"The Detail" is the second episode of the first season of The Wire. It is the second episode of the series overall. It premiered on June 2, 2002. The episode was written by David Simon and directed by Clark Johnson.
Overview
After a witness is killed, McNulty brings his concerns about the Barksdale Organization and the newly formed detail to Phelan. Daniels must deal with insubordinate, incompetent, and impulsive officers. D'Angelo is wracked by guilt.
Title Reference
The title refers to the newly formed Barksdale detail.
Epigraph
"You cannot lose if you do not play." - Marla Daniels
Marla makes this wry remark after Daniels bemoans the politics of the Barksdale investigation. It may also refer to one's involvement in the drug trade. If one avoids narcotics trafficking or policing the drug trade, one avoids danger.
Plot
Detectives McNulty and Bunk visit Medical Examiner Randall Frazier at the city morgue to view the body of state’s witness William Gant. McNulty is convinced that Gant was murdered by the Barksdale Organization to retaliate and discourage future witness testimony. A reticent Bunk wishes to conduct a through investigation before antagonizing their supervisors.
Lieutenant Daniels and Detectives Greggs, Carver, Hauk, and Santangelo arrive at the detail's office in the basement of the Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr. Courthouse.
McNulty informs Phelan that a state's witness from his presiding case was murdered. McNulty urges Phelan to pressure the Deputy of Operations into expanding the investigation. Phelan refuses and instructs McNulty to convey the news to The Baltimore Sun. McNulty rebuts Phelan, believing press coverage would compromise the investigation, and reminds Phelan to not mention McNulty's visit to BPD administration.
Patrick Mahon, Augustus Polk, Lester Freamon, and Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski join the detail, irritating Daniels and McNulty. Pryzbylewski accidentally shoots the basement wall while demonstrating his light trigger pull to Carver. Prez tells Daniels he transferred from the Auto Unit, then to "Casualty Section," and finally to the Barksdale detail.
Poot and Wallace exalt the taste of the McDonald's McNugget. Wallace claims that the inventor must be successful while D'Angelo argues that the inventor is underpaid, underappreciated, and exploited.
Daniels visits Pearlman to criticize the detail's members, and Pearlman reveals to Daniels why Pryzbylewski was transferred repeatedly. Pryzbylewski fired his service weapon into his vehicle and filed a false report claiming he was shot at. The State's Attorney's Office intended to press charges until his political connections intervened. Daniels observes that the assignments are a message from administration to conduct a expeditious investigation. Daniels implores Pearlman to relegate his concerns to the State's Attorney's Office. Pearlman offers to inform her unit chief, a gesture she admits will be unhelpful.
Greggs, Herc and Carver perform surveillance of Wee-Bey, Stinkum, and Little Man as Bubbles places a red wide-brim hat on each of them.
McNulty and Bunk arrive at "The Pit" to question D'Angelo about Gant's murder. Bodie remarks that a witness's murder is inevitable.
A "Pit" dealer notifies Wee-Bey and Stinkum of McNulty and Bunk's arrival. The two enforcers depart for "The Pit" as Greggs follows, leaving Carver and Herc to continue surveillance.
Stringer Bell, Wee-Bey, and other Barksdale enforcers arrive in two SUVs. Bunk writes down the license plate numbers as McNulty arrests D'Angelo.
An annoyed Greggs observes D'Angelo's arrest and contacts Daniels.
Daniels bemoans his detail assignments to Lieutenant Walter Cantrell who reveals that Prez is the son-in-law of Southeastern District Commander Stanislaus Valchek. After much persistence, Cantrell acquiesces to lending Daniels his best officer, Detective Leander Sydnor.
Burrell, Rawls, Foerster, and Daniels discuss Phelan's communication about Gant's murder. Everyone but Daniels believes Gant's murder is unrelated to his testimony and Rawls offers to punish McNulty. Burrell reminds Rawls that McNulty's removal is not an option as it will provoke Phelan into contacting the press.
Daniels arrives at the Homicide Unit with Greggs to rebuke McNulty for circumventing authority again. Daniels agrees he wants to conduct an effective investigation but instructs McNulty to remain communicative and include Greggs in D'Angelo's interrogation.
