Maybe it’s because this was a two-week long week, but I felt like I accomplished a lot. I did some really great assignments and packed so much Wire into my life. It was great to work with video and fine tune some skills in that department, as well as do an individual project on Bunk.

Assignments: 

The first assignment I did this week was to create a book title using images that I uploaded to Vine. It was pretty fun and I hope people get it! I also had a good time making my 60-second day of my newspaper publication day. In fact, it was the only fun thing about my day. For my video essay on the Wire, I chose to focus on Stringer’s death and what led up to it throughout season 3, episode 11. Lauren Brumfield and I worked on our sweded episode together, which was an interesting and fun process.

Final Projects-Bunk

Pick a character from The Wire (first come, first serve) and develop a transmedia campaign. You can read more about the project here.

Daily creates:

For my first daily create I wrote a snarky haiku on how I felt about the impending hell of the latter part of the semester. I made a tape sculpture of vitamins for my second daily create for the first week. For the second week I made a magnet poem for the first daily create. My second daily create for week two was to make a flag that represented myself.

Wire:

Episode 11-

I like the opening with Omar where he sings his song that usually means trouble for him, but instead a gun is pulled on him. Stringer gets told he was screwed over by the lawyer and was played by the adults of the world. Stringer is essentially told “I told you so” by Avon, who says he must handle it the business way. The cops may have a new system with phone tracking, but Stringer is still on it with the SIM card switching, even if everything else is falling apart. I like when the lawyer talks about reputation, rather than money, as getting Avon where he is. I’m confused as to why Stringer is meeting with the creator of Hamsterdam. “It’s just business,” says Stringer.

The journey through Hamsterdam that we see through the eyes of the councilman was really interesting. We see him and his reactions to the hell that has been created here as a sacrificial attempt to save the rest of the city. There is again tension between Stringer and Avon, the latter of which seems to have the same sort of look as before D’Angelo was killed. In the end the cops get what they needed out of Stringer. I found it interesting that this scene was sandwiched between the scenes of the kid beating up the older gangster. 

Then we have the start of Stringer’s possible demise as set up by Omar and the “bowtie” as Omar says. This scene is also packaged between the fight. For so many people beside Stringer, the game is not about the money. Stirnger lost sight of the gangster way in a sense because he lost his loyalty to the real game. Therefore, Avon gave him up and Omar, who has the strange sense of ideals and respect, kills Stringer alongside bowtie. So long Stringer.

I also did a tweet along to the commentary for this episode and found it really entrancing. I really liked the commentary for this episode, particularly the discussion of the actors. The kids used come from the neighborhood, which is just great. Also, I loved that Idris Elba didn’t know Stringer’s fate until a little before. It is so important to get the most unbiased performance from these people because it makes the show more real. One commentator said “It’s a street drama with elements of Greek Tragedy,” in regards to the Wire, which I find so spot on. It is dramatic in its modernity, but beautiful in its age-old tragedy. So many themes are Shakespearean, particularly the betrayal of Stringer and Avon in this episode.

I also love the discussion of the dilapidation of modern policing. The idea that a byproduct of drug war is the anger between residents and cops is so right because drug war has put friends and family in jail, ending any nice relationship. This is true even in how we as college students are taught about cops and the drug war. It’s such a sided thing, rather than the cops working with a community to fix a problem.

It’s nice to hear the dedication these men have to the scenes and work they created. The discussion of the the scene on the roof was especially wonderful. Overall, the commentary made me focus on things that I may have passed over on a first viewing and I’m really glad I tuned into this episode’s commentary as it was deemed the “climax.”

Episode 12-

The slow zoom on McNulty and his reaction to Stringer’s death and then jumping to Kima against the wall was just great. The whole camera angle is people in shadow around Stringer’s dead body, which is flushed in light. McNulty finally found his proof, but too late. The gangsters are all mad about Stringer’s death and want to go after people, but Avon is ready to give up. I love the talk his friend gives him on the war and how you can’t get out of it once you’re in it. “What was I chasing,” McNulty asks. Then McNulty and then others decide to go after Avon. A serious war is about to happen and guns and bombs are laid out all over Avon’s place. Avon knows he is screwed though. For once the cops we have followed for so long have something. Finally Avon knows that even though he betrayed Stringer, Stringer got him back too. But with Avon and Stringer gone, where will the game go now?

The media has found Hamsterdam and it blows up in this episode. The cleanup by the cops is nuts and unfair as they pushed everyone in the area before. Now they are pulling people off of toilets and cops stand in the midst of some music in the background. The cops are hunting and hiding dead bodies form the media.

Everyone heard on the actual wire is lined up outside and everyone’s work seems to be coming to a close. I wonder what will happen after all of this. The Major is going and McNulty has no idea where he is going to go. I love the scene with all of the cans on the roof, though I don’t know what it means. Hey, it’s Russell again!

