdale crew and they give Puddin and Bodie’s guys a beating and when Bodie reports it to Stringer, he brings some of the injured guys with him to make a point. Was def hoping to see Bodie the green light to take out Marlo and his crew.
Next day we see Cutty approach Bodie, Poot and Slim Charles on the corner and Bodie is initially showing hostility to Cutty until he says that he knew Bodie’s brother James from his boxing days. This calms Bodie down who tells Cutty that James is dead. Cutty wants a job so the crew looks to find him a weapon to put him to work. Later, Bodie throws a party for Cutty’s return with lots of drugs, booze and women as Cutty remarks he is surprised that Avon let’s them get high but Bodie says sometimes you just have to and gives Cutty a gift of women for the night. The police are rounding up all the mid level dealers for a discussion in the school gym and we see Colicchio grab Bodie to bring him to the meeting where Colvin explains his Hamsterdam concept basically legalizing the drug trade in 1 specific area only. Bodie and the others smell a trap and don’t believe him and ask what happens if they don’t comply and Colvin says he will come down hard on them. So Bodie goes directly to Stringer to tell him about Colvin’s speech and Stringer gives him shit for not going through proper channels to talk to him but Bodie says he thought Stringer was the only 1 that would consider Colvin’s proposition. Bodie says he was picked up with the other Barksdale Lieutenants but Stringer accuses him of wearing a wire until Bodie shows him that he isn’t and again warns Stringer about Marlo.
With Hamsterdam up and running, Stringer tours it with Bodie and tells him to send a small crew there to test the waters and tells Bodie that he is to report directly to him so Bodie sends 2 young hoppers to work Hamsterdam. Next day with most dealers moved to Hamsterdam, Bodie and Puddin have moved into Marlo’s abandoned territory when Bodie gets a call from Shamrock telling them to move the trade to Hamsterdam with so many police watching the corners now so Bodie loads the crew into an SUV to head down there. They are stopped by McNulty and Kima but they protest they are immune to searches bc they are headed to Hamsterdam but McNulty doesn’t know what that is. During the stop, unbeknownst to Bodie, McNulty switches his phone for one that is wired. The crew is all pissed off seeing this is a violation of Colvin’s promise but Colvin eventually shows up to settle things so Bodie and his crew head out on their way. Next day we see Bubbles, sent by McNulty and Kima, to buy 30 vials from Bodie, much more than he could usually afford and Bodie is suspicious but Bubbles says he has been selling a lot of t-shirt and eventually even gets Bodie to give him a deal since he is buying so much. Later we see Cutty approach Bodie to arrange a meeting with Avon bc Cutty doesn’t feel comfortable approaching Avon directly after the way he left the Barksdale crew so Bodie sets it up. After Stringer is killed, the Barksdale crew meets at the funeral home and Bodie is ready to go after Marlo himself as Slim Charles goes in to discuss things with Avon.
The Major Crimes Unit raids the Barksdale safehouse and arrests Avon, Poot, Shamrock and most others but Bodie and Slim Charles thankfully were able to avoid being arrested. Slim Charles and the crew was about to move on Vinson’s Rim Shop to kill Marlo and Chris but Avon was arrested before giving the order so they missed their shot at Marlo. The season ends with Bodie walking the streets alone. Was def happy he avoided prison but his future was not looking bright at this point. But S4 starts with Bodie running his own crew and while not as good as with the Barksdale crew, it could be worse as we see Bodie give Namond, 1 of the kids working for him, shit for not spotting a customer come up bc he was reading. 1 of Bodie’s guys Lex is complaining about his baby mama Patrice who is now dating Fruit, a Stanfield dealer and Lex says he will kill Fruit if he goes near Patrice again. Slim Charles, who is now working as a supplier for Prop Joe, pulls up to ask Bodie why he has not asked for a re-up lately and Bodie says business is slow since Marlo forced him off Fayette St and says he wants to hit back against Marlo but Slim remind shim that he is on his own now that Mayor Barksdale is locked up. Bodie warns Lex that if he kills Fruit then that brings the Stanfield crew down on them. Namond asks if he can leave early to get school supplies and Bodie mocks him for it but lets him go as long as Namond works extra hours the next day. In another life, Bodie would have had similar academic potential as Namond but at this point was way too jaded by life to think of school as any kind of option for their neighbourhood. Bodie tells Lex he only employs Namond bc he is the son of the legendary Barksdale enforcer Wee-Bey.
Next day Namond approaches Bodie with Michael Lee to ask Bodie if he can give Michael a job to make money for school supplies and to support his younger brother but Bodie says he will only employ 1 of them. So Namond suggests that Michael could take his job until he makes the money he needs but Bodie waves them away as Carver and Bunk pull up. They are looking for Lex and knowing that he is dead, Bodie sarcastically says that he will call them if he sees Lex as Bunk says nothing but shoots Bodie a stare that def intimidates him. Bodie being able to survive on his own draws Marlo down to his corner who is impressed but hides it by pretending not to remember Bodie’s name and gives him an ultimatum, either sell Marlo’s inferior product or move off the corner and says that Chris will be back soon for Bodie’s answer. Bodie has been impressed with Michael who doesn’t back down from customers or let them cheat him out of more drugs than they paid for and tells Michael to ditch school for good and just work for him. He even offers him to work after school but Michael walks away without giving an answer. Later, Bodie meets with Slim Charles to tell him about his meeting with Marlo and says he is gonna stand his ground despite Slim saying that isn’t a good idea.
Chris and Snoop pay Bodie a visit to get his answer and Bodie surprises by accepting their terms and they ask about Michael who Bodie says has moved on but wonders why they want to talk to him and Chris snaps back that “why ain’t in your repertoire no more” hammering home that Bodie is now low man on the totem pole. As soon as Chris and Snoop leave, Monk shows up with a package and Bodie is officially part of the Stanfield crew. Most guys in his position would have been killed so it speaks to the respect they had for Bodie giving him a position on their crew. We see De’Londa, Namond’s mother, bring him to Bodie to get Namond working for Bodie again but Bodie is hesitant bc working for Marlo is much different than working for Bodie but De’Londa uses Wee-Bey’s name to threaten Bodie so he agrees. Once she leaves, Bodie says she is a dragon lady and understands Namond more after meeting her. Poot finally gets out after 15 months and we see him talking to Bodie who says that Marlo was able to threaten them into joining his crew but Poot doesn’t care as 1 boss is the same as the next. Herc and Dozerman pull up asking about Little Kevin but nobody says anything so Herc puts everyone 5’6 and under 15olbs into the wagon as Bodie and Poot laugh about how stupid the police are considering Little Kevin is a play on the fact that he is a big guy lol Bodie gives Namond new corners to work but tells him he never wants to talk to his mother again. Too funny.
As Bodie and Poot discuss the weather and how they are gettin old, in their early 20’s lol but that’s the drug game, Little Kevin walks up after a few days absence saying the cops were questioning him about Lex’s murder and they tell him to go see Marlo immediately so that there is no doubt about his loyalty. Later, Slim Charles visits to welcome Poot home, see how things were working under Marlo and to tell them that Marlo killed Little Kevin. Bodie is pissed that Marlo killed Little Kevin without proof he was working for police and Poot says it is similar to what happened with Wallace but Bodie says Marlo is on another level than Stringer, “Bodie: He’s a cold motherfucker. Poot: It’s a cold world Bodie. Bodie: Thought you said it was getting warmer. Poot: The world goin’ one way, people another yo’.” No doubt. Next day Bodie is chilling in a diner when McNulty walks in for lunch and starts talking to him with Bodie saying that all the police activity has driven him indoors. McNulty says it was the assault on Officer Walker that has riled up most of the police but McNulty admits that he doesn’t like Walker bc he is racist and corrupt. They continue to joke with each other as McNulty is called away. Next we see Bodie and Poot at the vacant houses where bodies are being pulled out of them bc they heard the Little Kevin was found in there and Bodie’s anger starts to rise as he talks about his friend being killed without proof of being an informant and gets so mad that he kicks in the window of a patrol car and is promptly arrested.
Bodie walks out of jail and McNulty, who helped make sure Bodie was released, is waiting to offer to buy Bodie lunch and he accepts. They start talking and Bodie says he ain’t no snitch, has always been loyal but Marlo and his crew need to be stopped, “Bodie: I ain’t no snitch. McNulty: Didn’t say you were. Bodie: I been doin’ this a long time. I ain’t never said nothin’ to no cop. [sighs] I feel old… I been out there since I was 13. I ain’t never fucked up a count, never stole off a package, never did some shit that I wasn’t told to do. I’ve been straight up. But what come back? Hmm? You think if I get jammed up on some shit, they be like, “All right, yeah. Bodie been there. Bodie hang tough. We got to his pay lawyer. We got a bail”. They want me to stand with them, right? Where the fuck they at when they supposed to be standin’ by us? I mean, when shit goes bad and there’s hell to pay, where they at? This game is rigged, man… we like them little bitches on the chessboard. McNulty: … Pawns. Bodie: Yo, I’m not snitchin’ on none of my boys. Not my corner, and not no Barksdale people. Well, what’s left of ’em. But, Marlo, this ngga and his kind, man, they gotta fall. They gotta. McNulty: Well, for that to happen, somebody’s gotta step up. Bodie: I’ll do what I gotta. I don’t give a fuck! Just don’t ask me to live on my fuckin’ knees, you know? McNulty: You’re a soldier, Bodie. Bodie: Hell yeah.” Fn great scene, Bodie was def a real one. I didn’t want to see him become a rat and the game has always been violent but Marlo and his careless attitude about killing people was a different kind of evil and he had to go down so if it took Bodie working with McNulty to do it then so be it.
Unaware that he was spotted by Monk, Bodie returns to work his corner with Poot and Spider and sees someone coming out of the shadows as Poot sees someone coming from the other direction so he tells Bodie to run but Bodie says he ain’t running from his own territory. Spider takes off as Bodie starts firing into the shadows as Poot pleads with Bodie to run one more time before he takes off. Bodie is making his final stand and is focused on Chris and Snoop when O-Dog walks out of the doorway and shoots Bodie in the head killing him instantly. Tough moment man, I was a fan of Bodie and wanted him to be the one to kill Marlo but once he lost the Barksdale crew, the chances of that happening were pretty slim. I know a lot of fans hated Bodie bc he killed Wallace but that was 100% on Stringer, Bodie had no choice and Wallace should’ve been smarter about it. Just as he said to McNulty, Bodie was straight for the entire run of the show, never folded on anyone, never fcked up a package, earned the respect of both the Barksdale and Stanfield crews and went out on his shield. Making it to S4 I thought he might survive the show so his death was a shock. Def a sad end but Bodie was 1 of the best characters on the show.
-Malik ‘Poot’ Carr – Another of my fav characters on the drug side of things, Troy Chaney was the perfect choice to play Poot as he was more in the background than other characters but you never forgot about him. He gets scammed with Wallace by Bubbles using fake money and when they catch Johnny trying the same trick, participates in the beating that puts Johnny in the hospital. Poot and Wallace see Brandon from Omar’s crew in an arcade and tell D’Angelo who relays the info to Stringer. Doubt that Poot had any idea how bad this would turn out. Awesome to see what Poot and Wallace do for the neighbourhood kids providing them lunches and making sure they have what they need for school. Poot and Wallace discover Brandon’s mutilated body in the middle of the neighbourhood displayed as a message. Wallace is seriously messed up after this and Poot does what he can to get his friend to snap out of it. Poot later see’s Wallace using the money D gave him to get out of the game to buy drugs. Bodie tells Poot that Stringer has ordered him to kill Wallace and Poot tries to convince Bodie that Wallace is not a threat but Bodie tells him the order has been given and they have to do it. The 3 of them go out for a meal but when they return all the kids staying with Wallace are gone so Bodie and Poot corner Wallace in his room and pull out the gun. Wallace pleads for his life which causes Bodie to hesitate until Poot pushes Bodie to do it and he does shooting Wallace when Poot takes the gun and shoots the last shots. Didn’t like how Poot acted here but did try to save his life and I guess he knew just standing there was almost torturing Wallace and it was gonna happen anyways so they need to get it over with. After D’Angelo is arrested, the game doesn’t stop with Poot taking over his role at the Pit.
Poot is confronted by an addict who is trashing their product for it’s low quality and has to stop his dealers from giving the addict a beating. He has a dealer named Puddin call Bodie to tell him about the problem. Later Poot and Bodie are walking through their territory lamenting the drop in business due to the weak product and notice another crew dealing on their territory having more success than they are so they decide to run them off. The next day they show up early to set up shop and hold their ground when the other crew shows up. They successfully drove them off 1 day but they know that retaliation will be coming and need to be ready for it. The other crew comes back this time with guns so a shootout starts and in the chaos, a young child is killed by a stray bullet. As S2 comes to an end we see Poot and Puddin on the corner watching as police cruise by. S3 starts with Poot, Bodie and Puddin reminiscing about their days working and living around the 221 tower before it is demolished. Later Poot attends an organization meeting with Stringer at the funeral home to discuss a new direction since the 221 tower was their main territory and it’s gone. Poot backs up Bodie when he says they need to take new territory by force but Stringer reminds them how bad it was when Bodie attracted all the police attention with the shooting last year. Stringer wants to focus on supplying the dealers with product instead of fighting for territory but Poot and Slim Charles are still dubious so Stringer tells them to think like grown men.
Poot is working a new corner when carver and Herc pick him up to ask him how he is able to just walk into new territory without getting trouble from other dealers but Poot is defiant and refuses to answer their questions. That night Poot, Bodie and Puddin are leaving the movies with their girlfriends when they bump into Carver, Herc and Dozerman with their dates and the boys have fun messing with the police and brag to their dates that these cops harass them every day for their stash but never get it. The boys leave mockingly saying ‘See ya tomorrow!” Later after the Barksdale crew decides to push back against Marlo Stanfield, Slim Charles assigns Poot to one of Marlo’s corners and Poot is worried about retaliation which comes when Snoop drives by shooting and kills one of the other Barksdale lieutenants as Poot narrowly avoids being shot. As S3 ends, Poot is arrested thanks to Bernard falling for buying wired phones from Det Freamon working undercover but Bernard has his own problems with his girlfriend Squeak squeaking in his ear about fucking up and he can’t wait to go to jail lol Poot serves 15 months and is back on the streets talking to Bodie about how Marlo was able to threaten the Barksdale crew into working for him but Poot doesn’t mind saying 1 boss is same as the next. Herc and Dozerman asking to talk to Little Kevin but nobody is talking and they only recognize Bodie and Poot so they force everyone under 5’6 and 150lbs into the police wagon. Poot and Bodie are left laughing at the stupidity of Herc and Dozerman considering the nickname Little Kevin is a joke on the fact that Little Kevin is not little lol
Poot and Bodie assign Namond corners to work after his mother harasses Bodie to give Namond a job. Next day poot and Bodie discuss the weather and talk about how they are gettin old lol Little Kevin returns after not being seen for a few days and he tells them he was being questioned by police about the murder of Lex and they tell him to go to Marlo immediately to explain so there is no doubt about his loyalty. Later we see Slim Charles show up to welcome Poot home and let them now that Marlo killed Little Kevin. After Slim Charles leaves, Bodie is pissed that Marlo killed Little Kevin without proof that he was working with police but Poot brings up the similarity to them killing Wallace and Bodie says Marlo is on a different level, “Bodie: He’s a cold motherfucker. Poot: It’s a cold world Bodie. Bodie: Thought you said it was getting warmer. Poot: The world goin’ one way, people another yo’.” Still true. Poot and Bodie visit the vacant apartment where bodies have been found bc they heard that Little Kevin was put in there and Bodie starts getting riled up about the unjustified killing of his friend to the point that he kicks in a police car window and is immediately arrested. McNulty is on friendly terms with Bodie and is at the scene when it happens so he is able to get Bodie out of it and Bodie returns to work his corner with Poot and Spider. Bodie notices someone approaching in the shadows and Poot sees someone from the other side and urges Bodie to run but Bodie refuses to run from his own territory. Spider runs as Bodie fires into the dark and Poot makes a final plea to Bodie to run as he takes off running but Bodie stays and is killed.
Next day McNulty tracks down Poot and pretends to search him so he can ask who killed Bodie but Poot says it was talking to police that killed Bodie, someone saw him and that was it so McNulty lets him go. We don’t see Poot again until S5 when Dukie walks into Foot Locker, I mean a sporting goods store lol, to ask for a job and Poot is working there. He asks for Dukie’s age and he admits he is only 15 so poot has to turn him down saying the manager only hires people 17 and older. Dukie goes to leave but Poot says he recognizes Duk as a friend of Namond’s and tells him that he used to run the Fayette corners and Duk says he remembers him. Poot says he eventually got tired of that life and got out. he tells Dukie to go back to the streets for a couple years and then come back. That’s the last we see of Poot and I’m glad that at least 1 of the original crew got out of the game alive. Poot is 1 of those characters I have to remind myself isn’t real lol always liked him and def would have welcomed a bigger role for him.
-Malik ‘Poot’ Carr – Another of my fav characters on the drug side of things, Troy Chaney was the perfect choice to play Poot as he was more in the background than other characters but you never forgot about him. He gets scammed with Wallace by Bubbles using fake money and when they catch Johnny trying the same trick, participates in the beating that puts Johnny in the hospital. Poot and Wallace see Brandon from Omar’s crew in an arcade and tell D’Angelo who relays the info to Stringer. Doubt that Poot had any idea how bad this would turn out. Awesome to see what Poot and Wallace do for the neighbourhood kids providing them lunches and making sure they have what they need for school. Poot and Wallace discover Brandon’s mutilated body in the middle of the neighbourhood displayed as a message. Wallace is seriously messed up after this and Poot does what he can to get his friend to snap out of it. Poot later see’s Wallace using the money D gave him to get out of the game to buy drugs. Bodie tells Poot that Stringer has ordered him to kill Wallace and Poot tries to convince Bodie that Wallace is not a threat but Bodie tells him the order has been given and they have to do it. The 3 of them go out for a meal but when they return all the kids staying with Wallace are gone so Bodie and Poot corner Wallace in his room and pull out the gun. Wallace pleads for his life which causes Bodie to hesitate until Poot pushes Bodie to do it and he does shooting Wallace when Poot takes the gun and shoots the last shots. Didn’t like how Poot acted here but did try to save his life and I guess he knew just standing there was almost torturing Wallace and it was gonna happen anyways so they need to get it over with. After D’Angelo is arrested, the game doesn’t stop with Poot taking over his role at the Pit.
Poot is confronted by an addict who is trashing their product for it’s low quality and has to stop his dealers from giving the addict a beating. He has a dealer named Puddin call Bodie to tell him about the problem. Later Poot and Bodie are walking through their territory lamenting the drop in business due to the weak product and notice another crew dealing on their territory having more success than they are so they decide to run them off. The next day they show up early to set up shop and hold their ground when the other crew shows up. They successfully drove them off 1 day but they know that retaliation will be coming and need to be ready for it. The other crew comes back this time with guns so a shootout starts and in the chaos, a young child is killed by a stray bullet. As S2 comes to an end we see Poot and Puddin on the corner watching as police cruise by. S3 starts with Poot, Bodie and Puddin reminiscing about their days working and living around the 221 tower before it is demolished. Later Poot attends an organization meeting with Stringer at the funeral home to discuss a new direction since the 221 tower was their main territory and it’s gone. Poot backs up Bodie when he says they need to take new territory by force but Stringer reminds them how bad it was when Bodie attracted all the police attention with the shooting last year. Stringer wants to focus on supplying the dealers with product instead of fighting for territory but Poot and Slim Charles are still dubious so Stringer tells them to think like grown men.
Poot is working a new corner when carver and Herc pick him up to ask him how he is able to just walk into new territory without getting trouble from other dealers but Poot is defiant and refuses to answer their questions. That night Poot, Bodie and Puddin are leaving the movies with their girlfriends when they bump into Carver, Herc and Dozerman with their dates and the boys have fun messing with the police and brag to their dates that these cops harass them every day for their stash but never get it. The boys leave mockingly saying ‘See ya tomorrow!” Later after the Barksdale crew decides to push back against Marlo Stanfield, Slim Charles assigns Poot to one of Marlo’s corners and Poot is worried about retaliation which comes when Snoop drives by shooting and kills one of the other Barksdale lieutenants as Poot narrowly avoids being shot. As S3 ends, Poot is arrested thanks to Bernard falling for buying wired phones from Det Freamon working undercover but Bernard has his own problems with his girlfriend Squeak squeaking in his ear about fucking up and he can’t wait to go to jail lol Poot serves 15 months and is back on the streets talking to Bodie about how Marlo was able to threaten the Barksdale crew into working for him but Poot doesn’t mind saying 1 boss is same as the next. Herc and Dozerman asking to talk to Little Kevin but nobody is talking and they only recognize Bodie and Poot so they force everyone under 5’6 and 150lbs into the police wagon. Poot and Bodie are left laughing at the stupidity of Herc and Dozerman considering the nickname Little Kevin is a joke on the fact that Little Kevin is not little lol
Poot and Bodie assign Namond corners to work after his mother harasses Bodie to give Namond a job. Next day poot and Bodie discuss the weather and talk about how they are gettin old lol Little Kevin returns after not being seen for a few days and he tells them he was being questioned by police about the murder of Lex and they tell him to go to Marlo immediately to explain so there is no doubt about his loyalty. Later we see Slim Charles show up to welcome Poot home and let them now that Marlo killed Little Kevin. After Slim Charles leaves, Bodie is pissed that Marlo killed Little Kevin without proof that he was working with police but Poot brings up the similarity to them killing Wallace and Bodie says Marlo is on a different level, “Bodie: He’s a cold motherfucker. Poot: It’s a cold world Bodie. Bodie: Thought you said it was getting warmer. Poot: The world goin’ one way, people another yo’.” Still true. Poot and Bodie visit the vacant apartment where bodies have been found bc they heard that Little Kevin was put in there and Bodie starts getting riled up about the unjustified killing of his friend to the point that he kicks in a police car window and is immediately arrested. McNulty is on friendly terms with Bodie and is at the scene when it happens so he is able to get Bodie out of it and Bodie returns to work his corner with Poot and Spider. Bodie notices someone approaching in the shadows and Poot sees someone from the other side and urges Bodie to run but Bodie refuses to run from his own territory. Spider runs as Bodie fires into the dark and Poot makes a final plea to Bodie to run as he takes off running but Bodie stays and is killed.
Next day McNulty tracks down Poot and pretends to search him so he can ask who killed Bodie but Poot says it was talking to police that killed Bodie, someone saw him and that was it so McNulty lets him go. We don’t see Poot again until S5 when Dukie walks into Foot Locker, I mean a sporting goods store lol, to ask for a job and Poot is working there. He asks for Dukie’s age and he admits he is only 15 so poot has to turn him down saying the manager only hires people 17 and older. Dukie goes to leave but Poot says he recognizes Duk as a friend of Namond’s and tells him that he used to run the Fayette corners and Duk says he remembers him. Poot says he eventually got tired of that life and got out. he tells Dukie to go back to the streets for a couple years and then come back. That’s the last we see of Poot and I’m glad that at least 1 of the original crew got out of the game alive. Poot is 1 of those characters I have to remind myself isn’t real lol always liked him and def would have welcomed a bigger role for him
-Wallace – I knew I recognized him but I was shocked to learn it was Adonis Creed himself, Michael B Jordan playing him. No surprise he became such a great actor. Wallace is part of D’Angelo’s crew at the Pit and gets scammed by Bubbles fake money. When they catch Johnny trying the same trick he helps with the beating that puts Johnny in the hospital. Hilarious scene when Wallace is eating chicken nuggets and thinks the guys that invented them is filthy rich but D’Angelo sets him straight lol another good one when D’Angelo see’s Wallace and Bodie playing checker on a chess board and tries to teach them the game. Wallace and Poot see Brandon from Omar’s crew and tell D’Angelo who tells Stringer and outs the hit on Brandon in motion. I guarantee if Wallace knew what was about to happen he would have pretended they never saw Brandon. So much respect to Wallace for what he does for the neighbourhood kids supplying them with Lunches and making sure they have what they need for school. After sending the kids to school, Wallace and Poot see Brandon’s mutilated body lying on a car as a message for all the neighbourhood to see. This really messes up Wallace’s head knowing that he was responsible for telling D’Angelo who told Stringer setting the murder in motion.
Wallace is in rough shape after seeing Brandon’s body and has holed up in his apartment doing drugs. The police bring him in and Wallace agrees to co-operate giving information on the Barksdale crew. Daniels drives Wallace out to his grandmothers house where he can stay safe until they need him for a trial but weeks in the country alone has him going stir crazy and he heads back to the pit wanting back into the crew. Bodie says Wallace will have to take a demotion but D’Angelo steps in and says he can go back to where he was. D’Angelo tries to give Wallace advice on how to handle coming back to the crew, “D’Angelo: If anybody asks you if in you in this game, you tell ’em you in it for life, a’ight?. You play it hard, you play it tight, and you make sure niggas know you gonn’ stand by your people. No loose talk, no second thoughts and no snitching. Play it like that.” Unfortunately he never got the chance to get back into things as Stringer ordered his death. One of the last things he did was buying Chinese food for all the kids that stayed with him, man I felt so bad for those kids bc who was gonna take care of them like that after Wallace was gone. After going out for a meal with Bodie and Poot, they all go back to his place but all the kids were gone and Wallace is cornered in his bedroom. He begs for his life but it changes nothing and Bodie shoots Wallace with Poot taking the last shots.
Fn sad end to a great character, I was interested in seeing how things went for him as he grew up and never thought he would be killed this soon. After he started working with the cops I knew it was possible but to see it actually go down really sucked.
-Malik ‘Poot’ Carr – Another of my fav characters on the drug side of things, Troy Chaney was the perfect choice to play Poot as he was more in the background than other characters but you never forgot about him. He gets scammed with Wallace by Bubbles using fake money and when they catch Johnny trying the same trick, participates in the beating that puts Johnny in the hospital. Poot and Wallace see Brandon from Omar’s crew in an arcade and tell D’Angelo who relays the info to Stringer. Doubt that Poot had any idea how bad this would turn out. Awesome to see what Poot and Wallace do for the neighbourhood kids providing them lunches and making sure they have what they need for school. Poot and Wallace discover Brandon’s mutilated body in the middle of the neighbourhood displayed as a message. Wallace is seriously messed up after this and Poot does what he can to get his friend to snap out of it. Poot later see’s Wallace using the money D gave him to get out of the game to buy drugs. Bodie tells Poot that Stringer has ordered him to kill Wallace and Poot tries to convince Bodie that Wallace is not a threat but Bodie tells him the order has been given and they have to do it. The 3 of them go out for a meal but when they return all the kids staying with Wallace are gone so Bodie and Poot corner Wallace in his room and pull out the gun. Wallace pleads for his life which causes Bodie to hesitate until Poot pushes Bodie to do it and he does shooting Wallace when Poot takes the gun and shoots the last shots. Didn’t like how Poot acted here but did try to save his life and I guess he knew just standing there was almost torturing Wallace and it was gonna happen anyways so they need to get it over with. After D’Angelo is arrested, the game doesn’t stop with Poot taking over his role at the Pit.
Poot is confronted by an addict who is trashing their product for it’s low quality and has to stop his dealers from giving the addict a beating. He has a dealer named Puddin call Bodie to tell him about the problem. Later Poot and Bodie are walking through their territory lamenting the drop in business due to the weak product and notice another crew dealing on their territory having more success than they are so they decide to run them off. The next day they show up early to set up shop and hold their ground when the other crew shows up. They successfully drove them off 1 day but they know that retaliation will be coming and need to be ready for it. The other crew comes back this time with guns so a shootout starts and in the chaos, a young child is killed by a stray bullet. As S2 comes to an end we see Poot and Puddin on the corner watching as police cruise by. S3 starts with Poot, Bodie and Puddin reminiscing about their days working and living around the 221 tower before it is demolished. Later Poot attends an organization meeting with Stringer at the funeral home to discuss a new direction since the 221 tower was their main territory and it’s gone. Poot backs up Bodie when he says they need to take new territory by force but Stringer reminds them how bad it was when Bodie attracted all the police attention with the shooting last year. Stringer wants to focus on supplying the dealers with product instead of fighting for territory but Poot and Slim Charles are still dubious so Stringer tells them to think like grown men.
Poot is working a new corner when carver and Herc pick him up to ask him how he is able to just walk into new territory without getting trouble from other dealers but Poot is defiant and refuses to answer their questions. That night Poot, Bodie and Puddin are leaving the movies with their girlfriends when they bump into Carver, Herc and Dozerman with their dates and the boys have fun messing with the police and brag to their dates that these cops harass them every day for their stash but never get it. The boys leave mockingly saying ‘See ya tomorrow!” Later after the Barksdale crew decides to push back against Marlo Stanfield, Slim Charles assigns Poot to one of Marlo’s corners and Poot is worried about retaliation which comes when Snoop drives by shooting and kills one of the other Barksdale lieutenants as Poot narrowly avoids being shot. As S3 ends, Poot is arrested thanks to Bernard falling for buying wired phones from Det Freamon working undercover but Bernard has his own problems with his girlfriend Squeak squeaking in his ear about fucking up and he can’t wait to go to jail lol Poot serves 15 months and is back on the streets talking to Bodie about how Marlo was able to threaten the Barksdale crew into working for him but Poot doesn’t mind saying 1 boss is same as the next. Herc and Dozerman asking to talk to Little Kevin but nobody is talking and they only recognize Bodie and Poot so they force everyone under 5’6 and 150lbs into the police wagon. Poot and Bodie are left laughing at the stupidity of Herc and Dozerman considering the nickname Little Kevin is a joke on the fact that Little Kevin is not little lol
Poot and Bodie assign Namond corners to work after his mother harasses Bodie to give Namond a job. Next day poot and Bodie discuss the weather and talk about how they are gettin old lol Little Kevin returns after not being seen for a few days and he tells them he was being questioned by police about the murder of Lex and they tell him to go to Marlo immediately to explain so there is no doubt about his loyalty. Later we see Slim Charles show up to welcome Poot home and let them now that Marlo killed Little Kevin. After Slim Charles leaves, Bodie is pissed that Marlo killed Little Kevin without proof that he was working with police but Poot brings up the similarity to them killing Wallace and Bodie says Marlo is on a different level, “Bodie: He’s a cold motherfucker. Poot: It’s a cold world Bodie. Bodie: Thought you said it was getting warmer. Poot: The world goin’ one way, people another yo’.” Still true. Poot and Bodie visit the vacant apartment where bodies have been found bc they heard that Little Kevin was put in there and Bodie starts getting riled up about the unjustified killing of his friend to the point that he kicks in a police car window and is immediately arrested. McNulty is on friendly terms with Bodie and is at the scene when it happens so he is able to get Bodie out of it and Bodie returns to work his corner with Poot and Spider. Bodie notices someone approaching in the shadows and Poot sees someone from the other side and urges Bodie to run but Bodie refuses to run from his own territory. Spider runs as Bodie fires into the dark and Poot makes a final plea to Bodie to run as he takes off running but Bodie stays and is killed.
Next day McNulty tracks down Poot and pretends to search him so he can ask who killed Bodie but Poot says it was talking to police that killed Bodie, someone saw him and that was it so McNulty lets him go. We don’t see Poot again until S5 when Dukie walks into Foot Locker, I mean a sporting goods store lol, to ask for a job and Poot is working there. He asks for Dukie’s age and he admits he is only 15 so poot has to turn him down saying the manager only hires people 17 and older. Dukie goes to leave but Poot says he recognizes Duk as a friend of Namond’s and tells him that he used to run the Fayette corners and Duk says he remembers him. Poot says he eventually got tired of that life and got out. he tells Dukie to go back to the streets for a couple years and then come back. That’s the last we see of Poot and I’m glad that at least 1 of the original crew got out of the game alive. Poot is 1 of those characters I have to remind myself isn’t real lol always liked him and def would have welcomed a bigger role for him
-Wallace – I knew I recognized him but I was shocked to learn it was Adonis Creed himself, Michael B Jordan playing him. No surprise he became such a great actor. Wallace is part of D’Angelo’s crew at the Pit and gets scammed by Bubbles fake money. When they catch Johnny trying the same trick he helps with the beating that puts Johnny in the hospital. Hilarious scene when Wallace is eating chicken nuggets and thinks the guys that invented them is filthy rich but D’Angelo sets him straight lol another good one when D’Angelo see’s Wallace and Bodie playing checker on a chess board and tries to teach them the game. Wallace and Poot see Brandon from Omar’s crew and tell D’Angelo who tells Stringer and outs the hit on Brandon in motion. I guarantee if Wallace knew what was about to happen he would have pretended they never saw Brandon. So much respect to Wallace for what he does for the neighbourhood kids supplying them with Lunches and making sure they have what they need for school. After sending the kids to school, Wallace and Poot see Brandon’s mutilated body lying on a car as a message for all the neighbourhood to see. This really messes up Wallace’s head knowing that he was responsible for telling D’Angelo who told Stringer setting the murder in motion.
Wallace is in rough shape after seeing Brandon’s body and has holed up in his apartment doing drugs. The police bring him in and Wallace agrees to co-operate giving information on the Barksdale crew. Daniels drives Wallace out to his grandmothers house where he can stay safe until they need him for a trial but weeks in the country alone has him going stir crazy and he heads back to the pit wanting back into the crew. Bodie says Wallace will have to take a demotion but D’Angelo steps in and says he can go back to where he was. D’Angelo tries to give Wallace advice on how to handle coming back to the crew, “D’Angelo: If anybody asks you if in you in this game, you tell ’em you in it for life, a’ight?. You play it hard, you play it tight, and you make sure niggas know you gonn’ stand by your people. No loose talk, no second thoughts and no snitching. Play it like that.” Unfortunately he never got the chance to get back into things as Stringer ordered his death. One of the last things he did was buying Chinese food for all the kids that stayed with him, man I felt so bad for those kids bc who was gonna take care of them like that after Wallace was gone. After going out for a meal with Bodie and Poot, they all go back to his place but all the kids were gone and Wallace is cornered in his bedroom. He begs for his life but it changes nothing and Bodie shoots Wallace with Poot taking the last shots.
Fn sad end to a great character, I was interested in seeing how things went for him as he grew up and never thought he would be killed this soon. After he started working with the cops I knew it was possible but to see it actually go down really sucked.
-Maurice Levy – The Saul Goodman of the Barksdale crew lol that’s who Levy reminded me of when he comes into the interrogation room and stops D’Angelo from writing the letter to Gant’s family. His performance needed to be realistic for it work and Michael Kostroff did a great job in delivering that. We first meet him as he successfully defends D’Angelo from a murder conviction. Levy pays off again bending the truth to keep Bodie out of jail only having to call a parole officer twice a week. Better Call Levy lol Savino is implicated in the Kima shooting so McNulty and Pearlman threaten him to hand over Savino or have his finances investigated. Levy brings in Savino but the police don’t get what they want as Savino produces a bag of baking soda he says he was going to use to scam Orlando, he says he had nothing to do with the shooting. During the trial of Bird, it’s Levy vs Omar and you would think that levy will come out on top but Omar is no normal gangster, “Levy: You are amoral, are you not? You are feeding off the violence and the despair of the drug trade. You’re stealing from those who themselves are stealing the lifeblood from our city. You are a parasite who leeches off– Omar: Just like you, man. Levy: –the culture of drugs… Excuse me, what? Omar: I got the shotgun. You got the briefcase. It’s all in the game, though, right?” In the end Omar is able to keep his composure while Bird is not and this leads to a guilty verdict coming in for Bird. Levy is a great defense lawyer but everyone takes an L sometimes.
Next time we see Levy is in S3 when, despite all his serious charges, he is guiding Avon Barksdale through a parole hearing as somehow Levy got him parole despite a letter from Pearlman asking that parole not be granted. And that’s why they pay him. Next day Levy attends Avon’s welcome home party with Clay Davis and Andy Krawczyk to discuss continued business with the Barksdale crew. After Brianna Barksdale starts talking to McNulty who is telling her that D’Angelo was murdered and did not commit suicide, Stringer phones Levy who confirms that Brianna has called him about representing her and he recommends that they tell Avon but Stringer says that he will handle it. After Stringer sends Levy some documents of his dealings with Clay Davis, Stringer meets with Levy the next day and Levy tells him that he has been ‘rain made’ which means Davis is taking the bribes for things he has no control over, basically paying someone who says they can make it rain. Levy explains that there are no bribes in the development business, every contractor who is awarded money, gets it by passing the specifications and that Davis is a known conman with a history of doing this exact thing, gets bribe money and takes credit for contracts that were coming anyways. As S3 ends, we see Levy defending the Barksdale crew after the Major Crimes Unit successfully gathers enough evidence to bring them down. Levy gonna have his work cut out for him this time but he is def the guy you want defending you.
We only see Levy once in S4 when he defends the suspect in the murder of a state witness that was set to testify against him and Levy smells the desperation of the police so he allows his client to take a polygraph test to appease them knowing that they aren’t admissible in court. When Levy returns after the test, he tells them he submitted to the test bc his client is innocent as Wardell claims he would never have killed the witness bc they were relations to him. S5 starts with Herc, who now works for Levy, giving him information that he got from his police friends and says it only cost him a round of drinks. Levy says it could have cost less considering he has an expense account and comments on his surprise to see his client Fat Face Rick on the front page of the paper in trouble over campaign contributions to Nerese Campbell. Next we see Levy meet with Marlo who has been brought there by Prop Joe who tells Marlo Levy is the lawyer for many Co-Op members. Herc recognizes Marlo and Marlo laughs at him about the stolen surveillance camera as Levy leaves Herc and Prop Joe in his office and meets with Marlo privately in the conference room.
Next day Marlo, Chris and Snoop meet with Levy who says the gun possession charges against them are simple and he criticizes their old lawyers tactics of postponing the hearings since an acquittal would be easy to achieve. Chris is concerned that the name of the person on the registration of the vehicle cannot under any circumstances do any time so Levy says they have to replace her with someone who can. Marlo gives Levy a cheque for money he needs laundered and Levy writes down his new contact details. Herc arrives as Marlo leaves and says he isn’t cool with Marlo being a client of Levy’s but Levy says the firm is going to see steady stream of money from Marlo soon since he is using a cellphone and comments that Prop Joe referred Marlo to him just in time. Eventually we see Snoop bring in a reluctant O-Dog to see Levy as O-Dog will be taking the blame for the gun charges and Levy says he might have to do a short stretch but he will be well compensated. After the Stanfield crew is arrested, Levy meets with Marlo and strongly suggests that they have a rat that is talking to police. Next day, Levy is going through the Stanfield arrest warrants and sees that something isn’t right, it looks like the police had a lot of information but no documentation that explains how they got it. Herc says they had to have used a wiretap and Levy says the only 4 people that knew the code were arrested so there couldn’t be a rat and figures that they used an illegal wiretap to break the code. Levy relays this information to Pearlman and says that any fraud present in the case will be revealed in court.
In a shocking twist, Pearlman meets with Levy and plays a recording of Levy committing fraud and asking a corrupt politician for sealed court documents which carries a sentence of 10-12 years. Pearlman says this goes away if Levy settles the Stanfield case out of court on the following terms; Chris will plead guilty to all murders and accept life in prison with no chance of parole, Monk and Cheese will plead guilty to possession with intent to sell which carries a sentence of up to 20 years and finally, the charges against Marlo will be abated as long as he agrees to leave the drug game permanently. Such bullshit that Marlo got away with his freedom and I hate that they had to waste crucial evidence bc of that fake serial killer bullshit. Levy has no choice but to agree to the terms. S5 ends with Levy hosting a party of legitimate businessmen and brings Marlo to try and integrate him into that world but Marlo feels out of place and leaves. That’s the last we see of Levy and between the two of them, I really wished Marlo had taken an L instead of Levy bc fuck Marlo lol I enjoyed Levy’s character as he was another one that felt like a real person, every good drug empire needs a kickass lawyer and Levy filled that role on this show perfectly.
