"The Wire" on HBO

"your honor, motion to strike omar's zing from the record"
"sustained"

which in itself is a still a job that is based around keeping violent drug dealers in business, so to speak

ahhh... this is the bit i can't rly get behind. even rapers and pedos get to have legal representation.

i don't mind the scene *that* much, it's just that it crops up regularly in lists of best 'wire' quotes.

it's not an attack on the right to have representation, it's just pointing out that he benefits from crime. which is true of all paid defense lawyers but that doesn't undercut the criticism.

I think the reason people like it is because the "aaaah in your face Levy" element is funny.

I think a lot of it is made for affect. the face Levy makes, etc. And it ties into the whole idea that develops later about how the money goes everyone, and in some ways, everyone is complicit, so says Lester Freamon at least.

Levy also advises them on ways to launder money, unless I'm mistaken?

what is so hard to understand about this

not everyone is as smart as u

well the context is levy is trying to cast aspersions on omar's testimony because he profits off drug dealers and omar's like pfffft, who are you to talk? i agree the scene is kind of hokey but williams sells it.

yeah plus Omar knows that Levy isn't some public defender, but someone kept on retainer by Avon and his crew.

the wesley snipes in the courtroom scene in new jack city is better imo

this is BIGGER than nino brown! this is BIG BUSINESS!!

Nino Brown: I'm not guilty. *You're* the one that's guilty. The lawmakers, the politicians, the Columbian drug lords, all you who lobby against making drugs legal. Just like you did with alcohol during the prohibition. You're the one who's guilty. I mean, c'mon, let's kick the ballistics here: Ain't no Uzi's made in Harlem. Not one of us in here owns a poppy field. This thing is bigger than Nino Brown. This is big business. This is the American way.

LET'S KICK THE BALLISTICS HERE

otm

ain't no UZIS made in HAAARLEM

the director's cut has the lawmakers, politicians and colombian drug lords all put on trial and found guilty.

LET'S KICK THE BALLISTICS HERE

awesome

the director's cut has the lawmakers, politicians and colombian drug lords all put on trial and found guilty.

― ♖♕♖ (am0n), Monday, January 4, 2010 12:34 PM (38 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

we the jury find the ballistics kicked

there was some discussion here a while ago of the chess scene and why it's held as emblematic of how sharp the show is or whatever - with that, and with omar in court, i don't think it's so much that they're considered the best moments of the show, but that they're reasonably rare moments which epitomise what the show's about, that step back and summarise the dynamic of what's going on. they stand out from the text for being fully formed, quotable and standalone, compared to other moments which might be more niftily constructed, but are more specific in what they're dealing with.

maybe applies with chess more than omar in court, i don't know, but i can see why omar leveling the playing field and making broad transcendental comparisons would be popular.

eh the chess scene is too writerly and on-the-nose

omar-in-court is pretty clearly the writers just letting rip and having fun with a character they love. they do return to it thematically with clay-davis-in-court. the point, i think, is that the courts (or "the system" as a whole) grinds on with its boring mixture of corruption, incompetence and inertia, but every now and again there are moments of really flagrant and charismatic corruption that are a) interesting and b) might even bring about "just" ends in a perverse way.

well yeah - it's fairly rare in the show for someone to have the opportunity to "speak truth to power" - so when it happens, like in that courtroom scene, it's refreshing.

^^ argh this is what i mean. he isn't speaking truth to power.

but that's how it's presented in the context of the show!

exactly!

the scene and omar himself argue pretty strongly against the possibility of justice.

yeah he is not supposed to be "speaking truth to power" at all! it's just a nihilistic joke

xp - regardless of whether you agree with what he's saying, it is a refreshing moment, in the context of the rest of the show where almost no one directly criticizes those in power or is even given the opportunity to do so, and those that do are punished, while Omar is essentially rewarded.

people like that scene/speech for the same reasons we have a zing thread.

i shd resmallscreen this but i think mimicking the form of 'speaking truth to power' in order to sucker the jury might have been omar's m.o.

i don't think omar really gave a shit about convincing the jury of anything.

Levy isn't "power", he's a bent lawyer on the make.

what????

yeah i think the scene gets misread as omar "speaking truth to power" when its really more about a specific power struggle between levy and omar in the context of that cross-examination

its not like "damn omar u deep i have to think about that" its like "damn omar u just made levy look dum"

^^^ OTM.

?? that's what he was there to do, put the dude away who tortured and murdered his lover. he did it by lying and being charming and funny.

the jury convicted a guy of murder w/o much evidence, because a star witness was really charismatic. luckily/conveniently the convicted guy really did do the crime it issue, but it's not really a good outcome.

xps

well, i think it's supposed to be a bit of both - but primarily about omar zinging levy.

It ties in with a theme that comes up throughout the series: how far are should the "good guys" stretch the truth in order to get the right outcome. See also Kima refusing to ID one of her shooters, McNulty coming up with the serial killer case, etc.

people loving the chess scene is basically like people thinking "living a lie" is the best song on the dream's first album. sure, it's really good but there's so much better, less obvious shit that makes the show what it is. writers be latching onto obvious shit shocker

now i can't get "kickin it afroballistic" out of my head

really want to to be watching new jack city rn

I think the reason people like it is because the "aaaah in your face Levy" element is funny.

yeah, pretty much. I think it's weird that nobody has mentioned how charismatic omar is in this scene. he has a funny suit on, he's playing with his tie, he's reveling in a chance to incriminate sticky fingaz from onyx, etc...

I think that's mostly why people like the scene. that quote is the climax.

Next time I have a speeding ticket: "You got the siren, I got the radar detector"

ha, just heard Slaughterhouse quote the "plural of pussy" line in "Microphone"

I know that I should still start a thread and I will once we start watching this at work but thought I'd update since ppl seemed interested.

Things are still good. I am a little overwhelmed as I know have 20 ppl on my caseload. Most of them are young women but I have five guys. All of my girls are either already mothers or currently pregnant. This is an issue I'm trying to work out how to address. Even the ones who are struggling with one or more kids now are reluctant to get on birth control and I can't quite figure out why. It's sort of mystifying and fascinating and infuriating all at once.

I am going to drug court with one of my guys on Friday. He's facing 2.5 years but hopefully it'l be OK because he's doing really well right now. I am actually really invested in this kid already and am hoping with everything I have that things work out in his favor because I really believe he's ready to make a change. We'll see.

Got asked recently if I smoke weed. That was strange because I sat there for a second debating how to answer. The truth is that yes, on ocassion I do smoke weed. These days it's a rare occurrence but I didn't feel right lying so I didn't. I told the kids present the truth but we ended up in a really great discussion about moderation and control and life choices etc. Still . . . weird.

Am also now in charge of the GBLT group which is proving interesting and sort of amazing. We have three guys all under 20 who have all been involved in prostitution and it's just mind blowing to hear their stories.

Yeah, I guess that's it really. I still love it and tbh these young ppl teach me things every day and I can only hope that they're learning 1/2 as much from me as I am from them.

kind of impressed with where your life has taken you

Where - to the ghetto? I joke but my favorite participant is a 6 foot four Puerto Rican gay dude who is basically my new bff and has taken it upon myself to school me in ghetto talk/life etc. I've refused his attempts to get me to talk ghetto but the other night I busted out with ghetto speak and sorta blew him away. We bonded. It was good.

My wife had a hard time watching season 4 while teaching sp. ed in the bronx

Was given a book of essays on The Wire for my birthday yesterday. It looks to be an interesting read, but these things can go either way.

you want it to be one way