The Wire “Know Your Place”

Bubbles had a longstanding relationship with Kima Greggs.  But since Kima moved to Homicide, she can’t really help Bubs out the way she used to.  Instead, she sends her old informant to Herc.  Help Herc at Major Crimes, and then Herc can get the guy who keeps mugging Bubs for whatever cash the poor guy has.

But this is Herc.  He’ll screw it up somehow, and do so by not showing up when Bubs needs him, and Bubs takes a worse beating than usual.  I see that as symbolic of the fall of Major Crimes since Daniels left.

Speaking of Daniels, he got the promotion Carcetti wanted, and Rawls will basically be running the department with Burrell refusing to resign.  Things are looking up at bit for Daniels at least.

Things are looking up for Omar too.  Bunk got him out of jail, but at a cost:  no more bodies from Omar.  Omar agrees.

Of course, revenge can be done without killing anyone.  He and his current boyfriend do some surveillance to find out who set him up, and that eventually gets him to Marlo.  Omar never laid eyes on Marlo before, or so he thought.  Then he realized he’d robbed Marlo at a poker game recently under a suggestion from Proposition Joe.  Now Omar knows it was personal, but he still needs his revenge.

Over at the school, Colvin’s special class is showing some progress of sorts.  A completion to see which group could put together a model building first earns Namond’s group a trip to a really fancy restaurant where the Corner Kids feel very uncomfortable.

Meanwhile, Prez is forced to teach to a test as opposed to actual math.  Heck, he’s teaching how to answer a written essay question.  There’s another indictment of the school system.

And while there’s other things going on (Prez teaching Randy and Dukie about percentages allows them to win a lot of money in a dice game), what I think the episode is really bringing home is the corruption of Michael Lee.  Michael wants his mom’s ex-boyfriend to leave.  The man won’t go, and Michael isn’t big enough to force him.  Who can he go to?  He asks Randy and Dukie about Social Services.  That won’t help.  He considers Prez, but Prez would just send him to a guidance counselor, and he’s not a good option.  What about Cutty?  Michael doesn’t trust anyone that friendly.  Heck, he thinks Cutty’s gay (Cutty isn’t gay).  As such, Michael sees only one option.

He goes to Marlo for help, and probably sells his soul in the process.

By the by, Omar spotted that conversation, but dismissed Michael as just a kid.