-Frank Sobotka – S2 introduces us to the life and crew working on the docks lead by Union Secretary Treasurer Frank Sobotka in a really great performance by Chris Bauer. Frank is getting shit from another Union leader about granary pier still being in shambles. After the leaves, Frank then gets shit from his crew about taking the abuse, “Horseface: Damn, Frank. Union Member: We just sat here and watched Nat Coxson take a shit all over you. Horseface: And the shrivelled dick motherfucker that you are, you take it. Frank Sobotka: For your information, I wake up every morning with an angry blue vein diamond cutter. I was gonna enlighten the President of the local 47 on this particular point, and he chose to depart. Blue steel gentlemen. Three and a half inches of hard blue steel.” LOL he can’t win but I was an immediate fan and hoping he didn’t turn out to be a scumbag. Frank runs into his nephew Nick and tells him to meet with someone named ‘The Greek’ about a container moving in. Someone named Ziggy lost a container and Frank tracks him down to tell him he is fired but we later learn that Ziggy is Frank’s son and he tells him he is fired almost every day lol Frank visits a church to see the paint glass window he donated finish being installed but little did he know that the window was the beginning of the end for him. Nick reports the details of the meeting with The Greek to Frank. Sergei, the guy that is supposed to take the stolen container away leaves it on the dock for hours increasing the chances of getting caught which obviously pisses Frank off as he wants it gone asap but Sergei just drives away. Frank orders the container put back on the stacks and it isn’t until later that we realize what a fatal decision this was. After Beadie finds and searches the container to find the dead bodies of over a dozen women, Frank is shocked and disgusted.
Frank is furious about the women dying in the container and confronts Spiros about it bc if he had known there were girls in the container he could have saved them by not putting the container back in the stack, “Frank Sobotka: Why the fuck didn’t you tell me what was in that motherfucking can? Spiros: Now you wanna know what’s in the cans? Before you wanted to know nothing. Now you ask. Guns, OK? Drugs, whore, vodka, BMWs. Beluga caviar, or bombs, maybe? Bad terrorists with big nuclear bombs. I’m kidding you, Frank, it’s a joke. But you don’t ask … because you don’t wanna know.” Spiros says it was an accident and that Sergei didn’t take the container bc he was waiting for a contact to come off the ship to signal it was safe but he never did. Despite Spiros saying it’s better of Frank doesn’t ever know what the cargo is, Frank demands to be told next time there are humans in a container. The union guys like Horseface are complaining to Frank about being hassled by Port Police and that the police are here to give bullshit parking tickets to all their cars. Frank goes out to confront the police and it’s Carver who is leading the ticketing who doesn’t agree with it but says Valchek ordered them to. The next day Frank has a heated conversation at the union hall with Valchek who accuses him of illegally funding the stained glass window. Frank blows him off and reminds Valchek they come from the same neighbourhood and people still talk about Valchek’s shortcomings, “Valchek: You don’t want my finger in your eye, you better do what’s right here. Frank: What’s right, huh? What’s right would be for you to come down here to my house like a decent human being and ask a common courtesy. But that’s not you, it’s not your way. My old man always said you were a half-ass punk over at Holy Redeemer as a kid, and my sister said you were a pain in the ass pest at all them C.Y.O. dances when none of the girls would even look at you. And damn near everyone down the point said when you got your badge it was too much for anybody named Valchek to have even a patrolman’s drag, and sure enough, you been an official asshole every day since. (Valchek spits and coughs) Fuck you! And your window!” Great rant. The rivalry is taken further when Valchek has a DUI checkpoint set up in the morning between Delores’s bar and the docks, something that has never happened. All of the workers are booked for DUI’s and once released, tell Frank he needs to settle things with Valchek but Frank is ready for a war. He has Horseface steal a surveillance van from Valchek’s lot and has it shipped out of port but not before taking a picture with a union bumper sticker on the back lol I was with Frank on this so that was some sweet revenge.
We see what a good guy Frank can be when one of his workers talks to him about not having enough work to live on, Frank tells him to go to Delores’s bar and order a beer and a shot. When Delores gets the order, she hands the worker a good handful of cash to help him get through. Frank is making political contributions to try and get the politicians to reopen the docks and get business booming again so him and his guys can make a living. At a political event at the church Frank donates to, he has to play nice with Clay Davis who is one of the guys he needs to win over but has already taken 40k of their money and not promised anything. Frank confronts Nick over the stolen cameras and demands he return them but it’s too late. Companies have been pulling away from using the docks more and more so another stolen container is really bad news that could have bad consequences for the union. Nick tries to throw Frank’s own shady dealing in his face but Frank sternly reminds Nick that what he does is for the good of the union to try and rebuild the docks. Frank through Nick tells Spiros they need to suspend their smuggling partnership for now with all the heat from the Grand Jury summons and requests a meeting with the Greek. Spiros talks to the Greek who refuses to meet with Frank but offers to double their payments despite suspending their smuggling deal for now. Frank is pissed that the Greek won’t meet with him and doesn’t care about his payment being doubled but Spiros reminds him that due to the situation on the docks, Frank can’t afford to walk away from his deal with the Greeks.
Frank has a meeting with the union guys to discuss their goals for the political contributions. Nat Coxson is skeptical about the usefulness of dredging the pier and their chances of restarting the grain pier instructing the union guys to start contacting their legislators. Nat talks to Frank and warns him to be careful knowing that Frank is getting the money for political contributions from illegal activity. Frank is at the bar and is disgusted watching Ziggy burn a $100 bill. They talk outside and Frank asks about the bruises Cheese gave Ziggy but Ziggy lies and says he fell which Frank obviously doesn’t believe. Frank wishes Zig had gone to community college like his brother and Ziggy reminisces about his childhood. I liked this scene, humanizing both Frank and Ziggy. Frank attends a seminar on robotic technology and is disgusted with how many jobs this technology takes away from working men and women with families. The union leadership is supposed to rotate between black and white leaders meaning that it is Frank’s turn to step aside for a black guy but with all the political contributions Frank is making to try and get business on the docks going, he wants another year. This causes friction with Nat Coxson who is supposed to get the leadership next. Frank meets with his lobbyist to deliver a box of cash but rants at him about his families history and the lack of a financially secure future telling him to get his ass moving with dredging the canal so business can open up again. This really opened my eyes to how our way of life is being constantly changed by technology and sometimes not for the better. Industries like on the docks could become non-existent for humans. Nice for businesses bottom line but what about the families that rely on this work, jobs are decreasing these days not increasing so it’s not like you can just slide in somewhere else no problem. 1 of the reasons I appreciate S2.
Frank was in shady business with the Greeks but he was a good man and there is no better example than when a worker named New Charles gets his leg crushed by a container and has to get it amputated. Fck man that would hurt. Frank shows up at his house with an envelope full of cash for his wife prompting Nat Coxson to ask where he got the money but Frank doesn’t say anything. They both knew it was from illegal activity but Frank saw it as a necessity to help everyone survive and it’s hard to blame or disagree with him. Thought it was awesome to see how Frank and the union rallied around New Charles and made sure he was ‘still on the clock.’ Frank is brought up to speed on the confrontation between Ziggy and Maui but Frank is more concerned with the state of their finances at the end of the month. When he tries to pay his cell phone bill, the employee tells Frank that he has been flagged so he wasn’t in danger of being cut off. This raises alarm bells for Frank who starts trying to figure out if anything is going on. He spots Kima on the dicks posing as an engineer and when he asks about Beadie transferring to Fairfield, he is told that isn’t true and she is detailed right now with the Baltimore City Police. Now Frank definitely knows something is going on and that he could be in big trouble so he sends out a clean container as a test and it is stopped confirming his suspicions. Frank phones Spiros from an untapped line to set up a meeting.
We see Frank go to meet with his brother Louis, Nick’s Dad, who has been laid off to offer him a job on the port advisory board but his brother declines and implies that he wants to stay on the straight path while Frank insists everything he has comes straight. Frank tells Louis the only difference between them is that Louis chose the wrong union but Louis disputes that. Interesting to see the dynamic between the 2 brothers, both good guys but Frank is willing to compromise his character to help the dock industry and the families while Louis is not. Later Frank meets up with Nick and tells him about his suspicions about the investigation and asks Nick to come with him to the meeting with The Greek and Spiros. At the meeting, The Greek is impressed with Frank figuring out the investigation and suggests they only move clean containers for a while to throw the cops off their scent. Frank and Nick agree but insist on still being paid as if they were the dirty containers and The Greek agrees bc he knows they will continue to do big business together when the heat is off. This really changed my opinion of Frank when first watching, like The Greek I was impressed that Frank figured everything out.
Racial tensions are starting to build as Frank has decided that he is going to run for union secretary again when the agreement is to alternate between white and back candidates. The next black candidate is supposed to be Ott and he is pissed and confronts Frank when he learns about it but Frank with all his mounting problems needs the power. Then Frank’s problems turn into a nightmare when Nick tells him that Ziggy murdered 2 people and has been arrested and Frank is pissed that Nick didn’t know what Ziggy was up to with the Greeks. Next day Frank shows up to work to figure out what to do about Ziggy but the office is raided by the FBI and Frank is arrested as Valchek enjoys every minute of it even making them wait to bring Frank out until the press get there. What an asshole, man. Downtown the FBI interrogates Frank and tries to get him to give up names to help himself and his union while Frank is disgusted at the suggestion that they give a shit about his union, “Help my union? For 25 years we’ve been dyin’ slow down there. Dry dock’s rustin’, piers standin’ empty. My friends and their kids like we got the cancer. No life-line got thrown all that time, nothin’ from nobody, and now you wanna help us? Help me?”
As soon as Frank is released he visits Ziggy in prison and Ziggy has visible cuts and bruises. Frank asks him to explain what happened and Ziggy says that he was tired of being a punchline. He asks why Ziggy didn’t come to him and he says that Frank was always busy with union business. Ziggy expresses remorse for shooting the store clerk and tells Frank that they are not the same but Frank tries to assure him that he is a true Sobotka. Only thing Ziggy can say is that he is fucked and goes back to the prison. Frank knows that Ziggy is not getting out of prison anytime soon and the Ziggy they knew will be dead by the time he gets out. Next Frank goes to talk to his brother Louis and Louis regrets not spending more time with the kids. Frank says the he could never control Zig and nobody could have stopped him from doing what he did but Louis was specifically talking about Nick who is also looking at prison time. Louis shows Frank the search warrant for drugs when Frank tries to tell him that Nick is only involved in some dock theft and angrily scolds him for not getting involved before graduated to more serious crimes like drugs. Frank tries to defend his actions saying that the dock thefts were necessity to make a living but Louis says that nothing justifies what they allowed to happen to their sons and leaves Frank alone with his thoughts.
We see Frank go into work as Nat refuses to even look at him but Frank takes Little Big Roy’s union card so that he can work a ship while Roy sits in a bar. Obviously Frank loved his job and with his world falling apart, he needed to do something that gave him some fcking joy. Frank tells the shift supervisor that they are basically the same person, bald and polish so he lets Frank work and this gets a nod of respect from Nat. After a good, hard shift Frank meets with his lobbyist Bruce DiBiago who informs him that all the political plans they have been pushing forward are over with after Frank’s arrest meaning Frank just lost a fortune and got absolutely nothing in return. With the FBI involved, no politician that accepted money from Frank wants to risk supporting anything that benefits him. Before they leave, Frank drops some truth on him, “You know what the trouble is, Brucey? We used to make shit in this country, build shit. Now we just put our hand in the next guy’s pocket.” Amen, Frank.
Later we see Beadie visit Frank to plead with him to come forward as an informant saying there are different kinds of wrong and that he is better than the people that he got involved with. She gets through to him and Frank comes into talk with the police the next day. Frank agrees to talk but he wants leniency for Nick and for Ziggy to be transferred to a safer prison. Pearlman agrees to just probation for Frank and Nick if Frank co-operates fully but Frank says his only rule is that he won’t give up union men. Frank leaves and Pearlman tells him to return with a lawyer the next day. The next day Frank gets a phone call from Nick who wants to set up a meeting with the Greeks but Frank is angry that Nick got involved with drugs although he admits he is more angry with himself. Frank says that he is going to the police but when Nick tells him about their offer to help Ziggy, Frank reconsiders and decides to put his son over everything and take the meeting with the Greeks. But Frank is adamant that he is going alone bc he doesn’t want Nick to have any more contact with the Greeks.
As Frank arrives to the meeting, we see the Greek get a call from his FBI contact telling him that Frank is now an informant so the Greek tells Spiros that his way won’t work and we know what that means for Frank. The last shot is Frank walking to his death and man what a helpless feeling this gave me. I wanted to jump into the screen and warn him. Sure enough, the last episode of S2 starts with a body pulled out of the water and it is Frank. Fck this pissed me off, Frank had become one of my fav characters. He broke the law but he wasn’t a villain. What’s that old saying, if you steal a loaf of bread to feed your family is it really a crime. I don’t know obviously stealing is wrong but so is pushing people and families to the point of desperation. The switch to the docks for S2 was def jarring but characters like Frank quickly made you happy they did and helped make S2 1 of the best seasons. I had never thought about how the advancements in technology were killing jobs like working the docks. Frank deserved a better fate but def made a big impact for the 1 season he was on the show.
-Nick Sobotka – The nephew of Frank, we got a damn good performance from Pablo Schreiber bringing us the character Nick who was flawed but still remained likeable. Nick works on the docks under his Uncle Frank Sobotka but life on the docks as technology advanced was tough considering when we meet Nick it’s the first time there has been work for him in 3 weeks. Frank tells him to go to a meeting the next day with someone named The Greek to inform hum about a container they have coming in. Nick lives with his parents who wake him up for work and he heads to the meeting with the Greek. He lets Ziggy come to the meeting which was a mistake considering Ziggy’s big mouth but the deal gets done and Nick lets Frank know it’s the same price as usual. Nick is drinking at the bar with the guys before work when Ziggy tells him about a connection he has with a guy names ‘White Mike’ and asks him about going in together on buying a package and selling it off but Nick refuses due to the risk and Ziggy being unreliable. You know Nick loved Zig but loving someone doesn’t mean you should go into business with them. Nick helps Frank load Valchek’s surveillance van into a container to be shipped out of port lol
The lack of work on the docks and money is starting to cause problems for Nick and his girlfriend Aimee who he has a daughter with. Their daughter Ashley is starting to realize that her Mom and Dad don’t live together and is talking about it at school which causes Aimee to put pressure on nick to find a place for all 3 of them. Nick tries to vent to Ziggy who once again floats the idea of buying and selling a package but Nick knows that drugs means high risk and low reward so he adamantly says no. Something that is easier for them to do is stealing a container so they steal one full of cameras and sell it to a guy named Glekas who has a warehouse and acts as a fence for the Greeks. Glekas says he will pay 8% for the cameras, Nick tries to demand 20% but they eventually settle for 10% which is a win for Nick and Ziggy. We see Glekas phone Spiros to make sure the deal is ok to make and they agree that Nick is smart and can be trusted.
Frank learns about the stolen cameras and confronts Nick demanding he return the cameras but Nick tells him they are already sold. Frank is pissed. Nick counters that he knows Frank has his own shady dealings on the dock but Frank angrily reminds him that what he does is for the union and trying to save the dock industry. When Nick delivers Ziggy’s share of the cameras, he tells Zig to be discreet about it and not flash the money around but that certainly falls on deaf ears considering Ziggy buys a 2k leather coat lol kinda hilarious that Nick is trying to be a big shot on the docks but still has to tell Aimee to leave through the back so his parents don’t know she slept over. Nick tells Aimee that he got some back pay to explain the stolen camera money and says they can start looking for their own place in the area. He brags to his Mom about the work he has been getting from the dock and brings his Dad home from Delores’s Bar where he spend most of his time after retiring when the docks shut down. Seeing Nick established as a good guy in a tough world made me concerned about his future. Glekas contacts Nick and asks him if he can get some chemicals for some more cash. Nick and Ziggy take the list to their contacts to see if they can acquire them.
Nick finds Ziggy in Delores’s Bar upset about his trouble with the drug dealers and while Nick is pissed Zig got involved with drugs, he knows he has to help him bc his life is in danger. But Nick already gave his share of the camera deal to Aimee for a new apartment so he will have to figure out another way to help him. In a meeting with Spiros and Sergei, Nick requests that the smuggling deal between the Greeks and Frank be put on hold due to the heat from Grand Jury summons and that Frank wants a meeting with the Greek. Spiros asks Nick if he can smuggle some chemicals for them and when Nick asks what they are for, Spiros says it’s just business. Nick is obviously worried these guys have some serious bad shit in mind for them and doesn’t want to be responsible for it. Nick and a union worker named La La go to find Cheese to try and figure out Ziggy’s debt. Nick asks Cheese for the car back so Ziggy can sell it to pay off the debt. Cheese agrees to give Ziggy another week but the car is going to be a problem considering they just set it on fire. Nick and La La drive back to Ziggy to deliver the bad news. Using the library, Nick and Ziggy research the chemicals and realize they are for processing hard drugs.
Nick meets with Spiros and tells him he knows the chemicals are for processing drugs paving the way for a potential partnership. The problem with Cheese comes up and Spiros offers to kill Cheese for them but Nick doesn’t want a war, just to settle Ziggy’s debt and get him out of trouble. This impresses Spiros who says that Nick is smart and agrees to send some muscle with Nick to talk to Prop Joe. Nick goes with Sergei to deal with the problems with Cheese and Prop Joe and Nick realizes how serious things are when Sergei brings a gun. Sergei settles things with Cheese and then goes to meet Prop Joe at his electronics shop to compensate Ziggy for his car. Nick is smart but also naïve as we see in the meeting with Prop Joe, “Nick: Thanks for bein’ straight on this. Proposition Joe: Fool, if it wasn’t for Sergei here, you and your cuz’ both would be cadaverous motherfuckers.” Lol no doubt Nick and Ziggy are beyond lucky they have the connection with the Greeks. But Prop Joe can also empathize with Nick’s situation trying to help out family, “Sergei: Family cannot be helped. Proposition Joe: Who you tellin’? I got motherfuckin’ nephews and in-laws fucking all my shit up all the time and it ain’t like I can pop a cap in their ass and not hear about it Thanksgivin’ time. For real, I’m livin’ life with some burdensome mothafuckers.” Lol true that. Nick delivers the chemicals to Spiros who offers to pay Nick with drugs instead of cash. I was yelling ‘TAKE THE CASH’ while Nick asks for half in drugs and half in cash. I wasn’t sure the connections with the Greeks would be enough to keep Nick safe in the game. But once again Nick shows his smarts by keeping Ziggy away from the package after what happened last time but is still giving him a cut.
Nick sets himself up with Ziggy’s connection Frog to move the package he got from the Greeks but this puts him on the radar with Carver and Herc who are watching Frog. It was almost over before Nick got started considering Herc and Carver had a bug in a tennis ball on the curb but Nick gets a huge break when Frog starts bouncing the tennis ball before finally tossing it away. Nick has to console Ziggy at Delores’s Bar bc Nick is far more successful in the drug trade and Zig thinks he has got a very promiscuous local woman pregnant. But Nick figures out that something isn’t right and that Ziggy has been pranked by Maui as revenge for the dong Ziggy put on his computer. Nick was def more like a big brother to Ziggy than a cousin. After the confrontation between Ziggy and Maui that ended with Ziggy stranded on a container, Nick can’t help but laugh at his cousin when he see’s him. Nick then meets with Frank at Delores’ bar who tells him about the heat from the cops the docks are seeing and asks Nick to accompany him to a meeting with The Greek. At the meeting, The Greek suggests that they only move clean containers for a while to get the cops off their trail but Nick and Frank insist they are still paid the same as if the containers were dirty. The Greek agrees to the terms knowing they will continue doing big business when the heat is off. While I was enjoying Nick rising up in the ranks I was also worried that things were eventually gonna go bad for him.
Nick meets with Spiros about their drug deal and since Nick is dealing in such low quantities, Spiros sets him up with White Mike’s contact info so Nick can deal directly with White Mike. Later Nick shows up at Delores’ Bar and finds a very drunk and riled up Ziggy who even tries to fight Nick but he is having none of that. Nick finds out that Ziggy is upset bc his duck died after being fed too much alcohol. Nick’s girlfriend Aimee finds the rolls of money Nick has been hiding from his drug deals and asks him about it. Nick says that he is being paid under the table by the Greek for working in the warehouse. She clearly doesn’t believe him but their family needs the money so she goes along with it. The news about Ziggy reaches Nick and hits him hard. He immediately goes to tell Frank who is pissed that Nick didn’t know what Ziggy was doing with the Greeks. We see Nick getting wasted in a park with a good friend named Prissy who knew Ziggy too. They sat around getting drunk telling stories about Ziggy being a dumbass giving us the great Ziggy line from Nick’s story, “College kids ain’t shit!” lol classic Zig.
We see Nick going to Little Johnny’s diner as he is watched by Herc and Carver but when Nick asks the cook to speak to Spiros, the cook acts like he has never heard of him. Nick goes home to his parent’s house and neither of them will speak to him until his Father says that the police have a warrant for his arrest at the South Eastern District. Nick still hasn’t turned himself in or been found but has finally arranged a meeting with Spiros who tells him that they can help with Ziggy. Nick phones Frank to give him the good news and arrange a meeting with the Greeks but Frank gives him shit for getting involved with drugs but says he is more upset at himself. Frank tells Nick he is going to the police but when Nick tells him about the Greeks offer to help Zig, Frank reconsiders. After considering the options, Franks puts his son over everything else and tells Nick he will take the meeting but that he is going alone bc he doesn’t want Nick having any further dealings with the Greeks.
Next day when Frank doesn’t return from the meeting with the Greeks, Nick drives out to the docks and finds Franks truck still there but empty. Nick goes back to the docks and gets the news that Frank is dead and has to be held back by the other workers from going after the Greek. Louis arrives and takes Nick down to the South Eastern District so he can turn himself in and give them information on the Greeks. Pearlman and Daniels interviews Nick who gives them all the information he has on Spiros, Eton and Sergei who he links to the killing of the crewman on the ship in Philly. Nick identifies the Greek in the photo they had but unfortunately doesn’t have any info on him that they can use. After the meeting Nick, Ashley and Aimee are placed in protective custody and Nick jokes that they finally have their own place together. Not the time, bud lol next day Nick goes to the dock for work but a guy named La La tells him they are too low on the totem pole so no work for them today, “Nick: Seniority sucks. La La: If you ain’t a senior.” Ain’t that the truth. The season ends with Nick on the docks mourning the death of his Uncle Frank.
That is the last we see of Nick until S5 when Mayor Carcetti is holding a press conference for a new project they are building on the harbour and we see Nick and the other dock workers yelling insults at Carcetti. Eventually Nick and the others are removed from the area as Carcetti asks who that was and the developer he is with says just a nobody. Def sums up how most in power look at working class people like Nick, just cogs in the machine to provide comfort for the “somebodies.” Too bad we didn’t see Nick end the show with a win but at least we got this little cameo. I liked Nick as a character and enjoyed the journey he took us on, def saw some of myself in him at times.
-Ziggy Sobotka – Underrated performance from James Ransone bringing us Ziggy who was certainly an interesting character. Kind of presented as an immature loser but I was waiting to see him come out of his shell and do something big but never saw things going the way they did. We meet Ziggy being fired by Frank for losing a container but we later learn Ziggy is Frank’s son so he isn’t actually fired. At the bar where all the dock workers are drinking, Ziggy is causing trouble and exposes his dong for all to see lol Ziggy had the gift of gab but didn’t know when to shut up or be respectful and he proves that when Nick lets him come along for the meeting with The Greek. Ziggy insults Sergei by calling him Boris which embarrasses Nick. After this I was sure Ziggy’s mouth was gonna get them in trouble. Drinking with the guys before work, Ziggy presents Nick with an opportunity to make some money through a connection Zig has with a guy named White Mike. Ziggy asks Nick to go in on a package they can buy and then sell to make some cash but Nick is not down with it due to Zig’s unreliability. We get a sense of why when Ziggy asks White Mike to front him the package, “Ziggy: Mike, I thought we was friends. White Mike: Did you fuck up the last two packages? Ziggy: …sorta. White Mike: And are you beat to shit? Ziggy: No? White Mike: Take a walk, my friend.” Lol
When Nick complains about the lack of work and his money troubles, Ziggy tries once again to convince Nick to buy and sell a package but Nick firmly turns it down saying it’s high risk but low reward. Something that is lower risk is stealing a container so Zig and Nick steal one that his full of cameras and try to sell it to a guy named Glekas that works as a fence for the Greeks. Ziggy was driving me nuts they way he was acting around these guys even using a camera to take a picture of Glekas which prompts him to smash the camera. I honestly thought it was only a matter of time before he acted like an idiot around someone that doesn’t put up with childish bullshit or a big mouth and really got himself hurt or worse. But Nick gets them a good deal for 10% of the worth of the cameras. Ziggy is lucky Nick was doing the deal bc we learn that neither Glekas or Spiros trusts him. Nick delivers Ziggy’s share of the cameras and tells him not to flash it around and keep things discreet. That goes out the window when Ziggy buys a 2k leather coat. Ziggy was clearly struggling with the lack of respect and responsibility despite being paid. When Glekas asks Nick if he can get him a list of chemicals, they go to a contact Ziggy knows named Johnny 50 to see if it can be done. While there, a guy named Maui starts giving Ziggy shit for stealing again from the docks. When Maui walks away from his desk, Ziggy goes on his computer and puts a picture of his dong on the main screen so Maui can’t remove it lol Ziggy sure loved his dick pics.
The stupid coat wasn’t the only thing Ziggy bought as we see Zig go to confront a dealer named Frog about the returns on a package he bought. Frog claims the package was stolen so Ziggy tries to intimidate and threaten him but Frog isn’t worried about it. As Ziggy tries to leave, the people that Ziggy owes for the package led by a dealer named Cheese block him in and deliver some real intimidation. Ziggy tries to offer them the 2k leather coat to make up for it but they laugh at him and steal his car telling Zig he will be dead in a week if he doesn’t come up with the money. Ziggy is drowning his sorrows at Delores’s Bar when Nick joins him and gives Zig shit for getting involved with drugs. Nick is pissed but decides to help Ziggy when he realizes his life is in danger. Later Ziggy and Nick look up the chemicals that Spiros wants them to get and they realize they are for processing hard drugs. Nick takes care of Ziggy’s problem with Cheese and gives him the compensation for his car but Ziggy is more concerned with not being allowed to get involved with the package Nick gets. Ziggy is def feeling like he is being treated like a kid who the other adults take care of and is desperate for more respect. As soon as Nick gives him the money for his car he buys the bar a round and then lights a bill on fire so he is clearly in a bad place. Frank talks to him outside and asks about the bruises he got from Cheese but Ziggy lies and says he fell. Ziggy and his Dad have a heart to heart talk about his childhood and Frank wishes he had gone to community college like his brother. I enjoyed this scene, Frank trying to be a loving Father to Ziggy who is having serious trouble figuring out a path in life.
Ziggy is bummed out drinking at Delores’s Bar bc he got a letter from a lawyer saying he got a very promiscuous local woman pregnant and is on the hook for child support. His mood gets worse when he realizes he is much less successful in the drug business than Nick. But things improve when Nick realizes something is off with the letter from the lawyer, it should have been served by a notary rather than hand delivered. They phone the number on the letter and Maui’s phone starts ringing while he is laughing his ass off at Zig. The whole thing was a prank as revenge for Ziggy putting his dong on Maui’s computer lol to rub it in further, Maui keeps playing ‘Love Child’ by The Supremes over and over and over lol some of the other union guys start to convince Ziggy he could and should kick Maui’s ass but everyone watching knows he has no chance and that the guys just want some entertainment seeing Ziggy get his ass handed to him. Ziggy eventually confronts Maui and to goes as everyone expects when Maui handles Ziggy easily and strands him up on top of a container. With everyone laughing, Ziggy realizes that the guys just wanted to the entertainment of seeing a fight. After he gets off the container, Ziggy meets up with a guy from the neighbourhood that keeps birds and buys a duck from him. So random but definitely something you could see Ziggy doing. Nick meets up with Ziggy later and can’t hold in his laughter about the ‘fight’ with Maui. Ziggy ends up at Delores’ bar and amuses the guys further with his antics with the duck giving it shots and beer. Kind of funny but I felt sorry for the duck, alcohol and animals do not mix.
In a moment that was not surprising, Ziggy is drinking with Johnny 50 and tells him he wants to get out of the drug business. Can’t say I blame him since it has brought him nothing but trouble. Later we see Nick find a drunk and riled up Ziggy in Delores’ Bar and find out it is bc the consequences of giving the duck alcohol have finally caught up, the duck is dead. Sad to see but you knew it was coming. I thought Ziggy getting out of the drug business would give him more longevity on the show but he goes from the frying pan into the fire. Ziggy meets with Glekas about providing Glekas stolen cars to sell overseas. Glekas is skeptical but eventually see’s the potential money to be made and agrees to give Ziggy a chance. It’s not a bad plan, Ziggy plans to steal cars from long-term parking on the docks, cut a hole in the fence and build a track across the grass to get the cars off the lot and make it look like an outside job. I thought the plan was solid but I knew that Ziggy didn’t have the reputation or respect to deal with higher up guys like Glekas without getting screwed over. Little did I know just how bad things were going to get for Zig.
After successfully getting the cars off the lot, Ziggy reports to Glekas that the job is done and that the cars are in a container being prepared to ship overseas. Immediately things start to go south when Glekas tells Ziggy he is cutting his share from 20% to 10%. Ziggy loses his cool and starts demanding his original 20% and insults Glekas who responds by giving Ziggy a quick beating before kicking him out of the warehouse. I knew this was gonna happen, not this quick but I knew it was inevitable that Glekas would start to undercut Ziggy but I was not at all expecting what comes next. Ziggy gets a gun from his car and goes back into the warehouse where he shoots Glekas to death and seriously wounds one of his employees with a shot in the stomach. Before leaving, Ziggy tosses his cut to the wounded employee obviously feeling remorse about shooting him. Back in his car, Ziggy breaks down crying and just sits there not even trying to escape. I was absolutely stunned about this twist, I knew the deal with Glekas wouldn’t end up good for Zig but I never dreamed he would be going to jail for murder. Prison would not be kind to Ziggy so I immediately started feeling empathy towards him. Zig was a good kid he just needed someone to give him some direction in life, Frank def tried but I think Zig needed more personal attention and Frank was responsible for the union so his time was so spread out.
We next see Ziggy in an interrogation room with SGT Landsman who has a confession for Zig to sign. Ziggy is completely co-operating and even asks for a change to be made in the confession to say that Glekas ‘begged’ him not to shoot instead of asked him not to shoot. Not hard to see that Ziggy is very remorseful and it was hard not to feel sorry for him. Glekas prob had it coming but Zig also shot an innocent kid so he deserved to be locked up. I def wished he had made a different decision but knew his story was over bc this is The Wire and Zig ain’t getting out of jail.
Next we see Ziggy brought into the visiting room where Frank is waiting for him and it’s clear Ziggy has already been beat up sporting multiple cuts and bruises. Franks asks him to explain what happened but Zig just says he was tired of being a punching bag. When Frank asks why Zig didn’t just come to him, Ziggy says that Frank was always busy with union business. Ziggy is worried about his Mom knowing he is in prison and expresses remorse for shooting the innocent store clerk. He tells Frank that they are not the same and when Frank tries to assure him that he is a real Sobotka, Ziggy just simply responds “I’m fucked” and goes back to the prison. Brutal scene knowing the hell Ziggy was walking back into and the pain his parents must have been feeling. And then when Frank is killed, knowing that was the last time he saw his Dad, I can’t even imagine the pain he is going to feel. In the closing montage of the season, we see Zig serving his time and it’s not going well. Man I really felt bad for this fictional character losing everything and condemning himself to a life of hell. Zig wasn’t a bad guy which is bold to say about someone that killed 2 people lol but man Zig just had that complex of wanting to impress the people that were the worst versions of themselves. Known lots of people like that. But he never really could bc he was closer to the best version of himself than the worst. He wasn’t the worst version of himself until he killed Glekas and the kid. Zig kept pushing into that world until it cost him his freedom and his life. Sad end to his story.
-Beadie Russell – I loved Beadie, awesome performance from Amy Ryan as Dock Police Officer Beadie who was def timid and introverted but started becoming more confident as the season went on. We meet her playfully asking Nick what he was stealing today after he gets back from a meeting about stealing a container lol Beadie makes the biggest discovery of her career when she see’s the container The Greek was going to steal that was put back on the dock with a broken customs seal, a big red flag. After searching the container she finds the dead bodies of over a dozen women and calls in the real police. Bc nobody wants over a dozen murders that prob won’t be solved they are quick to say the cause was accidental suffocation due to the air hole being crushed by another container and give the case to Beadie. McNulty comes by later when he hears about it bc he thinks there may be a connection between the dead girl he found in the water and the container. They check out the container and Jimmy realizes the air pipe was purposely crushed. Beadie and McNulty meet with the coroner who agrees that this I ground to consider the women murdered.
Landsman gives Beadie permission to wear plain clothes while she is on the investigation which was a nice touch. But Beadie and Bunk don’t have any luck tracking the movements of the container bc Beadie recognizes that the paperwork is all false. Beadie helps serve the Grand Jury summons to Frank Sobotka and his guys but their lips are sealed and they give up nothing. Bunk asks Beadie if she has any contacts on the docks they can use as an informant but she doesn’t. However she did date a worker named Maui that works the dock computers so she goes to see him but Maui realizes pretty quick that Beadie isn’t interested in him and only wants to use him to get information. Maui doesn’t give her any specific info but lets her know that the dock computers have permanent records that may help them to track the containers.
Daniels takes the team through a meeting going over what they have on Frank Sobotka so far and Lester says it looks like he lives within his means they did find a paper trail of about 70k in political contributions. Herc says they have had some success making hand to hand busts on the street level but have found no link btwn drugs and the union. Beadie suggests that the union is making extra money by helping to smuggle drugs in and out of the port. Daniels introduces Beadie and Bunk to the rest of the team saying they are there working on the 14 jane doe dock container murders. Lester is assigned to work with Beadie and Bunk. As they leave Herc asks her out on a date and she declines lol what an idiot. Later, Beadie shows Bunk and Daniels how to track the containers and it is long, boring, tedious work that has Bunk running for the bar. Next day Beadie and Lester finish surveillance and report their findings to Daniels while Bunk deals with a brutal hangover lol they find that all the missing containers can be linked to a dock worker named Horseface which would give them a lead on the jane doe murders but Daniels is still reluctant to take the case.
Next we see Beadie and Bunk meet with Landsman to talk about using computers to monitor the dock traffic now that they know which containers to watch. Landsman is initially annoyed but relaxes when they tell him Daniels has granted them space in the details office. Lester watches clean checkers to familiarize himself with how things work and when they pick up containers being worked by Horseface, they call in Prez and Kima to trail them. They do and find the container goes to Glekas warehouse where they see Sergei meeting with Prop Joe and get photos of it. Beadie, Bunk and Lester decide they have to convince Daniels to take the case bc he will allow for the type of investigation that will actually let them solve it. Next day Beadie, Prez and Lester notice another container being worked by Horseface they have it tracked to the warehouse but when Frank sends out a clean container as a test, McNulty follows it while Beadie arranges a stop to slow it down. This proves to Frank that they are being watched by police. We see Beadie go for a drink with McNulty and they discuss their past relationships before heading back to her place for another drink. I was not happy that McNulty might womanize Beadie but thankfully he has some shred of a conscience and leaves after he sees pictures of her kids.
There hasn’t been much activity for their targets so they step things up and have Beadie man 1 of the remaining wiretaps. Later we see Kima ask Beadie about balancing a career with being a mother with Kima saying she thinks she would miss being on raids with her colleagues. That night Kima phones Beadie to tell her the raid is going down now so they can try to get what they can now that the Greeks are shutting things down. The raid goes down and Beadie finds weapons in Eton’s home. Back at the office, Beadie questions Daniels about leaving Spiros on the street and Daniels says they are hoping that he will lead them to the man in charge. During the interrogations, Beadie and Kima get nothing but abuse for Ilona. After the team decides to follow Spiros hoping he leads them to the Greek , Beadie begins her first foot pursuit and is def nervous but does a great job and manages to follow him unseen right to his hotel room. McNulty and Bunk are impressed with her skills. Unfortunately Spiros knew from the start that they were tailing him and had another car ready to go so that the team just waited by his original car and he never showed up.
Back at the office, Beadie asks Daniels why Frank hasn’t been offered protection for co-operation when she hears them discussing giving that offer to White Mike. Beadie thinks she can get Frank to talk about the Greeks and Pearlman agrees to give her a chance. We see Beadie visit Frank and pleads with him to talk to the police saying there are many kinds of wrong and that he is better than the people he got involved with. It works and Frank comes in and agrees to become and informant. Next day we see Beadie and Bunk travel to Philly to try and get more information about the murder of the crewman but aren’t having any luck when an officer reveals that they keep security tapes. The tapes implicate Sergei in the murder and when they show it to him, he starts to talk and tells them Vondas killed the crewman bc the crewman killed the 14 women in the container. With Frank Sobotka murdered and the Greeks gone without a trace, the investigations are over and we see Beadie return to he regular work patrolling the docks.
We don’t see her in S3 until he last episode when McNulty shows up at her house saying he is ready to pursue a relationship and I was yelling NOOOOO lol i hate seeing sweet women waste their time with trash males and McNulty at his worst was a huge piece of trash. Beadie asks him what changed and he can’t really explain and just says that he finished something and that the qualities that make him a great detective also make him wrong for everything else. Ready to give him a chance, Beadie invites him in for a drink but he asks to meet her kids instead. Gave me hope that McNulty would be closer to the best version of himself with Beadie. In S4 we see Bunk visit Beadie and McNulty at her house and they are doing great. Bunk wants to go for a drink with McNulty but he refuses having cleaned up his bad habits but Beadie encourages him to go with Bunk knowing how good of friends they are. As S4 ends we see Beadie in bed with McNulty and they are discussing Bodie’s murder when McNulty talks about the new Major Crimes Unit investigation into the crew that killed Bodie. Beadie is concerned realizing McNulty wants to get involved but he says he feels like he owes it to Bodie and feels things will be different now that he has less vices and anger thanks to being with Beadie. I was really hoping McNulty could stay the same good guy after going back to work as a detective but I wasn’t holding my breath.
Good thing I didn’t hold my breath bc as S5 starts we see McNulty is back to his old ways if not worse as he is drinking and flirting with women. He phones Beadie to tell her he will be late but is slurring his words so she knows he is drunk. That night she can’t sleep so she goes to turn the porch light off but obviously loves McNulty and doesn’t want to give up on him yet so she leaves the light on for him. This is exactly why I didn’t want Beadie with McNulty. And we, the viewers, see that McNulty cheats on Beadie even having sex with a woman in public on the hood of his car like how much more disrespectful can this fcking guy be. Beadie doesn’t know for sure he is cheating but def knows that he is back drinking regularly again. When he comes home and tries to cover his breath with mouthwash, she asks him where he was and he says he was called to a suspicious death but she suspicious since he was working the day shift and calls like that are rare during the day. McNulty says he could be called to any death related to his serial killer at this point so she asks him why he didn’t come home after his shift and he admits to being at a bar. Beadie confirms she can smell the alcohol and tries to remind him of the strength of their relationship saying that she didn’t believe people who tried to warn her about his self destructive behaviour. He gets a call and prepares to leave again saying that he is chasing a serial killer but Beadie says he is chasing more than that and shouldn’t come home if he doesn’t want to be there.
