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Ebb Tide (The Wire episode)
Encyclopedia
"Ebb Tide" is the first episode of the second season of the HBO original series, The Wire
. The episode was written by David Simon
, from a story by Simon and Ed Burns
, and was directed by Ed Bianchi
. It originally aired on June 1, 2003.
is
Here Little Big Roy refers to the ports and their place in the chain. It also refers to the fortune of heavy industries as a whole, where manpower is replaced by automated machinery, a point alluded to throughout the season.
, Amy Ryan and Chris Bauer
are all new additions to the opening credits this season. Despite his credit Clarke Peters does not appear in this episode. Credited stars Frankie Faison
, Larry Gilliard, Jr., Deirdre Lovejoy
and Andre Royo
do not appear in this episode.
Although credited, Seth Gilliam does not appear in this episode.
, who has been demoted and reassigned to the Baltimore police department marine unit, complains to his new partner Claude Diggins about the cold. They are called to a ship with engine trouble that is hosting a party. The party organizer bribes McNulty to tow them out of the shipping lanes but not to shore so that they can continue their festivities.
The next day McNulty discovers a female corpse in the harbor and identifies it as relatively fresh but notes it has broken legs. Ray Cole is the homicide detective who gets the case - he meets McNulty on the shore. McNulty visits his old homicide unit looking for Bunk Moreland
. He checks in with Sergeant Landsman
and asks if he is to blame for him getting his nightmare assignment in the marine unit. Landsman denies any malicious intent in letting Rawls know about McNulty's aversion to the job. McNulty learns that Cole has missed several key pieces of information about the corpse that he discovered and that homicide commander Colonel Rawls
has passed the case off to Baltimore County because it was found east of the bridge. McNulty spends his next few hours studying tides and charts of the harbor as he attempts to prove where the body was dumped into the water; he types up a report and faxes it to the county homicide unit. Rawls and Landsman immediately realize McNulty's involvement when the case is passed back to them.
, his father-in-law, to discuss his career options. Prez wants to stay in narcotics and work cases like the recently finished Barksdale investigation. Valchek wants him to progress through the ranks and have a career in the department, and quickly dismisses Prez's own plans. Valchek's office is filled with newly delivered stained glass decorations.
is working at her desk job and Detective Thomas "Herc" Hauk has returned to easier street cases following the dissolution of the Barksdale detail. Herc tells Kima that she is "pussy whipped" because she allows her romantic partner, Cheryl, to control her work life. When Kima returns home to Cheryl, they discuss possible fathers for artificial insemination along with Kima's job dissatisfaction.
Homicide detective Bunk Moreland
visits his old partner McNulty at the docks to ask if he can help him locate witness Omar Little
for the trial of Barksdale soldier Marquis "Bird" Hilton for the murder of William Gant. Bunk later goes to the storage basement to retrieve his evidence for the trial. He has a chance meeting with the recently dissolved Barksdale detail's commander Lieutenant Daniels
, who is now in charge of the evidence room, and they discuss Bird's upcoming trial. Bunk is dismayed to learn that his evidence has been lost. Daniels insists that the entire basement be pulled apart to locate the evidence. That evening, Bunk meets with McNulty in a bar and again asks him for help locating Omar, but to no avail.
s' Union Secretary Treasurer Frank Sobotka
meets with another union leader, Nat Coxson, who is angry that the Baltimore grain pier is still in a state of disrepair. Frank is disparaged by his colleagues, including Thomas "Horseface" Pakusa and Ott, for taking the verbal abuse, but he laughs it off. Frank meets with his nephew Nick Sobotka
and learns he is working for the first time in two weeks; Frank tells Nick to see someone named 'The Greek
' about a container they have coming in. He hears from another worker, La La, that his son Ziggy
has lost a container. Frank tells Ziggy that he is fired, but this is a regular occurrence.
Frank later visits a church where he has donated a stained glass window imported from Esslingen, Germany. He requests that the priest, Father Lewandowski, set up a meeting with Senator Barbara Mikulski
for him to discuss the difficulties at the docks. Major Valchek delivers his own window to the church on behalf of Polish police officers and firefighters, but is angry that the dock union beat him to it.
