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Recap / The Wire S 04 E 12 Thats Got His Own

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Carcetti faces a crippling budgetary problem when he is learns there is a $54m education debt. His new chief of staff, Michael Steintorf, recommends a reduction in spending, including the proposed increase in police pay, but Campbell suggests he instead ask the governor of Maryland for assistance. The governor, however, presents him with a difficult choice. Prez and Dukie are both disappointed by Dukie's social promotion to high school, having become close in class. As the pilot program is threatened with closure, Deacon recommends Colvin take the issue to Watkins. Freamon's discovery of Chris and Snoop's dumping ground for bodies damages the homicide unit's annual clearance rate, and Landsman orders him not to search any more vacants. Meanwhile, Namond is ripped off by one of his own hoppers, but his reluctance to act leads to him seeing both his mother and Michael in a new light, and instead he turns to Carver and Cutty for help. Omar calls in the help of an old friend for his plan to steal the New Day's drug shipment from the Greeks. Dukie's family abandons him, and he moves in with Michael, who has begun training as an enforcer for Marlo. Randy is kept home from school for his own protection. Learning of Freamon's discovery, Daniels points out the stats can be blamed on Royce if the bodies are all found before the end of the month. Meanwhile, Bubbles prepares a tainted vial of drugs for his attacker, with unforeseen consequences.

This episode contains examples of:

  • Abusive Parents: While De'Londa has been consistenly emotionally abusive towards Namond throughout the season, this episode shows her being violent towards him too.
  • Actually Pretty Funny: Prez tells his students intimacy can be like "tickling your partner", and one of the kids responds, "Yo, tickle my nuts." Prez, who's writing something on the blackboard, has to stop and compose himself before saying anything.
  • Bait-and-Switch: Because Marlo told Chris Michael stood by Randy, we might think the opening is about Chris and Snoop trying to hunt Michael for real, when in fact, we see they're just training him.
    • Also, Omar told Proposition Joe he was going to rob Marlo's end of the stash, but, in fact, he took the stash of the entire co-op instead.
  • The Bus Came Back: Kimmy.
  • Call-Back: Michael repeats the lessons Chris and Snoop gave the others.
    • When McNulty suggests Bunk and Lester go around the chain of command to investigate the bodies in the row houses, Bunk reminds him Lester doesn't like boats.
  • Celeb Crush: Bunk bemoans Jennifer Lopez's then-marriage to Mark Anthony, commenting that Anthony wouldn't know what to do with "that big ass", obviously wanting a piece of it himself.
  • Continuity Nod: Once again, Marlo impresses someone outside his crew on how security conscious his meetings are.
    Cheese: Damn, y'all some semper fi motherfuckers, ain't ya? Where Cheese go to enlist?
    • Watkins remembers Colvin as the former police commander who legalized drugs in his district.
  • Despair Event Horizon: Randy is in utter despair at the end of the episode when his mother is severely burned.
  • Did I Mention It's Christmas?: Christmas decorations are seen and holiday music plays in the background, with Norman even singing along at one point.
  • Distracted by the Sexy: Kimmy is used for this purpose, so she, Omar, Renaldo and his friends can get the drop on the guys protecting the main stash.
  • Epigraph: "That all there is to it?", said by Bubbles when he's told a hot shot will kill the Fiend.
  • Face–Heel Turn: While Michael still has a couple of Pet the Dog moments here (offering Dukie a place to stay), this is the episode where he's really turned over to the dark side.
  • Hourglass Plot: Namond, originally the wannabe gangster with a family legacy to live up to, realizes he wants nothing to do with the game simultaneous to Michael, originally the quiet Nice Guy, solidifying his new role in Marlo’s gang.
  • Ironic Echo: When Rawls transferred Lt. Asher out of Major Crimes, he pretended to be interested in Asher's beach house, and asked how it was going; when Asher started to reply, Rawls said, "Great!", and dismissed him. Lester does the same thing to Asher when he comes back.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Herc finally steps up and not only admits his guilt with the missing camera, but makes sure Dozerman and Sydnor don't get blamed.
  • Leitmotif: Omar whistling "Farmer in the Dell", though for once, he's not in earshot of the people he's hunting.
  • Let Me Get This Straight...:
    Daniels: (to Lester) You're asking us to call out half of public works and pull the plywood off thousands of vacant houses all so we can raise the city's murder rate by 10%?
  • Messy Pig: When the Deacon notices Colvin's lunch seems to be backing up on him, that leads to a discussion on why Deacon doesn't eat pork products (the Deacon says he thinks other faiths that outlaw eating pork have the right idea).
  • My God, What Have I Done?: Bubbles' reaction after Sherrod takes the hot shot and dies.
  • Never My Fault: Everyone is like this with regards to the budget crisis with the schools.
  • No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Michael delivers two of these, first to Kenard (most likely triggering Namond's Heel–Face Turn) and then to Namond (until Dennis breaks the latter up).
  • O.O.C. Is Serious Business:
    Bunk: Yeah, up is down, black is white left is right.
  • Poor Communication Kills: Bubs really should’ve told Sherrod about the fatal poison he was carrying.
  • Shout-Out: Jay calls Lester "Madame Curie".
  • Sophisticated as Hell: Cheese's description of Kimmy getting the drop on him by pulling a gun out from between her legs; "He had this one ho pulling guns out her pussy, Unc. The shit was unseemly, man."
  • Tempting Fate: Lester saying it's a new day in Baltimore law enforcement.
  • This Is Unforgivable!: Dennis, as an Audience Surrogate and Parental Substitute, believes Michael crosses the line when he coldly tells him to go with "his people" after they shoot Dennis in the leg.
  • Waxing Lyrical: As Carcetti and Norman go back to see the governor (after being called inside), Norman starts singing along to the Muzak version of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" (" We won't go until we get some, we won't go until we get some").
  • What the Hell, Hero?: Randy gives a brutal one to Carver after his protection detail fails to prevent Marlo’s goons from setting a fire that gravely injured his mother.
  • Worthy Opponent: Lester has come to see Marlo as this.

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