Man this show aged like wine. I watched this show when I was a teenager and some scenes like this definitely went over my head. Rewatching them with a mature eye and more knowledge just bring a different light to the show.
The Wire is such a great show. It’s rewatchable too. I watched it 3 times. Will watch it all again. Seems like the plot and politics of it have aged like wine
+David White (Mr. No Chill) Hilary Clinton Broke the law 34 thousand times and Barack Obama helped. But here in the Bahamas, our corruption is so blatant and in your face that it makes Hillary's crimes look inconsequential at best.
@@jdbarr769 I do not have to. We beat Trump and give it time for what New York State will bring to Trump and other matters. Did you notice Biden won? Pretty good.
For all of Jimmy's brashness, he's right on the money. He doesn't care about promotions, or the clearance rate - he cares about catching bad guys, period.
doublestrokeroll yea but at least his ego is going into something productive for society, for him it’s to get his fix of being the ‘best’ but the actions cause criminals to be caught. Kind of like a reverse Anti Hero, instead of bad actions to good reaction we get a douchey guy who gets good results.
She was right about McNulty, though. He'll happily use someone until they're not useful to him anymore. He was using her for her lawyer status, using her for sex, until she had enough and kicked him out of her life. McNulty had very few friends for a reason. He burned bridges with Daniels and Freamon in the third season, and burned bridges with Kima and Bunk in the fifth season. He was a chaotic renegade who walked away from every fire that he started.
A man acting like how men are supposed to is being s prick ?? The only part in the show where he was a prick was regarding his infidelity. Everything else was just all purpose.
Honestly never understood people's immense hate towards him. His actions were always entirely motivated by the greater good, its just that he was too brash
@@isaacster5027 People are simply afraid of others who speak their mind and go against the grain. Yea Jimmy was self-centered but he did try to make Baltimore a better city by showing his colleagues that chain of command really doesn't matter
Levy was a past member of the bar association. Serious influence on Pearlman’s career. this writing was amazing. A police officer almost died and it stems down to exactly what Jimmy said: everybody stays friends and has a future.
This scene...for me...is one of the absolute greatest in TV (or movies for that matter). The depth of what McNulty is saying is so profound...its stunning. It literally explains virtually all the problems we have in actually solving societal problems.
@@majorevangelism Trump? No way, the dude is the opposite of pc culture and is the epitome of having no filter. He is calculating, but not a puppet in that way.
@@moriellymoproblems7842 He's definitely self righteous. He is just also self loathing. He believes that he's the smartest person in the department. He also believes that everyone in a suit looks down on him, and he knows he's a selfish asshole. That's why the show is great. The characters are complicated.
As much as everyone tries to reinforce the idea that Jimmys selfish, in reality hes the only person doing his job to the fullest, surrounded by ppl who are thinking about protecting their careers
not exactly. what about all the dirty cops that he doesn't rat out? in this scene alone he's threatening to weaponize the tactical team and abuse the power of the police to harass savino's mother, and destroy her property. mcnulty is serving his own purposes. He became obsessed with police work because his life was a mess. furthermore his whole livelihood is to investigate murders that happen because of laws that criminalize drug use. if drug use and distribution was not criminalized, turf war violence would be reduced. he is part of a vicious cycle
I mean, he is selfish because a lot of it is he wants everyone to know he's the smartest guy in the room. But yea, he's not wrong about anything he said either.
@@Kevinschart and his "own purposes" happen to align with any sane notion of justice..he just doesn't put up with the bullshit of the system...and you may have that backwards...his personal life was a mess 'cuz he was obsessed with police work..
@@CharleyCarey true..and wasn't Pearlman clearly being a hypocrite ? accused Jimmy of being willing to use anyone to get what he wanted..meanwhile she wanted to play nice with everyone including the likes of Levy to get what she wanted ? how was Jimmy worse in that regard ?
@@alwynsam5349 disagree. that would make him some kind of hero, and he is nothing of the sort. He's a troubled man and police work was the only way that could cling on to life after losing everything.
Man, both these scenes are amazing. West is astounding, especially on the street part of the scene, and Dierdre Lovejoy ices him down nicely too. What a series.
Pearlman learned a lot from mcnulty, and from Daniels, too.. by the show's end, she managed to outsmart Levy and get a deal that managed to get Chris in jail and Marlo to retire, while McNulty and Lester get to retire and not go to jail (case didn't go to trial, their lies weren't exposed), while securing her position as a judge.
@@madgavin7568 Most of us would be love to have $10 million and the freedom to do whatever we want as long as we don't break the law, but for Marlo, it was a fate worse than death.
@Captain Kirk Maybe incompetent to being unable to stop drinking or keep his marriage intact. But great to calling out these lawyers and the Baltimore Police on their faults. All they knew how to be is corrupt or to juke the stats. As a result real Police work is not done correctly.
