The Wire: Reformation
February 3, 2015 12:02 PM - Season 3, Episode 10 - Subscribe
"Call it a crisis of leadership." -Proposition Joe.
"There's games beyond the fucking game." Brother Mouzone is back as the Barksdale/Marlo war heats up, leaving bodies in the street. The war is causing problems for all the dealers as the police crack down across the board; the Co-op lets Stringer know that if he can't get Avon to end the war that they will no longer have access to the package. But Avon won't give up on his war, and Stringer makes the call to try to depose the king.
"I mean, you call something a war and pretty soon everybody going to be running around acting like warriors. They gonna be running around on a damn crusade, storming corners, slapping on cuffs, racking up body counts And when you at war, you need a fucking enemy...And soon the neighbourhood you're supposed to be policing, that's just occupied territory." Bunny expounds on the problems with policing in modern environment, just before the lid starts to come off Hamsterdam. The powers that be are aware of the potential of what Bunny has done - but know that it is too toxic to seriously explore.
"We're all pieces of shit when we're in your way." Daniels smacks McNulty's attitude down as his impatience with the case and his life boils over. The team gets up on the wire, briefly, and then realizes they will need a new strategy to get the information they need: selling burner phones that are pre-approved for being tapped. With help from Bubs, Cool Lester Smooth and Caroline, the detail gets to plant their own cell phones.
Cutty starts a new life as a coach, and finds the old instincts don't necessarily fit. Carcetti learns the costs of his run for mayor.
"There's games beyond the fucking game." Brother Mouzone is back as the Barksdale/Marlo war heats up, leaving bodies in the street. The war is causing problems for all the dealers as the police crack down across the board; the Co-op lets Stringer know that if he can't get Avon to end the war that they will no longer have access to the package. But Avon won't give up on his war, and Stringer makes the call to try to depose the king.
"I mean, you call something a war and pretty soon everybody going to be running around acting like warriors. They gonna be running around on a damn crusade, storming corners, slapping on cuffs, racking up body counts And when you at war, you need a fucking enemy...And soon the neighbourhood you're supposed to be policing, that's just occupied territory." Bunny expounds on the problems with policing in modern environment, just before the lid starts to come off Hamsterdam. The powers that be are aware of the potential of what Bunny has done - but know that it is too toxic to seriously explore.
"We're all pieces of shit when we're in your way." Daniels smacks McNulty's attitude down as his impatience with the case and his life boils over. The team gets up on the wire, briefly, and then realizes they will need a new strategy to get the information they need: selling burner phones that are pre-approved for being tapped. With help from Bubs, Cool Lester Smooth and Caroline, the detail gets to plant their own cell phones.
Cutty starts a new life as a coach, and finds the old instincts don't necessarily fit. Carcetti learns the costs of his run for mayor.
Note that his hired killers, Chris and Snoop, never seem to be as cruel as this
I'm not sure I agree with that. Marlo calls her name, she looks over, and he shoots her dead before she knows what's happening. This is after he finds out she was setting him up to be killed.
Compare that with Chris and Snoop walking people into the vacants, carrying a box of quick lime and a nail gun, assuring their victim that they'll be quick about it and it won't hurt, as if that's going to ease their minds. They cover them up with plastic before they kill them. Some of these people, like the security guard, did nothing more than look at Marlo the wrong way. And when it's all done, "You hungry? Want to get Chinese?"
The way they do that sends chills up my spine. I can't think of too many things more cruel than that.
posted by bondcliff at 8:32 AM on February 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
I'm not sure I agree with that. Marlo calls her name, she looks over, and he shoots her dead before she knows what's happening. This is after he finds out she was setting him up to be killed.
Compare that with Chris and Snoop walking people into the vacants, carrying a box of quick lime and a nail gun, assuring their victim that they'll be quick about it and it won't hurt, as if that's going to ease their minds. They cover them up with plastic before they kill them. Some of these people, like the security guard, did nothing more than look at Marlo the wrong way. And when it's all done, "You hungry? Want to get Chinese?"
The way they do that sends chills up my spine. I can't think of too many things more cruel than that.
posted by bondcliff at 8:32 AM on February 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
I think part of what they are trying to do with Marlo is show that the Game is the Game, but that it has gotten nastier, harder, and more cruel with each succeeding generation. The Devonne killing is gross, but what gets me about that scene is Chris looking at Marlo saying "It had to be done," like he thinks Marlo is upset or something. But Marlo just reads as coldly curious to me in that scene; like "OK, look at what I did. Isn't it interesting..."
posted by nubs at 9:59 AM on February 4, 2015
posted by nubs at 9:59 AM on February 4, 2015
The show wants us to hate Marlo, so we get to see him commit this very nasty killing.
I interpreted the killing as showing that Marlo does have emotions other than ruthless drug lord. The very personal and out-of-character nature of the murder shows that Devonne did get under his skin:
posted by kithrater at 4:46 PM on February 5, 2015 [1 favorite]
I interpreted the killing as showing that Marlo does have emotions other than ruthless drug lord. The very personal and out-of-character nature of the murder shows that Devonne did get under his skin:
- Marlo does it himself (instead of giving the work to Chris and Snoop as he had other people who had personally disrespected him)
- Chris feels he has to reassure Marlo that "it needed doing", and
- the body is left out in the open (he wants Avon to know that he's tough enough to not care about Devonne, but that very act proves that he does care - otherwise she would just disappear into a vacant like everyone else).
posted by kithrater at 4:46 PM on February 5, 2015 [1 favorite]
but that it has gotten nastier, harder, and more cruel with each succeeding generation.
Bunk specifically mentions this, in his conversation with Omar.
The differences in how the co-op and the police deal with insubordination.problems in their ranks are pretty interesting. The police bureaucracy has to take a by-the-book response, even though Hamsterdam seems to be 'working' - violent crime reduction, needle exchanges, targeted health services. The co-op can be just as ruthless in business as Stringer's shady contractors. It doesn't matter what he's done in the past, he is threatening their cashflow, and so he must deal with Avon.
Cool Lester Smooth
And with McNulty crowing about how he's the best police in three districts. Sheeeeeeit.
posted by the man of twists and turns at 11:13 PM on February 11, 2015
Bunk specifically mentions this, in his conversation with Omar.
The differences in how the co-op and the police deal with insubordination.problems in their ranks are pretty interesting. The police bureaucracy has to take a by-the-book response, even though Hamsterdam seems to be 'working' - violent crime reduction, needle exchanges, targeted health services. The co-op can be just as ruthless in business as Stringer's shady contractors. It doesn't matter what he's done in the past, he is threatening their cashflow, and so he must deal with Avon.
Cool Lester Smooth
And with McNulty crowing about how he's the best police in three districts. Sheeeeeeit.
posted by the man of twists and turns at 11:13 PM on February 11, 2015
And Rawls at the gay bar!
posted by sweetmarie at 4:51 PM on April 13, 2016
posted by sweetmarie at 4:51 PM on April 13, 2016
OMG first of all I was so excited to see Brother Mouzane. The gay bar scenes. OMG I loved this episode so much.
posted by miss-lapin at 6:18 PM on June 10, 2017
posted by miss-lapin at 6:18 PM on June 10, 2017
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posted by Cannon Fodder at 1:25 AM on February 4, 2015