Ok im late I know, The Wire

[23]

One of the most masterful things ever, how they pieced in so many different parts to make it a whole.

Its incredible.

[Fresh Tendrils]

A couple of thoughts on the last couple of episodes we've watched (Episodes 9-11: Game Day, The Cost, The Hunt):

Spoiler

This time around I'm recognizing Avon as the man. Stringer fancies himself the "brains", but it's clear he's starting to depart from the rules of the game as Avon reminds him a couple times. Specifically their conversation regarding Omar at the beginning of Game Day - String wants to cool down, but Avon reminds him they can't be perceived to be soft for not taking action. Avon is all in for the game while you have a bunch of characters around him that are trying or wishing to change the game.

Anyway, a couple of scenes really spoke to me. The scene where Avon, Stringer, and Stinkum visit the Pit is amazing. The walk in with the music. The contrast between Avon and the drab of the housing and people living there. It really feels like a king visiting one of his villages of his kingdom.

Back to Game Day - with Daniels and crew trying to squeeze in on Avon. The man flips the trap and smoothly passes Daniels by with a finger wag. Jesus what a power move. Daniels keeps getting fingers wagged in his face - that couldn't have felt great. Avon is that man this time around and I am here for it.

The Cost & The Hunt- this is such an emotional roller coaster between the two episodes. The whole shooting is nearly flawless as it feels raw, gritty, and human when the crew shows up. The urgency to get there. Not being able to do anything other than react emotionally. Rawls taking action and actually consoling McNulty. Incredible. Even knowing what happens afterwards I was shook during that whole scene.

Then of course the whole reveal to Wee-bey for the classic gif moment. Stringer making D feel like he's about to be offed is one of those power dick moves that Stringer loves to pull on him.

[jr86]

Season 2 still dreadful.

[Fresh Tendrils]

We finished up season 1 last night. God damn!

Thoughts:

Spoiler

It's really chilling to see the Barksdale Organization "clean up" once the police spook them - especially when it is direct advise from their legal counsel. Obviously the big emotional crux is on the hit on Wallace by Bodie (and I guess Pooh). Even having seen the scene at least five times through it's still hard to watch it unfold. But everyone here had a choice to be in the game and I feel like the last two episodes really pin this home. For as much change as a lot of the players/pieces wished would come to the game in the end they all made their peace and made their choice to participate.
Wallace comes back. Bodie commits himself to Stringer and the crew. Pooh does, too. D'Angelo tries to get out (and I guess technically does on a 20 year bit), but comes back around. Bubbles goes back, too.

I don't remember noticing this, but framing Episode 12 - Cleaning Up around the stairwell shots of Bodie and Pooh and then later Daniels and McNulty was brilliant. McNulty wanted Stringer Bell bad.

McNulty getting all those back pats for a great case only to sulk in the void of not catching String.

The attempted usurpation of chain of command to take the case to the federal level only to be shot down. I loved Daniels in the last two episodes. Walking straight back and with no ****s. The shot of him at his house eating dinner, smiling almost psychotically and saying, "I love this case" was great. Him smelling out Carver was another great scene.

In the end the Game just continues with new players and pieces. They tore down almost a whole crew and within days it's all replaced again.

[Fresh Tendrils]

Quote: Originally Posted by jr86

Season 2 still dreadful.

We're now 4 or 5 episodes in and I can't really get behind this line of thinking. Not that I ever really did.

The dramatic change in focus from the police side is an unfortunate derailing from both a viewer and true policing perspective. That's what that void is at the end of season 1 that keeps Jimmy from being happy with the way the case ended. This is what Valchek is figuring out and uses for leverage against Burrell to get the resources he needs to go after Sobotka.

Sobotka, to me, is kind of a foil to/foreshadowing of Stringer Bell. Both of them try and massage the politicians to get what they want and are ultimately played like the amateurs they are.

Stringer's explanation of market saturation and his reasoning for dropping his cellphone stocks will forever be hilarious to me.

[RockinDaMike]

Love season 2 but once you get to 3 and 4 you'll see why some consider it the weakest one.

Sent from my VOG-L29 using Tapatalk

[Fresh Tendrils]

Quote: Originally Posted by RockinDaMike

Love season 2 but once you get to 3 and 4 you'll see why some consider it the weakest one. Sent from my VOG-L29 using Tapatalk

Oh, indeed.

But I'd say it's far from dreadful.

[slickdtc]

It may not be as great as some of the other seasons, but it’s still mad good. I didn’t care for it on my first watch through, but really enjoyed it on another pass. Being taken out of the inner city where S1 was so focused was jarring, but there’s a lot more of those characters still being developed then I had initially remembered.

The later episodes of S2 where it becomes clear somebody’s gonna end up a body are thrilling.