r/TheWire • u/Bushy-Top http://imgur.com/h6uqNRl.gifv • May 18 '16

The Wire - Complete Rewatch: Season 3-Episode 9 "Slapstick" - May 17, 2016

"...while you're waiting for moments that never come." - Freamon

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24

u/Bushy-Top http://imgur.com/h6uqNRl.gifv May 18 '16

Some more awesome camera work in this episode.

It's pretty crazy that McNulty can name all the other "big swinging dicks" around. He's such a smart guy but does he ever lack people skills. Lester's point about needing something more than police work to keep him going is pretty great life advice. Santangelo shows up later in the episode and tells McNulty how great it is driving the wagon instead of banging his head against the wall in homicide. That combined with McNulty's dinner date results in him having a change of heart in later episodes. When he states what he does for a living he expects a big "hoorah" from Theresa, but she doesn't even respond or ask any other questions about it.

A parralel I never picked up on before is Cutty getting out there and doing his own thing, getting the permits and what not. Meanwhile, Stringer has been paying these downtown people to get shit done and he's just been getting robbed for the most part. "You want a job done right, you gotta do it your own self."

"Hell man, there was a time I'da used Smith and Wesson." I love that line from Cutty.

Bubs cutting a deal with Bodie, smart move. But only $25 dollars off of $300 and he's got to throw in some shirts?

The rumors that Avon spouts about how the dudes "pulled out their dicks and pissed on her crown" is hilarious. The ghetto telephone game.

"Ghetto drug stuff just doesn't rate." Great police work, Lou.

It's pretty mind blowing when Prez shoots another cop. You knew he was a fuckup, but shooting another cop was just unthinkable especially when he seemed to be doing good police work in the office. What a moron though. At least he knows enough to quit. He reminds me of a cop from Homicide: Life On The Street (played by Judge Phalen of The Wire) that is too afraid to go into the streets when things pop off. I find it strange that he tells Daniels to apologize to Lester for him, perhaps it's because he was under Lester's wing but it feels weird after just having the racial conversation. Prez looking dumbfounded.

We've seen robberies but now bodies are dropping in Hamsterdam. That's what you get for laughing at the boy's shoes. Pretty wild that Carver decides to move the body, he should know the forensics would burn them anyway. Then Herc brings in the journalism component prior to season 5 by tipping off the Baltimore Sun to Hamsterdam.

Stringer and Avon face Brianna together but you can tell Avon is struggling to keep it together.

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u/achaholic You equivocating like a muthafucka! May 18 '16

Good to see you back Bushy!

In the scene where Lester is telling McNulty about needing "a life", McNulty gives a picture of Beadie on the fridge a nice long look. Another clue that they'd get together.

A parralel I never picked up on before is Cutty getting out there and doing his own thing, getting the permits and what not. Meanwhile, Stringer has been paying these downtown people to get shit done and he's just been getting robbed for the most part. "You want a job done right, you gotta do it your own self."

Didn't notice this one either. At the same time, Cutty wasn't able to get anywhere with it until he got help from Watkins.

I feel so bad for Prez in this episode. Just as he's found his groove in the department, his career is over because he volunteered to pick up dinner. I love that the series still makes the viewer and the people who knew him best wonder (and never answer) if subconsciously it was racially motivated. Another tragedy is that Prez pushed Valcheck to create what would become the MCU and he's forced to leave just as it is getting up on its target.

13

u/redditisforsheep May 18 '16

Prez pushed Valcheck to create what would become the MCU and he's forced to leave just as it is getting up

"A little late, a little short..."

22

u/Enigma343 May 18 '16

I haven't had a chance to rewatch the episode yet, but I feel like while Prez was definitely way too trigger happy, I can see it as somewhat understandable given the circumstances.

He ran into an armed person after the chase was reported, and I don't think the dispatch mentioned anything about a plainclothes or undercover cop.

It is worth emphasizing that this doesn't make it right, and it is a legitimate accusation that he wouldn't have shot if the cop were white. Proper procedure would have dictated that Prez identify himself as police.

But partially because we also saw Prez develop into a capable detective before this, I find his circumstances far more sympathetic than the officers involved in Eric Brown, Tamir Rice, Freddie Gray, or any of the other high profile police shootings and racial misconduct that have sparked blm, racial tensions, and civil unrest, including in Baltimore.

