The Gods Will Not Save You: The Wire Revisited podcast

#Cinema #William Romano-Pugh & Jacob van der Wilk #Jacob Van Der Wilk #And William RomanoPugh

38:05

In late 1972, U.S. Marine Captain Ron Forrester disappeared on a bombing run into North Vietnam. Back home in Texas, his family could only wait and hope. Audio subscribers to Texas Monthly can get early access to episodes of the series, plus exclusive interviews and audio. Visit texasmonthly.com/audio to join. Go to HelloFresh.com/FLIGHT10FM to get 10 Free Meals with a Free Item For Life.…

The Gods Will Not Save You: The Wire Revisited explicit

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A deep read of each and every episode of the HBO series, "The Wire." Hosted by Jacob van der Wilk and William Romano-Pugh. Intro and outro music by MostArt. Podcast logo design by Andrey Tesnes.

61 episodes

The Gods Will Not Save You: The Wire Revisited explicit

updated 2 years ago

Series home•Feed

A deep read of each and every episode of the HBO series, "The Wire." Hosted by Jacob van der Wilk and William Romano-Pugh. Intro and outro music by MostArt. Podcast logo design by Andrey Tesnes.

61 episodes

#Cinema #William Romano-Pugh & Jacob van der Wilk #Jacob Van Der Wilk #And William RomanoPugh

All episodes

The Gods Will Not Save You: The Wire Revisited

1
Season 1, Episode 2, "The Detail" 1:20:11

2 years ago1:20:11

1:20:11

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! Willy and Jacob get right into discussing episode 2, which sees the ramifications of William Gant's execution as McNulty and Bunk try to tie it to the detail's goal of bringing down the Barksdale organization. Other material covered includes Jacob's David Simon "grand chicken conspiracy" and an in-depth discussion of some of the pillars of The Wire's cinematic style with references to "Style in the Wire," an incredible video essay by a Norwegian academic named Erlend Lavik. We hope you enjoy, and as always, please hit those like and subscribe buttons!…

The Gods Will Not Save You: The Wire Revisited

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Season 5, Episode 10, "-30-" 1:46:38

3 years ago1:46:38

1:46:38

WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD: We have reached our final episode of "The Gods Will Not Save You: The Wire Revisited," in which we discuss every episode of the hit original HBO series, "The Wire." We want to take this opportunity to thank anybody who has engaged with us and our project along the way. Whether you've listened to us from the beginning, came along during a later part of our run, or are just now discovering us, your engagement has meant a lot to us and we couldn't be more grateful. Thank you to anybody who has left us positive reviews and ratings on podcast platforms, we truly appreciate your feedback. We would also like to give a special thank-you to all of our financial supporters on Anchor. Your helpful donations ultimately incentivized us to lend some financial support to "We Build The Block," a New York non-profit organization aimed at stopping the spread of community violence, co-founded by the late, great Michael K. Williams. We hope that our modest financial contribution helped honor this amazing actor and activist's legacy, as well as provide some relief to those communities in need. In the series finale of "The Wire," Daniels continues to be disappointed in Carcetti's tenure as mayor, as he receives the news of the serial killer hoax and essentially orders a cover-up from the top officials in order to prevent a devastating loss in his gubernatorial bid. McNulty's guilt intensifies as he and Freamon are found out, and a "copycat" killer comes onto the scene to reign real terror on the homeless community. Freamon takes the helpful tips about the lawyers from Clay Davis to expose the courthouse leak, but the news of his illegal wiretap on Marlo starts to spread rapidly, forcing Maurice Levy and Rhonda Pearlman to play a brutal game of legal tit-for-tat, preventing the Stanfield bust from being as blockbuster of a case as it could have been. The Scott Templeton/Gus Haynes beef reaches its tipping point in the newsroom when Templeton peddles his biggest lie yet. And in perhaps what is the happiest ending of the series, Reginald, aka Bubbles, finally starts to feel some relief on his path to redemption when he reluctantly agrees to let Fletcher publish the warts-and-all article, detailing his rocky road to recovery.…

