WIRE, THE: CORNER BOYS (TV)
Summary
One in this dramatic series about the police and the criminals they target. This is the eighth episode of the series' fourth season, which focuses on the interactions between Baltimore's inner city educational system, the Stanfield drug trade, a tight mayoral race, and the MCU's ongoing war on dealers.
Pryzbylewski attempts to teach his class a basic math problem, but one student, Calvin, solves the problem not through arithmetic but by utilizing visual clues on the chalkboard. Carcetti is visiting the police department as part of a fact-finding investigation. Funeral services for Foerster are arranged as Landsman tells the staff that he has succumbed to cancer. Marimow informs Herc that a harassment complaint has been filed against him involving the woman he had searched with Stanfield at Penn Station. Marimow makes Herc give him the name of his "informant," who he claims is named “Fuzzy” Dunlop. Marimow threatens to reprimand Herc if anything comes of the complaint. Colvin’s special class is visited by a young doctoral candidate who tries to put their lives into perspective. Colvin notes aloud that many in his class consider school as “practice” for life on the streets and are constantly scheming to get ahead of the school staff, which to them are surrogates for the police.
Holley and Crutchfield are insistent that Omar be prosecuted for murder, believing that Moreland is foolish for wanting to him to go free. Moreland attempts to convince Holley alone to divert Crutchfield’s attention while he disproves the charges. Everyone in the office is wary of Carcetti and go out of their way to show disdain at his presence. Hauk and Dozerman stop Stanfield in traffic and Hauk demands the return of his video camera; Stanfield pleads ignorance. A huge presence turns up at Kavanaugh’s in honor of Foerster. Partlow and Pearson leave a pair of dead New Yorkers in an abandoned building, following through on Stanfield's promise to Stewart. Pryzbylewski gives his class the state math test, and tries to offer some advice when its format and structure prove confusing for them. Young becomes angry and storms out of class. Stanfield asks Stewart to look into Hauk’s background, and Stewart requests that New Yorkers' bodies be left as a message to other drug traffickers.
Carcetti decides to follow the squad on the streets to observe their effectiveness. Colvin’s class discusses the particulars of protocol in street life. Tyson notes that one must be discerning when determining whether a “good worker” is in need of discipline. Carcetti watches as the squad arrests a series of low-level drug dealers. Moreland and Holley speak to Old Face Andre, who recounts how Little supposedly murdered the woman, although Moreland finds inconsistencies in his story. He refuses to accompany them back to the station. Stewart attempts to get in contact with Hauk, but finds that he's out on the street. Carcetti is dismayed at the squad’s arrests, believing that they are ultimately unimportant and cost more in processing than they are worth. He complains to Rawls, who responds that the increase in arrests is due to the “numbers game” engendered by Burrell. De’Londa finds Namond in his room with drugs and chides him for endangering himself and the house due to possible police interference, telling him to take the drugs elsewhere.
Lee is outraged that his mother sold their supper for her drug money. In Colvin’s class, Namond claims that drug dealing is not unlike the activities of big business and the government. Colvin asks the class to write an essay on the “laws” of their street existence. Pryzbylewski complains to the other teachers that it is “absurd” for him to stick to his curriculum given the underperformance of the majority of his class; they advise him to “find a middle ground” and determine a way to get through to the students. Hauk and other officers harass Stanfield and his gang, threatening to repeat it daily unless the camera is returned. Pearlman visits Daniels as he receives a request from Carcetti for a meeting. He worries about how honest he should be, worried about how honest he should be. Pearlman advises him to “fire away.” Partlow and Pearson identify another New York drug dealer and shoot him on the spot.
Lee returns home to find that Bug’s father has returned, having been released early from prison. Moreland and Holley return to Old Face Andre’s store to deliver a grand jury summons. Carcetti strategizes with his campaign people; among other suggestions, they advise him to lower the crime rate and stay away from dealing with the school system. In class, Pryzbylewski notices that Lee is downcast and offers to send him to the school’s social worker, but Lee declines. Colvin hopes that he can adapt his lessons to subjects beyond his students’ own experiences, although he is unsure of how to proceed. Namond takes Kenard into his confidence, making him a lieutenant and cautioning him not to cheat him on their latest take. Old Face Andre is startled to learn that he could be imprisoned for up to ten years for lying to the grand jury. He recants his story about Little on the spot.