The writing was amazing for McNultys line outside the courthouse. The whole show but that specifically put the judicial and executive branches under heavy fire for letting bad people get away with bad shit because the people who can stop them want to be promoted. Individual growth vs. community growth, a common theme of the show.
The irony of her acting so indignant about him using her to pursue this case is laughable when you can tell he's absolutely right about how she's just working the job till she can climb the next rung.
This is one of the most important scenes of the show to me. First time you watch this you're in 100% agreement with McNulty. Fuck everyone. Burn it all down. Jimmy is the only one who has any moral compass in this twisted world. But every time I rewatch the show it becomes clearer McNulty doesn't give a shit about the system or mainly who operates in it. He is totally self serving and just wants the pd to lift him up on their shoulders, toast how he was right all along while singing a merry Irish tune giving his perpetually hung over life some validation. He'll gladly use anyone to his benefit even if it means they'll lose everything. Comes in stark contrast when kima is shot. You can see it on his face when they are all making the plan with Orlando that the plan is way too risky but at that point he was in too deep and his ability to see the situation clearly was clouded. The ends justified the means. Ofc barksdales people knew Orlando was a rat in a flooding tunnel looking for any way out. Jimmy should have realized levy would give word and barksdale would smoke Orlando the second he popped his head from the ground thus putting kima in danger. When Jimmy's greatest adversary comes over and pats his shoulder he's not only telling jimmy, but the audience that it isn't his fault. But Everytime I rewatch the series i buy that less and less. Jimmy's greatest adversary is himself and that's what got kima nearly killed. He's the smartest son of a bitch in the room and he didn't see it that day when his partner, the person that is a reflection of himself, needed it most. But that's the beauty of this show and what loops around back to pearlman having to eat Levy's shit while McNulty has a tirade showing he doesn't understand. When kima learns of Lester and McNulty's sick charade she immediately reports it. When she wakes up from the coma bunk puts a heavy finger on wee beys mugshot she won't lie that she remembers to make the case easy because sometimes it has to play hard. What she learned from Daniels and from McNultys mistakes is what will change the system in Baltimore. She sees how a little fly in the ointment can ruin McNulty's case against levy or Daniels shady past in the eastern district ruined him as the police commissioner. Change might be slow. But it will come. As Carver learned. As namond learned. As bubbles learned. As cutty learned. As alma and Mike Fletcher learned. As Rhonda in this scene knows. Yeah we could blow it all up and take some slimeball lawyer down a peg or two but what will that change? Sure, maybe one less bit of cancer in the Baltimore judicial system but no doubt pearlman will need to burn a lot of bridges and cost herself a chance at becoming a judge to do so. If Baltimore stands a chance it'll need someone like Rhonda and all the people I listed to be a force of change. To root out the cause and not the symptoms.
this is why i go to the comment section of youtube. every solar eclipse you get one like this. well said my friend. it have not seen this pulsating view of mcnulty. thanks
The show makes it very clear that change *doesn't* come, not that it is just slow. Bubbles cleaned himself up and was able to move past Sherrod. But at the end of the day his life is still extremely difficult, he's still somewhat at odds with his sister, still struggling to survive. The bad seeds in the system who actually got wrung out (not all did, many didn't) were replaced with people that are just as bad, if not worse. Levy and the other slimy lawyers are still at large and thriving. Namond escaped the game, maybe he'll become a Bunk or a Bunny, but Michael became Omar, Dukie became Bubbles, etc. Randy was a good, smart kid but will be/has been chewed up and spat out by the system. The Homicide Department is still going to be dealing with dozens more cases than they can even attempt to solve going forward, that problem will persist. Nothing changes or improves. On the street side, Prop Joe, Avon, Stringer, Cheese, etc are gone. But Marlo's still out there, and even with as little street cred as he may have, you've gotta remember that he built his empire himself once, who's to say he couldn't do it again? Slim Charles may not murder quite as many as Partlow and Snoop did but he's definitely not gonna be afraid to draw blood either. Nothing changes, the cycle just repeats and repeats
The point of the show was that NOTHING changes. What will be different with Rhonda in a position of power? Carcetti promised the same thing and look what happened. And even if Rhonda, Daniels, etc all stayed true to their promise of making change, there will always be an antithesis to their thesis. There will ALWAYS be a Burrell, a Royce, a Marlo Stanfield, etc etc McNulty was spot on and the end of the show just exemplified that.
That was a real dumb selfish thing to say. He's talking about systemic injustice that keeps anything from getting better and she's talking about petty bullshit.
@@cavemanzach9475 McNulty did put her on the spot to get what he wanted. I mean I agree 100% with Jimmy, but it's not like what Pearlman said was false. He will use anyone.
she wasn't part of the problem, she just didnt have the heroic tendencies that Mcnulty did and wasnt willing to risk her job to just do the right thing. I thought she was an excellent prosecutor.