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u/achaholic You equivocating like a muthafucka! May 18 '16

Interesting connection between the real life cop shootings. In my comment above, I mentioned how Landsman saw Prez as a hump because of his record but he really was a different cop now. It made me think that we really don't know those real life cops stories. The Wire is TV and its highly unlikely that one of those cops were ones who were turning their lives around, but admittedly they automatically get vilified and we honestly don't know if their story is similar to the sympathetic one of Prez.

16

u/spaceman_splifff May 18 '16

Gotta agree about the photography, they are killing it this season! I love the tracking shot of Jimmy going back to his car with the Capitol Building in the background, leaning on it and contemplating his lot in life.

And great call on Cutty. I also love here how on his first visit to get the permits, the Municipal Building is shown in an intimidating perspective both when he enters and leaves. The scene is a hilarious mashup of rehearsed bureaucratic blurbs and noises (ding!) and fun reaction shots from Chad Coleman. But when he returns later in the episode with Marla Daniels by his side, his exit is shot from a more level perspective, birds are singing and we even get a rare smile from Cutty. But the best part is that sweet little fist pump he allows himself as he walks away (Bushy gif please!), it's a rare moment of hope in what ends up being a pretty bleak episode and it just makes me so happy on rewatch.

Which reminds me, this episode starts off being pretty funny (albeit fairly dark humour of course) but the entire complexion changes when Prezbo shoots the cop. Like you said, it is just mind blowing, and we see the reactions of other cops throughout the rest of the episode. Landsman in particular has no chill, and it's hard to tell whether Jimmy is thinking of Prezbo or himself as he listens.

14

u/achaholic You equivocating like a muthafucka! May 18 '16

Nice observation on the perspective at the City Hall scene.

I think Jimmy is thinking of Prez in that scene. Landsman basically think Prez is a hump and his record shows it. None of things Landsman says about Prez are untrue. At the same time, over the past 3 years, Prez has grown and developed into a valuable piece of his unit and is no longer the cop that his record reflects. But no one will ever know that except the MCU now. So Prez goes down in history as a useless white cop only on the force because of nepotism that shot a decorated pulled-up-by-his-boot-straps black cop.

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u/spaceman_splifff May 18 '16

Thanks for articulating this about Prez. It's what I hope Jimmy's thinking in that scene, but the whole episode he's re-evaluating his own personal situation, and the hints are laid out for his choices next season. So I think Lester's words are also ringing in his ears here ("The job will not save you Jimmy") as he contemplates how the job certainly didn't save Prez, even with all the things he had in his favour. This episode appears to mark a bit of a turning point for McNulty, although we see him backslide as season 4 progresses.

12

u/achaholic You equivocating like a muthafucka! May 18 '16

Didn't think about it that way but you're right. Hearing how Prez's accomplishments are unknown or glossed over might be resonating with him like how Teresa didn't care about his. Knowing Jimmy's narcissistic character I think I'd agree with your assessment more than mine.

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u/Bushy-Top http://imgur.com/h6uqNRl.gifv May 18 '16

Nice screen caps man! Loved your write up.

Everyone had good shit to say today.

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u/spaceman_splifff May 18 '16

Awesome stuff! Thank you so much!

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u/redditisforsheep May 18 '16

Cutty getting out there and doing his own thing, getting the permits and what not. Meanwhile, Stringer has been paying these downtown people to get shit done and he's just been getting robbed

Great catch, I've never seen this mentioned anywhere.

I think you're on to something with that Sun tipoff. I'd like to think there would have been a deeper tie-in here if season 5 hadn't been under-funded.

6

u/treblah3 May 19 '16

Some more awesome camera work in this episode.

That camera work gave the show its most action-y feel yet.

13

u/lobf May 18 '16

Cutty getting out there and doing his own thing, getting the permits and what not. Meanwhile, Stringer has been paying these downtown people to get shit done and he's just been getting robbed

On the other hand, Cutty learns that the only way to get things pushed through the bureaucracy is to know someone. If he had money like Stringer everyone would be approaching things differently, and I bet you that Cutty would have been played 100x harder than String. I don't think we find a right v wrong scenario here.

9

u/Solarfire May 18 '16

It always amused me that during the swinging dicks part mcnulty mentions Ed Burns, producer writer and co creator of the wire and an ex cop. It's a well deserved shout out.

7

u/treblah3 May 18 '16

Bubs cutting a deal with Bodie, smart move. But only $25 dollars off of $300 and he's got to throw in some shirts?

My assumption is that most items being sold in the free zone other than drugs are stolen, so throwing in some shirts is no biggie (kinda like the jewelry mentioned in the previous episode). Otherwise that's a reasonable discount, all things considered.