McNulty, Bunk, and Greggs exploit D'Angelo's evident guilt to convince him, using a photo of Bunk's children, that Gant was a devout family man whose death orphaned three children. D'Angelo writes a letter to the children expressing his sympathies. Legal counsel Maurice Levy retrieves and berates D'Angelo.
The next day, Daniels assembles the detail to announce partner assignments. Detectives Greggs and Sydnor, and Herc and Carver will target drug dealers. Mahon and Polk will remain available to work specific leads. McNulty and Santangelo will review open homicide files to manufacture a fresh prosecution. Pryzbylweski and Freamon will perform clerical duties in-office.
McNulty and Greggs attempt to convince Daniels that D'Angelo's apology letter has import, which Daniels dismisses.
Avon and Stringer Bell host a church community gathering. D'Angelo arrives with his partner, Donette, and his eleven-month-old son.
In the detail office, Greggs and Bubbles label the surveillance photos of the Terrace dealers on a bulletin board. Although Bubbles emphasizes his cooperation is pro bono because of JOhnny's beating, an impressed McNulty gives him twenty dollars.
Avon inquires about D'Angelo's arrest and admonishes him for writing the letter.
That night, an inebriated Herc, Carver and Prez arrive at Franklin Terrace and Prez strikes the eye of a young boy with his service weapon. Terrace residents begin to throw bottles and other items at the trio.
The next morning, Bunk contacts McNulty to read the front page of the Sun. McNulty discovers a front-page article in the Sun identifying William Gant as a murdered state's witness.
At Homicide Unit, an infuriated Rawls instructs Landsman to remove McNulty's personal effects.
An infuriated Daniels arrives at the Terrace to discover Carver, Herc, and Pryzyblewski's service vehicle is destroyed. Daniels reveals that the mother of the young boy Prez hit is filing a formal brutality charge at the Internal Investigations Division. Daniels instructs the trio to rehearse a version where they claim the Terrace residents initiated violence and Prez's attack was an act of self-defense.
At the courthouse, Phelan informs McNulty that he did not notify the Sun but merely provided a quote when contacted.
Marla Daniels criticizes her husband for protecting his men and observes that the detail's investigation is an unwinnable career move.
That night, McNulty drinks, the dealers of "The Pit" rest while the dealers of the Terrace continue to traffick drugs, and Daniels is informed that the young boy Prez hit was permanently blinded in one eye.
Appearances
First
- Lester Freamon
- Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski
- Leander Sydnor
- Walter Cantrell
- Augustus Polk
- Patrick Mahon
- Randall Frazier
- Donette
- Marla Daniels
- Kevin Johnston
- Wintell "Little Man" Royce
- Ronald "Ronnie Mo" Watkins
Cast
Notes
- Guest star Erik Todd Dellums previously appeared in Homicide: Life on the Street as recurring drug kingpin Luther Mahoney.[1] Reviewers have noted the similarities between the Homicide storyline involving this character and the plot of The Wire's first season.[2] Creator David Simon has admitted a tendency to re-cast actors he has worked with previously on Homicide or The Corner in roles on the other side of the law; in The Wire Dellums plays a medical examiner, Randall Frazier, who recurs over the course of the series.[3]
- Although not shown in sequence, the vehicle used by Carver, Herc and Prez when they first appear in the projects is a 1999-2002 Ford Crown Victoria, the car that's supposed got burned down during the riot. Later on the episode, when Detective McNulty comes on the scene, the vehicle burned is a 1992-1994 Ford Crown Victoria. It is possible to see the difference due to the taillights, windshield, and windows being different.
References
- ↑ Rob Owen. "TV Reviews: Networks aren't taking it easy this summer", Pittsburgh Post Gazette, 2002-06-01. Retrieved on 2007-10-04.
- ↑ Peter Hartlaub. "Fighting crime, and bureaucrats. Creator of HBO's 'Wire' takes police drama in new direction", San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved on 2007-10-04.
- ↑ David Simon. 'The Wire "The Target" commentary track [DVD]. HBO.