[video] Seanie Mic "2011 Rap Up: WTF In Review"
Showing posts with label recap. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recap. Show all posts
[recap] Distinct Life x New Balance "30 For 30"
Yeah, these are fresh. "At the start of June, Burn Rubber co-owner Rick Williams launched a campaign in conjunction with New Balance titled “30 for 30.” Spanning the whole month of June, the initiative was to highlight both the past, present and future of New Balance’s lifestyle range. This meant showing off some older Japan-only classics as well offering a crystal ball look involving future releases from the storied American running brand. The 30th and final day concluded with the announcing of a 2012 Burn Rubber x New Balance collaboration which is unfortunately short on details." Via Hypebeast.
Beat Garden, Curly Castro, Elucid, Hip-Hop, Lessondary, Nico The Beast, Philly, recap, Reef The Lost Cauze, Small Pro, Zilla Rocca
The Khyber (10/16/2009) [recap]
I love going out and realizing what I've been missing. I'm a homebody for a number of reasons, but when I heard that my boy Elucid was going to be performing in Philly, which isn't even 45 minutes from my spot (Darnell and I must've made the drive in about 30, 35 minutes it seems), I had no excuse to not be there, especially with heads like 5 O'Clock Shadowboxers, Has-Lo, Dumhi, Al Mighty, Curly Castro and more on the bill. But, oh yes, we'll get into all of that in this recap. Walk with me...Like I said earlier, I don't go out that often. When I do, it has to either BE an event or FEEL like an event. For this one, it was a bit of both, but it turned into more of an event as the night went on. I knew a few things: I'd get to link up w/ Dom P, Zilla Rocca, Elucid and maybe meet the Dumhi fam. I've linked up with Public Axis previously (No News Is Good News, anyone?), so this link up was waaaaay past its due date, but whatever. We roll to the spot, mull around for a bit, and Dom P walks up. We kick our introductions, and he is like "did you meet Elucid?", who is posted up at the bar with Ali Boombaye (the genius who cooked up the "Automatic Writing" video). We kick it over a few drinks, I got introduced to the homey Zilla, and the venue was getting a nice lil' crowd going. And then, it happened.
I'd never been to a show like this in Philly, and had no idea what Big O was finna do as host. I had seen him throughout the night, usually double-fisting some malted beverages, and I knew he was hosting, but the comedy this dude just brings is too much to try and put into words. Being one of the heads of Beat Garden, O has a dope charm, a real love for Hip-Hop and all of that... but dude will snap on you in a fucking heartbeat. The soundman got it, Has-Lo got it for his tight braids and small frame... I don't think I got it, but I probably will next go 'round.
But anyways, onto the show...
Curly Castro, who got some of his first press on this here blog, rocked first, and I was truly impressed. I may not have known all of the tracks he was running through, but you could feel the shit he was spittin'. Dope performances, including the first (of many) appearances from Nico The Beast on "Armor". Great opening act.
My nigga also did some track called "The Commentary", which was truly awesome. Broke down a lot of society's ills in what seemed like one long verse. It was inspiring.
Up next was Al Mighty, one half of MAGr, and it was good to see dude performing. He attacked the stage and just went OFF! DistantStarr got on stage and they performed "Tokyo Raul", among a bunch of other gems past and present. I also loved how, even if he forgot a portion of the rhyme, instead of cuttin' the show, he just kept it going, freestyling until he either picked the verse back up or the track was done. Dude also kicked off a really heartfelt track about losing those close to you, which definitely allowed me to see his skill in a different light. Also showed me how close cats like Al and Nico really are. This is deeper than rap.
Up next was Dumhi, who were accompanied by Shamelessplug, FLUD and had a guest appearance from Reef The Lost Cauze. Yes, you read that correctly. I loved Dumhi's set - those cats came correct, and Shameless really impressed me the most. Again, I'm not as knowledgable about their material as I should be, but with Haj hitting me off w/ the Indian Summer EP, and realizing how often I've seen their name around, I'm doing my research, trust. Good crew of people, and a great, organic set.
Towards the end of Dumhi's set, I had to get some air, so I rapped with Al at the bar for a taste (hopefully the fruits of our convo will be shared soon), and when I got back, Zilla Rocca was in full 5 O'Clock Shadowboxers mode, with Curly Castro by his side:
As you should know, 5 O'Clock Shadowboxers = Zilla Rocca and Doug Martin, and their Slow Twilight album caused quite a stir this summer. I've gone back to it numerous times since I grabbed it, and it just has a dope combination of those somber vibes and classic Hip-Hop breaks and beats. Zilla ran through a grip of the tunes, including "High Noon", which I believe will be getting the video treatment sometime soon.
At one point in the set, Zilla called up Has, Elucid and Nico for a sick posse cut that will be featured on the forthcoming 5 O'Clock EP, Broken Clocks, entitled "No Resolution 2". Here are some flicks from this blinding track:
That shit was tough. After the 5 O'Clock set, the Rap Pack reunited and stormed through their classic material, as well as a few new joints (I believe). It was good to see the 5 MCs on stage, going for theirs, to a crowd who definitely knew what time it was. As the night came to a close, we got to see a load of freestyles, a sack full of laughs and a great night for Hip-Hop, from Philly or otherwise. Shouts to Dom P, Big O, the Rap Pack, Elucid, Has-Lo, Small Pro, Curly Castro and anyone I might have forgotten who helped put this night together. It started a fire within me (and others), and should only mean good things for the Beat Garden, Public Axis and RTD crews. Thank you, Philly.
All photo credits go to Liz Padova; check out her "Hip-Hop Shows In Philly" album on Facebook. There are also some pics and a review over on Phrequency, which I believe are from @livefromphilly.
[recap] Freestyle Invasion (4/18/2009)
Last year, there was one of those "freestyle revival" shows out in the Philly area that my wife wanted to go to. Short story short, we never made it, but I made for damn sure that the next time one of those shows came to the area, we were going. I let you guys know last month that Trenton's Sovereign Bank Arena was holding the Wired 96.5 Freestyle Invasion, with a massive number of artists, from TKA, George Lamond and Shannon to David of Nice & Wild, Rockell, Sa-fire and the lovely Debbie Deb, who posed in the picture above with my wife and myself.If you're not up on Freestyle, you probably don't live on the East Coast, or don't have Latin friends who grew up in the 80s. It's essentially Club music, but with an ill Pop-feel, with a host of good singers adding catchy hooks and lyrics to the infectious beats. While it still thrives in the clubs in my surrounding areas, as well as on the radio, it seems like heads outside of the NJ/NY/Philly areas (as well as spots like Miami) don't really know about it. Those who know, though, come out in DROVES! The Arena was packed last night, with mad Freestyle heads singing every word, dancing up and down the aisles, which I rarely see anymore. True heads really getting into this sound that many might not be into? It was ill, and I'm not the biggest Freestyle fan.
Debbie Deb is a classic example of what Freestyle is about. She started out in 1984 with two club staples: "When I Hear Music" and "Lookout Weekend", but due to the usual label politics and bullshit, she ended up not eating off of her huge tracks like she should've, but almost left the scene entirely. Hearing her last night, you'd think she wouldn't be as on point as she was. Her voice sounds just as good as it does on those classic 45s; just check her performing "When I Hear Music" live last night:
You hear that crowd, singing every word? It was like that for every track! I was looking for my wife after the first intermission, and snapped a pic of Deb, who was meeting and greeting with fans in the lobby; I told her my wife was rockin' during her performance, and she was like "where she at!?" - so my ass, I ran and got her. Snapped the above pic; Deb also said she's got some new music up on her MySpace - I recommend you check it out!
