The Detail
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| “The Detail” | |
|---|---|
| The Wire episode | |
 |
|
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 2 |
| Guest stars | see below |
| Written by | David Simon |
| Directed by | Clark Johnson |
| Production no. | 102 |
| Original airdate | June 9, 2002 (HBO) |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| "The Target" | "The Buys" |
| Episode chronology | |
"The Detail" is the second episode of the first season of the HBO original series, The Wire. The episode was written by David Simon from a story by David Simon & Ed Burns and was directed by Clark Johnson. It originally aired on June 9, 2002.
Contents |
[edit] Guest Starring roles
- Peter Gerety as Judge Daniel Phelan
- Seth Gilliam as Detective Ellis Carver
- Domenick Lombardozzi as Detective Thomas "Herc" Hauk
- Clarke Peters as Detective Lester Freamon
- Jim True-Frost as Detective Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski
- Maria Broom as Marla Daniels
- J.D. Williams as Bodie Broadus
- Hassan Johnson as Wee-Bey Brice
- Michael B. Jordan as Wallace
- Corey Parker-Robinson as Detective Leander Sydnor
- Tom Quinn as Detective Patrick Mahone
- Michael Salconi as Detective Michael Santangelo
- Delaney Williams as Sergeant Jay Landsman
- Richard DeAngelis as Major Raymond Foerster
- Nat Benchley as Detective Augustus Polk
- Shamyl Brown as Donette
- Tracy Chaney as Poot Carr
- Erik Todd Dellums as Dr. Randall Frazier
- Michael Kostroff as Maurice Levy
- Brandon Price as Anton "Stinkum" Artis
- Dave Trovato as Lieutenant Cantrell
- Robert F. Colesberry as Ray Cole (uncredited)
- Jarvis George as Ronnie Mo (uncredited)
- Micaiah Jones as Little Man (uncredited)
- Unknown as Kevin Johnston (uncredited)
[edit] Episode recap
Detectives Bunk Moreland and Jimmy McNulty discuss the shooting of William Gant with coroner Dr. Randall Frazier in a morgue. While McNulty believes the Barksdale crew is behind the shooting, Bunk is skeptical about Gant's role in the Barksdale trial being the motive for his shooting. Bunk believes there was nothing to gain in killing Gant after he testified in the trial and sees the case as a "cold whodunnit." He plans to explain it to his superiors that way. He is concerned that McNulty is planning on investigating the case himself.
Lieutenant Cedric Daniels and the rest of the Barksdale detail arrive at their new office - a damp basement with little furniture; the only redeeming feature is working telephones. Meanwhile, McNulty visits Judge Phelan to inform him of the death of Gant, as he was a witness in Phelan's court. He also rebukes Phelan for using his name when he brought up the Barksdale organization with McNulty's superiors in the police department. When McNulty arrives at the detail office, he gets a cold reception and notices some new faces. He enquires of Daniels and discovers that he requested more manpower and these are the officers he received. As they talk, a new officer named Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski accidentally discharges a bullet from his weapon while demonstrating its light trigger pull to Detective Ellis Carver. The detail is generally amused by his incompetence but Daniels seems concerned.
Daniels visits Rhonda Pearlman, his liaison at the States Attourney's Office, to complain about his new men, describing them as garbage dumped on him by the unit commanders. He claims Polk and Mahone are two drunks from Property Crimes that haven't made a case in 10 years. He is also concerned about Officer Pryzbylewski, whom Pearlman states shot up his own car with his off duty weapon. He asks Perlman to complain on his behalf, as he feels that the Deputy Commissioner sent him a message by allowing the shift lieutenants to pick his new men instead of allowing him to hand-pick them. She refuses, suggesting that Daniels "make lemonade" with his bad situation. Daniels meets with another Lieutenant named Cantrell - Pryzbylewski's commanding officer - and asks Cantrell to let him take his best detective (Leander Sydnor) onto the detail to balance taking Pryzbylewski. Daniels then meets with Deputy Commissioner Ervin Burrell and Majors Foerster and Rawls. Rawls urges Burrel to order McNulty not to pursue the Gant case but Burrel decides that will bait Judge Phelan into involving the press. He orders Daniels to let McNulty work the case and suggests they hope that he fails.
