Social Problems | SYG 2010 – a class at the University of ...



|The Law |

|[pic] |Police Commissioner Burell |Burrell is a by-the-book career officer who reached the level of Commissioner. He rarely rocks the boat and does whatever it |

| | |takes to keep his institution alive. He and Daniels often clash over tactics the police should use for solving social problems.|

| | |His career is on its last legs in Season 4 because of a scandal in Season 3 where Bunny Colvin “legalized” drugs in Baltimore. |

|[pic] |Deputy Ops Rawls |Rawls is a careerist and is feared by many of his subordinates. He is a slave to statistics (high arrests good, low arrests |

| | |bad). He has been to known to punish anyone who crosses him with transfers to undesirable posts. He moves Freamon & Greggs to |

| | |Homicide because of their ability to improve the department’s clearance rate. |

|[pic] |Major Cedric Daniels |Daniels is a career officer, but unlike Rawls he is more concerned with quality felony arrests than statistical reductions on |

| |(Western District Commander) |crime. Daniels quickly rose through the ranks to become Major of the Western District—the most crime-ridden section of the |

| | |city. He catches the eye of Carcetti, who schemes to promote Daniels as police commissioner if Carcetti wins election. He is |

| | |not in a political position to disclose his relationship with Rhonda Pearlman. |

|[pic] |Jimmy McNulty |McNulty is a dedicated Baltimore police officer with many personal problems. Formerly the driving force behind bringing down |

| |(Western district) |the Barksdale organization, McNulty is now enjoying his life as a patrolman in the Western district alongside Sergeant Carver. |

| | |His beat includes Bodie’s corner. |

|[pic] |Detective “Bunk” Moreland |Bunk, partner to Freeman, is a well liked and proficient member of the homicide unit. Although a known alcoholic with a |

| |(Homicide) |penchant for infidelity, Bunk is a great detective. He enters season 4 investigating the murder of Lex. |

| |Lt. Asher |Boss for the Stanfield investigation, he is more concerned with blueprints for his beach home than his own case. He is quickly |

| |(Major crimes) |replaced by Lt. Marimow. |

|[pic] |Lieutenant Marimow |Aka “the Unit Killer,” Rawls assigns him to the Stanfield investigation based on his reputation to properly supervise |

| |(Major Crimes Unit) |detectives and prevent them from upsetting politicians. He renews the unit’s focus on violent drug offenders and shuts down the|

| | |wiretaps on Marlo. |

|[pic] |Detective Lester Freamon |Freamon is a quiet and methodical veteran detective who makes major contributions to the series investigations. He is the |

| |(Major crimes Unit ( Homicide Unit) |unit's true commander as he lays out their investigative strategies. He is first seen in the detail room, where he presses |

| | |Pearlman for another 30 day wiretap to follow the money on a former drug king, Avon Barksdale. He continues to follow the |

| | |Barksdale money trail, subpoenaing the financial records of state senator Clay Davis and property developer Andy Krawczyk |

|[pic] |Sergeant Ellis Carver |a dedicated, sometimes wayward officer, he is friend to Thomas "Herc" Hauk. Carver knows the names, job descriptions and |

| |(Western district) |personal foibles of Bodie's entire crew, and he understands that knocking heads isn't always the solution. He embodies “good |

| | |community policing” |

|[pic] |Sergeant “Herc” Hauk |Friend to Sergeant Carver, he works in security for the Mayor’s office. He catches the mayor in a sexual act, which he fears |

| |(mayor’s security ( Major crimes |threatens his career. He is eventually transferred to the Major Crimes Unit to work under Marimow. |

| |Unit) | |

|[pic] |Sergeant Jay Landsman |His role in the police department is that of a supervisory detective sergeant who doesn't participate in much investigation |

| |(Homicide) |work |

|[pic] |Detective Ed Norris |the lead investigator in the politically important murder of a state's witness. He works with Greggs on the case. He is moved |

| |(Homicide) |on/off the case as he gets closer to solving it since the end result has important political ramifications in the election. |

|[pic] |Detective Kima Greggs |Daniels' female protégé who mentored Herc and Carver while in Narcotics in Season 1. The de facto leader of the Stansfield |

| |(Major Crimes Unit (Homicide) |unit, she eventually transfers out of the unit to homicide, where she is works alongside Freamon under Landsman’s squad. |

|[pic] |Detective Sydnor |Sydnor is a young, married Baltimore Police detective. He was a member of the Barksdale detail and now works in the Major |

| |(Major crimes Unit) |Crimes Unit. He remains in the Unit after Freamon and Greggs leave to avoid Marimow. |

|[pic] |Rhonda Perlman |Attorney Pearlman has been the legal system liaison for all the major investigations on the show. She is trying to move up the |