One of the things I wasn't feeling was the sound - in some spots, it felt like there wasn't enough bottom to the bass, it was more mids, like they weren't rockin' with the right amount of sound there. That wasn't the kicker, though - the boy David (of Nice & Wild) fame, he was performing the classic "Diamond Girl", but ran into some issues - mainly the soundguy (or someone) futzing with the sound. I'm not sure what he was going for - the beat slowed down at one point, he had some chick with a guitar our there rockin'; here's the damn-near 9 minute performance, complete with David walking off stage:
He came back on later, and ended up giving a similar performance. Sa-fire also had audio difficulties, but ended up singing acapella, which the crowd loved! The event ended with TKA (complete with corny entrance), but most of the heads were leaving the arena at that point. All-in-all, a fun event, and definitely something my wife loved going to - she danced for the better part of the night, and I just smiled, sippin' on the Henny flask, glad she had a good time.
Freestyle lives!
Katt Williams It's Pimpin' Pimpin' Tour [recap]
Off the rip, I wanna shout out to my mom for buying my wife and I these tickets for our anniversary. One of the best nights out we've had in a while.Now, sue me for being biased, but Katt Williams is one of my favorite comedians out there (Chris Rock is my #1, just off consistency). So seeing him LIVE in my hometown? I'm definitely there.
First off, I want to talk about the before show-festivities. After having some fondue and doing some last-minute housework, wifey and I get to the arena to hearing a blaring speaker, complete with a white dude saying "It's Pimping Pimping" over and over and over and over. 30+ minutes of this is not fun, but due to 1) the doors not opening 'til 7PM and 2) the lack of shit to do around the Sovereign Bank Arena, we just grinned and bore it.
Now, in cities like Chicago and the ATL, I imagine niggas really put on their Saturday-night best for a Katt show. And I saw a few oddly-patterned suit jackets hanging down to the flo', but for the most part it was ho-ish looking females and random guys (a few with Diddy's NO BITCH ASS NESS tees on), with a few chuckles (this dark Black lady with yellow fingernail polish, and this big chick with biker shorts, a lingerie top and black patent leather boots on were the top), but I digress. We get inside and have some pretty bland hotdogs, some hard french fries, and check out the "merchandise", AKA some badly-painted murals of Katt that you could take photos in front of. We passed.
Now, before I get to actually sitting down, I must say that I was smart enough to pack a flask of Southern Comfort in my wife's purse. I know, wtf you do that for, but I wasn't expecting to see the beer sales they had! I kid you not, regular bottles of Smirnoff Ice and Bud Light were like $6 and $7, which isn't horrible if you go bar/club hopping. But these niggas were selling "big bombers". A big bomber is a 22 ounce bottle of beer in a 24 oz cup, being sold for fucking $10! I mean, I can walk a block from my house and cop 4 22's of Heineken for $10, what in the fuck makes you think I want to sell out loot for that. I did anyways (lol), but I mainly didn't want to tap into the SoCo early.
OK, so I finally get to my seat, which isn't on the floor, but isn't in the section before the nosebleeds, either. Perfect seating, although being on the side, a nig does get a cramp in his neck (and those seats were not comfortable at all). We get introduced to DJ CJ Flash (I think that was his name), who was tearing it UP on the decks. He was going through some older favorites, playing shit like Method Man & Redman's "Y.O.U.", EPMD "You Gots To Chill", Special Ed's "I Got It Made", a host of A Tribe Called Quest and this SICK blend of Mary J. Blige's "Real Love (rmx)" with Biggie over Pharoahe Monch's "Simon Says". Too dope. He delved into some classic Soul jams, and at that point, the show was on it's way...
The host of the evening was D'Millitant, who I didn't recognize at first, but then I remembered that he used to be on Comicview back when D.L. Hughley and Cedric were the hosts. He was the MC, and spent like two seconds on stage before the first of two MCs from Katt's Kattpack Records imprint performed. The first was some cat named something like Pitch the Game Shifta or some shit (EDIT: dude's name is Klutch, as per Lady Di in the comments; peep her review of the D.C. show from the 10th of May). He was iight, nothing too major at all. I found it odd that his song was entitled "Who Is That", when I was asking myself the same thing. He then went on an extended acapella rant about pleasing females that was met with decent reception. The next was this ill MC named Xplicit Lyric. She didn't have much in the way of stage presence, but she was definitely a hot spitter, hotter than the Game Shifta. She did her introductory track, then did a 2nd track about Mr. Oh Boy, aka some dude chicks see and be like DAMN!, or "oh boy". Decent work. She spit a sick acapella and then was gone. After those two, it was time for the funny...
D did a short set that was interrupted by these ignorant ass young heads in front of me trying to figure out whow as in the right seat, and a shiftless nigga ticket checker dude who a) kept shining light in my wife's face, b) kept checking the tickets of this Rican mother sitting in front of us and c) just being an oaf-ass nigga. I'm glad he finally left, and I didn't miss too much D funny (he had his moments, but wasn't too quote-worthy). This woman by the name of Simply Cookie was the first comedienne up to bat, and she was the truth (my wife actually dug her more than Katt). She was the first to bring up the price of gas, and her "with the price of gas!" line was referenced all night. She also had some funny ass pieces about her 17 yr old son, smoking weed, ladies getting tissue paper stuck in their coochie hairs (my wife's favorite bit), being a ho and weed, whcih included her doing a rendition of Alicia Keys' "If I Ain't Got You", making it an ode to chronic. Too funny. She lit the stage up.
Next up was Leslie, who I remember seeing recently on Def Comedy Jam. She is a damn fool, but so damn funny. I remembered the bit she started with, breaking down the roles each females play in their group. She went off doing a lot about relationships and crazy people, and I fell out. She ended her show asking chicks of they suck dick, went right into the front row, all up in a bitch face like "you sucking dick? you sucking dick? you sucking dick? you sucking dick?"; it was kind of annoying at some points, but it was funny.
Once she got off the stage, the fog was alive and Katt came out to a standing ovation. Dude got right into it, first cracking on fucking tall chicks like Leslie, then he just went IN! His topics covered everything from Obama and the election to his son being put on ritalin. His theme of the night was "getting in tune with your star player" and just worrying about yourself and your family. My favorite comedians are always niggas who seem like motivational speakers, and can weave their real life with some real talk. Katt is that to the nth degree, and he's damn fucking funny while doing it. Whether he's talking (and mimicing) tigers before they eat people at the San Fran zoo, or if he's recanting a story about showing off his motorcycle skills to his people, he is just that dude.
The one bit that surprised me was his piece on the Flavor Flav roast. The first admission was Katt saying that, when he asked to see the script, he was told there wasn't one - he was told to write his pieces, and the writers would be writing everyone else's shit. How wild is that. Come to think of it, I cannot recall if Katt was reading off of a paper, but aside from Ice-T and Snoop Dogg, the majority of them were reading off of paper! Now, I get why Katt says he didn't raise hell b/c of the amount of money he was getting paid, but I don't agree with it. Flav said he doesn't give a fuck what anyone thinks, but still, you got kids, man. Katt said the kids ran off crying due to the way they were dogging Flav, which I admit I did laugh at, but in the context of it being something that seemed more genuine. A team of writers feeding these lines to people comes off super wack. I'm back and forth on that one.
All in all, I came home a bit hoarse, from the roaring and laughing. That's the sign of a great night. I spent time with my lady, who is the love of my life and my right hand, and I got to see one of my favorite entertainers at the top of his game.
What more could a nigga ask for!?
The Wire, Season 5: "-30-" [recap]
It's really over. XXX. Fin-i-to. Done and done. And while most things change, The Wire shows that everything in stays the same - maybe different faces, but the same old shit. So is life...McNulty & Freamon ended up getting found out and got off, although I find it hard to believe that McNulty can live the civilian life. Freamon? He's good with a beautiful woman and some antique dollhouse furniture to sell. McNulty? He is just, as Landsman said, "natural poh-lice". You see how quick he figured out that copycat murder? That nigga still has it in him...
