Loose Ends: The Wire Season 2, Episode 12

The season 2 finale reminded me both of the season 2 premiere and the season 1 finale.

Screen Shot 2014-10-01 at 8.18.53 AM

The episode opened with this shot of the water, much like the season started with McNulty out on the water.

Screen Shot 2014-10-01 at 8.22.37 AM

The beginning of this episode also began with finding a body in the water.

Screen Shot 2014-10-01 at 8.22.54 AM

This shot reminded me of the shots earlier in the season when all the bodies from the container were laid out. Of course, this is the opposite as there’s only one dead person and a bunch of living people. But this seems to suggest how one dead person can affect a bunch of living people just as a bunch of dead people can affect one living person.

Screen Shot 2014-10-01 at 8.30.36 AM

We also see a similar moment later in the episode when Russell is looking at the empty stretcher. It definitely echoes earlier episodes in the season when she was dealing with the women.

Screen Shot 2014-10-01 at 8.27.54 AM

This color palette reminds me of the washed out winter colors we saw early on in the season. We also see Nick on the couch. It seems like every group has a couch that they gather around.

Screen Shot 2014-10-01 at 8.39.49 AM

I love how the police are all in black with our backs to us while Nick and his lawyer are in beige facing us and sitting beside the bulletin board. This was such a culminating shot of seeing how all the pieces are coming together.

Screen Shot 2014-10-01 at 8.41.30 AM

This was a great moments while Nick was talking. If Frank weren’t dead, he would have been here doing what Nick was doing. In some ways, it seems like Nick is taking on Frank’s roles in some ways.

Screen Shot 2014-10-01 at 9.15.45 AM

This shot really echoes Frank as he did this in the previous episode.

Screen Shot 2014-10-01 at 9.19.32 AM

We saw almost the same shot of Frank in the previous episode before he unknowingly met his death. Nick will be doing similarly when he goes into the Witness Protection Program.

Screen Shot 2014-10-01 at 9.18.03 AM

The season always has to end with the empty room and a phone on the floor.

 

While a lot of things did happen throughout the season, much like the first, there were still a lot of loose ends that nothing could be done about. The case is over. They did the best they could. They got as many people as they could. If the ending of this season is any indicator in regards to the Barksdale crew, it looks like the police are always given another chance to keep their tabs on old criminals and see if they can accomplish more. I’m excited to see where season 3 takes us.