The Gods Will Not Save You: The Wire Revisited

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Season 5, Episode 9, "Late Editions" 1:23:36

3 years ago1:23:36

1:23:36

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! Carcetti continues to do a complete 180 from what he campaigned on. He gets back into bed with Clay Davis and Nerese Campbell, in order to advance his position in the gubernatorial race. Freamon bluffs his way into blackmailing Davis and giving up the crucial nugget of information: the lawyers are part of the money trail. Marlo misses out on his opportunity to celebrate Omar getting killed by a child. by going to Atlantic City with Chris, when his clock code is cracked by the cops and him and Chris end up arrested. McNulty feels like the victory is anticlimactic and meaningless. Gus is now so fed up with Templeton's lies, that he gets his other trusted colleague, Robert Ruby, in on the snooping.…

The Gods Will Not Save You: The Wire Revisited

1
Season 5, Episode 8, "Clarifications." 1:07:39

3 years ago1:07:39

1:07:39

WARNING, SPOILERS AHEAD! Clay Davis lies on the stand, humiliating Bond and eradicating any of his political ambitions. Carcetti okays the police to do whatever they want, leading McNulty to make requests that would have previously seemed outlandish. Gus continues to suspect that Templeton is a fraud when the Iraq war veteran that Scott interviewed, comes back to accuse the paper of printing falsehoods about his time in combat. Bunk is persuaded to hold back on following through with his murder warrant for Chris, so he can tie it in with McNulty and Freamon's efforts to bring down Marlo's empire. Omar gets killed by Kenard in a liquor store.…

The Gods Will Not Save You: The Wire Revisited

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Season 5, Episode 7, "Took" 55:33

3 years ago55:33

55:33

WARNING, SPOILERS AHEAD! McNulty finally gets the serial killer story to blast off when he fakes a call to Templeton, does a soft kidnapping of a homeless man, and gets Carcetti's full support. But he soon starts to regret this when everybody in the department comes to him begging for OT and manpower to work their own cases. Freamon needs more time to figure out what the time-based codes Marlo and company are using actually means. Fletcher goes to the viva house for an on-the-ground scoop on the homeless killings but instead meets Bubs, which prompts him to go in a different journalistic direction. Omar continues to be a thorn in Marlo's side. Rupert Bond fails miserably to put Davis' head on the chopping block, as the state senator charms the jury out of convicting him for his financial crimes.…

The Gods Will Not Save You: The Wire Revisited

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Season 5, Episode 6, "The Dickensian Aspect" 1:01:25

3 years ago1:01:25

1:01:25

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! McNulty tries to out fake Templeton, by claiming that there's fake probable cause for wiretapping the Baltimore Sun because Templeton faked a call from the "serial killer." Without even waiting for approval, Freamon sets up a wiretap on Marlo's phone. Omar plays hide-and-seek in the utility closet at the same apartment complex from which he made his "Spider-Man" jump, while Chris, Snoop, and more of Marlo's minions are left scratching their heads. Bunk channels the angry energy that he has for McNulty into trying to solve a case the old-fashioned way, but runs up against bureaucratic lab incompetence. Carcetti turns the homeless killings into a campaign opportunity. Marlo now wears the crown at the New Day Co-Op.…

The Gods Will Not Save You: The Wire Revisited

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Season 5, Episode 5, "React Quotes" 58:42

3 years ago58:42

58:42

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! With Proposition Joe out of the way, Marlo takes on the position of being Vondas and the Greeks' Baltimore drug connection, proving that loyalty never meant anything to them and that they were always primarily concerned with their bottom line. Dukie continues to be the victim of bullying even with Michael's protection and no amount of learning how to fight or shoot guns seems to change his personality. Clay Davis takes it upon himself to shape public opinion in his own favor. Bubbles thinks he is not being punished enough for his past misdeeds. McNulty and Freamon continue to concoct false details around their "serial killer" but still have to go against bureaucratic incompetence. Omar has an extremely close call with Chris, Snoop, O-Dog and Michael.…