While I don't think it was funny, I found myself laughing when Bunk and Kima realized that the latest death was a copycat. Bunk is chewing McNulty out on the sly, mainly due to the cameras and shit out there. I missed the Bunk in a lot of these episodes - him playing it close and on point didn't give time for him burning his clothes or any of his other escapades. Great scene for the "black liar".
You knew from jump that Carcetti was going to sweep the whole fake serial killer angle under the rug. He had no choice if he wanted to keep his career going - and everyone had to fall in line as well. Sad part is, everyone pretty much got away with it - aside from Chris Partlow and Monk, everyone else is either dead or out of the game (on both sides). And what gets accomplished? Scott Templeton gets an award...
That tense scene with Scott yelling at Gus was just what I had been waiting for! Scott so frustrated as everyone was disbelieving him, and his "it's in my notes" cry ended up getting Alma moved and Gus demoted. But it seems like Gus was happy, at least his replacement was a great, truthful writer. Scott I assume left the Sun to go on to USA Today or some other rag, and the cycle just kept on moving from there.
Where was Clay Davis in this episode?
How sad was the whole scene with Dukie and Prezbo. You could smell the horse manure and spot the vials cracked up in Duquan's shoes. I had a feeling he would turn to that life, and would joke about it, but seeing Dukie shooting up - that was just deep. On the flipside, it was ill to see Michael become the new Omar. I assume he's not gay, but it was dope to see that revenge manifest itself in Michael sticking up the older gods.
Oh and ROFL at Cheese getting so cocky and getting his wig pushed back by Slim Charles. That needed to be done, and although Slim cost the Co-Op $900K, he saved them a load of headaches.
Fuck Carcetti. I knew he was a snake, and Daniels was 100% right for wanting to burn Carcetti with what he knew. He had no choice but to quit, though - he would be hurting his ex-wife as well as his white lover. Man can't burn both bridges. And plus, we got to see Valchek's sly old ass up in the mix!
LOL @ David Simon's cameo in the newsroom. Tres Hitchcockian! (Peep Salon.com's interview with Simon.)
I mean, what else is there? I was pissed as hell at Herc for snaking his way into the limelight, even though I guess he sees himself fucking the system that fucked him - although I don't think he was Sarge material at all. TV Squad thinks Levy knew Herc jacked the cell #, and maybe he does - essentially, they used each other, and are about to cake off on this case.
And Marlo. Can't escape the streets. I must admit: I saw him as a cocky, arrogant ass. I realized with this episode, though, that he was the smart guy. He knew he could get out the game with serious bread, and do what Stringer Bell couldn't. Levy saw it, too. Levy would let Stringer go on those meetings and get bled, but Levy seemed to look out for Marlo. In any case, Marlo just loved that power. He had to get out on that block and taste his own blood, make sure he could still do it. For that instant, he was satisfied... and I honestly believe he could live without the game. He's a businessman, right?
In the end, like I said from jump, it's all cyclical. Someone has to get shot in the leg. Someone has to become the new commish. Someone has to be McNulty. Someone has to keep the gears moving. We all do, just to get by. Thing is, The Wire was about showing you where the holes are, and exposing you to what might work in shifting those gears. The thing is, like with global warming or our presidential parties, we're too stuck in our ways, and afraid of change. We know what would be good for us, and expect so much, but don't realize that life isn't all glitz and glamor. Why do you think Omar caught a slug in the dome from a kid? You wanted that hail of bullets. As great of a character as Omar was, he was still a stickup man. They don't cover stick-up men in the paper, the fuck make you think he deserves some blaze of glory. Life doesn't work that way, and until we take shows like The Wire seriously and start to make a change, shut the fuck up about things being different.
I will miss this show. It spoke to the people in the struggle, and showed the bigger picture in regards to the ills of our society. I loved every minute, every frame, every milisecond of speech. I'll miss Bunk's cigars and Marlo's scar. Clay Davis' wit and McNulty's grit (as well as the tits of the chicks he boned). I'll miss Kima's voice and Carver's hard choices. Freamon's wisdom and the many dumb-ass characters throughout the show. Bubbles' will and Slim Charles' ill cool. Prop Joe and Omar. Avon and Stringer. Bodie & Poot. Prezbo. Randy. Gus. The Sabotkas. Norman. There's so much I love and truly appreciate about this show, and the words are meaningless right now. Go sit down with all 5 seasons, watch the quilt get made and then wrap yourself up in the comfort, knowing that real life is just that real.
Thank you for putting out The Wire.
Hit up the HBO.com synopsis on this finale, as well as The Wire Public Record being made.
The Wire, Season 5: "Late Editions" [recap]
First off, RIP Snoop. You went out like a true G, calm and collected. That "how my hair look" line was just smooth... I love how they did that. I also loved the noise she made to get Michael's attention when he was on the block: it was like a frog coming in with that prolonged "eh-yooooooooo" shit. So true to the hood - I hear niggas with that shit every now and again.Speaking of Michael, I thought that whole shit was great, although it was ultimately very sad. I can understand why Marlo & Chris wanted him to get got - they had no choice, and they had more trust in Snoop than Michael. You would just think Snoop would have set it up a bit better. Telling Michael not to bring his ratchet was too easy to pick up on, and almost insulting for a smart nigga like him to not see 4 steps ahead. He got the drop on her, and she had to applaud him. It's just wild that now he has to shuffle his fam and be on the lam. Bug looked SO SHOOK during that scene, it was a touching goodbye, and you got to see how deep Dukie and Bug truly got to be. Plus, having an auntie and a box of cash didn't hurt at all. Dukie - damn. Why do I see the prerequisite montage dealing with him sucking dick or shooting heron? I mean, he was going to live at the stables. TV Squad thinks that Michael was being cold as sort of a distancing mechanism, which I think might be partially true, but I also think that Michael was upset over Dukie's choice of where to be dropped off. Dukie came from that life, and was too smart to end up on that shit. The other thing that I thought was touching was the bit about the "piss balloons": I don't think Michael was trying to be cold, but think about it - Michael has seen a lot. A hell of a lot has happened in his life, and an afternoon of piss balloons and ice cream wasn't top on his good memories list. Michael is stone cold - he's a fucking man right now. Dukie is stil stuck in that kid zone, and that's what always separated them. It's a sad seeming end to their story, but I have a feeling Michael will come to play in the finale.
Oh, and big up to Bunny Colvin for rearing Namond into a debate speaker, although I wish we had seen a bit more of him. Nice touch, though.
Gus = a beast, as my boy Darryl would say. He is so close from sinking Scott, and the scene in the vet hospital where Gus was gathering the info, that's the nail in the coffin. He did so much fact-finding on the sly this week, and each time ended up with Scott being a liar. Do you truly see Scott going down the dumps, though? Those suits love that punk something fierce - I'm not sure how much dope Gus could put on the table to have Scott canned...
Now, onto the detail. I loved seeing them get the big bust. I literally felt happy. I bet Sydnor was happy to be in a detail that actually did something. Those glances Lester shared with Marlo spoke volumes, although it wasn't until the affidavit came out that they really got what was going on. The deep part is, Michael was gonna die over the whole "source" lie, which is going to be hard to crack. The dope was on the table, the bad guys were in the clink, and now... well, now Kima is telling what she knows. I understand why she had to do it, but I don't think it's right at all. I mean, the deep part is that cats were out there researching and working this serial killer case, but other cases got work, too - INCLUDING THE STANFIELD ORGANIZATION BUSTS! Morally, she's right, but it just sucks that she will be the one to bring this down.
Did you see McNulty sulking? Some thing it was the guilt... I think it's the spotlight. At the end of the day, without knowledge of what he did to get that wire going, Lester still looks like the superhero. McNulty needs that light shining on him, to let him know he still matters - that's why he goes out and fucks these bimbos, for the adulation, not the stats. He will get the publicity, alright, but on some Bunny Colvin, bowing out gracefully shit. I don't think he will go to jail, but based on the coming attractions, it looks like the higher ups know (including the mayor), and they are hellbent on making sure this stays under wraps. We don't need another Hamsterdam, do we?
