This week’s open Wire thread. Ashley’s already scored a few points, connecting the basketball riot to the ghetto “respect” issue, but y’all carry on. Up for consideration: The wheels are coming off Hamsterdam. You knew it would happen, but when the police start dragging dead bodies around to protect their secret, a line has been crossed. Herc’s right — it’s not something you do. And we want to praise the magnificent Omar (“That woman raised me!”), who, in the end, loves his grandma. All that talk about her crown and the truce and the besmirchment of a true innocent — there’s something you don’t hear on “Law & Order.”
Oh, and Prez. The man who had so much to offer, but a tragic destiny. Sigh.
ashley said on November 22, 2004 at 9:25 pm
Man, I told my wife that Prez don’t need to be goin’ to pick up no Chinese food. I saw that coming. I knew he’d pull his gun, because, well, he’s cursed that way. An absolutely brilliant cop, when it comes to doin’ the po-lice work behind the desk. A mo-ron in the street. Why Freamon didn’t tether his ass to the desk, I’ll never know.
I didn’t, however, see him cappin’ a cop. Jeez, Simon. Wallace, D’Angelo, now Prez. Cold, man, just cold. There’s no escape for Prezbylewski from that.
As he said, “I’m done”.
Yes, you are.
I’ve heard of crossing the thin blue line (as Herc did calling up the Sun), but damn.
Herc surprised me by using the back door to bring down Hamsterdam. I figured it would be Colicchio. You know that Herc is not the straightest arrow in the quiver, but he surprised me by 1) not agreeing to move the body, regardless of Carver’s stripes, and 2) making the phone call himself. Giardello from “H:LOTS” would occasionally use the Sun to advance his agenda, but I did not see Herc making that phone call.
Stringer is out of control. He’s risked $250k of Barksdale drug money for a scheme that may or may not pan out. Now he’s goin’ off on Clay Davis like he’s a mid-level distributor that whammied him with some Arm and Hammer. Then he breaks the Sunday truce. If you in the game, you got to know the rules. And Stringer is breaking them all.
Omar works in a cafeteria at the airport.
Brilliant.
Now I could see Omar and Avon conspiring to get rid of Stringer. At least both Omar and Avon know the rules of the game. At this point Stringer has few friends. If anything, Avon and Omar may have a sit-down. Wouldn’t that be a nice conversation to hear? Especially with the foreshadowing of our old pal Brother Mouzone in the coming attractions. Boo-yah.
However, note the prominent distinction between Omar and Avon. They are both preparing to escalate a simmering war, courtesy of Stringer. While Avon is bringing in hired muscle from the east side, Omar is telling his crew that he’s going this one alone. Omar is the consumate loner, and Avon needs the familiarity of the crew.
Barksdale, though, is like Germany in WWII. He is about to try and fight a multi-front war (Omar and Marlo and maybe even West Baltimore’s finest, now that Hamsterdam is going up in smoke) with a drastically overextended army. Avon is a survivor, though, so it could be quite interesting.
Especially since there are but 3 episodes left. In this season, anyway.
Last note: didja notice, after that Cleveland steamer of a date between McNulty and D’agostino, that McNulty was staring at the pictue of Beatrice (the officer from the docks) on the squad’s fridge. Hmmmmm.
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Nance said on November 23, 2004 at 1:25 pm
Is Brother Mouzone coming back on Avon’s side, or do you think he’s going unlateral? He has reason to despise both of them, but I don’t think Avon has given him quite the justification Stringer has.
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ashley said on November 23, 2004 at 10:08 pm
I think that Brother Mouzone came back to see what really went down. Note how Prop Joe, Avon, and even Omar all have solid reputations on the street, but Stringer has always been known as someone who played the numbers. No soldiering for String.
So, because of the fact that Omar didn’t off him, and dialed 911, my guess is that Mouzone came to pay a visit to Avon, to see what kind of an ambush Stringer sent him into.
Another good thing about Mouzone coming back: we may see more of DeAndre McCullough, Fran and Gary�s kid from �The Corner� who played one of his bodyguards.
Link-o-rama: Here’s a column where jason Whitlock says that HBO should dump David Chase, and make David Simon Exec Producer of the Sopranos. Fave quote: “Avon Barksdale, Brother Mouzone and Omar — roughnecks from “The Wire” — would absolutely wipe out what’s left of Tony’s crew”. Here here.
I can’t wait to see what the headlines in the Baltimore Sun look like when the lid is blown on Hamsterdam. We all know about those Sun reporters, don’t we… ;^)
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