tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post4071688015439943824..comments2024-03-19T05:50:19.572-04:00Comments on What's Alan Watching?: The Wire, Season 1, Episode 10, "The Cost" (Veterans edition)Alan Sepinwallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03388147774725646742noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-89245634626483831352009-09-18T17:42:55.754-04:002009-09-18T17:42:55.754-04:00I know I'm like a year past time on this one, ...I know I'm like a year past time on this one, but I wanted to mention that I think the reason the Kima Undercover scene works so well is because, up to this point in the show, the actual policework has been filmed in such a way that it's showing us how they do it. Sometimes it goes wrong, sometimes it goes right, but the cinematic language has been mostly instructional.<br /><br />And, through all of this, Kima has been a thouroughly competent cop so you don't really expect it to go wrong.<br /><br />So, while we're being taken on this undercover ride for the first time, we expect the show to do what it's done up to this point: Show us how an undercover job works. Because of that, we dont' really realize things are off until Kima does.<br /><br />My two cents.Dylanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16885873397614175129noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-5124070248349935782008-09-05T22:08:00.000-04:002008-09-05T22:08:00.000-04:00First time poster here. 1st of all, great write up...First time poster here. <BR/><BR/>1st of all, great write up on this episode. I just finished rewatching this episode, and I had to go online to see what someone/anyone had written on it. Blessed to stumble upon this post.<BR/><BR/>I must say, the thing that captivates me the most when Kima gets shot is the look in McNulty, Sydnor, Carver, and Daniel's eyes - they all (McNulty especially) have this gleam - a gleam of regret, alarm, and surprise when they hear the gunshots and are driving frantically to find the location of the shooting. Amazing acting on their parts.<BR/><BR/>Yall hit it on the dot already: we've got so much invested in Kima's character that this was a blow to the chest. Luckily I watched the Wire episodes in order so I had no idea how this would turn out.<BR/><BR/>This episode was definately the nail in the coffin for me - no turning back from this series. I had struggled through the 1st few episodes not used to this kind of television/art and this is when it finally began to pay dividends. Before I realized it, this show had subconsciously grabbed a hold of me. <BR/><BR/>One last note - that scene with Bubs and Kima was amazing. You have a picture of it at the top of the post and with good reason: it has this subtlety to it that The Wire has mastered. I especially loved when Kima says "What the ____ am I going to do with a clean informant? Did you think about that?"<BR/><BR/>Bubs, full of fiending and fleeting thoughts racing through his head, leans back on the bench not realizing the full depth of Kima's comment. Then he lets out a small chuckle. Brilliant.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-77332920805017292712008-08-12T15:19:00.000-04:002008-08-12T15:19:00.000-04:00Thanks, Alan. Based on that review, I'll wait to b...Thanks, Alan. Based on that review, I'll wait to be convinced that I need the bonus features.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-65049984735614505012008-08-12T14:58:00.000-04:002008-08-12T14:58:00.000-04:00Eliz, I have it but haven't had time to look at it...Eliz, I have it but haven't had time to look at it. My friend Rick Porter has a review <A HREF="http://www.zap2it.com/dvd/zap-dvdreview-thewire_s5,0,5236153.story" REL="nofollow">here</A>. Short version is that there are six commentaries, plus the two documentaries ("Wire Odyssey" and "the Wire: The Last Word") that aired before the season, but no other features (including none of the three prequels).Alan Sepinwallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03388147774725646742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-56579208636791108292008-08-12T14:56:00.000-04:002008-08-12T14:56:00.000-04:00Alan, have you seen the season 5 DVD set of "The W...Alan, have you seen the season 5 DVD set of "The Wire"? If so, would the extras be worth the purchase for those of us who recorded the episodes and already have them burned to DVDs?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-572171754244936332008-08-11T01:41:00.000-04:002008-08-11T01:41:00.000-04:00To anonymous @ 1036 and the one directly above me,...To anonymous @ 1036 and the one directly above me, really insightful observations. The depth of this show continues to reveal itselfdronkmunkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09324354314421977169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-43485749388366783442008-08-09T23:52:00.000-04:002008-08-09T23:52:00.000-04:00I remember being skeptical about Omar's reluctance...I remember being skeptical about Omar's reluctance to go to the hospital for treatment of his gunshot wound, fearing word would get back to Barksdale and they would be lying in wait for him when he left. Snoop's canvassing Baltimore hospitals to find out if her brother who fell out of a window was there convinced me otherwise.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-74563429728785233802008-08-09T17:07:00.000-04:002008-08-09T17:07:00.000-04:00The series scenes with Omar and Stringer are stand...The series scenes with Omar and Stringer are standout (as are those with Omar and Bunk). As for the Season 2 scene where Stringer is setting Omar up with Brother Mouzone, it's easy to overlook that the whole thing is Prop. Joe's brainchild.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-68164153549936619492008-08-08T22:36:00.000-04:002008-08-08T22:36:00.000-04:00It's not really important in the grand scheme, but...It's not really important in the grand scheme, but rewatching this episode I liked Carver's pig-out on junk food foreshadowing his command-inspired weight gain come season five.<BR/><BR/>I guess rip and runs are pretty good exercise.