Later in Delores' bar, the rest of the stevedores drink heavily and the senior members, including Moonshot, Chess, and Little Big Roy, riotously discuss days gone by. Ziggy organizes a rebuke from younger stevedores Nick, Johnny Fifty, and Big Roy. Ziggy is the center of attention, showing off while standing on a table, until the band (guest stars The Nighthawks
as themselves) begin to play.
Nick is awoken in his parents basement by his mother banging on the ceiling. She chastises him for getting up late when a ship is due. Ziggy sleeps on the sofa. Nick walks out to meet with the Greeks and bumps into his friend Johnny Fifty. As Johnny and Nick bemoan the lack of work for younger stevedores, Ziggy catches up with them. Nick reluctantly lets Ziggy drive out to his meeting with "The Greek". Ziggy embarrasses Nick by talking too much and offending Sergei, a Ukrainian driver, by calling him Boris. Nick's meeting is about a container that the Greek wants Sergei to drive away from the docks for him. Nick reports back to Frank and Horseface with the details and informs Frank their cut will be the same. Just before Nick arrives, the local dock police officer Beadie Russell
jovially asks Frank what he is stealing today. Later, Frank and Horseface are dismayed when Sergei leaves the container sitting on the dock for several hours. When they insist he get on with things, Sergei drives away. Frank orders Pakusa to "lose" the container in the stack, so as to make it less conspicuous.
Later, Officer Russell stumbles across the Greek's container and notices the broken customs seal. She finds the bodies of over a dozen young women in the back of the container and calls for back up. The stevedores gather around as the police arrive. Frank is shocked to learn that there were dead women in the container.
drives out to Central Philadelphia with another Barksdale drug dealer named Shamrock. He collects a car from a parking garage and drives it to another side street garage where it is stripped down. Bodie is enraged when the car is devoid of any narcotics and he worries over calling his superiors to let them know. Stringer Bell
, leader of the organization while Avon Barksdale
is imprisoned, orders them to return to Baltimore and report to the funeral home. Stringer checks that Bodie and Shamrock stuck to their assigned times and recorded their mileage. He also quizzes them separately to see if there was an opportunity for either one of them to steal anything. Finally he reveals that he had them followed the whole trip by Tank and a newly returned soldier called Country. Bodie is later seen running his own drug dealing crew on a corner much like D'Angelo Barksdale
used to. Bodie checks his count and discusses his resupply from a dealer named Mo Man with his second, Puddin.
Stringer visits Avon in prison and they discuss a delivery connection with New York named Roberto. It is this connection who failed to deliver the product they sent Bodie to collect. Stringer's surveillance allowed him to check the integrity of his people, so he has identified the source of the problem as New York. Avon counsels that he must be firm when he demands their product. Stringer asks how he is managing with his sentence and Avon tells him he only really serves two days: the day he went in and the day he is released. Stringer later meets with Roberto's lawyer in New York City, who explains that Roberto Castillan de Silva has been arrested by the DEA and was concerned Avon's light prison sentence was the result of implicating Roberto to authorities. He is assured that his funds are being returned to him, but the New York suppliers no longer feel safe dealing with him because Avon's arrest and mild sentence raise concerns that he may be a police informant.
The WIRE
the WIRE is the student-run College radio station at the University of Oklahoma, broadcasting in a freeform format. The WIRE serves the University of Oklahoma and surrounding communities, and is staffed by student DJs. The WIRE broadcasts at 1710 kHz AM in Norman, Oklahoma...
. The episode was written by David Simon
David Simon
David Simon is an American author, journalist, and a writer/producer of television series. He worked for the Baltimore Sun City Desk for twelve years. He wrote Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets and co-wrote The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood with Ed Burns...
, from a story by Simon and Ed Burns
Ed Burns
Ed Burns is a producer, screenwriter, and novelist. He has worked closely with writing partner David Simon. They have collaborated on The Corner and The Wire . Burns is a former Baltimore police detective for the Homicide and Narcotics divisions, and a public school teacher...
, and was directed by Ed Bianchi
Ed Bianchi
Edward Bianchi is an American television director and producer. Bianchi was a producer on the HBO original series, Deadwood.-Career:...
