The Wire: Episode 55

The only thing that I can say about the jump is that he hit the trash area right under the window. That's why the camera was pointed down for so long and you saw no body. It also took Marlo's crew a good 5 min before they looked out the window giving Omar enough time to get away.

Also the text messages have been encrypted to protect against wire taps. I am not sure but was that not what killed the Greeks off regarding the port operation they had earlier? I also think that's why they gave Marlo this specific phone.

 

I honestly believe people wouldn't judge the newspaper stuff so harshly if Simon didn't go on this interview crusade killing the former editors and explaining his grudge with the industry. Had he just sat back (I don't remember him ever doing as many interviews prior to another season) I don't think as many people would be calling out those scenes. Add in the fact that it hits home with the people who write the reviews, and it's even worse. It's just natural; critics don't know enough about the corners, or politics, or police work to pick that apart. But bring it in to a newsroom and a new level of scrutiny is introduced.

The biggest complaint I've seen is that Gus is one-dimensionally too good and the ME and EE are one-dimensionally too bad, and that this show has never done that. I'd offer Freamon (prior to this season), and a bunch of smaller roles, like Norman, were presented every bit as "good" as Gus. And Rawls, and a bunch of smaller roles, like Marimow (name obviously no mistake), were presented every bit as "bad" as the head newspaper editors. I just think everyone is out to pick apart Simon's motives with the newspaper storyline and he's done nothing to dissuade that in his interviews. But I'm not sure it's really any different than past storylines and past characters.

 

WTF are you watching?

 

I think that, among audience not in our biz, the newspapering has been quite "revelatory"

Also, the sound at the end of 55 sounded like a fax....

 

Or an internet connection (remembering the old days when modems weren't always silent). The Greek said phones are for calling your girl or talking to your lawyer since the police were not allowed to listen to those calls due to attorney-client privilege. He then handed him the device and said "This is for contacting us". My immediate assumption is that it's not a phone but some kind of hand held computer with internet.
The fact that Marlow gave the number to his attorney might indicate that Marlow is setting a trap for Herc but it also might be his lack of sophistication and not understanding exactly what they gave him.

 

Marlo gets a Blackberry.

 

I finally just watched this episode. I'll have to watch it again, but I didn't get the impression that Omar necessarily jumped off the patio. Doesn't it just show him jump from the living room out onto the patio?

And while I find the newspaper angle unbelievable, they're still putting together a very good yarn. It's still compelling to watch, even if it's not up to the same standard as the previous four seasons. I would have preferred they concentrated on the bodies story line than gone into this complex clusterfuck, but they've got me committed to the last show.

Finally, fuck Scott Templeton. The character makes me angry. I hope for the actor's sake that I don't ever meet him in person. I may just pummel him.

 

Just a minor gripe and then a throwaway observation:

Could people refrain from quasi-spoilers like "so-and-so is in the next three episodes?" It's not a big deal, but I don't want to know ANYTHING whatsoever about the upcoming episode until I see it.

Also, loved the music in the bar scene with McNulty, Alma and Douche Baggins. Tears for Fears, 'Everybody Wants to Rule the World.'

 

I loved the scene where Templeton and McNulty are both trying to figure out what the hell is going on. For a second when Scott was calling himself, I thought Jimmy had put him up to it to get the wiretap and I had missed something.

Man, my heart was pounding during the shootout. Of course, all four of them surviving 100 rounds fired within the same room wasn't a possibility I considered.

And what kind of horrible window frames do fictional people have? I had the same thought when Matt Damon jumps across an alley and through a window in one of the Bourne movies. If I tried to throw myself through a paned window, I'd just bounce off and maybe cut the hell out of myself. I don't think I'd just go sailing right through.

 

I felt that way about Steve Harris in the practice. I get hoping his children, on the show, would get raped by one of his clients. But you just realize that's the mark of a good actor.

 

Just watched this again. He didn't jump, at least not clear to the ground. If you look closely when Chris & co. are looking down off the balcony, you can definitely see a shadow on the side of the building a floor or two down. That, I guess, would be Omar, playing Spiderman, not Superman.

 

Not exactly adhering to the laws of physics ...