Grid Effect

The season finale of The Wire entitled “Final Grades”, wrapped up its fourth season much like 1-3 before it: with a musical montage. And while this is usually a cheap tactic utilized by writers and producers alike to compensate for unoriginal storytelling, it is necessary for this series, there is simply no other solution to conclude all of the different plot lines that have developed over the past twelve episodes. I have a hard time determining if I am not good enough to watch this series or if it is actively making me a better person.

As expected, we saw the fate of the four boys we have come to understand at great depth unfold. And as The Wire is prone to do, by seasons end everyone is essentially cannon fodder for various revolving door institutions, “pons”, if you will.

Is there any chance Randy, Dukie or Michael can make it out of their impoverished misfortune? Not likely. Lets start with Dukie, his crack addled family is evicted from their apartment and all of their belongings are thrown out on the curb. They abandon him, he decides not too follow them to whatever slum-hole they opt to inhabit next. The dysfunctional school system forces him into high school despite Prez’s best efforts to halt the situation, this after Dukie has finally settled into this environment. Hell, any environment. Because of the mounting pressure, Dukie drops out and goes to work on the corner, most likely because he is living with Michael and feels a debt of gratitude too him. Does he have any chance of living a long, normal life? Well, he has no family, he is not attending school, he lives with an emerging sociopath and is now peddling drugs. Odds are probably slim to none.

Michael, the natural leader of the group, has now murdered a kid in cold blood, been handed a corner too run, invited Chris, Snoop and Marlo into his house and now his photo is up on the MCU drug hierarchy board alongside every other violent criminal we have seen in this series. What was astounding about that photo is how Michael looked no different from the Weebey’s, the Bird’s, the Monk’s we are accustom to seeing MCU target. As little as a few months ago Michael was leading the rival club into an attack of urine filled water balloons, now he is on speaking terms with the creepiest character I have ever seen on television. His transformation has been uncanny.

Randy, well, the sequence of events that had to take place for Randy to be sent back to the group home is frankly remarkable. To think this all started with a jilted girl falsely accusing two of her classmates of rape. One would think coming into this series, that if any of the four was likely to escape the societal ills of west Baltimore, it would have been Randy. He had a caring foster mother, he was resourceful, intelligent and goal-oriented. Every time I sit down too watch The Wire, I am reminded of the opening line of Match Point: “The man who said he would rather be lucky than good, saw deeply into life”. This couldn’t be more true for Randy Wagstaff, who was continuously caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Even despite all of his misfortune, after Carver did everything, literally everything he could so Randy could avoid readmitting into the group home up to and including offering to take adopt Randy himself, Randy said acknowledged Carver’s efforts and thanked him for trying. Unreal. He thanks the guy whom he feels is responsible for ruining his life. The last we see of Randy is him getting beat down by several of his roommates for being a snitch.

Randy probably has the best chance between the three of making it out, because Ms. Anna could either take him back in if she can heal properly or if Carver stays committed and goes through the process of legally adopting him, his chances readily increase. It will be interesting if Carver does stay true too his word. If we are judging by his reaction in his car, he definitely will, but my guess is in a matter of weeks Randy will be an afterthought for Carver, despite how he feels now.

And finally, there is Nemond, the one who was fortunate enough to find someone go the extra mile for him, and that someone is Bunny Colvin. In probably the most noble gesture in the history of The Wire, Bunny set up a meeting with Weebey in prison through Carver and Cutty, and convinced Weebey, the quintessential thug, that his son was not meant for the corner life. This incredibly eloquent scene resulted in two satisfying occurrences: Nemond, despite all of his shortcomings, got out of the game. And it resulted in Weebey coming too terms with how fraudulent his life has been (”Look at me in here, if anyone could be anything but a soldier then why wouldn’t they?”) while forcing De’Londa to give up their son. In fact, watching her cower and walk away powerless was really rewarding for me.

The resurgence of McNulty was inevitable, and in spite of his limited role this year, he was directly responsible for my favorite scene of the season, if not of the series. The exchange between him and Bodie was so significant and so multi layered, I can’t even express how thought provoking it was. It illustrated the dynamic between cop and criminal, Bodie’s stret code vs. his moral code, McNulty’s natural instinct for real police work vs. his commitment to Bea and his newfound sobriety. When he says at the end of Bodie’s justification for giving up Marlo, Chris and Snoop; McNulty just calmly states, “You’re a soldier, Bodie”. It was just the validation McNulty knew he needed. And its true, no one has been more loyal to the game for virtually nothing than Bodie. But with everyone he has known, admired and befriended from the past three seasons being dead except for Slim Charles and Poot, he probably realizes what a lie it is, then the callback to the chess scene from season one: “We like them little bitches on the chessboard” sealed the deal for me. I had to be carried out of my living room, just completely leveled with the perfection of the conversation.

Of course, Bodie is gunned down, defending his corner after Spyder and Poot bailed on him when they saw the ambush taking place. He was shot from behind by a random assailant (there has been much speculation online about whether or not that was Michael, and according to David Simon himself, it isn’t), while Snoop and Chris created a distraction jumping up and down between the cars. His death will ultimately lead to the fall of the Marlo Stanfield gang. Well, that and two dozen bodies being pulled from the vacants. The last cop you want tracking you is Jimmy McNulty, because he will screw everyone over just to put you in jail.

Marlo ends the season with, at least to the best of his knowledge, things on the up and up. He got to meet face-to-face with Vondas and his hat under Prop Joe’s supervision. Vonda’s really, really trust and respect Prop Joe. First he met with Nick in season two at his behest, now he is meeting with a young, notable drug dealer. Seems surprising. And even though Bunk foiled his plan to setup Omar, out of the co-op he is the least affected with Omar being at large. Simply because he now knows the supply hook-up personally and no one blames him for the shipment being stolen.

On the political end, much to the detriment of Bunny, Donnelly, Prez, all the teachers and all the students, Carcetti sold the schools short to feed his vanity. I guess we’re not supposed to be surprised, but one couldn’t help and be optimistic about his good intentions earlier in the season.

This was just a perfect end to what many believe is the most poignant, accomplished and emotional of the four seasons. I will definitely do a more cogent recap of all the themes and subtext of this series. I get so caught up in the recapping aspect of each episode, I always feel my opinion is set-aside because like I have said before, every single minute detail bares mentioning. To a great, if not devastating season: Cheers. Here’s looking forward to the next one.