. It originally aired on June 1, 2003.
Title and epigraph
The title alludes to the fact that the fortunes of many of the main characters are at low point at the beginning of this season, with McNulty, Greggs and Daniels all very much where they do not want to be. The episode's epigraphEpigraph (literature)
In literature, an epigraph is a phrase, quotation, or poem that is set at the beginning of a document or component. The epigraph may serve as a preface, as a summary, as a counter-example, or to link the work to a wider literary canon, either to invite comparison or to enlist a conventional...
is
Here Little Big Roy refers to the ports and their place in the chain. It also refers to the fortune of heavy industries as a whole, where manpower is replaced by automated machinery, a point alluded to throughout the season.
Music
- While Bodie and Shamrock are driving and changing radio stations they hear A Prairie Home CompanionA Prairie Home CompanionA Prairie Home Companion is a live radio variety show created and hosted by Garrison Keillor. The show runs on Saturdays from 5 to 7 p.m. Central Time, and usually originates from the Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul, Minnesota, although it is frequently taken on the road...
and wonder if it is a local station. - In Dolores' bar, the longshoremen dance to The Nighthawks performing "Sixteen TonsSixteen Tons"Sixteen Tons" is a song about the life of a coal miner, first recorded in 1946 by American country singer Merle Travis and released on his box set album Folk Songs of the Hills the following year...
." A montage of Baltimore's decaying ports is interspersed into the song. - When Nick wakes up at home, he plays the song "Search and Destroy" by The StoogesThe StoogesThe Stooges are an American rock band from Ann Arbor, Michigan first active from 1967 to 1974, and later reformed in 2003...
. When he and Ziggy return from the Greek's, they are heard listening to "My SharonaMy Sharona"My Sharona" is the debut single by The Knack, released in 1979 from their album Get the Knack. It reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart where it remained for six weeks and was #1 on Billboards Top Pop Singles of 1979 year-end chart. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry...
" by The KnackThe KnackThe Knack was an American New Wave rock quartet based in Los Angeles that rose to fame with their first single, "My Sharona", an international number one hit in 1979.-Founding :...
. - As McNulty is calculating tidal drift, Waylon Jennings' "My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys" can be heard in the background.
Starring cast
Paul Ben Victor, Clarke PetersClarke Peters
Clarke Peters is an American actor, singer, writer and director best known for his role as Detective Lester Freamon on the HBO drama The Wire.-Early life:...
, Amy Ryan and Chris Bauer
Chris Bauer
Mark Christopher "Chris" Bauer is an American film and television actor.-Early life:Bauer was born in Los Angeles, California and attended high school at Miramonte High School in Orinda, California. He played on Miramonte Championship football team his senior year, 1984...
are all new additions to the opening credits this season. Despite his credit Clarke Peters does not appear in this episode. Credited stars Frankie Faison
Frankie Faison
Frankie Russel Faison , often credited as Frankie R. Faison, is an American actor.-Personal life:Faison was born in Newport News, Virginia, the son of Carmena and Edgar Faison. He studied drama at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois, where he joined Theta Chi Fraternity...
, Larry Gilliard, Jr., Deirdre Lovejoy
Deirdre Lovejoy
Deirdre Lovejoy is an American actress. She is most notable for her role on the HBO television series The Wire as Rhonda Pearlman. She graduated from the University of Evansville with an undergraduate degree in theatre....
and Andre Royo
Andre Royo
Andre Royo is an American actor. He is best known for his role as "Bubbles" in The Wire , and has had guest starring appearances in Fringe, Party Down, and How To Make It In America.-Career:...
do not appear in this episode.
