Ikea
Rewards, always rewards. Let's just imagine for a moment that nobody is watching Season Five of The Wire who hasn't watched Seasons One to Four, also. I mean, it's conceivable that someone is actually watching this as their first series, but also needless, since all are freely available - and enough warnings have been made. For our loyalty over five years of Baltimore life, it strikes me that in the final run, David Simon and his big, manly, spittoon-using co-writers are having a bit of fun among all the death, deceit, dope, corruption and homelessness: they keep hooking back into previous stories. A good example was Carcetti's press conference about the newly gentrified docks in last week's show, whereby Season Two was explicitly referenced. This week, on a much lighter note, Kima had her kid over and asked McNulty where to buy kids' furniture. His answer: "Ikea." I actually thought that would be it - a one-word callback to Season One, Episode 5, when McNulty attempted to assemble bunk beds for his kids, with the help of his old pal Jameson, and ended up in a pile of MDF and screws. This time, we had a repeat of the very same scene, with Kima trapped in a world of Scandinavian self-assembly. ("Gotta assemble some shit," she announced. McNulty mentioned the "Allen wrench", which of course we call the Allen key.) I wonder if this sequence was put in because Dominic West was directing? Or is it just a long-standing hatred of Ikea from David Simon? Much bigger stuff was afoot in the very humid, vest-wearing Ep 57 (Took): Clay Davis showboating his way out of a Grand Jury hearing ("What the fuck just happened?" asked Bond on the courthouse steps); McNulty's serial killer taking on yet more life, turning him into a sort of Father Christmas figure at the homicide unit, handing out squad cars and police, giving Bunk even more chance to simmer and groan (it's not been a very varied season for actor Wendell Pierce, has it?); Scott Templeton cruising for a fall - although it may be that he walks away a star columnist to Washington, a bitter indictment of the new journalism from David Simon; and of course, hobbly Omar moving ever closer to drawing Marlo (unseen this week, but never forgotten) out onto the streets for a final dance. When Omar whacked Silvano, you knew the stakes were raised. (You thought it was another "warning" being passed on, didn't you? I did. Then blam! A bloody new logo on the baseball cap.) There is a farcical element to the serial killer plot, but the more it draws the whole city in, the darker it becomes, and we have Gus as a kind of Gary Cooper hero. Is there time for him to move in and stop the madness? Like Templeton, McNulty either walks out of this a hero, or a dead man.
posted by Andrew Collins @ 9:54 AM
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Talk about echoes of the past...
Loved the way that Kima could’t deal with Ikea furniture, just like it foxed McNulty seasons back. And since he was drunk when he tried, I loved that he asked her, “what kind of scotch are you using?”
While it’s great to see Judge Phelan briefly back in the show for the last couple of episodes, you missed mentioning the best cameo ever.
Simon has populated The Wire with actors who appeared in Homicide: Life on the Street, which was based on his earlier book - Peter Gerety (Judge Phelan) played Det. Stuart Gharty; Clark Johnson was Det. Meldrick Lewis for all seven seasons; Erik Todd Dellums, who appeared as, the ME, Dr. Randall Frazier in the first couple seasons of The Wire played drug dealer Luther Mahoney.
When Gus Haynes goes into the bar to discuss things withy the fellow journo, there talking to the barman is Detective John Munch from Homicide: Life on the Street. When he said he knows about running a bar, it’s because in Homicide he ended up co-owning the Waterfront Bar with Meldrick and Detective Tim Bayliss.
Once Homicide went off the air in 1999, Belzer continued playing Munch in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. And a couple of years back he even turned up in Arrested Development playing the character. The Wire is the eighth show he’s appeared in. Go Munch!
Thanks for that excellent background colour, Good Dog. I recognised Belzer but never watched Homicide or Law & Order.
Hey Good Dog, you just beat me to the Munch fact,,good work
I get the feeling Gus would have a hard job to stop the madness. He was doin' his best in last nights episode but to no avail. His bosses love Templeton and the expsoure it is giving the paper. I hope he does it though.
I have liked Bunk in this season
although, he hasn't been his usual laid back self. He has been very serious as he hasn't been McNulty's freind or drinkin buddy. When he exploded at Jay was excellant, last week it was the forensics guys. If he keeps biting his tongue, about Jimmy's fictional killer I can see them coming to blows,,probably at the bar after a few.
