Episode: "Unconfirmed Reports"
Tagline: "This ain't Aruba, bitch." - Bunk
Nick Markakis just hit old off the warehouse.
Dammit if that wasn't a thoroughly amazing 59 minutes of television. So many places to go and think about.
Actually, there's only one place to start. The long-awaited first words directly exchanged (no, mouthing 'Marlo' in a courtroom doesn't count) by Marlo Stanfield and Avon Barksdale. Admittedly, it was goosebump worthy stuff.
After the bloody war for Westside turf, the almost brought hand grenades into the equation the two kingpins would finally meet face to face.
And who would have thought that Avon's long residing allegiance to the Westside would trump getting nearly killed by Chris Partlow's shotgun blast? Instead of a snarling stare down, it was nearly comical...in a good way.
That basketball game loss to Prop Joe must still linger inside the former Golden Gloves champion, eh?
Just as important, the path that the back off the wagon (or is it on, Constanza?) McNulty took a turn that was chilling. In the promos David Simon spoke about how far you can go on a lie, and in creating a serial killer of Baltimore's homeless is about as huge a fib as I can imagine.
Will this dark turn be enough to make the audience come to dislike our most featured protagonist? (Nah.)
On the subject of liars, it's clear Scott Templeton is selling shit, too. That whole cooked up story about poor "J.P." outside Camden Yards. Please. How hard could it be to get Orioles tickets? On a side note, working at a newspaper, those kind of pieces, from the brief excerpt read by Gus Haynes, make me sick. (And yes, I've woken up with worries I've loused up a story. Plenty of times. It's fitting former Sun reporter Bill Zorzi penned the ep.)
Again, it's hard to get over how good this was. The entire Bubbles walking the straight and narrow -- 15 months?!! The home invasion on the Westside. Orioles opening day. That simple scene of Lester staking out Marlo with his Miniatures magazine whilst a woman berates his children behind him.
So much to chew up.
God, from simply scratching the surface of the season (dammit only 10 episodes) we're headed for probably the most epic conclusion of televised media this side of the eventual "Lost" finale.
If it weren't so late already I just might watch this one again. That good.
Hell, any episode with Agent Fitzhugh and Walon starts on second base with a ground rule double.
Unanswered questions
* Where's Omar? And who's he dragging away from that explosion in the credits?
* Does Marlo perhaps really suck dick, as implied?
* Does Michael Lee still have some semblance of a heart?
* Will we see the actual "Greek"?
* How far can McNulty push it?
* Why is it that Fitzhugh will do anything for McNulty? (Long standing)
* Is Carcetti 100 percent or just 99.9 percent consumed with the statehouse in Annapolis?
* Bunk? Cigar Store Indian?
* Is it really, 'More than a Feeling'?
Best lines
* "I like street work more." -- Sydnor
* "Back to bidness, I see." -- Snoop
* "He a dead man when he opened his mouth, he been walking around and he don't know it." -- Marlo on the inevitable fate of June Bug.
* "The crown aint worth much if nigga wearin' it always getting his shit took." -- Marlo
* "You gotta let it out to let it go." -- Walon to Bubbs
* "Pro fervo(sic). Latin for lawyers jacking each other off." -- McNulty
* "The game's rigged." -- McNulty (via Boadie.)
* "The whole world shines shit and calls it gold." -- Carcetti Chief of Staff Michael Steintorf
* "Ever notice how mother of four is always catching hell?" -- Haynes
* "... morning with a hangover I hold the pillow over my face to keep the light out." -- McNulty
* "The word I'm thinking of is Dickensian." -- Sun Executive Editor James C. Whitting III
* "Up in this bitch, you might call me something of an authority figure." -- Avon
* "I'm saying, bygones be bygones, I got nothing but love for the Westside." -- Avon
* "Fuck baseball." -- Orioles fan
* "Clay Davis has been waiting for the other shoe to drop forever." -- Pearlman.
