The Wire “Soft Eyes”

So, what are soft eyes?  I don’t know, but Prez apparently needs them at his new teaching job.

We’re still at the table-setting stage of the season.  We’re getting to know new characters, seeing what old characters are up to, trying to find the way the season is playing out.

In fact, given the education angle, creator David Simon sat out this episode.  That’s the first time he didn’t at least get a story credit, and the only times that happens are in season four, letting another fellow on staff tell his stories thanks to that man’s own experience as a public school teacher.  And yes, Prez, I can attest to that gum thing.  I’ve been personally amazed at some of the stuff I find in and under desks that I somehow failed to see the students eating.  Gum’s never been an issue, but I remember finding a really old banana peal once.  How’d I miss a kid eating a banana in class?

As such, we got a few things in play.  Valchek is supporting Carcetti and even passes him some intelligence about another dead crime witness.  Burrell and Rawls see that in a debate and wonder if McNulty told.  McNulty’s innocent this time.

There’s other dirt on the mayor that Valchek knows about.  Herc caught the mayor getting oral sex from a secretary and was spotted in kind.  Herc’s worried he’ll lose the sweet assignment.  Valchek says that won’t happen, but the mayor is asking if Herc has any friends high up in the police department.

Carver, meanwhile, is doing some stuff interacting with the kids after one of their gang steals a car.  Randy and Namond take some money from one of Marlo’s people, but Michael won’t because he doesn’t want to be in debt to anyone.  Marlo is also overheard on a wire tap dealing with a subordinate.  Lester and Co. might have gotten more information had Marlo’s people not been engaged in target practice.  Chris and Snoop are scary good shots.

Bunk spends most of the episode looking for one of their victims, wanted in another homicide.  Bunk doesn’t know that guy is dead yet.

Lester also got Pearlman to issue subpoenas on a number of high-ranking people and politicians since they’ll be covering for themselves more than usual during an election.

And Cutty is being hit on by every eligible woman in the neighborhood.

That’s pretty much where we are.  Lots of kids going back to school soon, including Bubbles’ “nephew”.

Oh, so, who is Namond’s father, the one-time Barksdale big shot?  It’s Wee Bey.  Huh.