The Wire Questions and Observations Thread (spoilers obviously)

[Section_31]

There's that much shit going on in The Wire it's easy to miss a lot of it.

 

One thing I wondered at the end of season five, do you reckon Maurice Levy deliberately left Marlo's number where Herc would find it, knowing he'd pass it onto the cops? He doesn't seem to indicate that he did so, he seems genuinely confused about where the police got their info from, but he says something early doors like 'if these people are still using phones it won't be long before they're coming to us for help' or something like that. If it was any other show I'd think that if they wanted you to think Levy had set it in motion you'd be left in no doubt that was the case, but with The Wire you just don't know.

 

Also, I was laughing before when I noticed McNulty has a box of kleenex by the side of his bed!

[Captain Turdseye]

I'm watching Season 5 for the second time at the moment.

 

When McNulty goes to hand out business cards to the homeless men under the bridge, is one of them the guy with long hair that works in the control room at the docks in Season 2?

[Section_31]

I'm watching Season 5 for the second time at the moment.

 

When McNulty goes to hand out business cards to the homeless men under the bridge, is one of them the guy with long hair that works in the control room at the docks in Season 2?

 

Yeah, I think it's the reporter isn't it not McNulty? He says something like 'does the dog bite?' and the docker says 'he's got teeth don't he?'

[Section_31]

There's so much fucking subtext in the show.

 

[lifetime fan]

There's that much shit going on in The Wire it's easy to miss a lot of it.

 

One thing I wondered at the end of season five, do you reckon Maurice Levy deliberately left Marlo's number where Herc would find it, knowing he'd pass it onto the cops? He doesn't seem to indicate that he did so, he seems genuinely confused about where the police got their info from, but he says something early doors like 'if these people are still using phones it won't be long before they're coming to us for help' or something like that. If it was any other show I'd think that if they wanted you to think Levy had set it in motion you'd be left in no doubt that was the case, but with The Wire you just don't know.

 

Also, I was laughing before when I noticed McNulty has a box of kleenex by the side of his bed!

 

 

I'd doubt it was deliberate but he wins either way. If Levy did find out I doubt he'd be that pissed off with Herc.

[lifetime fan]

The Wire for me shows how everything is cyclical, everything changes but everything stays the same. I watched Carver grow through each season and reckon he was going to be the next Daniels. Good heart, wants real pOlice work but still has a bit of baggage from back in the day.

 

I mentioned this to Sec before but anyone else see it?

[greenoak]

back in the day

 

About time i watch it all over agin right from season one. Perfect winter fodder

[lifetime fan]

back in the day

 

About time i watch it all over agin right from season one. Perfect winter fodder

 

 

Done it 4 or 5 times now, can't remember which. We're working our way through The Sopranos for the third time at the moment.

[lifetime fan]

[YOUTUBE]jFNda6csJLg[/YOUTUBE]

[Faustus]

[YOUTUBE]jFNda6csJLg[/YOUTUBE]

 

Great subtle moment that. Especially how in the next scene he's in, you see him pick up a porn mag on Landsman's desk and have a perv at it as he talks.

 

I lent my mate the box sets and he missed it first time around! I mentioned it to him casually in conversation and his eyes widened and went to look it up on youtube. Literally a 'blink and you'll miss it' moment.

[Paul]

The Wire for me shows how everything is cyclical, everything changes but everything stays the same. I watched Carver grow through each season and reckon he was going to be the next Daniels. Good heart, wants real pOlice work but still has a bit of baggage from back in the day.

 

I mentioned this to Sec before but anyone else see it?

 

The last episode repeats all that with most of the main characters: there's a new Bubbs, a new Daniels, a new Omar, etc.

 

Great subtle moment that. Especially how in the next scene he's in, you see him pick up a porn mag on Landsman's desk and have a perv at it as he talks.

 

I lent my mate the box sets and he missed it first time around! I mentioned it to him casually in conversation and his eyes widened and went to look it up on youtube. Literally a 'blink and you'll miss it' moment.

 

That was Season 2, wasn't it? I remember thinking, "They'll come back to this in a couple of seasons' time", but they never did. I think that's even better than what I thought they'd do.

[lifetime fan]

The last episode repeats all that with most of the main characters: there's a new Bubbs, a new Daniels, a new Omar, etc.

 

 

 

That was Season 2, wasn't it? I remember thinking, "They'll come back to this in a couple of seasons' time", but they never did. I think that's even better than what I thought they'd do.

 

 

Yep, Sec wasn't so sure iirc but that's the way i saw it.

 

 

Can't remember which episode it was (maybe after Bubbs tried hanging himself?) but Landsman is in the toilet and someone has scribbled 'RAWLS SUCKS COCK' on the wall. Again it's never mentioned Jay just has a little laugh to himself about it.

[Section_31]

Yeah they never did come back to it, it was season three towards the end I think, in the very next scene he's calling Bunny a cocksucker. It was just a throwaway scene I think but just one of those little jems they like to throw in there.

 

In season three where Royce is considering making Hamsterdam legal, one of his advisors who shouts 'they'll call you the most dangerous man in America', is the former mayor of Baltimore Kurt Schmoke. He once raised the issue of decriminalising drugs and was so branded 'is this the most dangerous man in America?' by a magazine.