* "Fish and fuckin' Wildlife couldn't help you." -- Fitzy
* "Yo, let's go all West Coast with this." -- O-Dog
* "You can go a long way in this country killing black folk." -- Bunk
* "You never want to be the last man to a party." -- Chris Partlow
* "Why this boy gotta get dead just for talkin' some shit?" -- Michael Lee
* "Same shirt as yesterday, Jimmy." -- Kima
* "In my country this is not a prison." -- Serge
* "There's a serial killer loose in Baltimore..." -- McNulty
Attention to detail
* Question: Was the girl at the meeting from the opening scene that same girl (DeDe) that appeared by an eight-ball from the chatty dealer in Hamsterdam in Season Three? And the same that appeared buying cigs at Old Face Andre's depot in Season Four?
* Alert ears caught "McCullough Street" yet another reference to David Simon's "The Corner."
Shameless Plug
If you like the show, you'd be remiss not to buy the recently released CD from the show -- "...and all the pieces matter." If you're an iPod person like me, there's really nothing better than a random Slim Charles quote during the middle of a workout.
Leftovers
Upon rewatching the Season Five premiere a couple thoughts popped in.
* Herc made a quiet allusion to his life in the Bronx. David Simon mentioned in the Season Four commentary he was never able to get this fact into the show. Oh well.
* Hungry Man. How the hell did I let that slide?
Classic clip of the week
Really, this is as good as it gets. Honest.
Jimmy could kill a couple white cheerleaders in Aruba and it wouldn't matter. He is the man.
Tagline: "This ain't Aruba, bitch." - Bunk
Nick Markakis just hit old off the warehouse.
Dammit if that wasn't a thoroughly amazing 59 minutes of television. So many places to go and think about.
Actually, there's only one place to start. The long-awaited first words directly exchanged (no, mouthing 'Marlo' in a courtroom doesn't count) by Marlo Stanfield and Avon Barksdale. Admittedly, it was goosebump worthy stuff.
After the bloody war for Westside turf, the almost brought hand grenades into the equation the two kingpins would finally meet face to face.
And who would have thought that Avon's long residing allegiance to the Westside would trump getting nearly killed by Chris Partlow's shotgun blast? Instead of a snarling stare down, it was nearly comical...in a good way.
That basketball game loss to Prop Joe must still linger inside the former Golden Gloves champion, eh?
Just as important, the path that the back off the wagon (or is it on, Constanza?) McNulty took a turn that was chilling. In the promos David Simon spoke about how far you can go on a lie, and in creating a serial killer of Baltimore's homeless is about as huge a fib as I can imagine.
Will this dark turn be enough to make the audience come to dislike our most featured protagonist? (Nah.)
On the subject of liars, it's clear Scott Templeton is selling shit, too. That whole cooked up story about poor "J.P." outside Camden Yards. Please. How hard could it be to get Orioles tickets? On a side note, working at a newspaper, those kind of pieces, from the brief excerpt read by Gus Haynes, make me sick. (And yes, I've woken up with worries I've loused up a story. Plenty of times. It's fitting former Sun reporter Bill Zorzi penned the ep.)
Again, it's hard to get over how good this was. The entire Bubbles walking the straight and narrow -- 15 months?!! The home invasion on the Westside. Orioles opening day. That simple scene of Lester staking out Marlo with his Miniatures magazine whilst a woman berates his children behind him.
So much to chew up.
God, from simply scratching the surface of the season (dammit only 10 episodes) we're headed for probably the most epic conclusion of televised media this side of the eventual "Lost" finale.
If it weren't so late already I just might watch this one again. That good.
Hell, any episode with Agent Fitzhugh and Walon starts on second base with a ground rule double.
Unanswered questions
* Where's Omar? And who's he dragging away from that explosion in the credits?
* Does Marlo perhaps really suck dick, as implied?
* Does Michael Lee still have some semblance of a heart?
* Will we see the actual "Greek"?