Later we see Beadie go to the homicide unit while McNulty sleeps off a hangover and talks to Bunk about McNulty’s behaviour. She says that she doesn’t want to know what he has done, she just wants to know if Bunk thinks it is worth staying in the relationship hoping that his behaviour will change. Beadie is ready to throw McNulty out so Bunk tries to defend him telling her about the serial killer case but she is a police officer too and can’t accept a case as an excuse. Bunk says he can’t tell her what to do and she leaves saying that she doesn’t like giving up. Beadie has taken the kids out of the house for a few days until she gets things figured out with McNulty and we see her return with the kids refusing to say where she has been only saying that next time it will be McNulty leaving bc that is her house. No doubt. Then Beadie hits McNulty with some serious truth in a great speech, “All the guys at the bar, Jimmy, all the girls; they don’t show up at your wake. Not because they don’t like you. But because, they never knew your last name. Then a month later, someone tells them, “Oh, Jimmy died.” “Jimmy who?” “Jimmy the Cop.” “Ohhh,” they say, “him”. And all the people on the job, all those people you spent all the hours in the radio cars with, the guys with their feet up on the desk, tellin’ stories, who shorted you on your food runs, who signed your overtime slips. In the end, they’re not gonna be there either. Family, that’s it. Family, and if you’re lucky, one or two friends who are the same as family. That’s all the best of us get. Everything else is just…” Wow man what a stand out moment for her character.
McNulty admits that he fabricated the serial killer bc he was so angry that they shut down the investigation into the Stanfield crew and says that he doesn’t know where his anger comes from or how to stop it. He tells her about using money for the serial killer to fund the investigation into Marlo and that he feels terrible about doing it. Beadie is really scared that he is gonna go to jail over this and is hurt that he would do something like this without consulting her first. McNulty says, “You start to tell the story, you think you’re the hero, and then when you get done talking…” but Beadie goes back into the house before he is done talking. I wanted to see McNulty as the best version of himself with Beadie but at this point I was hoping he would just walk away. But then it seems like we might get that happy ending as McNulty is forced to “retire” from police work after his serial killer lie is exposed but everyone involved feels it’s better to keep it quiet. Last we see of Beadie is McNulty coming home to her and with police work behind him, I think they have a great future together. I was late to the Wire party so i had already seen Amy Ryan on The Office and loved her from that so that made me feel even more protective of her when I watched her with McNulty. Beadie was a sweet, kind, almost shy character that was a nice contrast from all the big, bold personalities we saw from everyone else. I was happy she got her moment to shine in S2 and stayed on the show until the end as she was an important part of McNulty’s story arc.
-Spiros Vondopoulos “Vondas” – Really great performance from Paul Ben-Victor as the calm, collected but dangerous Spiros. Who knew drinking from a tiny coffee cup could be so intimidating lol Spiros is the 2nd in command to The Greek and usually handles in person business. He attends the meeting with Nick about stealing another container and puts up with Ziggy’s bullshit which surprised me. After the girls are found dead in the container Frank pulled for Spiros, Frank goes to meet him and furiously vents his frustrations about not being told there were humans in the container. Spiros says he didn’t tell him bc Frank doesn’t need or want to know what is ever in the containers to keep him safe if anything happens. After Frank leaves, Spiros talks to a man that has been sitting in the restaurant during every meeting and we learn it is The Greek. Later after Sergei tracks the ship the container was on to a Philly port and captures a crew member trying to flee, Spiros and The Greek interrogate him by tying him to a chair naked. The crew member tells The Greek that he let his crew have sex with the girls for money when he let the girls out for fresh air but 1 of the girls refused to have sex with them for money so one of the guys killed her and threw her overboard which was witnessed by the rest of the girls. Since they had seen a murder, the crew member thought it would be safer to kill the rest of the girls so he smashed in their air pipe. After he is finished telling them what happened, Spiros cuts his throat and the Greek tells him to make sure there are no fingerprints or face to recognize. Fn sick man but smart from a criminal perspective bc unsolved murders don’t put you in jail.
Spiros gives Nick a list of chemicals to track down in addition to their regular smuggling but won’t reveal what the chemicals are for. Nick tells Spiros they need to suspend their deal for now due to the heat from the Grandy Jury summons and that Frank wants a meeting with The Greek. Spiros assures him the investigation into the 14 dead women will see nothing but dead ends. Spiros talks to the Greek who refuses to meet with Frank but offers to double the regular payment to make up for it. Frank is pissed the Greek won’t meet with him and tries to balk at the doubled payment but Spiros points out the closed steel factories implying that Frank needs them. During another meeting, Frank tells them that the containers are being tracked and that the city police have a dock police officer working with them. The Greek is impressed and suggests that they only move clean containers for a while until the heat dies down. Frank agrees but insists on being paid the same as if the containers were dirty which the Greek agrees to.
Spiros meets with Nick about Nick’s new foray into the drug business and sets him up with White Mike’s contact information to deal with directly since it is such a low quantity of drugs. Not worth the risk for Spiros. Next we see The Greek meet with his FBI contact who informs them that an FBI Agent and McNulty are looking into his business. So Spiros immediately has the cook at the diner phone Eton to organize a meeting and tell him to stop using phones. At the meeting which is observed by Bunk and McNulty, Eton reports Ziggy’s murder of Glekas and the employee to Spiros who orders him to clean out the store and warehouse. He also tells him to get rid of all his phones and even throws his own phone into the water. The Major Crimes Unit decides not to arrest Spiros with everyone else to try and get The Greek too but that proves to be a huge mistake. The trail Spiros from his house to a meeting and then to a hotel. Kima waits by his car while Beadie trails Spiros on foot to his hotel room. Spiros leaves the hotel but when he gets to the parking garage, he switches cars and drives away while Kima is left waiting by the car he drove in. Shows you how fcking smart you have to be to last in the drug game.
Next we see Spiros eating dinner with The Greek but really only the Greek is eating bc Spiros is worried about the investigation closing in on them and they decide it’s best to leave Baltimore. The Greek wants them to tie up their loose ends but Spiros doesn’t want to kill the Sobotka’s and says the could guarantee their loyalty by helping Ziggy. Spiros says it would be easy to influence the witness to change their story. The Greek realizes that Spiros is fond of Nick and says he should have had a son, “Spiros: You don’t have to worry about Nicko…The Greek: You are fond of him Spiros. You should have had a son. Spiros: But then I would have had a wife.” lol later we see The Greek and Spiros waiting for Frank when The Greek gets a call from his FBI contact telling him that Frank is now an informant. The Greek tells Spiros that his way won’t work and we know what that means. Next day we see Frank’s body pulled out of the river so we know what happened at the meeting. Motherfuckers.
We see The Greek meet with Spiros to discuss their future plans and The Greek decides to leave Nick alone bc the police are watching him and he doesn’t really know that much about them, “Spiros: He knows my name, but my name is not my name. And you… to them you’re only “The Greek.” The Greek: And, of course, I’m not even Greek.” Spiros asks what to do about their last shipment that is on the docks and the Greek thinks it is best to just leave it. Next we see Spiros meet with Prop Joe to discuss their future business and Spiros tells him that they have people coming in to restart their operation. Prop Joe asks where they are going but Spiros just walks away without answering. I couldn’t believe it was actually happening but the Greeks get away with their crimes for now as we see Spiros and The Greek get on a plane to leave the US just as the police are raiding their hotel.
We don’t see Spiros again until S5 when see that the Greeks are back in Baltimore as Marlo tries to offer Spiros a tribute to take the connection for himself. At first Marlo tries to bring Spiros money that is directly off the street so just dirty prob with traces of drugs still on some of it so Spiros tells Marlo he needs to launder his money. Marlo comes back with clean money but Spiros still doesn’t want to accept it bc they don’t need another street level connection and they are happy with how things work through Prop Joe. But The Greek interjects and says that they will take Marlo’s tribute. After Marlo leaves, The Greek says that he could tell that Marlo would keep coming back until they took the tribute. Marlo kills Prop Joe but blames it on Omar so he is the new contact and we see Spiros inducting him into their smuggling ring. Spiros tells Marlo that the quality he most liked about Prop Joe was his dependability, “Spiros: In business…Life…What you learn to appreciate is a dependable man…One day same as the next…” No doubt. Spiros tries to give Marlo a phone and Marlo is skeptical but Spiros schools him in the game a bit, “Marlo: Man, I don’t talk on no cell phones. Spiros: Here. To call for lunch, you can talk. To call your girl, you can talk. To call your lawyer even, you can talk–the law says that is between you and the lawyer. Alright? To find out what movie is playing down the street, you can talk. All of that is good because all of that tells them… there is nothing good to hear.” Fn smart. He also teaches Marlo how to communicate without talking or sending text messages and Spiros makes it clear that only Marlo and his second in command are to know how to contact the Greeks.
The connection with Marlo doesn’t last long after Marlo and the Stanfield crew are busted but bc of an illegal wiretap, Marlo walks free and sells his connection to the remaining members of the Co-Op. In the closing montage of the show, we see Spiros giving the same speech he gave Marlo to Fat Face Rick, Slim Charles and the rest of the New Day Co-Op who will take over the connection after Marlo leaves the game. Unbelievable that he made it alive and well past the end of the show but that is reality, bad guys rarely get what’s coming to them and a lot of times they never get caught. Really great character though I always enjoyed when Spiros was on screen and def would have liked to see a more expanded role in the last seasons. But he killed Frank so he can fuck off lol
-The Greek – Perfect performance from Bill Raymond as The Greek who was basically a mafia Godfather type character. During the meetings, the Greek is usually sitting nearby unbeknownst to most people blending in as a regular customer. After Frank talks with Spiros after the girls are found dead, we get a look at exactly who The Greek is when Spiros has a conversation with him. Sergei uses a fake police ID to get into a port in Philly where they chase down one of the crew members on the ship that transferred the container with the girls that ended up dead. They catch him and tie him to a chair naked where Spiros starts to interrogate him until the Greek takes over using more of a friendly approach. The crew member tells The Greek he let his crew members have sex with the girls for money after they were let out of the container for a break. One of the girls did not want to have sex with the crew so one of them killed her and threw her overboard which was witnessed by all of the girls. The crew member decided since all the girls witnessed a murder it was safer to kill them so he smashed the air pipe closed. Despite The Greek acting friendly, it was only an act considering as soon as the crew member told them what he knew, Spiros cut his throat. The Greek then instructs Spiros to make sure there are no finger prints or face to recognize. Yikes.
The police investigation into the docks is heating up but the Greek is not worried. He refuses to meet with Frank but offers to double the regular payment to smooth things over while the heat is on. Later during a meeting, Frank tells The Greek that the cops are now watching the containers and have a dock police officer working with them. The Greek is impressed that Frank was able to figure this out and suggests they only move clean containers for a while to throw off the cops. Frank agrees but insists that he is still paid as if they were moving the dirty containers which The Greek agrees to. We learn during a meeting with Jimmy and his FBI contact Fitz that The Greek also has a contact in the FBI who tips the Greek off to Jimmy and Fitz looking into their business. At a dinner with his crew, The Greek is annoyed with their Columbian partners unreliability and leaks info about a Columbian shipment to his FBI contact as a thank you for helping to protect the Greek and keep him informed on any potential investigations.
When the Major Crimes Unit tracks Spiros to his hotel, their surveillance actually gets a picture of The Greek but they have no idea what he looks like so it’s just a random old man to them. Later after the police have made arrests and raids on their business, The Greek and Spiros are at dinner but Spiros can’t eat bc he is worried about the police closing in on them. They decide that it is best for them to leave Baltimore and The Greek wants them to tie up their loose ends but Spiros is reluctant to kill the Sobotka’s. Spiros thinks they could guarantee the loyalty of the Sobotka’s if they help Ziggy and that it would be easy to influence the witness to change their story. The Greek realizes that Spiros is fond of Nick and says he should have had a son to which Spiros responds then he would have had to have a wife lol we see The Greek and Spiros waiting for their meeting with Frank when The Greek’s FBI contact phones to tell him that Frank is now an informant. The Greek tells Spiros that his way won’t work and we know what that means for Frank. Did not expect the tables to be turned here I thought the Greek was goin down.
As the last episode of S2 starts we see Franks body pulled from the river so he did not survive that meeting with The Greeks. We see The Greek meet with Spiros to discuss further plans and the Greek decides to leave Nick alone bc the police are watching for him and he doesn’t really have any info on them, “Spiros: He knows my name, but my name is not my name. And you… to them you’re only “The Greek.” The Greek: And, of course, I’m not even Greek.” Fuck these guys are always 10 steps ahead I couldn’t believe they were gonna just get away. But that’s exactly what happens, the police raid the Greeks hotel as the Greek and Spiros are boarding a plane to leave the US. Def did not see that coming but this made me realize that The Wire was on another level. We don’t see The Greek again until S5 when Marlo meets with Spiros about business and The Greek interrupts to accept Marlo’s offer of a tribute to gain their connection for himself. After Marlo leaves, The Greek says he knew Marlo would keep coming back until they said yes so they might as well take the money. In the closing montage of the show, we see The Greek sitting at the bar as Spiros gives Fat Face Rick, Slim Charles and the remaining members of the New Day Co-Op that are taking over the connection the same speech he gave Marlo. Def frustrating that The Greek never got caught but that’s real life for you, the bad guys rarely get what’s coming to them. Loved the character, def seemed like you were watching a real person and it was impressive to see a Godfather type character that works in a show that is so dedicated to realism. But he killed Frank so fuck him lol
–Melvin ‘Cheese’ Wagstaff – Took me a second but I knew he was familiar, fck yeah Method Man in the building lol we are introduced to Cheese when he confronts Ziggy for not paying for a package he was given. Cheese laughs when Ziggy offers his 2k leather coat as partial payment and takes Ziggy’s car instead. Later, Nick tries to negotiate for Ziggy and get the car back. Cheese agrees to give Ziggy another week to pay but shows Nick that they have just torched the car. I thought that was a dumb move to just light a potential pay day on fire but having fun seeing it on fire was worth more I guess. Next we see Cheese accompany Stringer for a meeting with Bodie where Stringer tells him that Cheese will be taking over 3 of the 6 towers and Bodie doesn’t understand why they are giving up territory so Stringer asks him to think about where their latest package of good quality shit came from. Bodie responds by stealing a sale to Bubbles from 1 of Cheese’s guys but Cheese acts like it doesn’t bother him and the 2 continue to talk shit to each other. We see a man dressed in a suit and a bowtie approach Cheese and tells him to move along if he doesn’t work for Avon Barksdale and Cheese starts insulting him for wearing the suit and bowtie saying he should go away and sell bean pies lol you knew he was about to get his mouth shut, only question was if it would be permanent. Brother Mouzone, the man in the suit and bowtie, threatens Cheese and tells him again to leave so Cheese tries to punch him but Mouzone shoots him in the arm. Fortunately for Cheese it was just a rat shot that he used but next time it will be a bullet. Cheese gets the message and leaves.
Cheese goes to see his uncle Prop Joe about the Brother Mouzone problem and wants to retaliate but Prop Joe is shook bc knows exactly who Brother Mouzone is and how deadly he is. Joe says it would be way to dangerous to put a contract out on Mouzone bc if he found out he would come back at Joe first and then the rest of them and figures Avon must have hired him to protect the territory. He knows there is no way Stringer can move against Mouzone bc that would be going against Avon a second time and says there is only 1 guy in Baltimore that could take on Mouzone but he doesn’t work for any contract. Next time we see Cheese is the start of S3 when he is under surveillance by the Major Crimes Unit and Cheese is taking extra precautions not using a phone and only doing business face to face and sending messages through his number 2 in charge. Later Cheese is promoted after Mann is arrested. Next day we Cheese at a dog fight with his dog named Dog lol dogfighting isn’t funny though dogs are such naturally kind and loyal animals so for people to make them mean and fight each other just makes me sick to be perfectly honest. Dog loses quickly but instead of being given medical attention, Cheese executes him. So fucked up. 1 of Cheese’s dealers named Tree suspects foul play with the dogs and kills the other dogs trainer named Jelly.
Cheese talks about shooting Dog over the phone and is soon arrested and brought in bc the Major Crimes Unit thinks Dog is a person and that Cheese committed murder. In the interrogation room, Cheese breaks down when Bunk and McNulty make him tell the story of killing Dog but quickly realize they have nothing other than animal cruelty to charge him with and they let him go. We don’t see Cheese again until S4 when he is chilling with Slim Charles when Omar comes to meet with Prop Joe. After the meeting, Cheese leaves to go to a meeting with Marlo and he is his usual jovial self but they are all stone faced and he calls them semper fi motherfuckers lol Marlo pays Cheese more than the agreed price and asks for a bigger shipment of drugs but Cheese says he can’t authorize that and says he will have to discuss it with Prop Joe. Cheese gives Monk a burner phone and the Stanfield crew is not happy they are using phones but Cheese says they don’t need to answer it, the call is the signal that the meeting is ready. After the meeting, Cheese heads to pick up the shipment of drugs but during the exchange, Omar and his crew show up and steal the shipment. Cheese reports the stolen shipment to Prop Joe who is worried the co-op won’t believe it was stolen and will think he is holding it back for himself.
After Prop Joe agrees to put Marlo in touch with his connection to the drugs, Cheese and Slim Charles try to tell him it’s a bad idea bc he will eventually look to cut them out as Omar arrives and they both start threatening him. Omar is offering to sell their heroin back to the for 20 cent son the dollar and Prop Joe will take the pride hit bc he knows that price is better than a total loss. Cheese threatens to torture Omar while Prop Joe just agrees to pay Omar’s price. Few days later, Cheese is present when Marlo makes a deal with Prop Joe to clean 200k in cash for 20 cents on the dollar and Marlo also tells Prop Joe to tell the co-op that he is offering 50k for information on anyone known to associate with Omar. Prop Joe tells Marlo it’s a bad idea to go after Omar and when Marlo leaves, Prop Joe tells Cheese he will not give Marlo information on Omar bc he is happy he has left Baltimore and would like to see him never return. Just when you thought Cheese couldn’t get any lower than killing Dog, we see him meet with Chris Partlow and give him information on Butchie. Chris asks if Prop Joe knew about Butchie but Cheese says that is not relevant and is more than happy to take the money. Considering what they do to Butchie, this makes Cheese 1 of the biggest pieces of shit in the show. Next day, Prop Joe holds a meeting with the new day co-op members Marlo, Slim Charles, Cheese, Philboy, Ghost, Hungry Man and Ricardo “Fat-Face Rick” Hendrix when Hungry Man brings up a grievance against Cheese for the division of new territory in Baltimore County. Cheese if livid and insults Hungry Man so Prop Joe steps in and tells Cheese to check himself bc he is not a charter member of the Co-Op. Prop Joe tells Hungry man that Cheese will respect the agreed to boundaries and Cheese storms out of the meeting as Marlo watches looking intrigued.
That night we see Chris take Cheese to one of the vacant houses where they stash bodies and inside is Hungry Man tied up as Chris says that it is a gift from Marlo and that there are a lot of benefits to giving and receiving favours. Next we see Cheese with Prop Joe helping him get ready to leave town and Cheese asks why he kept the house so long as Prop Joe explains his Grandfather bought it and was the first African American in the neighbourhood to own a house. As Cheese leaves, Prop Joe warns him about Omar returning but Cheese tells him not to worry. Next day, Cheese is present at the Co-Op meeting with Marlo now leading it as Prop Joe and Hungry Man have been killed but Marlo blames the murders on Omar. Marlo tries to assign Hungry Man’s territory to Slim Charles but he declines saying he is not ready so Marlo gives it to Cheese pouring salt in the grave for Hungry Man. Marlo ends the Co-Op meetings for good saying all East side supply goes through Cheese and the West side supply goes through Monk and he also raises the price of a kilo by 30k. Days later we see Cheese and his crew arrive at the warehouse but it is soon raided and Cheese is arrested by Sydnor. Cheese sits in jail with Marlo, Chris and Monk and they discuss the raid and that Michael Lee was probably the snitch when Marlo goes off on an angry rant upon hearing that Omar trashed his name in the streets without a response bc nobody told Marlo.
Cheese is the only 1 that is able to post bail and before he leaves Marlo instructs him to assemble a crew and hunt down and kill Michael. After Marlo is able to cut a deal to get out of jail, he agrees to sell the Greek connection to the remaining 10 members of the New Day Co-Op for 10 million and afterwards the members meet in the parking lot. But the meeting goes south quick when Fat Face Rick is nostalgic about Prop Joe, “Fat Face Rick: Shit, ngga, we was good when your uncle had it. You had to go ahead and put up with Marlo…[Cheese pulls a gun on Rick] Cheese: See that? See now, that’s just the wrong way to look at it. ‘Cause Joe had his time and Omar put an end to that. Then Marlo had his time, short as it was, and the police put an end to that. And now, motherfucker, it’s our time. Mines and yours. But instead of just shutting up and kicking in, you gon’ stand there, crying that back in the day shit. Fat Face Rick: Cheese… Cheese: There ain’t no back in the day, ngga! Ain’t no nostalgia to this shit here. There’s just the street, the game, and what happen here today. Fat Face Rick: You right.[Cheese lowers the gun]] Cheese: When it was my uncle, I was with my uncle. When it was Marlo, I was with him. But now, nigga–[Slim Charles shoots Cheese in the head] Clinton “Shorty” Buise: What the fuck you do that for?! Now we short the nine! Slim Charles: That was for Joe. Gangster: Motherfucker had it comin’. Clinton “Shorty” Buise: This sentimental motherfucker just cost us money!” Fck yeah he more than earned that bullet lol always been a fan of Method Man so it was great to watch him as a character on this show esp in a role where you could hate him, shows that he wasn’t just along for the ride acting wise he more than held his own. Happy that Cheese got what was coming to him in the end but he was a fun character to watch.
-Slim Charles – Great addition to the cast as an enforcer for Stringer, a strong performance from Anwar Glover made sure that Slim Charles stood out and didn’t just fade into the background. We meet him in S3 in a meeting with Stringer, Bodie, Poot and Puddin about what strategy to use moving forward. The crew wants to take new territory by force while Stringer scolds them for the last time they tried to take new territory and brought big police presence. Slim Charles and Poot still want to take new territory but Stringer wants to starts selling the product to the dealers and let them worry about territory telling the crew to start thinking like men. The Barksdale crew is sick of Omar robbing them so they put Slim and others in the stash house heavily armed waiting in case Omar shows up. He does and a big shootout goes down with Tosha from Omar’s crew being killed but they get away with the money. Slim has to break the bad news to Stringer who is not happy with this news or the business in general lately. Stringer tells Omar to watch Tosha’s funeral in case Omar shows up but it’s Omar who is watching Slim at the funeral.
Later, Slim helps Avon and Stringer survey territory and when Avon asks why they don’t have a crew nearby to Marlo’s, Slim tells him that their crew was run off by Marlo’s. This obviously does not sit well with Avon and he vows to take back his corners. Avon tells Slim to get Cutty and the best of their muscle to make an attack on Marlo’s crew. Slim and Cutty plan an attack and explain it to Gerard, Country and Chipper. Slim and Cutty will approach on foot through the alley to distract Marlo’s guys while the 3 of them will drive by in a car and blast em. But good help is def hard to find as Chipper the driver, spots a Stanfield soldier and decides to make a move before Slim and Cutty give the signal. They alert the lookouts making their move and Chipper is immediately killed causing the car to crash. Country is killed getting out of the car and Gerard is barely able to escape with his life. What an absolute disaster lol Slim and Cutty report the failure to Avon but can’t give him details until they find Gerard. Stringer wants to regroup to build up muscle, Avon wants to act himself but Slim steps up and says him n Cutty will do it themselves to a void any more fuck ups. Avon gives them the green light.
Slim n Cutty cruise the neighbourhood and catch Fruit’s crew off guard with Slim killing a young runner and Cutty ready to kill Fruit but can’t do it and lets him go. Slim thinks that he ruined Cutty’s shot by going too early and apologizes. When Slim admits fault for another failed attempt, Avon is disappointed Cutty didn’t kill anyone. Slim starts to take the blame when Cutty speaks up and says he couldn’t do it and that the game isn’t in him anymore. Avon lets Cutty go and tells Slim that he still has respect for him. Next day we see Slim telling Avin the news that Marlo has withdrawn his crews from all corners and Avon orders Slim to take all of them as soon as the police presence is gone from the area. Slim sends Poot to 1 of Marlo’s corners with a bunch of soldiers and Poot worries about retaliation from Marlo. We see Slim and Avon back at their office and Avon gives Slim a contact in social services so they can track down some of Omar’s relatives. Slim thinks it is a mistake to split their attention on Marlo and Omar but Avon says now that he is out they can handle anything. Avon tells Slim that since they can’t get to Marlo directly, they will get Devonne on him.
After 2 Barksdale soldiers attack Omar while he is taking his Grandmother to church, Slim berates them for breaking the truce about violence on Sundays esp when Omar was with his Grandmother and esp for failing to kill Omar. Slim is esp pissed they destroyed Omar’s Grandmothers crown hat and says they would never have done that in front of an old lady if their mother’s had raised them right lol damn but he ain’t lying. Slim reports to Avon that they have killed 2 Stanfield soldiers and continues to plan the war with him despite Stringer’s protests. Later we see Stringer come to Slim and ask him to kill the Senator Clay Davis lol bit of a step up from Marlo’s crew and Slim tries to talk sense to Stringer that he is asking for something crazy. Thankfully Avon was listening and steps in to let Stringer know that killing Clay Davis is Stringer’s problem and requires a better assassin than Slim Charles. Later we see Slim chilling with Avon when Cutty comes to ask for a loan for his boxing gym but when the figure he was so nervous to ask for turns out to be 10k, Slim and Avon have a good laugh.
After Stringer is killed, Slim and the Barksdale crew who believe Marlo’s crew did it and want revenge, go to Avon who is refusing to speak to anyone. Avon agrees to talk to Slim but tells him Stringer wasn’t killed by Marlo and that he has lost interest in the war with Marlo. Easy for Avon to say he is mostly removed from it but his crew has been living the war and Slim let’s him know, “Don’t matter who did what to who at this point. Fact is, we went to war and now there ain’t no goin’ back. I mean, shit, it’s what war is, you know? Once you in it, you in it. If it’s a lie, then we fight on that lie. But we gotta fight.” Scary mentality for anyone to have, nobody should ever fight on a lie but I understand why he feels that way. Next we see that Slim has tracked Marlo to Vinson’s Rim Shop and that he is with minimal protection so this is their chance to get him and end this. But the major Crimes Unit has a wire on them and when they hear Slim call in Marlo’s location, they move on the Barksdale safehouse arresting most of the crew including Avon. As Slim watches them eat and then leave, he has to admit that he missed his shot at Marlo.
S4 sees Slim Charles part of the co-op mostly working with Prop Joe. We see him meet with Bodie after receiving an ultimatum from Marlo to sell his product or leave. Bodie wants to fight them off the corner himself while Slim says that is a bad idea. No shit lol the Co-Op has a problem with New York dealers starting to encroach on Baltimore so Prop Joe wants to negotiate with Marlo to fight NY together but Slim doesn’t think he’ll have much success since even Stringer couldn’t get Marlo to see reason. In a surprise, Prop Joe is able to convince Marlo to work with them and has killed some NY dealers for them but Slim speaks up to say Marlo’s technique of hiding the bodies is lessening the impact so Marlo agrees to leave some bodies on the street. After Prop Joe cuts a deal with Old Face Andre who betrayed Marlo, Slim drives Andre to the airport but it is a double cross and takes him to the vacant houses instead where Chris and Snoop are waiting.
We see Slim meet with Bodie and Poot and welcomes Poot home from jail also informing them that Marlo had Little Kevin killed. Later, Prop Joe discusses his plan to let Marlo meet his contact Spiros to clear Cheese in the robbery of their drug shipment. Slim and Cheese do not agree with this since they both think Marlo will try to go around Joe and make the contact for himself and once he does that he could cut them out. Later while Prop Joe is introducing Marlo to a contact for money laundering, Slim and Chris stay outside chillin and have a funny exchange about the difference between their bosses. After Butchie is killed, we see Slim and Prop Joe at the florist as they arrange to have flowers sent for Butchie’s funeral. Prop Joe leaves a nice message on the card but Slim doesn’t think that will be enough to deter Omar’s wrath. Slim asks about Marlo who ordered Butchie’s death and Prop Joe says he doesn’t blame Marlo but whoever told Marlo about Butchie. Prop Joe correctly assumes it was Cheese but Slim says he won’t act until they have confirmation. With Omar comin, Prop Joe says he is going into hiding and will leave Cheese in charge with Slim watching him to see of he spends the 50k he would have got for the info about Butchie.
Later we see Slim come home to his apartment and Omar is waiting for him with his shotgun asking for Prop Joe’s location but Slim won’t give it up so Omar smashes him in the back of the head. Slim tries to reason with Omar to think about why Prop Joe would give up Butchie knowing it would bring Omar’s vengeance and says that if Joe gave him up he would tell Omar but that didn’t happen. Slim asks Omar to just finish it but Omar believes him and lets him live. After Prop Joe and Hungry Man are killed by Marlo, he blames it on Omar but Slim knows that is bullshit. Marlo tries to offer Hungry man’s territory to Slim but he refuses saying that he isn’t ready to be a CEO. I think it was more that he didn’t want to be working directly for Marlo. Things change in a big way when Marlo and most of the Stanfield crew are arrested but Marlo manages to walk free bc an illegal wiretap was used. Bc of this Marlo holds a meeting of the Co-Op and offers to sell them the connection to the Greeks for 10 million which they accept. The remaining members feel 10million is a huge price but it’s better than the alternative of going back to shit quality drugs.
When Fat Face Rick starts reminiscing about the days under Prop Joe and gives Cheese shit for tolerating Marlo, Cheese pulls a gun on him and tells him it’s their time and to stop thinking about the past. Fat Face Rick eventually agrees and Cheese lowers his gun and starts to talk about how he was with his uncle and Marlo when they were kingpins but now…before he can finish the sentence Slim shoots him in the head, “Clinton “Shorty” Buise: What the fuck you do that for?! Now we short the nine! Slim Charles: That was for Joe. Gangster: Motherfucker had it comin’. Clinton “Shorty” Buise: This sentimental motherfucker just cost us money!” lol loved this scene man at least Slim Charles came through with some revenge for us bc fuck Cheese man that’s fucked up to turn on your own family. What a way to end the show for Slim Charles, 1 of the most loyal soldiers and def a guy you want on your team. Could have easily carried his own storyline if they gave him one but Slim was still a great character and an integral part of the show.
-Dennis ‘Cutty’ Wise – another Walking Dead alum but I guess it’s actually the other way around. As soon as I saw it was Chad L. Coleman I knew we were gonna get a great character and that’s def what we got with Cutty. We meet him in S3 when he is about to receive parole after a 14 year sentence and is meeting with Wee-Bey to see if Avon can set him up when he gets out. Cutty was a legendary soldier when he was runnin so Avon is giving him more respect and asks Cutty to help him secure new territory when he gets put. Avon also gives him a number to call for a coming home gift but questions if prison has broken Cutty when Cutty leaves. Cutty gets out of prison and calls the number Avon gave him and he gets instructions on where to get a package to sell. When Cutty gets the package he is told to get ready for some real work. Cutty approaches a dealer named Fruit to make a deal to get him to move the package for him. They agree but when Cutty comes back for the money, Fruit claims the package was stolen and blows him off. When Cutty starts pushing for more info, Fruit pulls a gun and tells him to leave. Not a great start and it looks like Avon was right.
We see Cutty meet with his parole officer who tells him to find work but gives him zero help with places that might hire an ex-convict. Nice. Eventually he finds work with a lawn maintenance crew but you know that isn’t gonna satisfy him for long. Next day we see Cutty meet with the sister of an old girlfriend named Grace, trying to get information about where she is now and learns she works at a school. Cutty puts on a suit and goes to greet her and while she doesn’t exactly seem thrilled to see him she also doesn’t tell him to leave. They talk and she is happy to see him out the game and says she may have work for him in the Parks and Rec department. Must be so tough getting out of prison, everyone has moved on but time has stood still for you. Next day Cutty is back with the lawn crew when he sees a nice car being driven by young dealers and a conversation with the supervisor reminds him that working there means hard work for little money.
After 14 years, Cutty doesn’t have time to do it the right way so he tries to get back into the game by approaching Slim Charles on Bodie’s corner. Bodie is initially hostile until he learns that Cutty knew his brother through boxing before he was locked up. Slim Charles asks him what kind of work he is looking for and Cutty says anything that pays. The crew goes to find a weapon for Cutty so he is in. Later we see Cutty, Slim Charles and a couple guys watching a dealer that has been short on his count. Cutty says if the guy has a girlfriend then that is most likely where the money is going. Later, Bodie hosts a welcome home party complete with drugs and women including some that are exclusively for Cutty. Crime does pay sometimes. Next day Cutty is sleeping it off at home when his Grandma wakes him up and asks why he isn’t at work but he lies and says that he has a job at a bar and will be working nights now. She tells him that Grace called to remind him about his meeting with the Deacon.
Cutty goes to work on the streets still running surveillance on the dealer Slim Charles thinks is stealing from him and they see him with his girl pretty much confirming Cutty’s previous suspicions. It’s time for the meeting so Cutty goes to meet the Deacon but the Deacon is not optimistic about Cutty’s ability to stay on the right path. He tells Cutty he can’t help him find a job but he can get him into a GED program. I think Cutty was expecting to walk into a good paying position so he says this is not what he was expecting and leaves. When he gets back to the car the 2 guys he was with are snorting cocaine and Cutty wants to do it but says he has a piss test the next day. They tell him they can get him clean urine so Cutty does a line. Next day they take Cutty to a guy that sells clean urine he gets from a day care center…so fucked up but people buying clean urine only care that it works. And it does, Cutty provides a sample and they head off to confront the girlfriend of the dealer they have been watching.
When they find her she is confrontational and not co-operating at all until Cutty steps up and slaps her saying that she needs to talk. They go find the dealer and the other 2 starts beating the shit out of the dealer until Cutty steps in and says if they kill him then he can’t work off his debt. So the one guy grabs a bat and just knocks him out lol damn but def beats the alternative. After Avon instructs Slim Charles to get Cutty and a crew to make an attack on Avon, we see Cutty and Slim planning the attack. Cutty and Slim will go into the alleys on foot to distract Marlo’s crew while Gerard, Country and Chipper will drive up behind them shooting. But their quality of help is low and these idiots make their move before getting the signal from Cutty n Slim and it is a disaster. Chipper the driver is immediately shot and killed, Country is killed trying to exit the car and Gerard barely escapes with his life. Couldn’t have gone much worse.
After Slim reports the failure to Avon and offers to take care of it with just him n Cutty, they head out cruising the area and are able to catch Fruit’s crew off guard. Slim kills a young runner while Cutty catches Fruit and could easily kill him but hesitates and lets Fruit get away. Slim thinks it was his fault for shooting too early and apologizes as they go to tell Avon about another failure. Avon is disappointed Cutty didn’t kill anyone but when Slim tries to take blame for it, Cutty speaks up with the truth that he couldn’t do it and that the game just isn’t in him anymore. Avon actually lets him go with respect and man that does not happen every day so Cutty def had himself a serious rep before prison. After leaving the game for good, Cutty returns to the lawn crew he was working with before and after a good conversation with the supervisor, he convinces Cutty to return to the Deacon who can give him better opportunities. Cutty arranges another meeting with the deacon and says he is tired of doing things he doesn’t want to do and wants a change. He even asks the deacon to call him Dennis. I’m still gonna call him Cutty bc I know he is eventually cool with it again lol but I was pumped to see his growth as a character after only a few episodes so I was really hoping that he would stay alive.
We see Cutty helping the Deacon to load some boxes and Cutty gives us insight into his struggle saying that he needs to keep himself busy to stay straight. A community leader named Roman needs help trying to find something productive for the large numbers of youth that are unemployed/not in school and meets with Cutty and the deacon to suggest a basketball tournament. Cutty says he is more of a boxer than a ball player and Roman tells him about a rundown gym that is not being used or maintained. Cutty gets brought up to speed on Colvin’s Hamsterdam concept and is taken aback. Roman brings Cutty to the rundown boxing gym and you can just see the fire light up in Cutty who says he will fix the place up himself. A boxing gym is where he was meant to be. Next day Cutty watches as the lawn crew he works with helps him clear out the rundown boxing gym so he can turn it into something they can use. The deacon stops by and is impressed with Cutty’s plan and progress but says the next step is getting permits for the gym and Cutty hadn’t even considered that part.
When Cutty goes to try and get the permits, he is met with miles of political red tape that he could never navigate through. So Cutty asks the Deacon for help and he puts him in touch with Reverend Reed who puts him in touch with Odell Watkins who agrees to put him in touch with Marla Daniels who can help Cutty lol just ridiculous but that’s they way politics works. Watkins likes Cutty’s idea and thinks Marla will help him bc it is in the district that she is trying to win. The Deacon visits Cutty at the gym where Cutty is trying to repair the equipment as best he can but it’s very rough. But it’s time to try and find kids to use the gym so Cutty heads down to Hamsterdam and talks to Carver who refers Cutty to his time out corner where kids that can’t play without fighting go. Immediately Cutty has to break up a fight btwn Justin and Spider so he has found the right kids lol he turns it into a boxing lesson and invites the kids to come try the gym.
But once at the gym, Justin and his friends laugh at the state of the equipment and start to fuck around playing football and not listening to a word Cutty says and it is clearly overwhelming him. When Justin challenges Cutty’s masculinity, Cutty loses his cool and challenges Justin who reminds him what happens if he hits a minor and leaves. Cutty is disappointed in himself and goes to another boxing gym to talk to a trainer there about his difficulties controlling the kids and himself. The trainer simply says that Cutty needs to remain patient and show these kids that he believes in them. Cutty returns to Hamsterdam to find Justin and he apologizes and invites him back to the gym anytime. Justin eventually comes back and watches as Cutty trains a young boxer. Later we see Cutty has built up a good following of young kids using the gym including Justin and Spider but the state of the equipment is still holding things back. So Cutty asks Bodie to arrange a meeting with Avon who does and Cutty tries to relate to Avon’s boxing past. But Avon doesn’t have time for that and just asks how much money he wants. Cutty nervously asks for 10k which causes Avon and Slim Charles to burst out laughing lol Avon gives him an extra 5k and tells him to take care of the young boxers.
Now set up with new equipment, the kids are showing up with a real enthusiasm to use the gym to the point that Cutty organizes matches with another gym. At the matches, Cutty’s boxers are beat by much smaller boxers but Cutty is proud that all lasted through each round esp Justin who showed a lot of promise. Only way to get better in boxing is practice and experience and now these kids have some experience even if they didn’t win. We see Cutty meet up with Grace and tell her about opening up the boxing gym in the community. But when he tries to start moving things further than friendship she stops it but says she is proud of him. Back at his gym Cutty is showing a video of Muhammed Ali to his boxers but they aren’t really appreciating it including Justin who gets bored and starts hitting a punching bag instead. Spider calls Ali’s opponent soft but Cutty re-iterates that anyone that makes it to the end of a round cannot be called soft. After Hamsterdam ends, Cutty notices a drop in attendance at his gym since there is more drug dealing work now that Avon is arrested and Marlo is running the corners. Cutty tracks down Justin to a corner to try to get him to come to the gym and ends up face to face with Fruit whose life Cutty spared. Justin breaks the awkward silence assuring Cutty he will be at the gym for 330.
S4 starts with Cutty still working with the lawn crew but has picked up enough Spanish that the boss offers him a promotion to crew chief so they can cover twice as much ground but Cutty refuses due to his commitment to the boxing gym. At the gym it is a much different scene than last season, the equipment and facility is looking good as Cutty watches Justin train to prepare for an upcoming match. Also at the gym is a group of mothers waiting while their sons workout and taking turns to flirt with Cutty lol but Cutty has respect for the youth that trust him with their time and is nice but doesn’t return their advances. If Cutty acts like a womanizer and has sex with them then he will humiliate his students and they won’t show up anymore. Great to see the growth in Cutty. Cutty is watching Michael, 1 of the kids the show focuses on in S4, who is showing a lot of potential. 1 of Cutty’s rules is that anyone can use the equipment but you can’t spar unless you are in training with 1 of his trainers. Cutty offers to train Michael personally but Michael is visibly uncomfortable. Later we see Cutty waiting for Spider to come for a training session but he hasn’t showed up so Cutty offers it to Michael. The Deacon shows up to tell Cutty about an open position as a custodian at the school that the kids at his gym attend.
