I really enjoy this season of The Wire, but I can't help but feel that it's coming up a little empty compared to previous seasons in terms of plot progress. Let's break down the elements:
The Cops: Lt. Marimow, a stock charachter with no motivations or background, ruins the Major Crimes Unit. Herc, a bumbling idiot, digs himself in deeper and deeper over the lost camera. His indifference toward Bubbles leads his best C.I. to turn on him, giving Herc bad information and causing him to rough up a minister. While this may be great for Mayor-elect Carcetti, who may now have the support of the ministers to oust Burrell, the BPD plot is painfully thin. Are we really supposed to be satisfied with little to no interesting police work all season long, only to have the moronic Herc act as kingmaker, not once, but twice?
The Gangs: Unlike Stringer Bell and the Barksdales, we know nothing about Marlo Stanfield, who appears to be an entirely uninteresting cold-blooded bad guy right out of central casting. One day in Season 3, he doesn't exist, the next, he's competing for the West Side with the Barksdales, this season, he's nearly free and clear. Chris and Snoop seem like they could have an interesting backstory, but we never hear about it. Is hs cops-and-gangsters motif supposed to be on hold this season while we learn about the hopelessness of the school system?
The politics: I think last night's episode holds the record for the longest "Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet" of the series. Bravo, guys.
The schools: This is where the action is supposed to be, and I suppose that we are learning, through Bunny and Prez, how things work. Perhaps most the most illuminating parts of the last episode was Namond's arrest odyssey, which had a fantastic (if predictable) conclusion when Bunny brought him home to his fur-clad mom. I certainly can't wait to see what will happen to Michael and Randy in the next episode. So why do they get such a modest slice of the show's running time?
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