Hauk and Dozerman pull over Partlow and Pearson and search their car; Hauk still demands his camera's return. Carcetti tells Daniels about his conversation with Rawls, though Daniels won't criticize a superior. Carcetti proposes Daniels as the new CID commander to replace Foerster, which Daniels accepts. Hauk recalls that Little Kevin might be an eyewitness to Anderson’s murder and decides to find go him. De’Londa criticizes Namond for not building up enough profit from his corners, although he says he needs more time. Burrell meets with Rawls to discuss the situation with Carcetti, and he instantly realizes that are no longer "a team." Lee is upset that Bug’s father picked him up at daycare and immediately goes home to check on him. Partlow and Pearson throw their guns in the river; Partlow throws their nailgun in as well, much to Pearson’s displeasure.
This selection from the Alan Gerry Cable Collection has been made available by the Gerry Foundation, Inc.
Details
- NETWORK: HBO
- DATE: November 5, 2006 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:58:34
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:90587
- GENRE: Drama, police/private detective
- SUBJECT HEADING: African-American Collection - Drama; TV - Drama, police/private detective; LGBT Collection - Drama
- SERIES RUN: HBO - TV series, 2002-2008
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- David Simon … Executive Producer, Created by
- Nina Kostroff Noble … Executive Producer
- Joe Chappelle … Co-Executive Producer
- Ed Burns … Producer, Writer
- Karen L. Thorson … Producer
- Leslie Jacobowitz … Associate Producer
- Simon Egleton … Associate Producer
- Agnieszka Holland … Director
- Anne Hefley … Researcher
- Richard Price … Writer
- Chris Collins … Writer
- Doreen Vail … Theme Music by
- Maurette Brown-Clark … Theme Music by
- J.B. Watkins … Theme Music by
- Dominic West … Cast, Jimmy McNulty
- John Doman … Cast, William Rawls
- Frankie Faison … Cast, Ervin Burrell
- Aidan Gillen … Cast, Tommy Carcetti
- Deirdre Lovejoy … Cast, Rhonda "Ronnie" Pearlman
- Clarke Peters … Cast, Lester Freamon
- Wendell Pierce … Cast, William "Bunk" Moreland
- Lance Reddick … Cast, Cedric Daniels
- Andre Royo … Cast, Reginald "Bubbles" Cousins
- Sonja Sohn … Cast, Shakima Greggs
- Jim True-Frost … Cast, Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski
- Robert Wisdom … Cast, Howard "Bunny" Colvin
- Seth Gilliam … Cast, Ellis Carver
- Domenick Lombardozzi … Cast, Thomas "Herc" Hauk
- Reg E. Cathey … Cast, Norman Wilson
- Chad L. Coleman … Cast, Dennis "Cutty" Wise
- Jamie Hector … Cast, Marlo Stanfield
- Glynn Turman … Cast, Clarence Royce
- J.D. Williams … Cast, Preston "Bodie" Broadus
- Michael K. Williams … Cast, Omar Little
- Corey Parker Robinson … Cast, Leander Sydnor
- Jermaine Crawford … Cast, Duquan "Dukie" Weems
- Maestro Harrell … Cast, Randy Wagstaff
- Julito McCullum … Cast, Namond Brice
- Tristan Wilds … Cast, Michael Lee
- Gbenga Akinnagbe … Cast, Chris Partlow
- Delaney Williams … Cast, Jay Landsman
- Anwan Glover … Cast, Slim Charles
- Alfonso Christian Lover … Cast, Old Face Andre
- Felicia Pearson … Cast, Felicia "Snoop" Pearson
- Shakima Cotton … Cast, Raylene Lee
- Cyrus Farmer … Cast, Devar Manigault
- Sandi McCree … Cast, De'Londa Brice
- Thuliso Dingwall … Cast, Kenard
- Rico Sterling … Cast, Calvin
- Jason Wharton … Cast, Albert Stokes
- Stacie Davis … Cast, Miss Duquette
- Dan DeLuca … Cast, David Parenti
- Dravon James … Cast, Grace Sampson
- Boris McGiver … Cast, Charles Marimow
- Davone Cooper … Cast, Darnell Tyson
- Taylor King … Cast, Zenobia Dawson
- Rakiya Orange … Cast, Charlene Young
- Benjamin Busch … Cast, Anthony Colicchio
- Rick Otto … Cast, Kenneth Dozerman
- Gregory L. Williams … Cast, Michael Crutchfield
- Brian Anthony Wilson … Cast, Vernon Holley
- Darrell Britt-Gibson … Cast, Darius "O-Dog" Hill
- Gary D'Addario … Cast, Gary DiPasquale
- Keenon Brice … Cast, Aaron "Bug" Manigault
- Kayte Dzima-Assison … Cast, Ava
- Genevieve Hudson-Price … Cast, Dee-Dee
- Denise Preddy … Cast, Miss Ella
- Jeffrey Wendell Moffatt Jr. … Cast, Stanfield Trainee
- Imani Robinson … Cast, Student
- Devin Tweedy … Cast, Man
- Zakiya Jefferson … Cast, Woman