A step back from the heights of episode three, although there was a lot to like this week.
Mostly the fallout from last week as the mayor tries to drive out Burrell. No appearance by my favorite bastard, but I like that Stan is Roger Twigg's go-to guy for dirt on the commissioner--that makes perfect sense. The Craftiest this week has got to be Nerese Campbell, who not only corners Carcetti into handing public housing over to her developer pal, who not only gets Burrell to leave quietly without opening his file on Daniels, she walks away with the file! No wit wasted on that woman. Honorable mention to Bond for scheduling the Clay Davis Perp Walk.
Templeton finally gets a little praise from Haynes and a sense of belonging in the newsroom--a few episodes too late, at the very least.
Carver continues to grow into a real police and a real officer, although it means outgrowing his dumbass buddies who've been reared on "the Western District way" of breaking heads first and taking names later. (And speaking of the Western District way... where's Walker?) Nice to see him maturing into leadership material. Probably something we can chalk up to Bunny Colvin, still helping the department long after his shitcanning.
Another upset in the sweepstakes: Herc actually gets a fucking clue. Not only is he not the dumbest guy in the episode, for once he's not even the dumbest guy in the room. That honor goes to Proposition Joe Stewart, the Dumbest Asshole in a season that's been full of them. I guess all those whispers to Slim Charles in the co-op meetings amounted to jack shit--he seemed to have no clue that Marlo was making a move on him, even with his suspicions that Cheese tipped him off to Butchie. I would say that Cheese's reign over the east side will not be a long one, but with everybody thinking Joe's gone into hiding, who knows how long of a grace period he's got? His biggest threat in the immediate run is his new pal Marlo.
Joe dies (oh, uh... spoiler alert!) for the same reason Stringer Bell did, thinking he could organize and regulate a trade that has come to thrive on violence and social devastation. That doesn't make him any less stupid for ignoring all the obvious signs that Marlo was contemplating a move.
Then again, a word from his connect would have helped--I have to wonder what the Greek was thinking. Vondas says no, valuing Joe's discretion and showing him some loyalty. (Just as he did with Nick back in season two... not a bad guy for a drug dealer and body trafficker, that Vondas. And not a bad dancer!) Why does the Greek overrule him? He says it's because he knows Marlo will come back anyway, but he can't be afraid of Marlo, can he? He could just pack up and leave the diner forever and Marlo would have no way of finding him. Does the Greek just want insurance in case Joe screws up again? Or does he assume Marlo is going to take out Joe regardless, and he wants to back the winner early?
In any case, the Greek's assent dooms Joe, replacing his cautious, capable distributor with a stone cold sociopath who barely understands the finer points of his trade. I have to hope that comes back on the Greek--god, I would love to watch Major Crimes work Marlo's organization back to him but I just don't see that happening.
Marlo, of course, is this week's Biggest Asshole, with Cheese a close but thankfully less competent second. It's not just about the killings or the betrayals or even that laugh as he turns his back on Herc. It's that look in his eyes as he watches Joe die. He gets off on it. We've known for a while that he's a sociopath who respects no co-op, no mentor, no code whatsoever, but that look drove it home. Now I'm more desperate than ever, even after the security guard last season, to see Marlo get his due.
Which puts me right where the show wants me, with all my hopes pinned not on Lester Freamon or Jimmy McNulty or even Proposition Joe, but on Omar. The romanticizing of Omar has always troubled me, but damned if I can't wait to see him make his move on Monk.
You know, if the writers really want to mess with our sympathies, they should set Omar after an up-and-coming young soldier named Michael...
I have no doubt that Omar and Michael will mix it up at some point. I wonder, though, do they have enough time left in the series for Nerese's possession of the Daniels file to have any repercussions. I felt it as an ominous moment, but it left me wondering about the pacing of the series.
Posted by: darknessatnoon | January 28, 2008 at 10:03 AM
Yeah, I don't know if we'll ever see any payoff for that file, or if it'll feel right if we do. Even at 12 or 13 episodes, that would seem to be the kind of lingering plot hook that pays off best in a future season. Except there was never going to be a future season.