Carcetti’s discussion on the battle for the streets and the drug war was interesting. He wants to weaponize the war and makes defeat an ultimatum, but is this really the best course of action? The end of the episode takes the war back to what is was before, pointless. McNulty is becoming a beat cop, but west Baltimore is just back to it’s hell. The only glimmer of hope is the boxing place where some people may be able to escape. I love the photos at the end of the episode of everyone who has died so far and then Omar tossing away his gun, while west Baltimore continues as it always has. We again get the taking down of the board and are left with an empty building where the cops previously worked. Then we get Barksdale at the trail…again. At least McNulty seems happy.

Season 4, Episode 1-

This woman seems to be buying a nail gun to kill people with…concerning. I like this song much better than the other intro songs so far, it’s dark and catchy. The introduction itself shows new trends in the drug war and school kids, which worries me. It looks like the team is going after Marlo now, but he is not as fun to target him as the Barksdales. Everyone seems bored with the job and like they want to something more worthwhile. The jump from west Baltimore to the pretty building was really significant and then we move to the inside of the building. Herc is in a nice suit and not his cop clothes, which is unusual for him. The elevator scene was also cut nicely. It’s interesting the way the guy was killed and how he was wrapped to keep everything as clean as possible before he was shot. There is a lot of focus on children in this episode and it makes me think about the future generation of gangsters and drug dealers. Then we see the inside of an actual school. Perez is about to teach, “lambs to the slaughter,” says the woman.

There’s a serious West Side story rivalry going on here with the kids. Even their clothes are contrasted. These teachers are nothing compared to these kids. The contrast of the different power points and lessons between the teachers and cops. What they are learning will not help them at all.

Episode 2-

It’s still so weird to see Herc in this fancy building with a nice suit on, he seems so out of place. After he sees the mayor with the women, we get a nice focus on the paintings of past mayors and Herc almost seems to wonder if the others were just as messed up. Lester is trying to follow the money and find the real criminals, but he is being stopped with silly excuses. Even though Cercatti is about to fail, it’s nice to see a sweet moment between a child and adult in this show.

The ring of fire song is just too perfect for the hell that I assume is going to come through Perez’ door soon. Wee-Bay is back and worried about his fishies. Turns out that kid with the horrible hair is his son. Dennis is becoming one of my favorite characters because he is trying to help these boys and get them off of the streets, and I hope he stays good.

I love that Lester is so powerful, even if it is underhanded, he is clever and can play the system, as well as the people on his side. Marlo seems to be buying up the next generation to work for him, or at least support him. I love the subpoenae hand outs scenes and seeing the reactions of those who were subpoenaed. The wire has caught up with Marlo and now the team is tracking them.

I love that Bubbles is trying to get the kid back into school. It’s nice to see him work on someone else’s behalf. It’s nice to see everyone focusing in on the debate. It’s like someone is paying attention, finally. It’s the height of irony when one candidate is talking about kids and education and Wee-Bay’s son turns it off to play violent video games. 

Episode 3-

Omar scares people even in his blue sick robe going to get food, that’s power. It’s nice to see McNulty happy with Russell and having Bunk over for dinner. I also like seeing the kids go to school, rather than messing about. Poor Perez is struggling with the first day of school. The kid with the backpack is a genius with his shirt/snack detail. Omar is back in the game with a new partner. The school is completely wild and the students need help. I cannot believe that firljust sliced the other’s face.

Lester finally gets praise for his work, but refuses to work under a “virus” and is going to be moved. Kima also wants to move, possible to homicide, but Lester filled that spot. I wonder what will happen to the team.

Episode 4-

Prez is trying to figure out how to deal with his students who seem totally unfazed by the previous week’s events. We get a lot of focus on two students in the class, Bubbles’ helper and Randy. Major crimes is dead because Lester tries to look for the money trail and now everyone is moved around. Kima is in the old office again, as is Lester, and Kima is initiated into the zone again. Kima keeps getting jokes played on her, I assume for being both a woman and new to the job. Herc is going back into Major Crimes but the program has totally changed and none of the old friends are there anymore.

The Major gets a nice view of the reality of the school and what really goes on. These children have no focus on their future as Prez says. We get the juxtaposition of student in the classroom and outside doing nothing. The boxer is trying to round up kids and get them in school. He thinks school is important, but the system is so messed up that it almost instigates nonsense to a degree. I really like Randy and how he tries to help other people, especially at home.

For the final project I started establishing Bunk over various media. I created four social media sites for him and wrote a short bio in a post for him to start thinking about the project.

This was long span of two weeks and a lot of work packed in. I’m excited to see where my final project with Bunk will go. He’s a really interesting person and rather hilarious and I think he will be a fun subject for this project.