-God, it really is so good right from the beginning. Just throws you right in.
-This show really is all about snitching, isn’t it? Literally the first scene is McNulty convincing Snotboogie’s friend to snitch. And basically the second scene is William Gant and the security guard snitching and not snitching, respectively.
-AND McNulty talking to Phelan is another form of snitching, isnt it? He airs his org's dirty laundry with an authority figure outside his chain of command. And gets his higher-ups in trouble.
-Half-baked thought: David Simon has said The Wire is ultimately about systems and people’s inability to break out of them. Snitching is so important because it’s a way of trying to break out of the particular system you’re stuck in. By snitching to Phelan, McNulty shows us from the beginning that he is willing to break the rules of his system, but also that he does not recognize the dangers and consequences of doing so.
Lots more misc thoughts and a few screencaps under the cut.
-Stringer’s witness intimidation outfit with the suit + glasses + earring is ofc amazing, but Wee-Bey is also knocking it out of the park:
-Who do we think are in the pictures on Carver’s desk?? (also I find it weirdly endearing that he has an almanac lol)
-I saw the trivia that Seth and Domenick lived together while filming S1 and wow you can really tell. Their banter is just so natural and funny. "Motherfucker, we talking about piss!" has gotta be one of Seth's funniest deliveries.
-This first shot of Rawls is unreal. Horror movie levels of engulfed in darkness.
-I hate to say it but I get where Rawls is coming from here. It SUCKS to get called into your boss’s office and get asked about something you have no idea about with no warning
-"You remember the cop that tried to pin Gerard on Little Kevin?" Uh they reused the Little Kevin nickname right?? There's no way it's supposed to be the same guy?
-Avon's “You ain’t said one mutherfuckin thing I wanna hear” is an amazing line.
-THE ORANGE COUCH!!! Love that the first time we see it Bodie is perched on top, and likewise that Bodie's first appearance is on the couch. That's his home. He might just be a pawn but he is the king of that damn couch.
-I LOVE that Bodie gets this beautiful cinematic intro with the camera spinning around him. In these early episodes he really just comes off as a hotheaded punk (although he also is notably observant and focused), but it's like the show is telegraphing that you should pay attention to this guy. He’s the center of the Pit and he will only become more important.
-I love Wallace’s little shrug and “yeah” when D’Angelo says the setup they have is fucked up, even though he clearly has no idea what Dee means. Classic agreeing with whatever your boss says to get him off your case
-Bodie dislikes Dee sooo much right from the beginning, everything Dee does he's either glaring at him or shaking his head in disgust lmaooo
-I'm obsessed with Bodie's fashion choices. He really knows how to elevate a look with that extra little bit of attention to detail. Exhibit A, the asymmetrical foldup on his hat here:
-Man, I forgot that the boys beat Johnny bad enough to put him in the hospital. Jesus.
I’ve been rewatching The Wire and for some reason Wee-Bey’s face has had such a stranglehold on my attention any time he’s on screen and I could not figure out why, going so far as to exhaustively browse his IMDB, until today when I saw episode 11 and THERE IT WAS:
This gif now works both as a representation of what I saw AND the reaction I had upon seeing it.