* How far can McNulty push it?
* Why is it that Fitzhugh will do anything for McNulty? (Long standing)
* Is Carcetti 100 percent or just 99.9 percent consumed with the statehouse in Annapolis?
* Bunk? Cigar Store Indian?
* Is it really, 'More than a Feeling'?
Best lines
* "I like street work more." -- Sydnor
* "Back to bidness, I see." -- Snoop
* "He a dead man when he opened his mouth, he been walking around and he don't know it." -- Marlo on the inevitable fate of June Bug.
* "The crown aint worth much if nigga wearin' it always getting his shit took." -- Marlo
* "You gotta let it out to let it go." -- Walon to Bubbs
* "Pro fervo(sic). Latin for lawyers jacking each other off." -- McNulty
* "The game's rigged." -- McNulty (via Boadie.)
* "The whole world shines shit and calls it gold." -- Carcetti Chief of Staff Michael Steintorf
* "Ever notice how mother of four is always catching hell?" -- Haynes
* "... morning with a hangover I hold the pillow over my face to keep the light out." -- McNulty
* "The word I'm thinking of is Dickensian." -- Sun Executive Editor James C. Whitting III
* "Up in this bitch, you might call me something of an authority figure." -- Avon
* "I'm saying, bygones be bygones, I got nothing but love for the Westside." -- Avon
* "Fuck baseball." -- Orioles fan
* "Clay Davis has been waiting for the other shoe to drop forever." -- Pearlman.
* "Fish and fuckin' Wildlife couldn't help you." -- Fitzy
* "Yo, let's go all West Coast with this." -- O-Dog
* "You can go a long way in this country killing black folk." -- Bunk
* "You never want to be the last man to a party." -- Chris Partlow
* "Why this boy gotta get dead just for talkin' some shit?" -- Michael Lee
* "Same shirt as yesterday, Jimmy." -- Kima
* "In my country this is not a prison." -- Serge
* "There's a serial killer loose in Baltimore..." -- McNulty
Attention to detail
* Question: Was the girl at the meeting from the opening scene that same girl (DeDe) that appeared by an eight-ball from the chatty dealer in Hamsterdam in Season Three? And the same that appeared buying cigs at Old Face Andre's depot in Season Four?
* Alert ears caught "McCullough Street" yet another reference to David Simon's "The Corner."
Shameless Plug
If you like the show, you'd be remiss not to buy the recently released CD from the show -- "...and all the pieces matter." If you're an iPod person like me, there's really nothing better than a random Slim Charles quote during the middle of a workout.
Leftovers
Upon rewatching the Season Five premiere a couple thoughts popped in.
* Herc made a quiet allusion to his life in the Bronx. David Simon mentioned in the Season Four commentary he was never able to get this fact into the show. Oh well.
* Hungry Man. How the hell did I let that slide?
Classic clip of the week
Really, this is as good as it gets. Honest.
Jimmy could kill a couple white cheerleaders in Aruba and it wouldn't matter. He is the man.
Labels: HBO, television, The Wire
Thanks for the CD link, just ordered it.
Tragic how they censored the best cut out of that clip.
That look from Chris to Michael in the rear view mirror says he can already sense Michael's not cut out for this - I'm not looking forward to how that plays out.
Marlo's about to be in over his head, if he's not there already. He's relying on people who shouldn't be trusted, and he's about to simultaneously stir up shit with people that have survived the game a lot longer than he has.
I believe Avon is just setting up Marlo. At least I hope as much. Cause if not he was acting very un-Avon like. way over the top. especially with slim now working for prop.
Simon has a lot of work to do to make this all work with 8 episodes left.
Cannot wait for the inevitable meeting between the cops and reporters. Templeton and McNulty could be epic.
As a journalist, I also liked the "my desk says your desk can fuck itself" story. The latest Columbia Journalism Review has an excellent piece about The Wire and urban journalism, in case you didn't see it.