Matthew Davis Pearlman wasn't exactly a saint in her own right. Like Levy, she's a shyster, too, but just one who (for the time being, it is strongly implied) works for the the other side. McNulty's harangue about the completely self-interested behavior of the legal community and the lawyers' roles in perpetuating a corrupt system that comes after this scene was dead on.
She is what Colvin calls middle management. "Middle management means that you got just enough responsibility to listen when you talk, but not so much you can't tell anybody to go fuck themselves.
its funny how you make the connection with Colman. i would never have thought of it, but its true. i wonder if the writer thought of all this himself or whether its our own interpretation. you know there is a video here about why the wire/and David Simon a is genius.it must be true, as they say its all connected. cant get enough of this show, always learn sth new. wow
I watched the wire when I was a kid and when I was in college. Now that I’m an adult in corporate America, the Wire hits even harder. The system really is screwed up, it’s crazy how all that matters is politics.
The saddest thing about the system is that it is the closest to human nature. Everyone looks for their own insterest no matter how moral and immoral it is. Human nature is really flawed and we can try other systems but we will always come back to this one.
I get where she's coming from but she really ain't got a leg to stand on with McNulty, he would have rode the boat to see Stringer and Avon catch the years. Of course McNulty would have eventually gone crazy on the boat, point is he's willing to get the job done ahead of his own ambitions
@@maurovaz6081 Which is ironic given Dominic West is a part of an Anglo-Irish family who live on land taken from native Irish people. He went to university in Ireland so is well aware of the history
In America a lot of people identify as “Irish” even though their family has lived in America for 4 or 5 generations. The east coast especially has a massive Irish diaspora
I love how pearlman takes this to heart. She becomes more ruthless and confident when pursuing anyone on the case. It takes time, lester tricking her but by the end, she's one of the few people actually fighting for justice in the system.
McNulty was right about everything but McNulty doesnt give a fuck about his future, she does. To be blackballed or seen as an issue in attorney world is the worst thing that can happen. You either stay stuck where you are on the ladder or begin the descent back down
As brutally correct as McNulty was in this moment, he was dead wrong throwing others under the bus that didn't deserve to be lumped in with the rest. He proved time and time again he's true to his motto. F*** the bosses and what the f*** did I do.
@Poppy Kneegrow if you have more intelligent and less caveman response, I'm willing to engage with the dialogue. Otherwise what else you got to say knuckle-dragger?
Thrown under the bus? He was doing his job, and Pearlman should have done the same. To heck with the future when it's built on filth. What's right is right. When we carry water for the beast we're guilty.
Michael Kostroff (Levy) is one of the truly underrated actors on this show. You really do hate him. Him eating the peanuts is so funny to me for some reason
This is why loved McNulty. And this is why everyone, including the people who worked with him, hated him with the exception of the handful that took down Barksdale
This will always be my favorite mcnulty scene. It’s the perfect encapsulation of he’s completely right and yet he’s so self destructive it doesn’t matter.
Jimmy had a point here. Kima was on death's door at the time and everyone kept wanting to play nice with everyone else so they could move up in their careers. I think that was the point of the Wire,. Everyone is complicit in how Baltimore's drug trade runs. Police only cared about stats so rarely anyone does good police work in order to make a real dent in the drug world. The politicians only care about how they're "tough" on crime so they have to show change in a short amount of time in order to get elected, so they put pressure on police to play the stat game. The lawyers wanna be judges and partners and they're in leagues with the politicians so they're pressured to let the people doing dirty stay dirty. It's all connected.
Sad to say, but 2002 (The Wire's debut) is an entirely different world from today. A guy like McNulty, who speaks his mind, would never survive in 2020. Cancel culture would be after him after his first outburst on TV....
this scene is exactly why nothings ever solved or resolved it just hangs there so these idiots don't rock the boat and offend eachother out of a career, same goes with peer reviews and science nobody wants to say anything controversial cuz they still gotta work in the field.
That's a hell of a leap. Gonna recommend you pick up a book every once in a while and really deep dive in to the history and context of shit like David did, before making statements like this. Your rambling thoughts that came to you while watching wire clips while high as shit aren't some profound, third-eye illuminati shit.
Well, she WAS used by him. McNulty had no problem putting everyone else in a position to get what he wanted no matter who had to pay for it. That was why in S5 he finally realized it wasn't the way to go.
![The Wire 5x10: McNulty's Wake [with subs]](/img/1.gif)
Man this show aged like wine. I watched this show when I was a teenager and some scenes like this definitely went over my head. Rewatching them with a mature eye and more knowledge just bring a different light to the show.
The show singlehandedly ruined everything elle that came before or since.
The Wire is such a great show. It’s rewatchable too. I watched it 3 times. Will watch it all again. Seems like the plot and politics of it have aged like wine
Same here Mr Archibald. Society is rigged to hell.
Aged like Wine??? You are talking the performance right? Not the Narrative, because that aged like wet bread on a hot and humid summer day.
@@WillMuny What the fuck do you mean?
Fucking brilliant McNulty's script just described our entire judicial and political system.
