S03.E11: Middle Ground

[Rinaldo]

Story by David Simon & George Pelecanos. Teleplay by George Pelecanos. Directed by Joe Chappelle.

 

The unit makes progress in the Barksdale investigation, as Stringer and Avon bond over their shared success.

[Flarking Schnit]

Loved the scene in the condo with Stringer & Avon reflecting on their life and times together with both of them believing they've sealed the fate of the other.    

[Constantinople]

When Stringer said he had to call it a night because he was meeting with the developer, Avon asked when, Stringer said around noon, asked Avon why he wanted to know.  Avon didn't have a follow-up other than some generic just curious (or words to that effect).  

 

It rang a little false to me because I think Avon was too smart not to have a follow-up response.  I'm undecided, but sometimes I think Avon is smarter than Stringer, though Stringer might have larger ambitions.  At the very least, I think Avon has a higher social IQ than Stringer.

 

Once Avon heard that Stringer's meeting was at Noon, it would have been the easiest thing in the world for Avon to say that Stringer had time for another drink.  If it turned out that the meeting was early in the morning, Avon could have said that Stringer really doesn't have time for a drink.

[ToxicUnicorn]

Oh, the irony.  I feel so sorry for the po-lice.

 

Loved the scene in the condo with Stringer & Avon reflecting on their life and times together with both of them believing they've sealed the fate of the other.

That was a great scene, the most I've ever enjoyed Avon or the chemistry between he and Stringer.  For the first time, I understood why their relationship went so deep.  I wish we had seen more of that earlier.  

 

However, I agree with this:

 

It rang a little false to me because I think Avon was too smart not to have a follow-up response.

I think Avon had not made up his mind when they were laughing about the toy store.  It wasn't until Stringer brought up the real estate that Avon went over the line.  By the hug, though, each knew.

[AuntiePam]

Does anyone know what the heck Lester was doing when he met with Bernard and Squeak?  What was he showing them by rattling off all those numbers? 

[Rinaldo]

Well, he was posing as a shady dealer who could sell them all the "burner" cellphones they needed (which would be pre-wiretapped), but I imagine you knew that. Is there something more that's unclear?

[AuntiePam]

I understood about the pre-tapped phones.  But what was he proving to Bernard by reciting that long string of numbers? 

 

Or was he not proving anything but just having fun with Bernard, like when the detectives convinced that one kid that a copy machine was a lie detector?

[Rinaldo]

Or when Herc asked the kid where he could buy a hat with a sideways bill like that -- which didn't work because the kid totally didn't get the burn.

[AuntiePam]

Watched this episode again last night.  We learn the name of the kid with the sideways hat -- Justin. 

 

Agree with Constantinople about Avon asking Stringer what time he'd be at the development.  Stringer noticed -- he seemed puzzled, and Avon looked like "Damn, that was clumsy of me." 

 

I don't understand Stringer wanting Avon back in prison.  As we saw when Avon was jailed before, he still had power.  Does anyone think Stringer was just pissed at Avon for saying "I told you so" when Stringer trusted Clay Davis.  Stringer doesn't like to look the fool, especially with Avon.  His ego was bruised.

[laprin]

I think that Stringer enjoyed the leeway he had when Avon was in prison. He could have ordered Slim Charles to kill Clay without interference. You could even see it in his expression when Avon told him he was getting out early. He looked concerned and even a bit disappointed because he still had things he wanted to do on his own.

[Schweedie]

I agree that Stringer had got used to running things and not having anyone telling him how it was gonna be or not.

 

And I think the fact that Avon still had the "I want my corners" attitude and was about to go to full-on war on Marlo played a big part, too. To Stringer they'd moved beyond that, and he knew that open war in the streets would just bring the police closer to them. That stuff was small time to him; they had bigger fish to fry now and Avon was messing all that up.

[Slovenly Muse]

Yeah, Avon still had power in prison, but he only had that power THROUGH Stringer. And he only knew what Stringer reported to him. Stringer had an idea for a new way of doing business, totally counter to Avon's way, and he knew that putting Avon back in prison would be the easiest and cleanest way to wrest power from him and make those changes.

 

This whole plot is one of my favourites of the series, watching these two longtime friends and brothers who love each other and trust each other completely begin to slowly turn on each other. Remember that scene back in season one, where D'Angelo taught Bodie and Wallace how to play chess? That scene was so prophetic for the whole series, it just laid everything out, all the lessons anyone needs to know to survive this life. And this particular storyline circles back to that again, as Stringer learns the hard way that "you can't play no checkers with no chess set," and, of course, "the king stay the king. Everybody stay who he is." When the king falls, no one else gets to step up and take his place. The game is just over, and it's time for a new player to set up.

 

Harris and Elba knocked this all out of the park. As much as I enjoyed the inner politics of Marlo's crew in later seasons, Avon and Stringer really had something special. Marlo may have taken Avon's corners and some of his people, but he never really replaced the man. It's especially clear whenever Avon and Marlo are in a scene together. Marlo is a thug. Avon was a king. 

 

Man, this season was good.

[Jordan Baker]

I have managed to remain unspoiled (for the most part) about this series . . . plus, I'm really bad at figuring out what's about to happen . . . and so I was completely stunned that Stringer Bell was killed. I kept thinking he'd figure out a way to get out of his predicament, but I should have known better. Omar, in particular, was never going to let him go.

 

Still, Stringer? Idris Elba? Jeez. He was so amazing in this role. And the character was so interesting. I'm really going to miss him going forward.

 

I'd always assumed that Stringer would kill Avon. As I said, I'm really bad at predicting.

 

I wonder whether this show would have been better received (particularly by the Emmy people) if it had been shown later in the 2000s. It just seems so ahead of its time.

 

Oh, and that scene with Stringer and Avon on the balcony? One of the best scenes I can remember from any show. Just outstanding.

[ToxicUnicorn]

I was completely stunned that Stringer Bell was killed. I kept thinking he'd figure out a way to get out of his predicament, but I should have known better. Omar, in particular, was never going to let him go.

Me, too, Jordan Baker.  I was probably about to figure it out, but it would have taken me about 10 seconds longer than Stringer was given.

 

I wonder whether this show would have been better received (particularly by the Emmy people) if it had been shown later in the 2000s. It just seems so ahead of its time.

This.  It feels as though this show should get some kind of honorary lifetime Emmy.

[Rinaldo]

Oh, and that scene with Stringer and Avon on the balcony? One of the best scenes I can remember from any show. Just outstanding.

So true. I keep falling back on clichéd descriptions like "Shakespearean" for it, but there's something epic about that culmination in their relationship, with all the history and undercurrents contributing.... damn, I have to watch it again tonight.