Recap / The Wire S 02 E 05 Undertow

Season 2, Episode 5

Undertow

"They used to make steel there, no?"

— Vondas

Frank and his crew get served with subpoenas concerning the murders, but they clam up, and grand jury subpoenas are unable to shake them (as the grand jury prosecutor says, "I've almost got one of them ready to swear that the docks are actually near the water"). That doesn't stop Frank from wanting out, but once again, the Greek, through Vondas, makes the money too good to pass up. Meanwhile, Beadie visits Maui (whom she used to date briefly), and gets him to tell her they do everything at the docks by computer now, and while Frank and the others claim they often lose crates in the system, Bunk doesn't buy it, and he and Lester ponder a way to track the port's computer. Also, once Nick figures out the chemicals Spiros and Glekas asked for are for drugs and not to make a bomb, he decides he's okay with it.

Thanks to Bubbles, McNulty finally gets ahold of Omar, though Nathan is unimpressed when she not only hears his deposition (which she can easily guess is skirting the truth, if not outright perjury), but sees his wardrobe. McNulty tries to take Omar out shopping for a suit, but that doesn't work. Meanwhile, McNulty also tries to get an ID on his floater, but though he goes to the Department of Homeland Security and INS, he doesn't make any headway.

Ziggy tries to collect drug money he's owed from Frog (Gary "D Reign" Senkus), a dealer working for him, and is upset when Frog doesn't have it. The reason why Ziggy is upset is he owes that money to Melvin "Cheese" Wagstaff (Method Man) and his crew. To make matters worse, Cheese takes Ziggy's car, and when Nick tries to intercede, although he gets another week for Ziggy to pay his debts, Cheese's crew burns Ziggy's car.

The Barksdale crew is still pushing weak product — and Bodie has to stop his crew from beating up junkies who say so — but Stringer gets an idea from his economics class that they should change the name, and Bodie also gets the idea of pretending to be competing with themselves to get customers.

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This episode contains examples of:

• Actually Pretty Funny:
  • When Cheese and his crew laugh at how hideous-looking Ziggy's jacket is, Ziggy laughs as well, until Cheese wants to know what he's laughing at.
  • McNulty also laughs during Omar's deposition with Nathan.
• Ask a Stupid Question...: After Rawls tells Lester he's been assigned to Daniels' detail:
  Lester: Colonel, respectfully, did you just fuck me over without giving me even half a chance to clear this case?
  Rawls: Let's be clear, Detective Freamon. When I fuck you over, you'll know it. You'll be so goddamn certain, you won't need to ask the question.
• Call-Back: Carver obviously doesn't know why Daniels would take him back, given their past history.
• Character Development: Whereas Bodie would have beaten anyone up before on the slightest provocation, even customers, now he tells his crew not to do that, and even says there's no reason to beat up junkies who think their product is weak because they're telling the truth.
• Continuity Nod: The surveillance van Frank had stolen from Valchek is now in San Diego, though when Kima asks for it, Valchek claims it's on loan to the southwest district.
  • Nick and Aimee start looking for a place, though when Elena (the real estate agent handling the deal) tells them how much Nick's aunt's old place costs, Nick is unhappy.
• Epigraph: , which Vondas says to Frank about the now-closed Beth Steel plant. It's his way of telling Frank he has no choice but to stay on.
• The Farmer and the Viper: When Nathan is quizzing Omar about the murder Bird committed, Omar asks which murder in particular; "Fish gotta swim, you know what I'm sayin'?"
• Foreshadowing: D'Angelo cutting himself off from Donette (despite the fact she tells him how he'll be set up in a legitimate business once he gets out), and Stringer hearing about that, become very important next episode. Also, the chemicals Nick agrees to sell Spiros, and Cheese's threat against Ziggy.
• Good News, Bad News: Nick tells Ziggy he has good news and bad about his beef with Cheese, and, of course, Ziggy asks for the bad first. The bad news is, he's still a dead man, but he has a week. The good news? "You can cancel your car insurance."
• Only Known by Their Nickname: Cheese.
• Ragtag Band of Misfits:
  Lester: (upon joining Daniels and the rest) Same fuck-ups in the same shit detail working out of the same shithouse of an office. You people lack for personal growth, you know that?
• Real Men Wear Pink: Subverted here with Omar, who will only wear his trademark outfit.
  McNulty: (holding up a light yellow jacket against Omar) That's a look.
  Omar: No, it ain't.
• Running Gag: McNulty still doesn't know his way around a boat. Bubbles can knot a rope better than he can!
  Bubbles: I don't know, maybe it's me, but something's way the fuck wrong with this picture.
  • Also, Herc bragging about how his toothpick makes him look authentic.
    Carver: One more time with that toothpick, I'm going to stab him in the fucking eye with it.
• Stock Legal Phrases: Parodied:
  Frank: What do you say, Johnny? What do you say to any question?
  Johnny Fifty: (raising his hand) I take the fifth commandment.
  Frank: And if they offer you immunity to testify against your union brothers?
  Johnny Fifty: I don't remember.
  Frank: Don't remember what?
  Johnny Fifty: Nothing.
• Tempting Fate: Daniels says no way, under any circumstances, is he going to let the murder investigation fold into his own. Of course, Lester convinces him to at least let Bunk and Beadie work out of the detail office.
• True Companions: Herc is overjoyed when Carver gets accepted into the detail again.
  Herc: Come here, you sweet bitch!
• What the Hell, Hero?: Frank's reaction when Beadie and Bunk accuse him (without saying so) of having knowledge on how the prostitutes were murdered.
  He thinks we'd leave them there on the dock in a box, dying there in the dark because...because why, detective? What reason would we have to want girls to die like that? Why would any of us leave them in there if we knew anything about it? I got a wife, and three sisters, and they have daughters, and I got too much respect for women not to be pissed off at what's in your heads right now.

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