Re: The Wire: Season Five (see post #1 re: SPOILERS)
Whew. I just finished the entire run in the space of a few weeks, and S5 in particular in under a week -- yesterday I watched the last 4 eps...
What a ride. I won't repeat thoughts that have already been posted, many of which I agree with, but some observations are that it was interesting to see Daniels choose to leave, rather than swallow juking the stats for 2 quarters and then try to change BPD from within. But I guess he was realistic enough to know that he would never be able to do so, that the new mayor (presumably Campbell) would always hold his Eastern District past over his head. Odd that he became a defence attorney, though, but what else is a former cop going to do, become an ASA? Not likely, with his history with the powers that be. Nice touch, him appearing before his girlfriend and she having to recuse herself
Michael the new Omar and Dukie the new Bubbles -- heartrending in some ways. And Randy stuck in a group home. Ironic that Naimond, who was arguably the most screwed-up of the group at the beginning of S4, is the one who's life is on track, since Colvin took him in.
Chris is the next Weebay, indeed the two were standing in the prison yard together -- taking a life-sentence in the name of loyalty, to an organization that doesn't really exist any more (or at least it's not clear if Marlo will return to his gangsta ways in full running a crew). Odd that we didn't get an appearance from Avon as well. But the funniest "what happened to" must be Poot -- now a shoe salesman!
Omar -- what a way to go, sucker-punched by some kid. And whilst officialdom loses him (tags got switched, the Sun didn't even report his murder), his legend lives on in the street, which is probably all he would have wanted anyway. Just how badass was he, jumped out of sixth storey (at least) window, hobbled around with a broken leg and still took out most of Marlo's muscle. I didn't realise it at the time, but Chris was quite right to keep Omar's taunts from Marlo, being the punk that he really is. Also, nice that Cheese got his comeuppance from Slim Charles. I guess Slim has to take on Joe's mantle in holding together the co-op?
Sydnor is possibly the new McNulty/Freamon combo -- of course, if in the first place Freamon signed on to McNulty's fictitious serial killer, he's just as crazy as Jimmy anyway so saying Sydnor is simply the new Freamon isn't far off anyway. Note that Freamon tried to go around the back door on Davis by shipping the federal charge to the US attorney after the SA had failed the cheque prosecutions.
Carver the next Daniels? Possible: amongst all the cops he seems to have grown the most, learning lessons from Colvin (knowing your community) and maybe Daniels (when he did the right, but unpopular thing by ripping his former partner for beating on the civilian), and also has some skeletons in his closet when he skimmed some seized drug-money along with Herc -- it strikes me that that is the exact same thing that Daniels got caught up in.
Count me one disappointed that Clay Davis got away with it, and is back to his old ways wheeling and dealing, and even gaining influence as Carcetti becomes Governor, and presumably Campbell takes over as Mayor, since they owe him. Also pissed off that Templeton got away with his fiction, and was that actually a Pulitzer that he won (the award ceremony at Columbia)? Whilst Alma got exiled to the boonies and Gus demoted to copy editor. Sheeeeeeeeiittt... and Valchek as Commissioner? Doh!
It was a nice touch to see it confirmed that Freamon was indeed with Sharnice, it was hinted at in S2 but not overt.
Jimmy? It would have been nice to find out where he ended up career-wise, but more important I think was the scene with Beadie, where she appears to have forgiven him his S5 transgressions and presumably they make a life for themselves going forward. His 'wake' was a real hoot, and as noted already, nice to see him and Freamon make peace with Kima, she did the right thing and they don't hold it against her. Also touching to hear the eulogy delivered by Landsman, who doesn't strike me as the guy to say nice things just because it's a eulogy (and he explicitly said so), but paid Jimmy the highest respect in so far as his abilities were concerned.
As an aside, I must say I was somewhat surprised to see how much Jimmy's kids have grown up over the course of the series, I think it's too accelerated, actually (i.e. there isn't enough story-time to account for it, after all Beadie's kids don't seem to have grown as much).
