The Wire - season two, part 2

[baleanoptera]

Continues from part one.

The Wire analysis

- In which there are duck-metaphors, ponderings on being a maverick and the similarities of season one and two.



Bunk: Them Greeks sure have some weird-ass names.
McNultey: : Hey, don't knock the Greeks. They invented civilization.
- Some closing remarks about history

I keep returning to the Greeks, and thereby this could be seen as a postscript to the “history is important and it defines us” theme that was part one.



Now, regardless if "The Greeks inventing civilization" is true or not there is no disputing the long tradition of documenting, and thereby remembering, Greek history. It goes back thousands of years. So the Greeks are in their very nature steeped in history.In many ways it defines them too.

In one of the first episodes “The Greek” himself is shown interrogating the young Turk who has killed the girls in the can. “The Greek” tells the Turk that this is the New World, and that the history of the old world – the animosity between the Greeks and the Turks – does not matter here. A few minutes’ later he has the Turk killed, and mutters “Stupid Turko” – giving the impression that history does matter. History always matters.

The history and culture of the Greeks are part of what binds them together, and what makes them such a strongly knit unit. It gives them a language and an alphabet that is foreign, that marks them as different to the world outside, but is a symbol of unity internally. You are either Greek or you are not. It’s very easy telling us from them. When the criminals are finally busted, it was interesting that the police only got the non-Greeks, like Eton or Sergei.

“It pays to go with the union card every time” - Ziggy
- Some pondering on groups:

The people in the series are bound together in groups. These groups define them and influence them. The group is what protects them, and they in turn have to protect the group. This is most easily symbolized by the union and the dockside, but it is also true for the police and Avon’s gang. Without a group to look after you life is a lot more dangerous. While talking about the dead girls in the can Beadie Russel says: “What they need is a union.” And yes, it can be taken as a dry joke, but that doesn’t make it any less true.

The problem with belonging so tightly to a group is that you need to play by your groups rules, and manoeuvring outside the group is difficult. This is consequent for all the characters on the show – they try to work outside their group or twist the rules they get smacked down. Like McNultey gets smacked down by Rawles – again, and again.

This also brings me to Stringer. He is a strange one. I get the feeling that he is still loyal to his group, but in protecting that group he is also manoeuvring outside it. His deals with Prop Joe, and his attempt at getting Brother Mouzone are all breaks with the group unity. That said I get the feeling that he does what he does for the group and most especially for Avon. I also found it interesting that Stringer has an affaire with D’Angelo’s girl, and that he is responsible for D’Angelo’s death. In many ways he is erasing D’Angelo from the game, and taking his place.

There is also the fact that Stringer does horrible things, but viewed from the group perspective I get the feeling that it’s his disloyalty (even if it’s with Avon best in mind) that is the biggest betrayal. For inside Avon’s group murder isn’t that uncommon. Avon himself is responsible for killing a lot of people with his "hot shots". Group dissidence is on the other hand a great sin - exemplified by the killing of Wallace at the hands of his own friends in S1.

So the groups are a safety net, but they can also stifle and choke you. If I’m allowed a little metaphor from the series (and it’s my post, so why not?). When Ziggy goes to buy a duck in the aptly titled “Duck and Cover” he asks the owner: “How come they don’t fly away?”. The answer is because their wings are clipped.

Just like Ziggy get’s dressed up in an extremely expensive Italian coat, so is the duck dressed up in an expensive chocker. The duck isn’t able do fly away, so it must stay and be part of the joke. It drinks and that kills is. Neither is Ziggy able to leave the community and group that surrounds him. This is all he knows, whenever he tries to break away (dealing drugs or stealing) it goes horribly wrong. So he stays, and is the butt of the joke – and in the end he looses it and even if he doesn’t kill himself, but someone else – I feel it’s a safe bet that Ziggy’s life is ruined.

It’s fascinating that those characters that are presented as some of the scariest (in that the other characters are in awe of them) are the ones that don’t necessarily belong to any group – like Omar or Brother Mouzone. These are the mavericks and the uncertain elements – you never know which way they are going to jump. Since they don’t belong to a group they get the air of “being outside of society”. This is part of what makes them unpredictable and dangerous.
And that the time "The Greek" was most frightening to me was at the end when he said: "And I'm not even Greek." For who and what is he then? Stripped of his identity he seemed even more dangerous, even more unpredictable.

Season one & two: The difference and the similarities

The Wire is so good at remembering that it is an audio-visual medium. The use of light, colour and music are not just complimentary to the series, but an integral part. They create moods; deepen the impression of a scene. A strange thing about The Wire’s aesthetics is that it sneaks up on you. It didn’t strike me the first few episodes, and some parts only appealed to me in retrospect. But with the first few scenes in season two the aesthetics appeared clearer – it’s this stripped down, cut to the bone look. It's an aesthetic that doesn't glorify, but that never lingers on the horrible parts either. They hardly ever show bodies or wounds for an extended time. And the killing of Frank Sobota takes place of stage, and we are simply told what happened. How he fought, the cuts in his hands.
This stripped down look and feel makes a much greater impression on me than to much exposition.

