Since no one else signed up to discuss this episode I figured I would kick it old school and just blog about it as I couldn’t let the classic lines and plot in this episode not be given the props they deserve.

There was a lot going on in this episode regarding pretty much every plot line happening this season. From Moreland helping Omar, to Greggs solving the Braddock case, to Herc walking into Marlo’s trap with the surveillance camera, to Prez finding a way to “trick” the kids into thinking they aren’t learning and they do, and Carcetti trying to figure out what he is getting into – this episode was packed full of things to generate talk around the water cooler.

Couple of things I found interesting about this episode:

How Proposition Joe advised Marlo about how to figure out who had him under surveillance – Just that little bit of advise shows just how information gained from experience is passed down to help keep the game going. That isn’t something that just happens on the streets either, it’s happens in all facets of life. Sports, jobs, families all have the same type of experienced people to utilize in order to be better at what they do. And how cool was it to find out how to flush out who was watching Marlo. Goes to show just how much money the federal government wastes if they don’t care about a camera that costs over four thousand dollars.

 

Just how screwed up the education system is in Baltimore – From Prez finding books in the basement newer than the ones that his class was using to the University of Maryland having to come in to do an experiment of sorts to figure out how prevent repeat violent offender behavior at the school level just goes to show how the city of Baltimore had given up on education for kids that they thought were just too far gone. However, I did like how the special class was able to get the kids to finally talk and Prez was able to get the kids to learn about probabilities via dice without them even realizing they were learning. I also liked that they wouldn’t send the kids home who misbehaved on purpose so that they could get out of school to deal. If only more people took the time to find a way to get through to the kids maybe they wouldn’t be in the situations that they are in.

 

This scene in which Carcetti is meeting with the former mayor to get advice on beginning his term was just such a classic explanation as to how bureaucracies have disheartened good politicians with noble intentions causing them to give up on the system. “You’re just sitting eating shit all day long” paints a picture of the task that Carcetti is taking on and you just can’t help but feel that he is walking into a hopeless situation.

 

Another interesting thing that I picked up when watching this episode was the Dierks Bentley song heard in the background on the street when Michael was talking to Brice. I couldn’t figure out if it was coming from a house or a nearby car on the street but there was definitely a country song playing in the background which is ironic given that’s not normally the music we’ve heard before in the background on this show. Unsure as to the significance of the song being placed in the background but I like how it has me thinking about the song’s placement having an underlying meaning.

 

And last but not least, this episode had some GREAT one liners in it. Here’s some of the ones that I jotted down:

“I take it now we have permission to solve this fucking case.”

“Aw yeah. THAT golden rule.”

“Cards is all in knowing the numbers.”

“When have you ever known me to put my gun on anybody that wasn’t in the game?”

“A man got to have a code.”

“Fuck the backdoor when we can go in the front.”

“Steal that bitch, see what comes.”

“You should never take the credit when the crime rate drops unless you wanna take the blame when it rises.”

“You’re sitting eating shit all day long.”

“All you have to do now is run the city.”

Every single one of these lines have a meaning bigger than the context they are said in and I dig that. The writing in this show as a whole is amazing and that is why I couldn’t let this episode not get the props that it deserves.