I really got bummed that [spoiler]Major Cases was shut down. Again.[/spoiler] We've been down that road before.

Not really thrilled with the McNulty story.

I dunno. McNulty banging blondes on the hood of police cars is pretty good television.

edit:

[spoiler]Holy shit. The scenes with McNuly and The Bunk when they first discuss the serial killer thing? That was incredible![/spoiler]

Totally agree, especially on the Marlo front.

Should have spoiled the blonde thing.

In regards to Bunk/McNulty. I agree. They play the storyline well & it is written/directed well, becasue it's the Wire, and that's what they do. I just think the storyline is bordering on ridiculous.

Actually, I don't know how ridiculous it is.

For one it is consistent with McNulty's frustration with the department and the apathy. What he had to say to Bunk about the "numbers" and lack of dogged police work was very true.

None can deny that the Homicide division is primarily concerned with keeping names off the board. They will even cook the books if need be. And if that means [spoiler]black homeless people, eastern European sex slaves and row houses of full of dead bodies[/spoiler] get swept under the rug; who gives a fuck right? As long as you can keep it in the single digits.

McNulty isn't some criminal genius. Bunk points this out several times. He's being sloppy. We know it. Yet when Lester [spoiler]agrees with McNulty's scheme to falsify evidence[/spoiler] I couldn't deny the cold logic of it. That doesn't make it a good idea, per se. But I could certainly understand both he and McNulty's desperation at being stymied time and again by politics.

Wrong zip code, right?

I love this show.

This week's episode you may have noticed a homeless guy under the bridge where the reporter, Scott, is trying to get some quotes for the paper. This guy has a dog and says something about the dog having teeth. I'm almost 100% sure this is the same guy from Season 2 who helped Ziggy with the stolen cars caper.

Also, the cop who helps Lester and McNulty - the police officer sleeping in the back of his squad car - is Roscoe Orman.

Better known to you and me as Gordon from Sesame Street.

Johnny Fifty. I think so too.

EDIT:
IMDB says "yea".

Holy shit, what a call back.

Some other characters from seasons past make brief cameo appearances, I'm told...

Despite some earlier concerns about S4 characters not appearing in S5, it looks like they're slowly bringing back a few more, [spoiler]including Cutty in this weekend's episode, and Randy in the following week's.[/spoiler] By the way, next week's episode, which is on On Demand now, is pretty strong, [spoiler]as McNulty the serial-killer fabricator collides with the fabricating reporter at the Sun. Plus there's some good Omar action.[/spoiler]

All I ask is that [spoiler]Marlo dies horribly by the end of the series.[/spoiler]

I liked how Burrel's final conversation with Rawls mirrored Carcetti's conversation with the former mayor. The one in the diner when the ex-mayor tells Tommy that you have to eat a lot of shit on the job. And later Daniels sitting in the chair smiling to himself recalled Carcetti's moment in the mayor's office after the election.

Forgone conclusion that [spoiler]Prop Joe was going to die[/spoiler]. Marlo made all the right moves on the street level to get himself into a position of power. Admirable in a way.

Yeah, he is the embodiment of calculating....reminds me of that quote from Jaws, "He's got lifeless eyes. Black eyes. Like a doll's eyes." Jamie Hector is amazing in this role.

Yeah, he's very good. That final scene where Marlo [spoiler]tells Prop Joe to shut his eyes before Chris shoots him[/spoiler] was chilling.

EP5:

"What's wrong with the Ramones?"

Also, holy fuckin' Batman move by Omar at the end. My heart was racing.


Also, if people don't mind watching Youtube-quality videos (I do (mind)), the first 7 episodes are streamable here.

This is some Spiderman shit right here.

Probably old news for some, but I hadn't seen these until tonight. The Wire prequels:

Bunk+McNulty

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young Prop Joe

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young Omar

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Thanks, those were cool!

That ending.. what the fuck.

Everything seems to be pointing towards a pretty disastrous ending for all involved. Gotta love this show for a good downer.

The last 5 minutes were the best part of the episode otherwise I was kind of bored the entire time. Really disappointing considering how the previous episode ranks among the best of the series.

Love the McNulty and crappy reporter storylines colliding.

I knew I would regret doubting this show.

Yeah, it's a great scene when the reporter realizes that not only is he making shit up, so is McNulty.

The ultimate irony would be that asshole getting a huge career story out of McNulty's lie, thereby fucking Baltimore police further.

I'm not so sure the reporter knows McNulty's making shit up...

McNulty knows the reporter is lying though.

Well of course. It's not aways reciprocal, these kinds of things. I think it's the next episode where my point becomes clear.

i know this thread is caught up in season 5 hysteria, but i'm poor and don't have HBO and thus have had to watch this series through netflix for the past month or so.

but...

