Because this sketch
◊ of BIG's assassin is too similar to Mouzone for coincidence. Also, in Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets, after a riot takes place at Maryland Pen on Forrest Street which results in numerous serious assaults on correctional officers (which, being high-profile cases, the section has to investigate), the detectives flick through the names of their interviewees and name them; one is "Clarence Mouzone", described as "a crazy bastard" who beat three murders before they could nail him. Sounds about right!
In the show's universe, he's just a police reporter for The Sun who hasn't gotten into television yet. Hell, if Jay Landsman is a cop in-universe and out of universe and The Sun is Baltimore's main newspaper in both realities, why not? One major difference: in The Wire, David Simon is a buff, chiseled sex god who rides a motorcycle and works as a bounty hunter on the side. Because, y'know...when you're the creator of the show, you can do whatever you want.
In Season 5, Maurice Levy obtains Marlo's phone number and very deliberately places it in his rolodex, right in front of Herc, who is a former cop with a history in wiretap investigations, very carefully using the words "wiretap investigation". It seems unthinkable that the amazingly calculating Levy would do this without a purpose. Did he deliberately plant the idea in Herc's head to leak the number to his former colleagues, to create a profitable wiretap case as soon as possible? Hell, did he even figure that with the police (very publicly) so short of money right now, that the investigation would be shoddy and easier to win than most? And if he did, is he the finest chessmaster in Baltimore? It seems likely.
How many gallons of tears has he gathered over the years? Wallace's death, Sobotka's death, the end of Hamsterdam, all the kids in season four except for Namond getting their futures ruined, Michael losing his soul in season 5... it all adds up to a diabolical scheme for world domination.
Possibly by the same culprit as Chris. The two seem to have a unique, unspoken bond and absolute trust between them (Chris stands guard while Marlo busts a nut). Chris and Michael are the other two characters on the show who are quiet and introverted, as well as terrifying individuals and ruthless killers. Both molested. And Marlo immediately seems to take a liking to Michael. Consider Marlo's shooting of Devonne in Season 3, in which he puts a bullet in each tit and another in her mouth. On top of that, just watch his reaction to the rumor that he's gay, and maybe contrast it with Michael's outburst in which he accuses Cutty of the same, claiming "everybody's too damn friendly." A mindset like that could definitely lead to a personality like Marlo.
- Also his statement to Prop Joe that he's not good at playing the son. Perhaps the culprit was his father?
In the final episode there is a scene where the prosecution and the defense make a deal. Basically they both have to agree to the deal or they and everyone else will go to jail for the various crimes they commited. One of the stipulations is that Marlo retire. In the final montage Marlo gets bored with legitimate business and goes back to the street. So all the other happy people in the montage wind up going to jail because of the chain reaction set up earlier
- Seconded. When Marlo kills Joe, he refuses a compromise, assuring Joe that neither of them can change one bit, so Joe will be up to some mischief in no time. This applies to Marlo too, a man who doesn't back down and is ready to try his luck and use violence against the damm police when Herc and Carver come to his turf. He never shows much respect for authority figures, too much hubris, so he probably won't obey Levy forever. He'll cast the dice again and bring the whole house of cards down. The gods of Baltimore love Finagle's Law.
- The problem with Marlo coming back is that he no longer has the connect nor the muscle, he may be bloodthirsty, but he's not an idiot. Avon and Stringer never really come back after losing Wee-Bey, Bird and other hitters, Marlo without Chris and Snoop is a nobody, with a lot of money of course. He has to know that his time's up. The conversation Sydnor has with Judge Phelan in the finale implies Marlo has already been supplanted already by a new crew from outside the co-op, since the co-op keeps a low profile and doesn't put bodies in the street.
The Greek seems to have a close, almost fatherly relationship with Spiros, and he is old enough to be his father: when the Greek dies, Spiros will take over the organization.
After all, Jay Landsman and Oscar Recquer are seen (played by actors), and Donald Worden plays himself, so why shouldn't the others exist? Also, in this universe, there is someone named Delaney Williams who looks a lot like Lt. Dennis Mello.
I always wondered why Rawls has such dislike for McNulty in the early seasons. But watching the conversation Rawls has with Burrell as Burrell is being forced out of the department by Carcetti, I think I got my answer: when they first came on the job, Rawls and Burrell genuinely did care about real police work. Then they saw the frustrations of bureaucratic red tape and chose to go with the program rather than fight it. We know this because Rawls does show moments of acting like a "real police work" cop (such as clearing unnecessary personnel from the scene when Kima gets shot). There's a clear difference and self-awareness between them (although we don't see it with Burrell until the very end) and guys like Valchek who are clearly just bullies who wanted the badge for the power they think it'll give them.
It even explains Rawls' dislike of McNulty's insubordination - because in the early days of his career, Rawls probably was a detective with McNulty's recklessness and chain of command-bucking.