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-7889182288901206512008-08-08T15:57:00.000-04:002008-08-08T15:57:00.000-04:00I understand what you're saying about Wallace v Bu...I understand what you're saying about Wallace v Bug, but Howard County is way more populated than the Eastern Shore where Wallace was sent. Howard County is real suburbia; the Eastern Shore area is pretty rural. I know that they'd both be pretty foreign to a couple of kids from Baltimore City though.Abbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07870171611538822211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-45864845284694854722008-08-08T12:54:00.000-04:002008-08-08T12:54:00.000-04:00Re: AnonymousThere was a news item posted on TVSho...Re: Anonymous<BR/><BR/>There was a news item posted on TVShowsonDVD.com not too long ago which said HBO would do a 5-season set sometime around the end of the year. <BR/><BR/>http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Wire-The-Complete-Series/9915Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-22195099682743379992008-08-08T12:51:00.001-04:002008-08-08T12:51:00.001-04:00As one of those rare souls who started watching th...As one of those rare souls who started watching the Wire without having seen S1 (I started with S2 and later bought S1 on its first day of DVD release), I knew that Kima had been shot and lived but still found the end of this episode exciting. For me, the tension comes from the quicker-than-normal cuts during the sequence, the noise which almost drowns out the cops barking into their radios, and the fact that there is an intense sense of helplessness because the rest of the detail was too far away to be of any direct assistance. The cold, detached shot from Foxtrot which ends the episode is a perfect capper as well.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-50932110148674098152008-08-08T12:51:00.000-04:002008-08-08T12:51:00.000-04:00I got into the series very late and actually watch...I got into the series very late and actually watched 3 or 4 episodes of S3 before I went back and bought all the seasons. But even though I had seen Kima in S3 I was still genuinely afriad that she was dead. You knew Avon already thought Orlando was a chump and was going to "take care" of the problem. Having a girlfriend there wouldn't protect him and just that look on everyone's faces when the car's stereo was turned up said things were going to go really bad in a hurry.<BR/><BR/>Alan: The release of S5 on Tuesday makes me wonder, is there going to be some sort of super deluxe mega 5 season set with all sorts of bells and whistles that I can wait for or do I just buy it solo? I saw it live during the first run and have been watching/saving them on DVR from the 11 pm Sat on HBO2 airings so I'm in no rush to get a fix.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-55433321612179326662008-08-08T11:55:00.000-04:002008-08-08T11:55:00.000-04:00I had been enjoying the show in the episodes previ...I had been enjoying the show in the episodes previous to this one, and was certainly impressed by it, but "The Cost" is when I realized how <I>invested</I> I was in the show. I was absolutely convinced that they had just killed off Kima, and was none too happy about it.<BR/><BR/>Prior to this episode, it was possible to view <I>The Wire</I> as a bit of an intellectual exercise, but after the emotional impact of the episode (highlighted not only by the potential loss of a sympathetic character, but also by the geniunely adrenaline-inducing nature of the final sequence), you realize that the show also function as entertainment. Sadly, a few of the people I've tried to turn on to the show had already given up before this episode rolls around, but there's not much you can do when people are unwilling to put in the work necessary to achieve such a legitimate pay-off.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-49857128549273042952008-08-08T10:57:00.000-04:002008-08-08T10:57:00.000-04:00I think a big part of what makes the scene work is...I think a big part of what makes the scene work is that fact that people who've been watching the show by now absolutely <I>do</I> know something terrible is going to happen - regardless of if they know what - and so the whole scene, drawn out as it is, feels like an excruciating waiting game.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-71425988552792156542008-08-08T10:31:00.000-04:002008-08-08T10:31:00.000-04:00I think what makes the botched undercover scene so...I think what makes the botched undercover scene so effective is the noise. It really sounds like the world is ending around them, and kicks an already confused, frantic scene over the top.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-90317746158396310672008-08-08T09:17:00.000-04:002008-08-08T09:17:00.000-04:00I remember watching Episodes 9-11 (they're all on ...I remember watching Episodes 9-11 (they're all on the same DVD) in one night last winter. Just amazing. I've never been as tense watching a TV or movie as during the end of this episode. There were three main reasons for that:<BR/><BR/>-They spent 9.5 episodes building up Kima as a phenomenally likable character.<BR/>-The increasing dread/tension among the other detectives, who clearly like Kima a whole lot.<BR/>-The realism of the show convinced me that they wouldn't hesitate to kill her. With most shows, you can be pretty confident the female lead isn't going to get killed.<BR/><BR/>I feel like I need to go watch "The Hunt" now and I didn't even watch this episode.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-39714784778848092432008-08-08T08:54:00.000-04:002008-08-08T08:54:00.000-04:00This was a great episode - I always hear the polic...This was a great episode - I always hear the police helicopter when I think about it. One of the reasons I love season 1 as much as if not more than any other season is the action. "Game Day" and "The Hunt" finish with cliffhanger finishes I don't think we really saw in any other Wire episodes. The single-minded focus on the drug investigation in season 1 gave the show a certain type of intensity and excitement that wasn't there in other seasons with the partial exception of S3 and the final episodes of S5.<BR/><BR/>One other point, which you alluded to Alan: In Bubbs' testimony in the second last episode of season 5, he talks about sitting in a park both as a young man get high, and after he got clean, feeling the temptation to get high. It's a nice shoutback to his experience in this episode.Jarvis and Anitahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05337366763748255417noreply@blogger.com