2 episodes in and i'm already ready to project that season 4 will be my personal favorite.

Has any character ever been as [spoiler]unapologetic in his villiany as Marlo Stanfield? I mean, he kills Prop Joe and Hungryman, whatever, but then he gets up in front of the council and basically says "Yeah, I did it. And I'm taking over Joe's position. And I'm increasing costs. And I'm disbanding this whole thing. Deal with it. Peace."

Also, goddamn has Omar's value skyrocketed over the course of this series. When he first got under the craw of Avon Barksdale way back in S1, 'Von only offered up what, 5k on his head? Now he's up to 250k. Not bad.[/spoiler]

"Oh and for those who want to re-up..I'm uppin the price of the package"

Next week's episode [spoiler]features a very minor "Homicide" cameo by Munch.[/spoiler]

[spoiler]Senator Clay Davis shows us all why he is unstoppable, too.[/spoiler]

Thread should be on page 1 at all times...




[spoiler]Clay Davis is fast becoming one of the best characters on this show. I mean he's always been entertaining, and a good look at the extent of political corruption, but that "sliver-tongue shit" he pulls in the court room is riveting. And now we get to watch as he comes back down on the heads of everyone who threw him under the bus.[/spoiler]

Also, general question: Is there a single character for whom season 5 will end well for?

I'm hoping it's Bubbles. No one has come as far but he has nothing to show for it. If he falls back into the streets I can't see anybody else having a chance

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2:50 & 3:10

No. Everyone will be either dead, homeless or in prison.

Also. [spoiler]"You know what, yo" BOOM.[/spoiler]


EDIT: Except for Levy, Bunny and Sydnor.

we haven't seen Bunny yet this season, right?

Right.

Big spoiler from next week's ep: [spoiler]RIP Omar Little.[/spoiler]

Episode 8: Best episode of the season, and probably one of the all time best wire episodes.

dudes get on this.

Yeah, but next week's (or, rather, the week after if you're not watching on In Demand) looks even better: [spoiler]Marlo goes down.[/spoiler]

^^^ Bob before I even read this spoiler, is this about Episode 8 or 9?


I just want to say that for those that have been skeptical about this season, episode 8 totally validates this season storylines and focus. I feel like every season of The Wire (Save for the brilliant season 2), I felt unsure of its direction, but then once you hit the final episodes it all plays out brilliantly. I guess that is how it works with their long-form storytelling. It is hard to judge the picture until you really see all of it.

It's not that the early episodes are bad, they just only make a ton of sense in the light of the last episodes.

It's tempting but I'm waiting until Sunday to watch each new episode. I did On Demand the first couple weeks but that made Sunday night completely anticlimactic so now I prefer to drag the season out old-school.

Yeah, but if you do On Demand, it just means Monday's the night, not Sunday. It's the same thing.

And Phil, I was referring to the preview of Episode 9.

I agree. Episode 8. Just...wow.

It's hard to imagine this series not going out on top now.

Apparently I have no self-discipline. What the hell was it that happened at the end of ep 8--[spoiler]Omar's going to go into the ground as a John Doe? Also...I knew it had to happen but hoped he'd take out Chris or Snoop first, if not Marlo. [/spoiler]

McNulty is so fucked.

My jaw dropped last night when Omar got hit. I had to rewind to check to see I didn't imagine that.

Also, the FBI profile of the "homeless killer" with McNulty's face on the screen reacting was amusing.

[spoiler]No. The dead old white dude had Omar's name as his ID and the coroner knew that it was wrong. So he switched the tags. It seems like there should be more significance here, so maybe I'm missing something. It's sort of funny how in the drug world, Omar was this all-powerful guy, but his death doesn't even get mentioned in the Sun.[/spoiler]

I think how Omar died was the only way Omar could have gone out. If he had been killed by Snoop, Chris, Michael or Marlo, it would have been anti-climatic in a way. Plus, the power structure set up through the storyline would have been for naught, if that makes any sense. Having Omar be killed by Marlo and his crew just points out how unstoppable Marlo is, which wouldn't fit in to anything we've seen in seasons past. The kingpins get caught, cops fuck up, people screw others over.

The one time Omar lets his guard down [spoiler](because certainly A KID wouldn't have the balls to kill Omar),[/spoiler] he's shot. [spoiler]I know that kid was the one stealing from Naiman in Season 4 when he was running the corner, but I can't remember his name. The actor playing him...what a scene. How the kid's expression goes from cold-blooded to realizing what he's done. [/spoiler] Like I said, fantastic scene and probably the only believable way Omar could have exited the show.

Kenard.

Best.



Show.



Ever.


Episode 9 was all kinds of fantastic. I need to watch it again, like right now.