It was nice to see that bust go down at the same time Rawls & Daniels are being told to bring down the stats. So funny.
What also had be cracking up was when Snoop and that kid were in Levy's office, telling him to cop to that plea b/c he was on crutches. It's kind of funny when you think about it - drug dealers don't have rest periods, they have 3 year bids. Ill idea.
What's not ill is how Herc is playing both sides of the fence, trying to figure out if there's a wire, when he's the fucker that started it up. I assume he's trying to keep his current job and cover his ass, but what if Carver told him "yeah, it was your number that helped us get Marlo"? He'd be gleaming...
Speaking of Marlo, how wild was that fire in his eyes?!? He needed to know who's name was being spoke in that hood! Almost like he could careless about the years, just keep my name clean. Keep me feared. At the end, that's all he's got. All anyone's got. Look at Omar - once that superman cape was taken off and he was reduced to a hobbler, a lil' hopper threw one in his dome. It's that simple.
It was good to see Bubbles, I mean Reginald, shining up there. He's the character I've loved the most, and seeing him clean and doing well for himself, especially after his journey, it's touching, and one of the lone bright lights within this series.
Oh, what was good with Freamon referencing Shardene when he was drunk, talking about she better be up? Are they fucking, or was he just joking, bringing back the old times? I'm checking Wikipedia now, and not only are they saying that Freamon has been wearing a wedding band (I think I saw that), they said that him and Shardene were sharing an apartment!? Wow...
Oh and LOL @ Freamon getting all that info from Clay Davis. Spillin' the beans. I love it. And another LOL goes to the drunk working the evidence room. Another great slide of an old face in there.
I don't even want to comment on how next week will tie things up, but with a 93 minute finale, they have a nice window of time to end things right. Not "great" or "like I want it to be", but I have no doubt in my mind that in one of the best seasons of one of the best shows on TV, ever, they will do what needs to be done.
Check back here next week. Peep the HBO summary while you're at it.
EDIT - Here's the preview for the series finale
The Wire, Season 5: "Clarifications" [recap]
After it happened, I had no idea what was being said for the next 5 minutes. It wasn't until later viewings that I noticed that McNulty & Kima went to the FBI to discuss the outline of the killer. I couldn't even process what the fuck just went down. And in that instant, The Wire both murked off one of the most compelling characters on TV, and further established that they aren't fucking around, and never have been. We assumed it'd be a gun fight, not Lil' "UP MY ASS, GUMP" Kenard holding the pistol that offed Mr. Omar Little. This is more fitting, though. I had various heads who, like me, saw this episode last Monday, and just rewatch Omar walking into the store to pick up his "newpotes". His limp was gone. Weird, right? Take it a step further - TV Squad hit the nail right on the head: Omar was getting cocky, trying to get Marlo out there. That's not him. He either moved in the cloak of the night or had a plan hatched to do his work. He was out, bum leg and all, waging a one man army against Stanfield? In the daylight? Kenard saw him all fucked up and didn't buy the hype - and offed dude. You have so many youngbucks these days who don't have respect for their elders, and this is a proper metaphor for that whole way of thinking in the hood. Do the knowledge...I love how Jimmy McNulty is on some Robin Hood shit, now that Carcetti has given him unlimited OT, whips and carte blanche. Shit's getting out of hand, like dude who conned the trip out of Jimmy, but it is what it is. Carver half-knows, but I think that he is really just trying to appease his men, who were aggravated early-on due to lack of OT and other gripes. Kima, on the other hand - I could def. see her snitching. She was spending time researching, dealing with upset parents and the like, only to find it's all a hoax. And she was PISSED seeing Sydnor in there. WTF can you do though?
Speaking of Sydnor, I personally was kind of insulted that the whole picture message clock thing came down to using an atlas. Aren't there like hundreds of atalses in existence? Why am I failing to believe that Marlo is using the same exact atlas as the Baltimore City Po-Po uses? I mean, it works and is a very unique system, but come on. Marlo isn't that smart, and it's just a big coincidence. At least with the beeper messages, it made sense for their situation in the projects. This is just a bit eeh for me.
Shouts to seeing Poot again. I love how they are weaving some of my favorite characters from past seasons into this. Good to see him working... although this whole Dukie thing is depressing. Now this nigga is rollin' with the junkman!? Come on, man. If you aren't cut out for shit, take your smart smelly ass back to school. Why fuck with junkman? Riding on the cart like king of the swamp people - that's no life for a 15 year old. Why do I keep thinking Dukie is gonna end up a fiend?
The Scott Templeton shit is coming to a head, and I am glad Gus is seeing it. First the war vet takes Scott to task, bringing up that he didn't have to embellish, and while Gus was kind of skeptical, I like the way he handled it. Scott is the king of those sad faces - he wasn't feeling the whole "we gonna run a correction if it holds up" thing. Then, Gus cuts dude's lead, citing an "anonymous" source in the homelessness rally piece. Good for him. I hope Scott gets shut down for good.
What was good with Chris and Snoop being so pissed off all episode, Chris especially? I mean, I understand he didn't get Omar - but he looking like he did when he rocked Michael's daddy (more on that in a bit). I loved Snoop's "youngin' on some different opinion shit" comment, but Michael was legit. Why is Marlo putting up that front? He's looking really scared out in the street, regardless of Omar being shot. Omar still jacked how many of Marlo's stashes? Just doesn't seem right.
Big up to Beadie for leaving Jimmy for a day. I don't get why he broke down and told her about the hoax, but I guess he needed to get it off his chest and sort of connect with her - but with the way he's dogged her out, it had the adverse affect. When will she leave? She has all the ammo - what if McNulty gets arrested? She's now an accessory...
What was good with Lester trying to blackmail Clay at the end of this episode? What was he trying to gain/prove? I mean, Clay knows who he is fucking with - he just knows how to get out of it. Maybe Lester is trying to buy some damage control for something?
And I could give a fuck about Carcetti - all of his campaign promises end up dying as he eyes for his next seat, making deals with everyone he can to keep costs down/hidden. Fuck him.
OK, on to next week. Did you catch the previews for next week, AKA the 2nd to last episode? I think Chris is gonna get got. Just, everything was so focused on him, and then we see scenes of Michael in a whip with a gat talkin' that "you always told me to show up early" jazz that Chris spoke of earlier in the year. Plus, Bunk got that favor from Jimmy and flipped it into a postitve DNA match for Partlow in the murder of Michael's stepdaddy. A warrant has been brought out, and it looks like one way or the other - party done!
Also looks like Marlo is gonna feel the heat. With this "fresh line", I'd imagine they hit a stash or a big buy, and all hell is gonna break loose. It has to. We're at the end.
And what is HBO going to do next? OZ? Gone. The Sopranos? Gone. I can't watch Big Love or In Treatment or any of the other drama shows they make. Just not me. How is the void going to be filled? Enlighten me...
HBO has the full summary of this episode. I suggest you read it.
RIP Omar Little... Omar's Lament:
"Let's Bang Out"
Omar Vs. Mouzone:
Bunk & Omar meet:
Bunk Vs. Omar:
Classic Heist:
Robbin' Cheese:
"Young Omar":
Omar Vs. Mouzone:
Bunk & Omar meet:
Bunk Vs. Omar:
Classic Heist:
Robbin' Cheese:
"Young Omar":
The Wire, Season 5: "Took" [recap]
Start at the ending: how hilariously choice was Kima's "Goodnight Moon" rendition? If I had windows that looked out on the block, I'd do the same thing with my son. I thought that was a nice touch to a powerful episode - as well as the scenes where Kima was trying to assemble furniture, which just harkened back to the beginning of the show with McNulty's drunken bunkbed debacles. Very nice touches.Didn't I tell you that Bond was going to fuck the dog with that case? He went up there half-assed and Clay Davis was able to play the martyr and win over the predominately-Black jury. That shit was over from jump for Bond, and Davis' performance have essentially put the nail in any political dreams Bond may have had...