Guest stars
- Seth GilliamSeth GilliamSeth Gilliam is an American actor. He is known for his HBO television roles, first as corrections officer-turned-prisoner Clayton Hughes on Oz, and later as Baltimore police detective promoted to sergeant Ellis Carver on The Wire. On both of these series, he co-starred with Lance Reddick and J.D....
as Detective Ellis CarverEllis CarverEllis Carver is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Seth Gilliam. Carver is an African American lieutenant and formerly in command of the Baltimore Police Department's Western District Drug Enforcement Unit... - Domenick LombardozziDomenick LombardozziDomenico "Domenick" Lombardozzi is an American actor best known for his role as Thomas "Herc" Hauk on The Wire. Lombardozzi was inspired to act by the film State of Grace.-Filmography:...
as Detective Thomas "Herc" Hauk - Jim True-FrostJim True-FrostJim True-Frost, born Jim True, is an American stage, television and screen actor. He is most known for his portrayal of Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski on all five seasons of the HBO program The Wire.-Biography:...
as Detective Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski - James RansoneJames RansoneJames Ransone is an American actor and former musician from Baltimore, Maryland. He is best known for his roles as Ziggy Sobotka in the second season of HBO's The Wire, and Corporal Josh Ray Person in the Iraq War-based mini-series Generation Kill...
as Ziggy SobotkaZiggy SobotkaChester Karol "Ziggy" Sobotka is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor James Ransone. Though his father Frank Sobotka was a well-respected stevedore union leader, Ziggy's often reckless and juvenile behavior gained him little respect among other members of the union and... - Pablo SchreiberPablo SchreiberPablo Tell Schreiber is an American actor known for his dramatic stage work and for his portrayal of the Polish-American character Nick Sobotka on HBO's Baltimore drug-related crime drama The Wire. He was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance in Awake and Sing! on Broadway...
as Nick SobotkaNick SobotkaNickolas Andrew "Nick" Sobotka is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Pablo Schreiber. the character of Nick is cousin to, Ziggy Sobotka, the wayward and rebellious son to his uncle Frank Sobotka... - Al Brown as Major Stan ValchekStanislaus ValchekStanislaus "Stan" Valchek is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Al Brown.-Biography:Valchek is the Polish-American commander of the Southeastern district, home to many of the remaining white ethnic neighborhoods in Baltimore...
- Melanie Nicholls-King as Cheryl
- J. D. WilliamsJ. D. WilliamsDarnell "J.D." Williams is an American actor with starring roles in the HBO television programs Oz and The Wire, in which he appeared as Preston "Bodie" Broadus...
as Preston "Boadie" BroadusBodie BroadusPreston "Bodie" Broadus is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor J. D. Williams. Bodie is initially a Barksdale organization drug dealer in "The Pit" who slowly rises through the ranks... - Delaney WilliamsDelaney WilliamsDelaney Williams is an American actor from Washington, D.C. He appears on the HBO drama The Wire as a recurring guest star playing homicide sergeant Jay Landsman. He also had a small role on HBO's mini-series The Corner which brought him to the attention of the producers, who worked on The prior to...
as Sergeant Jay LandsmanJay Landsman (The Wire)Jay Landsman is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Delaney Williams.-Policing method:Landsman's role in the police department is that of a supervisory detective sergeant who doesn't participate in much investigation work... - Chris AshworthChris AshworthChristopher Michael Ashworth , better known as simply Chris Ashworth, is an American actor, perhaps best known for his portrayal of Sergei Malatov on The Wire...
as Sergei "Serge" Malatov - Luray Cooper as Nat Coxson
- Jeffrey Fugitt as Claude Diggins
- Bill RaymondBill RaymondBill Raymond is an actor who has appeared in film, television and theatre since the 1960s.-Life and career:He featured in the second and fifth seasons of the HBO drama The Wire as "The Greek", the mysterious head of an international criminal organization. Other TV appearances include Miami Vice,...
as The GreekThe Greek (The Wire)The Greek is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Bill Raymond. The Greek is the head of an international criminal organization involved in narcotics and human trafficking.... - Ted Feldman as George "Double G" Glekas
- Tel Monks as Father Jerome Lewandowski
- The NighthawksThe NighthawksThe Nighthawks are an American blues and roots music band, based in Washington, D.C. The Nighthawks currently are Mark Wenner , Paul Bell , Johnny Castle , and Mark Stutso...