The Gods Will Not Save You: The Wire Revisited

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Season 5, Episode 4, "Transitions" 55:51

3 years ago55:51

55:51

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! Kenard really ticks off Officer Colicchio by setting up a brown paper bag dog feces decoy, which causes him to assault a teacher and therefore forces Carver to grow as a person and as a cop. Proposition Joe tries to send out signals to Omar that he's upset about Butchie's death, but he doesn't take into consideration that Marlo, Cheese, and the Greeks are already making moves against him. McNulty and Freamon do their best to sensationalize the idea of homeless killings to get more mileage out of their police misconduct. Meanwhile, Daniels tries to do damage control with Burrell and Carcetti continues to eat bowls of shit when he realizes he has to appease every minister in town.…

The Gods Will Not Save You: The Wire Revisited

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Season 5, Episode 3, "Not For Attribution" 51:23

3 years ago51:23

51:23

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! Michael, fresh off a new wave of PTSD after he refused to kill a kid in a home invasion, plays hooky from dealing drugs, to go to Six Flags with Dukie and Bug, where they meet girls from Virginia with sidekick phones. Bunk is still mad at McNulty for creating a fake serial killer, so he enlists the help of Freamon to talk some sense, but Freamon ends up endorsing McNulty's plan. Valchek leaks the real crime statistics to Carcetti, which throws the whole Commissioner Burrell situation into a tailspin. Clay Davis, paranoid about his legal troubles closing in on him, continues to beg for mercy from Burrell and Carcetti. Marlo, Chris, and Snoop go behind Proposition Joe's back to send a message to Omar, get the information of Butchie's whereabouts, and then torture and kill him. Alma is disappointed that her news reporting is not getting more coverage, while Templeton invents a react quote out of thin air for Twigg's piece about the police chain-of-command shake-up.…

The Gods Will Not Save You: The Wire Revisited

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Season 5, Episode 2, "Unconfirmed Reports" 1:24:08

3 years ago1:24:08

1:24:08

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! Dee-Dee makes her final appearance on the show as she tells her story in an NA meeting attended by Bubs. Bubs himself, is being pressured by Walon to tell his full story of how he got clean, thinking that it will be the only real way he could ever get true clarity. Clay Davis feels the walls closing in on him and lashes out at Burrell, who was once one of his staunchest allies. Marlo, feeling emboldened, goes on a tear and starts ordering home invasions, homicides, and the like, while also trying to get in contact with Sergei at Jessup, but he runs into the obstacle of having to talk to a now-pathetic Avon Barksdale. The tension between Gus Haynes and Scott Templeton begins to brew as we get our first taste of Templeton's untrustworthy nature concerning the "EJ" story. McNulty, spiraling back into the throes of alcoholism, decides to initiate a farcical hunt for a serial killer that doesn't exist so that he can gain some leverage to go back after Marlo.…

The Gods Will Not Save You: The Wire Revisited

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Season 5, Episode 1, "More With Less" 1:15:04

3 years ago1:15:04

1:15:04

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! Willy and Jacob dive right into discussing what is easily the most controversial season of "The Wire" with its' premiere episode, "More With Less." Among the many things covered are how Tom McCarthy may or may not have been shamed into making an oscar-winning movie about good journalists because he played such a bad one in "The Wire," whether or not Rhonda and Cedric would have recognized Chris Partlow, life imitating art with development and gentrification near Johns Hopkins, Carcetti finally showing his true colors as he plays politics with people's lives, Michael and Dukie's fractured home-life situation, and the real-life counterpart to the Fat-Face Rick scandal. Thank you to all of our listeners and supporters, we are looking forward to discussing a lot more interesting themes throughout this final season.…

The Gods Will Not Save You: The Wire Revisited

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Season 4, Episode 13, "Final Grades" 1:16:11