I loved the whole initial sequence, with McNulty putting on that accent and calling Templeton. I liked how Scott's fear was two-fold: while he was obviously shook over talking to a fucking serial killer, he was also generally shocked that this story he fluffs up in his copy was somehow "real". He was shitting himself - and don't think Gus didn't catch McNulty's "I guess this is working out great for the both of you" comment to Scott. Pure gold. You just wish that, at this point in the season, that Gus would just call Scott on the inaccuracies of his prose. Hopefully this comes soon...
RIP Savino. Omar was stone cold with that one. It seemed like he was 2 shakes from letting that nigga breathe, but again, going back to Season 1, the payoff was that quick murk, letting out some of that deep-seeded aggression and hurt from the Brandon slaying. He is just ruthless, and it looks like this showdown between Omar and Marlo is going to come to a head, quick.
Omar had a brief encounter with Michael (you think he recognized him from the apartment shootout?), letting him know the usual "Marlo is a bitch" situation, but Michael had bigger fish to fry: he had his first true trip downtown. Bunk brought Michael in for questioning in reference to the murder of his stepdad, and while he showed some wavering, he ended up keeping his cool and giving him the "fuck you" comment. Go 'head.
Wasn't that scene with the parallels to McNulty doling out work and Gus doling out orders so dope?
I also love how McNulty is now playing Robin Hood, and giving out his now over-abundance of OT, cars, etc. to help his fellow officers do real police work. In a way, his bullshit and manipulation has worked out for what they had been calling for since episode 1 of this season, although it was hard to see Kima going out and actually working this bogus case and having to hear the stories from the deceased's family. That's just wrong.
What's really good with the picture messages they are getting from the wire tap? I mean, this is a whole new dimension, and just doesn't really fit into what the Stanfield organization has been doing. Probably an interesting twist into what the times mean, though, ala the coded pager sequences from Season 1.
And at the end of the day, who gets the biggest applause? Carcetti. The mayor who hardly knows what the hell is going on in his city, gets the major props due to his now-pointed target at combating homelessness.
Next week is going to be episode 8, and should be a doozy.
I'm going to leave you with this bad quality (i.e. camera taping the TV) video of Dukie checking the want ads that turns into a strip tease:
Enjoy!
related links:
HBO.com summary
TVSquad.com review
The Wire, Season 5: "The Dickensian Aspect" [recap]
The Stanfield Organization is wild. How they could have canvased Omar's hideouts, all of the hospitals in B-more, and every sewer, nook & cranny in the hood, but did not hit the fucking janitor closet in the building the shootout happened is beyond me. I guess they figured Omar's "Spiderman shit" had him flying all over the city, and not limped up with a fucked up leg.Did anyone get flashbacks of Avon, season 1, putting out bounties on "the cocksucker's head"? Does Marlo not know how that one ended? What makes him think he can change history? He can't strongarm Omar like he did Fat Face Rick, Prop Joe, Hungry Man and the rest of the Co-Op (or, well, what was left of it; looks like Marlo did away with that). Didn't you like how Slim Charles came with the "I ain't no CEO" line, then Cheese looked at him like "nigga you dumb"; Slim knows what it is - the more responsibility, the easier Marlo will be to cap your ass if you fuck up.
In any case, this show was so great but hardly for this battle, and while I did love seeing Omar get back to his roots, hobblin', blowing up SUVs full of money, this one was all about the suspense in the serial killer angle. How McNulty could fix his face to be upset with Freamon, and say some shit like "you are a supervisor's worst nightmare" is rich, based on the past 4 seasons of McNulty's drunken debauchery. He acts as if Freamon was the one who came up with the original twisted plot that seems to only want to end badly. Can it be that it was all so simple, that lil' Jimmy concocted a scheme to take funds for a fake crime spree and conduct his own surveillance on a real spree, only to have much national acclaim and next to nil funds thrown at it? You'd expect him to understand the check writing side of things a bit more swiftly. It's all about the wrong zip code: the war on drugs is dead, and unless you hit a magic patch of money, there's really no point in trying to fight it. Now, McNulty (and Freamon, and Bunk, and Sidnor) face a situation where they could be in orange jumpsuits, shackled in a cell, for falsifying records and murders! It's too late, though.
How hilariously tragic was the whole sequence of McNulty running that homeless man from B-more to VA, trying to create a kidnapping. From the looks of next week's previews, that shit comes back to bite him, hard. No quick fix in this one; no easy cribbing of dates & numbers to make up fake reports. This is real life, and I suspect real punishment coming down on our tragic hero.
I miss Gus about as much as the good folks at TV Squad do. We were told this year would focus more on the newsroom, but aside from Scott Templeton's downward spiral (upward ascension?), we've got not much. More press conferences with shots of notepad-clutching reports and less newsroom drama. I'm so tired of Scott, lying about phone calls and shit. I felt bad hating him, though, b/c he actually did his job this week, and that whole "look ma, no hands" bit was crazy real. Very well done.
That cat Bond is gonna fail. He wants all of the glory trying Clay Davis, but is going in with an unloaded pistol. He needs the fire of the shit Freamon gave him, but doesn't want this to go federal. I know you wanna be mayor, but fucking up a career case is not the way to go.
In terms of everything else, this show had some ill cameos: seeing Snitchin' Randy forced to be that hardcore nigga a year after being thrown in the group home was upsetting, but that's how he has to live now. He learned his lesson, and wants out, but won't snitch to do it. And seeing Nicky fucking Sobotka at the port opening was hilarious. Speaking of which, Carcetti's comments about the lack of media coverage at said opening was true and a nice touch, although his slimy "homelessness, eh" comment made me want to throw up. I hate that shit.
Why does Nancy Grace get to be on The Wire? I hate her.
We've officially hit the halfway mark; I think the downward slope is coming, and niggas is about to get hit - hard.
related links:
HBO.com summary
TV Squad.com review
The Wire, Season 5: "React Quotes" [recap]
OK, where the hell did Omar go? Is he Spider-Man or some shit now? I mean, he stepped into that gun battle totally outwitted (his plan was seriously just to storm in, knowing that armed heads were in there), got his boy murked, and ended up jumping out the window?!? And then went totally missing? I laughed, but damn, where the hell did Omar go?What's good with Vondas giving Marlo a cellie? I want to know what super-technical hackery those Greeks have that will not make their drug dealing so painfully obvious? Whatever it is, when Freamon tried to tap it, he got some kind of fucked up message (shouts to Herc on the help-out). And he just thought it was that simple. While I am not convinced of Marlo's leadership or intelligence, that nigga is crafty and knows his way around a few things. Very intriguing character...
I am still amazed with McNulty's serial killer. I mean, dude is making up murders, and all of the sudden, Templeton is plodding him for info, trying to further sensationalize the situation, just so he can look good to bigger papers that want those grandiose stories. It's such a crazy paradox, I can only assume that shit is going to get too hectic for McNulty and he is going to have to bite the bullet and admit what the fuck he's doing. This shit with Templeton is only going to get worse before it wins prizes.
The thing is, McNulty will get too deep. He thought he was going to get bells and whistles, but with Daniles tightening the reigns (due to Carcetti's trap-shut wallet), all he got was Kima, who is busy working multiple homicides dolo. It will be too late before Jimmy cools off, kind of like with his situation with Beadie. Homegirl came to his job on some "yo is he cheatin' on me" shit, and Bunk had to stand firm and be like "yo he's working a big case". McNulty's (fly) ex-wife knows he is doing Beadie dirty, but Jimmy's head is in fantasy land. You can only hope that she just decides to quit Jimmy before it's too late...
