The Wire “Transitions”

There’s more stuff going on at the newspaper, but that Templeton guy who makes up quotes tried and failed to get a job at the Washington Post, so that’s all I am going to say about that.  The newspaper hasn’t really done more than comment on the rest of the plot yet, so until something happens there, don’t expect much from me about that stuff.

The episode actually opens and closes with Proposition Joe.  First, he’s buying flowers for Butchie’s funeral.  Prop Joe seems to have honestly respected Butchie, and hey, it’s that florist that does the drug dealers’ funeral arrangements!  Everything is connected in Baltimore, and it turns out Joe went to school with Burrell, so why can’t he also know Butchie?  As it is, Prop Joe knows killing Butchie will bring Omar back, and Omar may very well blame Joe for his friend’s death, so it’d be best for Joe to lie low for a while.

Joe isn’t wrong.  Omar attacks Slim Charles and is basically convinced Marlo, not Joe, did in Butchie.  Marlo’s a tougher opponent.  For now, Omar will target one of Marlo’s top lieutenants and go from there.

But can I just say…Lester is scary good at faking a serial killer.  McNulty may have had the idea to Bunk’s eternal disgust, but Lester takes it to new heights, acquiring a set of false teeth to fake bite marks and recruiting a former partner to find recently deceased homeless people.

That former partner of Lester’s was busted down from Homicide to patrolman for insubordination.  Is it a surprise Rawls was the C.O. who did it?  Not really.

Also disgusted with McNulty?  Beadie.  Now, we never saw McNulty’s ex before the divorce, so she was always rather unpleasant to McNulty whenever she did appear.  So were many other people who knew what an a-hole he is, but Beadie was seen in happy days and breaking her heart by his falling into old habits is proof enough that he’s the problem.

We also see Kima having regrets about leaving her former partner with the child they were supposed to raise together while babysitting the kid.

Daniels tries apologizing to Burrell over the false allegations since Burrell can crush Daniels with Daniels’ old file.  Carcetti takes care of that by offering Burrell a great retirement package, making Rawls temporary commissioner until Daniels can get some experience as a deputy commish.

But the big mover-and-shaker this time is Marlo.  He’s making deals with the Greek personally.  And the Greek is listening.  Prop Joe hooks Marlo up with Levy as his new attorney, and Marlo and Herc even exchange a few words at the office.  But a deal or two made with Prop Joe’s dumb nephew Cheese means Marlo can kill Joe in his own home.  So, the episode opened with Joe buying flowers for someone else’s funeral, and it ends with him needing some for his own…