Detectives Carver, Kima Greggs, and Thomas "Herc" Hauk observe and photograph Kima's confidential informant Bubbles as he marks members of the Barksdale organization by inviting them to wear colored hats. Kima takes charge of the operation and Herc complains to Carver that she does not have any authority over them as they are of equal rank. Bunk and McNulty visit D'Angelo Barksdale in the low-rise projects to discuss the Gant murder. Young drug dealers Bodie Broadus and Poot Carr are with D'Angelo. The drug dealers are naturally suspicious of the police officers. Bunk and McNulty try to assess D'Angelo's feelings about the murder by reminding him of Gant's position as a working man who wasn't even involved in the world of drug dealing (called "the game" in Baltimore). Bodie is pragmatic, saying that anyone who becomes a witness should expect repercussions. D'Angelo is reluctant to say anything and when he goes to leave Bunk and McNulty search him, find a pager and lead him off in handcuffs. Stringer Bell pulls up and witnesses D'Angelo's arrest.
Daniels approaches McNulty as he is about to interview D'Angelo. Daniels criticizes McNulty for again going around the department chain of command and straight to his friend Judge Phelan. McNulty tells Daniels he cannot trust him unless he sees that he is fully involved with the case. Daniels insists Kima sit in on the interview and McNulty reluctantly agrees. McNulty and Bunk try to convince D'Angelo that he was responsibile for Gant's death because it was his actions that caused him to testify. D'Angelo is moved enough by their argument to begin writing a letter to Gant's bereaved family, which the two detectives invented out of whole cloth (going so far as to present a framed picture of Bunk's children as Gant's). After the detectives leave the interview, Barksdale attorney Maurice Levy arrives. Levy is outraged that Barksdale wrote anything, going so far as to cuff him on the back of the head as they leave.
At the details office, Lester Freamon makes miniature furniture before Daniels gives a speech to his new unit. He names Greggs and McNulty as primary investigators. He partners detectives Mahone and Polk (from property), Prezbylewski and Freamon, Kima and Sydnor, McNulty and Santangelo and Carver and Hauc. The meeting is continually interrupted by construction workers. Mahone and Polk are only interested in the possibility of overtime pay. After the meeting, Kima and McNulty show the letter to Daniels. He is skeptical about its usefulness in building a case.
D'Angelo takes his son and girlfriend, Donette, to a party where his uncle and Barksdale crew leader Avon is cooking. Stringer Bell is also in attendance. Avon questions D'Angelo about his interview. D'Angelo reveals that the police had a large number of names of people in the Barksdale crew and he confesses his sympathy for Gant's family and displeasure that Avon did not tell him they planned to kill Gant. Avon is annoyed that D'Angelo believes that he knew best despite his relatively low position in the organization, but suggests they put it behind them and enjoy the party.
Back at the detail office, Kima has brought Bubbles in to put names to the drug dealers they had photographed earlier. He specifically identifies a man known as Little Man as muscle for the Barksdale organization. McNulty interrupts and offers them privacy but Kima allows him to stay. Other Barksdale crew members photographed at the terraces include soldiers Wee-Bey Brice and Anton "Stinkum" Artis and dealers Little Vic, whom they photographed but have no full name for, and Ronnie Mo, who is identified as overseeing tower number five. Other dealers with cards include CCO, Peanut (in charge of tower number four) and his second Roc Roc. Stringer Bell and Avon Barksdale are listed but not pictured. McNulty is impressed with the technique and surprised by the scale of the Barksdale organization. Bubbles reveals that he is working with Kima as revenge for the Barksdale crew assaulting his friend Johnny. Kima gives Bubbles some money and recommends he move to another area when he next purchases drugs, just to be safe.
