Episode 12 and commentary:
Zimny’s discussion on the reality of the show is so true to me. The whole show is always so realistic. I love the commentary by Thorson on the opening sequence because she notes the lack of dialogue in favor of image and direction. I love the word “stain” she uses to explain the bad news that is about to spread. I really like the opening of this episode. The direction is really phenomenal and the commentary on the scene and feelings are really interesting. The pull back really does show the stupefaction of the men as they look at “their fallen leader,” as Thorson points out.
I never counted the scenes but 91 sounds really crazy. I applaud the creators of this show: here’s to you David Simon and Bob. The show really is visually interesting and this episode particularly goes back and forth from each different “family” of sorts in the show in just a quick amount of time. Thorson is so right that this show is just as much about facial reading and what is not said, as well as what actually is said. There is a lot of focus on eyes in this show, and I love the direction of the camaraderie of the men. They know what has happened, but they are still trying to protect each other. Nick’s father showing up is almost like a dad picking up his kid at school when he screws up. Simon got this scene and relationship perfect.
I like the return to Frank’s body because we hear the facts of the case, but we are in Russell’s head, as Thorson points out. I never thought about the scripts of this show until the two discussed them in this commentary. I realize there must be so much work going on in this show to make it happen, but it comes off as so realistic that it is almost hard to imagine it being worked on, rather than just emerging seamless from Simon’s head. With that realism comes the real reactions of people, the fallibility of the police.
Thorson’s discussion on the dialogue use rather than showing the violence of Frank’s death made me think back. I think she is right because the reactions of the men, Russell and even the Greeks are more telling and feeling than seeing Frank killed. Seeing everyone else’s pain is worse than would be just seeing his.
I like seeing Bubble and Kima back together, though not on such circumstances. Bubbles is such a good character and so often the eyes of the cops. It’s also good to see Nick working with the cops. He is almost a replacement of his uncle in this process, also trying to save Ziggy. The scene was played out well and visually interesting, just as Thorson says, especially the zoom on Frank behind nick’s head. So often, we as an audience, learn the information along with other people in the visual sphere, which I always find so interesting. I really like the photo realization and how well it was worked into the scene. The different focus on the minute details of the show really do open up certain relationships and nuances in the show that would otherwise be ignored. The confusion of the force and lack of communication is also an interesting push at this point in the show.
The threaded pictures tell an interesting story in themselves as Thorson explains.
Omar! I’m glad he is back because he is such a great character and pushes so much forth in this show in the way of themes and ideas.
The glimpse into Kima’s soon to be mommy life is interesting because it comes across as very tense and a conversation about the job vs. baby, even if it isn’t said that way. I like Nick’s zoning out and ignoring his girlfriend while just mindlessly watching tv with is daughter. We jump from him to the color and business of the docks and then again quickly to the cops. We finally see Stringer and Avon back together, whereas before we have had so much of Stringer acting alone.
I really liked the detail that Sergey is actually an actor with a heavy Southern accent, which I never would have known. Everyone puts on such a show! I like the disappearing of the Greeks and the detail on what the cops found they have left behind. The discussion on the language of all fo the different groups and characters is interesting too. Language is such a part and does clue on into the feeling, as Zimny says. The parallel that Thorson points out with the fence was something I never would have picked up on. As this is the last episode, the relationship between the cops and dock men has changed again and is still really interesting. The “development, the decay, the status quo” are definitely main interests that will continue to play out I think. The ending montage was so cool, as it always is. However, we got so many characters at the end of this. The cinematography of this last portion is interesting because it slows down on the points where there really is no hope. It seems like everything just went back in a circle. The end shot with Nick is so poignant at the end and ended the season perfectly.
The discussion really opened my eyes and made me focus in on some things I never would have before. I also liked learning some random facts, like Sergey’s real accent. This was the perfect episode for commentary too because there was a lot less dialogue in favor of a visual speaking through facial expressions and outward emotions, which said so much more.
Episode 1-
The tearing down of the towers is very symbolic and I wonder what will happen to the drug business afterward. They have been a representation of the “castle” or home front of the drug front. This “home” is being replaced by another, representation is coming in and Baltimore is changing. Everyone is happy but the dealers. The dust that rises over the town enveloped it, which looked really cool, but also hinted for danger. The intro for this season seemed much more focused on crime and lower Baltimore and the danger they all pose. It was a much darker intro/sequence than the other scenes.
The panning of the office scene was really interesting. It was basically empty except for three people working to understand what Cheese and his men are saying. Then we see McNulty and a new face watching Cheese. Already there is so much of the wire and watching apparent in the season. The music in the background of the opening chase was pretty funny because it brought back a 70s era crime fighting vibe, whereas the cops in this are basically failing. They seem to be chasing a kid who doesn’t even have drugs and they threaten to beat a child, which seems a bit dirty to me. The fallibility of the cops is also shown with the lack of direction skills of the foot cops.
Stringer changes the game on everyone. With his marketing education he learns that the product they have is better, so control of territory is not so important. I also found it interesting how Stringer was almost the professor and the dealers the class. I also like the idea of the “chair” and the “board” in a drug business like this. The meeting being held in a church also put a new spin on the meeting.
Oh my goodness it’s Littlefinger! Chairman of something or other, he seems to have power and notice a lot, two dangerous circumstances. He also seems to want to move up and has no scruples with going about things the wrong way.
Avon has power even in jail, stopping a game by walking across the playfield. As far as Avon knows, the game is the same, but Stringer is changing everything.
We get some glimpses into home lives, with Daniels’ wife possibly starting a new position, and Bunk’s and McNulty’s kids being at the game. It looks like McNulty’s ex-wife is moving on. Bubbles is struggling once again.
It looks like the chairman is getting some sort of revenge for being ignored and snubbed, and is now cracking down on the cops. I guess Daniels and his wife are no longer together and are just playing married for her campaign. This episode has a lot of committee meetings and general “let’s yell at and screw over anyone we can” meetings.
McNulty wants to go after Stringer and is being blinded by that goal. He is looking up the old files and going after D it seems. Does he know D is dead? This episode really seems to look at the ineptitude of the police force and the change of the drug world. It’s very much a stalemate…still.
