If animal trapped call 410-844-6286, Baltimore traditional
The fourth season of The Wire brings what any new season of The Wire brings. New characters and a new setting. This time it’s the schools of Baltimore, particularly Edward Tilmond Middle. Randy Wagstaff, Nammond Brice, Michael Lee, and Dukie four friends, are all entering the 8th grade. They all have distinct aspects to themselves, Nammond is a wanna-be gangster, Randy is the salesmen, Dukie is the “oddball”, and Michael is their soft-spoken leader. They all have on thing in common though, they’re all trapped in one way or another.
Marlo Stainfield is the new King. With enforcers Chris and Snoop terrorizing the streets, and “disappearing niggers” left and right, the drug trade has changed. Bodie is one of the few remaining Barksdale people still on a corner, but is bought out by Marlo and is now working for him. In a way, this is Bodie’s season as much as it is the kids. Throughout the season he’s contemplating if he’s getting old. Though, he can’t be more than 25. The corners have changed, there’s no honor left in Bodie’s world. His rise through the ranks has been well documented on the show, a true soldier if there ever was one. But if there is one rule to The Wire, it’s that the best characters, are often the most likely to be eliminated.
The theme of this season, education, is displayed not only through the schools. We see Greggs learn the ropes of the Homicide Division, Marlo learn just what it takes to be The King, Carcetti learn that being a full-time politician is exactly what it’s brought up to be, and of course Bodie learn that people like Marlo, have to fall.
Each child is befriended by an adult character on the show. Each thinks they have a way of saving the kid in question. Dukie is befriends by Prez, who is now a teacher. Prez sees the children bully Dukie because he doesn’t shower often, and is just the dirty child of a classroom. Prez brings Dukie clean cloths and allows him to use the school showers. Though this helps his appearence, Dukie still goes lives in a home of drug addicts who don’t love him. Dukie is promoted to High School halfway through the year, much to his dismay. On his way to his first day at a new school, Dukie becomes afraid and decides to return home, to a life on the corners. In the final montage, Prez sees Dukie on the streets dealing. He appears to be defeated.
Nammond is befriended by Colvin, whose now working on a pilot program involving corner boys. Colvin’s attempts at rationalizing an irrational industry are seen again, as he’s trying to civilize these corner boys more than anything. At first Nammond can’t stand the sight of the man, but he grows respect for the man, and by the end of the season doesn’t want to be soldier anymore. Nammond is the son of Wee-Bay(former Barksdale soldier) and idiolizes his dad at first. Then both Wee-Bay and Nammond realize this isn’t the life for Na. The street has changed, and Nammond would die on those corners. Wee-Bay allows Colvin to become Nammond’s guardian, telling his wife D’Londa(whose reluctant to Nammond giving up the life of a solider) that why should Nammond be a gangster if he can be anything else?
Randy’s story may be the most tragic. Through many coincidences Randy finds himself in the center of Major Crimes current investigation into Marlo. He tells the police nothing of importance, but that’s not the word that gets to the street. He’s outed as a snitch among his classmates and Prez begins to regret telling Carver about Randy. Carver however is the one to befriend Randy, attempting to keep him from going to another group home when his current foster mother is injured because of Randy’s ’snitching.’ Though unlike Nammond, Randy is not saved. He is taken away to another group home, where he is still tagged as a snitch, recieving a beating from other boys soon after his arrival. Carver is devastated.
Michael is befriended by the most unlikely source. Chris Partlow, a Stainfield enforcer. Michael earns Chris’ respect after refusing to take free money that Marlo was passing out to the local kids. At first Michael wants nothing to do with Chris and the business with which he deals, but when an old enemy returns to his home, he has no choice but to ask Chris for his help. The old enemy is Michael’s mother’s old boyfriend, who previously molested Michael. Chris has an odd understanding for what Michael wants, leading us to believe Chris was abused too. Chris delivers one of the most heinous and violent deaths ever put on to screen. After this, Michael is one of them, learning the ropes to being a gangster rather quickly. By seasons end he has his own corner, and has killed his first man. Michael went from the soft-spoken nice boy, to cold-blooded killer.
I go back to Bodie, whose story comes to a close in season four. After being arrested for kicking a police car(an action caused by learning Marlo had a friend of his murdered) McNulty picks Bodie up at the courthouse after getting the charge dropped. However he’s spotted by a man working for Marlo, and is quickly reported, and a hit put out for him. McNulty takes Bodie to a park where they reminisce. Bodie comments on how Marlo is simply killing people for the sake of doing it. On how he’s not a snitch, but Marlo has to be taken down. McNulty comments on how Bodie is a real soldier. He responds “hell yeah.” The next scene with Bodie is his last. Chris and Snoop are attempting to come up to Bodie’s corner but are spotted. Bodie’s friends tell him to run but “this is my corner, I ain’ runnin’ nowhere.” However, Bodie is snuck up on from behind and shot dead. Dead on the corner.
I’m going to be blunt here. The fourth season of The Wire is a fucking masterpiece.