While drinking late at night, Herc, Carver, and Prezbylewski decide to intimidate the tower operation - Herc tells the others they need to let the Barksdale crew know who they are. Prezbylewski hits a young man, Kevin Johnston, in the face with his gun for leaning on his car and talking to him disrespectfully. Johnston is blinded in one eye and Carver and Herc are even surprised at Prez's response. This prompts a hail of missiles thrown from the towers and then shots. Herc is hit as Carver calls for back-up but is not seriously hurt.
McNulty is awoken in his sparsely furnished and unkempt apartment by Bunk calling to tell him to look at the newspaper; the Gant murder is on the front page. Rawls is enraged and, after knocking files off McNulty's desk, orders Sergeant Landsman to move it out of the unit; however, it is another detective's desk. Det. Ray Cole asks Sgt. Landsman what he thinks the repercussions will be for McNulty and Landsman delights in explaining that McNulty will be in a lot of trouble if the story is linked to him (Landsman claims that McNulty has a better chance of a career if he is caught in bed with the deputy's wife than if the story in the paper is due to him). McNulty arrives at the towers to apologise to Daniels, but Daniels has more concern for his other officers' actions the night before. He berates Carver, Herc, and Prez for their lack of foresight, loss of property (the undercover police car, a Crown Victoria, has been stripped bare; two Kevlar vests and two radios have also been lost) and brutalization of the boy who is now in the hospital in critical condition. He asks them to admit who hit the boy and Prez steps forward, giving his reason as, "He pissed me off." Daniels instructs him to lie about his reasons and suggests an alternative story. He warns Prez that he must be convincing or he cannot protect him.
McNulty again visits Phelan, who denies being the one who started the story and quickly leaves McNulty. Later, McNulty drinks alone in his car, eventually getting drunk enough to stumble down an embankment chasing noises in the night. At home, Daniels has dinner with his wife Marla and she harangues him about the brutality. She tells him the best course is to not get involved, saying, "The game is rigged, but you cannot lose if you do not play." Bodie continues his business in the low rises while Poot, Wallace, and the rest of the dealers sleep. Daniels is awoken later with the news that the boy Prez hit has been blinded in one eye. [1][2][3]
[edit] First Appearances
- Lester Freamon: Elderly ex-homicide detective assigned to the detail from his post in property.
- Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski: Young and inexperienced detective with a history of erratic behaviour and a father-in-law in a command post.
- Leander Sydnor: A rising star in the Baltimore PD that Lt. Daniels requests for his detail.
- Augustus Polk and Patrick Mahone: Two alcoholic property detectives who haven't made a case in over 10 years. As they are nearing retirement age, they are only interested in overtime pay and are content to let their careers end while performing as little actual police work as possible.
- Randall Frazier: Baltimore medical examiner.
- Donette: D'Angelo Barksdale's materialistic girlfriend and the mother of his son.
- Marla Daniels: Cedric Daniels ambitious wife.
- Kevin Johnston: 14 year old drug dealer with the Barksdale organization who is wounded by Prez.
- Little Man: Barksdale organization lieutenant who handles resupply for the tower crews.
- Ronnie Mo: Barksdale organization lieutenant who runs a tower crew.
[edit] Title Reference
The title refers to the newly formed Barksdale detail (see picture).
[edit] Epigraph
| “ | You cannot lose if you do not play. - Marla Daniels | ” |
This line is spoken in a conversation with Marla's husband Cedric about his impossible position of running the Barksdale investigation while trying to further his career. Extended to the episode as a whole the quote can also mean that if you do not become involved with the drug trade, commonly referred to as "The Game", you will not lose your life. This is most obviously evidenced in the episode by the murder of William Gant, about which D'Angelo exclaims, "he didn't need to testify"; if Gant had chosen not to testify he would not have become involved in D'Angelo's drug trial and would have still been alive.
[edit] References
- ^ Episode guide - episode 02 The Detail. HBO (2004). Retrieved on 2006-07-26.
- ^ "The Detail". David Simon, Ed Burns. The Wire. HBO. 2002-06-09. No. 2, season 1.
- ^ Alvarez, Rafael (2004). The Wire: Truth Be Told. New York: Pocket Books.