4 years ago1:16:11

1:16:11

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! For this episode, we also get into some spoilers for another David Simon show, "The Deuce," so proceed with caution. Bubs feels guilty about accidentally killing Sherrod, so he confesses to his crimes before trying to hang himself, which causes Landsman to have a rare change of heart about the clearance rate. Bodie, feeling like there's no room for advancement in his current career path, and feeling disillusioned by the fact that some of his favorite coworkers are getting murdered for seemingly no reason, decides to flip and cooperate with McNulty, only to be murdered by O-Dog, which makes McNulty feel angry enough that he decides to rejoin the Major Crimes Unit. Namond's guardianship debacle falls squarely on the shoulders of Bunny who pleads with Wee-Bey to let him take over the parenting duties, while also dropping in some geographical and history trivia in the middle of his jail visit. Randy goes back to the group home. Dukie moves in with Michael who is now killing people for Marlo. Daniels is now focused on bringing down the Stanfield organization the right way and is happy to have McNulty back on the team. Carcetti is making bad decisions that are politically convenient for him but morally repugnant for how they're leaving the Baltimore youth out in the cold. Donate money to Michael K. Williams' non-profit organization, "We Build The Block" at https://webuildtheblock.org/donate/…

The Gods Will Not Save You: The Wire Revisited

1
Season 4, Episode 12, "That's Got His Own" 1:21:54

4 years ago1:21:54

1:21:54

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! This might be the most depressing episode of "The Wire" ever because by the end of its running time Randy is destined to get sent back into the foster care system, Namond gets exposed for being a big softie, Dukie's family gets evicted, Michael becomes one of Marlo's henchmen, Bunny's pilot program is pretty much done for, Carcetti is finding out the hard way that he can't deliver the promises that he made to the voters because of a deficit in the city's school budget, and Sherrod takes a hotshot that was meant for Bubs' tormentor and dies. But true to the show's form, there are tiny slivers of hope: Freamon finally gets the approval to open up the vacants, even if he has to lay the groundwork for slowly climbing up the chain of command to get permission, and Omar pulls off a brilliant heist with the co-op's shipment and continues to be a thorn in Prop Joe's and Marlo's sides. Did you know this episode also has a brief cameo from real-life former Maryland Governor, Robert Ehrlich? We dig into a bit of his inconsistent legacy and his veto of the "Wal-Mart" healthcare bill. Other topics include the meaning of the name of the episode, the story behind the term "wolf tickets," and some background on the real-life "Junior Bunk." Thank you to all who have listened so far. Again you can donate at www.anchor.fm/thegodswillnotsaveyou/support or https://webuildtheblock.org/donate/.…

The Gods Will Not Save You: The Wire Revisited

1
Season 4, Episode 11, "A New Day" 1:02:54

4 years ago1:02:54

1:02:54

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! The Boys of Summer decide to exact their revenge on Officer Walker by keying his car, dumping yellow paint on him, and stealing his ring, which makes Namond realize that Michael might be more involved with nefarious activities than he had previously thought. Bodie and McNulty have an awkward meetup where they both commiserate over the current brutal tactics of the BPD and begin to come to some sort of strange understanding with each other. Randy starts to learn the hard way that a lot of people know that he's a snitch, which makes Prez furious at the police for dragging his name out into the street. His fury finally leads Bunk, Carver, and Freamon to realize how much of a nincompoop Herc really is, not to mention that the whole debacle he had with the minister is beginning to have broad political consequences. Now that Daniels is made Colonel, Pearlman is the lead prosecutor with Homicide, and Carcetti is vowing to reform the tactics of citywide policing, some are optimistic about a new horizon for Baltimore, while others *cough* Jay Landsman *cough* refuse to believe anything will fundamentally change. Omar can't keep his promise to Bunk and decides to stir things up with Proposition Joe. Sherrod and Bubbles have a nice little reunion before it turns ugly again thanks to the "terminator." And Rawls realizes his quest for power might not be as easy as he thought, once Valchek gives him a cold wake-up call. Thank you again to all of our listeners. If you'd like to donate, you can do so at www.anchor.fm/thegodswillnotsaveyou/support. We will be donating all of our funds to the late, great Michael K. Williams' non-profit organization "We Build The Block," which you can find out more about at https://webuildtheblock.org/.…

