The Wire: Season Five (see post #1 re: SPOILERS) (1 Viewer)

[James St]

Looks like we're waiting another week for the finale. Those of us with OnDemand got treated to this.

 

[JonZ]

I thought last night ep was one of the best of the series.

1 left:frowning:

 

[Robert A. Willis Jr.]

Yes it was. I have been ambivalent about this season, the whole McN thread just didn't make sense. As far fetched as the Amsterdam thread was, it was very compelling and made you watch. This year I've watched but..

I am interested in seeing how this is going to wrap.

 

[TravisR]

They put up a commercial on On Demand saying that the finale wasn't going up until it runs on HBO next week. It featured multiple uses of Clay Davis saying his immortal catchphrase.

 

[Holadem]

I look at a guy like Marlo and can't help but wonder about the nature of power. What makes a guy like that wield so much sway over others, especially a bunch of moslty amoral predatory low-lifes? At some point, the name became enough, but how does it begin?

--
H

 

[Charlie Campisi]

My guess is he has a scar across his jaw for a reason.

 

[Holadem]

I guess. The thing is that I find it interesting that unlike a Barksdale or a Soprano, Marlo's organization is no family at all, literally or otherwise. He reigns by pure terror. Chris and Snoop are his circle of trust. Everyone else is a tool to feed his boundless lust for power. Consequently, there is no loyalty or sense of belonging in that organization, only fear. Can you imagine anyone in Marlo's crew taking one of the team like Weebay and D'Angelo did back in S1?

How long can one run an organization like that? That's why Omar's slurs were so devastating to Marlo. His name (i.e., fear) is everything. In that regard, I am reminded of the more authoritatian regimes, like the one under which I grew up.

During the that terrific Omar-Bunk confrontation a season or two back, Bunk tells Omar that he grew up in the same rough neighborhood, but at least they did have a community. The occasional violent death carried some weight. He was lamenting what the likes of Omar and Barksdale had turned the 'hood into -- a place of senseless killing. Yet those times look like the warm of fuzzy old days compared to the Marlo era.

--
H

 

[Corey3rd]

Barksdale was a family business. Marlo is cut throat corporate. He's like a Glaxo - you are nothing more than a six month contract employee - no benefits - no 401K. But there is a retirement plan. And since he became the only game in town, you can't go off and start your own shop. He cut off the supply behind Prop Joe's back.

Marlo doesn't sell a future. He deals in a present tense. His operation is just like the newspaper.

 

[Britton]

Since we've already seen how the fall of the Barksdale organization gave way to something worse with Marlo, will the next person to take over the streets be that more horrifying?

 

[Corey3rd]

only if Duff from "Ace of Cakes" takes over Baltimore's underwild.

 

[todd stone]

anyone else think they are foreshadowing the boy becoming the next bubbles as bubbles gets clean?

 

[Raasean Asaad]

Just saw episode 10....

Damn fine end to a great story.

 

[Marty M]

I assume you are referring to "Dukie". In this last episode we got a glimpse of what the future is in store for three of the four kids that had been featured in last season of the Wire.

 

[James St]

Yes, I posted the same in my spoiler tags for this episode. I could also see Michael becoming an Omar like figure in the neighborhood if he can stay alive long enough to learn the streets the way Omar did.

 

[Chad Erickson]

James - i like your thinking, but i'm hoping that Michael heads out of town. i can't see him living like Omar was.

I
Hard to believe we are already down to the end. i will truly miss this show.

 

[Holadem]

There is a whimsical quality to Omar that Michael does not possess. Michael got into the game because he perceived he had no choice. He never wanted to be there in the first place. I have no idea how Omar became Omar, but he didn't seem to mind very much being Omar. Michael did. With his pact with the devil now broken, he has no reason to hang around the streets. Still, there are no good alternatives I can see right now.

--
H

 

[Corey3rd]

Clay Davis pops up early in Enchanted. It must have hurt him to not be able to bust out his trademark in a Disney film.

 

[R. Kay]

Great finale. I think having this show available 'on demand' 6 days in advance hurt the ratings and ultimately killed the show.

I assume Marlo killed tha guy on the corner because he was dissed and/or he still wanted in on the game?

Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[TravisR]

I loved the episode and thought it was an excellent finale. Eventhough big things remained screwed up (Templeton and The Sun winning a Pulitzer, Valchek becoming the commissioner), I was glad to see a happy ending for the good guys.

It was sad to see Duquan become the next Bubbles. I didn't see Michael becoming the next Marlo but I really didn't expect him to become the next Omar either.

It was funny hearing the guys on the corner talk about how Omar 'really' died.

Yeah, that was how I saw it. He had a choice between a straight life (albeit with crooked businessmen) and the street life and he wanted the street life and all the juice and power that came with it.

EDIT: I came late to the party (I saw the first four seasons last fall) but I'm so glad that I watched this show. It really is one of the best pieces of entertainment that I've ever seen.

 

[Corey3rd]

The OnDemand didn't kill the show. in fact it gave HBO a solid number on how many households were watching since they could monitor that number. The Wire outlived nearly every HBO drama outside of Sopranos.

Marlo didn't kill him. He popped him hard so he dropped the gun. But it just showed how fast he could be forgotten on the corners. It's like what Cheese was saying at the end. Nobody cares about the past.