The Target (The Wire episode)
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| The Wire episode | |
|---|---|
| “The Target” | |
 |
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| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 1 |
| Writer(s) | David Simon |
| Director | Clark Johnson |
| Production no. | 101 |
| Original airdate | June 2, 2002 (HBO) |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| "None" | "The Detail" |
"The Target" is the first (pilot) episode of the first season of the HBO original series, The Wire. The episode was written by David Simon from a story by David Simon & Ed Burns and was directed by Clark Johnson. It originally aired on June 2, 2002.
Contents |
[edit] Guest Starring roles
- Chris Clanton as Savino
- Ingrid Cornell as Nakeesha Lyles
- Richard DeAngelis as Major Raymond Foerster
- Leo Fitzpatrick as Johnny
- Peter Gerety as Judge Daniel Phelan
- Seth Gilliam as Detective Ellis Carver
- Wendy Grantham as Shardene Innes
- Larry Hull as William Gant
- Hassan Johnson as Wee-Bey Brice
- Michael B. Jordan as Wallace
- Michael Kostroff as Maurice "Maury" Levy
- Clayton LeBouef as Wendell "Orlando" Blocker
- Domenick Lombardozzi as Detective Thomas Herc Hauk
- Melanie Nicholls-King as Cheryl
- Doug Olear as FBI Special Agent Terrence "Fitz" Fitzhugh
- Michael Salconi as Detective Michael Santangelo
- Michael Stone Forrest as Detective Frank Barlow
- Delaney Williams as Sergeant Jay Landsman
- J.D. Williams as Bodie Broadus
- Tray Chaney as Poot Carr (uncredited)
- Brandon Price as Anton "Stinkum" Artis (uncredited)
- Robert F. Colesberry as Detective Ray Cole (uncredited)
- Bobby Brown as Bobby (uncredited)
[edit] Episode recap
Detective Jimmy McNulty observes the trial of D'Angelo Barksdale. Barksdale is a young drug dealer charged with murder. McNulty recognises the others present at the trial including Stringer Bell. Central to the case is witness William Gant who identifies Barksdale as the killer and a security guard, Nakeesha Lyles, who has changed her story and now refuses to finger Barksdale. McNulty visits his colleague, detective Barlow, to tell him the case is being lost. The judge, Daniel Phelan, knows McNulty and later calls him into his chambers to find out why he is so interested in the trial when he was not the primary investigator. McNulty reveals that he has noticed that D'Angelo's uncle Avon Barksdale and Stringer have been tied to many murders and tells Phelan that he believes they control drug trade in West Baltimore's drugs trade - McNulty complains that no-one is investigating their organization.
When McNulty returns to his homicide unit, his sergeant, Jay Landsman, tells him the major wants to see him straight away. Major Rawls is incensed that McNulty spoke to Phelan - he sees it as a deliberate move to go around him. Rawls anger stems from being called upon to talk about the Barksdales by Deputy Commissioner Ervin Burrell. Sergeant Landsman later warns McNulty that his behaviour could end up in reassignment. McNulty reveals that his worst nightmare would be working "the boat" - the marine unit. Rawls passes the problem back to McNulty by ordering him to prepare a briefing on the Barksdales overnight.
Meanwhile D'Angelo Barksdale visits Orlando's strip club with Wee-Bey Brice, having beaten the murder case. D'Angelo makes the mistake of discussing the trial in Wee-Bey's car - Wee-Bey pulls over and curtly reminds him that their rules are not to talk business in the car, on the phone, or anywhere they aren't sure of. At the club D'Angelo meets his uncle, Avon, who also has advice for him - he's not happy that D'Angelo murdered someone. Changing the security guards story cost the crew time, effort and money. His ire doesn't last and he reminds D'Angelo that he is family. However, when D'Angelo shows up to the towers the next day, Stringer tells him he's been reassigned to the low-rise projects.
At these projects a junky named Bubbles and his protegee Johnny try to buy drugs with counterfit money. D'Angelo identifies the money as fake when it is passed on. The next day Johnny is caught and beaten by D'Angelo's crew including Wallace and Bodie. Later D'Angelo goes back to Orlando's for a few drinks.
Narcotics detectives Shakima "Kima" Greggs, Thomas "Herc" Hauk, and Ellis Carver make a bust using information from a scorned ex-girlfriend of a drug dealer. Kima proves her smarts by searching the car and finding guns that Herc and Carver missed.