The Gods Will Not Save You: The Wire Revisited

1
Season 4, Episode 10, "Misgivings" 56:44

4 years ago56:44

56:44

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! URGENT MESSAGE! As we stated, we were going to donate all of our Anchor funds to Michael K. Williams' non-profit organization, "Making Kids Win" but were unable to. So, instead, we donated everything to his other non-profit organization "We Build The Block." You can either donate to us at anchor.fm/thegodswillnotsaveyou/support or https://webuildtheblock.org/donate/ and the money will end up in the same place. In this episode, we dig into the uncomfortable and controversial theory that David Simon has about race and policing. We briefly discussed this in a prior episode, but now with Officer Walker's character becoming more villainous as the series progresses, we thought we would revisit Simon's actual quotes on the matter and try to examine it from all angles. Other topics of discussion include McNulty getting back to real police work and deciding to go after real church burglaries instead of playing the stat-juking game that Burrell is putting forth in order to stay relevant, Clay Davis' mind-boggling back-stabbing, Herc's continuous abuse of Bubs, Chris' absolutely brutal response to Michael's request, and much more.…

The Gods Will Not Save You: The Wire Revisited

1
Season 4, Episode 9, "Know Your Place" 1:05:41

4 years ago1:05:41

1:05:41

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! In this week's episode, we address the tragic loss of the great Michael K. Williams. We make the announcement that all of our donations to our podcast, which can be made at anchor.fm/thegodswillnotsaveyou/support will now go to the incredible non-profit he co-founded to curb mass incarceration and gun violence among kids, "Making Kids Win." You can also donate directly to his non-profit at http://www.makingkidswin.com/donate.html. We also give a shout-out to another great Wire podcast, "ReWired," who we had the pleasure of talking to for a cross-over episode about the parallels between "The Wire" and "Generation Kill." You can check that episode out at https://rewired.podbean.com/e/generation-kill-with-thegodswillnotsaveyou-podcast/. In terms of the actual episode we discuss, we also go into how advocating for either Tommy Carcetti or Nerese Campbell in their little spat is a lose-lose situation and how the business of politics is already corrupting Carcetti (i.e. his promotion of known jerk Valchek.), and also how Daniels and Pearlman might, unfortunately, be too optimistic about the upcoming regime change. Herc completes his horrible transition into being a full-fledged villain at this point when he continues the exploitation of Bubbles' labor to a frightening degree. Prez flexes his police knowledge at the middle school and hesitantly gets into a business arrangement with Randy. Proposition Joe and Marlo finally learn how to get along like best buds and mount a collaborative effort to kill Old-Faced Andre. Also, Poot comes back home to almost no fanfare and Bunk gives Omar a really tough ultimatum once he gets him out of jail.…

The Gods Will Not Save You: The Wire Revisited

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Season 4, Episode 8, "Corner Boys" 1:09:08

4 years ago1:09:08

1:09:08

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! Willy and Jacob are back to talk about how Robert Chew (R.I.P.) had a Looney Tunes-sized catalogue of vocal impressions from which to draw on when pulling a fast one on law enforcement. We also discuss Chris and Snoop's classic banter on Baltimore radio and how they find out if somebody is from New York, how Bunny is finally making some headway in reaching the kids in his pilot program, and how terrifying it is for Michael now that an abusive father figure has returned home. Thank you to all for listening. If you'd like to donate, please do so at www.anchor.fm/thegodswillnotsaveyou/support.…

The Gods Will Not Save You: The Wire Revisited

1
Season 4, Episode 7, "Unto Others" 1:25:33

4 years ago1:25:33

1:25:33

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! Willy and Jacob talk about how truly messed up Chris' plan to frame Omar is, how Ronda's meeting with the new State's Attorney gives her conscience an awakening, how Namond continues to prove to all of us that he's just all talk, how Carcetti's meeting with Royce after the election is super cringe, and how the dirty politics of the days in "The Wire" seems almost quaint by today's standards and much much more. Thank you to everybody who's been listening to us all along. If you like what you hear and would like to donate, please do so at www.anchor.fm/thegodswillnotsaveyou/support.…