During the interview for the custodian position, Cutty finds out the job is really for a truant officer. There are no funds for truant officers so she holds back the custodian jobs to pay for them. Cutty starts his job trying to round up the truant kids and learns that the goal of the school is not to educate the kids but to hit minimum attendance figures so they can secure funding. Fucked up but that is the reality unfortunately. Back at the gym, Cutty is getting ready to take a couple of the kids to a boxing match but when Spider once again doesn’t show up, Cutty offers Michael the spot and he accepts. At the match, Cutty tries to talk with Michael to start forming a bond but Michael just ignores him. On the way home, Cutty drops Justin off which would have left Cutty and Michael alone in the van but Michael jumps out too and refuses a ride home. It was clear from this that a serious crime had been committed against Michael and that he would not allow himself to be alone with grown men so it wasn’t specifically about Cutty.
We see Cutty getting ready to go for a morning jog and see a woman(Spider’s mother) come downstairs to ask where he is going and when he’ll be back. Cutty just blows her off and goes for a jog. When he goes to vote, Cutty sees Spider handing out campaign flyers and tries to talk to him but Spider just takes off. Cutty tells Randy to have Spider come to the gym. Back at the boxing gym, Michael shows up and sees Cutty flirting with a woman that isn’t who he was with in the morning so it seems his resolve has slipped. Cutty asks Michael why Spider hasn’t been at the gym and Michael says Spider quit bc Cutty got involved with his mother. So I guess Cutty has more growth to do and is learning the hard way why he needs to hold himself to a higher standard and not get involved with his students mothers. Hard to blame the guy after spending 14 years in prison and now you have beautiful woman just throwing themselves at you. Would be tough for any man to resist but Cutty has to be better if he wants this boxing gym to succeed. Next day Cutty finally tracks down Spider who is selling drugs on a corner. Spider goes to just walk away but when Cutty tries to specifically apologize for sleeping with his mother, Spider starts looking for a fight but Cutty just leaves. Back at the gym, Cutty apologizes for his recent womanizing, esp with the mothers of his students and asks for forgiveness saying that he will be better and not engage in that type of behaviour. Awesome moment and glad it came quickly bc the boxing gym has so much potential but Cutty needs to hold himself to a higher standard and it sounds like he gets that after this.
We see Cutty break up a fight that happens right outside the gym between Namond, who has started selling drugs, and rival dealers. Cutty is pissed and asks Namond what happened but he won’t answer so Cutty sends him home and tries to ask Michael what Namond has gotten into but Michael says it is not their business. Later Cutty goes to the elementary school and tells Assistant Principal Donnelly that he thought the job at the school would be more meaningful and has no interest in just rounding up truant kids once a month to secure the school funding. On his way out he sees Grace who just transferred to the school. Awful timing but Cutty wishes her good luck and leaves showing that he is def maturing as a character. Another fight breaks out at the gym between Namond, Dukie and Michael which Cutty again breaks up but this time tells Michael to leave and never come back. Cutty calls Carver for help to find Michael and admits that he is angry with himself for sending Michael away. Later, Cutty visits Michael’s mothers house and learns that he has moved out. Cutty finds Michael working a corner with Monk who tells Cutty to stay the fuck away from Michael but Cutty tells him he ain’t talking to him. So Monk shoots Cutty twice in the leg. Before Monk kills him, Michael steps in and convinces Monk to just leave. Michael offers to stay with Cutty until the ambulance arrives but Cutty tells him to go.
We see Cutty in the hospital recovering from his gunshot wounds and when the nurse sees his medical records, she judges him as a gangster. Colvin arrives and asks for help with Namond so Cutty arranges for Colvin to meet with Wee-Bey and tells Colvin that Carver owes him a favour now. On the way out a nurse asks Colvin when they are arresting Cutty and Colvin sets her straight and says that Cutty runs a community gym. Boom. Out of the hospital and recovered, we next see Cutty when Michael brings Dukie to the gym to learn how to fight. Cutty notices the bruises on Duk and asks him about them but Dukie just says he needs to learn how to fight. So Cutty watches as Dukie struggles through a sparring session with a younger boxer and at the end of the day Cutty sees that Dukie doesn’t have much fighting spirit and tells him that learning to fight and beating 1 bully won’t stop people from messing with him. Cutty tells him that if he has other skills then he should use them. This leads to a great exchange, “Cutty: I guess what I’m tryin’ to say is… not everything comes down to how you carry it in the street. I mean, it do come down to that if you gonna be in the street. But that ain’t the only way to be. Dukie: Round here it is. Cutty: Yeah. Round here it is. World is bigger than that, at least, that’s what they tell me. Dukie: Like… how do you get from here to the rest of the world? Cutty: I wish I knew.” I was hoping Cutty could help Dukie but they were on different paths unfortunately.
That was the last we see of Cutty, would have liked more depth to the end of his story but I’m just glad he survived and that somewhere in TV land, Cutty is still getting kids off the street and into the boxing gym. I was already a fan bc of his run on The Walking Dead but I gained a whole new level of respect after this performance. We saw real growth in the character and in the end he was a better man than when he started. Fn great journey.
-Tommy Carcetti – I was fresh off Game of Thrones when I watched The Wire so I immediately did not trust Carcetti lol but I was excited to watch another Aiden Gillen performance bc the guy is a phenomenal actor. Didn’t take long for me to forget about Littlefinger when watching Carcetti and that’s a testament to the acting. We meet Carcetti when he is a councilman presiding over a police department review meeting and they are really grilling Burrell and Rawls. After the meeting, Carcetti takes Burrell to lunch and tries to offer him help with funding and support if the Mayor shorts him on anything. But Burrell says he believes in the chain of command and is loyal to Mayor Royce. Carcetti is trying to set himself up for a run at the Mayor’s seat. Next day we see Carcetti visit Valchek in his office and they discuss the tactic of trying to pressure Burrell and get him on Carcetti’s side. Valchek says it’s a win-win bc if Burrell caves he has an inside man in the mayors office and if not then Carcetti looks good by harassing Burrell over the increased crime rates. After Valchek arranges a meeting between them, Carcetti tells Burrell that he is tired of being ignored. They go to dinner and Burrell thanks him for the help in repairing police vehicles. With Carcetti already delivering, Burrell is more comfortable and admits that there are 70 police retiring and Royce has still not come up with the promised funds for training new officers. Carcetti says he will see what he can do.
Carcetti meets with a reporter off the record to talk about the delayed funding for training new police recruits and tells the reporter that Royce is holding it back to save money despite the rising crime rates. After planting the story, Carcetti calls Burrell to give him the heads up so he can alert the mayor and not look guilty but Burrell is pissed that Carcetti went to the press and knows the mayor is gonna blame him. Not as big of a scumbag as Littlefinger but def just as cunning. Later we see Carcetti with his wife and children at a political party for his district but after his wife and kids leave, he ends up having sex with another woman. So yeah still a scumbag lol next we see him have dinner with friends and announce his intentions to run for mayor. A political consultant he knows from school named Theresa D’Agostino walks in and he goes over to try and convince her to be his campaign manager but she doesn’t think he has a chance to win.
Next day Carcetti is talking to Councilman Gray about a story in the paper where a state’s witness in a high profile case was murdered. Carcetti says this sends a clear message that the current system in Baltimore is not working but adds that he will fix it evening putting politics aside if he has to but Gray isn’t buying it. Later, Carcetti brings the issue to Mayor Royce and Coleman Parker and Royce says they will act quickly. Over a game of squash, Carcetti tells Gray that that he is gonna go after Royce if he keeps bullshitting them. At the next committee meeting with Burrell and Rawls, Carcetti and Gray grill them about the dead state’s witness and criticize the efforts as too little too late and question why witnesses aren’t afforded more protection. Next day Carcetti, who hasn’t publicly announced his intention to run for mayor, plays squash with Gray who throws out the idea of running against Royce for mayor. Carcetti tongue in cheek says that only a black candidate has the chance to be mayor in Baltimore.
Later Carcetti meets with D’Agostino formally to ask her again to be his campaign manager and she still doesn’t think Baltimore would ever elect a white mayor. Carcetti says that with Gray considering a run the vote will be split and that he has Burrell giving him inside info on the police department. Def food for thought. Next we see Carcetti talk to Burrell about the lack of a witness protection program and confirms that Royce has not acted on his request to look into the death of the witness. He assures Burrell that he will keep his name out of any story for the press and goes to meet with his new campaign manager Theresa D’Agostino at his house. D’Agostino tells Carcetti to chill on taking the story to the press and make a second request to Royce bc if he fails to act then they can document it and use it at a more strategic time or if another witness is killed. Carcetti meets with Royce again asking to start a witness protection program which Royce claims there is no money for. As Royce and Burrell hold a press conference, we see Carcetti documenting the inaction of Royce on the witness protection program.
At the public-safety sub-committee meeting that Carcetti hosts with Burrell and Rawls, Carcetti asks about the witness protection problems and Burrell says there is simply no funding. This causes Carcetti to lose his cool and unleash on Burrell playing the cards he had with the mayors refusal for funding instead of saving them for a more strategic time. D’Agostino is disgusted that he wasted it and leaves the room. That night at dinner, D’Agostino scolds him for his short sighted behaviour and worrying more about winning a stupid argument than inspiring people and demands he try to be more likeable. She arranges for him to get some much needed coaching to help improve his image. Next day Carcetti meets with Gray who announces his intentions to run for mayor. and says he will run on an education ticket. Gray offers Carcetti a position as council president if he is mayor and talks about getting Watkins to switch allegiances but Carcetti warns that will need a slow, careful approach. When Carcetti and Gray meet with Watkins, Carcetti convinces him to offer funds to get the mayor to move on increasing witness protection while Watkins says he is open to discuss his loyalty to Royce.
Carcetti and D’Agostino talk campaign strategy with Carcetti’s team and they agree that race is the biggest hurdle and Carcetti will need African Americans on his team and in the community to endorse him. It is crucial that Gray remains in the race so that the black vote is split. Now the tough part, begging for money lol D’Agostino gets a reluctant Carcetti to start making fundraising calls bc they are gonna need all the money they can get. While in bed with his wife, Carcetti is regretful that he is betraying Gray so his wife tells him to inform Gray that he is running but Carcetti knows this would most likely drive Gray out of the race and Carcetti needs him in the race to have a shot at winning. That’s why politics is such dirty business, friends and enemies interchange depending on your current needs. Next we see Carcetti meeting with Burrell at a bar where Burrell tells him everything about Hamsterdam except with a spin that the mayor’s office is at fault for the pressure they were putting on the police department.
Later, Carcetti meets up with D’Agostino and talks to her about Hamsterdam. She thinks Carcetti should talk to Colvin to get more info esp since Burrell is painting Colvin as a villain. Carcetti manages to track Colvin down and they go on a tour of the western district. First Colvin shows Carcetti the good, all the clean corners and even to the district HQ where they have time to do real police work now. They go to a neighbourhood council meeting and hear that the residents are happier and safer since Hamsterdam started. Then Colvin shows Carcetti the bad, Hamsterdam. Carcetti is shocked by the open drug dealing/using going on while Colvin says he must see it all if he wants to understand these people so he can reach them. Carcetti leaves and doesn’t know what to think. He is disgusted by Hamsterdam itself but is intrigued about the citizens feeling happier and safer. Next day Carcetti discusses Hamsterdam with D’Agostino, he thinks it could be a step i the right direction for society while she challenges him to think of how this can help his campaign. Carcetti knows Royce is holding off on shutting it down to try and figure out how to use it to his advantage.
The story has broken on Hamsterdam so Carcetti and Gray start to give interviews about it and Gray publicly announces his intentions to run for mayor. Later, Carcetti plans his next move with D’Agostino and the plan is to let Gray hit Burrell with the most confrontational questions at the next public safety subcommittee meeting. When Burrell puts the blame firmly on Colvin, Carcetti responds with an impassioned speech about how West Baltimore has been neglected and this impresses Watkins who congratulates Carcetti after the meeting. Gray is hit with the realization that Carcetti is planning a run at mayor and is visibly feeling betrayed. As S4 starts we see Carcetti in the midst of his campaign for mayor as his deputy campaign manager Norman Wilson, a great performance from Reg E. Cathey, hurries an already late Carcetti to his next appointment where he is speaking to a group of seniors that couldn’t care less. Back at the campaign offices, D’Agostino pushes Carcetti to keep making fundraising calls and I think Carcetti actually likes them even less now lol as he puts the phone off the hook to make it look like he is making the calls and plays darts instead. But when he actually makes them he has success getting contributions but is trashing the whole process, politicians and politics in general the entire time.
Next day Carcetti is not in a good mood after being disappointed with the radio ads he did and learns that Royce has spent thousands on TV spots. Wilson tries to focus Carcetti on his meeting with 2 influential figures in the community and is impressed when Carcetti spends the entire day in the community connecting with potential voters. But Carcetti is worried his race makes it impossible to win and even Wilson jokes he doesn’t know if he can vote for a white mayor. On the way in to 1 of his speaking engagements, Carcetti sees Gray leaving but Gray doesn’t acknowledge his greetings. Next day Carcetti is feeling optimistic about the next polls but when he gets the numbers they are not what he had hoped and feels like he has already lost. D’Agostino confirms his thinking and Carcetti goes to drink in a park but it’s after curfew so he almost gets arrested which would have def ended his campaign. But the cop recognizes him and just lets him go.
Next day Wilson is at Carcetti’s house trying to get him moving for the day but finds him playing Battleship with his daughter and Carcetti refuses to leave until it is finished. What a sweet moment, Littlefinger wasn’t even a thought in my head after this, really liked that his character wasn’t going to be a complete scumbag. Carcetti feels like the election is already lost but isn’t giving up so he goes to meet with police officers at the FOP Lodge. The police admit that they are reluctant to endorse him with Royce leading in the pools but Carcetti gets them to agree to at least hold back their public support of Royce for now. As Carcetti is leaving, Valchek tells him that this was the best result he could have hoped for today while Wilson urges Carcetti to focus on the debate saying it will make or break the campaign but Carcetti is still pessimistic, “I still wake up white in a city that ain’t.” Interesting to watch a white guy go through what minorities deal with every day. Next day Carcetti is preparing for the debate but is paying more attention to a problem with his sons school fees however when pressed for answers by D’Agostino and Wilson, Carcetti nails them all. Before the debate, Valchek visits Carcetti and offers him a bomb to use against Royce in the debate, that a state’s witness has been murdered.
During the debate, Carcetti is doing great and impressing his team with his answers and when Royce claims that crime is down, Carcetti drops the bomb about the murdered state’s witness. Royce’s response is drawn out and very defensive which reflects poorly on him. Odell Watkins is impressed with Carcetti while Royce’s team looks visibly nervous. Next day we see Carcetti making campaign calls while the fallout from the Mayor’s new tactics start to come down. There is all of a sudden construction around their offices which leads to multiple campaign vehicles being towed away. Carcetti is not phased as he continues with business attending the funeral for the dead witness with Wilson. There are key political figures there including Watkins and Marla Daniels who is fighting to win a city council seat receives a wish of good luck from Carcetti. Carcetti tries to offer condolences to the family of the witness without coming off insincere and actually refuses to speak to the press on his way out. Wilson thinks that was a mistake but Carcetti believes that showing restraint is more important than grandstanding which he will have plenty of opportunities to do. Restraint will have more of an impact with Watkins and Daniels, 2 voices that could help him win the election. D’Agostino’s work on him is paying off.
Carcetti discusses a potential meeting with the interdenominational ministerial alliance with his team while Gerry and D’Agostino are against it saying their nomination is beyond his reach. Wilson thinks the meeting is worth taking bc the ripple effect goes further than the election. If Carcetti wins their respect, they may nominate Royce but not work as hard for him in the next term. The meeting is a success with Carcetti offering respect and a promise to gain their support over time with results and they part on good terms. Next day we see Valchek stop by Carcetti’s office to give him some more inside info about a rookie detective being assigned the murdered state witness case. Carcetti talks with his team about what to do with the info and Wilson suggests giving it to Gray so he can go at the mayor and take even more votes away from him. Brilliant strategy. Next morning we see Carcetti in the streets campaigning hard handing out flyers when Wilson reports that Gray has agreed to meet. They offer Gray the info about the rookie detective working the state witness case but he isn’t fooled, he knows why they are giving it to him but figures he’ll use it anyways bc it will help him. Wilson appeals to Gray to consider reconciling with Carcetti and taking a position with him since he doesn’t have a realistic chance of winning.
When Carcetti is out doing door-to-door campaigning with Wilson, he is approached by Rawls who gives him the info about Odell Watkins fallout with Mayor Royce. As soon as Rawls is out of sight, Carcetti and Wilson scramble to get to their cars so they can go see Watkins before anyone else does. This is the biggest bomb yet and could be the one that sinks Royce if Carcetti can get his support. Carcetti finds Watkins at his office and starts pleading his case saying he needs Watkins before and after the election. Watkins isn’t sure and asks why he should support Carcetti when Royce has a good lead and there is another African-American candidate in the race. Carcetti says he is within 4 points of winning the election and that if Watkins gives him his support, he will give Watkins a large voice and role in his administration bc he needs African-American leadership on his team to effectively govern a city like Baltimore. He also says that he is the only one that cannot cause change after all the damage that Royce has done. Watkins shocks everyone when he agrees to join Carcetti’s ticket with his protege Marla Daniels. And that is checkmate for Royce.
On Sunday we see all 3 mayoral candidates at their respective churches as Carcetti talks with the preacher on the way out. Later we see Carcetti campaigning downtown when Watkins approaches him to show him a flier he just found. The flier claims that Carcetti once defended a notorious slum lord that is universally hated in Baltimore over his poor treatment of tenants and there is even a photoshopped picture of the two together. Wilson sees this as a desperate last minute attempt to destroy Carcetti’s reputation and Carcetti thinks it’s gonna work but Wilson and Gerry move fast to respond. Carcetti meets with D’Agostino about a response and she says she has a printer on retainer and already has counter literature being produced. Wilson plans to use his journalistic contacts to prove the photo is fake. Carcetti is worked up but they tell him to stick with his planned schedule and let his team take care of the problem. At home Carcetti and his wife Jen watch coverage of the flier and the news reports Carcetti is in a dead heat with Royce while Gray trails. Jen asks about the flier and Carcetti tells her about the teams positive response.
Next day Wilson goes to pick up Carcetti but finds he already left for the office. At the office Carcetti is worked up again and questioning the strategy but is once again told to just stick with his schedule and appear on the morning talk shows as scheduled. After the interviews go very good, Carcetti is in a better mood but still concerned about the smear campaign. Wilson has news that Clay Davis is interested in working with Carcetti for a price and Carcetti initially isn’t interested, Wilson says it could tip the balance in their favour for good. They meet with Davis who offers to split his support between Carcetti and Royce for 20k and they reluctantly agree to pay him. Fuck man politics is gross I feel dirty just writing about it lol On election day, we see Carcetti vote and continue campaigning on the streets outside being approached by a racist supporter saying nasty things right in front of Wilson and that shows why being a white Mayor is not gonna be easy.
Back at campaign headquarters, Carcetti watches on TV as Clay Davis offers his full support despite taking the 20k from Carcetti lol just unreal. On election night, Carcetti is at home with Jen ignoring the constantly ringing phones. The news is reporting that there has been a massive voter turnout and that Carcetti is actually in the lead. Jen convinces Carcetti to go for a walk with her and he talks about wanting to create real change and make Baltimore great. D’Agostino phones Carcetti to tell him that Royce has conceded and that he is the presumptive mayor-elect. WOW! I did not see him actually winning when the storyline started. Carcetti isn’t sure if he is happy about the win but does finally bust out a smile. They head to the celebration and Carcetti thanks everyone including his opponents asking for their help in the forthcoming general election. Clay Davis actually attends the party and is unashamed of his actions implying that Carcetti is lucky he only asked for 20k. I would have made him pay if I were Carcetti lol after Jen leaves, D’Agostino makes a move on the new Mayor saying he owes her a win bonus but surprisingly turns her down. I say surprising since we already saw him cheat on his wife but it was great to see his growth as a character and have him show loyalty to his wife.
Next day we see Carcetti talking with a former Baltimore mayor named Tony asking for advice on the start of his term and Tony tells him to get ready to eat shit from multiple branches of city politics. Carcetti and Wilson have a good meeting with Royce and Coleman Parker to discuss the transition of power. Carcetti credits their last second slumlord fliers as ingenious but Royce still doesn’t take credit saying that it didn’t come from his campaign team. When Carcetti worries about still having to win the general election, Royce reminds him that it would be disgraceful to even consider losing in a city where Democrats outnumber Republicans 9:1. Later we see Carcetti meet with Wilson, Odell Watkins and Gerry to talk about what his first move should be and Carcetti believes he needs to replace Burrell as Police Commissioner. Wilson agrees saying he told Royce to fire him over a year ago but due to support of the ministers he refused to do it. And now he definitely won’t bc he is running for a 7th district council seat after losing the election and will need the ministers support for that.
Carcetti muses that he could fire Burrell himself but Wilson reminds him that it is ok for Royce to fire an African-American Police Commissioner but it’s not of for white Mayor to do it. When Carcetti says he will replace Burrell with an African-American commissioner, Wilson tells him it’s not that easy bc there are not many high-ranking African-American officers with Burrell being the highest. He would face backlash from black citizens that voted for him and criticism for firing Burrell only to replace him with an unqualified candidate. Carcetti says he will search nationwide if he has to, “If you’re talented and black why stay in Baltimore” and Wilson replies, “I often ask myself that very question.” So frustrating as a viewer, I can’t imagine the frustration in people that actually have to live it. Carcetti goes on a ride along to tour the Southern District which impresses the officers that the new mayor actually gives a shit about understanding the day to day life in the district. They show up at a shooting crime scene and Carcetti observes Cedric Daniels commanding the scene and is impressed. He asks the officers about Daniels and they say he isn’t as bad as most commanding officers. Carcetti might have found his man.
Carcetti continues his tour of the districts this time in the Eastern district where he sees them making insignificant arrests that are no more than stat padding and not actual police work that will create change. Later we see Carcetti discuss his disappointment with the statistics based policing approach he saw in the East District with Rawls who claims that Mayor Royce’s pressure to deliver better statistics is the reason for it. Rawls also blames affirmative action saying the requirement to hire more African American police officers leads to promotions that are too early resulting in a lack of quality leaders. He also says that targeting high level drug dealers would be his preference but that he respects the chain of command no matter what and that creating a good soldier in the department is more important than creating a good police officer. After Rawls leaves, Wilson is pissed saying, “Did you hear that naked ass appeal to racial solidarity? I’d like to kick his pale entitled ass.” And I’d love to see that lol Carcetti thinks Rawls makes some sense and asks Wilson about Daniels and Wilson says he has no political connections.
We see Carcetti, Wilson and Gerry meet with representatives from the Democratic Party to discuss goals for his term suggesting a drop in crime and maybe build something with Carcetti’s name on it. Wilson wants to stay away from Education considering all the problems with it right now make it an area unlikely to see positive change in 1 term. We learn that the Democratic Party wants Carcetti to run for governor. After we see Carcetti have his first meeting with Daniels who bluntly states that most day to day police work in Baltimore is a waste of time, energy, money, efficiency and in a lot of cases talent. Carcetti reveals that Rawls blames Burrell and the numbers game while Daniels says he doesn’t want to discuss his superiors with Carcetti but does bring up that Rawls gutted the Major Crimes Unit so come to your own conclusion. This leads to Carcetti offering Daniels the CID commander colonel position under Rawls and Daniels wonders if he can trust Carcetti. Carcetti suggests that they find out together.
Next we see Carcetti in a meeting with city leaders who are informing him about issues facing Baltimore in his term. They need to grow the tax base so Carcetti suggests a casino on the waterfront but that is shot down so they agree on building a promenade by the harbour. The council president Nareese Campbell says it is suspicious he wants to add a pay raise for the police commissioner given the recent poor performance of Burrell and says that will never make it into the budget. After the meeting, Campbell confronts Carcetti saying that she was being groomed by Royce to be his successor and is pissed at Carcetti and Gray for jumping the line. Carcetti tries to fan the flames by telling her he had no idea about this relationship and that she may yet be the next mayor if he runs for Governor the next term. Later we see Carcetti, Wilson and Watkins discussing Burrell and agreeing that firing him is off the table bc of the backlash they would face from black voters. Carcetti tries to convince Burrell to step down but Burrell knows the advantageous position he is in and isn’t going anywhere saying they will have to fire him. So Carcetti tells Rawls that Burrell is to undertake no initiative as police commissioner without it going through him first. Carcetti also asks for 2 promotions, Valchek to Deputy Commissioner of Administration and Daniels to CID Colonel who Carcetti gives carte blanche to reform the investigative units.
Next we see Carcetti and Wilson meet with Clay Davis who brings up Burrell’s shaky position as commissioner and Wilson says they hope his supporters can be swayed if they produce a better candidate. Davis knows they will need help to get the pay raise they need to attract better candidates into the budget and offers to get it done for a future favour. Wilson knows they are being conned but isn’t quite sure what Davis’s plan is. After Burrell orders the police to start making bullshit arrests like open container violations to boost statistics, Daniels brings the complaints from his officers directly to Carcetti who is outraged considering it is the opposite of what he wants but questions why Daniels didn’t go to Rawls. Daniels says it is a test of Carcetti’s commitment to change in the police department bc Rawls clearly has not been reporting this info to Rawls who is either agreeing with the strategy or is waiting for Carcetti to fire him for insubordination. Carcetti reminds Daniels he already has his word and thanks him for going outside the chain of command but Daniels warns it won’t happen every day.
Next we see Carcetti and Wilson meet with Reverend Frank Reid and the Reverend that was stopped, searched and assaulted by Herc and they are looking to see that serious consequences are delivered to Herc. Carcetti assures them that the racial aspects of the incident will not go unexamined with the police commissioner and Internal Investigations Division Commander both being African American. But the Reverend’s believe that Burrell’s authority has been limited while Carcetti asks them not to pre-judge the investigation and that he is taking this seriously. They are disappointed but thank the Mayor for having an open door. When they leave, Carcetti and Wilson discuss their tough position knowing that if the fire Herc they upset the police department but if they don’t then they upset key black political figures. Wilson meets with Rawls to give him a memo from the Mayor asking the police department to focus on high end police work. Rawls asks about firing Burrell and Wilson says they don’t have the political capital available to do it esp with the situation with the ministers. So Rawls asks if they want Herc fired and Wilson says they don’t want to interfere with the day to day running of the police department. Rawls offers the advice of assigning the task of discipline to Daniels.
Next morning, Carcetti visits the Dept of Public Works and tells them to tow an abandoned vehicle he noticed but doesn’t provide an address. He then calls the Dept of Parks & Recreation telling them a constituent called and asked them to clean up a hazardous playground but doesn’t say where. He then does the same thing at the water department. He does this to get them out working and looking for problems to help clean up the city. Fn smart. At a budget meet, Carcetti is disappointed to learn that it will be difficult to raise the funds he needs to re-energize the police department. Carcetti meets with the Western District police officers and tells them that they will be getting a raise and a new focus on high level crime. McNulty doubts the commitment to avoid stats based policing but Carcetti says if the current command can’t deliver then he will replace them.
Back at the office we see Carcetti meet with Burrell and they discuss what to do about Herc’s punishment. Burrell tells him that Daniels is going to recommend sensitivity training but says that will not be enough for the Reverends. He adds that he can find a more justifiable reason to fire Herc based on his history in narcotics and that his best asset is his ability to work with a mayor’s needs. Later, Carcetti hears back from the 3 department heads that he had out working and they accomplished some good work but Carcetti tells them the original complaints weren’t fixed so to keep going out to look. But then he gets a bomb dropped at him that the school system is operating at a 54 million dollar deficit. Fck that is a staggering figure and you see it on Carcetti’s face. Next day we see Rawls meet with Carcetti to tell him about Freamon’s discovery of the Stanfield crew hiding bodies in the vacant houses and offers the suggestion to pull the bodies out now so the numbers are attributed to Royce’s term. This is actually Daniels idea that Rawls is stealing. Carcetti gives him shit for thinking about stats but still tells him to pull the bodies out of there before the New Year.
We see Carcetti holding a meeting about the massive school deficit with Nerese Campbell and Andy Krawczyk who is the school board President and they both refuse to take responsibility. Only solution is to cut back the budget in all other areas but Carcetti refuses to break the promises he campaigned on leaving their only option to beg the Republican Governor for funds which he ain’t giving up. Carcetti has to take the meeting so he goes to the Governor’s office with Wilson but when they are kept waiting over an hour they leave. As they get to the door, the security guard says that the Governor is ready. Of course he is. Back at his office we hear about the deal, more money in exchange for more state control in the schools. Campbell says this move protects the Governor against Carcetti by having him accept state money. Everyone thinks Carcetti should take the money except for his new Chief of Staff, Andy. Campbell doesn’t offer an opinion saying she is glad she doesn’t have to make this decision.
Carcetti watches a news report about the bodies found in the vacant houses with his team with Wilson saying it’s good the bodies will be attributed to Royce and Andy says that this should take eyes away from the school deficit. Andy feels they should focus on the vacant building murders as long as they can to avoid the school problems bc that will hurt his chances for Governor and when he is Governor he can give out more funds to help the deficit. Wilson is disappointed that Carcetti would trade his responsibilities as Mayor to help his chances at governor. That night at home, Carcetti sits by the Christmas tree with Jen and she is confident he will do the right thing. Next day we see Carcetti and Wilson return from a second meeting with the Governor and learn that Carcetti turned down the money. Wilson is livid that Carcetti wouldn’t swallow his pride and take the money to rescue the school system while Carcetti is pissed that the Governor was going to call a press conference to belittle Carcetti if he took the money. Andy tries to be the voice of reason saying that Carcetti can do more good as Governor so it will be worth it in the end. Later we see Wilson meet with Parker in a bar where he expresses his disappointment in Carcetti and Parker answers that politicians always disappoint.
S5 starts with Carcetti, Wilson, Michael Steintorf meeting with Burrell and Rawls asking for a further decrease in funding for the police department as he needs all the money he can get to use in the school system. Burrell tells him they have cut back on vehicle maintenance and Rawls says they are withholding pay from some of the guys. When Carcetti asks about the crime statistics, Rawls says it’s impossible to deliver the decrease Carcetti promised in his campaign with all the cutbacks. Trying to find areas to save money, Rawls suggests stopping the investigation into the vacant murders bc they are not close to an arrest. They all worry about the public relations backlash figure they can spin it as a temporary suspension until more information is found. Burrell asks Carcetti to lift the cap on secondary employment to help with morale and keep officers from leaving and Carcetti agrees. He asks the police to do more with less, def a theme of the show and S5. Carcetti asks Wilson for his opinion and Wilson says Carcetti should have taken the money from the Governor despite it hurting his political future but Steintorf disagrees saying it would have cost him the chance to be Governor. Wilson counters that he won’t be Governor if he continues to hold back funds from the police and not deliver on his campaign promises.
Next we see Carcetti and Nerese Campbell meet with a rep from the US Attorneys office to try and convince them that the drug problem in Baltimore could be helped by imposing federal statutes on the offenders. The rep says their focus is on political corruption and counter terrorism but offers a team of FBI Agents to help with the vacant murders if the give the Clay Davius case to the feds. Campbell is outraged that a federal agency would allow murders to continue as a bargaining tool. Carcetti correctly assumes partisan politics are the reason for the deal and the rep says Carcetti is burning bridges to protect Clay Davis bc they are both Democrats. Same bullshit from the feds every time so Carcetti refuses the deal and leaves. Wilson asks him how it went and Carcetti says the US Attorney wants the case to embarrass the Democrats and help the Republican mayor win another term. But Wilson asks if the States Attorney Bond is keeping the case local to help Democrats but Carcetti says Bond is keeping it local to generate political capital for himself and set up a possible run for mayor making him a rival to Campbell. Either way it hurts Campbell, if the case goes Federal it hurts the Democrats but if it stays local then it helps Bond. Campbell tells him not to worry about her and that he needs to figure out what he is gonna do now that he is cut off from federal assistance when they desperately need it.
Bond and Daniels want a meeting with Carcetti to talk about the suspension of the vacant murders investigation but he doesn’t have time so he just meets them in the hall. Carcetti refuses to allow the Major Crimes Unit to continue saying due to the financial pressure they are facing they have to shut it down. Bond says that this will affect the investigation into Clay Davis so Carcetti allows only 2 detectives to continue working the Davis case which enrages Daniels that a corrupt politician is more important then the people that have been murdered in the vacant houses. Really sucked to see Carcetti no deliver on his promises to Daniels esp since I wanted to see Marlo and his crew get what they had coming. Next day we see Carcetti meet with Steintorf, Watkins and Wilson where Steintorf reports and increase in test scores but not at the level they would expect with all the funds they have thrown at the school system. Carcetti is annoyed that the next mayor will have a much easier time after he breaks his back to fix the school and police issues. Wilson says that Campbell’s recent links to corruption might cost her a chance to be mayor and hurt Carcetti’s chances at Governor bc voters won’t want to see Campbell replace him. Watkins vocally wonders if it is appropriate for Carcetti to run for Governor before he has even completed his 1st term as mayor but Steintorf defends it saying that it is par for the course with the rest of the world.
Next day we see Carcetti meet with Valchek who delivers the latest crime stats and is pleased to say hat crime has increased so now Carcetti has cause to fire Burrell. Valchek offers to be the interim Commissioner until Carcetti could find an African-American replacement. Carcetti asks for time to think and talks to Wilson after the meeting who says that the ministers would not accept Valchek even as a temporary replacement. Wilson wonders how Carcetti will respond and Carcetti says with the budget cuts and demands for clean numbers he can’t complain about the crime rate increasing and adds that if Burrell takes responsibility for the increase then he cannot fire him. Later we see Carcetti meet with Burrell, Rawls, Wilson and Steintorf where Burrell and Rawls deliver completely different crime stats that show there has been no increase in crime. Carcetti asks if Burrell is willing to vouch for the numbers and reminds them that he wants clean numbers and Burrell says that they are. Burrell and Rawls leave and Steintorf says that Burrell just ended his career by producing dirty numbers and says they should leak the real numbers to the press and hold the dirty ones in case Burrell doesn’t want to leave quietly. Wilson says Rawls presented the same dirty numbers and wonders who could replace Burrell while Carcetti says that he knows Rawls will blame Burrell and say that he warned him not to doctor the numbers. Despite some initial pushback from the ministers, Carcetti believes they can win them over and plans to make Rawls interim commissioner with Daniels to be the permanent replacement. Carcetti tells Wilson to use his contacts to leak Daniels as Burrell’s replacement to test the waters, “Wilson: Daniels isn’t ready. He’s only been colonel for a year. Carcetti: A year will do in a pinch. You float it with one of your bunkies on Calvert Street. See how it plays. Norman: Burrell reads that, he’ll shit melons. Carcetti: I fucking hope so. It’s Baltimore; no one lives forever.”
We see Clay Davis meet with Carcetti and Steintorf to tell them he could help them with a smooth transition to Daniels if they help him with his case but Steintorf doesn’t bite saying they haven’t had any pushback on Daniels yet. Next day we see Carcetti hold a meeting with Wilson, Steintorf, Watkins and Campbell who brings multiple requests from the ministers that Carcetti has no choice but to grant bc he needs to smooth the transition from Burrell to Rawls to Daniels. Carcetti is annoyed that he has to give up so much saying that Daniels should be an acceptable candidate but Wilson says that the ministers are familiar with Burrell and have a working relationship with him. Campbell spends the meeting criticizing Rawls and then gets the mayor to put through 1 of her favoured projects, the demolitions of the McCulloh Homes housing project that happens to be adjacent to Andy Krawczyk’s new complex. Later after Campbell meets with Burrell and convinces him to leave gracefully in exchange for a 6 figure job, she meets with Carcetti to tell him the plan and he isn’t happy that he has to reward Burrell after his failings as commissioner and tells her that she got her price for Burrell’s firing in the demolition of the McCulloh homes. Campbell says they have to offer this to Burrell so he doesn’t try to damage the reputation of the other officers and insists Burrell has to leave quietly. Carcetti mentions the upcoming press conference and says that Burrell will attend. During the press conference, Carcetti is respectful to Burrell in a speech about his career.
Next we see Carcetti and Wilson watching a press conference by Bond about the indictments against Clay Davis which Carcetti is very much enjoying but Wilson tells him to issue a statement and avoid being celebratory bc Davis voter base will not like seeing the Mayor celebrating indictments. Carcetti thinks they don’t have to worry bc Davis is done but Wilson warns he may still survive this. They both agree that Bond looks mayoral and that he is now the front runner to replace Carcetti and not Campbell. When the news about McNulty’s serial killer drops, Carcetti and Wilson meet with Daniels to ask what they can do or say they have been doing. Daniels says that they need overtime to successfully work the case so Carcetti authorizes unlimited OT for 2 detectives and Daniels says they will need more than 2 detectives. Carcetti reminds him of the problems with the school systems funding and says that Daniels in his new position will have to make the hard choices. Wilson asks what they can do to prevent more murders and Daniels suggestion requires more OT which causes a disgusted Carcetti to shake his head lol
Carcetti holds a press conference with not much press present for the opening of “New Westport” at the harbour and we see that he is being watching by the guys that worked the docks in S2 like Nick Sobotka. Nick and the dock guys shout insults at Carcetti and Krawczyk as Carcetti asks Krawczyk who Nick is and is told he is a nobody. Most people are just pawns to scumbags like Krawczyk and it sucks that they have any power in the world. Back at the offices we see Carcetti, Wilson and Steintorf getting ready for the police press conference on the serial killer and they talk about the advice they received about what Carcetti needs to do in his term to become Governor. Build something downtown with his name on it, reduce the crime rate and stay away from the school. Carcetti adds that the other goal is to keep his boyish good looks and Wilson says 1 out of 4 ain’t bad lol Carcetti begins the press conference by giving the press shit about chasing the negative stories and not showing up to the New Westport conference. He eventually thanks them for coming and delivers a fierce speech about the homeless being the cities most vulnerable people and that he wants to be judged for trying to protect and provide for the weakest and most vulnerable of his constituents. Carcetti vows to stop the serial killer and says he will do everything in his power to make it happen. Wilson is blown away and congratulates Carcetti on that performance even asking what got into him.
Next day we see Wilson and Steintorf again congratulating Carcetti for his great speech and he says it was due to his anger over facing yet another problem in his 1st term. Steintorf thinks that this story could garner some national profile for Carcetti and Wilson adds that the Governor just cut funding for the homeless last year. Carcetti loves the idea of attacking the Governor but is surprised that homelessness has become a campaign issue. Next day Carcetti is briefed on the homeless serial killer case by McNulty and Daniels who tell him that they have a FBI visit schedule to profile the killer, 10 undercover officers posing as homeless people, they have increased police presence in areas with a lot of homeless people but that they could use better cars for surveillance and Carcetti authorizes car hire if necessary. Later we see Carcetti and Steintorf meet with the budget advisor to discuss finding funding for the police dept now that the homeless murders are the top priority. They talk about cutting funding for public works and snow removal to avoid cutting school funding and the budget advisor confirms that police spending is back up to the levels it was at before the cuts. The budget advisor tells Carcetti that the homelessness issues have gained him traction and remembers how mad people were when the Governor cut funding last year.
