THE WIRE Project: Season 1, Disc 2

Erik: With episodes 4 and 5 in our rear view mirror now, what are your initial impressions

Heather:  I looked Clarke Peters up after last week.  That first few minutes, when they were trying to move the desk – the look on his face was totally priceless. His awesomeness is no longer secret!

E:  Fair to say that Detective Lester Freamon is an early favorite of ours?

H:  I love that they say he is “natural police.” Like he has The Force.

E:  His nightstick must be a lightsaber

H: Heh. Exactly. And his story really emphasizes what we were talking about last week with the system standing in the way of good police work.

E:  I am a sucker for stories about mentors, and McNulty seems to understand that Freamon is someone he can learn from

H:  Yes. His respect for Freamon is going a long way toward making McNulty more palatable for me.

E:  Me, too. I am also going to start using “Pawn Shop Duty” as a euphemism in everyday life for thankless work

H:  Ooh, that’s good…Ignoring the seemingly-obligatory divorce/child custody drama, I found McNulty more likeable overall this week. Especially when he was working the old crime scene with Bunk.

E:  The angsty soccer game scene between estranged spouses has been played out. George Clooney & Michelle Pfeiffer got it right in One Fine Day. It’s time for that sequence to be retired

H:   Yes, I agree. I’m sick of that being shorthand for a certain kind of middle-aged man. He’s dedicated to his job! He loves his kids, but he just doesn’t have the time!

E:  Yet, he’s always asking for more time and copulating with a random woman while he complains

H:  And it’s a woman he works with, naturally.

E:  The best scene of these two episodes, by the way, is one you just mentioned: McNulty and Bunk at Deirdre Kresson’s murder scene

H:  When I was watching it, I thought it was amazing that this show and CSI started in even the same decade, let alone within 2 years of each other. You wouldn’t catch the CSI guys at that scene without lasers and DNA kits.

E:  What would CBS have allowed them to use as their “walk around curse word”

H: I loved it! In my notes I called it The F**k Opera.

E: The F word has never been used so much, yet been so creative
(Note to Self:  edit a few letters in Heather’s last entry 🙂 )

H: Hee hee!

E:  Since I’m a wannabe writer, that sequence proved how dialogue can often be unnecessary

H:  Made me glad this was on HBO so it could be in this form. Any other word would have ruined the scene.

E:  The lack of red lasers was a welcome change of pace, and it came across as first class police work

H:  My only complaint is that it felt a little anvil-like to have D’Angelo talking about the murder that same day, coincidentally…The scene itself was flawless, though.

E:  I think the narrative of D’Angelo’s boasts and their discovery was meant to move things forward, because of a shortened season construct…In a network show, that’s a hint you drop in episode 4, and come back to in episode 18

H:  Well, then, I can forgive the slight clumsiness :):)

E:  Switching gears, what did you think of Omar, who was a big focus of these two stories?

H:  Between him and Kima Greggs, I’m beginning to think that Baltimore is the most progressive city with respect to sexual orientation and no one knows.

E:  Ah, but is it? Omar’s bad ass reputation took quite a hit when some of Avon’s crew started speculating about his sexuality.

H:  It’s funny you should say that, because I was surprised by how small the reaction seemed to be. And it certainly didn’t make Avon any less paranoid.

E:  I think it was subtle, but clear. On the other hand, Brandon’s murder (Omar’s boyfriend at the arcade) did seem to be fueled by thievery of their stash more than by his sexuality

H:  Yes, I agree. That theft obviously shook up Avon pretty badly. The downside of being a dictator is having to spend all your time worried that someone stronger will take it from you.

E:  Drug dealers are more paranoid than 16 year old girls with extensive social networks

H:  Heh. Avon is worried that Omar wants to be the new queen bee.

E:  I enjoyed the power of Omar’s van when he returned to his old haunts. No one dared approach it or mess with it

H:  I’m sure this is intentional, but I keep seeing parallels between the power structures of the “good” guys and the “bad” guys. The things the guys at the top do to stay in control and keep the lower guys down…Like sending someone to Pawn Shop Duty.

E:  So, you’re happy to see stories moving forward after five episodes?

H:  Yes. I’m not head-over-heels in love yet, but I think I have a crush on The Wire. I’m happy to see where it goes. And you?

E:  I finally understand the hyperbole surrounding the show, and I’m excited to see what happens next. There are tons of questions floating around, and I am genuinely curious where they’ll end up…Besides, Bubbles is everywhere, and I enjoy his street performing routine too much to quit

H:  There was one other scene that I really loved. When Stringer Bell told D’Angelo to stop paying his dealers and see who asks for money and whoever doesn’t is the mole…It reminded me of The Godfather.

E:  So happy you brought that up, because it was an instant classic.

H:  Where Vito tells Michael that whoever approaches him to meet with Barzini is the one who has betrayed him and it turns out to be Tessio.

E:  Never saw The Godfather.  I’m that guy…As soon as that scene faded out, I thought about the veteran cops who didn’t want to work without overtime. There’s a commonality between these worlds that resonates

H: You never saw The Godfather?  No way!

E:  I did pay to see Dear John alone…Is that bad?

H:  You must go see it right now!  Honestly, I think you have to watch it to really appreciate this show. There is so much that I’m seeing through the lens of The Godfather.

E:  Wait, and you’re telling me that a romantic war movie starring Amanda Seyfried WON’T help me understand The Wire?  Ok, Roger Ebert…

H:  Dear John will make you appreciate why people start taking drugs. ..Oh hush, you can edit out when I’m pretentious.

E:  Maybe Omar will start dating a veteran, and I’ll have a better appreciation for it

H:  Then I will defer to your superior knowledge.

E:  I’m sure Channing Tatum would thank you for seeing my side of the argument.

H:  Though how would I know since he only has one facial expression?

E:  That’s a carefully constructed strategy, so that Party Time can stock Channing Tatum masks at Halloween

H:  Nice. Ok, I have to go walk now.

E:  Be careful, and don’t use a pager

H:  Oh, I missed that. Prez redemed himself by being a giant dork!

E:  If this show really comes full circle, he is still owed a pistol whip to the head.
See you next week for episodes 6, 7, and 8!