Well this episode was a doozy. Not in the same way that the previous episode was. This episode was rough because of the police department’s reaction to Kima’s shooting. While the increased effort to find the shooters was a good move on their part, they ran into kinks (like arresting Bubbles) because no one had really cared about this investigation prior to this shooting of a cop. Even worse, a lot of the investigations and moves made by the police force were more as a publicity stunt to give the illusion that the police still had the power and to make a lot of government alpha dogs look good and worth re-electing. It’s really hideous to watch.

Per usual, the episode had some interesting shots in it.

Color

In my blog post about the previous episode, I discussed the color of clothes. In that episode, the police were wearing mostly beige colored clothes while the drug dealers wore red, blue, and yellow colored clothes.

In this episode, I noticed that both sides were wearing red, yellow, and blue colored clothes and very few were wearing beige.

Here we see blood covered McNulty throwing up into a trash can with a red trash bag. Red seems to represent blood, and he was vomiting in reaction to hearing the recording of the shooting. The trauma he’s just experienced seems very vivid when everything is so red.

 

Freamon and Prez are both sporting colored shirts.

 

Wee-Bey’s fish tank is full of red, yellow, and blue.

 

Power Relations & Public Image

This episode really showed power relations in confusing and horrifying ways.

I was really confused at first by the scene in the hospital where McNulty is pulled aside and it looks like he’s getting scolded, but he’s actually being told that it’s not his fault. The body language and clothing really makes McNulty look like a kid who’s gotten roughed up playing too hard while the suit and body language from Rawls is very masculine. Ultimately, it was a really well written bit of dialogue as Rawls is both insulting McNulty and consoling him.

 

This major raid that takes place is done as a publicity stunt to reassure the citizens of Baltimore that the drug lords have not taken over. The press conference makes it out to seem like the heads of the police department are kings putting on display the bounty they’ve acquired after raiding an opposing village. Their dress, the cameras incessantly clicking and the weapons, money, and drugs laid out on display make it clear that none of this was about getting justice for Kima or continuing to arrest those involved with drug dealing.

Parallel Shots

The one parallel I noticed was between the stack of money under the mattress that Herc and Carter take from and the stack of money on display at the press conference. In both instances, the police are misusing the money. Herc and Carter are keeping some for themselves and not telling the police. The police are using the piled money to build the illusion that they are still in control and still on top.

Another beautiful shot I noticed was at the very end when the screen transitioned from the colored audio levels to the colored heart rate monitor that’s hooked up to Kima. Not only did it reinforce that the link between the drug dealers and Kima’s current state, but it also served as another instance of the colors blue, yellow, and red showing up.

 

Nods to Kima

There were a couple of moments where shots were used to show a character reacting to something that reminded them of Kima. McNulty and Kima’s girlfriend seemed to be the only characters throughout the episode who were still trying to keep the focus on Kima and doing what needs to be done to process the trauma and right the wrongs.

McNulty sees Kima’s hat, which is blue, sitting on the table.

Kima’s girlfriend sees the blue highlighter mark on the couch that earlier in the season she got upset at Kima for staining.

I think it’s really interesting that both symbols of Kima are blue. I’m not sure if that’s supposed to hint at her trustworthiness or being on the police force or what other symbolism can be drawn from it.