Wilson arrives at the meeting with bad news, a politician named Dobey from PG County is going to challenge Carcetti’s nomination as the Democratic candidate for Governor. He also learned that Congressman Upshaw may support Dobey which would be a big blow to Carcetti’s chances. Steintorf doesn’t think Dobey could win but does worry that a fight for the Democratic primary would cost them a lot of resources they will need to fight the Governor. Wilson asks who Carcetti met with when he went to PG County to fundraise and learns his contacts were all white, tells Carcetti that he needs to put an end to this asap. Next we see Carcetti and Wilson meet with Congressman Upshaw where Carcetti promises to do anything he can to make things right and asks why Upshaw would back Dobey when it hurts everyone but Upshaw thinks it only hurts Carcetti. But there is common ground between them in their contempt for the Governor. Carcetti gives Upshaw his word that his frustrations will end when he is elected Governor but Upshaw says it will cost more than his word to keep PG County on his side. Politics is so fcking disgusting.
Back in Baltimore it just gets worse as Carcetti meets with Campbell and Davis who both extract favours from Carcetti to retain their support against Dobey. Campbell wants Carcetti to endorse her for mayor over Bond and Davis wants 3 seats on the liquor board but Carcetti gives him 1. At the candlelight vigil for the homeless, Carcetti gives another rousing speech that once again impresses his team. At home we see Carcetti discuss the day with Jen who was also impressed by his speech but is disappointed that Carcetti agreed to endorse Campbell when he told her he prefers Bond. It gets worse when Carcetti tells her that Upshaw demanded half of any federal funds that get sent to Baltimore for police and/or schools. Knowing this happens every day in real life and is just getting worse just makes my fcking blood boil. Jen is horrified at the idea of giving up so much funding that Baltimore desperately needs but Carcetti says if he doesn’t get elected then Baltimore gets nothing. After the successful raids on the Stanfield crew, Carcetti gives a high energy press conference while 1 of the reporters mocks him under his breath. Later we see Carcetti pass Colvin at an Urban Debate League event and Colvin shakes his head so Carcetti tries to apologize about his role in expediting the shutdown of Hamsterdam, “Carcetti: You know, I always wanted to say how sorry I am about how things turned out. There wasn’t anything I could have done with your experiment in the Western District, there wasn’t anything that anyone could have done with that. Colvin: Yeah, well, I guess, Mr. Mayor, there’s nothing to be done.”
The last episode begins with an absolutely stunned Carcetti and his team learning that the homeless serial killer was fabricated by 2 detectives to try and gain funds to investigate Marlo Stanfield. After some discussion, it is determined that the best course of action for everyone esp Carcetti who wants to run for Governor, is to just wrap this up quietly and have the 2 detectives reassigned instead of public punishment in exchange for their silence. Not what Carcetti expected when he made his run for mayor lol after another homeless murder happens with a ribbon attached to the wrist despite everyone knowing the killer is fake and as Carcetti watches on TV he deadpans, “Did somebody not get the message.” Later we see Steintorf tell Daniels and Pearlman that they need to settle Marlo’s case out of court to avoid the illegal wiretaps from coming to light. After the cases are locked in, we see a press conference where Carcetti takes a lot of credit for both the Stanfield crew arrests and the serial killer being caught. Immediately after the press conference, Carcetti promotes Daniels to commissioner.
As the series ends we see that Carcetti has become Governor, Campbell has become the new Mayor and she names Valchek as police commissioner while Rawls becomes Superintendent of the Maryland State Police. Carcetti was def not the character I expected him to be but man I really enjoyed his journey to become Mayor and finally Governor. And I really believe that his political aspirations were tied to wanting to help as many people as possible.
-Mayor Royce – Exact kind of realistic performance this show required from Glynn Turman to build the kind of reputation The Wire has as a great TV show that is real. When we meet Royce he is the Mayor of Baltimore and is leading the demolition of the towers housing complex that we saw the Barksdale crew working in S1. In a meeting with Burrell and Royce’s chief of staff Coleman Parker, Burrell tells Royce about Carcetti’s moves that look like a run for Mayor but Royce scoffs at it saying “Not my chair, not in this town, if the man came off any Whiter, he’d be see through.” But Parker brings up that crimes rates have risen under Royce and that Carcetti will use that against him. Burrell wonders if they can get someone to call off Carcetti but Parker says they can’t call in any favours from Carcetti’s district which is mostly white. Their only option is to have Burrell lower the crime rate but that is def easier said than done esp in Baltimore.
After Carcetti plants a story in the press about Royce delaying funding to police for training new recruits to save money despite rising crime rates, Burrell meets with him to tell him about it personally. Royce asks Burrell to take the hit and say the delay is due to internal problems. Lucky for Royce he agrees and Royce thankful for the loyalty. Later we see Royce, Burell, Watkins and others at a meeting discussing the crime rate stats but it’s basically 1 big argument. After Burrell leaves with a few others, Watkins tells the mayor he needs to fire Burrell but Royce says he rewards loyalty in his circle and will continue to support Burrell despite his disappointing performance. After a state witness is killed, Carcetti brings the issue of a lack of protection for witnesses and Royce says that he will act quickly to fix it. Later we see Royce and Parker meet with Burrell to tell him that if he can’t control the rising murder rate then he may not be Commissioner for very long. Loyalty only goes so far.
We see Royce meet with Carcetti where Carcetti asks him again about starting a witness protection program but Royce says there is no money to do it. We see a press conference held by Royce and Burrell to return Dozerman’s service revolver but also see Carcetti documenting Royce’s refusal to give funds to protect witnesses making the ice underneath Royce’s feet thinner and thinner. With Colvin’s Hamsterdam concept about to be exposed, Burrell meets with Royce and Parker to bring them up to speed and Parker thinks Burrell will be fired despite not knowing anything about it. Burrell highlights the significant drop in crime and letters of support from the district, specifically voters that Royce needs. Royce is impressed with the drop in crime and dismisses Burrell so he can figure out how best to use this information.
Next we see Mayor Royce and Parker in a meeting with health officials and Odell Watkins as they discuss Hamsterdam and Royce takes a call from Burrell telling him that the police are not to do anything yet. Parker thinks they need to shut Hamsterdam down immediately and knows that is why Burrell is calling but Royce wants to figure out how to keep it going under a different name bc it is lowering crime numbers which will be huge in the next election. The health officials actually support the continuation of Hamsterdam since the users are participating in needle exchanges, HIV testing with some even considering drug treatment and that authorization from the mayor’s office would allow them to do even more work. Watkins is with Parker in being against the continuation of Hamsterdam and warns Royce that as soon as this goes public he loses support of the ministers along with city hall officials and would then be open to facing action from the government and dept of justice. But with Hamsterdam delivering a 14% drop in crime, Royce needs to find a way to make Hamsterdam work to his advantage. Trying to walk the razor’s edge with this one.
Later we see Royce continuing to discuss with health officials and figure out how to keep Hamsterdam going without calling it drug legalization. Parker is so disgusted with this that he actually walks out of the meeting. The Hamsterdam story breaks in the press and when Royce sees the aftermath he knows that not shutting it down was a big mistake. Burrell arrives at Royce’s office to discuss what action will be taken. Parker says that they blame Hamsterdam on Burrell and then he will be removed as commissioner. Burrell says that he will go to the press and blame the mayor for pressuring the police department as well as delaying the closure of Hamsterdam. Desperate to save himself, Burrell offers Royce a way out and says he will put the blame for Hamsterdam on Colvin, himself and the police department if Royce makes him commissioner for a full term. Later we see Royce meet with Watkins who urges Royce to fire Burrell but Royce refuses not revealing the deal he has with Burrell. Royce tries to smooth things over with Watkins offering to support Marla Daniels, a candidate that Watkins is mentoring, in a run for a city council seat.
As S4 starts we see that Herc now works as security detail for Mayor Royce while Royce gets ready for the election speaking to a well attended engagement at the harbour redevelopment site. Next day, Royce is busted by Herc receiving oral sex from his secretary in his office and I was surprised he would be so careless this close to an election but I guess it hadn’t really heated up yet. Later we see Royce considering removing Herc from his security detail and tries to find out if Herc has any friends high up in the police department. After the Major Crimes Unit finds dirt on Clay Davis and serves him with a subpoena, an irate Davis finds Royce and lets him have it. Davis is a big donor to Royce and tells him that he will receive no more money until the police back off of him. “Clay Davis: Because if some federal motherfucker comes through the door, I say hey, it’s all in the game. But a city police? Baltimore city?! Hell no, can’t be happenin’, because I have raised too much goddamn money for the mayor and his ticket. Hell no! Ain’t no soul in the world that fuckin’ ungrateful! Royce: Calm down, Clay- Clay: Money-launderin’? They gonna come talk to me about money-launderin’?! In West Baltimore?! Sheeeeeeeeeit. Where do you think I’m going to raise cash for the whole ticket? From laundromats and shit? From some tiny-ass Korean groceries? You think I have time to ask a man why he giving me money? Or where he gets his money from? I’ll take any motherfucker’s money if he givin’ it away!” lol Andy Krawczyk was also served and phones Royce echoing what Clay Davis said. Royce calls Burrell and gives him what he just had to take and more. Burrell says he will make sure no more subpoenas are served but can’t do anything about ones that already have. Starting to unravel fast for Mayor Royce.
During the debate, Royce is struggling put Carcetti on his heels when Carcetti drops a bomb that a state’s witness has been murdered challenging the Mayor’s claims that crime is down. Royce struggles with his response and is very defensive which has his team looking visibly worried. Next day brings a very different strategy and energy to Royce’s campaign. Royce meets with Burrell to discuss the response to the dead witness and Burrell assures him that they will downplay the case. After losing the debate and seeing Carcetti get a bump in the polls, Royce is gonna get dirtier having his team spread the word that anyone contributing to both campaigns will be denied favours in his next term, to use city resources to remove Carcetti campaign materials and to sit on their headquarters looking for parking violations. Royce tells Burrell and the State Attorney Steven Demper to go to the press to downplay the dead witness’s role in the case and take any fallout onto themselves. Demper worries about his own re-election if he does that so Royce angrily tells him that he will be dropped from the Mayor’s ticket if he doesn’t do as he is told. Desperation always stinks. After Burrell and Demper leave, Watkins tells Royce he made a big mistake not going ahead with the witness protection saying he had come up with funds for it, all Royce had to do was match but he didn’t and a witness was murdered. But bc Carcetti was involved with planning the witness protection program, Royce won’t let it go ahead bc it would be a victory for Carcetti.
Next we see Royce met with Herc to talk about his “career aspirations.” Obviously Royce is trying to feel Herc out to see if he can buy his silence with a promotion. Herc plays it perfect and just like Valchek said it would happen, Royce personally calls Burrell right then to get Herc’s name on the Sgt’s list for the next available posting. Herc thanks him for the unexpected help and Royce replies “Don’t mention it” and we all know what he meant by that lol it’s time for Royce to play the race card in the election as he discusses changing the colors of their campaign to Red, Black and Green to try and emphasize the mayor’s African roots. Parker thinks that with the mayor clean shaven, the change to African colors and Marcus Garvey posters to show an interest in black pride he will def win the African-American vote. Royce even considers wearing a Dashiki. Parker also highlights that the campaign needs more money so Royce suggests they organize a card game. The set up a poker game with Royce’s friends and they all pretend to lose large amounts of money bc they know it is going to the campaign. But they talk about how there are starting to be a lot of these card games lately showing that Royce might be biting the hands that feed him.
No better example of that when we see Watkins observing his protege Marla Daniels in a debate with Eunetta Perkins. But while there for the debate, Watkins sees a campaign ticket with Perkins on Mayor Royce’s fliers and is enraged considering Royce promised to support Daniels. Uh oh. We see that Royce is now clean shaven, the same look he had when he first became Mayor and Parker is impressed with the new look. Later, Royce has a strategy meeting but is interrupted by Parker who needs to talk about the media running with the state witness story. Royce meets with Burrell and scolds him for the mess with the state witness and doing too good a job slowing it down finally kicking him out of his office. After Burrell leaves, Royce talks with Rawls who says he is loyal to Burrell but knew he was making a mistake. Rawls says he could handle the pressure of Burrell’s job and Royce asks him to make this state witness mess go away and he won’t forget it. Later we see Royce drinking in a meeting with Odell Watkins saying he is gonna fire Burrell after the election but Watkins says that Royce is to blame for all the problems since he was the one that asked Burrell to slow the case down. Watkins confronts him about the posters with Eunetta Perkins on his ticket and Royce claims ignorance and that someone else must have printed the poster. Not buying Royce’s bullshit, Watkins even says that Royce forgot where he came from suggesting he really doesn’t care about the people he represents and just puts on a cultural display for show. Watkins leaves and says he is withdrawing his support of Royce while Royce threatens to get even after winning the election. Knowing how important his support is to winning, Parker begs Royce to go after him but Royce is drunk and lets his pride get in the way refusing to apologize. Game over.
On election day we see the 3 mayoral candidates attend their respective churches as Royce greets all the congregation as they leave and is the first candidate to vote. On election night after the smoke clears, Carcetti is left standing as the new mayor and Royce is force to concede. Next day we see Royce and Parker meet with Carcetti to discuss the transition of power. Carcetti credits the last minute slumlord fliers as ingenious but Royce still claims innocence saying it didn’t come from his campaign team. When Carcetti talks about still having to win the general election, Royce reminds him it would be disgraceful to consider losing in a city where Democrats outnumber Republicans 9:1. At least he is losing gracefully. We don’t see Royce again until S5 when he joins Clay Davis at a press conference to defend him against corruption charges. Royce delivers a great speech that whips the crowd into a frenzy really pushing that racism is responsible for these indictments. After the speech, Royce whispers to Davis that he must win this case himself and not try to bring anyone down with him or he would never be able to make money in Baltimore again. That was the last we see of Royce but man for a secondary character, he really stood out and did a great job of making the political storylines entertaining. Would have loved to see him in his first term, prob had a lot more in common with Carcetti back then but that’s what politics does, tries to turn you into the worst version of yourself.
Clay Davis – Sheeeeeeeit lol but man it def was just one line, Isiah Whitlock Jr gave us an awesome performance as the charismatic Clay Davis and put him in the conversation with Omar and Bubbles as one of the most memorable characters. We first see him in S1 attending a political fundraiser with Burrell, Daniels and his wife amongst others. After his driver is arrested with Barksdale drug money and the Major Crimes Unit starts looking into Clay, we see Daniels called into a meeting with Clay and Burrell so clay can express his concerns about the new eyes on him, “Clay: Erv, will you explain to this motherfucker just what the fuck it is he’s doing here? Burrell: Lieutenant Dan-… Daniels: [interrupting] Excuse me, sir, but it’s pretty basic. If the senator isn’t involved in anything illegal, then he doesn’t need to worry. I can’t be any clearer than that. Clay Davis: Fool, what do you think? That we know anything about who gives money? That we give a damn about who they are or what they want? We have no way of running down them or their stories. We don’t care. We just cash the damn checks, count the votes and move on. Daniels: [stands] Anything else, Deputy Burrell? [leaves]” lol Clay Davis met his match in Daniels and makes it clear to Burrell that he has to control him as S1 ends.
In S2 we see Clay attending a political event at Father Lewandowski’s church where he has a conversation with Frank Sobotka who has given him 40k for help that Clay has yet to deliver on. In S3 we see that Clay is connected to Stringer along with Andy Krawczyk as they meet to discuss Stringer’s properties in up and coming areas and developing them into residences. Next we see Clay attend Avon’s welcome home party and try to talk to Avon about real estate but Avon is slightly preoccupied with finding a woman after a few years in prison lol after Daniels and his wife arrive at a political event, Clay Davis, Councilman Tony Gray and State Delegate Watkins discuss the absence of Daniel’s wife Marla’s opponent in the race. We see Clay meet with an agitated Stringer who wants to talk about the lack of progress with his developments as Clay tries to calm the waters with a contract to supply lightbulbs lol not at all what Stringer is looking for. Clay tells Stringer in 3 years they will be operating at a federal level but Stringer says he is ready to run now as Clay responds, “Clay: Crawl, walk, and then run.” More like crawl, crawl and then crawl some more. Stringer comes back later to once again push Clay for faster returns on his investments so Clay decides to take him to meet a contact who arranges federal funding but the contact refuses to talk to Stringer as Clay assures Stringer that they will do business with him. Taking the hint, Stringer returns with another briefcase full of cash and ask for assurances that Clay will deliver on his promises and Clay says this is a sign that Stringer is still not ready. Spoken like a true con man.
Next day Clay meets with Stringer who is angry that he has given a lot of money to assist his property developments but he is still facing bureaucratic obstructions. Clay asks for more time but Stringer is demanding immediate results so Clay tries to appeal to Stringer to leave the street mentality behind but Stringer only cares about results. S4 starts with Sydnor serving Clay Davis a subpoena and Clay is outraged so he immediately heads to unleash on Mayor Royce, “Clay Davis: Because if some federal motherfucker comes through the door, I say hey, it’s all in the game. But a city police? Baltimore city?! Hell no, can’t be happenin’, because I have raised too much goddamn money for the mayor and his ticket. Hell no! Ain’t no soul in the world that fuckin’ ungrateful! Clarence: Calm down, Clay- Clay: Money-launderin’? They gonna come talk to me about money-launderin’?! In West Baltimore?! Sheeeeeeeeeit. Where do you think I’m going to raise cash for the whole ticket? From laundromats and shit? From some tiny-ass Korean groceries? You think I have time to ask a man why he giving me money? Or where he gets his money from? I’ll take any motherfucker’s money if he givin’ it away!” LOL great line. As Clay leaves, he tells Royce that his campaign will not receive any more funds from him unless he has the BPD leave him alone.
Gearing up at a run for Mayor, Carcetti and Wilson meet with Clay Davis and he offers to split his support between them and the mayor for 20k and this has to happen for Carcetti to have a chance so whether they like it or not, they agree to his price and secure his help. After Carcetti wins the election, Clay meets with Burrell to assure him that his job is safe now that Carcetti won the election believing Burrell’s race is the trump card. Clay actually tells Burrell to win over the new mayor with police work and Burrell has a great WTF reaction lol Clay meets with Carcetti and Wilson to discuss Burrell’s interesting position and Wilson says they hope supporters will be ok with replacing Burrell if they present a better candidate. Clay thinks they will need help to get the pay raises they need for the police through and offers to get it done for a future favour. Next we see Clay Davis and Burrell trying to convince Nerese Campbell that Daniels is unsuitable to be the next commissioner. Then, Davis asks Campbell to withhold the full pay raise the mayor has requested so Burrell will have time to impress the mayor and defame Daniels. Clay then asks her to provide half the pay raise the mayor asked for and when she agrees, he immediately phones Carcetti to let him know that he has his pay bump. Clay was a fn snake but man could he wheel and deal the system like no one else.
Clay plays golf with Burrell and they discuss the summary judgement that Daniels issued to Herc and Burrell says 2 weeks of extra duty is too lenient for the ministers and suggests he is the only one that knows how to play the game. Bit of an ego on Burrell lol as S5 gets going so does the Major Crimes Unit investigation into Clay Davis and we see Clay losing his shit in Burrell’s office demanding support from him as Burrell tries to explain that he cannot intervene with there being a new Mayor and State Attorney. Clay reminds him that he got Burrell the pay raise he needed to make more money and not lose his position to Daniels and Burrell says he would have to go around Daniels to try and help and Daniels is loyal to Carcetti. Burrell adds that his interfering in the investigation would be a criminal act but Clay is irrational and refuses to accept Burrell’s excuses since he helped him in the past. Clay accuses Burrell of thinking he is finished and says he will remember Burrell’s attitude. After Clay’s driver is forced to give Grand Jury testimony, Clay is actually left speechless which might be a first for him lol Clay meets with Carcetti and Michael Steintorf to tell them he can make the transition from Burrell to Daniels go smoothly in exchange for help with his case but Steintorf isn’t convinced they need his help since they haven’t heard any complaints to Daniels possible promotion.
We see Clay Davis arrive to the Grand Jury hearings as Pearlman welcomes him and says she would like him to explain some financial irregularities. Inside, we see Pearlman present the evidence of payments from city developers to Davis’s charitable organizations and subsequent deposits and withdrawals from the charity accounts into Davis’s personal account to the Grand Jury and she asks Clay to explain how the money got into his personal account. Clay is rattled and says he was going to co-operate but it’s clear they are just out for blood and he no longer wants to answer any of their questions and leaves the room. As Clay leaves there a lot of reporters outside waiting so he composes himself and goes out to put on a show denying that he did anything wrong. Next day we see Clay Davis bitching about the indictments to Nerese Campbell and he threatens to take all of his colleagues down of he doesn’t get support from them. Campbell reminds him that he has the support of Royce the former mayor but Clay knows he needs support from people actually in office as Campbell tries to calm his fears saying the indictment carries a short sentence at best and if he leaves quietly, it will ensure that he has friends to come back to. She highlights the recent departure of Burrell as an example of why it is good to leave quietly since Burrell is set up very well after he leaves.
Later, Clay goes on a radio show to defend himself saying that racism in the systems of the city are what inspired the indictment and that his reputation amongst the people he has served should remove any doubts. Clay says he has committed no crimes and encourages his supporters to join a protest on his behalf at the courthouse. At the protest, former mayor Royce is there and he gives a rousing speech that riles up the crowd but after whispers to Clay that if he doesn’t take the full prosecution upon himself, he will never be able to make money in Baltimore again. When it comes time for the trial, Clay Davis hires the high-powered defense attorney Billy Murphy and Clay tries to win him over saying that he will purposely get indicted federally to make the case a bigger profile if Murphy guarantees he can get him off. Clay arrives at the Courthouse with the book Prometheus Bound, comparing himself to the main character but it’s just a show as he mispronounces the name of the author and main character. During the trial, the state presents it’s evidence and the testimony from Davis’s driver who said that he always returned his charity salaries in cash. On the stand, Davis is in full performance mode trying to charm the jury and says that he withdrew the cash so that he would have it on hand to give to his needy constituents. Somehow, Clay Davis is found not guilty and Pearlman and Bond cannot believe it. Wasn’t a huge fan of the trial stuff bc it seemed like Freamon’s evidence had Clay nailed but the jury just overlooks it and find shim guilty. We never saw it happen but I guess it’s possible that Clay was able to grease some of the jurors pockets. But the trial happened so fast it didn’t seem like it was a big deal. Great performance from Clay though.
Next day, Freamon tracks down Clay Davis at a bar to talk about his recent not guilty verdict, “Freamon: You know, that was mostly my evidence you beat back there, right? You think you could do that again? Clay: Excuse me? Freamon: Except this time, the jury’s a federal one. Say, nine white, three black. Clay: Time for you to tip on out, detective. Freamon: Bank records on that mortgage application you made on the Calvert county property years back. Now, why don’t you take that back to Billy Murphy? Ask your attorney what you’re exposed to. At this point, this is just between us two gentlemen here, senator. And no one else till I make it so. Clay: What? You tryin’ to sell a case back to me? Motherfucker, if you don’t get… Freamon: I don’t get paid like that. I get paid when I come back in a couple nights time with questions and you, sir, have answers. Or my next call will be to the US Attorney’s office, and we will go again. But for real.” 2 great actors/characters battling man you gotta love it.
Next day they meet again with Freamon demanding information in exchange for holding back the mortgage fraud from Clay’s case and after some prodding, gets valuable information on Levy and his role in corruption at the courthouse, ““Clay Davis: Levy. Lester: ‘Scuse me? Clay Davis: Levy. The lawyer. Lester: I know who he is. I’m not looking for any lawyers. I’m following the money. Clay Davis: Follow the lawyers. Levy, Bronfman, Silverstein, Cray… All those guys who take the high-end drug work. They don’t just make money off the criminal fees. Lester: How’s he… Clay Davis: The lawyers? They make a path for all this street-corner money. They showin’ all these kingpin motherfuckers how to send it overseas, bring it back, Invest the shit. They the ones who these ignorant ghetto motherfuckers always listen to when it comes to cash money. And Levy, man, he got the most grease. Lester: So, Levy routes it through who? Clay Davis: Anyone who got a project or a game in need of cash. Developers, people lookin’ to capitalize, elected folk like myself. There’s a lotta people need a dollar now an’ then… Lester: And the lawyers take their cut. Clay Davis: On both ends, though I got to say, he gonna let you rob one of his clients only so much. I mean once you get a Barksdale or a Joe Stewart on the hook, you want to go deep on they ass. Levy will let you get a taste, but he won’t let you run wild. Cause once you get past these motherfuckin lawyers, you can really play the pimp. This one time, I had this fella named Bell hooked up on this Howard Street condo thing. Got him so that he wasn’t runnin’ his shit past the lawyer…Boy, I tell you, we bled that motherfucker… Lester: Lawyers, huh? Clay Davis: Most definitely, detective. Me? Shit, I’m just small potatoes. Just a workin politician from Walbrook Junction, tryin’ to make his way from this world into the next. Lester: What else can you give me on Levy? Clay Davis: Nothin’ other than what I have. I ain’t up in his business or nuthin’. I just takin’ what he throws. Lester: Bullshit. You got something solid or I’m on my way to the US Attorney. Clay Davis: You ain’t nuthin’ but a shakedown artist. How’s this… Levy got someone at the courthouse. Oh, hell yeah. Levy been buyin’ papers for years and sellin’ ’em to whoever needs an early look. And don’t think there ain’t no real money in that. Lester: A prosecutor? Clay Davis: I don’t have a name. Truly I don’t, but it seems to me, you start lookin at the people hangin around the grand jury, you’ll find I’m right. Now I know I’ve said enough to buy my case back.” That’s the last time we see Clay Davis? Sheeeeeit lol my Dad fn loved that and so did I, he made the show fun to watch. I kind of see similarities to him and Omar, both are mostly robbing corrupt people so how upset can you really be at them. Too bad there wasn’t another season to extend the Grand Jury stuff bc Clay def would have shined through it. Great character and his legacy is secure. Sheeeeeeeit lol
-Marlo Stanfield – man we got a different kind of villain and gangster with Jamie Hector’s awesome performance as Marlo. We first meet him when Bodie approaches him on behalf of the Barksdale crew to discuss sharing territory in exchange for high quality drugs. But Marlo won’t even acknowledge Bodie’s request and insists that Bodie move his crew out of his territory that they have already set up in. Later we see Marlo ask his dealer Fruit why profits are down and Fruit blames the Barksdale crew moving in on their territory. So Marlo tells him to take his crew with some baseball bats and send a message to Bodie and his crew and they do exactly that. We see a lot of Marlo with the Major Crimes Unit running surveillance on him and his crew. After a failed attempt on his crew by the Barksdale crew, Marlo goes to see Vinson at the rim shop where Vinson warns Marlo that Avon will come back again after the embarrassment of the failed attack. But Marlo scoffs saying that the failure speaks to the quality of Avon’s soldiers. Vinson warns that taking control of the drug game ends with him dead or in prison but Marlo wants to focus on the taking control part and worry about the aftermath later. Marlo tells his top soldiers Chris and Snoop to get ready for a war.
Next we see Marlo, Chris and Snoop meet at Marlo’s pigeon coop where Marlo tells Chris they are gonna hang back and wholesale their packages and let Avon have the corners. The plan is to bide their time and hope that Snoop can catch Avon slippin. Next we see Marlo at a club and he notices a girl staring at him and goes over to her. Marlo declines to drink or dance with her but he does take her outside to his car and they have sex lol she asks him to meet again the next day and he agrees. But when Marlo phones her the next day, his suspicions are raised and tasks Chris and Snoop to do some surveillance on their meeting spot. Snoop sits in the restaurant and observes a Barksdale soldier getting food and bringing it to an SUV nearby. Chris watches Devonne go over to the SUV and accept money from whoever is in the SUV so Chris opens fire and ends up wounding Avon and killing his soldier Tater who were waiting in the SUV. And that’s why Chris and Snoop are the best.
Marlo exacts revenge on Devonne personally, waiting at her house for her to leave and when she does he shoots her once in each breast and once in the mouth. So unsettling man you know Marlo was sending a message with how he carried out this murder. Next we see Marlo meet with Vinson at his rim shop who he informs of Stringers death and Vinson says that Avon will blame him for it. Chris thinks the notoriety will be good for them. Marlo, Vinson and Chris sit down to eat with no knowledge of close they came to being killed. When Avon goes in trial, Marlo attends and exchanges a nod with Avon in almost a passing of the crown moment. S4 starts with Marlo meeting with his lieutenants after Lex kills Fruit knowing they need to respond. Monk wants to kill Lex and his whole crew while Marlo recognizes that Lex did this alone so he alone will pay. Later we see Marlo and his crew handing out money to the neighbourhood kids to buy loyalty and potential soldiers. Marlo was a lot of things but stupid def wasn’t one of em.
Marlo takes the crew for shooting practice and we see he is a great shot. Monk gets a call from Old Face Andre looking to re-up but Marlo takes over the call and reminds Andre who the boss is. Next we see Marlo pay Bodie a visit on his corner who is actually impressed that Bodie turned a once quiet corner into thriving business but also pretends not to know Bodie’s name to keep him in check. Marlo delivers an ultimatum that Bodie either start selling Marlo’s product which is lower quality or leave the area so Marlo’s crew can work the corner. He says that Chris will be back for Bodie’s answer. Marlo sees Michael with Bodie’s crew and remembers that Michael was the only 1 to refuse money from Marlo and asks Chris to find out more about him. Later we see Marlo playing poker with some old timers when he is goaded into going all in on a hand and loses so he leaves and goes into a grocery store. He steals a lollipop right in front of a security guard and the security guard follows him out where we get a chilling exchange, “Security Guard: You think I dream of comin’ to work up in this shit on a Sunday mornin’. Tell all my friends what a good job I got. I’m workin’ to support a family, man. Pretend I ain’t talking to you. Pretend like I ain’t even on this Earth. I know what you are, and I ain’t steppin’ to, but I am a man, and you just clip that shit and act like you don’t even know I’m there. Marlo: I don’t. Security Guard: I’m here. [Marlo moves closer] Look, I told you I wasn’t steppin’ to. I ain’t disrespectin’ you, son. Marlo: You want it to be one way. Security Guard: What? Marlo: You want it to be one way. Security Guard: Man, I don’t… Marlo: You want it to be one way. Security Guard: Man, STOP! Stop, sayin’ that. Marlo: But it’s the other way.” Chilling.
Almost like an opposite Inigo Montoya lol This murder really pissed me off man bc it just did not need to happen. Kill a guy who is willing to work a shitty job for his family and to do it for no reason is just fcking wrong. Marlo initiated the whole thing by himself so it’s almost like he wanted a reason to kill someone. Anyone. Didn’t care who. Guy is a fcking psychopath. This was the moment where my thirst for revenge to come to Marlo really started. So yeah we see Marlo order the killing of the security guard and then head to Bodie’s corner to find out his answer to the ultimatum. Bodie says he’ll move Marlo’s product. Later we see Marlo get a visit from old Face Andre who was just robbed by Omar. Andre asks Marlo to forgive him on the losses since Omar is basically a terrorist but Marlo responds that he is more interested in Andre’s ring than his excuses. He takes the ring and says Andre still needs to pay what he owes. When Andre leaves, Marlo tells Chris he needs more money for another poker game and even if he loses, he can always get Chris to re-coup his losses. Takes being a sore loser to another level. Later Marlo meets with Prop Joe and tries to get him to join the co-op to help deal with NY but Marlo says it’s not his problem bc his territory is on the other side of city. Joe says he can give Marlo protection from surprises, information from his network, legal support and a high quality product amongst other things. But Marlo thinks he is untouchable and doesn’t need help from anyone so he ends the meeting and leaves.
At another high stakes poker game, Marlo is playing when Omar walks in with his shotgun to rob the game and takes the ring Marlo just took from Old Face Andre along with all the cash. Marlo tells Omar that this isn’t the end of things between them and Omar laughs saying it’s easier for him to find them than for them to find him. As Omar leaves, Marlo wishes that Omar wear the ring in good health. For a guy that thought he was untouchable, this has to be a huge blow to his pride and you know bc of how hard he tries to intimidate Omar. Next day Marlo and Chris discuss how to deal with Omar. Marlo wants to go right at him by placing a bounty on his head but Chris thinks a more subtle approach could avoid any retribution from Omar. Chris tells Marlo that Prop Joe wants a second meeting as Old Face Andre shows up. Marlo tells Andre that his store is going to be robbed again and that he is to blame it on Omar. Andre is worried about retribution from Omar but Marlo assures him that Omar will not be coming back from being arrested. Later, Chris reports back to Marlo that the robbery was a success who tells him about the surveillance camera they found at his spot.
At the meeting with Prop Joe, he again makes his case to Marlo that he has many resources that would be valuable to Marlo if he is willing to work with them. Marlo asks Prop Joe about the video surveillance camera he found and agrees to work with them if they can give him information on the people that are watching him. Next day we see the cops watching Marlo, Chris, Snoop and the rest of the crew talking about picking up a ‘skinny girl from NY’ which they figure is code for cocaine but are surprised Marlo would do it himself. Herc follows Marlo to a train station and sees him pick up a woman’s bag and she resists but Herc and the police stop them. However when Herc searches the bag there is no drugs, just clothes and he realizes that Marlo tricked him into stopping them. I guess the info from Prop Joe worked and now Marlo knows for sure they have a wire up on him. Next day we see another meeting between Marlo and Prop Joe on a park bench where Marlo expresses his frustration at not being able to figure out the entire operation of whoever has been investigating him. So Prop Joe suggests stealing the surveillance camera they have set up bc federal agents have lots of money so they won’t come looking for it but local police are strapped for cash and will def come looking for it. That will give him a good idea of the investigation into him and his crew.
After the surveillance camera is stolen, just like clockwork Marlo is stopped while driving by Herc who asks for the camera back. Marlo doesn’t admit to taking it but takes Herc’s card. Later we see Marlo deliver Herc’s card to Prop Joe who promises to get him more information and also thanks him for their help dealing with the NY dealers. Slim Charles speaks up to say that Marlo’s technique of disappearing bodies is lessening the impact of their kills so Marlo agrees to leave some bodies on the street. Prop Joe comes through and tells Marlo that Herc is working with the Major Crimes Unit, the same ones that took down Avon and Stringer. He also suggests they stop using their cellphones so Marlo and Chris immediately toss theirs out the window. Marlo tells Chris that the charges against Omar were dropped so someone must have agreed to testify and since Old Face Andre closed up shop, it must have been him so Marlo makes finding him their top priority. Later when Marlo pays Joe for a package he is expecting a discount for dealing with the NY dealers but Joe says he already factored that into the price and that he is going to return something Marlo wants very much at no charge. Later we see Michael come into Marlo’s courtyard and ask to see Chris but only finds Marlo who asks what he wants and Michael says, “I got a problem I can’t bring to anyone else.”
Next we see Little Kevin meet with Marlo and Chris to tell him that he was taken in by the police to answer questions about the murder of Lex but didn’t say anything. They are really pissed when they learn that instead of telling Lex about the meeting himself, Little Kevin gave the job to Randy. Marlo nods at Monk and as Little Kevin leaves, they stuff him into the trunk of the SUV. Chris asks Marlo about Randy but Marlo says randy can’t hurt them. I thought for sure Randy was dead so it was a nice surprise to see Marlo spare him here but they might as well have killed him when Snoop tells Marlo that he is likely an informant so Marlo tells em to spread the rumour around. As we saw, Randy’s life was a living hell after that bc of the rumour. Next day Marlo gives Chris and Snoop props for being up to date on their work and Snoop confirms they killed Michaels step father. Marlo tells them that he heard Michael fought alongside Randy when he was accused of being an informant and Chris is def not happy to hear that. After Omar robs an entire shipment of drugs meant for both Prop Joe and Marlo’s crews, Marlo asks Prop Joe about which of his people were there. prop Joe says his nephew Cheese was there but he will protect him from any retribution and offers to put Marlo in touch with his supplier to confirm that Cheese did not steal the drugs himself.
Prop Joe takes Marlo to his meeting with Spiros who confirms that Cheese did not steal the shipment. Marlo tells Monk to follow Spiros while Monk tells him Chris and Snoop have been arrested so Marlo tells him to phone their bondsman. After Chris and Snoop are released, we see Monk tell Marlo and Chris that he has seen Bodie so Marlo tells Chris to have Michael kill Bodie. But Chris says someone else should do it since Michael used to work for Bodie. Marlo updates them on Omar stealing the shipment and offering to sell it back to them. Later we see Marlo, Chris and Snoop visit Michael at home and Marlo asks about the ring he wears around his neck and Michael says he took it from someone. Marlo seems to have a moment realizing that someone took a ring from him too. Not that he was blaming Michael for it, just that Michael did to someone else what was done to him. Marlo tells Michael he is putting him in charge of Bodie’s corner and that he has another job for him.
S5 starts with the Major Crimes Unit observing the Stanfield crew as they conduct business but they can’t hear any conversations bc of the precautions Marlo is taking like not allowing any electronic devices around when they are talking. We see the dealer ask Marlo for a better split bc he is having trouble paying his workers but Marlo won’t budge on the 60/40 split and threatens to use enforcers if he has to. Marlo won’t even use the phone to meet Chris, he sends a runner to go get Chris. Tedious I’m sure but it’s what you have to do if you want to keep your freedom. When they meet up, Marlo tells Chris the dealer agreed to the terms and they don’t have to move on him. They talk about all the surveillance on them calling out pretty much every hiding spot the Major Crimes Unit is using. Next day Marlo stages a meeting with a woman at a hotel so he can meet with the New Day Co-Op and this fools the detectives following him. At the meeting, Marlo is acting really cocky and trying to push Prop Joe’s buttons. Prop Joe is talking about how the city moved the ghetto areas to another part of the city affecting the drug trade for a lot of dealers including Prop Joe. They want the new territory to go to the crews that have lost money due to the change but Marlo thinks the territory should go to whoever claims it. Marlo insults Slim Charles by offering him a job working the new territory for the Stanfield crew.
Next we see Marlo meet with Chris and Snoop and they all talk about how the surveillance around them seems to have stopped but Marlo is still worried about cameras. Chris says that they have had no issues since they stole the camera that Herc set up and Snoop says she is eager to get back to work. So Marlo gives them a hit list, he wants them to assault Webster Franklin’s drug crew bc they wouldn’t accept his package. Then he tells them to murder a guy named Junebug for badmouthing him. Lastly he tells them to kill Omar but Snoop says that Omar has retired. Marlo tells Chris to bring Omar out of retirement bc what good is his crown if someone gets away with stealing from him. Then we see Marlo talk to Chris about going to visit Sergei at the prison and Chris tells him that he got Marlo on the visiting list and gives him the photo of Sergei he got from the file. Marlo gets to the prison and is shocked to see Avon waiting for him instead of Sergei. Avon correctly guesses that Marlo wants to use Sergei to contact the Greeks and cut Prop Joe out of the deal but Avon says that Marlo has to go through him to get to Sergei. He says he will arrange a meeting if Marlo sends 100k to Briana. It’s a great exchange that I gotta highlight,
“Avon: Surprise. Heh. My man Sergei thought we should talk first. Marlo: Talk about what? Avon: That’s on you, young’un. Whatever business you trying to do through the Russian, you gotta go through me first. Marlo: Yeah? Avon: Yeah. ‘Cuz up in this bitch here, I’m- I’m what you might consider… an authority figure. Y’know, everybody gotta get my help or ask my advice, like, all kinds of shit. Sergei stepped to me the other day, saying this n***a Marlo, who he don’t even know, just be sending him cash money to get on his visiting list. So then he asked me if I knew Marlo; I told him “Hell yeah, I know Marlo real well.” Y’know, over in the west-side, everybody know everybody, right?….Avon: Let me help you find your tongue – you trying to get to the Russian so you can get a line to his people. You trying to get to the Greek motherfuckers… because if you can, you wanna cut Proposition Joe and all them other east-side bitches out the connect. I mean, you a natural businessman, right? (Marlo chuckles) But this is the thing, though. And I mean, y’know, I’m wit’chu on all that as far as it goes, you know? West-side definitely need to stick together, you know what I mean, and all the fuss about you coming at me? I say let bygones be bygones, but fuck all them east-side bitches. That’s just the way I feel about it; I got nothing but love in my heart for west-side n***as, nothing but love. Of course… I mean, y’know, I got to have my taste, too. Marlo: Figured that. Avon: So send my sister a hundred large… and the next time you come in Jessup, it won’t be my grill talking at you. My word on that. Marlo: A hundred large, huh? Avon: …So wassup, man? Wassup wit’chu otherwise, y’know? Marlo: Ah, the game is the game. Avon: Always.”