 

 

Ed Norris's real name is Ed Norris and he's the former Commissioner of Baltimore hence the irony of his line "show me the man who can fix this police department and I'll give back half my overtime." He did time for fraud and corruption during The Wire's first season, one of the charges: "The third count alleged that he had lied on a mortgage application, stating that approximately $9,000 he received from his father was not a gift, as was stated in the loan, but a loan." was the 'headshot' they used to compel Clay Davis's cooperation at the end of season 5.

[rondeco]

In Hamsterdam, some upper class girl drives in and scores an 8-ball and wont even talk to the dealer. She reappears in Bubbs Narcotics anonymous class in season 5

[Section_31]

In Hamsterdam, some upper class girl drives in and scores an 8-ball and wont even talk to the dealer. She reappears in Bubbs Narcotics anonymous class in season 5

 

She's becomes a prostitute and comes to buy fags from the fat fella who watches Marlo's stash in season 4 too.

[Hoddy]

She's becomes a prostitute and comes to buy fags from the fat fella who watches Marlo's stash in season 4 too.

 

That's Richard Price's daughter (he's a novellist who also wrote a few episodes, and also appeared in Season 2 as the guy running DeAngelo's book sessions).

 

Something else I've noticed whilst going through the 5 series. How Rawls' career progresses nearly every season.

 

1 - he's working as a Major in Homicide

2 - he's become Colonel

3 - Deputy Ops by the time the season begins

4 - Deputy Ops, but making a play for Commissioner

5 - he's Acting Commissioner for a time, then State Superindendent by the time the series ends.

 

Rawls - "As ruthless a fuck as there is in the department"

[Captain Turdseye]

In Hamsterdam, some upper class girl drives in and scores an 8-ball and wont even talk to the dealer. She reappears in Bubbs Narcotics anonymous class in season 5

 

She's becomes a prostitute and comes to buy fags from the fat fella who watches Marlo's stash in season 4 too.

 

Ace. I've never noticed those things, I'll be sure to look out for them when I start over.

[Section_31]

Noticed that in the third season, Marlo's crew are pretty much all fucked up, they're either backward or have asthma or some shit.

 

There's a scene where he's talking to one of them who's been looking after his pidgeon coup and he says something like 'you've got them looking after the young'uns, that's good work - really good work'. The slow kid is like 'yeah Marlo, they're looking after the young'uns." As though Marlo is supposed to be some kind of Fagan for fucked up kids.

[Faustus]

That's Richard Price's daughter (he's a novellist who also wrote a few episodes, and also appeared in Season 2 as the guy running DeAngelo's book sessions).

 

Something else I've noticed whilst going through the 5 series. How Rawls' career progresses nearly every season.

 

1 - he's working as a Major in Homicide

2 - he's become Colonel

3 - Deputy Ops by the time the season begins

4 - Deputy Ops, but making a play for Commissioner

5 - he's Acting Commissioner for a time, then State Superindendent by the time the series ends.

 

Rawls - "As ruthless a fuck as there is in the department"

 

Richard Price also has a cameo in The Wire. He pops up in the second series playing the bloke taking the prison reading group discussing The Great Gatsby where there's that great scene from D'Angelo where he muses about how you can't escape from your past, right before he's killed.

[Paulie Dangerously]

Has anyone else wondered if snoop has ever had consentual sex?

[GOLDMEMBER]

There's a few in house jokes as well. In season five when McNulty is on the phone pretending to be the murderer in front of Lester. Lester says something along the lines of "good accent" McNulty "it's in my heritage". Quality piss take.

[AJBlaikie]

[YOUTUBE]jFNda6csJLg[/YOUTUBE]

 

No way! That is a great spot.

[Remmie]

There's a few in house jokes as well. In season five when McNulty is on the phone pretending to be the murderer in front of Lester. Lester says something along the lines of "good accent" McNulty "it's in my heritage". Quality piss take.

Or when he hamms up the English accent when he is pretending to be a customer phoning the Brothel.

[Kevin D]

I wonder what role Avon's brother had in the Barksdale organisation before he fell into a coma? With Avon's high premium on family, I imagine he was a top ranking lieutenant. If he was a top ranking lieutenant, was he Avon's right hand ahead of Stringer? And if he was - given that Stringer subsequently took out D'angelo and Avon when they threatened his safety or power - is it possible that Stringer had some involvement in what happened to Avon's brother?

[Chairman Meow]

Something I've noticed as someone who read George Pelecanos books is that the guy behind the counter in the cafe the Greek operates from is called Stefanos and I'm sure they also refer to him as Nikos at points at well.

 

Nick Stefanos is a character in some Pelecanos books and has often worked as a barman/grill chef as did his grandfather who was also called Nick.

 

Anyone who hasn't read Clockers should do. There are some bits and pieces from there which appear in the show or have slight variations in the show and all through reading it I couldn't help but see the main character as being very, very similar to Bodie.

 

Hadn't realised the girl was Richard Price's daughter although I think I was the first to notice her appearing as the hooker mid way through after someone else (Section I think) had mentioned that she was in it twice. I'd then had another run through and spotted her in the middle.