The Wire: Soft Eyes Rewatch
March 12, 2025 10:32 AM - Season 4, Episode 2 - Subscribe
"I still wake up white in a city that ain't." -Carcetti
Wikipedia Summary:
Having joined Royce's security detail, Herc walks in on him having sex with his secretary. Stan Valchek advises him to stay quiet for the time being. State's witness Fredo Braddock is murdered, which Carcetti startles Royce with during a debate. Freamon serves subpoenas on Davis and Andy Krawczyk for their ties to Stringer. Greggs hears Marlo mention convenience store owner Andre Tonesin over the phone. Embarrassed by his poor math skills, Bubbles's young friend Sherrod goes back to school. Marlo pays for the school supplies of local boys, but Michael Lee rejects the money and takes up temporary work under Bodie for his half-brother Aaron "Bug" Manigault. Wee-Bey Brice's wife De'Londa presses their son Namond into working for him too.
Wikipedia Summary:
Having joined Royce's security detail, Herc walks in on him having sex with his secretary. Stan Valchek advises him to stay quiet for the time being. State's witness Fredo Braddock is murdered, which Carcetti startles Royce with during a debate. Freamon serves subpoenas on Davis and Andy Krawczyk for their ties to Stringer. Greggs hears Marlo mention convenience store owner Andre Tonesin over the phone. Embarrassed by his poor math skills, Bubbles's young friend Sherrod goes back to school. Marlo pays for the school supplies of local boys, but Michael Lee rejects the money and takes up temporary work under Bodie for his half-brother Aaron "Bug" Manigault. Wee-Bey Brice's wife De'Londa presses their son Namond into working for him too.
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Herc's reaction to walking in on Royce getting BJ'd. To Carver: "Hey Mr. Mayor, I see you got a nice strong dick there and you know how to use it."
Michael showing serious backbone when he stands up to Marlo, and Marlo reacting to the strength he sees in Michael's eyes.
Bubbles continues to be the Heart & Soul of this show, showing his concern for Sherrod.
The Return of Clay Davis and his epic "Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeit!" The way Sydnor plays dumb when he serves the subpoena is quite amusing.
The moment when Prez & Bubbles run into each other in the school -- their mutual befuddled reactions are classic.
More cross-overs between characters with Dennis "Cutty" Wise's ex-gf Grace Sampson appearing as Prez's team leader at the school.
Speaking of Dennis, we see that the neighborhood moms are THIRSTY for him. "You know that I can throw down in the kitchen, among other places." Not that I can blame them, as he really is the total package: handsome, strong, streetwise but reformed, and actually gives a shit about molding their sons into good men.
Jay Landsman undermines his bosses, telling Valchek about the murdered witness. My favorite character detail about Jay? He's always reading porn.
Carcetti shows a moment of actual human decency playing Battleship against his daughter. Maybe this guy isn't totally about his career? (or, maybe not...)
We get a glimpse of Duquan's home life, and it isn't pretty.
Some great lines repeated in different contexts, my favorite being: "I'll take any motherfucker's money if he's giving it away!"
And we learn both that Namond is Wee-Bey's son and that Randy's last name is Wagstaff (aka, Son of Cheese Wagstaff). While Namond is a spoiled punk, we also see the root of it with the pressure his mom puts on him to be more like his father, while also buying him ridiculous amounts of bling for an 8th-grader.
On the other hand, the portrayal of De'Londa is another example of this show's much criticized misogynoir: many of the black women (especially those connected to The Game in some way) are portrayed as shallow, money-grubbing b-words.
posted by Saxon Kane at 10:50 AM on March 12 [3 favorites]