Ikea - great scene
Dominic West directing,,very good 1st attempt,,surprising he got the gig for the 4th episode from the end.
I am sure Lester will figure out what is with the clocks.
My box set arrived from Amazon America yesterday so I’m already one episode ahead and, sadly, should have finished it all by tomorrow. I promise not to leak anything but you are in for a real treat next week.
I agree about the writers cranking it up for the final season. Like I said last week, Series 5 kind of strays from the original ethos of ‘keeping it real’ every now and then, but only a tad and its still light years better than anything else on TV… ever. I just wish they’d given us two or three more episodes, like in previous series. There are so many characters that it would never feel like padding to me. Bubbles, in particular, could probably justify a series of his own.
Is it Steve Earle doing the opening credit music this time? It’s definitely the best version since the Alabama boys in series (did we ever nail which series that was?) one.
Oh and I’ve finally worked the bloke who plays Chris Partlow reminds me of. It’s Michael Essien of Chelsea. Quite similar characters too.
For the record:
Season 1:
The Blind Boys of Alabama
Season 2:
Tom Waits
Season 3:
The Neville Brothers
Season 4:
DoMaJe
Season 5:
Steve Earle
End theme: The Fall by Blake Leyh (and not, sadly, vice versa)
Olnathan you are right about the Chelsea football player looking like Chris.
Anyone seen the newish Coke ads. I am sure the guy doin the voice over is Lester.
http://www.visit4info.com/preview-flash.cfm?vm=0&type=2&adid=61327
I've been watching The Corner, Simon's first attempt at this.
This is interesting to watch in that it doesn't quite work (certainly not in episode one, which is the one I've watched) as he is being a bit too worthy.
It's that old difference between truth and reality. Obviously, whoever else is involved in The Wire, presumably his new co-writer, has reined back the overly-polemical aspects, brought in the Police and wider Baltimore story and massively improved things all round.
You can see Simon's great skill for character and dialogue in this earlier prototype, as well as his sincere and well-researched social conscience. But comparing the two is as close to a perfect masterclass in great script-editing as you're ever likely to see.
Thanks for clearing that up AC.
Yeah it is, unmistakeably, Lester on those Coke adverts. He could rival Morgan Freeman (no relation) for the instant recognition quality of his voice.
I know other posters have mentioned that many of TW actors have long established careers before the show but there’s no doubt that it has raised the profile of a many of them. Isn’t Idris Doodah in the latest Shane Ritchie film? Poor sod.
The other aspect to Omar killing Silvano for me was that as far as I can remember(which isn't that far) this was when he broke his promise to Bunk that he wouldn't leave any more bodies. Man's gotta have code.
Idris made a good start in movies, it was an all too breif a start in Ridley Scott's American Gangster. He was OK in 28 Weeks Later. Sadly he popped up in the Prom Night remake and now Rock ' N' Rolla.
I gotta say I am not a fan of Guy Ritchie. But he has got a very good cast for his new one with Mark Strong (The Long Firm), Gerrard butler (300), Thandie Newton, Tom Wilkinson, the main guy in the film, the rock star (Toby Kebbell) is the kid from Shane Meadow's excellant Dead Mans Shoes. Any other director and I would go see it just for the cast.
Let us not forget where Idris Elba got his big break: Family Affairs, Channel Five's five-nights-a-week soap. Yes, Family Affairs that was my first ever scriptwriting job. This means that Stringer Bell off of The Wire once read out words that I wrote for him. And to a far bigger UK audience!
I have found an exchange, actually, from an old script I wrote. Idris Elba plays Tim:
[HOLLY AND TIM BOTH LOOK ROUND. WE SEE GAVIN ROSS ENTER THE BAR. HE CLOCKS THEIR TABLE AND WALKS OVER]
HOLLY: [SPEAKING THROUGH HER TEETH] I wish he’d leave me alone. He’s convinced I know where Susie is. [TO ROY] Is he coming over?
ROY: Afraid so.
TIM: [REASSURINGLY] It’ll be cool . . .
[GAVIN REACHES THEIR TABLE]
GAVIN: [BLUNTLY] I’m looking for my sister. Have you seen her?
ROY: No. Sorry.
GAVIN: [TO HOLLY] You must have seen her. I thought you and her were like that.
[TIM STANDS UP AND FACES GAVIN, DWARFING HIM]
TIM: She’s already told you she doesn’t know where Susie is, which means, in words of one, she doesn’t know where she is. Right?