I do wonder if the show can accomodate all its plotlines (police, city hall, newspaper, Marlo, Bubbles) and still find time to touch base with everybody from previous seasons. Maybe they're writing a little too much for the longtime fan with all these cameos? The last thing I would want this season to become is the Seinfeld finale. (Actually, second to last--the last thing I want is to end on a Journey song.)
That said, I'm constantly amazed at how much story The Wire can fit into just five minutes--and I'm looking forward to seeing Cutty next week. And I want to check in on Prez, and Colvin and Namond, and Randy...
Posted by: Marc | January 28, 2008 at 02:42 PM
The reason why The Greek assents to the "insurance policy" of Marlo is because he sees the writing on the wall. It is completely consistent with the character; he always sees two steps ahead of anyone else. That is what allows him to prosper in his trade and to avoid capture for the years he's been behind his enterprise. Regardless of whether or not he chooses to back Marlo with his supply, Marlo is making the move on Joe anyway. In these "volatile times", the Greek would still prefer to have Baltimore's business than not have it, and he is agnostic with regard to whom he supplies, provided they meet a certain set of criteria (clean money, etc.) Once Marlo proved that he could meet that criteria and married with his obvious determination, it's an easy decision for The Greek.
Posted by: Jim | January 29, 2008 at 03:10 PM
I can see all of that; I'm just not certain that Marlo meets the Greek's criteria for caution and subtlety. Marlo's been brilliant at adapting a low-fi operation based on face-to-face communication that avoids wiretap surveillance, but he also drops so many bodies that he is always bound to attract police attention. In fact, the police would have him already if the city budget weren't in the tank. So the Greek opens himself to considerable risk by allowing Marlo to take out the quieter, less risky Joe.
But I think you're right, he knows Joe's days are numbered anyway and he decides to back the winner. If Marlo does get caught, the Greek can cut his ties as easily as he did with the union.
Posted by: Marc | January 31, 2008 at 10:47 AM
I think the Greek knows fully what he's getting into with Marlo vis a vis the "He is not Joe" conversation. Along with the additional risk created by Marlo comes the chance for additional reward, as Marlo is obviously nowhere near the shrewd businessman that Joe was. I'd expect the Greek to take advantage of this going forward were the series not ending in 6 episodes. If things go bad with Marlo, the Greek has full confidence in his ability to disappear yet again.
It will be interesting to see how this dynamic plays out, if it's even paid much attention. I think most of what's happened up till now is prologue for the dissolution of the co-op and the return of "the game" to it's native state of territorial war. And of course, motive for a certain shotgun-toting man in a trenchcoat to heat up the city once again.
Posted by: Jim | February 01, 2008 at 12:17 PM
"I think most of what's happened up till now is prologue for the dissolution of the co-op and the return of 'the game' to it's native state of territorial war."
Absolutely. Like I said, Joe dies for the same reason Stringer Bell did, thinking he could civilize a drug trade that produces sociopaths like Marlo.
"And of course, motive for a certain shotgun-toting man in a trenchcoat to heat up the city once again."
Not that Marlo hadn't already given him motive enough. Which actually points out another reason why the Greek is, in the long view, unwise to back Marlo. The stick-up man who hurt the Greek's distribution worse than anybody takes himself out of the game, and Marlo deals him back in? Sooner or later one of these power plays will blow up in his face. The Greek shouldn't be standing too close when that happens.
Posted by: Marc | February 02, 2008 at 03:02 PM
The stick-up man who hurt the Greek's distribution worse than anybody takes himself out of the game, and Marlo deals him back in? Sooner or later one of these power plays will blow up in his face. The Greek shouldn't be standing too close when that happens.
Assuming the Greek has any idea this has happened. I'm certain this is something I could have missed, but I don't know if the Greek has any kind of connections that'd let him know about the Omar business.
Posted by: Ken Lowery | February 04, 2008 at 09:55 PM