Their commanding officer, narcotics lieutenant Cedric Daniels, is charged with organizing a detail to investigate the Barksdale operation. He brings Kima, Herc and Carver with him. Rawls sends McNulty to join them, seemingly glad to be able to send him away and includes Detective Santangelo from homicide as well. McNulty objects to Daniels' plan of action - buy and busts - and suggests a wiretap is the way to get a conviction. Daniels doesn't budge, insisting that a fast and simple investigation is the way to go and also suggests looking at old murders to try to find a connection to Barksdale.
McNulty visits another contact to look for help with investigating the Barksdales - FBI Special Agent Terrence "Fitz" Fitzhugh. Fitz shows McNulty the FBI's far superior surveillance equipment but reveals that their drug investigations are coming to an end because resources are being shifted to the war on terror. McNulty then goes drinking with his homicide partner Bunk Moreland and complains about his ex-wife, who prevents him from seeing his two kids enough.
Greggs has a rather different evening - returning home to her partner Cheryl. Greggs goes to the hospital the next day and finds Bubbles (who she knows as a CI) distraught over Johnny's beating. Bubbles offers her information on Barksdale as revenge.
D'Angelo has a distressing start to his second day working "the pit". He passes the body of William Gant - the witness in his murder trial - lying in the street and seems upset about his fate.[1][2][3]
[edit] Deceased
- William Gant: Witness in the D'Angelo Barksdale murder trial.
[edit] Title Reference
- The title refers to Detective Jimmy McNulty setting his sights on Stringer Bell (see picture) and Avon Barksdale's drug dealing organization as the target of an investigation.
[edit] Epigraph
| ...when it's not your turn. - McNulty |
This line is spoken in a conversation with Bunk where McNulty is criticising him for taking on a homicide case he could have avoided because he was not up in the rotation to receive one thus breaking the rules of their institution. Bunk took the case because he was told the corpse was in a house and knew that his chances of solving the case were statistically higher with the body indoors. The conversation is ironic because McNulty has broken the rules in a much larger way by circumventing the chain of command and is about to get into trouble over his actions.[4]
[edit] Commentary
The episode featured a commentary track recorded by creator and writer/producer David Simon as a special feature on the DVD release. He is quick to discuss the seasons novelistic structure and the theme of the corrupting influence of the institutions that the characters have comitted to. He mentions many real life inspirations for events and characters on the show.
He discusses the technique of using surveillance methods within shots (TV monitors, security cameras etc.) to give the sense of always being watched and a need to process the vast amount of information available to the shows detective characters. He also talks about trying to ground the show in realism by using only ambient music (music with a source in the scene).
Throughout the commentary Simon tries to distinguish The Wire from other television crime dramas. He makes the point that the detectives are motivated not by a desire to protect and serve but through the intellectual vanity of believing they are smarter than the criminal they are chasing.[4]
[edit] Miscellanea
- Brandon Price appeared in the pilot as Anton "Stinkum" Artis one of the Barksdale crew soldiers in the courtroom but had no lines and was not credited. Tray Chaney appeared as Poot Carr in the pit as the person who chases down Johnny Weeks, but he has no lines and no credit. This begins a trend of minor roles/appearances remaining uncredited on the show.
- Both the Snot Boogie murder story and Bunk's tale of shooting a mouse in his kitchen are true stories from Simon's time researching Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets.[4]
- The opening scene (the snot-boogie crime scene) is filmed at the corner of Faltington and Lexington in West Baltimore.[4]
- The scenes at the gentleman's club Orlando's (beginning in this episode, and continuing throughout the season) were actually filmed at the Ritz in Fells Point.
- This episode is the first and only appearance of the foul mouthed Detective Frank Barlow who disappears from the series with no explanation. Barlow's disappearance is notable due to that he is the only other character, besides Jimmy McNulty, that is shown before the investigation with knowledge of Stringer Bell and his place in the Barksdale operation as well as his disappearance being after a rather character-driven introduction to him as opposed to other minor characters.
- The Western District officer at the William Gant murder scene, Bobby, is played by real Batimore officer Bobby Brown. Brown also appeared as a police officer in David Simon's The Corner.
[edit] References
- ^ Episode guide - episode 01 The Target. HBO (2004). Retrieved on 2006-07-24.
- ^ "The Target." David Simon, Ed Burns. The Wire. HBO. 2002-06-02.
- ^ Alvarez, Rafael (2004). The Wire: Truth Be Told. New York: Pocket Books.
- ^ a b c d David Simon. (2005). 'The Wire "The Target" commentary track [DVD]. HBO.
