(Season 5, Episodes 4-6)
For some reason, I’m having trouble connecting with the new characters from the Baltimore Sun. I don’t know if I’m just a little burnt out on The Wire, or if there is something deeper at work. It seems like the show isn’t spending as much time at the newspaper as it did with other new characters when they were introduced. We spent a lot of time with the kids from the middle school at the beginning of season four and the characters from the docks during season three. It seems as though the writers are not as dedicated to these media folks. I think it will be interesting to see if my view changes through the rest of the season.
“Transitions”
Lester, Lester, Lester. I’m so disappointed in him. Not only is he going along with McNulty, he’s embracing the idea with vigor. Adding the biting to the “serial killer” victims was all his idea, and I’m sure it will get the fake murderer a lot more attention.
Carver hasn’t been a huge player in the show, but I’ve really enjoyed his character arc through the series. I thought this episode was a bit of a culmination for him as he decided to not stand by Colicchio, who had freaked out and attacked a civilian. Through the first few seasons, and particularly in season three when Colvin chewed him out, Carver was a bit of a punk and moron. It has been nice to see him grow to the point of taking real responsibility, and realizing that all his actions have meaning behind them, as he learned through the Randy Wagstaff debacle.
This was also the episode where Marlo got Prop Joe. I’m so disappointed! Prop Joe ended up being one of my favorite characters throughout the run of the show, it’s a little sad that he won’t be there through the rest of the series. That Marlo is a jerk.
“React Quotes”
Well, it looks like McNulty isn’t the only big faker using this serial killer. I knew that Templeton was a snake, and this episode only proved it. He faked receiving a call from the serial killer so that he could write a great story. With Haynes already suspecting that he’s a big lying liar after his opening day story about the Orioles, I’m hoping that there is a comeuppance in store for Templeton.
“The Dickensian Aspect”
Well, Marlo made his play, and he did it well. It’s hard not to give him credit. He’s now the sole distributor in Baltimore, raising the price of the drugs and dismantling the co-op. It will only make his fall from the top even further. I would be thrilled if Omar was the one who delivered some justice to Marlo.
It was fun to see Nick Sobotka back in this episode, even if it was just for a split second, yelling at he Mayor for opening the new condos by the port. It was a nice circling back to the plot of season two, and another example of the acute attention to detail in The Wire.
McNulty took it a step way too far in this episode, “disappearing” a mentally unstable homeless man in order to further the serial killer case. I can only assume that this is going to come back and bite him in the ass. Won’t this get huge media attention, especially if they are planning on taking photos of him? Won’t someone at the shelter in Washington recognize him? And then recognize McNulty? I guess I’ll find out.
Clacked by Bob Degon
on Mar 18, 2009 @ 10:00 EST5EDT
What’s interesting to see is how season five pulls all the threads together. I felt the same about the newsroom, but you’ll find that they are actually the tools in this extremely exciting culmination.
Ditto that. I think the problem was that the story was a bit rushed, and the plotlines were a bit crowded for the space that HBO made available for the 5th season.
I can’t believe you didn’t mention Omar’s spiderman act. Donnie Andrews, the man who was killed in Monk’s apartment is one of the real life inspirations for Omar Little. He actually pulled off that feat in real life!
The shelter Jimmy took Larry to was in Richmond, VA.
You brought up this point in your write-up of the first 3 episodes – how are you supposed to feel about what Jimmy and Lester are doing this season.
I definately think that an argument can be made that they are doing the right thing – just sayin’ an argument can be made. When the system/institution you are working in is as broken as the BPD you could sat that it would be crazy to NOT do what Jimmy and Lester are doing.
Marlo IS the serial killer.
Oh and PS.
I do agree that the newsroom characters are not all that interesting. They’re just not nearly as colorful as the dock workers and there is no way possible that we could work up even a small percentage of emotion/feelings for he newspaper workers in comparison to the school kids (or the dock workers for that matter). The fack is that they are, in general, just not nearly as interesting a group of people.
However, what the newsroom IS, is an accurate portrayal of the by-and-large hardworking people who are putting trying to get the news out despite working within a dying instiution that clearly has problems that parallel the other institutions of the city that we already know so well.
The characters may not be that interesting, but IMHO, what is going on in the news room is incredibly interesting and informative. I loved it!
Very nice Baltimore Orioles information. I hope to be in Camden Yards for a game this fall.