Episodes 5 and 6

"Just 'cause they're in the streets doesn't mean that they lack opinions" - Ep.5

"If you got a problem with this, I completely understand" -Ep.6

I've been reading a fair bit about season five on other blogs and Salon. There's been alot of criticism about Scott Templeton's character and McNulty's serial killer, specifically that Templeton is a very two dimensional character and that the whole serial killer storyline is way out of character for McNulty. On the first criticism, I'd have to agree. One blogger mentioned that David Simon was involved in "outing" a reporter who fabricated stories during his time at the Balitmore Sun. Clearly Simon has some unresolved resentments against the newspaper business and he left long before people like Conrad Black started snatching up every paper they could get there hands on, laying waste to the staff and politicizing the content. I'm not entirely onboard with the serial killer criticism. True, it does seem pretty out of character for McNulty to start something this ... well, stupid, but McNulty has never been very good at reigning in his impulses. And he always has a typical alcoholic justification for why his self-destructive and selfish actions are really the logical result of the incompetence of others.

One one thing I haven't seen discussed in these other forums, and it is particularly evident in episodes 5 and 6, is how incredibly funny this season has been which speaks directly to the serial killer storyline. I have no doubt that the serial killer story is going to have tragic results but its still delivered us lines like "How do I write that into my bullshit homeless killer's M.O.?" and "I don't want to hurt your feelings, but I can see why Daniels cringed every time you opened your fucking mouth. You’re a supervisor's worst nightmare.". On top of that there's all the great facial comedy - Lester's look when Bunk starts talking about the homeless guy they kidnapped and Bunk almost constant look of impending meltdown whenever the homeless killer is mentioned. Its the kind of comedy that I've loved in The Wire - the best kind of situational comedy - a believable situation gradually becomes more and more ridiculous and only escalates as the characters struggle to hold it together for "a couple more days".

I've also been intrigued by the co-op storyline. I find it a bit unbelievable that the other dealers in the co-op have put up with Marlo for as long as they have. It was a real struggle to them to put aside there differences for the common good and just because Marlo has the best muscle, I don't see them taking this shit lying down and I think its starting to show. I'd be a bit surprised at this point if Marlo even survives long enough to get caught. No connect is so good its worth getting picked off one by one.

And that certainly was some "Spiderman shit" from Omar at the end of episode five. I've seen Omar pull off some pretty spectacular stuff but that must have been a five or six story drop, followed by an immediate retreat back into the building. It was sad to see someone finally get the drop on old Omar but he's started to turn the tables in episode six and hit Marlo where it hurts - his reputation.