In a nutshell. This is exactly why The Wire never won any awards. America wasn't, and still isn't ready to face the fucking truth.
+David White (Mr. No Chill) Hilary Clinton Broke the law 34 thousand times and Barack Obama helped. But here in the Bahamas, our corruption is so blatant and in your face that it makes Hillary's crimes look inconsequential at best.
@@jdbarr769 Trump makes Clinton look like a petty thief.
@@steves1089 You're gonna have to do better than that.
@@jdbarr769 I do not have to. We beat Trump and give it time for what New York State will bring to Trump and other matters. Did you notice Biden won? Pretty good.
For all of Jimmy's brashness, he's right on the money. He doesn't care about promotions, or the clearance rate - he cares about catching bad guys, period.
naaa....he only cared about his own ego.
@@doublestrokeroll Nahh. He cared about doing the right thing, even if it cost him, A LOT.
He's an addict....he's addicted to himself.....
doublestrokeroll yea but at least his ego is going into something productive for society, for him it’s to get his fix of being the ‘best’ but the actions cause criminals to be caught. Kind of like a reverse Anti Hero, instead of bad actions to good reaction we get a douchey guy who gets good results.
Ariel Siboniy he goes to great lengths just to prove he is good at his job
"Everybody stays friends, everybody gets paid, and everybody's got a effing future..."
Omg
Bradford Armstrong like your papa giving you up so as not to offend his golf buddies.....
@Appleby’s Travel videos it's that way for McNulty too cops do the same thing
'Billionaires hate lawyers because somewhere along the line they're made to perceive them as salesmen with particular partnerships'
@@ipaper9477 what
Favorite line in the show.
But McNaulty was right. And she did want to be a Judge.
Yes, she's just like Levy.
She was right about McNulty, though. He'll happily use someone until they're not useful to him anymore. He was using her for her lawyer status, using her for sex, until she had enough and kicked him out of her life. McNulty had very few friends for a reason. He burned bridges with Daniels and Freamon in the third season, and burned bridges with Kima and Bunk in the fifth season. He was a chaotic renegade who walked away from every fire that he started.
And she became one.
@@JimmySteller Rare scenario where both parties are right.
@@NT-fo3me She did indeed become a judge!
Jimmy could be a massive prick at times, but you gotta hand it to him here. Nailed it.
He sure as hell did--this is the dirty game that's played in every major city!!
A man acting like how men are supposed to is being s prick ?? The only part in the show where he was a prick was regarding his infidelity. Everything else was just all purpose.
Honestly never understood people's immense hate towards him. His actions were always entirely motivated by the greater good, its just that he was too brash
@@slimshady2100 agree entirely
@@isaacster5027 People are simply afraid of others who speak their mind and go against the grain. Yea Jimmy was self-centered but he did try to make Baltimore a better city by showing his colleagues that chain of command really doesn't matter
Dude playing Levy is an awesome actor
He can both look like an asshole and draw antipathy and at the same time look so cunning that it forces respect.
His change in demeanor during this scene is so good.
I would want him to be my lawyer in real life. That's a guy who could make a problem go away.
Perfectly cast.
He was a lawyer in Liar Liar too.
Levy was a past member of the bar association. Serious influence on Pearlman’s career. this writing was amazing. A police officer almost died and it stems down to exactly what Jimmy said: everybody stays friends and has a future.
This scene...for me...is one of the absolute greatest in TV (or movies for that matter). The depth of what McNulty is saying is so profound...its stunning. It literally explains virtually all the problems we have in actually solving societal problems.
Mcnulty is the dude that says what everyone thinks but has no balls to say.
except he doesn't look like a dead cheeseburger.
@#TEAM TRUMP Trump is more of a Clay Davis, people love him because he tell everyone exactly what they want to hear.
@@majorevangelism Trump? No way, the dude is the opposite of pc culture and is the epitome of having no filter. He is calculating, but not a puppet in that way.
SL Mousecop Just like any famous con artist, he has a legion of followers and fake apologist that will blindly defend him.
@@majorevangelism there's also a following of people who blindly hate him too. The game is the game lol.
lol the accent slipped a bit in this one. normally it was pretty legit
...Man...
Didn't hear that the first time.
Definitely hearing it now.
Whose?
BuzzKill Dominic west doesn’t actually talk the way he does as Mcnulty. It’s an accent for the show.
He slipped a lot throughout the whole show, and was egregious here
Shame though cos other than the accent he was great as McNulty
@@mr.flitch4287 thanks.
Levy = OG Saul Goodman
+Richard Lannister And he and his Heisenberg still made it out alive.
way, WAY scummier though
Richard Lannister Lionel Hutz was the OG Saul Goodman
Hank J Wimbleton Only Saul Goodman would hire two standup comedians as his muscle and make it work though.
At least Goodman's not a bad person per se, just a man with some dodgy ethics. Levy is a parasite without conscience.