(Musical appearance) - Elisabeth Noone as Joan Sobotka
- Charley ScaliesCharley ScaliesCharlie Scalies is an American actor best known for his portrayal of Thomas "Horseface" Pakusa, one of the stevedores and union members on the second season of HBO's The Wire. He has also appeared in TV shows Homicide: Life on the Street, Law & Order, and The Sopranos.- External links :...
as Thomas "Horseface" Pakusa
Although credited, Seth Gilliam does not appear in this episode.
Uncredited appearances
- Jill Redding as Delores
- J. Valenteen Gregg as Chess
- Harold L. Able, Sr. as Moonshot
- Stan Stewart as New Charles
- Richard Pelzman as Little Big Roy
- Kelvin Davis as La La
- Bus Howard as Ott
- Doug Lory as Big Roy
- Jeffrey Pratt Gordon as Johnny "Fifty" Spamanto
- Robert F. ColesberryRobert F. ColesberryRobert F. "Bob" Colesberry, Jr. was an American film and television producer and first assistant director notable for his work as a producer on the Emmy Award winning miniseries The Corner, the Peabody Award winning television series The Wire for HBO, and the Oscar-nominated movie Mississippi...
as Detective Ray Cole - Jeffrey Coleman as Coast Guard Officer
- Richard BurtonRichard Burton (Baltimore)Richard Burton is a Baltimore, Maryland, city council employee and runs the "Believe" campaign. He was a rapper before becoming involved in Martin O'Malley's first Mayoral campaign after meeting him in 1998....
as Shaun "Shamrock" McGinty - De'Rodd Hearns as Puddin
- Addison Switzer as Country
- Perry Blackmon as Perry
- Rico Whelchel as Rico
- Jonathan D. Wray as Tank
- Unknown as Dominican Drug Lawyer
McNulty
Officer Jimmy McNultyJimmy McNulty
Detective James "Jimmy" McNulty is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by British actor Dominic West. McNulty is an Irish American detective in the Baltimore Police Department...
, who has been demoted and reassigned to the Baltimore police department marine unit, complains to his new partner Claude Diggins about the cold. They are called to a ship with engine trouble that is hosting a party. The party organizer bribes McNulty to tow them out of the shipping lanes but not to shore so that they can continue their festivities.
The next day McNulty discovers a female corpse in the harbor and identifies it as relatively fresh but notes it has broken legs. Ray Cole is the homicide detective who gets the case - he meets McNulty on the shore. McNulty visits his old homicide unit looking for Bunk Moreland
Bunk Moreland
William "Bunk" Moreland is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Wendell Pierce. Bunk's character is based on a retired Baltimore City Police Detective named Rick Requer and nicknamed "the Bunk", an officer who joined the force in 1964 as a Western District patrolman who...
. He checks in with Sergeant Landsman
Jay Landsman (The Wire)
Jay Landsman is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Delaney Williams.-Policing method:Landsman's role in the police department is that of a supervisory detective sergeant who doesn't participate in much investigation work...
and asks if he is to blame for him getting his nightmare assignment in the marine unit. Landsman denies any malicious intent in letting Rawls know about McNulty's aversion to the job. McNulty learns that Cole has missed several key pieces of information about the corpse that he discovered and that homicide commander Colonel Rawls
William Rawls
William A. "Bill" Rawls is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor John Doman. Over the course of the series he ascends to the rank of Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.-Season 1:...
has passed the case off to Baltimore County because it was found east of the bridge. McNulty spends his next few hours studying tides and charts of the harbor as he attempts to prove where the body was dumped into the water; he types up a report and faxes it to the county homicide unit. Rawls and Landsman immediately realize McNulty's involvement when the case is passed back to them.
Southeastern District
Detective Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski meets with Major ValchekStanislaus Valchek
Stanislaus "Stan" Valchek is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Al Brown.-Biography:Valchek is the Polish-American commander of the Southeastern district, home to many of the remaining white ethnic neighborhoods in Baltimore...
, his father-in-law, to discuss his career options. Prez wants to stay in narcotics and work cases like the recently finished Barksdale investigation. Valchek wants him to progress through the ranks and have a career in the department, and quickly dismisses Prez's own plans. Valchek's office is filled with newly delivered stained glass decorations.