The Gods Will Not Save You: The Wire Revisited

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Season 4, Episode 6, "Margin of Error" 1:12:58

4 years ago1:12:58

1:12:58

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! Willy and Jacob give their thoughts on the opening of the episode that sees the mayoral candidates at their respective church services and Carcetti and his family performing some truly atrocious dance moves. The mayoral race, by the way, has some potential last-minute game changers that keep everybody on their toes but the depiction of political smears seem downright quaint in the age of social media and mass-marketed misinformation. And Carcetti ends up winning anyway. We also talk about how Brianna Barksdale and Delonda Brice could go head-to-head in a worst-mom-ever match, now that Wee-Bey's family is getting cut off. The police also decide to play politics and intentionally throw a wrench into the Braddock murder investigation to Kima's dismay. We discuss how Cutty is teaching his students' moms more than just the basic 1 and 2 combos and how it's affecting the learning environment for some of his most promising fighters. We also keep track of Prez's evolution as a character since he's sticking his neck out for Dukie instead of engaging in police brutality like he used to. Bunny, fresh off of his failure with the Hamsterdam experiment, proves himself to be a glutton for punishment and tries out his stoop kid vs. corner kid theory at Tilghman Middle. Thank you to everybody who's been listening to us so far. If you'd like to donate you can do so at www.anchor.fm/thegodswillnotsaveyou/support…

The Gods Will Not Save You: The Wire Revisited

1
Season 4, Episode 5, "Alliances" 1:32:38

4 years ago1:32:38

1:32:38

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! There is internal conflict at Mayor Royce's office, which means Burrell is unceremoniously shunned, while Rawls pulls a two-faced switcheroo. Prez stumbles on his disciplinary tendencies and Bunny rocks the boat with Parenti when he suggests a strategy that could be read as "tracking." Chris and Snoop make a job offer to Michael with an advance on his salary. Dukie snaps Randy back into reality to try and get him to deal with the fact that there is no such thing as "special dead." Thank you to everyone who has listened to us so far. Please give us positive reviews on any podcast platform and if you'd like to donate to us, you can do so at www.anchor.fm/thegodswillnotsaveyou/support.…

The Gods Will Not Save You: The Wire Revisited

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Season 4, Episode 4, "Refugees" 1:30:35

4 years ago1:30:35

1:30:35

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! Willy and Jacob talk about Cutty's stint as a "custodian" (more like a truant officer) and how we are sometimes in disbelief that people don't understand how public schools get funding. World-class dumb guy, Lieutenant Marrimow, takes over the MCU causing Greggs and Freamon to leave in disgust while Herc gladly comes back in to resume living his action-hero fantasy of kicking ass and taking names. Bubbles has a hard time convincing Sherrod that education is the way to go when he is living a life of squalor himself. Bodie acquiesces to Marlo's ultimatum and Chris and Snoop continue to try and recruit Michael. Proposition Joe, frustrated by Marlo's refusal to join the co-op, pulls a fast one on him and gets Omar to rob his poker game. Never a stranger to experimentation, Bunny teams up with the academic, Parenti to start studying at-risk youth at Tilghman Middle. Thank you so much to all of our listeners. We really appreciate you. If you like what you're hearing, show us a little love by giving us five stars on iTunes and liking us on all other major podcast platforms and if you'd like to donate, you can do so at www.anchor.fm/thegodswillnotsaveyou/support.…

The Gods Will Not Save You: The Wire Revisited

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Season 4, Episode 3, "Home Rooms" 1:25:38

