(Note: This is an early review of next week’s episode. If you have HBO On Demand, watch it now. Otherwise, wait until Sunday to avoid spoilers.)
When I heard about all of these other critics saying that “The Wire” was the best show on television, I couldn’t help but question their reasoning. It’s not that I don’t enjoy the show (because I do), but I also find it very difficult to give anything the “best” label. After watching episode three, however, there’s not a doubt in my mind that the HBO drama is certainly in the running. It wasn’t even a spectacular episode by most standards (there have certainly been better), but so much happened throughout the course of the show that really got me thinking just how multilayered (and unique) this series is.
Perhaps I liked this week’s episode so much because almost every character was given something to do. Even Omar made his big debut, although he didn’t appear nearly as entertaining or threatening as in past seasons. Maybe it’s the new do, or the fact that he traipsed the streets in a silk robe that kind of lost respect points on my end, but here’s hoping that he plays a much bigger part further into this season. I sure would like to see him face off against Marlo’s crew – namely Chris and Snoop – in a big gunfight. That would create some bodies, and that would give the Detail a reason to get back together.
For now, however, it looks like the Detail has been shut down. With only four remaining members causing trouble around town with their issued subpoenas, Capt. Rawls has decided to kill the project by issuing the unit a new Lieutenant. A move that eventually causes Kima and Lestor to throw in the towel and ask for new assignments in homicide.
They’re not the only ones with new jobs, either. Herc gets the call from the Mayor for what looks to become the fast-track to Sergeant, and after Bunny Colvin quits a decent gig working as the head of security at some fancy hotel, he’s decided to hook up with Social Services as a consultant for a new experimental project in the schools. Apparently, it looks like they’re going to separate the good kids from the bad, with the hope that the bad kids will be much easier to teach as one group. It’s not a bad idea, and one that (according to the recently-aired “Wire” specials) has actually worked in Baltimore.
Speaking of school, Prez certainly has his hands full. His first day doesn’t go very smoothly, and what first appears to be a simple problem of disciplining the students to listen, quickly snowballs into a much bigger situation when a girl slashes another student’s face with a razor blade… for the dumbest reason ever.
It’s official: things are about to get very interesting, but I’m too sure McNulty is going to be there when it all goes down. He seems pretty happy (and domesticated) in his new life with Beatty, and while Bunk doesn’t buy the new image, McNulty assures him that it’s the real thing. And while I would normally be ready to count McNulty out of the game, “The Wire” has a history of never really getting started until midseason. It takes a little while to build up such complicated storylines, but if he isn’t riding with the pack by episode seven, I’d say he’s pretty much a beat cop for good.