They are also so good with using light/shadow. The scene with Omar waiting outside Brother Mouzone's motel, slinking in the dark like a predator, was brilliant.

In the first season the colours were focused a lot more on earth tones. Red, dirt, brick houses in the projects. I season two the red colours seem to have been saturated, and white, blue, gray, metal and glass are prominent. The bricks in the dockside houses are all gray; Nick’s parents have even painted them blue. All of this creates a colour scheme that fits the mood of the harbour and the winter months at the start of the series. Nicely done indeed.

I also feel that the use of music is more prevalent. And I loved, loved the use Johnny Cash’s Walk the line. Not only is it one of my favourite Cash tunes, but it was used in such a great way. Prez! Once again proving that there is more to him than meets the eye. So yay. I would never have imagined I would love Prez as much as I do, but he is on the fast track to becoming one of my favourites.
But back to the music – in season one the music was there, but I feel it didn’t take centerstage as often as in season two. S1 music was something the characters listened to while driving, or in McNultey’s case while he was getting drunk. (And might I add that McNultey has a strange taste in music – from Motown to Bananarama?) The only time in season one I felt the music was dominant was in the last few scenes, in the last episode.

Now I love when series let the dialogue and sounds fade, and allow the music and the images tell the story. Deadwood ,which is one of the few series I feel it’s right to compare The Wire too, does this one a few occasions, much with the same effect. For when all you are shown are music and images, you as a viewer tend to focus more on what you are shown than what you hear. Personally I love that, but tastes might differ. All in all this use of music and colour, this changing of the theme-song it just expands the universe of the series, and adds depth.

Well, this at least are a few thoughts. It is by no means my final, comprehensive analysis. Too many favourite characters are left out and there is no discussion about how corruption spreads like cancer. When someone, say Frank Sobotka, becomes corrupt – the disease spreads. There is also no (not enough?) squeeing about Omar, and how Lt. Daniels is on the track to becoming one of my favourite characters. There is no mention of the scene where Daniels answers his phone dressed in nothing but boxers. I know there was plot-relevance in that scene, but damn if I got it.

Comments

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Amazing analysis. I wanted to think a little longer and think about something more coherent to say, but I can’t stay away – WOW!

I love your analysis about groups and group behaviour. It was interesting for me that also the boundaries of gender and gender-specific behaviour were explored in “The Wire”, especially with Kima and Brianna. If anyone is as hard as nails it is Brianna IMHO. :)

it’s this stripped down, cut to the bone look.

At the same time it really “hit” me how many clear beautiful colours were used in “The Wire”. How stylish it is and at the same time doesn’t put even a tiny little bit of glazing over reality.

I get the feeling that it’s his disloyalty (even if it’s with Avon best in mind) that is the biggest betrayal

I dunno, I haven’t seen season 3 yet, but I have a very bad feeling that S’Angelo’s murder will be a stumbling block for Stringer. That at the end, it is all about the group, about “the family” and that D.Angelo’s murder will be important.

There is also no (not enough?) squeeing about Omar, and how Lt. Daniels is on the track to becoming one of my favourite characters

My love for Omar knows no bounds :) The scene with him in the court – my favourite scene in season 2.

There is no mention of the scene where Daniels answers his phone dressed in nothing but boxers. I know there was plot-relevance in that scene, but damn if I got it.

I had absolutely the same reaction :). And he has that panter-like grace of movements!!

[baleanoptera.livejournal.com]

Amazing analysis. I wanted to think a little longer and think about something more coherent to say, but I can’t stay away – WOW!

*blushes* Thank you. I'm a little lost for words after such praise, but it's very nice to hear! :D It was fun to write too. To think about what I liked, and why and the coherence of the series. Great fun - and now I want to do Deadwood more than ever. ;)

the boundaries of gender and gender-specific behaviour

This is a very good point, and one that I completely forgot. And yes - Brianna is as hard as they come. Ah, "The Wire" - it touches upon so many interesting topics, and they manage to do so without ever being bland. It's truly amazing.

And the scene with Omar in court was so, so good! His outfit, his tie, his attitude etc. He is just one of the most incredible characters I have seen in a long time. And my heart just broke for him when he met with Stringer, and Stringer told him that Brother Mouzone had killed Brandon.
I suspect that will come back to haunt Stringer btw. he manipulated Omar, and judging by Omar's reaction at the end it will not be pretty.
Now I know Stringer's fate - but not the how and where's - so bear in mind that I'm only guessing.

I had absolutely the same reaction :).

It's good to hear. ;D I was just sitting there, managing nothing more coherent than: "Um...oh my...um..."