GAVIN: You her spokesman are you?
[GAVIN ATTEMPTS TO MAKE HIMSELF TALLER, PUFFING HIS CHEST OUT]
TIM: [UNFLAPPABLE] If you like.
GAVIN: [TO TIM] Well, if you do see Susie, give her a message: her brother is very keen to see her. Got that?
TIM: I’ve got a message for you: stop hassling our friend Holly. Got that?
[GAVIN SNORTS AND LEAVES WITHOUT SAYING ANYTHING]
TIM: Jerk.
He was getting in practice, I think. I made him what he is today etc.
Ah, you should be reading The Corner by David Simon and Ed Burns. Made it my Christmas reading one year, which was a strange choice, admittedly. Bought it in one of the bookstores in Burbank Village and the teller said it was a good book and then started reading it while I was waiting to pay.
Saw that Simon's Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets is being reissued. Great book. The photocopier being used as a lie detector makes an appearance there. The cops actually used it on a dumb suspect. (Of course it also made an appearance in the Homicide TV series.
I wrote 'Shane' Ritchie by mistake, I've got to be honest. But it works quite well I think.
Loving the nods to The Corner and Homicide, although I disagree that it didn't work - Episode 1 or that mini-series was like episode 1 of season 1 of the wire, very slow-paced, you really have to study hard, but without spoiling it too much the later stuff with Deandre and Tyreeka and Fran, and Ella's story is so touching. Checking my copy of the book it was written by the co-creators of the Wire, but adapted by Simon and David Mills (aka undercover black man - a blog worth checking out). David Mills has considerable TV writing experience, writing for The Wire, Homicide, NYPD Blue etc. The Wire though has an expanded set of writers - guys like George Pelecanos, Richard Price, (Clockers), Dennis Lehane so he's in good company.
It's not a new thing for Simon to get actors to direct episodes. Clark Johnson started directing on Homicide, then did work on L&O, directed the pilot for the shield, the wire pilot and directed the final episode of the wire, as well as SWAT.
As for the IKEA - both McNulty and Greggs should have sought advise to assemble from Freamon, after all 'all the pieces matter'.
As for Bunk he had my favourite lines in this episode -"Fuck your stripes and Fuck McNulty, and Fuck his big dick redball.."
machine levine
While we're on actors popping up in other shows the managing editor on the Sun also pops up playing Mel's husband in Flight of The Conchords
Simon in Sevenoaks
Still on the subject of actors popping up in other shows...
Colonel Cedric Daniels (Lance Reddick) turns up in the first series of the magnificent West Wing, albeit for about 2 mins screen time. He plays a cop who is investigating the death of the Korean War veteran who is wearing Toby Ziegler's old coat.
Love the blogs, the podcasts and the books
I love this game
I first saw Daniels in HBO's Oz (Season 4: 2000) playing an undercover DEA agent called Desmond,,who gets a taste for H. One of the notable things was he had a very strong Jamaician accent when undercover. needless to say he didn't make it to the end of the season.
Season 4 of Oz also saw The Wire's Norman Wilson (Reg E. Cathey) pop as the great Martin Querns, one hell of a badass warden. His welcome speech to the inmates went something like
"I'm not some candy-ass white liberal looking to turn you into better citizens....don't F**K with Querns."
I spotted Lance Reddick in a rather lowly supporting role in the last series of Lost. He played a rather creepy hospital porter I think.
I've finished series 5 now. I'll give nothing away but never has a shot of an open door given me so much joy.
I'm in the process of going through the whole thing again but I really am going to miss the enjoyment of seeing it all afresh.
Once The Wire is through, I have a feeling my brother might weant to watch it from the start.
I think I will have to invest in the Homicide Season 1 & 2 DVD set from the US. As I can't be bothered with watching it on TV,,in a random order no doubt. I tried 1x episode a year or two ago and it didn't grab me. A bit like how I use to catch the odd half episode of The Wire, and wondered why it left me a bit cold..That was until I bought the DVDs.
I will probably order The Corner at the same time.
Hey, when I first watched The Wire, I wasn't immediately sucked in. It was Episode Two that did it, as written about way back in December 2006 here.
I can remember you stating it was the scene that sucked you into the show in another post. It is a great scene. They even included it on the OST CD.
I have a lot love for Season 1, that really is D'Angelo and Bodies series. just chillin' and shootin' the breeze on that couch at the towers.
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