Undertow (The Wire)
| "Undertow" | |
|---|---|
| The Wire episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 5 |
| Directed by | Steve Shill |
| Story by | David Simon Ed Burns |
| Teleplay by | Ed Burns |
| Original air date | June 29, 2003 |
| Running time | 57 minutes |
"Undertow" is the fifth episode of the second season of the HBO original series The Wire. The episode was written by Ed Burns from a story by David Simon & Ed Burns and was directed by Steve Shill. It originally aired on June 29, 2003.
Plot
union, including Johnny Fifty and Horseface, as part of the investigation into the Jane Does. Frank is enraged that the detectives believe he knew anything about the dead girls. Bunk learns that the hearings brought little information and that Beadie has no informants at the port. Later, Beadie visits Maui
, who turns out to be an old flame, and sounds him out about becoming an informant. He refuses to give her information on his fellow union men but offers a tip: the union computers may be useful in tracking containers.
Special Agent Cleary, his contact in the INS, if he can interview any vice suspects about his floater. Cleary finds some girls being held in New Jersey, but finds it hard to understand McNulty's desire to identify the girl. After traveling to New Jersey, McNulty questions them but gets no response since he can't promise to keep them from being deported
.
Valchek, and has Greggs, Herc and Carver look into the drug trade around the port. Freamon arrives and surprises the detail by recognizing Frank from a photo, noting his link to the Jane Does. As they set up their operation, the detectives find that the dealers in the port area are much less organized than the Barksdales. Meanwhile, Valchek receives another photo of his missing surveillance van, this time from San Diego
, and is able to pull a fingerprint.
Poot Carr tries to restrain his dealers when an addict disparages the product sold to him. Bodie says that someone needs to tell Stringer about the product's low quality. Stringer attends his economics class at the Baltimore City Community College
and asks his teacher, Mr. Lucas, about selling an "inferior product" in a competitive marketplace. Lucas advises decreasing his prices to increase market share but warns that the product will lose credibility if the price is continually low. He also gives Stringer an example of a company CEO facing that exact problem, the solution being a change of name. After visiting Avon in prison, Stringer hosts a meeting with Barksdale dealers to solicit ideas for solving the organization's problems.
Melvin "Cheese" Wagstaff, and is confronted over a debt. Cheese and his men then shake down Ziggy and become frustrated when they find very little money on him. Ziggy offers his leather jacket as partial payment, but Cheese rejects the offer and threatens to kill him if the debt is not paid by Friday. Cheese and his men then proceed to take Ziggy's car. Meanwhile, Nick views a house with Aimee; the realtor turns out to be McNulty's ex-wife Elena
. Nick initially refuses to help Ziggy deal with Cheese until he realizes his cousin is in danger, but is still unable to help Ziggy since he has already given his share of their take to Aimee for a rented apartment.
Nick asks
The Greek tells Vondas that he won't meet with Frank, but will double his payment. Frank is dismissive of the offer but is forced to ponder the fate of his union if he cuts ties with The Greek. At the library, Nick and Ziggy learn that the chemicals that Vondas asked for are used for processing cocaine
. Nick tells Vondas and Serge that he is happy to deal as long as the chemicals are only used for narcotics. They tell Nick that they will triple their payment if Frank agrees to continue working with them, but Frank is defiant when confronted with the offer.
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Production
Title reference
The title refers to the tide effect that traps unsuspecting swimmers; a metaphor for Frank Sobotka's inability to extricate himself from the smuggling operation despite his desire to.
Epigraph
They used to make steel there, no?
โ Spiros Vondas
Vondas makes this comment as a veiled criticism of Frank's caution in pursuing further deals with The Greeks' organization when faced with a police investigation. The season's theme of industrial decay is also thereby continued.
Credits
Starring cast
Although credited, Deirdre Lovejoy does not appear in this episode.
First appearances
- Frog: An East side drug dealer who sometimes works for Ziggy Sobotka
- Cheese Wagstaff *: Nephew of Eastside drug kingpin Proposition Joe and a feared lieutenant in his operation.
References and notes
- ^ Cheese's given name was originally listed on the HBO website as "Calvin" before being changed to "Melvin".
- ^ "Episode guide - episode 18 undertow". HBO. 2004. Retrieved 2006-06-22.
- The Wire. Season 2. Episode 05. HBO.
- ^ Alvarez, Rafael (2004). The Wire: Truth Be Told. New York: Pocket Books.
External links
- "Undertow" at HBO.com
- "Undertow" at IMDb
