“It breaks my fucking heart that there’s no future for the
Sobotka’s on the waterfront!”
I’m
usually a little bit too flattering in the reviews, so let me start out this
episode by saying: this is a thoroughly mediocre episode of television. It’s
still a mediocre episode of a great show, and “The Wire’s” season-long plots
make it so that episodes are more consistent in quality than the worst of other
great shows (“Sopranos,” “Deadwood,” “Mad Men”), but there’s really little
going on of value here. We’re stuck with an oddly sitcom plot for Herc and
Carver (will the really expensive gadget they got on loan on Carver’s credit
break? What other wacky antics will those two get into?), a relatively mundane
amount of policework, and a funeral for D’Angelo that lacks any real punch.
I could
rant about Herc and Carver’s subplot, but it’s small and not really integral
for the main plot, so I’ll let it slide, mostly. However, the rest of the
policework isn’t all that interesting either. Daniels taking back the case seems
more like an example of plot necessity (getting the whole gang in one place,
keeping the investigation in line) than what he would actually do. His
motivation of “I like policework” is okay, and not wildly realistic, but it
seems like the writers decided that the magical powers of Morgan Lester
Freamon would be enough to do the trick.
D’Angelo’s
funeral is also surprisingly muted in its impact, which is, I think, a hugely
missed opportunity. Bodie’s opening scene gets at why no foot soldier would
care that much (codes of masculinity, etc.), but I still feel like seeing the
funeral mostly through Stringer’s eyes is a mistake. Yes, we get how scummy he
is, he’s even making eyes at D’Angelo’s baby mama, but we’re shielded from the
actual pain Stringer has caused. It’s not even like the lack of mourning is a
“Gatsby” tie-in: it just seems like the writer’s wanted this to be Stringer’s
story, and it just comes out…bleh.
The
action with the Sobotka’s, meanwhile, is more worth following. Nicky is doing
good work drug-dealing, getting Ziggy back his money and probably being able to
move up in the world. He gets a great scene mocking the “wigger” (his term)
Frog, not only because he’s attacking an easy target, but because he gets the
specificity of “white” down. He’s laying bare the cultural heritage of the poor
Polish Americans, and the slightly wealthier ones, and he makes that cultural
distinction (it’s tinged with racism, but that only makes it feel more honest)
seem like it has meaning.
In
Frank “That’s the way it was” Sobotka’s world, he sees the future, in the form
of a corporate presentation on successful docks, and it is…labor-less. “The
Wire” is at its best when it eschews direct nostalgia for a more measured
approach, and this is a great example of it. We’re meant, initially, to side
with Frank and Nat’s disdain for the technology that will ruin jobs in pursuit
of safety, but…we see that the docks as are can kill a man, or otherwise
cripple him. It’s unfortunate, but it’s true.
The
interesting thing about this season is that it isn’t just a narrative of
economic progress destroying the old order, and bemoaning societal change
because of it. Think of it this way: yes, industrialization was terrible (not
as bad , but would you rather be working in a factory, or on a farm? That
progress is, in and of itself, useful. The problems come when there is no more
union, literal or metaphorical, to support you: no community to help out those
in need. The problems come when you’re stuck in the Towers, more concerned
about getting around the law to succeed, and willing to kill the “family” you
have to get there. Progress is progress, good, bad or otherwise, and people
have to make money: the question that follows is what communities are allowed
to flourish in a new society. If that answer is bad, and no one’s left to help,
well... shiiiiiiiiiiit.
“Don’t worry, kid. You’re still on the clock.” -- Horseface
Observations and What-Have-You’s
n
As I said, this is a weak episode, as even the
Sobotka scenes don’t stand out particularly. Things get better soon, in my
memory, so don’t worry.
n
God, Herc and Carver. They have some good
moment, but I just couldn’t handle the absurdity of the scene where the mike in
the tennis ball breaks. It’s like watching the Frogger scene from “Seinfeld,”
only surrounded by murder and heroin.
n
Bunk: “I’m the guy who’s humble and has a big
dick.” Later “alright, I’m not that humble.”
n
I feel like there was a real chance here to
deepen Brianna’s character, yet we end up with nothing. This is also, no
spoilers intended, the last episode with Larry Gilliard Jr (D’Angelo) credited,
so wave goodbye to him. Other innocents will fill his void, but D was probably
the most integral.
n
McNulty, still not getting back with his wife.
Woe is me. A problem with “The Wire” is that great characters, if they get
stuck in a bad arc, usually stay in uninvolving plots for at least a good third
of the season, maybe more. And this season, well: Jimmy, I love you, but you’re
bringing me down.
No comments:
Post a Comment