If only more people had the courage to say what is real and true on the job! One of McNulty's admirable qualities.
Justin Head So very true! Except in season 5. The whole homeless serial killer was even a bit much for me!
Nothing about him is self-righteous. He knows he's a joke, he just doesn't give a fuck.
It's also why he gets busted down to maritime. Chain of command and all that
there are some, but they are kept down so they never reach a high enough lvl to do some damage to the corruption. people like to get paid :)
@@moriellymoproblems7842 He's definitely self righteous. He is just also self loathing. He believes that he's the smartest person in the department. He also believes that everyone in a suit looks down on him, and he knows he's a selfish asshole. That's why the show is great. The characters are complicated.
Can hear Dominic West’s British accent slipping out at times
Especially when he's angry
It's called acting darling
I heard it too. Mmm that's the case I didn't hear Stringers accent 😂😂😂😂
@@pigchamp3627That statement in this context just isn't true, sis. He's a great actor, but still had trouble with his accents during this time.
@@pigchamp3627you mean "bad acting"? Because his character is not supposed to have a British accent
Dominic West is such an underrated actor
he was supposed to play Mance Rayder in game of thrones
@@FaZaFurhod Instead we got Julius Caesar. Not a bad choice either.
@@raftermanhoward1883 for sure yeah. Ciaran Hinds was great in the role but damn I would have loved McNulty to do it lol
@@FaZaFurhod i just don’t want mcnulty burning in the pyre like mance did
@@slimshady2100 did that happen in the books though? I think that was something new for the show
2:24 when McNulty gets mad he starts talking with a British accent LOL
My thoughts
Muthafukas
Because the actor is British
An English accent specifically.
Great ear catching that
As much as everyone tries to reinforce the idea that Jimmys selfish, in reality hes the only person doing his job to the fullest, surrounded by ppl who are thinking about protecting their careers
not exactly. what about all the dirty cops that he doesn't rat out? in this scene alone he's threatening to weaponize the tactical team and abuse the power of the police to harass savino's mother, and destroy her property. mcnulty is serving his own purposes.
He became obsessed with police work because his life was a mess. furthermore his whole livelihood is to investigate murders that happen because of laws that criminalize drug use. if drug use and distribution was not criminalized, turf war violence would be reduced. he is part of a vicious cycle
I mean, he is selfish because a lot of it is he wants everyone to know he's the smartest guy in the room. But yea, he's not wrong about anything he said either.
@@Kevinschart and his "own purposes" happen to align with any sane notion of justice..he just doesn't put up with the bullshit of the system...and you may have that backwards...his personal life was a mess 'cuz he was obsessed with police work..
@@CharleyCarey true..and wasn't Pearlman clearly being a hypocrite ? accused Jimmy of being willing to use anyone to get what he wanted..meanwhile she wanted to play nice with everyone including the likes of Levy to get what she wanted ? how was Jimmy worse in that regard ?
@@alwynsam5349 disagree. that would make him some kind of hero, and he is nothing of the sort. He's a troubled man and police work was the only way that could cling on to life after losing everything.
ANOTHER CAREER IN THE BALANCE
@@thee_morpheus lol yessssss!
Great line
"Everybody stays friends, Everybody gets paid, Everybody has fucking future." uff...the truth hurts doesn't it.
Who cares that his accent slipped up. Such a righteous speech deservers an upper-class English accent IMO
I reckon it deserves a Tom Hardy, gravely as fuck, cockney accent lol
Given the fact that I'm literally just now discovering that Dominic West isn't actually American, I'd say he did a pretty good job, yeah.
Lmao
Man, both these scenes are amazing. West is astounding, especially on the street part of the scene, and Dierdre Lovejoy ices him down nicely too. What a series.
McNulty made the Wire one of the best characters
They're always Jewish
Pearlman learned a lot from mcnulty, and from Daniels, too..
by the show's end, she managed to outsmart Levy and get a deal that managed to get Chris in jail and Marlo to retire, while McNulty and Lester get to retire and not go to jail (case didn't go to trial, their lies weren't exposed), while securing her position as a judge.
Marlo wasn't retired, he was forgotten about and made irrelevant.
@@madgavin7568 Most of us would be love to have $10 million and the freedom to do whatever we want as long as we don't break the law, but for Marlo, it was a fate worse than death.
Jimmy McNulty: ZERO fucks given.
Or, Jimmy McNulty, the only man who gives a fuck...
feanoR Even when it ain't his turn to give a fuck.
Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Paul Heyman
And my moms name is hay paulmen
I speak on behalf of my client, BRRROCK LESNAR...
Always thought Levy reminded me of Heyman.
@@insignificantaftermathPROJECTS damn right
This is definitely a pipebomb.
This is why Jimmy McNulty is a great character.
@Captain Kirk Maybe incompetent to being unable to stop drinking or keep his marriage intact. But great to calling out these lawyers and the Baltimore Police on their faults. All they knew how to be is corrupt or to juke the stats. As a result real Police work is not done correctly.
