The first episode of season 4 is pretty low-key, but it shows off one pf The Wire's greatest strengths- The way it portrays the generational, never-ending, "everything changes, but everything stays the same" nature of the "war on drugs".
In season 1, Bodie was just a hopper in the low-rise, but in season 4, he's running his own corner, calling the shots, but making sure he doesn't even handle drugs or cash. And now, we're introduced to a new generation of hoppers, including Namond, the son of Wee-bey, one of the heavy-hitters from s1. Both McNulty and Prez are burnt out from investigation, and being "real po-lice", with McNulty finally happy, doing the low-stress work of a uniform beat-cop, and Prez leaving the BPD entirely, to start working as a teacher. Sgt Carver has changed too, but in the other direction- Instead of the "bust heads- that's the Western District way" attitude he had in early seasons, Carver has taken Bunny Colvin's advice to heart, and is developing relationships, and an uneasy sort of trust with the street-level dealers on his beat.
This theme of "back to school", and everyone, both police and criminal, learning their place in the game, and bringing in a new generation to perpetuate business as usual, is all through this episode- Not just with the kids, starting class in their battleground school. But also in the police group-briefing, Carcetti finding his feet in the mayoral race, and the young kids in gangs, warring with fist-fighting and balloons of pee, when most of them will end up fighting for control of their corners with real guns, in a few years.
Plus, this season we get the series' coolest bad guys; Avon and String were great, and The Greek, Vondas and Eton may have been the most high-level, but Marlo, Snoop and Chris are the most cold, real, and scary of The Wire's targets, in my book.
In season 1, Bodie was just a hopper in the low-rise, but in season 4, he's running his own corner, calling the shots, but making sure he doesn't even handle drugs or cash. And now, we're introduced to a new generation of hoppers, including Namond, the son of Wee-bey, one of the heavy-hitters from s1. Both McNulty and Prez are burnt out from investigation, and being "real po-lice", with McNulty finally happy, doing the low-stress work of a uniform beat-cop, and Prez leaving the BPD entirely, to start working as a teacher. Sgt Carver has changed too, but in the other direction- Instead of the "bust heads- that's the Western District way" attitude he had in early seasons, Carver has taken Bunny Colvin's advice to heart, and is developing relationships, and an uneasy sort of trust with the street-level dealers on his beat.
This theme of "back to school", and everyone, both police and criminal, learning their place in the game, and bringing in a new generation to perpetuate business as usual, is all through this episode- Not just with the kids, starting class in their battleground school. But also in the police group-briefing, Carcetti finding his feet in the mayoral race, and the young kids in gangs, warring with fist-fighting and balloons of pee, when most of them will end up fighting for control of their corners with real guns, in a few years.
Plus, this season we get the series' coolest bad guys; Avon and String were great, and The Greek, Vondas and Eton may have been the most high-level, but Marlo, Snoop and Chris are the most cold, real, and scary of The Wire's targets, in my book.