2 legends of the game finally meeting face to face, so happy that we got this scene. Later we see Marlo return to the prison for a meeting with Sergei and Avon. Sergei is pretty dismissive of Marlo but Marlo tells him he has nothing to lose setting up a meeting, either it goes well and Sergei looks good or Spiros just says no. Next we see Marlo and Snoop go to Little Johnny’s diner, the place that the Greeks frequent, and Marlo tries to deliver a suitcase full of cash as a tribute to Spiros but the counter guy Andreas says he doesn’t know any Greeks. Marlo leaves the suitcase and says he will return tomorrow. Next day Marlo goes to the diner and this time Spiros is there but he tells Marlo that he won’t accept the money bc of the poor quality of it. It’s too dirty, right off the street. Spiros tells him he needs to launder the money before he will consider taking it. So Marlo meets with Prop Joe to talk about laundering his money and Prop Joe says bc they are both in the Co-Op, he will help him.
Later we see Prop Joe introduce Marlo to his contact for laundering money, a pastor who takes the donated money for charitable projects abroad. The money is laundered through foreign banks and then given back to the person donating by cashiers cheques. Charge is .10 on the dollar and anything else is on the donators generosity. Marlo returns to the diner to meet with Spiros about becoming his connection but Spiros says everything is running good through Prop Joe. After, Marlo meets with Prop Joe again to try and get clean bills so Spiros will accept his tribute and give him a chance to steal the connection. Prop Joe will do it but he charges .20 on the dollar and that number hurts since he is giving Spiros 200k. Marlo agrees to the terms and tells Prop Joe to tell the Co-Op that he is offering 50k on information about Omar. Prop Joe tries to talk him out of going after Omar but Marlo ain’t hearin that. When he gets the clean money, he goes straight to the diner and gives the money to Andreas telling him to give it to Spiros.
Next we see Marlo meet with Prop Joe to get the details on his new back account that was set up for him and he worries about leaving the money in someone else’s hands. So Prop Joe arranges to get him a passport so he can go to the Caribbean and get it himself. And we actually see Marlo in the Caribbean but he is def out of his element not able to communicate with the french speaking bank teller but he knows now that the account is the real deal. Back in Baltimore, we see Marlo get his meeting with Spiros who returns the clean money just as he did the dirty money bc they are not interested in making new street level contacts or undermining their connection with Prop Joe. Marlo fires back that Prop Joe was robbed of their shipment and that a connection with Marlo directly could help avoid future robberies. All of a sudden The Greek, who was sitting at the bar, joins the conversation and says that Marlo has a good point and that they will accept his offer of insurance as these are dangerous times and nobody can predict the future.
Back at the Co-Op, Marlo attends and watches a beef play out between Cheese and Hungry Man. After the meeting, Marlo shows Prop Joe that he got the money that was laundered for him and asks what’s next. Prop Joe offers to open another door for him but tells Marlo he needs to focus on working with others and Marlo thanks him for the advice. Next day Prop Joe takes Marlo to see Maurice Levy, the criminal attorney for criminals, and Marlo recognizes him as attorney for Avon and also recognizes Herc. Marlo asks Herc about the camera they stole and Herc admits it got him fired much to Marlo’s amusement. I was pretty shocked to see Prop Joe basically hand his empire over to Marlo by introducing him to all these contacts like Marlo was his fcking buddy or something lol with the money laundering, the product connection, and now the legal connection, there is nothing left that Marlo needs Prop Joe for so the next time we see Marlo is when he walks into Prop Joe’s house right before he leaves town. Prop Joe knows that Marlo is not there to wish him luck as he leaves and asks if Cheese gave him up to which Marlo nods. Prop Joe starts to plead for his life, “Prop Joe: I treated you like a son. Marlo: I wasn’t made to play the son.” Prop Joe makes 1 final bargain but Marlo ain’t havin it, “Prop Joe: Proposition, then–I just step out the way. You never hear from me again. I just disappear. Marlo: Joe, you’d be up into mischief in no time. Truth is, you wouldn’t be able to change up any more than me.” Marlo tells Prop Joe to close his eyes and says it won’t hurt, Joe does and Marlo nods to Chris who fires a shot into the back of Prop Joe’s head. Damn man I liked Prop Joe, fn Marlo really is like a spawn of satan. Just a cold, ruthless motherfucker.
After the murder of Prop Joe, we see Spiros induct Marlo into their smuggling ring as the new Baltimore distributor and Spiros tells Marlo the quality he liked best in Prop Joe was his dependability. The Greeks communicate with phones but Marlo says he doesn’t use phones and Spiros schools him in the game telling him to talk about all personal shit on the phone so that anyone listening thinks there is no criminal activity going on. Spiros also shows Marlo how they communicate without talking or sending text messages and is very adamant that only Marlo and his 2nd in command know how to contact the Greeks. After the meeting we some emotion out of Marlo as he is excited about the power that he has accumulated. Chris tells him that he fears the retaliation from Omar and says that he has to visit his family. Marlo goes with Chris who says goodbye to his family and he tells Marlo that he told his family he is going away on business for a few weeks. Later we see Marlo meet with Levy to discuss the gun charges against Chris and Snoop and Levy says it should be easy to get an acquittal. Chris is adamant that the person listed as the owner of the vehicle cannot go to jail so Levy suggests replacing her with someone who can. Marlo gives Levy a cheque for money that needs to be laundered and Levy gets the new contact details from Marlo.
Next we see Marlo, Snoop, O-Dog and Vinson eating at the rim shop when Monk arrives and is clearly wearing a bulletproof vest that they all give him shit for saying Omar will notice it right away. Snoop says it’s useless bc Omar will be aiming for the head just like she would. Chris shows up and says that Omar waited all night outside Monk’s apartment and left before morning but Chris expects him to be back. After Chris, Snoop, Michael and O-Dog ambush Omar but are unable to kill him, Marlo shows up at the apartments to check it out for himself. He asks Chris which apartment Omar jumped from and can’t believe it when Chris points to the 5th floor, “Marlo: Don’t seem possible. Chris: It don’t. Marlo: That’s some Spiderman shit there. We missed our shot. Now he goin’ be at us.” Come at the king you best not miss. Later we see Marlo at the Co-Op where he blames the deaths of Prop Joe and Hungry Man on Omar and increases the bounty on Omar to 100k for info and 250k for his head. Marlo tries to give Hungry Man’s territory to Slim Charles but he declines saying he isn’t ready so Marlo gives it to Cheese. He also says these little meeting are stopping and that if anyone has a problem, they can bring it directly to him or deal with it. Lastly he announces a 30k increase on the price of each kilo and then leaves. When you make a power play like Marlo did, you can set things up however you fcking want and he wasted no time in showing everyone who the boss is.
Next day we see Chris and Snoop stop searching for Omar to attend a meeting with Marlo where Marlo drops the bomb on them that Omar is already dead. Snoop is pissed that someone else got the kill and asks who but only info Marlo has is that it was some young kid. Marlo reminds Chris that he is planning a trip to Atlantic City to celebrate. Devastated the only way to describe how I felt knowing Omar was dead and these scumbags were still alive man and I was legit concerned that revenge would even come to them at this point. After Butchie man I didn’t want jail I wanted death lol it wasn’t death but shit finally caught up to Marlo when the Major Crimes Unit cracks his clock code and figures out their operation. The police make their bust and round up Marlo and his crew including Monk and Chris. Next we see Marlo sitting in jail with Chris, Monk and Cheese talking about how they got busted when Monk accidentally lets it slip that Omar was talking shit about Marlo who flips out at this news, “Chris: Omar tried calling you out by name, but shit, no one — Marlo: What he say about me? Chris: Nothing, man. Just talking shit. Marlo: He used my name? In the street? [Pause] Marlo: Talk, motherfucker! Monk: He just, you know, say that you need to step to and that . . . I don’t know. He just running his mouth some. Marlo: He call me a punk?! Chris: It was bullshit, man. You ain’t need that on your mind. Marlo: What the fuck you know about what I need on my mind, motherfucker?! My name was on the street?! When we bounce from this shit here, y’all going to go down on them corners and let the people know: Word did not get back to me! Let them know Marlo step to any motherfucker — Omar, Barksdale, whoever. My name is my name!” Not the victory I wanted but at least Omar got one over on Marlo, he killed his name.
Next day it’s more of the same minus Cheese who made bail. Marlo is being accused of being a drug kingpin that could potentially intimidate witnesses and jurors, Chris is accused of murder and Monk has violated parole so they have no chance at posting bail. They agree that Michael is prob the informant but Chris is still not quite convinced. Marlo says killing Michael is a top priority and tells Cheese to take the remaining soldiers and hunt Michael down. In a disgusting turn of events, bc of the illegal wiretap the Major Crimes Unit used to bring Marlo down, they have to offer him a deal that lets him walk free if he promises to leave the drug game for good. I actually put my hands to my head like you have got to be fucking kidding me that after everything, this scumbag gets to walk free. I wanted to jump into the TV and exact the justice myself lol unfuckingbelievable. But that’s what happens and we see Marlo at the Co-Op where he offers to sell them his connection to the Greeks for 10 million which the Co-Op accepts.
Marlo is now a free man and a millionaire so we see him at one of Levy’s parties trying to become a legit businessman but that is not his crowd at all so he is just extremely uncomfortable the entire time. He goes outside and walks over to the corner that is being worked by 2 dealers and despite them having a gun and a knife, an unarmed Marlo wins the exchange and drives them off. But when he walked up they were telling stories about Omar and had no clue who he was, hammering home Omar’s victory of killing the only thing that Marlo really cared about, his name. 1 of the greatest villains of all time bc he stayed a villain the entire show, at no point was I thinking he was cool or rooting for him. He was a forced to be reckoned with bc he was really smart and didn’t act on emotion. I really enjoyed loving to hate Marlo and will always bring his name up when the greatest TV villains are talked about.
-Chris Partlow – the kind of soldier you def want on your side rather than against you, we got a fcking great performance from Gbenga Akinnagbe as Chris. We see him on surveillance but our first real introduction is Marlo telling Chris and Snoop to get ready for war with Avon. Chris and Snoop meet with Marlo who tells them that they are gonna hang back and wholesale their packages and let Avon have the corners right now. The plan is to bide their time and hope Snoop or Chris can catch Avon off guard. When Marlo becomes suspicious of a woman he is seeing, he tasks Chris and Snoop to check things out. Snoop sees a Barksdale soldier to an SUV outside where Marlo is supposed to meet this girl Devonne. Chris see’s Devonna go up to the SUV and accept money so he knows Marlo is being set up and fires into the SUV wounding Avon and killing 1 of Avon’s soldiers. To get revenge on Devonne, they wait for her at her house and when she leaves Marlo shoots her once in each breast and once in the mouth. Chris assures him that she had to be killed. These guys do not fuck around. Chris is with Marlo and Vinson at the rim shop when Marlo tells Vinson that Stringer is dead and Vinson says they will blame Marlo. Chris thinks the notoriety will be good for them. They all sit down to eat unaware of how close they came to being killed by the Barksdale crew.
We start S4 with Snoop buying a better nail gun for their needs, she buys one that doesn’t need a battery, it uses gun powder so Chris is def happy and impressed. That night we see Chris and Snoop walking a victim to the vacant houses as the guy pleads for his life but Chris just says he will make it quick and clean and shoots the guy with a silencer. They use quicklime and plastic sheets to cover the smell and then board up the vacant house with the new nail gun that works perfect. After Lex murders a Stanfield dealer named Fruit, Marlo puts out a hit on Lex and when Lex is directed by Randy to a meeting in the park, Chris and Snoop are waiting. Chris and Snoop board up the vacant building and move on until the next one. After Marlo feels a security guard disrespected him, he orders Chris and Snoop to kill him and then they head to Bodie’s corner to get an answer to the ultimatum Marlo gave him. Bodies agrees to Marlo’s terms and Chris asks about Michael who Bodie says has moved on. Bodie asks why they are interested in Michael and Chris responds, “why ain’t in your repertoire no more” making sure Bodie knows he is low man on the totem pole in the Stanfield crew.
Chris and Snoop track Michael to his house and observe his poor circumstances. Snoop thinks due to his living conditions it will be easy to make him a crew chief but Chris is not as optimistic. Chris is good at reading people and situations so he knows Michael isn’t like everyone else. Would’ve been a good psychologist in another life. Later we see Chris and Snoop board up another vacant building as Chris tosses the security guards badge into the garbage so we know that they carried out the hit and the security guard is dead. Fn bullshit man that guy didn’t deserve to die. After Marlo is robbed at a poker game by Omar, he discusses with Chris about what to do next. Marlo wants to go right at Omar and put a bounty on his head but Chris thinks a more subtle approach will help them avoid any retribution from Omar. Chris tells Marlo that prop Joe wants a second meeting with him when Old Face Andre shows up. Marlo tells him that Chris is gonna rob his store but he is gonna say it was Omar. Later we see Chris and Snoop rob the store but in the process he kills an innocent delivery woman. Fuck it pisses me off seeing them gun down innocent people for fcking nothing. Chris pistol whips Andre reminding him to say it was Omar and then heads to let Marlo know that it was a success.
Next day we see Chris and Snoop out driving when they are stopped by Herc but not before they put their weapons into a secret compartment in the glove box. Herc doesn’t find the nail gun and fires a nail into the street but has no clue what it is used for so he doesn’t take it. Herc tells them he wants his camera back and lets them go. Later we see Chris and Snoop put 2 bodies of NY dealers they killed in the vacant buildings and board it up. They continue walking the streets to look for more NY dealers to kill when Chris comes up with a plan to ask them a question about Baltimore and if they answer wrong they know they are from NY. But Snoop isn’t as knowledgeable about Baltimore as Chris and almost kills a local dealer so Chris says he will ask the questions lol they eventually find a NY dealer and kill him leaving his body on the street. After they throw their weapons into the harbour along with the nail gun. I thought the nail gun would be a big part of taking them down so this scene def changed the questions for me. After Prop Joe tells them that Herc is working with the Major Crimes Unit so they should stop using cellphones and Chris and Marlo immediately toss theirs.
Chris and Snoop have driven off the NY dealers but they still have Omar to deal with and Chris tells Marlo that Omar has been transferred from the city jail. But Marlo informs him that the charges against Omar were dropped and since Old Face Andre closed up shop, he must have talked and then went into hiding so finding him is their top priority. Chris and Snoop break into Andre’s house and threaten his girlfriend but she pleads with them that she doesn’t know anything. They believe her and actually let her live. Did not expect that. Next we see Chris and Snoop waiting at the vacant houses after Old Face Andre is double crossed by Prop Joe. Andre asks Chris to shoot him somewhere his family will find the body but Chris coldly replies, “here is good” and loads his gun as they escort Andre into the vacant building. Andre was prob feeling 1 of the most terrible emotions a human possibly could in that moment, to know you were going to die in some dirty vacant house and your family would go through the hell of not knowing for sure if you were dead and not having a body to bury and mourn over. And you have to feel this emotion for minutes, not seconds. Unsettling, man.
Next we see Little Kevin meet with Marlo and Chris to tell them that he was picked up by police to talk about the murder of Lex but that he didn’t give them any info. But they are really pissed when they find out that he didn’t tell Lex about the meeting himself, he gave the job to Randy. Marlo gives the signal and as Little Kevin is leaving they stuff him in the trunk of the SUV. Chris asks about Randy but Marlo says he can’t hurt them. Snoop suggests he is likely an informant so Marlo tells em to spread that rumour around. Later we see Michael showing Chris and Snoop who his step father is and Snoop asks why he wants him killed but Michael won’t say. Chris can read him and seems to be able to relate to Michael so he agrees to carry out the hit. That night Chris and Snoop catch up to Bug’s father and accuses him of sexually assaulting the boys. Chris then proceeds to beat him to death with his fists which even seems to shock Snoop. Given the way he killed him, I think it’s safe to say that Chris def relates to Michael. Next day Marlo gives Chris and Snoop props for being up to date on their work and Snoop confirms they killed Michael’s stepfather. Marlo says he heard that Michael fought alongside Randy when he was accused of being an informant and Chris is def not happy to hear that.
Later we see Michael running from Chris and Snoop who are shooting at him in an abandoned warehouse. Michael eventually surprises them and shoots them both but we see that it is paintballs and they are just practicing. They are both impressed at Michael’s progress. Chris asks him why he targeted the areas he did on them and Michael says you aim low at a distance bc of a vest and you aim at the head when you are close. Next we see Chris and Snoop stopped by police again but this time Kima finds the hidden compartment with a gun and they are both arrested. In custody the police take blood and hair samples to try and match to any found at the vacant houses. Later we see that Chris has been released as Monk tells them that Bodie has been spotted so Marlo tells Chris to have Michael kill Bodie. But Chris says that Michael used to work for Bodie so someone else should be given the job. They make their move on Bodie’s crew who all run but Bodie stays by himself and as Chris and Snoop distract him, O-Dog steps out of the shadows and shoots Bodie in the head. Fuckers. Next we see Marlo, Chris and Snoop visit Michael at his house to tell him he has Bodie’s corner now and to give him another job.
Later we see Michael kill a drug dealer as Chris and Monk look on. This is Michaels first killing and Chris tells him to look his victims in the eye. As S5 starts the precautions taken by the Stanfield crew have stepped up bigtime with no electronics being used. A runner from Marlo tells Chris about a meeting so they aren’t taking any chances at all. At the meeting, Marlo tells Chris he worked things out with 1 of their dealers so Chris and Snoop don’t need to move on him. They discuss all the surveillance on them right now and they know about pretty much everything the Major Crimes Unit is doing. Next day we see Marlo visit the courthouse while McNulty follows him and Chris grabs the file on Sergei Molotov, 1 of Spiros enforcers that is in prison for life. Next day we see Marlo meet with Chris and Snoop and they talk about how the surveillance around them has seemingly stopped but Marlo is still worried about cameras. Chris says that they haven’t had any issues since they stole the camera Herc set up and Snoop says she is eager to get back to work. So Marlo gives them a hit list, first to assault Webster Franklin’s drug crew for not accepting the package from Marlo. Then he orders them to kill a guy named Junebug for badmouthing him. Finally he tells them to kill Omar but Snoop says he is retired so Marlo tells Chris to bring him out of retirement.
Marlo talks to Chris about going to meet Sergei at the prison and Chris says that Marlo is on the visiting list and gives him the photo of Sergei he got from the file. Later we see Chris, Snoop and Michael checking out Junebug’s house, Chris asks Michael why they are watching so early and Michael says he doesn’t want any surprises. Michael questions their task and Chris says it is necessary due to the rumours hurting Marlo’s rep. When Michael still isn’t convinced Snoop angrily tells him to know his place. Chris tells Michael to go to the back of the house and kill anyone that tries to leave. The attack is successful and they kill Junebug plus some others. Next we see Chris and Slim Charles chillin outside joking around about the difference between their bosses while Prop Joe introduces Marlo to a contact for money laundering. Later we see Cheese, Prop Joe’s nephew and lieutenant, approach Chris and tell him about Butchie and his connection to Omar to try and get the 50k. Chris asks if Prop Joe knew about Butchie implying that Prop Joe was protecting Omar but Cheese won’t confirm that. Chris pays Cheese the 50k and goes with Snoop to ambush Butchie at his bar. They kill 1 of his staff and wound his body guard Big Guy. They torture Butchie but he refuses to give up any information about Omar so Chris eventually kills him and tells Big Guy to make sure that word reaches Omar. Outside Snoop worries that they have just put Omar’s vengeance on them and gained nothing from it but Chris quickly tells her not to question any of Marlo’s orders. He says they are all gonna have to be very careful. Oh fck did this make me mad man I was praying that Chris and Snoop would get what they had coming and more. Torturing an old blind man…..
After Marlo observes a beef play out at the Co-Op between Prop Joe’s nephew Cheese and Hungry Man, we see Chris take Cheese to an abandoned building where Snoop is guarding a tied up Hungry Man. Chris says this is a gift from Marlo and reminds Cheese about the benefits of giving and receiving favours. Later after Marlo surprises Prop Joe as he is about to leave town, Chris emerges from behind showing that this is the end for Prop Joe. After a quick conversation Marlo nods to Chris and he shoots Prop Joe in the back of the head. Next we see Chris show up to Vinson’s Rim Shop where Marlo, Snoop, O-Dog and Vinson are eating and report that Omar sat outside Monk’s apartment all night before leaving in the morning but Chris expects he will be back. I was looking forward to this showdown that was coming fully expecting Omar to come out on top. The trap is set for Omar and Donnie who walk right into it and Snoop shoots Donnie in the chest but he is wearing a vest. Chris shoots Donnie in the head and they all shoot at Omar pinning him down by the couch until Omar gets up and smashes through the glass jumping off the 5th floor balcony. Chris, Snoop and Michael are beyond shocked when they look down and Omar is gone.
Next day we see Chris and the rest of the crew searching the area for Omar but there has been no sign of him anywhere and Chris visibly shows his frustration by kicking his car. Chris meets with Marlo in front of the apartment building and asks which apartment Omar jumped from and can’t believe it when Chris point so the 5th floor, “Marlo: Don’t seem possible. Chris: It don’t. Marlo: That’s some Spiderman shit there. We missed our shot. Now he goin’ be at us.” Come at the king you best not miss. Later we see Chris and Snoop actually hiding out from Omar and Chris is visibly pissed off repeatedly throwing a knife into the floor. Big time hit to the pride of a gangster like Chris having to hide from someone. Snoop suggests buying toys for his kids to take his mind off things but Chris says he has to stay away from his family until Omar is dealt with. Snoop doesn’t think Omar would ever find his family and Chris reminds her that they found Butchie. I didn’t want to like Chris at this point I just wanted him dead lol but that’s why i love this show, it fcking challenges you even after you think you have it figured out. Seeing this side of Chris showed that he isn’t just some psychopath, he does what he does to provide for his family the best way he knows how. Most likely in the game from an early age, he knows that if you’re in the game then you are fully prepared for everything that comes with it and that’s why he can kill seemingly at will the way he does.
Next day we see Michael meet with Chris and Snoop to tell them about his confrontation with Omar and that Omar is using a crutch and was talking shit about Marlo. They ask what Omar said and Michael tells them Omar called Marlo a bitch and said he would kill his muscle until Marlo faces him himself. Michael asks if Savino is dead and Chris doesn’t answer confirming that he is so Michael asks about a rumour that Omar robbed a stash house. Chris responds that rumours are dangerous but Michael asks why the killed Junebug on a rumour when Omar gets away with so much and Snoop yells that they will find Omar. But Michael keeps pushing and asks if they will tell Marlo and Chris says that Marlo has enough on his plate. When Michael starts to talk about what he would do if he were Marlo, Snoop shoves him and angrily tells him that he’s not. Chris and Snoop leave and I was sure that Michael was either about to die or kill Chris and Snoop.
Chris and Snoop are cruising the streets looking for Omar when they receive a coded message from Marlo asking for a meeting. At the meeting, Chris reports their is no sign of Omar and Marlo is surprised to be relating the news to them that Omar is dead. Snoop is pissed they didn’t get to kill him and asks who did it and Marlo says that it was some young kid. Marlo reminds Chris that he is planning a trip to Atlantic City to celebrate. Oh man was I crushed when Omar died and these fucks were still alive lol I had no idea how revenge was coming to them with Omar gone. Next day we find out how revenge is gonna come and it is via arrest bc the Major Crimes Unit has the Stanfield operations on lock and are just waiting for the signal to bring them all down. The raid begins and a very satisfied Bunk is the one to serve the warrant on Chris and put him in cuffs. Chris is getting locked up bc they have his DNA from the way he killed Bug’s father by beating him to death with his fists. Obviously something happened to Chris to make him choose to beat him rather than shoot him bc if he hadn’t done that, he prob avoids any murder charges.
Later we see Chris sitting in jail with Marlo, Monk, and Cheese as they talk about how they got busted when Monk accidentally mentions that Omar was talking shit about Marlo. After hearing this, Marlo makes them tell him what Omar was saying and flips out when they act like it’s no big deal with Marlo saying that he ain’t afraid to step to anyone and that his name is his name. Marlo is determined to make sure everyone in the streets knows that he did not get word of Omar’s talk and to re-establish the fear of his name. The conversation eventually goes back to how they got busted and they figure Michael was the snitch. Next day the crew is still in prison except for Cheese who was able to post bail. Chris was charged with murder, Monk violated parole and Marlo was accused of being a drug kingpin that could intimidate witnesses and jurors so none of them had a chance to post bail. They continue to talk about Michael definitely being the snitch but Chris is still not sure. Marlo makes killing Michael a top priority and instructs Cheese to take the remaining muscle and hunt Michael down.
Bc of the DNA evidence they have on Chris there is no way for him to cut a deal so as a part of the deal he pleads guilty to all of the vacant murders and will receive life in prison with no parole. Meanwhile bc of the illegal wiretap, Marlo will walk free. So after ordering all of those killings, Chris and his family will be the ones that pay the price, not Marlo. Ironically it was the one murder that Marlo didn’t order him to commit that made sure he was locked up for good. I don’t know I was really hoping to see revenge come to Chris but with Marlo walking free this didn’t seem like a victory. Really enjoyed watching this character man it wasn’t just a soulless hitman there was many layers to Chris that really made you think about your opinion of him. I tell ya tho as much as I hated him at times, if I’m hiring a team to protect me you can be sure Chris is 1 of my first calls.
-Felicia ‘Snoop’ Pearson – basically the female version of Chris lol what a team they made and I would say what a performance from Felicia Pearson but I’m pretty sure this was as real as it gets haha the real Felicia Pearson actually lived a life similar to her character so it’s no wonder that Snoop stood out like she did. That accent drove me crazy at first but by the end it was 1 of my fav things about her. 1 of the most dangerous motherfuckers on the show, we meet Snoop when Marlo tells her and Chris that they need to get ready for war with the Barksdale crew and you know Snoop is all in. Later in another meeting at Marlo’s pigeon coop we see Marlo tell Chris and Snoop that they are gonna hang back and wholesale their packages right now and let Avon have the corners. They will bide their time and hope Snoop or Chris can catch Avon with his guard down. We see Snoop successfully execute a drive by on a Barksdale soldier showing what a deadly assassin she is.
When Marlo becomes suspicious of a woman named Devonne he is seeing, he sends Chris and Snoop to check things out. Snoop goes inside to the restaurant and observes a Barksdale soldier buying food and taking it to an SUV waiting outside. After Chris sees Devonne approach the van and accept money, he knows something is up and fires into the SUV wounding Avon and killing 1 of his soldiers. Later after a Stanfield soldier is gunned down, Snoop pulls up in a truck to scoop up 2 of their young dealers. The war is heating up. We start S4 with Snoop buying a new nail gun and it is legendary,
“Snoop: God-dayumn. Salesman: I see you’ve got the DeWalt cordless. [pause] Your nail gun. DeWalt four-ten. Snoop: Yeah. Trouble is, ya leave it in the truck for a while, and need to step up and use da bitch, da battery don’t hold up, ya know? Salesman: Yeah. Cordless’ll do that. You might want to consider the powder-actuated tool. The Hilti DX460MX or the Simpson PTP. These two are my Cadillacs. Everything else on this board is second best, sorry to say. Are you contracting or just doing some work around the house? Snoop: Nah, we work all over. Salesman: Full time? Snoop: Nah, we had about five jobs last month. Salesman: At that rate, the cost of the powder actuated gun justifies itself. Snoop: You say ‘power’? Salesman: Powder. Snoop: Like gunpowder. Salesman: Yeah. The DX460 is fully automatic, with a 27 caliber charge. Wood, concrete, steel to steel, she’ll throw a fastener into anything. And for my money, she handles recoil better than the Simpson or the P3500. You understand what I mean by recoil? Snoop: Yeah. The kickback. I’m wit cha. Salesman: That’s right. Snoop: 27 caliber, huh? Salesman: Not large ballistically, but for driving nails, its enough. Any more and you’d add to the recoil. Snoop: Aw shit, I seen a tiny ass .22 round nose drop a n***a plenty a days, man. Motherfuckers get up in ya like a pinball, rip your ass up. Big joints though? Most the time they just break a bone and they just say “fuck it.” I’ma go with this right here, man. How much do I owe you? Salesman: Six-sixty-nine, plus tax. [Snoop counts out money] Salesman: No no, just pay at the register. Snoop: No man you handle that for me, and keep the rest for your time. Salesman: This is $800. Snoop: So what man? You earned that bump like a motherfucker, man. Keep that shit. [Snoop goes outside]
Chris: We good? Snoop: Yeah, man. Man say if you wanna shoot nails, this here the Cadillac, man. Meant Lexus but he ain’t know it. Chris: Hold a charge better? Snoop: Man, fuck a charge, this here’s a gun powder activated, 27 caliber, full auto, no kickback, nail-throwing mayhem man. Shit right here’s tight. [Chris laughs] Snoop: Word. Fuck this nailin’ up boards, we could kill a couple mother fuckers with this right here.”
lol 2 different worlds colliding but man what an entertaining scene. Next we see Chris and Snoop taking someone to the vacant houses to kill and the guy pleads for his life but Chris just says they will make it quick and clean and shoots him with a silencer. They cover the body with quicklime and plastic sheets to hide the smell and then use the nail gun Snoop purchased to board up the vacant house. After Lex murders a Stanfield dealer named Fruit, Marlo orders Lex to be killed and after Randy directs Lex to a meeting in the park, Chris and Snoop are waiting for him. We see Chris and Snoop board up the vacant building and move on until the next one. After feeling disrespected by a security guard, Marlo tells Chris and Snoop to kill him and they head to Bodie’s corner to find out his answer to Marlo’s ultimatum. Bodie agrees to the terms so Chris and Snoop head out and track Michael to his house. After seeing the poor condition of his home life, Snoop thinks it will be easy to make him a crew chief but Chris doesn’t share her optimism. That night we see them boarding up another vacant house as Chris tosses away the security guards badge as a disappointed Snoop says she wanted to keep it as a souvenir. This murder really pissed me off so the fact that Snoop wants to keep his badge as a souvenir is just like fuck these scumbags.
Marlo sets it up so that Chris and Snoop are gonna rob Old Face Andre’s store so he can blame it on Omar. They do and Chris kills a delivery woman in the process. Next day Chris and Snoop are driving when they are pulled over by Herc but not before they hide their guns in a hidden compartment in the car. Herc finds the nail gun and fires a nail into the pavement but doesn’t know the significance so he doesn’t take it and tells them he wants his camera back. Later that night we see Chris and Snoop put 2 bodies of NY dealers they killed into the vacant buildings and board them up. They continue on the streets looking for more NY dealers to kill when Chris formulates a plan to ask them a question about Baltimore and if they answer wrong they know the dealer is from NY. But Snoop is not as knowledgeable about Baltimore music and almost kills a local dealer lol so Chris takes over asking the questions and they eventually find a NY dealer and kill him but leave his body on the street. After we see them toss their guns into the harbour as well as the nail gun and Snoop says Chris owes her money for it. She loved that thing haha
Next we see Chris and Snoop break into Old Face Andre’s house and threaten his girlfriend trying to find out where Andre went but she pleads with them that she doesn’t know anything. Shockingly they believe her and let her live. Later we see Chris and Snoop waiting in an alley by the vacant houses with the lime and plastic sheets after Old Face Andre is double crossed by Prop Joe. Andre asks them to shoot him somewhere his family will find the body but Chris coldly says “here is good” and they walk Andre to his death. Next day we see Little Kevin meet with Chris and Marlo to tell them that he was picked up by police to talk about Lex’s murder but that he didn’t say anything. Marlo and Chris are really mad when they learn that Little Kevin didn’t tell Lex about the meeting himself he gave the job to Randy. This seals it and Marlo gives the signal to kill Little Kevin. Chris asks about Randy but Marlo says he can’t hurt them. Snoop says that Randy is likely an informant so Marlo tells them to spread that rumour. Fn scumbags sentenced that kid to death by 1000 cuts with that rumour.
Next day Marlo compliments Chris and Snoop on being up to date on their work and Snoop confirms they took care of Michael’s problem by killing his stepfather. Later we see Michael being chased by Chris and Snoop in an abandoned warehouse and they are shooting at him. Michael is able to surprise them and shoots them both but it is with paintballs and we realize they are just practicing. Both are impressed at Michael’s progress and Chris asks why he targeted the areas he did on them. Michael says you aim low at a distance bc of a vest and you aim for the head when close. Next day Chris and Snoop are stopped again but this time Kima finds the hidden compartment with a gun and they are both arrested on the weapons charge. In custody the police take blood and hair samples to match against any DNA found at the vacant houses. Later we see that Chris and Snoop are released and are sent to kill Bodie. They make their move on Bodie’s corner and as Chris and Snoop distract him, O-Dog steps out of the shadows and shoots Bodie in the head.
Next we see Marlo, Chris and Snoop visit Michael at his house to tell him he has Bodie’s corner now and to give him another job. Snoop asks Michael who they killed for him and he says it was Bug’s father. S5 starts and we see Marlo talking with Chris and Snoop about how the surveillance around them seems to have stopped but Marlo is still worried about cameras. Chris tells him that they haven’t had any problems since they stole the camera Herc set up and Snoop says she is eager to get back to work. So Marlo gives them a hit list with the first task being to attack Webster Franklin’s drug crew for not taking the package from Marlo. Then they are to kill a guy named Junebug for bad mouthing Marlo. Last he tells them to kill Omar but Snoop says Omar is retired so Marlo tells Chris to bring him out of retirement. Snoop tells Michael and O-Dog that they are gonna have to earn their pay.
Chris, Snoop, Monk and O-Dog plan that attack on the Franklin crew with O-Dog suggesting they do it West Coast style and execute a drive by shooting. But when they attempt the drive-by they don’t hit anyone until Snoop gets out and hits a dealer trying to run away, “Snoop: Fuck them west coast n***as. ‘Cuz in B-more, we aim to hit a n***a, ya heard.” Snoop is def putting in work as we see her at Junebug’s house checking things out with Chris and Michael. Chris asks Michael why they are there so early and Michael says he doesn’t want any surprises. Michael keeps questioning why they are killing Junebug in a rumour until finally Snoop angrily tells him to shut up and know his place. They send Michael to the back of the house to kill anyone trying to leave and then go inside. The attack is a success and they kill Junebug and some others. Next we see Snoop accompany Marlo to Little Johnny’s diner where the Greeks hang out to deliver a suitcase full of cash but the man says he doesn’t know any Greeks so they have to come back.
After Chris gets information about Omar from Cheese, he goes with Snoop to Butchie’s bar to ambush him and they kill 1 of his staff while wounding his body guard Big Guy. They torture Butchie for information but he doesn’t give up anything on Omar so eventually Chris kills him and tells Big Guy to make sure word reaches Omar. Outside Snoop is worried that they just put Omar’s vengeance on them and gained nothing but Chris scolds her not question Marlo’s orders and says they all have to be careful now. At this point I would have paid real money to see Chris and Snoop get the deaths they deserved lol 2 villains that you could really hate was a nice change from the cool villains you always see these days. After Marlo observes a beef go down at the Co-Op between Cheese and Hungry Man, we see Chris take Cheese to an abandoned building where Snoop is guarding a tied up Hungry Man, a gift from Marlo to Cheese. Next we see Snoop, Marlo, O-Dog and Vinson eating in the rim shop when Monk shows up clearly wearing a bulletproof vest which they all give him shit for wearing since Omar will easily spot it. Snoop says that it’s useless bc Omar will be aiming for the head just like she would be.
After they set a trap for Omar at Monk’s, Omar and Donnie walk right into it and Snoop shoots Donnie in the chest but his wearing a vest. Chris shoots Donnie in the head, Omar shoots O-Dog in the leg and they open fire on Omar who is hiding by the couches. Omar smashes through the glass and jumps off the 5th floor balcony. Snoop, Chris and Michael cannot believe their eyes when they look down and Omar is gone. Next day the crew searches for Omar with Snoop posing as his sister to check with the local hospitals but nobody finds any information on Omar. he seemingly just vanished. Later we see Chris and Snoop actually hiding out from Omar and Chris is visibly pissed off repeatedly throwing a knife into the floor. Snoop suggest that he buy some toys for his kids to take his mind off things but he says he has to stay away from his family until Omar is dealt with. Snoop doubts Omar would ever find his family but Chris reminds her that they found Butchie. Next day we see Michael report his confrontation with Omar to Chris and Snoop and that Omar is walking with a limp. Chris asks what Omar said and Michael tells him about Omar calling Marlo a bitch and his plan to kill Marlo’s muscle until Marlo faces him himself. Michael asks about Savino who the confirm is dead but when he asks about Omar robbing a stash house Chris tells him rumours are dangerous. Michael keeps pushing wondering why they killed Junebug on a rumour when Omar is getting away with so much and Snoop angrily tells him that they will find Omar. When Michael asks if they will tell Marlo, Chris says Marlo has enough on his plate and when Michael starts to say what he would do if he was Marlo, Snoop shoves him and yells that he ain’t Marlo. Chris and Snoop leave and I was sure at least 1 of those 3 would be dead soon.
Later we see Chris and Snoop cruising the streets searching for Omar when Chris gets a message that Marlo wants a meeting so they head there and Marlo drops the bomb on them that Omar is already dead. Snoop is pissed as they wanted the kill and asks who did it but all Marlo knows is that it was some young kid. Ugh man was I disgusted to watch these scumbags get to celebrate over Omar’s death, Michael was my only hope for revenge. Next day we see Snoop in Levy’s office with O-Dog who is taking the blame for the gun charge Chris and Snoop caught and Levy tells him that he will have to do a short stint but that he will be compensated. After they leave, we see Snoop and O-Dog head over to Michaels where they learn about Marlo’s arrest along with most of the Stanfield crew from the news. “O-Dog: Do I still have to take that charge?” lol Later we see Snoop find Michael sitting on a stoop with Spider and tells him that with everyone getting locked up, she needs him for some serious business but tells him not to bring his gun which raises Michael’s suspicions.
Next we see Snoop pick Michael up to go do this business when he asks her to pull into an alley bc has to piss but instead he pulls a gun on her. Michael correctly guess that Snoop was going to kill him so she knows that this is the end for her, “Michael: Why? What I do wrong? Snoop: Chris locked up behind somethin’ he done for you. And you downtown wit’ the police. Michael: I ain’t say a word. Snoop: Yeah, that’s what you say. But it’s how you carry yourself. Always apart. Always aksin’, “Why?”. When you should be doin’ what you’re told. You was never one of us. And you never could be….How my hair look, Mike? Michael: You look good girl.” Boom. Michael shoots her and that’s the end for Snoop. At least we got 1 satisfying death out of the Stanfield crew bc it was awesome to see Michael turn the tables on her and be the one to deliver the final shot. But once again the show challenges you with her last words, not some big act of defiance or insults but just wanting to make sure she looks pretty. Def took some of my joy away from seeing her end. Snoop was prob the female version of Kenard, never had a chance to be the best version of herself and as the worst version of herself she was 1 of the most dangerous motherfuckers in the world. The fictional movie/TV universe is so much better off with a character like Snoop in it. She was a great gangster and I enjoyed the journey her character took me on.