4 years ago1:25:38

1:25:38

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! Omar feels strange that he can walk down the street just to buy a box of cheerios, and a crew would voluntarily give up their package out of fear. Marlo finally gives Bodie the Stanfield ultimatum, while keeping a watchful eye on Michael. Mayor Royce uses unethical tactics to get back at Carcetti after being humiliated at the debate. Bunk is surprised to find McNulty in a domesticated lifestyle, and going full dad mode. Joe makes a Proposition to Marlo to join the Co-Op in order to offset the tension with New Yorkers encroaching on their territory. Because of the election turmoil, and political pressure, Burell and Rawls get Lieutenant Marimow to come in and put a stop to the MCU's wiretapping. Colvin is displeased at his hotel security job when he's forced to look the other way when a guest beats up a prostitute. Prez is having a hard time getting used to his job as a middle-school teacher as his day ends with one student slashing another's face with a razor blade. Thank you to all who have supported us and listened to all of our episodes so far. If you'd like to donate, you can do so at www.anchor.fm/thegodswillnotsaveyou/support.…

The Gods Will Not Save You: The Wire Revisited

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Season 4, Episode 2, "Soft Eyes" 1:27:13

4 years ago1:27:13

1:27:13

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! We discuss how Herc accidentally walks in on the mayor and one of his female staffers engaging in extramarital oral sex. Marlo and his friends conduct cacophonous target practice in Leakin Park, and has a phone conversation with Old-Faced Andre that bewilders the MCU. He also tries to bribe his way into a web of trust with the local middle-schoolers but gets into an intense stare-down with Michael. Pearlman worries about the forthcoming subpoenas having political consequences, being so close to the election. We learn that Wee-Bey is Namond's father in a visitation scene where he talks about how he used to rub urine on his upper lip. Carcetti feels pretty hopeless that he can win the election at this point and Bubbles is really upset that it seems like Sherrod doesn't know how to read. Thank you to all who listen. We really appreciate you. If you'd like to help us out, you can always donate at www.anchor.fm/thegodswillnotsaveyou/support.…

The Gods Will Not Save You: The Wire Revisited

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Season 4, Episode 1, "Boys of Summer" 1:32:53

4 years ago1:32:53

1:32:53

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! Jacob and Willy are back from accomplishing their mission of finishing out Season 3, to discuss the Season 4 opener, "Boys of Summer." Season 4, which is about the education system and all the people that are subservient to it and who run it, is considered by many die-hard Wire fans to be the absolute best. This season is certainly co-creator Ed Burns' baby (after all it is the most Ed-ucational), seeing as how he drew on his experience of being a middle school and high school teacher to inform Roland Pryzbylewski's storyline. Topics of discussion include: how Snoop's conversation with a Hardware Barn associate regarding nail guns sets up the major themes for the rest of the season, Marlo's brutal plan of evading police presence by disposing of his victims in vacant rowhouses, whether Freamon or Pearlman's political maneuverings regarding high-profile subpoenas are strategically viable or moral, and how the introduction of the four kid characters represent how people of older ages seen earlier in the show could have possibly gotten to where they were now. Thank you to all who have been listening and supporting us so far. If you'd like to donate, please do so at anchor.fm/thegodswillnotsaveyou/support.…

The Gods Will Not Save You: The Wire Revisited

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Season 3, Episode 12, "Mission Accomplished" 1:25:39

4 years ago1:25:39

1:25:39

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! Mission Accomplished! Well, no, not really. As anybody who lived through the days of the Iraq War in the wake of September 11, that banner that then-president George W. Bush stood victoriously in front of represented anything but a "job well done." And with the end of this season, David Simon, Ed Burns, and co. complete their War on Terror allegory in spectacular fashion. The irony of the "Mission Accomplished" slogan is not lost in the creation of this show as the story is far from being over as there are a whole two more seasons. Willy and Jacob talk about a controversial scene where BunkNulty survey the now-dead Stringer Bell's upscale apartment, how the show pulls off some serious magic by getting us to feel sorry for Avon, what it must be like for people at home watching the news of Hamsterdam's fall, and how this all fares for the rest of the story and the ensuing reign of terror at the hands of the vicious Marlo Stanfield. Take notice of the classic line reading by the great Anwan Glover as Slim Charles about "fighting on that lie" and how it reveals some of the more base impulses of people in powerful leadership positions.…

