S02.E08: Duck and Cover

[Rinaldo]

Story by David Simon & George Pelecanos. Teleplay by George Pelecanos. Directed by Dan Attias.

 

McNulty joins the detail. Ziggy buys a duck.

[Jordan Baker]

I've moved ahead to Season 3, but I wanted to come back and comment on some of the memorable moments (of which there were many) in Season 2.

 

Ziggy annoyed me, got on my nerves, caused me to shout at the TV more than once . . . and yet, I found the duck thing somewhat endearing, even as I recoiled at the thought of what serving alcohol to a duck was doing to the poor duck. I couldn't decide, though, whether the question Ziggy asks about the birds ("Why don't they fly away?") was a bit heavy-handed. Ziggy and Nick are also incapable of flying away, as are Bodie and Poot and so many others. So is the metaphor on point or a bit much?

 

Actually, it doesn't matter that much to me. This show owns me.

[Misstify]

To be honest, I was always a bit perplexed by the duck.  I get the metaphor, but why in the heck does Ziggy buy a duck, buy a diamond collar for it, and bring it to the bar?  Do we chalk this up to Ziggy being full of bad ideas (such as his $2000 ugly coat, dealing drugs, stealing from the docks, or trying to fight Maui)?  Is it more like "I can't be a success at anything. So why not just spend my money on a diamond collar for a duck"?

 

I love the scene where McNulty crashes his car twice.  The second time, I think--based on how he eyes the scene and seems to be calculating the physics of it--is to prove that he can take that curve without crashing.  Because McNulty always has to be right.  He will do the damn stupidest things, mess with his own career, mess with his friends' casework, and become obsessed with following a lead to the point where he has his kids tailing a drug dealer, just to prove something (either to himself or others).

 

The phone company can't keep a secret.  Nor can the police department.  

[Jordan Baker]

To be honest, I was always a bit perplexed by the duck.  I get the metaphor, but why in the heck does Ziggy buy a duck, buy a diamond collar for it, and bring it to the bar?  Do we chalk this up to Ziggy being full of bad ideas (such as his $2000 ugly coat, dealing drugs, stealing from the docks, or trying to fight Maui)?  Is it more like "I can't be a success at anything. So why not just spend my money on a diamond collar for a duck"?

 

I'm not sure why he bought the diamond necklace, but I thought taking a duck to a bar was just another outrageous Ziggy moment. I think that's how he proved his worth at the bar--by doing outrageous things for the entertainment of the crowd. Ziggy isn't as tough or as strong as the other guys, and, as you said, he's full of bad ideas. I think the only way he has any success at all is to be the class clown.

[Princess Sparkle]

I love the scene where McNulty crashes his car twice.  The second time, I think--based on how he eyes the scene and seems to be calculating the physics of it--is to prove that he can take that curve without crashing.  Because McNulty always has to be right.  He will do the damn stupidest things, mess with his own career, mess with his friends' casework, and become obsessed with following a lead to the point where he has his kids tailing a drug dealer, just to prove something (either to himself or others).

 

The phone company can't keep a secret.  Nor can the police department.  

I loved the car crash scene, only because I would LOVE to know what the waitress he took home thought when she saw the car.  And how he explained it.  

[ToxicUnicorn]

Oh, I thought McNulty was contemplating killing himself and changed his mind at the last minute.  I'll have to watch again.  

 

Bunk, in his sweatpants, amused me greatly.  It was downright sweet to see Lester and Bunk, and then the Lieutenant, decide to get McNulty back.  

 

To my surprise (although I believe Rinaldo hinted it would happen in a much earlier episode thread), Frank has become one of my favorite characters to watch  The actor has managed to draw me in completely.  If he were a singer, he'd be the type to finish a phrase instead of cut off a note.  

 

I loved seeing the old detail making big plans with the red haired lawyer lady.  Felt like old times.

[Rinaldo]

That cold open is such pure McNulty: hilarious as he is sure he can do better than anyone, including his own driving two minutes ago (but this time he's wrong), and sad because he's such a mess. And that gets picked up in the later drinking scene with Bunk: he could live with the marine assignment if he was getting back with Elena, but now that it's finally gotten through to him that that'll never happen... Nice acting moment for Dominic West there, he doesn't let himself cry but we know it was a close thing.

 

The scuffle with Maui says so much about Ziggy: we've had hints that he's not inherently stupid, but he sure seems to lack common sense or any feeling for how others think about him -- he totally falls for his coworkers' insistence that he beat up Maui. And there's nobody who'll help him out afterward.

 

Zig's business with the duck later? I see it as a result of situations like that one: he knows he's the butt of the gang's jokes, so why not get out ahead of it -- make himself conspicuous with this silly diamond-laden duck, and make his own jokes about it all. It's a version of the "if I can't be cool, I'll embrace my dorkiness" response.

 

Detail I'd totally forgotten since my previous viewing: the judge who'll sign your paperwork if you do some housework for him. That feels so real; you just know they got that from some actual local character.

 

And the saga of Fuzzy Dunlop continues! Man, I love this series.