-Michael Lee – Season 4 saw the show shift focus a bit to show the perspective of some of the youth that have to grow up in these areas. The leader I guess you could say was Michael and we def saw a strong performance from Tristan Wilds to bring this character to life. We first meet Michael when he meets up with his friends Namond Brice and Randy Wagstaff to try and catch pigeons. They go off to do it but 1 of the other friends the meet up with, Duquan “Dukie” Weems, scares them off by throwing a bottle and this starts a fight between Namond and Dukie but Michael breaks it up. The next day Michael and Randy are back trying to catch pigeons when Dukie shows up having been beat up by the terrace kids. Namond wants to respond so Randy comes up with a plan to fill balloons full of piss and throw them at the terrace kids lol but it backfires when a balloon explode in Namond’s hand and they all have to run. Michael is the only one caught and he takes a good beating. You see the true goodness of his character come out later on that night when he makes sure that Namond buys ice cream for Dukie too when he buys for the crew. Next day we see Michael and Namond approach Bodie to see if he can give Michael a job to pay for school supplies and help his family but Bodie says he will only hire 1 of them. Their convo is cut short when Carver shows up so Michael and Namond leave to find their friends chillin on a stoop.
Monk shows up handing out money on behalf of Marlo, everyone takes it except Michael who is very street smart and doesn’t want to owe anything to a drug dealer. Marlo see’s Michael refuse the money and is intrigued to he approaches him to ask why. Michael stays silent but Marlo knows this kid is on another level so he lets him go. I was def impressed but also nervous for Michael’s future bc impressing a drug dealer can lead in a lot of different directions most of which are not good. School is back and we see Michael getting his little brother Bug ready as Randy and Dukie join them on the walk. They stop at Namond’s house and De’Londa invites them in but won’t allow Dukie in the house. Not cool. De’Londa is showing them paintings someone in prison made for Wee-Bey and Namond says he wants 1 as a tattoo but Michael warns him the Chinese symbols might not mean what the guy says they do. Too bad Michael’s mind couldn’t have been used for something other than the streets bc he is fn smart.
Next we see the kids at a boxing gym run by Dennis ‘Cutty’ Wise and they are talking about what happened between Laetitia and Chiquan when Namond starts to mockingly re-enact the incident and Dukie goes after him but Michael breaks it up. Dukie is defending Laetitia saying she did not have good parents and Randy brings up that she comes from a group home. Someone doesn’t show up for training so Cutty offers Michael a chance to train and we see he has some skills. Later we see Michael at home with Bug helping him with his homework before he heads to the boxing gym. Poor kid has to also be a parent. At the gym, the same person didn’t show up again so Cutty offers to take Michael to a boxing match instead and they all head out. But at the boxing match we see Michael stat to act weird towards Cutty, not engaging him conversation and even getting out of the van to walk after they dropped everyone else off. You could tell that a crime must have been committed against Michael to have him react like this.
The kids are discussing the disappearance of Lex in an alleyway at night and they are going wild with speculation lol Namond figures that Chris is turning his victims into zombies and Randy is legit freaked out about it. Michael as usual has the clearer head and figures that Chris must have something over his victims to get them to enter a vacant building before he kills them. A man starts walking up the alley and the boys split. Next day in school, Michael is given detention by Prez for not even attempting to do his work but he doesn’t show up. Later that night, Michael is chillin with Namond and Randy when Chris shows up and asks to speak to Michael by himself. Chris recognizes the potential and offers Michael a spot in the Stanfield organization as a soldier. “Chris: Yo’ we always in the market for a good soldier. We see one we like, we take care of his situation. Take him in, school him, make him family. And if you with us, you with us. Just like we be with you, All the way.” Michael refuses bc of his responsibilities to his family but Chris tells him to consider it anyways and gives him some money. The next night Randy is still freaked out about the bodies and that Chris might be coming for him next due to his role in Lex’s death. Dukie tells them that Chris is just killing his victims there bc it is easy to hide the bodies but they don’t believe him. So Dukie takes them to one of the vacant houses and they see the body.
At school, Michael and a kid named Karim are playing poker at lunch while Prez watches. Michael wins the hand and Prez tells Karim he should be betting based on the odds which intrigues Michael and he asks for more information. After school, Michael goes to find Namond who has set up on a corner selling drugs for Bodie with Donut and Kennard working as his runners. Michael notices a rival drug crew watching them but Namond doesn’t think they will be a problem. Back at Cutty’s gym, Michael is training when Namond shows up with injuries after fighting with the rival crew outside the gym but Cutty is pissed and sends him home. Cutty tries to ask Michael what Namond has gotten into buts Michael says it’s not their business. Back in school, it seems Prez’s new methods to teach are paying off as Michael has completed his assignment when he checks on it. Prez is using dice to teach the kids about probability trying anything to get them to invest in the material.
Next day Michael is walking home with Bug and questions Randy about how he got back into school but Randy doesn’t say anything about talking to the police. Michael def knows something is up and warns him about being seen with authority figures. When Michael gets home, he discovers that his Mother has sold all the groceries he bought for drug money. Shows the power that drug addiction has over people. Michael is holding the DSS card so his Mother doesn’t spend it all and only gives her $10 when she asks for money to go out which pisses her off and she threatens to take the card back. But he isn’t giving it back bc he knows it will all be gone and heads to the gym. When he gets home from the gym, he is disgusted when Bug tells him that his Father has returned. Bug’s Father comes into the room and tries to make nice and goes to touch Michael who is repulsed and backs away. Michael flashes his Mother a hurt and disbelieving look and confronts her when Bug’s father leaves the room. He says she has broken her promise by allowing him back in the house. His mother shows no remorse or concern and just says people can change. She also says that Bug’s father will be holding the DSS card from now on.
Next day at school, Michael is visibly depressed sitting in the back of the class and Prez tries to offer support with offers to talk to him or a school social worker but Michael is not going for any of that. After school, Michael goes to pick up Bug and learns from his teacher that Bug’s father has already picked him up. Michael frantically runs home in a panic and gets to their house to find Bug’s father doing homework with Bug but Michael warns Bug to stay away from his father. No doubt about it now, Bug’s father was the one that committed a crime against Michael causing him not to trust adult men. It’s more of the same in the next days as we see Michael get Bug out of the room any time his father comes in and refuses any kind of contact with Bug’s father. Michael asks Randy and Dukie what will happen if he calls social services and Randy tells him that he will be split up from bug and they won’t just take away Bug’s father.
After getting the bad news that social services won’t help, Michael is left with no choice but to make a deal with the devil. He goes to find Chris but gets Marlo instead, “Thought maybe I could get with Chris… I–I’ve got a problem I can’t bring to no one else.” I wanted to see Bug’s father get what he had coming but I was disappointed to see Michael get involved with Marlo’s crew bc you know where that is leading. Next day we see Michael pointing out Bug’s father to Chris and Snoop when Chris asks why he wants him killed? Michael doesn’t explain but Chris can read him like a book and figures it out saying that they will get it done. Back at home, Michael tells his mother that Bug’s father will never be coming back. At school, Randy is attacked by a bunch of kids and nobody helps him but Michael. After school, Namond talks to Michael about his reckless behaviour lately like removing his mask in front of Officer Walker and helping Randy in a fight when Randy has a reputation as a snitch. Michael has no apologies for either.
After Namond’s package is stolen from Kenard’s house, he talks to Michael about it and Michael tells him Kenard probably took it and is lying. Michael tells him to check to see if the door has been kicked in like he said, if not then Namond needs to confront Kenard with more than words. Namond asks Michael to be there when he confronts Kenard and when he does, Kenard is defiant and even taunts Namond. Michael snaps into action dropping Kenard with a punch and then giving him a violent beating. Namond is so shook by this that he runs without even collecting his package. The next day at Cutty’s gym, Namond takes out his frustrations on Dukie angrily insulting him which causes Michael to shove Namond up against the wall and starts slapping him around until it is broken up by Cutty. Michael is told to leave and not come back which he does. The stress was definitely starting to eat away at Michael.
Cutty eventually tracks Michael down to a corner he is working with Monk and tries to reason with him to come back to the gym. A confrontation starts to escalate between Cutty and Monk and Monk ends up shooting Cutty twice in the leg. Thankfully Michael is able to convince Monk not to kill Cutty before leaving with Monk and their crew. Michael is deep in it now as he is visited by Marlo, Chris and Snoop at his house where Marlo tells him that he is going to be working Bodie’s corner now and that he has another job for him. We see the job that Marlo had for Michael was to kill a drug dealer, the first time Michael killed someone and unfortunately it wouldn’t be the last. When S5 starts, Michael is working Bodie’s old corner for Marlo and he even has Dukie involved taking the money from his crew which is made up of Spider, Marcus and Kenard who def knows to respect Michael.
Michael shows up to his corner and learns that the crew isn’t reporting their count to Dukie who is supposed to be in charge of it. He sends Dukie to their home to meet Bug after school and Spider tells Michael that the crew has no respect for Dukie. At home, Michael decides to pay Dukie to look after Bug instead of working on the crew which kind of bums Dukie out bc he would be like a nanny but it’s def the better situation for him. Life in Marlo’s crew ain’t slowing down as Michael has to go with Chris and Snoop to kill a drug dealer name Junebug in his house. They are watching the house and Chris asks Michael why they are watching so early and Michael tells him he doesn’t want any surprises. Michael questions why they are killing Junebug on just hearsay but is shouted down by Snoop and told to go to the back of the house and kill anyone that tries to leave. Chris and Snoop are able to get inside and kill Junebug but at the back, Michael see’s a child run out and doesn’t kill him. Fn intense man I really hoped he wasn’t gonna kill the kid, Michael’s good heart is so close to the surface I hated to see him in this life.
In the days after the Junebug murders, Michael is def struggling with not only what happened but with his role going forward in life. Dukie pushes him to talk about it and Michael says everything in his life is serious now. But since there is no school for Bug the next day, Dukie has an idea for the 3 of them to have some real fun that kids should be having. 6 Flags Theme Park is reopen so the next day, all 3 head down to the theme park and have a great day. So nice to see that man but of course it was short lived bc when Michael gets home and goes to check his corner, he gets shit from Monk about leaving and not telling anyone. Next day, Michael’s corner gets raided bc the police think they caught Kenard moving a bag of drugs but after the arrest, the officer checks the bag and it is full of dog shit LOL such a great scene and couldn’t have happened to a more deserving piece of trash cop. Michael is signed out of custody by his Mother who wants more respect from him and of course asks him for money but he says he won’t pay her to be his Mother. Very sad situation for both of them.
After Dukie is beat up again by Spider, Michael offers to fight him but Dukie says he has to learn to fight his own battles. So Michael takes Dukie to Cutty’s gym so he can hopefully learn some fighting skill. Later that night we see Michael has taken Dukie into the woods to try and teach him how to shoot. But like the boxing, this does not go well. Dukie can’t aim and is scared of the noise of the gun. Michael tells him that learning to use a gun won’t keep people from messing with him and reminds Duk that he is smart and has other skills than shooting and fighting. Later we see that Michael is part of the crew that ambushes Omar in Monk’s apartment and is stunned to see that Omar survived a jump from a 5th story window. Few days later Michael is brought in to see Bunk to talk about what happened to Michael’s step father but Michael ain’t saying shit which frustrates Bunck but he has to let Michael go.
Back on the corner, Michael can’t believe his eyes when a limping Omar walks up and starts talking shit on Marlo making sure they give him the message that Omar killed Savino and he will kill all of Marlo’s muscle until he faces him. Michael reports the confrontation with Omar to Chris and Snoop and tells them that Omar is walking with a bad limp and using a crutch. They ask what Omar said and Michael tells them about the threats to kill Marlo’s muscle and challenge for Marlo to face him in the street. Michael asks if Savino is dead and their silence confirms it. he also asks about rumours of Omar robbing a stash house and Snoop cuts him off saying rumours are dangerous. Michael questions why they killed Junebug on a rumour and Omar is allowed to run free and Snoop starts getting pissed off at Michaels questions. They aren’t gonna tell Marlo but Michael says if he were Marlo and Snoop cuts him off again saying that he ain’t Marlo. Chris and Snoop leave but man I was resigned to the fact that Michael was dead bc that much talk usually gets someone killed.
Michael is chillin on a stoop talking with Spider about Omar’s death, Michael with the real story and Spider with a sensational version, when Snoop walks and tells him she needs him for some serious business. But she says that he doesn’t need a gun. Uh oh that’s what they told 2Pac’s bodyguards and you know what happened. Next we see Michael in a cab and he is watching Snoop approach the guy that she told him to kill meaning that he is being set up for a hit. Later we see Snoop pick up Michael to go to the hit and he asks her to pull into an alley so he can take a piss. Once in the alley he pulls his gun on Snoop and they have a great final exchange, “Michael: Why? What I do wrong? Snoop: Chris locked up behind somethin he done for you. And you downtown wit’ the police. Michael: I ain’t say a word. Snoop: Yeah, that’s what you say. But it’s how you carry yourself. Always apart. Always aksin, “Why?”. When you should be doin what you’re told. You was never one of us. And you never could be…. How my hair look, Mike? Michael: You look good girl.” Wow man that was so fn intense. Thinking Michael is dead, then he turns the tables but I’m still worried someone just gonna run up and blast him lol glad Michael came out on top.
Michael races home to get Bug and Dukie and whatever of their possessions they can gather up and they head to his Aunt’s nice house in the suburbs. This is it for Michael and Bug so it’s a tough goodbye man. Then Michael has no choice but to say goodbye to Dukie too and drops him off where the guy Duk worked with selling junk lives in a homeless community. Dukie reminisces about good times and asks Michael if eh remembers that time from summer past but Michael heartbreakingly responds, “I don’t.” Where Michael is going, he can’t be carrying memories like that. It’s gonna be a hard life for both of them. In the closing montage, we see Michael and a partner rob Vinson’s rim shop threatening him with a shotgun. Michael demands they hand over the money and when Vinson protests Michael shoots him in the knee, “Vinson: Do you know who I am!? Michael Lee: Name’s Vinson. Used to be Marlo’s bank. But, Marlo ain’t around no more, and you’re still moving money for other players, so, I’m thinkin’ some of that money need to be mine. Vinson: Shit, you just a boy!…AH! Michael: That’s just your knee. Vinson: That motherfucker shot me! *grabs cash* Michael: Nice doin’ business with you, gentlemen”
If you didn’t know it you would think you were looking at Omar. Where I was heartbroken to see Dukie as the new Bubbles, I was the complete opposite with Michael being the new Omar. I fcking LOVED that man and wished we had more episodes to see some more of that shit. That’s the role that Michael was meant to play in this world, as sort of the Robin Hood of the territory. With Omar gone there is a void to fill and Michael fills it perfectly. I like to think that eventually Michael uses his new found wealth and reputation to get Dukie out of the slum life and set him up to be more than the next Bubbles. Have to believe that. Michael was a fcking great character and is the kind of guy that will have longevity in this role, he isn’t driven by pride or greed. Just survival.
-Namond Brice – You could argue that Namond is the leader of the S4/5 kids and not Michael. 1 of the things that made it easy to get into the kids storylines was performances like Julito McCullum as Namond esp as the season went on. We meet Namond who is running drugs for Bodie but is chastised by Bodie for missing a customer bc Namond was reading. Right off the bat you see why it’s tough for kids to ever get out of this life. His friends Michael and Randy show up to see if he wants to go catch some pigeons. Namond asks Bodie if he can leave early to buy back to school clothes and Bodies delivers great lines about Namond not needing school clothes bc he is always suspended and how if it wasn’t for ‘social promotions’ programs he would still be in Pre-K lol Bodie agrees as long as Namond works extra hours for him later so the 3 friends head off to find some homing pigeons to try and sell to Marlo. Their other friend Dukie scares them away by throwing a bottle and this causes Namond to pick a fight with Dukie which Michael breaks up. Next day they are back to catching pigeons when Dukie shows up having been beaten up by kids in the terrace. Namond wants to retaliate so Randy comes up with a plan to piss into water balloons and throw it at the terrace kids lol nasty and the plan backfires when a balloon explodes in Namond’s hand soaking him in pee. They all try to run and hide but Michael gets caught and takes a beating which Namond just watches. Between his attitude, bullying of Dukie and then not helping Michael I really didn’t like Namond to start off. But then you get a moment in the next scene with Namond buying everyone ice cream and even including Dukie when Michael insists so you don’t know what to think haha that’s why I love this show.
Namond is the son of Wee-Bey, the Barksdale soldier that took one for the team and is serving a long prison sentence, and his mother De’Londa takes him to see his Dad. Namond assures Wee-Bey that he has been taking care of his fish lol but we see that Namond doesn’t have much of a chance either when his mother scolds him for not applying himself in the drug game even threatening to withhold money for school supplies. Just gross man. Just like Bodie, Wee-Bey warns Namond that his ponytail make shim easy to identify for police. After the visit, Namond and Michael approach Bodie to see if Michael can have a job to make some money for school and his family but Bodie says he won’t hire them both. Namond suggests that Michael can take his job until he makes what he needs but their convo is cut short by Carver showing up. Later on we see Namond and Michael meet up with their friends on a stoop and start talking about girls and school when Monk shows up handing out money on behalf of Marlo. Everyone including Namond takes the money, “Shit, I’ll take any motherfucker’s money if he givin’ it away!” lol, except Michael who knows that nothing esp cash is really free.
Their friend Donut pulls up in a stolen SUV and Namond is more than happy to jump in even joking about what they can steal next. Carver spots them but decides not to pursue them bc a chase is dangerous and he knows who they are anyways. Sure enough, after they have ditched the car and are back hanging out, Carver shows up to give them shit and a warning about stealing cars. He says he will give them a beating in the alley instead of taking them in and Namond tries to call his bluff but Carver uses their names and talks about where they live showing he can bring them down if they get caught. When Namond gets home, he sees that his Mom has laid out a bunch of new clothes for school despite her threats. It’s nice to see her show her son she loves him but def needs to lead him on a better path lol the boys show up the next day to meet up with Namond to walk to school and De’Londa lets everyone but Dukie in to wait. De’Londa is showing off the paintings someone did from Wee-Bey in prison and Namond wants to get a tattoo of one but Michael warns him the Chinese letters might not mean what the guy says they do. Good advice lol
When they get to school Namon learns he is in class with Mrs. Scott and he is not happy with that bc she isn’t taking any shit. Namond starts fcking with 1 of the security guards which Assistant Principal Marcia Donnelly sees and steps in forcing Namond to remove his jersey and jewellery. Later we see that Prez, formerly of the Major Crimes Unit, is now teaching in their school and has a class with Namond, Michael and Dukie. Prez is in over his head, losing control of the room and trying to teach a math problem but Namond is just focusing on the meaningless details to make jokes. Frustrating bc you want to help these kids but the attitudes make it very tough. Later in another class, a girl named Chiquan is attacked with a box cutter by a girl she was bullying named Laetitia causing a serious scene. Next we see the kids at a boxing gym run by Dennis ‘Cutty’ Wise and Namond starts mockingly re-enacting the scene when Dukie goes after him but Michael breaks it up.
The disappearance of a drug dealer named Lex has the kids going wild with speculation and Namond thinks that Chris is turning his victims into zombies which Randy believes 100% and is freaking himself out about it. A man starts to walk up the alley and the kids bolt. Next day at school, Prez has new rules to try and keep some order in the class which includes an hour of detention for kids that are disruptive. Namond immediately objects and earns himself detention but manages to talk Prez out of this one. A kid named Kareem alerts Namond to Assistant Principal Donnelly searching the bushes to find the knife that he hides there. Keeps getting worse for Namond who earns detention for not doing his work and he reacts in anger swearing at Prez who sends him to the office. On his way to the office, Namond gets in even more trouble swearing at 1 of the psychologists that is walking by in the hall and another teacher reprimands him and hurries him to the office for his punishment.
Namond, Randy and Dukie return to Prez’s class where Namond apologizes for actions saying he has trouble controlling himself but reveals he has been suspended so he has to leave. We see Namond visiting Wee-Bey with De’Londa who wants Wee-Bey to talk to him about the suspension but instead Wee-Bey is talking about the drug game and how Marlo would be dead if he wasn’t in prison. Namond and De’Londa go to visit Briana Barksdale to try and see if Briana can give Namond some work. This is a big moment for Namond bc he is there representing his father. But Briana drops the bomb on them that she is cutting them off saying she feels they have been more than compensated for Wee-Bey’s support and with the collapse of the Barksdale organization there is no income. Briana says she is done with Avon believing he had a hand in her son’s death so she is not afraid of any blow back from Wee-Bey and says she wanted Namond there so De’Londa couldn’t lie to him about what happened. When they get home, De’Londa lays out a plan for Namond to start dealing and says she can get Bodie to give him a package. Namond questions her about Briana saying they had been given more than enough money but De’Londa says she was lying. Uh huh.
Back at school, Namond is walking down the hall with the 2 boys that had Randy watch the hall for them while they “fooled around” with a girl Tiff in the bathroom and they pass that girl with the 2 boys laughing at her. Sgt ‘Bunny’ Colvin has an idea to separate kids into ‘stoop kids’ who are more behaved and ‘corner kids’ who are indoctrinated into that life and more disruptive into different classes. Namond is classified as a ‘stoop kid’ so he is removed from his class with 2 others and taken to a new class. In the way to the new class, Namond notices a the girl Tiff in the office crying. Sgt Colvin, the psychologist and Mrs. Sampson starts the class by explaining the new concept and Namond makes an analogy that their new class is similar to prison. Their old class is gen pop and the new one is lie solitary confinement. Colvin confirms the analogy lol
After school, Michael meets up with Namond who has set up on a corner dealing drugs for Bodie. Michael notices a rival crew watching them but Namond doesn’t think they will be a problem. The rival crew chief tells his guys to follow Namond and give him a beating but not to shoot him bc it will draw police. They follow him to Cutty’s gym and confront him warning him not come on their spot and they start fighting. Cutty comes out to break it up and angrily scolds Namond for what he is getting into and sends him home. Namond is still attending school and goes into his new classroom but does everything he can to get suspended. The class has a no-suspension policy so they just temporarily remove him which prob saved his life bc a suspension there and he most likely doesn’t come back. After school Namond meets up with his crew Donut, Kenard and Byron at a new corner later than he wanted bc his plan to get out of school early failed. Kenard isn’t happy about the new corner.
Namond is not co-operating at all with the new class and gets himself removed again but won’t speak to anyone incl Colvin and just responds with cussing. Next day they have a bit more success getting Namond to participate when they ask the class how they see themselves and Namond says they are all just players in the game. When asked where they see themselves in 10 years, Namond thinks he will be dead. Namond is caught with a magazine but denies ownership and Colvin uses it as a teaching moment having heard the same line in his police days. Colvin says they see school as practice for life on the corner and asks what they think makes a good corner boy and they can’t give him enough suggestions. Namond is adamant about making sure that people don’t steal from you or will get out of control fast. Next day in class, Namond raises a point about the hypocrisy of society telling them to follow the rules when they don’t even follow the rules and brings up steroids, liquor, cigarettes and Enron as examples. “Namond: We do the same thing as y’all. ‘Cept when we do it, it’s ‘Oh, my God, these kids is animals!’ Like it’s the end of the world comin. Man, that’s bullshit, aight? This is like, what’s it, hypocrite–hypocritical. Zenobia: We got our thing, but it’s just part of the big thing.” Prove them wrong lol
At home, Namond is working on the package when De’Londa catches him and scolds him for doing that in their house since they could lose it if police ever found drugs in it. She tells him to make sure he gives that job to a lieutenant next time.
On the street, Namond gives the package to Kenard but warns him not to cheat on the profits. Namond delivers the money he made selling the first package and it is less than she expects which Namond blames on the territory. Next day, Bodie gives Namond some new, better corners to work thanks to a visit from De’Londa but Bodie tells Namond to take care of his own shit and keep his Mom out of it. Back at school, Colvin gives the class a challenge to build model buildings using no instructions and the winning team will get to go downtown for a nice dinner. Namond’s group has to build a model Eiffel Tower and they do a really good job setting it up but they didn’t use all the pieces which would mean they wouldn’t win but Namond pockets them. They win the challenge and will get to go to dinner with Colvin.
They end up going out to Ruth’s Chris Steak House, a high-end restaurant that will take the kids out of their element and introduce them to another part of society. The dinner starts good with Namond appreciating the music Colvin plays on the ride there but once they get to the restaurant the kids are intimidated by the whole scene and start to act out. By the end the kids are not enjoying the experience at all and even refuse to take a picture with Colvin. On the ride home Namond turns up some hip hop music despite Colvin not liking it. It’s tough for those kids bc they feel like the world outside of what they know has already judged them and there is no hope to change it. They know if they don’t follow the rules then they will have to leave and get to go back to their comfort zone. CS Lewis had a great quote, “Change is the enemy of comfort,” and that is what is happening here. The change in environment from their neighbourhood to the restaurant makes them uncomfortable to the point that they have to do something about it. But taking that first step is big so this was a good experience even if they didn’t fully enjoy it.
Unfortunately things catch up with Namond on the street as Carver raids his corner, finds drugs on Namond and arrests him. De’Londa is out of town so Namond can’t contact her which means he will have to spend the night in juvenile detention which usually means a night of hell. Namond is visibly scared so Carver actually shows some sympathy for him and says that he can spend the night sleeping on the bench in the office. In the morning Carver tells Namond that he either needs to find somewhere to stay or he has to go to juvenile detention so Namond begs him to call Colvin and after having some fun, Colvin agrees to let Namond come home with him. “Carver: The young man seems to think highly of you boss. He invoked your name with a measure of respect. Colvin: It wasn’t but a few weeks ago when I was in a room with him being called everything but a child of God. ‘Mr. Colvin sir. Fuck you.’ Namond: Yo at least I said mister.” lol at Colvin’s house, Namond is on his best behaviour being nice and polite even impressing Colvin’s wife. Namond learns that Colvin’s nickname is ‘Bunny’ which leads to a great exchange, “Namond: Bunny? Colvin: Only my friends call me Bunny. Namond: Yeah, but why? Colvin: You don’t need to know. And if you tell anybody, I’ll cut your balls off.” LOL Colvin wasn’t fcking around on that one. Next day, Colvin brings Namond home but De’Londa greets him coldly with no appreciation and then scolds Namond for being afraid to go to juvenile detention.
Later we see Namond buying dinner for Michael, Randy and Dukie as they discuss they murder of Little Kevin. Officer Walker, who just broke a bunch of Donut’s fingers, walks by and tells them to leave or he’ll give them trouble. They all want to get some kind of revenge for what he did to Donut so Michael figures one out and they follow his lead despite not being sure it will work. Dukie keys Officer Walker’s car to lure him into an alley, once in the alley Michael is waiting with a gun and tells officer Walker to turn around and get down on his knees. Michael takes the ring he is wearing and then signals to Namond who runs up and throws yellow paint on officer Walker. Great revenge but I was worried the blow back from this wouldn’t be worth it. Back at school, you see that Namond is starting to really make progress when he agrees to take part in a trust fall exercise and successfully completes it. Next day, Namond is finally considering cutting his hair while his mother continues to insist that he do it. On the corner, Michael’s mother actually shows up and asks Namond for a handout saying it’s for a friend which he gives her. Gotta be tough to see your best friend’s Mom like that.
Next day, Kenard shows up late for work and Namond gives him shit for it when Kenard pulls him aside and says his door was kicked in and the package was stolen but figures someone must have snitched the location. Namond believes him and orders him to find the snitch. But when Namond talks to Michael about it, Michael doesn’t buy the story and says Kenard must have stolen the package for himself and tells Namond to check the door n if it hasn’t been kicked in, he needs to confront Kenard with more than words. Namond asks Michael to be there when he confronts Kenard. At home, Namond tells his mother about the stolen package which was a mistake bc she freaks out on him saying that he should have already done something about this and that Kenard needs to feel some pain for what he did. When Namond confronts Kenard, he is defiant and starts taunting Namond when Michael snaps and drops Kenard with a punch and then proceeds to give him a violent beating to the point in scares Namond and he runs.
Next day, Namond arrives at Cutty’s gym and takes his frustrations out on Dukie by angrily insulting him. This causes Michael to shove Namond up against the wall and start slapping him around. Cutty breaks it up kicking Michael out for good and turns around to see Namond breaking down crying. Carver is there and tries to call Namond’s mother to pick him up but she refuses and he once again has to call Colvin. “Carver: His mother… Colvin: Lovely lady. What she say? Carver: ‘Put that bitch in baby booking where he belong. Let him learn something.'” Unreal but her trash parenting actually benefits Namond this time bc it sets the wheels in motion for Colvin to gain custody of Namond. After speaking to Wee-Bey, Colvin is actually able to make it happen and Namond comes to live with Colvin and his wife full time and even goes back to his old hair style that he loved. Last time we see Namond is a cameo in S5 where he is giving a speech in a city competition giving us at least 1 happy ending with the kids. Namond wasn’t your typical misbehaved youth, he had many layers and really challenged you think about these kids in a different way. Really enjoyed watching this character.
-Randy Wagstaff – They needed a solid performance to bring this character to life and they def got more than that from Maestro Harrel as Randy. We are introduced to him when he shows up to Bodie’s corner with his friend Michael to see if their friend Namond wants to go try to catch pigeons. They go and we see that Randy is the leader when it comes to trapping pigeons and they have their eye on 1 they believe is a homing pigeon which they could sell to Marlo. But their friend Dukie scares it off by throwing a bottle which almost gets him beat up by Namond. Dukie tells Randy after that the pigeon wasn’t a homing pigeon bc it didn’t have a tag on it’s leg. The next day we see the guys back at it trying to catch pigeons when Dukie shows up all beaten up thanks to the terrace kids. Namond wants to retaliate so Randy comes up with a plan to fill balloons up with pee and throw them at the kids lol damn. The plan backfires when a balloon explodes in Namond’s hand so they all run and hide but Michael is caught and beat up. When Randy gets home he is yelled at by his foster mom for breaking curfew so he might not have the best home life.
Next day, we see the friends chillin on a stoop talkin about girls and school comin up when Monk approaches handing out money on behalf of Marlo. Randy is impressed and takes $200 but is caught later by a crooked officer named Walker who searches him for drugs and finds the cash. Walker keeps the money and Randy tries to plead with him but Walker knows it’s dirty and tells him to send his foster Mom down to the station if it’s really clean. Def felt bad for Randy who could’ve used the break. Later we hear Randy telling his friends about what happened and learns they already know about Officer Walker and his crooked ways. Not gettin that money back. School is starting so we see the kids getting together to walk there and they show up at Namond’s house to get him. His mother De’Londa answers the door and lets everyone but Dukie in to wait. Sad situation.
When they get to school, Randy is happy to see Prez, formerly of the Major Crimes Unit, as his teach er bc he is new and white meaning they can take advantage of him. Randy gets right in there introducing himself to Prez with a handshake and helping to calm the room down when he wants to get class started lol when Prez gets confused with the bus passes bc the kids aren’t following his seating plan, Randy asks for a Hall Pass to use the bathroom. The bell rings so Prez says just take one but Randy ends up taking a bunch. Later in class, a fight breaks out and Randy takes the opportunity to sneak out of the room. At lunch we see Randy change uniforms so he can go into the cafeteria unnoticed so he can sell snacks to the other kids and we see that he has a high IQ for business giving deals to move product and make customers happy.
The kids are hanging out at the local boxing gym run by Dennis ‘Cutty’ Wise and talking about the incident at school when a girl named Laetitia attacked a girl named Chiquan with a box cutter. Namond starts to mockingly re-create the scene when Dukie attacks him but Michael breaks it up. Dukie defends Laetitia saying her parents made her crazy and Randy adds that she came from a group home. Back at school, Namond and the other kids are once again making things difficult for Prez asking him about his police career instead of focusing on the school work and Randy uses this to sneak out and get to work selling his product. But Randy is busted by 1 of the teachers and sent to see Assistant Principal Donnelly who also finds his fake hall passes and figures he is the one that did the graffiti. She tells him that either he tells her who did it or she will bring this to his foster Mom. After school, Namond is talking about someone being suspended for the graffiti and figures someone must have snitched. I was worried for Randy at this point bc we know it was him and if you get caught as a ‘snitch’ you are as good as dead.
The boys are discussing the suspicious disappearance of a drug dealer named Lex from an alley with Namond concluding that Chris must be turning his victims into zombies lol but Randy believes this and is freaked out not being able to convince himself that it isn’t true. Michael has a clearer head and figures Chris must have something on his victims to get them to willingly enter the vacant buildings. Back at school we see Randy, Dukie and Namond return to class to talk with Prez who just let out detention early and Namond apologizes for being suspended. Randy notices Michael’s name on the detention sheet and tells Prez that Michael can never go to detention bc he has to pick up his brother Bug from school thanks to his mother’s serious drug addiction. The kids leave with Prez who can’t find his keys and Dukie see’s that they are inside the car. Randy gets Donut to break into the car to get the keys which he does in seconds lol
We see Randy and his foster mom Miss Anna show up at the polling station to vote when Randy sees Spider handing out flyers for the Carcetti campaign. Miss Anna reluctantly agrees to let Randy help him but when Cutty shows up to ask Spider why he hasn’t been at the boxing gym, Spider takes off leaving Randy alone. A campaign staffer sees Spider leave and offers Randy cash up front to hand out flyers and gives him a box. Randy tries to recruit Kenard, Donut and Dukie but they quickly get bored and upon realizing Randy has already been paid, take their share and leave. Randy wants to finish the job he was paid for and continues handing out flyers. Later that night, Randy catches up to Namond and Michael when Chris shows up and asks to speak to Michael alone. Randy is freaking out bc of his role in Lex’s death, Chris had Randy direct Lex down the alley making Randy the last one other than Chris & Snoop to see Lex alive. Back at school, Randy is still selling candy to students despite being caught and hesitantly agrees to take money from a couple other kids to keep watch for a teacher in the hallway while they fooled around with a girl in the bathroom. After school Randy confides in Dukie about his fear of Chris and confesses his role in Lex’s murder but Dukie tries to calm his fears. Dukie tells them Chris is just killing people and hiding them in the vacant buildings and that he saw 1 of the bodies. They all head to the vacant building where Dukie reveals the dead body and Randy is finally convinced that there are no zombies.
Back at school, Randy is pulled out of class and interrogated about his role as a lookout the other day. Assistant Principal Donnelly tells Randy that the 2 boys raped that girl in the bathroom and that she knows he was a lookout so she has to suspend him. She is about to call his foster Mom when Randy out of desperation tells her that he knows about a murder. Uh oh. Carver brings Randy to Herc and Sydnor to get the information about the murder but makes sure they take care of him. Herc buys Randy lunch and starts asking questions. Randy details the events leading up to Lex’s death and gives the names of Little Kevin, Chris and Snoop but Herc is frustrated that none of his information about the actual murder is 1st hand. Herc loses his cool and tries to intimidate Randy into saying he witnessed the murder which shocks Sydnor but Randy holds firm and Herc gives up. As they are driving him home, Randy asks them to drop him off blocks away so nobody sees him with police. Intense scenes man i was sure it was only a matter of time until the wrong person saw Randy and that was it.
We learn that the girl Tiff has changed her story and said the sex with the 2 boys in the bathroom was consensual so Randy is allowed to return to school. Randy has missed all of the new methods to teach like using dice so he loses to Michael at first but eventually gets up to speed. Next day after school, Randy is walking home with Michael and Bug when Michael questions him on how he was able to get back into school but Randy doesn’t mention anything about the police. Michael must have sensed something bc he tells Randy to be careful being associated with authority figures. Randy tells him that it doesn’t matter now that his foster Mom has him on a short leash but Michael reminds him how lucky he is saying that Randy is lucky to even have a leash. No doubt.
Back at school, Randy see’s Dukie using the computer that Prez found in storage and realizes that he could order candy in bulk using the computer and significantly increase his profits. Randy asks Prez to use his credit card to order the candy for them and tries to justify it saying that his candy business helps him with math. Prez reluctantly agrees but says that he won’t order until they have paid him in full up front and they can’t steal or sell drugs to get it. After school, Randy and Dukie are walking home and pass through an alley where a group of men are playing craps for money. Randy see’s his opportunity to use what he has learned in school and jumps into their game and starts winning. He wins enough to pay for the candy up front and does so the next day. Prez isn’t happy that Randy gambled to get the money but orders the candy anyways and part of him is def impressed and happy that the kids are at least learning something.
Rumours have been spreading about Randy being a snitch so we see him start to get bullied in the school hallways and his buddy Karim won’t talk to him anymore. I liked Randy so I was sad to see his life spiral downward when he just needed the right environment and he would’ve fcking thrived. At least Michael was still there for him as a friend. Things keep getting worse as Randy is attacked in the halls by a bunch of kids but only Michael steps in to help him. Prez breaks it up and brings Randy n the guys into the classroom to find out what happened and he tells Randy not to talk to the police anymore. It has gotten bad enough that Randy is removed from school for his safety but that changes nothing. A false call is placed to lure the undercover car watching Randy’s house away so that 2 men can run up and throw fire bombs through the windows. In the hospital we learn that Miss Anna was almost killed and suffered 2nd and 3rd degree burns. Carver arrives and tries to comfort Randy but he pushes Carver away and sarcastically asks him for help considering this has happened after they were supposed to initially help him, “Randy: You gonn help, huh? You gonna look out for me? You gonna look out for me, Sgt Carver? You mean it? You gonna look out for me? You promise?! You got my back, huh!?” Brutal, man, to have Miss Anna injured and Randy most likely going to a group home.
We see Carver do absolutely everything he can to keep Randy out of a group home, letting him sleep on the bench in the office while he tries to find something. But nothing can be done on such short notice so Carver has no choice but to hand him over to be placed in a group home. Randy recognizes that Carver actually did try to help him and thanks him and offers forgiveness. Once in the group home, Randy is met with hostility and in for a fn tough life. We don’t see much more of him, just a cameo in S5 where he is a textbook example of someone that has been chewed up and spit out by the system. No longer any smile or happiness on his face, just an angry, bitter man. We see Bunk try to interview Randy but he won’t even take a seat when Bunk asks him to sit down. Bunk says they are still investigating Lex’s murder and threatens Randy with criminal charges if he doesn’t tell them everything he knows about it. Randy defiantly asks Bunk if he is gonna save him from his present situation and says that the role of the police is to deceive black youth. This leaves Bunk speechless and as Randy leaves the interview, he says he would have hit Bunk if he was forced to stay and shoves a smaller kid out the way as he walks up the stairs. So fn sad for a kid that had so much potential to be more than another example of a flawed system. Randy was 1 of my fav characters out of the kids so I really wanted some kind of happy ending for him but that’s the risk of watching shows that are this deep into the realism, you rarely get the happy ending you seek.
-Duquand ‘Dukie’ Meems – Man what an interesting character and great performance from Jermaine Crawford as Dukie. We first meet him when the kids are trying to catch homing pigeons to sell to Marlo and it is clear before we learn anything specific about him that Dukie is an outcast. He almost gets beat up by Namond when he scares off 1 of the pigeons by throwing a bottle but Michael breaks it up. Before they leave Dukie tells Randy that it wasn’t a Homing Pigeon bc it didn’t have a tag on its leg so we know that he has some smarts. The next day we see Dukie meet up with his friends again but this time he has been beaten up by the terrace kids. Namond wants to respond so Randy hatches a plan to fill up balloons with piss and throw it at the terrace kids but it back fires when a balloon explodes in Namond’s hand and they have to run. Dukie gets away but Michael is caught and beat up. I say they are Dukie’s friends but Namond is constantly bullying him and Randy is kinda indifferent so Michael is def the true friend and we see that later when he makes sure Namond buys ice cream for Dukie too.
School is back so we see Dukie meet up with Michael and his little brother Bug to walk there. We see Randy give the lunch his foster Mom gave him to Dukie and man your heart just breaks for him. Dukie is basically on his own in the world going without food, shower, clean clothes, etc.. and yet remains a sweet kid that doesn’t seem to have any meanness. They walk to pick up Namond and De’Londa answers the door inviting everyone but Dukie in to wait. Life is already cruel enough for him, he doesn’t deserve that. But it’s much easier for people like De’Londa to just shun him rather than put in the work to try and help him. As the kids are making their way to the school, we see Dukie pick up a broken battery-powered fan and carry it with him. Once in class we see Dukie be humiliated when a girl named Chiquan that sat next to him asks to move to the back bc he smells too bad. Prez tries to appeal to her to show compassion but it falls on deaf ears.