It's so awful, but anytime Kennard gets fucked up, I laugh. I busted a gut when Michael beat his ass for jacking Namond's package. This week, when Dukie smacked the shit out of Kennard, I died... until Spider rushed him. Dukie needs to realize that street shit ain't in him. He talkin' about carrying, but is scared to shoot. Damn shame, because he has no choice - either accept your hand and learn to play your lane, or go off the deep-end and get his freeze on. The convo with Cutty was so deep, with Dukie asking how the hell one gets out of B-more (or the ghetto) into the rest of the world. Cutty, a man who saw the crime side but is now trying to do right, can't answer - he's still here.
Everyone with me: "sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeit". Clay Davis is that nigga. He's out there without a boat, a paddle, or a check. He just has his balls and his gift for gab, and he is using both to try and turn the tides on this grand jury trial. Nerese shut him down, though, letting him know the bennies of keeping trap shut. Kind of wild, to live so high on the hog only to be shut down for the good of the party.
This show gets deeper and deeper as the series winds down. We're at what, 5 episodes left? We've been told that loose ends will be tied. I sure hope so. I can't wait for next week!
related links:
HBO.com "React Quotes" summary
The Wire, Season 5: "Transitions" [recap]
First off, RIP to Proposition Joe. Kind of crazy how last week ended with Butchie getting murked. This week, Prop Joe is sending flowers to Butchie's funeral, and the ep ends with Joe getting capped. Cold, too. Fuck Cheese, that's my word. I can understand you wanting to own a piece of the pie, but you don't have to cross your blood doing it. I can only imagine how hard Omar is going to fuck Cheese, though - was getting your hands on Hungry Man really worth it? You had to sell out your unc? Prop Joe was one of the illest characters on TV - remember how he fixed that East vs West ball game in Season 1? I also just loved how he went from an interesting recurring character to one of the more main heads as seasons came. Kind of deep, and ironic, how The Greek and Vondas were going back and forth about "trusting Joe" and picking up that insurance policy. I have a hunch that Marlo might not be as ignorant as he looks, and that he might be playing this somewhat smartly.Who else is playing it smart? Freamon, who is showing McNulty how they have to play the serial killer angle. I thought it was odd that McNulty seemed almost reluctant to work the angles. How you gonna create a case in your spare time? In order to not get caught, you have to get deep into it. And deep he did - you saw that homeless den he crept into? And who noticed "Fifty" from the docks living down there? That was so crazy that they threw him in there! I guess he went on a super bender. Or is that another critique on the decline of the docks in our life? In any case, Freamon sees what a case like this could do for Major Crimes... but you can't go sloppy with this.
Speaking of McNulty, I like how Beadie finally confronted him, but he was so drunk and off into serial killer-land, he wasn't having that convo. She needs to just leave his shit on the porch and lock the door, if not for her than for the kids, but who knows what she will do. He needs to get out of her life, though. He isn't built for a relationship.
I thought it was kind of deep, and telling, that the D.A. didn't want to go along with the "headshot" on Clay Davis. I guess that case moving up to the Feds would cheapen the acclaim this guy could use when he tries to move up the ladder in the future. And the fucked up part is, what if these other charges don't stick? You saw how quick Clay was to turning the tide around in front of the reporters - the court of public opinion is a mother. Something like an $80K in false loans? Should be a no-brainer... but cats are trying to make a name for themselves as opposed to serve the greater good...
Scott Templeton is one of those guys. This prick was more concerned with interviewing at The Post (who seemed nice but wanted someone with a bigger name) than trying to nail down the Burrell resignation. Shouts to Twigg, who got the ball rollin'.
LOL @ Burrell not even speaking to Daniels when he was explaining his case, but being willing to bitch to Nareese about his file. Why is that whole file so damn secretive? Was Daniels taking ends from a drug case he worked on, or did he just keep trap shut? And why would Ervin keep him around so long, except to keep him as his puppet? Now that his boy is moving him out, he's ready to talk? Bitch move. Another bitch move was Colicchio getting so mad at Kennard punking him that he roughs up a teacher - then gets pissed b/c Carver has to write him up. What did he expect - that he could haul off on anyone and not have to pay for it? Fuck out of here. The whole police department is hilarious. Full of monkeys.
LOL @ Marlo's "did you ever find that camera" comment to Herc.
LOL @ Michael's mom trying to get back in his life. Like he really trying to give her ends to sit around the house and fuck their life up. Yeah, right.
Where's Poot? He came back round the end of Season 4 and just left the hood?
Check out the preview for next week's episode, "React Quotes":
Why does Dukie need to shoot a gat? Who else cannot wait for Snoop and Omar to really go at it? Looks like Clay Davis is playing hardball to stay afloat, and Daniels is having that heated argument with McNulty and Freamon over their "work", which is getting more Sun play.
Things are heating up!
related links:
HBO.com summary on "Transitions"
TVSquad.com review
The Wire, Season 5: "Not for Attribution" [recap]
First and foremost, RIP Butchie. You were true to Omar until the very end, and they didn't have to do you like that. I felt for you when you got shot in the legs, and then that final cap bust, I almost shed a tear. Omar definitely shed some tears, as we saw. Kind of crazy, Omar became the legend in another city, but was the smiling giver instead of the cold taker. Nice flip, but based on the previews for next week, the doo rag still fits, and his trigger finger still works (did you see him grab Slim Charles at gunpoint? wild)... Chris & Snoop did that work for Marlo, and while Snoop questioned it for a bit, her blind acceptance is kind of disturbing.What is more ignorant than disturbing is Marlo's thinking that he could just romp with The Greek like it's nothing. I loved him getting punked, being made to "clean" his money. And the spot at the end, when he went to check his offshore account (that teller was a smoker, no?), he looked like he was going to straight rip through the window, as opposed to calming down and trying to compose his frustration. The deep part of all of this is that, while Prop Joe is showing Marlo his deck, he is also sealing his fate; once Marlo gets all the ins and outs from Prop Joe, what use will Prop Joe serve? I have a feeling that, no matter how legit he is trying to make himself look, his beef with Omar will be his downfall. You can't play both roles, we already saw that with Stringer and Avon. I don't see any amount of money in any non-US bank being enough to pay for the bloodshed that's going to come once Omar rains down on the Stanfield org.
Speaking of the org, did you peep out Michael and Dukie out at Six Flags, macking it to some "that's so cool!" breezies? And that snitch nigga Monk who stepped to Michael with that "Chris already knows" bullshit, I wanted Michael to hit him. Michael knows that the murder game isn't him 100%, but where does he have to go? To his fiend-out momma? To school? Nah. He will just have to dig in deep and keep it moving, I'd guess. It's a hard knock life, but I'm not sure if Michael is ready to leave it...
One person who might HAVE to leave is McNulty, who took his "create-a-serial killer" fiasco to new heights, by not only copping red ribbon to match one he found on an open case, but affixing it to his corpse AND writing it into other cases! It took him a bit of noodling, and a lot of hate from Bunk that got ignored, but he got his vagrant killer into the papers. No one truly gave a fuck... until Freamon got word of it. I had to laugh when he started considering how to make it work ("sensationalize" is the perfect idea), but it's a bit dark, no? And the whole "we have to kill again" shit, and their scene in the previews? Too heavy. I feel for Bunk, b/c he is not trying to rat out his boy, but he is firm in knowing he can't fucking be a part of it. I did find it odd that Bunk kept with the "at __:__ in the morning?!?" when he saw Jimmy drinking (and props for McNulty fucking that chick on the carhood, then holding up his badge. Priceless)... too sad. In the end, I think it's just kind of telling that "ghetto murders" cannot get the play that blonde, missing cheerleaders in Aruba get. And you may think "damn, this is off the mark!", but The Wire has trekked on this turf before. Remember Hamsterdam?