@Captain Kirk True. But you know what that's on them.
The writing was amazing for McNultys line outside the courthouse. The whole show but that specifically put the judicial and executive branches under heavy fire for letting bad people get away with bad shit because the people who can stop them want to be promoted. Individual growth vs. community growth, a common theme of the show.
Happening now with Trump and politics,, but at a much higher level of power
Levy played a good role as a defense attorney that makes us sick
in a series thats filled with great acting, Levy was one of the best imo. The amount of slime that he brought into the role was beautiful
Really makes me hate lawyers more. But I still think he probably wouldn't fuck with Querns
To bad your not a warden in Baltimore mr querns
❤, it's where the drug money goes 😆 paying for good lawyers.
Jimmy fed up with the system *_"69ing"_* each other and called it like it is.
“The System” in a nutshell. Everyone has something to gain and everything to lose if they don’t play ball.
The irony of her acting so indignant about him using her to pursue this case is laughable when you can tell he's absolutely right about how she's just working the job till she can climb the next rung.
Love when Dominic West starts heating up and the British accent comes out lol
This is one of the most important scenes of the show to me. First time you watch this you're in 100% agreement with McNulty. Fuck everyone. Burn it all down. Jimmy is the only one who has any moral compass in this twisted world.
But every time I rewatch the show it becomes clearer McNulty doesn't give a shit about the system or mainly who operates in it. He is totally self serving and just wants the pd to lift him up on their shoulders, toast how he was right all along while singing a merry Irish tune giving his perpetually hung over life some validation. He'll gladly use anyone to his benefit even if it means they'll lose everything.
Comes in stark contrast when kima is shot. You can see it on his face when they are all making the plan with Orlando that the plan is way too risky but at that point he was in too deep and his ability to see the situation clearly was clouded. The ends justified the means. Ofc barksdales people knew Orlando was a rat in a flooding tunnel looking for any way out. Jimmy should have realized levy would give word and barksdale would smoke Orlando the second he popped his head from the ground thus putting kima in danger. When Jimmy's greatest adversary comes over and pats his shoulder he's not only telling jimmy, but the audience that it isn't his fault. But Everytime I rewatch the series i buy that less and less. Jimmy's greatest adversary is himself and that's what got kima nearly killed. He's the smartest son of a bitch in the room and he didn't see it that day when his partner, the person that is a reflection of himself, needed it most.
But that's the beauty of this show and what loops around back to pearlman having to eat Levy's shit while McNulty has a tirade showing he doesn't understand. When kima learns of Lester and McNulty's sick charade she immediately reports it. When she wakes up from the coma bunk puts a heavy finger on wee beys mugshot she won't lie that she remembers to make the case easy because sometimes it has to play hard. What she learned from Daniels and from McNultys mistakes is what will change the system in Baltimore. She sees how a little fly in the ointment can ruin McNulty's case against levy or Daniels shady past in the eastern district ruined him as the police commissioner. Change might be slow. But it will come. As Carver learned. As namond learned. As bubbles learned. As cutty learned. As alma and Mike Fletcher learned. As Rhonda in this scene knows. Yeah we could blow it all up and take some slimeball lawyer down a peg or two but what will that change? Sure, maybe one less bit of cancer in the Baltimore judicial system but no doubt pearlman will need to burn a lot of bridges and cost herself a chance at becoming a judge to do so. If Baltimore stands a chance it'll need someone like Rhonda and all the people I listed to be a force of change. To root out the cause and not the symptoms.
This is a really wonderful assessment of the situation and why its called having a PhD in The Wire.
this is why i go to the comment section of youtube. every solar eclipse you get one like this.
well said my friend. it have not seen this pulsating view of mcnulty.
thanks
The show makes it very clear that change *doesn't* come, not that it is just slow. Bubbles cleaned himself up and was able to move past Sherrod. But at the end of the day his life is still extremely difficult, he's still somewhat at odds with his sister, still struggling to survive. The bad seeds in the system who actually got wrung out (not all did, many didn't) were replaced with people that are just as bad, if not worse. Levy and the other slimy lawyers are still at large and thriving. Namond escaped the game, maybe he'll become a Bunk or a Bunny, but Michael became Omar, Dukie became Bubbles, etc. Randy was a good, smart kid but will be/has been chewed up and spat out by the system. The Homicide Department is still going to be dealing with dozens more cases than they can even attempt to solve going forward, that problem will persist. Nothing changes or improves. On the street side, Prop Joe, Avon, Stringer, Cheese, etc are gone. But Marlo's still out there, and even with as little street cred as he may have, you've gotta remember that he built his empire himself once, who's to say he couldn't do it again? Slim Charles may not murder quite as many as Partlow and Snoop did but he's definitely not gonna be afraid to draw blood either.
Nothing changes, the cycle just repeats and repeats
Damn man, this is a really insightful indictment of McNulty’s cavalier morality. I should rewatch this show.