In the lunch room we see that Dukie is actually working on that battery-powered fan possibly possessing a natural ability for mechanics. The next day, a fight breaks out in class when a girl that was being bullied by Chiquan named Laetitia attacks Chiquan and cuts her face with a boxcutter. This crazy moment only gets crazier when they finally get Laetitia subdued, she is shocked and sitting on the floor when Dukie walks up and hands her the working battery-powered fan that he has apparently fixed. I was equally blown away by Dukie having the skills to fix the fan as well as immediately showing compassion for someone that just committed a vicious attack. I figure part of Dukie wants to react like that but he chooses love instead of hate and knows exactly how she feels. Didn’t expect the depth to the characters we got with these kids.
The kids are all hanging out at a local boxing gym run by Dennis ‘Cutty’ Wise and Namond starts to mockingly re-create the incident between Chiquan and Laetitia when Dukie goes after him but Michael breaks it up. Dukie is upset and trying to defend Laetitia saying that her parents made her this way and Randy supports him saying that she comes from a group home. So yeah, Dukie def saw some of himself in Laetitia. We see the kids talking about the suspicious disappearance of a drug dealer named Lex leading Randy to believe that Chris is turning his victims into zombies lol a man starts walking up the alley and they all run. Back at school, Prez decides to put in some effort to help Dukie and gives him a bag of clothes and toiletries. The next day Prez once again tries to help Dukie giving him some of his lunch, a hall pass and some change to get a drink. Prez is concerned that Dukie is not wearing the new clothes he gave him and another teacher lets him know that Dukie’s family steal his possessions and sell them for drug money. Hurts your heart to watch a situation like that man I just wanted to help Dukie so bad. He had every reason to be angry at the world but instead was 1 of the sweetest people on the show.
After school we see Randy confiding in Dukie about his fears of Chris coming for him and about his role in Lex’s death but Dukie tries to assure him he has nothing to worry about. Dukie knows they aren’t zombies and that Chris is just killing people and hiding the bodies in the vacant buildings bc he saw a body. They all head to the vacant buildings and Dukie shows them the body confirming there is no body. “Dukie: There ain’t no special dead. There’s just dead.” Next day at school, Prez catches the boys as they are coming in and pulls Dukie aside and shows him a locker in the gym where he will leave him fresh clothes. Prez also tells Dukie he can leave his dirty clothes in the locker and he will wash them as well as let Dukie in the school early in the mornings so he can shower. It was nice to see someone try to help Dukie. He was making so much progress and actually learning to use the computer that Prez found in storage I actually had some optimism for Dukie’s future. But that all changed when you learn that the school wants to send Dukie on to high school and despite Prez adamantly objecting they are unmoved. The schools only care about numbers and if they can move a troublesome number like Dukie to another school, they will.
Dukie talks to Prez about being scared to go to high school but Prez tries to build his confidence saying that he is ready and that he can always come back to the school for anything he needs. Walking home from school, Dukie even tells Michael about being scared to go to high school. Things go from bad to worse when they get to Dukie’s and see that his family has been evicted. Thank God for Michael as he offers Dukie a place to stay. On the last day of school, Dukie is visibly depressed when the final bell goes. I was hoping so bad for something good to happen to Dukie but it was always 1 good thing then 10 bad things with him. When it’s time for high school, Dukie decides not to go and stops by the old school with a gift for Prez who tells him to stop by anytime. As S5 starts, Dukie is not in high school, he is working for Michael who has Bodie’s corner and is supposed to be in charge of the count but the crew has no respect for him so they don’t ever listen. Michael sends Dukie home to get Bug from school and later that night, tells Dukie he is gonna pay him to watch Bug instead of work on the crew. Dukie is kind of ashamed at basically being a nanny but Michael assures him he has total freedom whenever Bug is at school. Def the better situation for Duk.
Next day, Dukie tells Michael that since Bug doesn’t have school the next day they should all go do something fun together. Michael’s world is so serious and stressful that even he recognizes this as a great idea so the 3 of them head to 6 flags and have a great day on the rides and flirting with girls. Nice to see the kids get to be kids for a change. Next we see Dukie walking Bug home from school talking about the new tests he has to do when they pass Michaels corner and Kenard throws a bottle at Dukie starting a fight. Spider jumps in and gives Dukie a beating. When Michael finds out he offers to fight Spider but Dukie says no and that he has to learn to fight his own battles. So Michael takes Dukie to Cutty’s gym to see if he can teach Dukie to fight. Dukie goes in and asks Cutty who notices Dukie is beat up and asks what happened but Dukie only says he needs to learn to protect himself. Cutty sets up a sparring session with a younger boxer but Dukie clearly doesn’t have much fighting skill so Cutty steps in to try and tell Dukie that learning to fight and beating up 1 bully won’t stop people from messing with him. He recognizes that Dukie isn’t a fighter and tries to encourage him to do something else but it’s not that easy for these kids esp Duk, “Cutty: I guess what I’m tryin to say is, not everything comes down to how you carry it in the street. I mean, it do come down to that if you gonna be in the street. But that ain’t the only way to be. Dukie: Round here it is. Cutty: Yeah. Round here it is. World is bigger than that, at least, that’s what they tell me. Dukie: Like… how do you get from here to the rest of the world? Cutty: I wish I knew.” Damn.
They leave the gym and Cutty tells Duk that Michael’s way of life can work for him but it won’t work for Duk and that he has skills that could take him out of that life. Later we see Michael take Duk into the woods to try to teach him to shoot but Duk can’t aim at all and is scared by the noise of the gun. Michael reminds Duk that he is smart and has other skills than shooting and fighting. Man where would Duk be without a friend like Michael. Few days later we see Dukie wandering around the street when he goes into a sporting goods store where Poot, the guy that used to work for Bodie, now works. Duk tries to ask for a job but is only 15 so Poot tells him to come back when he is older. Every other store is the same, won’t hire a kid like him but he sees an older man struggling to life a fridge so he runs over and helps him. Duk cuts his hand helping the man but the man offers him $10 if he will help him the rest of the day and Dukie agrees. As he drops off Duk at Bug’s school, the man says he has more work tomorrow if Dukie wants it.
Dukie is at home with Bug when Michael bursts in telling them to pack their things bc they need to leave. Michael killed Snoop and Marlo’s crew will be looking for revenge so their little family has to break up. They take Bug to Michael’s Aunt’s place in the suburbs and then they drop off Dukie at the homeless community where the guy he sold junk with lives. Duk tries to reminisce with Michael about good times they had but Michael can’t keep those memories where he is going so when Duk asks if he remembers a good time from summers past, Michael responds with “I don’t.” Really broke my heart for both of them bc they needed each other and were a great team. They say goodbye and Michael leaves while Duk looks hesitant as he watches the junk guy shoot up drugs. Next day we see Dukie show up at his old elementary school to ask Prez for help saying if he could give him the money for an apartment he could enroll in a GED program at community college. Prez is skeptical but helps him adding that he is gonna check the community college and if he is enrolled then their relationship will be in tact. If not then he figures he will probably never see Duk again anyways and gives him the money. Dukie agrees to the terms but when Prez sees him go back to the junk guy, he knows what the money was for and that Duk’s chance for a better life is gone. Fucking brutal man.
In the closing montage, we see Dukie shooting up heroin with the junk guy and I wanted to jump into the fcking screen man I wanted so much better for Duk. I hated so much that he was gonna become the next Bubbles bc as much as we love Bubs we all wish he had never fallen that far. We saw the potential in Dukie and if he could have got 1 break he would have made it but everything went against this kid. It killed me to see him lie to Prez for drug money and end that relationship. I wanted a happy ending but reality got in the way. Dukie was 1 of my fav characters and he took us on one hell of a journey.
-Kenard – Never would have dreamed the impact this little guy would have on the show lol perfect performance from Thuliso Dingwall he def stood out and brought out a range of emotions. Absolutely a tragic character Kenard is a textbook example of a kid that never had a chance to be the best version of himself thanks to the people and environment he was born into. His words can be as confrontational as an adult but he is still just a kid that never had a chance so you have to be careful how you respond to him. But at the same time his actions can also be very adult and with his upbringing you never know what he is gonna do so you have to try to protect yourself and others. There is almost no reasoning with a kid like Kenard, he only knows 1 way and that’s all he is going to accept. Just such a sad situation that reflects a reality too many kids have to live.
We first meet Kenard in a random scene in S3 that most people prob didn’t catch. Bunk is at Tasha’s crime scene and see’s a bunch of kids playing but 1 of the kids is Kenard and he is actually pretending to be Omar. This would be a cool detail given what happens in S5. Later we see that Kenard has joined Namond’s crew as a runner when Namond starts dealing and right off the bat injects his opinion when they have to switch corners due to rival dealers. Carver is able to surprise Namond’s crew and Kenard is the only 1 that didn’t get away. They destroy the package but decide to let him go bc with Kenard only being 8 that would be more work than it’s worth. Kenard goes to Cutty’s gym and Carver shows up to give Namond’s crew shit for being so careless and says next time the end up in juvenile detention.
Later we see Kenard show up late to work for Namond and informs him that his door was kicked in and the package was stolen so someone must have snitched. Namond believes the story and tells Kenard to find out who the snitch is. But we soon learn that Namond didn’t believe the story as he confronts Kenard who isn’t backing down and actually taunts Namond about it. This causes Michael to jump in and drop Kenard with a punch before delivering a violent beating. You knew it was only a matter of time before Kenard’s mouth got him in trouble but didn’t expect it to come like this. Kenard learned his place bc in S5 we see that Michael is running a corner now and Kenard is part of his crew. Michael has out Dukie in charge of the count but Kenard and the rest don’t respect Dukie so they don’t listen to him and disrespect him. Later when Michael’s corner is raided bc they think they see Kenard moving a bag of drugs but when the officer checks the bag it’s full of dog shit lol love that and the scumbag officer more than deserved it but then he wipes his hand on Kenard’s shirt so it balances out haha
Nobody can believe their eyes when Omar comes limping onto their corner and starts talking shit on Marlo. Omar tells Michael and his crew to make sure Marlo knows he killed Savino and he will kill all of Marlo’s muscle until he faces him in the street. Everyone is spooked except Kenard. Next day Omar is back on the block and notices Kenard and some other kids torturing a stray cat but they flee when they see him. All except Kenard. Omar enters the convenience store and is shot in the head while standing at the counter. The shooter is revealed to be Kenard. 1 of the most shocking scenes I’ve ever seen in a movie bc no where in my mind was there a possibility that Omar could be killed by Kenard, a little fn kid. But this shows why kids like Kenard are so dangerous, their actions are adult and sometimes have deadly consequences but you can’t treat them like in adult. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
Last we see of Kenard is being arrested by Bunk. Despite the seriousness of his crime, because of his age Kenard will get another shot at life if he makes it out of prison. But at that point I doubt he will be rehabilitated much, with his attitude and the fact that he killed a legend I think he is in the game for life, however long that is. It’s a shame bc imagine Kenard’s energy as an entertainer, we could have missed out on the next Robin Williams. Kenard really challenged me as a viewer bc his attitude made me wanna give him a whoopin lol but then I had to check myself that this kid never had a chance so you can’t just give up on him or judge him. But man I can’t believe he was the one to kill Omar.
-Gus Haynes – In S5 we were shown the perspective of the Baltimore Press and Clark Johnson was great as Gus Haynes bc he really made it feel like you were watching a real paper. Right from the start we see that the media is just like every other Baltimore institution we have seen on the show, the numbers are letting them do anything but their jobs. Gus is discussing having to cutback staff with his colleagues and they figure most will get buyouts and the junior reporters will be few and far between. They joke about what it would be like to work at a real newspaper while in the same episode, McNulty wonders about what it would be like to work at a real police department. Same shit, different pile. Gus makes the rounds trying to push people to get ahead of deadlines and has to deal with the headache of having missed a story on a fire that was broken by 1 of their competitors. They don’t even have a photo for the fire story so Gus sends a photographer over there. In an editorial meeting, Gus explains that 1 reason they missed the story is that the position responsible for covering a story like that has been empty since the last round of cutbacks.
In a meeting, of course the managing editor James Whiting says that the position being empty is not to blame and that the staff should have just done more with less which really sums up the show and our actual society. As they are discussing the big stories for the paper, we get to see a perfect example of how the news we see is manufactured and that all news doesn’t get reported, just the news that the people in charge want you to see. There is a story brought up about the University of Maryland not meeting its desegregation goals but Whiting immediately speaks up and says the Dean of Journalism there is a personal friend of his and assured him that the reputation with black students and faculty is much improved. Gus asks what race the Dean of Journalism is and the managing editor quickly shuts that down saying that race is irrelevant. The story is shelved until “more reporting” can be done. So gross. After the meeting 1 of the staff asks Gus why he went at Whiting with so much uncertainty at the paper but he says a healthy newsroom is dependent on honesty and arguing lol he def has a point.
More stirring of the pot as Gus makes a semantic correction to 1 of her stories as the re-write man Jay says that God still resides in the details at the Baltimore Sun. Def annoying when someone nitpicks to find a mistake but for something like a newspaper, the cleaner your work is the more credibility you have with the public. Gus gets the pictures and recognizes a trademark of the photographer so he isn’t using the photos. Never occurred to me that crime photographers might bring their own props to spice up the pictures. Their political reporter Price is telling Gus about a story he is working on about Mayor Carcetti redrafting a bill so that it doesn’t look like he is running the homeless out of downtown. Gus reviews the agenda from the city council meeting and notices something more interesting, council is buying property from a drug dealer named Hendrix and then selling him back better property for less than it is worth. Gus sends Price back to the council meeting to find out who sponsored this proposal and try to get a quote. He asks Alma to get a quote from Hendrix and tells her to threaten him with using his picture on the front page if he won’t talk. He assigns Templeton to do the background research on the story.
Gus watches as the story is edited and discusses the potential of the story with his team and they agree that it is front page material. Hendrix will net 1 million of city dollars and have better property than he started with. Only reason the city is treating him so favourably is bc he made significant campaign donations to key people but the reporters have been looking into it and have already found big donations from Hendrix and others. Price gets a quote from the council president Naresse Campbell who wants to speak to Gus off the record. She tells Gus the transaction is legitimate but he asks why they are giving Hendrix a profit and if council knew he was a campaign donor. They had records of Hendrix donating 40k but Gus says 60k instead to test her and she doesn’t correct him so he knows there is more and assigns Templeton to keep looking for donations. This story is good news for the paper so Gus takes the team to the bar and congratulates Alma on getting a quote from Hendrix and getting a mention in the story.
Next we see a meeting where Whiting is asking the team to find a “Dickensian” story about the lives of schoolchildren and how the system has failed them. Gus thinks it’s a good subject for a story but that it would require looking at many other factors as well like bad parenting and the drug problem. The schools and the school system def deserves criticism but to just focus on that and ignoring the bigger problems that contribute would make their story irrelevant to the public. Templeton speaks up to say you don’t need much context to focus on 1 class while Gus counters that you need context to examine anything. Whiting just wants a general piece to focus on the shortcomings of the school so of course he agrees with Templeton and assigns him to write the story. After the meeting, Gus sees Whiting and Templeton talking to the managing editor Klebanow who confirms to Gus that Templeton will write the cover story. Templeton says he is going to do the story on a baseball fan and Gus wishes him luck. That night Gus wakes up in a panic thinking that he transposed numbers he was given for a story but is relieved to learn he had it correct.
When Templeton gets back from the Orioles Stadium, he has a story on an orphaned 13 year boy in a wheelchair from the West side named EJ. But when Gus asks for a photo and more details, Templeton says no photographers were available and the boy refused to give his full name but that he was injured by a stray bullet. This is very suspicious so Gus has the team try to find the original story in the paper about EJ’s injury and sends out photographers to the stadium to try to find the boy. No record of the shooting is found and the photographers can’t find the boy at the Stadium so Gus tells Templeton that they can’t run the story without more info or a photo. Templeton is offended that Gus thinks he fabricated the story but Gus simply says they must maintain a level of verifiability for their stories. And here comes Whiting to say something stupid, he hears Gus’s concerns but just blows it off and says the story will run. Unbelievable that people like this are in power all over the world it’s fn sickening. The reginal affairs editor questions Gus on running the story but he says he had the same concerns but it wasn’t his decision to run it.
Klebanow and Whiting hold another meeting that has Gus and the team nervous, rightfully so as more bad news of buyouts and closures hits the newsroom. Typical corporate bullshit is spewed out to justify the cuts while Gus asks why they are making cuts when the paper is profitable. But the reality is, a bad newspaper with limited staff is better than a great paper with a full house. The people at the top tell everyone else to ‘do more with less’ as they enjoy bonuses for increasing the profit. Pathetic but that’s the world we live in right now. Gus and the team watch as a reporter named Twigg that has 20 years at the paper is given the buyout ultimatum. Gus goes in to meet with Klebanow and fears the worst when Whiting is in there too but they assure him he is needed in the newsroom and not going anywhere. He is worried about the level of talent he will have to work with but they tell him he will still retain a talented staff.
After work, Gus meets with Norman Wilson who he used to work with at the paper and is now an advisor to Mayor Carcetti. They are meeting bc Carcetti wants to leak that his new police commissioner will be Cedric Daniels to see if the ministers will accept him. Gus has no clue who Daniels in so Norman gives him a photo and some quick career details. Next day, Gus tries to offer it to Twigg but he declines before he knows what it is bc he is being bought out and he is a real one. So Gus gives the story to Templeton who admits he knows nothing about Daniels when Twiggy starts listing off Daniels career details even adding in a couple personal details so I guess Twiggy is taking the story lol Gus officially gives the story to Twiggy and Templeton is upset saying that he could have handled the story despite not knowing much about Daniels beforehand. Maybe so but Twiggy was obv the best choice so Gus assigns Templeton to get reaction quotes.
When Templeton delivers a perfect quote for the story, Gus is justifiably suspicious and asks Templeton to verify his source. Templeton initially starts to protest but quickly says that Nerese Campbell gave him the quote and lets Gus know that Twiggy isn’t the only talented reporter. After work Gus takes Twiggy for a drink to discuss the downfall of their industry. We get some cool details about why they both got into journalism, Gus saw his father reading the paper every morning and wanted to be part of something that was important to his father. Twiggy saw a man reading a paper on a bus and how intelligent it made him look. Love details like that, helps so much to make characters real. Next day we see Alma tell Gus about a rumour that the current Police Commissioner is going to be fired and he gives her the news that she is now his senior police reporter since it is Twigg’s last day. Sure enough, the next the newsroom watches a press conference announcing the departure of Burrell. Gus translates the Mayor’s real thoughts for the newsroom, “He feared and hated me, and I merely wanted him dead,” which gets a good laugh from his colleagues. Klebanow wants to get some that into the story but Gus says that losing Twigg cuts them off from potential sources that could discredit the press conference. Gus is not hiding his frustrations so Klebanow pleads with him to be civil so the newsroom can maintain a professional atmosphere.
1 of the reporters notices the Clay Davis hearings on TV and is shocked that they completely missed a big story like that. Gus asks how they missed this and is told that it is bc of cutbacks with the court reporters who can only handle Federal cases. They move to try and reach the key players to get the details while Gus notices how this is all set up for media publicity and laments that in the past nobody would have dreamed of doing something like this without calling the daily newspaper. Now it’s all about TV news. As they all go over Alma’s story about Burrell, Gus gives credit and congratulations to Templeton for getting all the details for the Clay Davis case so he will give credit when credit is due. Next day Gus is getting the run down on all of Alma’s stories when she brings up the homeless murders possibly being a serial killer and Gus agrees to bring it up at the editorial meeting.
In the meeting they are discussing potential front page stories and Gus suggests a follow-up to Alma’s homeless murder story but Klebanow and Whiting aren’t even aware of the original and want more info before it’s a cover story. Next day, Gus is discussing the story with Alma and Templeton and tries to assign Templeton to work on getting quotes from the homeless but Templeton is not thrilled to say the least, “Gus: “Just cause they’re in the street doesn’t mean that they lack opinions. Templeton: Where am I going to find homeless people? Gus: Not at home, I imagine.” lol later that day Gus is helping to gather all the stories on the homeless murders and they have good coverage but tells everyone to move on unless there are new developments. Once again Gus assigns Templeton a less than desirable task so Templeton takes things into his own hands.
A big development in the homeless murders case comes when the killer actually phones Templeton to provide more details like a grudge against the paper for their coverage. Another suspicious event goes Templeton’s way so Gus is quick to remind him that this being prank call would embarrass the paper and that there is no way to verify the callers story. But the serial killer is made up by McNulty to get him funds for other investigations and the call is fake to get Templeton a big role on the story so McNulty confirms the details from the call and the paper runs the story. Gus admits to McNulty he thought the call was fake until he confirmed the details. Trust your gut, Gus. Next day Templeton’s story is front page news and he has an idea to spend a night with the homeless for an in-depth story. Gus wants Templeton working the education story but Whiting says that is shelved and they want the homeless murders as the top priority.
Someone brings a complaint about Templeton to Gus about him promoting a fund set up by a known fraudster in a story about a mother of 4 that was killed. Gus asks Templeton to double-check with the fraudster which Templeton reluctantly does and reports back that a case of stolen identity is the reason for listing the fraudulent fund in his story. Gus is clearly pissed but Templeton is the golden boy right now so he just let’s it slide. Next day, Gus talks with 1 of his cop friends about stolen identity and the info he gets makes him certain that Templeton is lying again about the fund for the mother of 4 that died. Given everything going on, Gus is disgusted to read Templeton’s story about his night with the homeless knowing it’s prob all bullshit. Gus sends another reporter out to work with the homeless and try to get a real story.
Next day Gus is having a smoke on the loading docks with some other reporters who are questioning the legitimacy of Templeton’s stories on the serial killer but Gus says the police backed up the claims. When Gus goes back in, he is told that someone wants to speak with him about Templeton’s story on a homeless Iraq veteran named Terry Hanning. Gus doesn’t have time for it and says Templeton should take the meeting but is told Templeton is avoiding this guys call so Gus takes the meeting. He tries to shake Hanning’s hand but he won’t and calls Gus a liar after learning he edited Templeton’s story. So Gus arranges to have Templeton brought in to meet with Hanning so they can hash this out and watches as Hanning angrily confronts Templeton about lies he told in his story. Templeton lied about what happened during a mission that went bad and that is a big deal to the men that were actually there if they read it which is why Hanning is so upset. Hanning keeps interrupting Templeton who threatens to leave if he can’t tell ‘his side’ which leads to Hanning delivering a great line, “A lie ain’t a side of a story. It’s just a lie.”
Gus calms the situation down and asks Hanning about his alcohol consumption and Hanning has another great line, “I wouldn’t sleep under a bridge sober.” Templeton is trying to suggest that Hanning drunkenly embellished the story and Gus is going with that until Hanning brings up how the men that were on the mission would feel seeing the changes to the story. Gus steps outside and tells Templeton that they will investigate military records and follow up with his fellow soldiers but if it comes out that the story is incorrect then they will print a correction. Templeton doesn’t like it and Hanning is still pissed but not much else can be done. Later Gus compliments the reporter he sent out to get a real story on a homeless man, on the story he has so far using Bubbles as his subject. Gus encourages him to spend more time with Bubbles to make the story even better.
Alma gets back to the newsroom with 2 late breaking stories, the murder of Omar and a row house fire that killed 2. Gus checks the space they have left and decides to go with the row house fire only. Omar was 1 of the most notorious gangsters in his territory but outside of it he is nobody. Really puts things in perspective. As Gus reads the lede of Templeton’s latest story on the homeless vigil he is disappointed to see a quote has been attributed to an unnamed source despite the vigil being well attended. Gus approaches the Desk Editor Steven Luxenberg and tells him he is removing the quote bc it violates their sourcing policy and asks him to back him up when the inevitable confrontation happens and Luxenberg agrees. When Gus breaks the news to Templeton, he asks Gus to consider the quality of the quote and Gus responds that the high quality of the quote is part of the problem. Templeton finally lashes out saying ‘to hell with you if you think I made it up’ and storms back to his desk making a scene of how angry he is. This display attracts Klebanow who goes to talk to Templeton and Gus can guess where this is going. Klebanow comes over to Gus who immediately starts making his case saying that he has already talked to Luxenberg and feels he has done his job as the quote violates their sourcing standards. But as managing editor Klebanow can overrule him and keep the quote so Gus leaves and tells Klebanow to make whatever decision he feels is best. Gus was more than done with Templeton’s shit.
Gus personally goes to the Walter Reed Army medical Center to talk with the friend of Hanning’s that had his hands amputated and the friend corroborates Hanning’s version of the events saying there was no firefight. Back at the newsroom, Gus refuses to print Templeton’s story about stopping an abduction of a homeless man and Klebanow says Gus has a personal vendetta against Templeton and warns him his attitude could cause problems in the future. Gus says fuck that and outright accuses Templeton of lying and Templeton throws his notebook. Gus reads the article that the reporter Fletcher wrote on Bubbles and gets big praise from Gus and the team. Alma approaches him to reveal that the notebook Templeton threw was empty when it was supposed to contain all the notes about the attempted kidnapping. This combined with the other evidence Gus has is enough for Gus to confront his superiors with it.
In the closing montage of the show, we see the results of Gus bringing the evidence on Templeton to Whiting and Klebanow. Templeton wins a Pulitzer Prize for his stories while Gus is demoted and Alma transferred to a less prominent branch. Seems like a sick joke but that’s the fuckin reality of the world and this show was dedicated to being real. There is a little silver lining for Gus watching his protege Fletcher get his editor position, a job he more than deserved esp after the great story on Bubs. Gus knows the paper will be in good hands and his character proved that he really cared about a newspaper being something special that holds itself to the highest of standards. He fought the good fight and went out on his shield. Gus was a great character that made the focus on the press in S5 something you looked forward to.
-Scott Templeton – If I didn’t recognize the actor, I would’ve thought they used a real reporter haha great job by Tom McCarthy with this role. We first meet him as a frustrated reporter telling Alma that Baltimore is a bad city for news bc stories rarely go national. She reminds him of the vacant bldg murder story a year ago and he muses that it is still unsolved. Frustrations continue when he is given the task of doing background research for a big story they are working on but background research can be 1 of the least desirable parts of building the story. But despite his frustrations he still supports the team, speaking up about Alma deserving more than a contributing line after she gets a quote from 1 of the main subjects of the story. The team is pumped to see their work on the front page the next day and Templeton asks for the reaction piece story but it’s already been given out. All this helps you understand why he does what he does later.
In a meeting, managing editor James Whiting is asking for a ‘Dickensian’ type of story about school kids and how the school system fails them. Gus is arguing that a story like that requires a focus on a bunch of different things to properly address the problems in the schools like bad parenting and the drug problem. But Templeton speaks up saying that you don’t need much context to focus on a single classroom but Gus counters that you need context to examine anything. Def side with Gus. Whiting agrees with Templeton and assigns him to write the story which will be about a baseball fan. Templeton goes down to the Orioles Stadium to interview fans but isn’t getting anything that would be considered “Dickensian.” So I was def surprised when he returns to the newsroom with a story about an orphaned 13 year old boy named EJ that was paralyzed by a stray bullet. Gus asks for a photo and more info but Templeton says there were no photographers available and that the boy refused to give his full name. There is no record of this shooting and nobody can find the boy so Gus tells Templeton that they can’t run the story like this who gets offended that Gus is suggesting he fabricated the story. Gus says he isn’t suggesting anything and just needs to maintain a standard of verifiability for all his stories. Captain dipshit to the rescue as Whiting interrupts and of course agrees with Templeton and says the story will run. Unreal.
As more cutbacks and negative changes to the paper are announced, Templeton is not optimistic telling Alma to get ready to find a new job. After watching a veteran named Twiggy get bought out, Templeton remarks that hopefully the buyouts will just get rid of the dead weight. Crazy to me that someone could be that callous to think like that. There is a story about the potential new police commissioner Cedric Daniels but Twiggy turns it down sight unsees due to being bought out so Gus gives it to Templeton who admits he knows nothing about Daniels. When Twiggy realizes who it is, he rattles off a bunch of career and personal details about Daniels making it clear that he is the right choice to cover the story. Gus gives the story back to Twiggy while Templeton is upset and says that he could have handled the story despite his initial lack of knowledge about Daniels. He is given the task of getting reaction quotes for the story and when he gets a perfect quote it raises Gus’s suspicions. Gus asks him to verify his source and Templeton is offended but eventually tells him that Nerese Campbell gave him the quote. So the quote is legitimate but the story about the kid EJ was fake. Makes it tough to figure Templeton out.
Next we see Templeton getting ready for an interview with the Washington Post discussing it with Alma while she prepares to take a rumour that could lead to a good story to Gus. He makes sure she has her sources ready. In Washington for the interview, Templeton is clearly confident asking to sit in on a budget meeting but that confidence comes down when he meets with the senior editor. The senior editor basically insults his work saying it’s good enough for Baltimore and asks if he was involved with a story he was impressed by but Templeton has to admit he wasn’t. Just a disaster of an interview compared to what he was expecting. They end the interview with the editor saying he will keep his resume on file and you know what that means. Templeton declines to sit in on the budget meeting showing how bad the interview went. Back at the paper, Templeton is assigned the task of getting details for the Clay Davis case which he does and Gus gives him credit for it. Alma asks him how the interview went and he tells her it’s a buyers market out there and that the Baltimore Sun is a good paper. Crazy the difference 1 day can make.
Alma brings Templeton up to speed on a potential story about a serial killer she has been given information about and brings him to meet with her source McNulty to get more info. At the meeting, McNulty isn’t pleased to see another reporter knows he is the source but goes along and gives them more info about a red ribbon tied around the arm and bite marks on the recent victims. McNulty wants them to push the sexual nature of the crimes. They run the initial story and Templeton asks to wire a story on the history of the victims but it’s already been assigned and Gus tells him to get quotes from homeless people much to Templeton’s dismay. Templeton begrudgingly goes to interview the homeless but doesn’t find anyone to give him anything that would be ‘news worthy.’ Templeton comes back to the paper with basically nothing to find he is basically shut out of the investigation as every other task has been assigned. Only an education piece is left but before he starts that, Templeton goes to a pay phone and makes a call to his own cell phone but doesn’t say anything. Uh oh.
Next we learn that Templeton has claimed that the killer called him providing new details and revealing a grudge against the paper for their coverage saying he prob got Templeton’s number from the cards he was handing out. Gus reminds Templeton this would seriously embarrass the paper if the call is found to be fake esp since there is no way to verify the callers story. But Templeton gets lucky that this is a fake serial killer and McNulty needs it to be a thing so he uses this fake call to help establish his fake serial killer confirming several details. This rattles Templeton a bit since he made them up but McNulty is saying they are real. They have the green light from McNulty to run with the story so Templeton gets a big win and dodges a huge bullet. McNulty would have broke the case quick if he hadn’t been involved in creating it. Templeton is the new golden boy now that his story is front page news and all the national news networks want an interview with him. That is huge promotion for the paper so Whiting and Klebanow encourage him to take every national interview he can.
Templeton’s next big idea is to spend a night as a homeless man to get an in-depth perspective of their lives and reactions to the serial killer. He fits in like a sore thumb even being scared by a dog and the other homeless people enjoy a laugh at his expense. During the night and in the morning, he does actually talk with real homeless including 1 with a sad story about his time in the military and writes his story on him. When Templeton gets back to the office, Gus talks to him about a complaint 1 of his stories received. In a piece he did about a mother of 4 that died, he promoted a fund set up by fraudsters and the family never saw any money donated. Gus asks him to double check with the family and Templeton is not happy but agrees and reports back that people in the community said a fraudster stole the victim’s sisters identity and that’s why he mistakenly promoted it. The viewer and Gus knows that is bullshit but Templeton is untouchable right now so Gus has to let it slide.
It’s starting to add up for Templeton as Terry Hanning the Iraq War veteran that was the subject of his latest story shows up to the newsroom pissed off that his story was changed. Gus brings Templeton in to talk to Hanning who angrily confronts Templeton about the lies he put in his story. Hanning keeps interrupting Templeton and not letting him finish his points so Templeton threatens to leave if he can’t tell ‘his side’ to which Hanning responds, “A lie ain’t a side of a story. It’s just a lie.” Fn great line. Gus calms things down a bit and they start to suggest that maybe Hanning was drunk and embellished his story. Hanning denies that saying there are some stories that you never change the details when you tell them and brings up how his fellow marines would feel if they read the story and noticed that he changed it. The reporters have no response.
They leave the room for a moment so Gus can tell Templeton that they are gonna investigate the claims with his military records and fellow marines and if they find that the story is incorrect then they will issue a correction in the paper. Templeton is pissed but accepts it bc there isn’t much else you can do. Back in the room Hanning accuses Templeton of lying again when he said they were drinking coffee when they were actually drinking chocolate milk. Templeton was getting away with lies so he kept telling them but they always catch up with you esp the more you tell. At the end of the day, Templeton is approached by Gus who tells him that the quote in the lede of his latest story is being removed bc it is attributed to an unnamed source which violates their source policy. Templeton asks Gus to consider the quality of the quote and Gus says the perfect quality of the quote is why it concerns him. This is the last straw as Templeton finally snaps and says “to hell with you if you think I made it up” and storms off to his desk making a scene of his anger. This attracts Klebanow to his desk and we don’t hear the conversation but you know how it went. Desperation makes people do things they wouldn’t normally do and I believe in a newsroom without all the cutback/buyout bullshit Templeton would have thrived. But the current climate just makes him act slimy.
It’s paying off though as his bullshit stories have him in the running for a Pulitzer Prize but he’ll have to trade that for the respect of his peers. The lust for a Pulitzer has Templeton resorting to desperate measures as he goes out to the homeless district again to try and find more to help his chances. Templeton spots a homeless man that is clearly messed up and incoherent so he fakes a 911 call saying the homeless man was being pulled into a van when he got there. McNulty is the officer responding and the man is in no condition to confirm or deny the report but Templeton’s details have massive holes in them so McNulty knows it is bullshit. He is fed up with Templeton and sends him off. A homeless man that is actually an undercover officer confirms to McNulty that Templeton is full of shit but McNulty still lets Templeton leave rather than charge him bc he needs him for the fake serial killer bullshit.
At the office, Gus refuses to print the abduction story and outright accuses Templeton of lying which causes Templeton to throw his notebook. It’s amazing the way people will act like they are being 100% truthful when they know they are lying through their teeth. We learn that the notebook Templeton threw was empty when it was supposed to contain all the notes about the attempted abduction and that Gus presented all the evidence to Whiting and Klebanow. But they support Templeton bc in the closing montage of the show, Templeton wins the Pulitzer Prize for his stories on the ‘Red Ribbon killer’ while Gus is demoted and Alma transferred to a less prominent branch. In the end a Pulitzer for a reporter at the paper was more important than integrity than the truth. Sucks but that’s the way it is in real life and this show really tried to stay as true to life as possible. Scott Templeton drove me crazy at times but that’s bc it was such a great performance.
-Alma Gutierrez – Perfect balance to Scott Templeton’s weasel character, Michelle Paress great performance as Alma was the kind of reporter you hope they all would be. We meet her as Gus makes a semantic correction to 1 of her stories and after checking with a dictionary she has to concede her mistake. Super annoying when someone nitpicks like that but it’s 1 of those things where it’s worth it to fix bc it makes you and your work look better. Alma is given the task of getting a quote from a drug dealer named Hendrix for a story about city council buying property from him and then selling him better property for less than the value as part of a redevelopment strategy. Later Gus takes the reporters to a bar and congratulates Alma on getting a quote from Hendrix which gets her a mention in a front page story which is huge for her.
Things seem to be going Alma’s way when we see her up early to try and buy a copy on the paper as another 1 of her stories should be getting front page coverage. She wrote 35 inches on a story about the murders at Junebug’s house but can’t find a copy at the drug store so she goes to the printing plant. When she gets to work we see her disappointment that her story was cut to 12inches and placed below the fold meaning significantly less prominence. Gus apologizes and says it was cut little by little as it was passed between departments while another reporter offers that the race and class of the victims was prob the main reason the story was cut down. Alma is embarrassed that she drove all the way to the printing plant but they assure her she isn’t the 1st or the last. I think we can all def relate to the tough moments of getting your hopes up for nothing.
Next we see Alma excited about a rumour she heard that Commissioner Burrell is going to be fired and Templeton questions her source to make sure she is ready to take it to Gus. She takes the rumour to Gus who makes her his new senior police reporter since it is Twigg’s last day. Shitty way to get a promotion but what can you do. The team is having trouble finding enough sources on the rumour to run the story, they have a couple things but it’s not enough so Twigg makes 1 last call to 1 of his sources to confirm the rumour. Next day the news room watches the press conference announcing Burrell’s departure and works to get Alma’s story ready for the paper. When Alma asks how Templeton’s interview went, he finally admits that the Baltimore Sun is a good paper meaning it prob didn’t go well.
Next we hear Alma get a call from McNulty informing her about his fake serial killer and trying to get her to suggest that the killer is acting on sexual compulsions. She agrees to run it by Gus which she does and he says he’ll bring it up in the editorial meeting. After discussing the info about the serial killer with Templeton, Alma sets up a meeting with McNulty to get more info and brings Templeton. McNulty isn’t happy about another reporter knowing he is the source but allows it and gives up more information like the red ribbon on the arms and how there have been bite marks on the recent victims. This info is enough and they run the story in the paper. With so many big stories going on, Gus tells Alma to stick with the serial killer story, a big get for her. Alma is the one that delivers the breaking news that Omar has been killed but there is not enough room in the paper so they go with another story instead.
After Gus finally calls out Templeton for lying about the attempted homeless abduction, Templeton throws his notebook and Alma finds out it is empty. She tells Gus who thinks he has enough evidence to expose Templeton and brings it to Whiting and Klebanow. But as the show ends, we see that of course they sided with Templeton who wins the Pulitzer Prize for his stories while Gus is demoted and Alma is transferred to a less prominent branch. Absolute bullshit I was really pissed that a great reporter like Alma gets punished while a slimy douchebag like Templeton is rewarded. That’s the way it is in real life so it would have been nice to see Alma win. Def a great addition to the cast in S5.
Well that brings us to the end of this marathon retrospective and it seemed impossible to finish when I started but I’m so glad I did this bc it made me appreciate the show even more. I understand events and characters a lot better now so I can’t wait to rewatch the show with a new perspective. That is the goal of this retrospective piece is, to make people want to watch the shows so hopefully it has the same impact on everyone reading this as it did for me. This show truly is in the conversation for greatest of all time bc so much happened in every episode and there were so many characters and different moving parts yet it all flowed so seamlessly through the 5 seasons. Even the fake serial killer storyline that most people hate, the same people also say it’s still good. I wish the Wire was a 20 season show man bc the characters that these amazing actors and writers brought to life could carry any storyline as the fake serial killer story shows. I’m just so thankful that I’m not sitting here right now still having not seen the show bc I can’t imagine not knowing who Omar and Bubbles and McNulty and Clay Davis and Cool Lester Smooth, etc.. are lol if you’re a fan of great TV like I am, you have to watch this show. Well I think I have said everything I wanted to say so I think it’s time to wrap this up. So much love and respect goes out to David Simon and his crew of writers, the production team, and the actors for bringing us this incredible show and having the guts to stick to reality when it would have been easy to go the fake TV route. It might have meant that things we wanted didn’t happen, but it also solidified the world that was created in the show and allowed it to feel like real life which is why these characters and stories connect to us so strongly. And inspires some of us to write a retrospective over the course of almost 2.5 years lol hopefully this helps old and new viewers enjoy the show as much as I did. This piece was def more than I thought it would be when I started it but hey, All in the game yo…All in the game.