The Gods Will Not Save You: The Wire Revisited

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Season 3, Episode 11, "Middle Ground" 1:37:44

4 years ago1:37:44

1:37:44

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD Jacob and Willy go in deep on what many TV types consider to be the best TV episode. We talk about how Brother Mouzone may or may not have special levitating powers, all the mistakes Stringer made along the way to get himself shot twice in the chest, and how his swan song hangout session with Avon is really uncomfortably powerful. Other topics include how Joe Chappelle is on the VIP list of Wire directors for making cops glued to their computer screens must-see television, the influences Simon and Pelecanos got from old Sergio Leone western films, how Stringer Bell's community college must have failed him since he wasn't able to detect Clay Davis double-crossing him in a business deal, and how it becomes more apparent with repeated viewings that Carcetti is not nearly as idealistic as one might think when watching this show for the first time.…

The Gods Will Not Save You: The Wire Revisited

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Season 3, Episode 10, "Reformation" 1:20:43

4 years ago1:20:43

1:20:43

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! In this episode, Willy and Jacob talk about how the MCU has to deal with the loss of Prez. There's also quite a bit of discussion about Brother Mouzone's return to Baltimore and using Lamar (the real-life Deandre McCullough) and his "visceral homophobia" to pinpoint Omar's location. The New Day Co-op leadership offers up an ultimatum to Stringer in an effort to reign in Avon and his murderously impulsive behavior. Bunny lets Carver know that he recognizes his talent, but that moving a dead body into another jurisdiction in an effort to stay out of trouble, goes against common sense. Burrell and Rawls get real ticked off when they find out about the whole Hamsterdam fiasco, but Burrell tries to spin it in a positive light while in the mayor's office. Cool Lester Smooth earns his nickname when he goes undercover and effortlessly sets a trap for Bernard and Squeak. Cutty has a soft opening for his gym, but soon faces the harsh reality of having to wrangle a lot of these kids who come from fractured domestic situations.…

The Gods Will Not Save You: The Wire Revisited

1
Season 3, Episode 9, "Slapstick" 1:20:12

4 years ago1:20:12

1:20:12

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! Prez accidentally shoots and kills a cop named Derrick Waggoner and feels really bad about it. McNulty goes out for late-night sex sessions in Washington D.C. and leaves his kids home alone, but Teresa D'Agostino eventually drops him when she finds out he is apolitical and didn't finish college. Avon is upset about his nephew's death but decides to suck it up in front of his sister. Cutty begins to break ground on his new venture, but not without going through a whole lot of bureaucratic red tape first. Omar and his grandmother almost fall victim to Stringer's violation of the Sunday truce, which convinces him he needs to finish the job with the Barksdales by himself. KimNulty enlists the help of Bubbles yet again. Carcetti learns that Gray is coming along in his mayoral candidacy and feels momentarily uncomfortable about going behind his back for his own political ambitions.…

The Gods Will Not Save You: The Wire Revisited

1
Season 3, Episode 8, "Moral Midgetry" 1:03:57

4 years ago1:03:57

1:03:57

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD Realizing the lifecycle of a typical burner phone, Lester Freamon and Prez know they're going to have to switch up the methods of tracking calls, which sends KimNulty on an expedition across state lines and to many different convenience stores. McNulty hits on Kima despite the fact that she's a lesbian and has just moved back in with her girlfriend. Carver starts to realize the problems of not having any authority figures in Hamsterdam and so forms a brain trust with Colvin to give some of the younger residents important duties. The Deacon does not approve of Bunny's creation but does approve of making an effort to help out Cutty in his quest for stability. Carcetti is starting to realize how to play the political game and that it's not only all about facts. McNulty talks to Brianna about her dead son. Avon tries to trap Marlo, which he responds to with deadly consequences, which in turn leads to Stringer telling Avon the secret of how he was the one that had his nephew's killing arranged in jail.…

The Gods Will Not Save You: The Wire Revisited

1
Season 3, Episode 7, "Back Burners" 56:12

4 years ago56:12