The point of the show was that NOTHING changes. What will be different with Rhonda in a position of power? Carcetti promised the same thing and look what happened. And even if Rhonda, Daniels, etc all stayed true to their promise of making change, there will always be an antithesis to their thesis. There will ALWAYS be a Burrell, a Royce, a Marlo Stanfield, etc etc
McNulty was spot on and the end of the show just exemplified that.
Ricky Gervais watched McNultys burn Levy right before his last Golden globe speech lol
That's message at the end from McNulty, a powerful one at that!
"You'll just use anyone, won't you?"
Yeah, so did you.
That was a real dumb selfish thing to say. He's talking about systemic injustice that keeps anything from getting better and she's talking about petty bullshit.
@@cavemanzach9475 McNulty did put her on the spot to get what he wanted. I mean I agree 100% with Jimmy, but it's not like what Pearlman said was false. He will use anyone.
lmao a lawyer shaming people for using others.
fuck Saul I want a miniseries with Levy
Straight up
Yeah but at least Saul has some charm. Levy is just a straight up piece of shit (that's good acting btw).
I love how much his British accent is peaking through
part of the problem, all throughout the series.
She even had the nerve to say "this ain't on me" in the end.
she wasn't part of the problem, she just didnt have the heroic tendencies that Mcnulty did and wasnt willing to risk her job to just do the right thing. I thought she was an excellent prosecutor.
Matthew Davis Pearlman wasn't exactly a saint in her own right. Like Levy, she's a shyster, too, but just one who (for the time being, it is strongly implied) works for the the other side. McNulty's harangue about the completely self-interested behavior of the legal community and the lawyers' roles in perpetuating a corrupt system that comes after this scene was dead on.
She is what Colvin calls middle management. "Middle management means that you got just enough responsibility to listen when you talk, but not so much you can't tell anybody to go fuck themselves.
iandhr1 Which is what our education system pumps out.
its funny how you make the connection with Colman. i would never have thought of it, but its true. i wonder if the writer thought of all this himself or whether its our own interpretation. you know there is a video here about why the wire/and David Simon a is genius.it must be true, as they say its all connected. cant get enough of this show, always learn sth new. wow
I watched the wire when I was a kid and when I was in college. Now that I’m an adult in corporate America, the Wire hits even harder. The system really is screwed up, it’s crazy how all that matters is politics.
Get out man. Corporate structure be enslaving all of us. I’m in business school right now and I can’t handle it. The fakeness is too much
The saddest thing about the system is that it is the closest to human nature. Everyone looks for their own insterest no matter how moral and immoral it is. Human nature is really flawed and we can try other systems but we will always come back to this one.
Stringer and Jimmy's accent always slip when they yell lol
Could both be disbarred for this. Levy is not acting in his client's interest and Pearlman is blackmailing an officer of the court.
I was in 8th grade and high school when this gem hit the screen. When i found out Mcnulty was a true British actor , I was blown back....
The way he said savino "bratton" is when the accent slipped
'If you want me to keep my nose close to your shit' LOL
I get where she's coming from but she really ain't got a leg to stand on with McNulty, he would have rode the boat to see Stringer and Avon catch the years.
Of course McNulty would have eventually gone crazy on the boat, point is he's willing to get the job done ahead of his own ambitions
The first time I watched the Wire I always thought Jimmy was a born & raised irishman that had moved to Baltimore
Well he is Irish-American, he bitches about Cromwell stealing the land of his ancestors and run them out of the Island
@@maurovaz6081 Which is ironic given Dominic West is a part of an Anglo-Irish family who live on land taken from native Irish people. He went to university in Ireland so is well aware of the history
In America a lot of people identify as “Irish” even though their family has lived in America for 4 or 5 generations. The east coast especially has a massive Irish diaspora
@@canecarder9800 Guilty! Though 3rd generation in my case.
How Levy survived the game will for ever be a mystery.
Herc saved him.
I can hear his British accent
mcnulty is right... why should he give a shit if levy is gonna affect pearlman's career
Pearlman....Levy.
“She’s a member of your twisted little tribe”......McNulty was based
0:50 love how mcnulty refers to himself in the third person in his anger
Me, I wouldn't wipe my ass with a Balmer lawyer. No offense.
Hahaha 😂 right
As someone who spent time working in both law enforcement and politics I completely agree with mcnulty’s assessment.
Jimmy, the best misfit ever
Yes he is 😊🙌🏻
literally one of the best scenes in all tv show history in my opinion. Because everything he says about the Judicial system is extremely true.
I love how pearlman takes this to heart. She becomes more ruthless and confident when pursuing anyone on the case. It takes time, lester tricking her but by the end, she's one of the few people actually fighting for justice in the system.
McNulty was right about everything but McNulty doesnt give a fuck about his future, she does. To be blackballed or seen as an issue in attorney world is the worst thing that can happen. You either stay stuck where you are on the ladder or begin the descent back down
Levy almost got offended at the tribe comment, but realized McNulty was just insulting his profession and exhaled.