| |(Assistant State Attorney) |ranks to either State Attorney or judge. She had a fleeting romantic relationship with McNulty, but is now in a relationship |

| | |with Lt. Daniels. |

| |State Attorney Demper |Pearlman’s boss; running for re-election on the democratic ticket. |

|[pic] |Maurice Levy |Levy is a lawyer representing the drug kingpins in Baltimore. He helps drug dealers avoid investigations. Levy is seen briefly,|

| | |representing Anthony Wardell in the high profile Braddock murder case. He allowed his client to undergo a polygraph test |

| | |because he was convinced of his innocence on the charge |

|The School |

|[pic] |Mr. Roland Pryzbylewski aka “Prez” |A former police officer, Prez is starting a new career as a math teacher at Edward Tilghman Middle School. In season 3 he |

| |aka “Mr. Prezbo” |accidentally shot and killed a fellow officer, causing him to quit the police force. He is attempting to reform himself by |

| |(teacher) |teaching. He is the son-in-law of deputy commissioner Stan Valchek. |

|[pic] |Marcia Donnely |A world-weary administrator, she tries to protect the school from being taken over by the state by focusing on improving |

| |(Asst Principal) |performance in state assessments. She insists that her teachers stick to core subjects and is against deviations from the |

| | |curriculum. She employs Cutty as a truant officer and Colvin in a classroom experiment. |

|[pic] |“Bunny” Colvin |An unpopular truth teller, he is a former Major who attempted to “legalize” drugs in West Baltimore. He was fired for this |

| | |controversial scheme. We first meet him in Season 4 working in a new job--hotel security. He is looking for work elsewhere, |

| | |and finds it on a project on “at-risk youth” in the Baltimore school system. |

|[pic] |Dr. David Parenti |a Professor of Sociology at the University of Maryland who works with Bunny Colvin in the school to study potential violent |

| | |offenders |

|[pic] |Randy Wagstaff |Randy is a promising student who runs a small business selling snacks to the neighborhood. He is in the foster system but it |

| |(student) |is implied that his father is “Cheese” Wagstaff. He has the healthiest home life of the 4 students. He becomes a key member |

| | |of the Stanfield investigation later on, as he possesses important information about the murder of Lex. |

|[pic] |Michael |Michael has little trust for adults and appears to be a natural born leader. The show hints that he was sexually abused by his|

| |(student/dealer) |father. He is protective of his brother Bug and Dukie. He has enough sway over the other boys that he can shame Namond into |

| | |buying Dukie an ice cream. |

|[pic] |Duquan "Dukie" Weems |Dukie is one of the most impoverished children on the show. His home life is chaos and his peers tease him for his lack of |

| |(student) |hygiene. He relies on his friends Randy and Michael for support. He is not even enough of a troublemaker to warrant the |

| | |attention from the “reformers” in the neighborhood (Colvin’s class or Cutty’s gym). |

|[pic] |Namond Brice |He's the one with the ponytail who works (if you can call it that) for Bodie. His father is Wee-Bay, a former soldier for |

| |(student/dealer) |Barksdale. Namond is all talk and no action; when he picks the fight with Dukie about the pigeons, you can tell he's hoping |

| | |someone will break it up, and when he spots Michael in trouble with the Terrace kids, he cuts and runs. |

|Politics |

|[pic] |Councilman Tommy Carcetti |He is running against incumbent Royce in a campaign for mayor of Baltimore. In Season 3, he became disillusioned with Royce |

| | |when he disregarded Carcetti’s concern for a lack of funds for a witness protection program. The timing of the murder of a |

| | |state’s witness during the heat of the election gives Carcetti the advantage in a debate against Royce. |

|[pic] |Norman Wilson (Campaign Manager) |a former journalist, professional Democratic political operative and deputy manager of Tommy Carcetti's campaign in the |

| | |mayoral race |

|[pic] |Teresa D’Agostino (campaign |a Washington-based political consultant and “campaign fixer.” She works alongside new deputy campaign manager Norman Wilson. |

| |strategist) |She encourages Carcetti to become involved in fundraising, forcing him to stay in his office until he has raised set amounts |

|[pic] |Mayor Clarence Royce |A mayor known more for grandstanding for the camera, his accomplishments only run as far as the media can be taken for a ride.|

| | |Royce's propensity to put the stability of his own position ahead of the needs of the city creates political enemies for him. |

| | |Despite these character flaws, his re-election campaign is a well-oiled machine. He funnels cash to his election through |

| | |questionable means. |

|[pic] |Councilman Tony Gray |Formerly a friend of Carcetti, Gray is running for mayor on an education platform. He is a long shot to win, splitting the |