 

Oh, and this is the episode with one of the supreme plot-threads-uniting culminating moments of the whole series. The Sobotka detail is trying to figure out who can go undercover as a patron of Russian whores. Herc is willing but it needs a subtler touch; Carver likewise but Rhonda says nobody would believe he has to pay for it (which at least makes his day). Bunk and Kima, "domestic issues." And then McNulty walks in to join the detail and they all crack up: "takes a whore to catch a whore." To which of course the only possible reply is "What the fuck did I do?" A+

 

I'd also forgotten that this was the one with the beautiful little scene at Bea's house near the end. They were both maybe prepared to let things get a little interesting, but when he has a minute to himself he looks around at all the evidence of a home with two little kids, and decides it doesn't need him to complicate it right now; this is somebody's life (lives), and he needs to be careful about messing with it. And the really nice thing at the end is she gets it too: they have an unspoken moment of adult understanding (maybe another time, but not this time), and part in a friendly way.

Edited November 2, 2014 by Rinaldo

[ToxicUnicorn]

I missed a lot of the subtleties of the detail, Rinaldo, thanks for recounting that again.
 

I'd also forgotten that this was the one with the beautiful little scene at Bea's house near the end. They were both maybe prepared to let things get a little interesting, but when he has a minute to himself he looks around at all the evidence of a home with two little kids, and decides it doesn't need him to complicate it right now; this is somebody's life (lives), and he needs to be careful about messing with it. And the really nice thing at the end is she gets it too: they have an unspoken moment of adult understanding (maybe another time, but not this time), and part in a friendly way.

 

I was entranced by this scene (and the bar scene of the two of them before it).  I wanted to mention it, but so much of what happened was unspoken, it was hard to describe what I liked.

 

I love that this show allows pauses in the action or dialogue.  Some of my favorite scenes from last season involved D'Angelo simply looking at the tower yard after a conversation with his guys.  So many of these actors are top-notch.  Amy Ryan as Bea and Deidre Lovejoy as Rhonda are completely believable to me.  What a treat.

[sweetcookieface]

Oh, and this is the episode with one of the supreme plot-threads-uniting culminating moments of the whole series. The Sobotka detail is trying to figure out who can go undercover as a patron of Russian whores. Herc is willing but it needs a subtler touch; Carver likewise but Rhonda says nobody would believe he has to pay for it (which at least makes his day). Bunk and Kima, "domestic issues." And then McNulty walks in to join the detail and they all crack up: "takes a whore to catch a whore." To which of course the only possible reply is "What the fuck did I do?" A+

 

 

Thanks for posting this! I actually thought they said no one would believe Carter COULD pay for it, which had me a bit confused. This makes a lot more sense!

 

And, as an aside, I'm thrilled to see these episode threads! Can't explain why I'm just now getting into The Wire over a decade after the fact, but here I am. Currently on S2 E8, and looking forward to reading everyone's comments as I go along!

[Misstify]

Thank you all for sucking me back in.  Had a lot of non-Wire stuff going on lately.  Just reading the new comments makes me feel like I'm right back in season 2.

Rinaldo, I also love the scene at Bea's house.  At some point in the past, Bunk told McNulty, "You're no good for people."  McNulty knows it is true.  Maybe someday he'll stop being no good for people, but right now, he's a mess and he's self-aware enough to stop himself from dragging Bea and her kids into it.  Possibly the first time we've seen McNulty make a good parenting decision (in a way)?

[ToxicUnicorn]

Thank you all for sucking me back in.  Had a lot of non-Wire stuff going on lately.  Just reading the new comments makes me feel like I'm right back in season 2.

Actually, it doesn't matter that much to me. This show owns me.

These comments make me happy.  I'm glad you're all here.

 

Zig's business with the duck later? I see it as a result of situations like that one: he knows he's the butt of the gang's jokes, so why not get out ahead of it -- make himself conspicuous with this silly diamond-laden duck, and make his own jokes about it all. It's a version of the "if I can't be cool, I'll embrace my dorkiness" response.

I'm not sure Ziggy has enough mental firepower to come up with a plan like that.  My alternative theory is that he's a guy with impulse control issues who has never gotten enough attention from his parents.  Frank's heart seems to be with the union, not at home.

 

Interesting to see the older Sobotka brother and how far he has distanced himself from union activities.  He seems to be retired and I can't help wondering how.  Maybe he's the only one in the family who is good at saving money?

[Rinaldo]

I'm not sure Ziggy has enough mental firepower to come up with a plan like that. 

Well, I don't insist on it, but I also don't think it needs a lot of smarts -- I've seen it in real life as a kind of unthinking coping mechanism: the guy who always finds himself the buffoon learns to play the buffoon on purpose.

 

More is revealed at some point (I forget when) about Louis Sobotka. He had to retire early from his trade as a shipwright. Apparently there was a pension which, if not princely, helps him get by. (A reminder that in days gone by, dock work could pay for a life.)

[SayMyName]

On 10/12/2014 at 1:19 PM, Misstify said:

The phone company can't keep a secret.  Nor can the police department.  

This makes me wonder how the phone company actually handles this. I have taken law classes and the warrant for phone information/taps will state that the client must not be notified in any fashion that there is a police agency gathering information on them.

[Raja]

11 hours ago, SayMyName said:

This makes me wonder how the phone company actually handles this. I have taken law classes and the warrant for phone information/taps will state that the client must not be notified in any fashion that there is a police agency gathering information on them.

They didn't notify the wire's target if memory serves, The provider allowed the line to stay open at the request of the police instead of threatening to cut off the phone because the union wasn't keeping up with payments. And because those warnings dd not go out he figured out that his line was tapped. But its been a couple of years since my last re-watch.

[SayMyName]

When he called the cell company they told him it was flagged and marked as do not disconnect for non payment. So I guess they didn't tell him that they were tapping it but no way they should have mentioned flagged.