Headquarters
In the narcotics unit, Kima GreggsKima Greggs
Detective Shakima "Kima" Greggs is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actress Sonja Sohn. Greggs is a police detective in the Baltimore Police Department who is a dedicated officer and capable detective with some off-the-job issues. Openly lesbian, she has had problems...
is working at her desk job and Detective Thomas "Herc" Hauk has returned to easier street cases following the dissolution of the Barksdale detail. Herc tells Kima that she is "pussy whipped" because she allows her romantic partner, Cheryl, to control her work life. When Kima returns home to Cheryl, they discuss possible fathers for artificial insemination along with Kima's job dissatisfaction.
Homicide detective Bunk Moreland
Bunk Moreland
William "Bunk" Moreland is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Wendell Pierce. Bunk's character is based on a retired Baltimore City Police Detective named Rick Requer and nicknamed "the Bunk", an officer who joined the force in 1964 as a Western District patrolman who...
visits his old partner McNulty at the docks to ask if he can help him locate witness Omar Little
Omar Little
Omar Devone Little is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, portrayed by Michael K. Williams. Omar is a renowned stick-up man who lives by a strict moral code and never deviates from his rules, foremost of which is that he never robs or menaces people who are not involved in "the game"....
for the trial of Barksdale soldier Marquis "Bird" Hilton for the murder of William Gant. Bunk later goes to the storage basement to retrieve his evidence for the trial. He has a chance meeting with the recently dissolved Barksdale detail's commander Lieutenant Daniels
Cedric Daniels
Cedric Daniels is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Lance Reddick. He is a well regarded officer in the department whose focus is on good police work and quality arrests...
, who is now in charge of the evidence room, and they discuss Bird's upcoming trial. Bunk is dismayed to learn that his evidence has been lost. Daniels insists that the entire basement be pulled apart to locate the evidence. That evening, Bunk meets with McNulty in a bar and again asks him for help locating Omar, but to no avail.
Dock business
StevedoreStevedore
Stevedore, dockworker, docker, dock labourer, wharfie and longshoreman can have various waterfront-related meanings concerning loading and unloading ships, according to place and country....
s' Union Secretary Treasurer Frank Sobotka
Frank Sobotka
Francis "Frank" Sobotka is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Chris Bauer.-Biography:Frank is a respected Polish-American secretary treasurer for the International Brotherhood of Stevedores at the Baltimore docks...
meets with another union leader, Nat Coxson, who is angry that the Baltimore grain pier is still in a state of disrepair. Frank is disparaged by his colleagues, including Thomas "Horseface" Pakusa and Ott, for taking the verbal abuse, but he laughs it off. Frank meets with his nephew Nick Sobotka
Nick Sobotka
Nickolas Andrew "Nick" Sobotka is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Pablo Schreiber. the character of Nick is cousin to, Ziggy Sobotka, the wayward and rebellious son to his uncle Frank Sobotka...
and learns he is working for the first time in two weeks; Frank tells Nick to see someone named 'The Greek
The Greek (The Wire)
The Greek is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Bill Raymond. The Greek is the head of an international criminal organization involved in narcotics and human trafficking....
' about a container they have coming in. He hears from another worker, La La, that his son Ziggy
Ziggy Sobotka
Chester Karol "Ziggy" Sobotka is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor James Ransone. Though his father Frank Sobotka was a well-respected stevedore union leader, Ziggy's often reckless and juvenile behavior gained him little respect among other members of the union and...
has lost a container. Frank tells Ziggy that he is fired, but this is a regular occurrence.
Frank later visits a church where he has donated a stained glass window imported from Esslingen, Germany. He requests that the priest, Father Lewandowski, set up a meeting with Senator Barbara Mikulski
Barbara Mikulski
Barbara Ann Mikulski is the senior United States Senator from Maryland and a member of the Democratic Party. Mikulski, a former U.S. Representative, is the longest-serving female senator in U.S...
for him to discuss the difficulties at the docks. Major Valchek delivers his own window to the church on behalf of Polish police officers and firefighters, but is angry that the dock union beat him to it.