| | |black vote to Carcetti’s benefit. |

|[pic] |State Senator Clay Davis |a corrupt State Senator who is an important Democratic fundraiser. Baltimore mayors therefore try to stay on his good side. |

| | |His involvement with Barksdale drug money alerts the attention of the Major Crimes Unit |

|[pic] |Marla Daniels |the estranged wife of Major Daniels who is running for a seat on the city council |

|[pic] |Nerese Campbell |Democratic president of the Baltimore City council, she was primed to replace Royce when his term ended. Carcetti puts a stop |

| | |to those plans, drawing Campbell’s ire. |

|[pic] |Odelle Watkins |a longtime major Baltimore political figure and a wheelchair user. He is a member of the influential State Appropriations |

| | |Committee with strong voter influence and is known as a kingmaker. He is also the moral voice of authority within Baltimore |

| | |politicians as he has full support of the religious leaders and is most critical of politicians prone to bribes and |

| | |corruption. |

|The Street |

|[pic] |Avon Barksdale |A former leader for the drug business on Baltimore’s Westside. Seasons 1-3 document his takedown and arrest. We do not actually |

| |(jailed kingpin) |meet him in Season 4, though his name is mentioned in reference to the “old power” in Baltimore. |

|[pic] |Proposition Joe |Joe is an Eastside drug kingpin who prefers a peaceful solution to business disputes when possible. He is responsible for |

| |(Kingpin) |creating the lucrative New Day Co-Op, supplying much of Baltimore with heroin brought into the city by "The Greeks". He is |

| | |attempting to bring Marlo into his co-op to get his territory, and uses manipulative tactics to do so. |

|[pic] |Marlo Stanfield |The new power in West Baltimore. He holds considerable “real estate” in the drug business. When we meet him in season 4, he is |

| |(kingpin) |still building his reputation while trying to avoid attention from the cops. |

|[pic] |Spiro Vondas |the second in command of the Greek's drug smuggling operation that brings imports heroin through the Baltimore ports |

| |(kingpin) | |

|[pic] |Slim Charles |Prop Joe’s second in command. He does not approve of Marlo’s murderous enforcement. |

| |(lieutenant) | |

|[pic] |Chris Partlow |Soldier/enforcer for Marlo. He carries out murders as Marlo orders them. He is also Marlo’s key advisor and mentor to Michael |

| |(lieutenant) | |

|[pic] |Felicia "Snoop" Pearson |Protégé of Chris, Snoop is a young female soldier working for Marlo. She assists Chris in all of the assassinations for Marlo. |

| |(soldier) | |

|[pic] |“Old Face” Andre |Andre is a West side convenience store owner whose store serves as a stash house for Marlo Stanfield. |

| |(front runner) | |

|[pic] |“Cheese” Wagstaff |Proposition Joe’s nephew and trusted member of his circle. He acts as the go-between, supplying Joe's drugs to the various other |

| |(soldier) |Baltimore dealers in the Co-op, including Marlo. He picks up drug deliveries from the Greeks. |

|[pic] |Dennis “Cutty” Wise |Cutty is a reformed criminal who is striving to create a boxing gym for neighborhood children. He is one of the few male role |

| |(ex-con) |models in West Baltimore. |

|[pic] |Wee-Bey Brice |Wee-Bey was a soldier for the Barksdale crew, but he is now in jail. He still wants to maintain a relationship with his son, |

| |(jailed Soldier) |Namond, but he recognizes that it is impossible to guide his son from a jail cell. He expects his son to continue in the “family |

| | |business” |

|[pic] |De’Londa Brice |Namond’s mother. She has grown accustomed to a luxurious life of constant drug money, and expects Namond to pick up the slack now|

| | |that Wee-Bey can no longer provide for them. |

|[pic] |Bodie Broadus |A veteran dealer from the Barksdale days, Bodie is notoriously street smart. He views slinging as a legitimate, reputable job. We|

| |(top street dealer) |see him first selling stash from Slim Charles of Prop Joe’s crew, but he eventually caves and works for Marlo. He has a history |

| | |with Carver, Herc, and McNulty going back to Season 1. |

| |Lex & Little Kevin |Both are drug dealers in Bodie’s crew. Lex has a fit of romantic jealousy and kills a member of Marlo Stanfield’s crew. Little |

| | |Kevin betrays Lex and sends him to meet Marlo’s assassins |

|[pic] |Poot Carr (dealer) |Poot worked with Bodie in the early days of the Barksdale organization. Poot is recently released from prison. |

|[pic] |Bubbles (user) |An intelligent and compassionate man who struggles with a heroin addiction. He is a mentor to a young user, Sherrod. In the past,|