Ooooo i hear his accent 😂😂😂😂 hes mad mad
As brutally correct as McNulty was in this moment, he was dead wrong throwing others under the bus that didn't deserve to be lumped in with the rest. He proved time and time again he's true to his motto. F*** the bosses and what the f*** did I do.
@Poppy Kneegrow if you have more intelligent and less caveman response, I'm willing to engage with the dialogue. Otherwise what else you got to say knuckle-dragger?
Thrown under the bus? He was doing his job, and Pearlman should have done the same. To heck with the future when it's built on filth. What's right is right. When we carry water for the beast we're guilty.
This was 1 of my favorite scenes
+
"Your twisted tribe"...has two distinct meanings.
DAAAAAAAAAAMN
OMG thanks for pointing this one out ! XD
JEWS HAHAHAHA
@@w1zkha Was Pearlman Jewish?
@@jpowers55 probably, McNulty wasn't only talking about Lawyers xD
Damn I forgot McNulty threatened Levy like this. I need to rewartch
levy was a great actor he definitely could be a hotshot lawyer smug condescending great actor
One of Many great scenes in The Wire
Jimmy is a real one for real
Oh the feeling of nostalgia I get from the 2000s vibe this show captures so well is awesome
Thanks Simon
Jimmy got so mad his accent slipped.
God I just hope that bpd has somebody like mcNulty on the force!!!!
This actor nails the worm role so well.
Michael Kostroff (Levy) is one of the truly underrated actors on this show. You really do hate him. Him eating the peanuts is so funny to me for some reason
And Omar calls his ass out in front of a whole courtroom.
His accent comes through
Pure genius to drop the theme for the entire series into a random scene in Season 1. A great metaphor as to why public institutions no longer work.
He's barely hiding his British accent lol
This is why loved McNulty. And this is why everyone, including the people who worked with him, hated him with the exception of the handful that took down Barksdale
Maurice Levy: The boss of the whole thing
The most important scene in the entire show.
How Levy walked away from this with tie in place I don't get 🤣
McNulty was willing to do whatever it took to get the right people.
His accent slips so much in this scene
It's part of the character at least
The writing on this show is phenomenal
This is the moment Tony Soprano became Marie Schrader.
McNulty at his most British
This will always be my favorite mcnulty scene. It’s the perfect encapsulation of he’s completely right and yet he’s so self destructive it doesn’t matter.
the best show ever I mean just my opinion as far as the script the realness of most of the show and one of the best people on there McNulty
yes minister and this. Hands down. They are both grounded in reality but show a fucked up system in a fun way.
Jimmy had a point here. Kima was on death's door at the time and everyone kept wanting to play nice with everyone else so they could move up in their careers. I think that was the point of the Wire,. Everyone is complicit in how Baltimore's drug trade runs. Police only cared about stats so rarely anyone does good police work in order to make a real dent in the drug world. The politicians only care about how they're "tough" on crime so they have to show change in a short amount of time in order to get elected, so they put pressure on police to play the stat game. The lawyers wanna be judges and partners and they're in leagues with the politicians so they're pressured to let the people doing dirty stay dirty. It's all connected.
And now Hamsterdam is gonna become a thing.
I was always happy when Levy popped up on screen. He was so great.
Another career in the balance
He's painfully HONEST.
i've noticed with him, gary oldman, ewan mcgregor, etc.
the accent comes out the most in those moments of anger
I think Pearlman is hot.
Yes ! She is 😍🔥
Jesus didn't realize how deep this scene was. Thought it was just about kima but they were telling us how it goes down in the real world
Sad to say, but 2002 (The Wire's debut) is an entirely different world from today.
A guy like McNulty, who speaks his mind, would never survive in 2020. Cancel culture would be after him after his first outburst on TV....
"You'll just use anyone, wont you?" Is a great summary of Jimmy's egotistical alcohol driven "burn every bridge" philosophy when it came to the job
I think McNulty is the only character on The Wire that really did put fear into Levy
this scene is exactly why nothings ever solved or resolved it just hangs there so these idiots don't rock the boat and offend eachother out of a career, same goes with peer reviews and science nobody wants to say anything controversial cuz they still gotta work in the field.
That's a hell of a leap. Gonna recommend you pick up a book every once in a while and really deep dive in to the history and context of shit like David did, before making statements like this.
Your rambling thoughts that came to you while watching wire clips while high as shit aren't some profound, third-eye illuminati shit.
Definitely a classic scene
The fact that she claims to be used by Jimmy in this scene is the perfect example of how fucked the top end of town is.
Well, she WAS used by him. McNulty had no problem putting everyone else in a position to get what he wanted no matter who had to pay for it.
That was why in S5 he finally realized it wasn't the way to go.
McNulty's British accent is really trying to get out in this scene.