Later in Delores' bar, the rest of the stevedores drink heavily and the senior members, including Moonshot, Chess, and Little Big Roy, riotously discuss days gone by. Ziggy organizes a rebuke from younger stevedores Nick, Johnny Fifty, and Big Roy. Ziggy is the center of attention, showing off while standing on a table, until the band (guest stars The Nighthawks
The Nighthawks
The Nighthawks are an American blues and roots music band, based in Washington, D.C. The Nighthawks currently are Mark Wenner , Paul Bell , Johnny Castle , and Mark Stutso...
as themselves) begin to play.
Nick is awoken in his parents basement by his mother banging on the ceiling. She chastises him for getting up late when a ship is due. Ziggy sleeps on the sofa. Nick walks out to meet with the Greeks and bumps into his friend Johnny Fifty. As Johnny and Nick bemoan the lack of work for younger stevedores, Ziggy catches up with them. Nick reluctantly lets Ziggy drive out to his meeting with "The Greek". Ziggy embarrasses Nick by talking too much and offending Sergei, a Ukrainian driver, by calling him Boris. Nick's meeting is about a container that the Greek wants Sergei to drive away from the docks for him. Nick reports back to Frank and Horseface with the details and informs Frank their cut will be the same. Just before Nick arrives, the local dock police officer Beadie Russell
Beadie Russell
Beatrice "Beadie" Russell is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actress Amy Ryan. She was featured prominently in the second season, after she discovered thirteen corpses in a container on the Baltimore docks....
jovially asks Frank what he is stealing today. Later, Frank and Horseface are dismayed when Sergei leaves the container sitting on the dock for several hours. When they insist he get on with things, Sergei drives away. Frank orders Pakusa to "lose" the container in the stack, so as to make it less conspicuous.
Later, Officer Russell stumbles across the Greek's container and notices the broken customs seal. She finds the bodies of over a dozen young women in the back of the container and calls for back up. The stevedores gather around as the police arrive. Frank is shocked to learn that there were dead women in the container.
Barksdale organization
Bodie BroadusBodie Broadus
Preston "Bodie" Broadus is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor J. D. Williams. Bodie is initially a Barksdale organization drug dealer in "The Pit" who slowly rises through the ranks...
drives out to Central Philadelphia with another Barksdale drug dealer named Shamrock. He collects a car from a parking garage and drives it to another side street garage where it is stripped down. Bodie is enraged when the car is devoid of any narcotics and he worries over calling his superiors to let them know. Stringer Bell
Stringer Bell
Russell "Stringer" Bell is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by English actor Idris Elba. Bell served as drug kingpin Avon Barksdale's second in command, assuming direct control of the Barksdale Organization during Avon's imprisonment...
, leader of the organization while Avon Barksdale
Avon Barksdale
Avon Randolph Barksdale is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire portrayed by actor Wood Harris. Avon is the dominant drug dealer of Baltimore's West Side, running the Barksdale Organization...
is imprisoned, orders them to return to Baltimore and report to the funeral home. Stringer checks that Bodie and Shamrock stuck to their assigned times and recorded their mileage. He also quizzes them separately to see if there was an opportunity for either one of them to steal anything. Finally he reveals that he had them followed the whole trip by Tank and a newly returned soldier called Country. Bodie is later seen running his own drug dealing crew on a corner much like D'Angelo Barksdale
D'Angelo Barksdale
D'Angelo "D" Barksdale is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire played by actor Larry Gilliard Jr. D'Angelo is the nephew of Avon Barksdale and a lieutenant in his drug dealing organization which controls most of the trade in West Baltimore...
used to. Bodie checks his count and discusses his resupply from a dealer named Mo Man with his second, Puddin.
Stringer visits Avon in prison and they discuss a delivery connection with New York named Roberto. It is this connection who failed to deliver the product they sent Bodie to collect. Stringer's surveillance allowed him to check the integrity of his people, so he has identified the source of the problem as New York. Avon counsels that he must be firm when he demands their product. Stringer asks how he is managing with his sentence and Avon tells him he only really serves two days: the day he went in and the day he is released. Stringer later meets with Roberto's lawyer in New York City, who explains that Roberto Castillan de Silva has been arrested by the DEA and was concerned Avon's light prison sentence was the result of implicating Roberto to authorities. He is assured that his funds are being returned to him, but the New York suppliers no longer feel safe dealing with him because Avon's arrest and mild sentence raise concerns that he may be a police informant.