| | |Bubbles has informed on the drug dealers for the cops to earn drug money. He becomes the daily victim of another street addict, |

| | |who constantly robs him and beats him up. |

|[pic] |Walon (former user) |Walon is an HIV-positive recovering drug addict. In the past he has mentored Bubbles during bouts of getting clean. He comforts |

| | |Bubbles at the end of the season. |

|[pic] |Sherrod |A young homeless boy who becomes Bubbles’ “intern.” Sherrod's math skills are lacking, and Bubbles insists that he return to |

| | |school.  |

|[pic] |Omar Little |The “Robin Hood” of the series, Omar robs drug dealers. He does it more for the theater than for the cash. He lives by his own |

| | |strict code in that he never robs people who are not involved in “the game.” Omar is first seen in Season 4 with his boyfriend |

| | |Renaldo, robbing one of Marlo’s dealers. |

Episode Title List & Due Dates

(link takes you to Wikipedia summary of that episode)

|Episode # |Title |Due Date |

|1 |"Boys of Summer" |1/27 |

|2 |"Soft Eyes" |2/1 |

|3 |"Home Rooms" |2/3 |

|4 |"Refugees" |2/8 |

|5 |"Alliances" |2/15 |

|6 |"Margin of Error" |2/22 |

|7 |"Unto Others" |3/1 |

|8 |"Corner Boys" |3/15 |

|9 |"Know Your Place" |3/22 |

|10 |"Misgivings" |3/29 |

|11 |"A New Day" |4/5 |

|12 |"That's Got His Own" |4/7 |

|13 |"Final Grades" |4/12 |

Read Before for Watching the Wire

• This show is not “feel good TV.” Keep in mind that we are watching it for a reason: to understand why certain social problems do not get solved and to see the impact of failed institutions on society’s underclass.

• The plot is not resolved in one episode like most TV. It is more like a novel. Each chapter builds on the next, so that chapter 1 makes you want to read chapter 2. Says the creator: “This show is one story, it is not episodic. It is one story of an investigation over 13 episodes. We ask a lot of viewers to follow an intricate plotline over many hours, but we ultimately reward their effort.”

• There are about 50 or so characters wondering in and out of the narrative. Their relationship isn’t always clear at first. Refer to the chart above if you need to, and visit the show’s website to remember faces. The chart here lists the most important characters you will need to know for future episodes.

• Watch an episode twice if you need to.

• If you are watching a DVD, read the summaries on the DVD menu and watch with subtitles on.

• Do not watch the show with people under 17. There is profanity and violence throughout.

• Pay attention to cop, street, and school hierarchies, such as who out ranks who. The cop and street hierarchies often parallel (for example the teachers are at the same level as the cops)

• This is much, much more than a “cop show” so don’t think of it as good guys vs. bad guys. Simon likes to flip these ideas, showing the heroism of a drug dealer and the maliciousness of a cop.

• Many of the characters in the law have a conflict over how to stop the high murder rate in Baltimore, but cops in the Wire are not heroes out to improve society. Rawls and Burrell promote street rips, small drug busts, and “clearance rates.” These do very little to solve the overall problem, but it gives the appearance that they are working hard. Freamon, meanwhile, cares less about the numbers and pursues Stanfield and the Barksdale corruption money for two reasons: he knows he can get away with it and because he thinks it needs to be done. He pushes for surveillance teams and wiretaps, which he thinks will make stronger cases in court.

• This show was shot entirely in Baltimore, and the locations are real. Simon has called it a “love-letter to Baltimore—a letter from a very conflicted, pissed off lover.”

• The most important concept in this show is the social institution. As you are watching, observe how institutions constrain the individuals who inhabit them. Says Simon: “This show is about the American city and about how we live together. And it’s about how institutions have an effect on individuals. And regardless of what you are committed to, whether you are a cop, a longshoreman, a politician, a judge, a lawyer, you are ultimately compromised and must content with whatever institution you are committed to”.

• Check the website before each class, I will be posting powerpoint slideshows for our in-class discussion.

• If there is anything you do not understand, just drop me a line – megganj@ufl.edu. I’m here to help!

Map Police Department Divisions

[pic]

-----------------------

City

Head: Mayor

Police Department

Head: Police Commissioner

Daily Operations

Head: Deputy Commissioner of Operations (Deputy Ops)

Internal Investigations Division (IID)

Head: Major

Criminal Investigations Division

Head: Colonel

Homicide Unit

Head: Major

Narcotics Unit

Head: Major

Major Crimes Unit

Head: Lieutenant

Baltimore Police Districts

(Simplified)

Western

(city’s most violent)

Commander: Daniels

Season 4 takes place here

Southern

Eastern

Season 3 takes place here.

Northern

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