re: OFFICIAL "The Wire" M/TV Board rewatch thread (current discussion starts ~p. 53)

I was behind last week and didn't comment on Ep: 7&8 but wanted to cause there is some important stuff:

Backwash:

Bodie with the flowers was funny stuff.

Nick dealing with Frog was a great, Frog is trying to weasel Nick, but Nick will not budge and even gets him to pay the $210 he stiffed Ziggy earlier. "I don't know how to tell you this but you're white" After Frog leaves, Nick is just sitting there and an old lady is looking out her door at him. He looks like he has a flash of guilt. It's little subtle things like that I've been noticing that really make this show.
Another example: Frank is at some kind of meeting where they are showing the ports in Rotterdam with new robot technology. Frank is horrified. It then cuts to Herc and Carv listening in on their newly "purchased" bug and Herc comments isn't technology great? It then cuts back to the meeting where Frank and the black Union guy are asking (desperate) sounding questions, noting how only 4000 people are working a massive amount of cargo. When the guy talks about eliminating dangerous work, Frank remarks you can't get hurt if you aren't working. Of course we later see "New Charles" gets hurt badly and will lose his leg.

Another key scene for the overall theme of the dock story line is when Frank is meeting with the lobbyist he's paying. Frank talks about a long line of Stevedores and sounds bitter about the lobbyist sending his kid to Princeton. The lobbyist then tells how his Great Grandfather was a knife sharpener, who made sure his grandfather graduated from HS so he wouldn't have to work a grueling job. The grandpa sent his dad to college and now this guy has a good white collar job and his son is at Princeton. That's the frustrating thing about Simon for me, he's lamenting the loss of these working class jobs, but here is a guy showing you don't have to be stuck.

Duck and Cover:

I almost feel sorry for Ziggy at this point. At the end of Ep 7 Nick gives him money from Frog and he comments how Nick is better at the business that was supposed to be his. He's pranked with the fake paternity summons from Maui and then some guys egg him on to punch Maui, who then dumps on top of some cans just piling onto his humiliation. He's a loser and knows it, but he doesn't even try to do anything and tosses the money Nick gives him out the window like a baby.

Frank gets suspicious and realizes he's under surveillance. Port cops out Beadie (did no one say, hey don't tell anyone she's been detailed?) and what about the idiots at Verizon telling him his account is flagged

I love how the judge will sign off on the wire tap warrant if they install his AC and wash his windows. Nothing like looking out for the civil rights of the citizens.

Jimmy is just about rock bottom after Elena won't get back together with him, despite one last frick (have I mentioned she's a smoke show ). Crashes his car and then tries the turn again to prove he can do it and it's worse. At least he gets laid "you can have anything you like". But with no marriage and no case he feels worthless almost breaking down in front of Bunk. but Bunk and Lester and Daniels go to bat for him cause he's a good cop. "When he's ain't policing, he's pretty much the picture postcard of a drunken self-destructive frick-up. And when he is policing, he's pretty much the same muther fricker" yep, but good poh-lice.

Frank finally meets the Greek at the end and tells them cops are on to something. The Greek compliments Frank being smart They say they will suspend operations and only move clean containers but Frank and Nick insist they still get paid. The Greek agrees because they will do business in the future, I hope Frank didn't think this was a temporary arrangement. He also tells Frank to spend his money on something like a new car or a coat, like Ziggy? The Greek has Frank by the short hairs.