Goofs
In the scene where the female Port Authority Ofc. Russell first enters the container containing the bodies of the dead girls, a boom mic can be seen at the top of the screen as she lifts herself up over the boxes of TVs. (At approx. 54:50 of the DVD track.)The Port
- Frank SobotkaFrank SobotkaFrancis "Frank" Sobotka is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Chris Bauer.-Biography:Frank is a respected Polish-American secretary treasurer for the International Brotherhood of Stevedores at the Baltimore docks...
: International Brotherhood of Stevedores local 1514 checker's union secretary treasurer at the Baltimore port who is smuggling contraband to finance his political campaign to rejuvenate the docks. - Nick SobotkaNick SobotkaNickolas Andrew "Nick" Sobotka is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Pablo Schreiber. the character of Nick is cousin to, Ziggy Sobotka, the wayward and rebellious son to his uncle Frank Sobotka...
: Local 47 stevedore and nephew of Frank Sobotka who acts as a messenger in his smuggling operation. - Ziggy SobotkaZiggy SobotkaChester Karol "Ziggy" Sobotka is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor James Ransone. Though his father Frank Sobotka was a well-respected stevedore union leader, Ziggy's often reckless and juvenile behavior gained him little respect among other members of the union and...
: Son of Frank Sobotka and an incompetent stevedore at the port with aspirations of becoming a feared criminal. - Horseface: Longstanding Polish Baltimore port checker and friend of Frank Sobotka who handles all of their smuggled containers.
- Nat Coxson: African American local 47 stevedores union president who worries about Frank's surge in income.
- Ott: Senior African American stevedore, often found drinking at Delores' bar, who is set to replace Frank at the next election.
- Little Big Roy: Imposing Polish senior port stevedore who is often found drinking at Delores' bar.
- Chess: Large, bearded, senior, African American stevedore at Delores' bar.
- Moonshot: Smaller, bearded, senior, African American stevedore at Delores' bar.
- New Charles: Bald headed African American Stevedore.
- Big Roy: Long haired young Stevedore at Delores' bar.
- Johnny "Fifty" Spamanto: Young Baltimore port checker and friend to Nick and Ziggy Sobotka.
- La La: Younger African American Baltimore Port checker and friend to Nick Sobotka.
- Delores: Owner of the bar frequented by local 47 union members.
- Joan Sobotka: Nick Sobotka's mother and Frank's sister-in-law.
The Greeks
- The GreekThe Greek (The Wire)The Greek is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Bill Raymond. The Greek is the head of an international criminal organization involved in narcotics and human trafficking....
: Mysterious figure running smuggling in Baltimore from behind the scenes. - Spiros "Vondas" VondopoulosSpiros VondasSpiros "Vondas" Vondopoulos is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire played by actor Paul Ben-Victor.-Biography:...
: The Greek's second in command and spokesman. - Sergei "Serge" Malatov: Driver and muscle for The Greek's smuggling operation.
- George "Double G" Glekas: Warehouse front operator for The Greek's smuggling operation and fence.
Law Enforcement
- Officer Beatrice "Beadie" RussellBeadie RussellBeatrice "Beadie" Russell is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actress Amy Ryan. She was featured prominently in the second season, after she discovered thirteen corpses in a container on the Baltimore docks....
: Inexperienced port authority police officer. - Officer Claude Diggins: McNulty's new partner in the marine unit.
- This is the first episode where William RawlsWilliam RawlsWilliam A. "Bill" Rawls is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor John Doman. Over the course of the series he ascends to the rank of Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.-Season 1:...
is ranked as a colonel.
Barksdale organization
- Shaun "Shamrock" McGinty AKA Dragon: Barksdale crew lieutenant who drives Bodie to Philadelphia and is Stringer Bell's new second in command.
- Country: Recently paroled Barksdale soldier who tails Bodie to Philadelphia.
- Tank: Barksdale soldier who accompanies Country.
- Puddin: Bodie's second at his new tower drug dealing operation.
- Rico: Barksdale enforcer who acts as security at the funeral home.