I feel bad for Alma, who is doing great newspaper work and keeps getting slighted. She got her story on the triple homicide chopped then thrown under the fold, and her story on McNulty's serial killer is hardly great work, considering the situation. She was up all early, ready to grab that paper. Humph. At least she's doing it the right way, as opposed to Templeton, who is content to conjure up stories and quotes to appease the suits who he thinks will allow him to progress to a larger paper. With the recent shakeup and letting go of many employees, it might be a good idea, a win-win, but I think he's in for a rude awakening.
I dug how the McNulty killer arc mirrors Alma's story getting cut: those who died were living in the wrong zip code (triple homicide/20+ vacant murders) - and how odd is it that both of these are tied directly to Marlo!!!??!?
Aside from all of that drama, the leaking of the possible shakeup of Police Commish has Burrell wylin' out. Daniels is shook b/c he thinks Burrell is liable to bury him with the dirt in his past (I hope this comes out - we've been teased with this shit since Season 1!); it's Burrell's fault, for all the stat-juking over the years, regardless of whether the money is there, the overall crime rate is still too stagnant.
Clay Davis (and crew - shouts to Ashy Larry!) is on thin ice, as the grand jury case is underway. Expect him to give an impassioned speech in episode 4.
Expect Omar to come out with a bang!
Who was it that Marlo was telling to close their eyes and breathe easy? Omar? Prop Joe? Michael? Oh lawd, I hope it's not Michael!
In any case, another dope episode. HBO On Demand niggas, we can peep episode 4 all week!
related links:
HBO.com synopsis on "Not for Attribution"
TV Squad review
The Wire, Season 5: "Unconfirmed Reports" [recap]
Straight up and down: I didn't see any of this McNulty-retwerking-crime-scenes shit coming at ALL! I mean, I figured the whole convo about that guy in the morgue would have some kind of meaning, but McNulty, who is delving deeper into the drink, to start reconstructing these natural deaths into twisted homicides was just mad unexpected. And adds a layer to Jimmy that was never seen before. We've seen him pout and kick desks, undermine authority with a wink and a smirk, but him doing a 180 and trying to, I don't even know... is he crafting some kind of absurdist art gallery in response to the dwindling finances of the police department? Voicing his frustration over the lack of concern for the 20+ bodies pulled from the vacant buildings? Or is he just trying to amuse himself and solve crimes sober that he creates while drunk? Who knows... but I am with Bunk on this one. And based on the previews of next week's episode, it looks like Bunk and McNulty might be falling out over this.Seeing Avon Barksdale brought a smile to my face. It looks like Marlo and his crew are trying to parlay with The Greek directly, instead of going through Prop. Joe, which is a good idea, but it cost Marlo "100 large" upfront just to get a sit-down with Sergei, who was not receptive to Marlo at all, but looks like he might be warming to him. Marlo's power struggle is only starting to come to a head, what, now that he realized that Major Crimes isn't on their ass anymore.
Chris and Snoop are already cracking heads, and were sent to straight merk some shittalking associates. Michael was in on the hit, and showed his green nature by questioning everything (he must realize - no matter what he knew as being real and reasonable, that drug game is a different beast - there are no rules anymore). I half-thought he was going to pop off on that lil' kid who ran out the back of the house, but you know he saw his own brother Bug in that kid. How his reluctance to complete the job will play out in later episodes remains to be seen - we don't know if Chris and/or Snoop even know about the lil' dunn that got away...
The other burgeoning story involves the Baltimore Sun, who has a conflict between Gus and the white man in charge, Whiting. Whiting is a fan of Scott Templeton's, to the point where he's pushing him to get more coverage. While Scott spoke briefly about wanting to get to a larger paper in the premiere, you can see how "new" he is, trolling around the Orioles opener, trying to obtain statements and, ultimately, coming up with crap. What does he do? He writes a story, which Gus immediately suspects, but Whiting doesn't have Gus' eye, and pushes it through. Stories like Scott's (poor black kid in a wheelchair can't get into the game) sell papers, and would be ill if there's correlating info to back up this kid's existence. My assumption is that the story was fugazi, and I also think it will propel Scott out the door into his wish. Will that be what he truly wants when he gets there, though? Ah, the rub...
A couple of other points: Freamon telling Sydnor how much of a "career case" the Clay Davis debacle is, while still staking out Marlo's crew; Freamon and McNulty fucking with the FBI dude in the parking lot; Avon throwing up the Dub; every scene Bubbles was in this week was wild, esp. with his talk of the "dope fiend lean" - homeboy is a great actor, and he is playing the SHIT out of that role.
Oh and that whole "west coast drive-by" gone awry had me ROLLIN'. That cat really though they were gonna Boyz-N-The-Hood it, but he forgot that you gotta have AIM!
The forthcoming episode looks like it will be the one to watch: hell starts breaking loose. I love it.
What did you guys think?
related links:
HBO.com summary of "Unconfirmed Reports"
TV Squad review
The Wire, Season 5: "More with Less" [recap]
What a return to form. For a show that has gone through so many changes in terms of a central location and theme, it's good to see that Season 5, the final season, can both establish new obstacles while retaining the underlying dread and depression that it wore on its sleeve in Season 1. From Major Crimes getting the shaft to McNulty drunk dialing his lady, lying about his behavior, to Marlo Stanfield always wanting to get his piece, and being bold and outlandish about it, to the Homicide Unit still solving murders with a Coke (or in this case, a bag of Mikey D's) and a smile, The Wire has kept its fierce, pointed commentary on a city in ruin, and is continuing on its path of giving you the raw and the real from both sides of the law (or the political desk, or the newspaper page)...
I must say, the entire intro to this episode killed me. The "TRUTH TRUTH FALSE" had me confused for a second, but once I realized how they had homey hooked to a copier, and seeing how shook he was (as well as how quick he was to incriminate both himself and his quarter-pounder loving boy) had me dying. It's also an interesting parallel to the whole media/newspaper scope this season is being seen through: you have different methods and means of obtaining the truth, most of them dealing with deception, but in the end, the truth does come to the light.
Did anyone else feel bad for Carver up there, in his Sergeant gear, getting bitched out by his co-workers? Cop morale being low is a constant throughout the series, but this is showing police at a fever pitch, ready to explode due to loads of overtime and no monetary gain. It's not the top brass' fault, though - Carcetti is the man who has shifted all police funds to the schools, due to his not picking up the $50 million the govenor offered him last season. It's kind of funny how he stood on a platform to make real change and his reign is already mirroring many cash-strapped cities who have to divert funds that aren't there, and end up hampering quality work, like with the Stanfield case.
Freamon has said time and again, if they had kept the taps going, they could have had Marlo and his boys by now. Alas, shit got switched up, they are no longer using burners, and after a YEAR following these cats, they are no better up on the 20+ bodies that got pulled from the vacant buildings. It also doesn't help that Marlo and Chris seem to be not only so aware, but so eager to flash their seemingly-untouchable status in their faces (LOL @ Chris asking Daniels where the Criminal Records office was; BTW, WTF was he looking up Sergei's picture for?)...
Marlo is also showing off to the New Day Co-Op. He openly challenged both Proposition Joe and Slim Charles as to what they were going to be doing with the new territory and leadership. Slim was smart to be cautious of Marlo's intentions, and I can only imagine who will draw first blood if Marlo truly wants to horn in on those corners. Elsewhere in the Stanfield org, we got to see Michael and Dukie again; Dukie has no pull with Michael's crew, which is no surprise - Spider says Duke is "acting like a bitch", and we all can figure that Dukie truly isn't made for that life. Was Michael's delegation of Dukie to being Bug's "nanny" a good move? Dukie doesn't seem to think so - hopefully his time during the day isn't spent getting into some bullshit (drugs/crime/etc.).
I'm gonna say it right now: the Editor of the Sun, Gus Haynes, is the truth. I like the fact that he is a no-nonsense editor who wants to not only pull quality copy, but is also willing to question authority or WHOMEVER when he sees fit. The look on Nareese Campbell's face when she saw the story about Fatface Rick's club was priceless! I assume this is the story that will make/break the rest of the season, but who knows. The characters in the newsroom already bounce out, and you can kind of see where each one is going to go, but its still early to pin anything on anyone...
I do like seeing Bubbles clean, but he seems like a guy who is just not happy. Living in his sister's basement (when she's home), delivering papers... his life has gone downhill. He needs to be involved, but that involvement usually leads to heron. Hopefully he won't be a tragic hero...
McNulty's frustration is written right on his face. You KNOW he doesn't want to be back in Homicide, but until something pops off, he has to play that role.
And what's really good with Herc? Working with that crooked lawyer? I guess he wanted that guap, but did he have to get dirty? He isn't that bright, and I can only imagine how he will get bit in the ass, quick.
Did I miss anything? What did you guys think of the first episode of the new season? 1 down, 9 to go!
PS: I agree with Miss Info; that new intro song is kind of blah.
Related links:
CNN article on The Wire, Season 5 - I didn't realize how much animosity David Simon has for the real Baltimore Sun!
Simon also said he doesn't need any of your "little trinkets", Hollywood.
The Sopranos, Season 6B "Made In America" [recap]
While picking the picture to throw at the top of this recap, I realized this is my last recap, ever, of The Sopranos. Kind of deep when you think of it. I mean, while I KNEW that the show would end the way it did (although I, like many others, was half-way confused when the screen CUT to black and lulled before going to the credits), it hadn't truly hit me. I wanted to laugh, cry, fuck, freeze, scream... I was a ball of emotions in an instant.
And then I realized, David Chase (who wrote & directed this episode, something he hasn't done in a bit) won. Good for him, too. For as much as The Sopranos changed, the more it stayed the same. And for the legions of viewers upset with there being no "true" conclusion ('did they get whacked in the diner?' and other theories), listen up: Chase & company have been doing this since day dot. Let me ask you: whatever happened to the Russian in the "Pine Barrens"? That's just one question... I was waiting to see if the smell in the house Carm and the kids stayed in was Adrianna's dead body decaying.
This episode, however, played up all of the suspense and underlying drama that has been constant for six seasons. The cat staring down Chrissy's pic (and pissing Paulie off to boot); Paulie's most on-point insight about all of the heads of Ralphie's old crew dying off; Carmela's spec-house flipping used as a mask for what she won't face; AJ's descent into depression, and subsequent return to the spoiled little rich kid (you like how quick he flipped from G.I. Joe to Hollywood Ho); Meadow still being the smartest one of the bunch, with her dead-on commentary during the sake-bombs that seemed to almost make T cry; Uncle Junior, stuck in his rut (I mean damn, dude didn't remember running that crew!?); Janice still being the money-hungry bitch she always was; Phil still being heartless and cold in the face of opposition... the only change was Lil' Carmine finally growing a pair and speaking out to NY in favor of Tony. Good show.
Funniest part of the show? That would have to be proud granddad Phil Leotardo getting popped then the still-in-drive-SUV crunching that skull. Totally saw it coming, but it was handled so well, with the reactions of the gas station patrons accenting the way I was feeling. Good riddance to that heartless prick.
Saddest part of the show? There's two: Tony seeing Sil, who he came up with as a lil' roughneck, in the hospital, seemingly living the rest of his life not really living, and towards the end when T's eyes watered for Corrado. I felt the same way, b/c unlike the situation with Livia, where the perception was that she was faking her illness, there was no glimmer in Corrado's eyes. He was more concerned with the birds than whomever came to see him - although the scene with Janice where he saw Nica's pic and went on about the stove with the wet rag was priceless.
Now, the guy in the diner, the one with the Members Only jacket on who went into the bathroom, was that a nod to Eugene, who murked himself at the beginning of season six?
How choice was it for AJ to harp about foreign relations, and when his SUV burns up due to his error, his main retort is "we need to stop depending on foreign oil"? LOL... come to think of it, its telling how much real life mirrors this show, with the countless references to the Middle East and terrorism in this episode, as well as the entire season. And Agent Harris' "we're gonna win this thing!" exclamation had me ROLLING!
I could keep going on, but I won't I mean, I will just leave it at this:
As much as I love how Chase ended it, leaving things upto the viewer's imagination, and I would love to see a new series featuring some or all of the cast, or even a MOVIE (which was hinted at during the cast's viewing of the finale), I think they should just leave it the way it is. The show doesn't need to come back with the #45 on, for they ended on a great note. Do you think Adrianna's spirit is in the cat? HEY, go with it. Do you think the immediate Soprano family got knocked off in Holston's? HEY, run dat. Just let us keep it moving... in our own minds. My ending has Tony going on... Carlo (who I thought flipped to NY, but really flipped to the feds!) and his snitching gets Tony indicted, but T beats that one... but the cycle still goes on. Some day he might end up like Uncle Junior, he might end up like Johnny Sack. Hell, he might just grow old and die peacefully. Who knows!? I am just glad that I can ponder these questions, and the show didn't end on some definitive point. Life isn't like that... and neither is The Sopranos.
More Sopranos-related reading:
*EW gets the "no more fucking ziti!?" award with this one
*peep HBO.com's synopsis of the final episode
*dude at Slate.com seems to have hated this one
*do you really care about how a load of reviewers feel? they all end up sounding the same.
*Jeff Edlestein, a local columnist in Trenton, is on the right track - peep his catalytic converter spin
*some still question if that was really it...
So, unless there IS some kind of new Sopranos show or movie, this is khal, signing off for the rock the dub Sopranos recaps. For good.
The Sopranos, Season 6B "The Blue Comet" [recap+]
Bacala and those fucking trains. That makes twice now that him worrying about those trains got someone shot - only this time, he died over it. (One side note: I was wondering, while watching that scene, why they so dramatically dropped their guns. Slate explains the phenomenon.)
In any case, this episode was class. You guys have already seen it - and for the lot of you who have stopped watching The Sopranos for whatever reason, you've missed out on some of the best episodes of the series.
Do I have any idea on how this tale might end? No. I have suspicions that Paulie Walnuts flipped on Tony to Phil Leotardo, but that's just talk. When you think of it though, from Paulie snitching to Johnny Sack seasons ago, to the infamous painting re-touch to Paulie & Chrissy's battles - I think Paulie might feel he is owed more than he is getting. He has been both loyal and disloyal, so it's hard to pinpoint, but he is the most likely flipper.
It's wild to think that there is only one episode left. I kept telling myself "Oh, they never tie up loose ends - don't even look for it", but now I'm kind of upset that they won't, but I think that's mainly due to just missing one of the best shows I have ever witnessed. One of the greatest dramas ever to hit a television is leaving us in one week, and there is a heaping helping of unanswered questions. I could write a laundry list for a small African village, but what would be the point? The main concerns:
1) What will happen to Tony and his family?
2) How will this affect the rest of the families?
That's pretty much it. You watch a rerun on A&E and see how many of those main characters made it to the end. It's kind of wild when you really do the math...
The one thing that did get my goat was Melfi dropping Tony. No matter what the fuck he has done or said in the past, she stood by him. 7 years, and she was there. If she was uncomfortable, she had plenty chance to end it. Why end it now over one study? And do it so cold hearted. She fucked him and didn't even kiss him, then made him out to be the one in the wrong.
I don't know, I really don't know what else to say... Phil's a prick? We know that. Tony's in a world of shit? No wonder he has the AR-10 close! What more can I say but...
until next time. Finale this coming Sunday.
LOST, Season 3: "Greatest Hits" [recap]
Kind of fucked up how, even with Blogger's new AUTOSAVE feature, my fucking recap just disappeared. So here is my super condensed recap:
I wanted Charlie to die. Karl was acting very strange, as was Ben. What's up with the inconsistencies of the Looking Glass station? Is Jack's plan going to work?
suggested reading:
LostPedia's synopsis of this episode
trailer for the Season 3 finale
Doc Jensen's recap of this episode.
NAMASTE!
Rhymageddon
