2.10 – Storm Warnings – The Wire Review

Posted by Samuel Walters

“It pays to go with the union card everytime.” – Ziggy

“Storm Warnings” is an expansive, intensive episode which does an exceptional job at pushing the narrative forward. If there’s a common thread to the events in the episode, it has to do with internal rivalries and animosities. Each of the episode’s major developments is driven by some kind of conflict which has roots in mistrust, suspicion, or downright dishonesty. At the end of the day, it would seem that this episode’s commentary is on how dysfunctional large groups of people inevitably become, even when they are working toward the same general goals, due to motivations of greed, jealousy, or conceit.

On the police side of the story, Valchek has decided to bring in the FBI to renew the focus of the investigation on Sobotka. It’s fascinating to see how quickly he has turned on his own detail, simply because the leads they’ve been following in the case have lead them away from Sobotka. In a smart display of complexity, though, the union between Daniels’ detail and the Feds turns out to be a constructive one – leading to more information and developments in the case.

It’s only when Valchek makes a surprise visit, and sees how well the case is progressing (just not towards Sobotka), that things ultimately turn sour. His tirade against everyone is yet another example of The Wire portraying department brass as little more than bad guys. But when Valchek turns on his own son-in-law, calling him a “shitbird,” Prez finally gets fed up and slugs Valchek. The moment tilts a bit toward the melodramatic, but it works because such overt displays of aggression are generally kept to a minimum in the series. Though, as we will see, it’s just one of three examples in this particular episode.

Back at The Towers, Stringer’s plan to trade real estate for good dope seems to be a winning formula for all involved. But Brother Mouzone has other plans. In this example of internal strife, Brother Mouzone’s presence, at the request of Avon Barksdale himself, is at odds with Stringer’s deal with Proposition Joe. Mouzone, however, is a wonderfully conceived character – quirky, intelligent, and ruthlessly calculating. His almost nonchalant shooting of Cheese (one of Prop Joe’s men) is chilling, particularly when he calmly explains his choice of bullets (the first to simply get someone’s attention, the second to truly kill). His presence illustrates how organizations can begin to break down when there isn’t a clear line of communication – and when one element decides to act on its own, without knowledge of the other.

The last example of strife is the result of greed, plain and simple. Ziggy hatches his plan to steal cars and sell them to Double G. It’s important to note that, while previous episodes may have “overexposed” (sometimes literally) Ziggy’s lunacy, this one plays it much more realistically. And the results are both gripping and tragic. After his natural high at pulling off his scheme without a hitch, Ziggy is thrown into a rage when Double G decides to pay only a fraction of the agreed upon price for the heist. Ziggy, who has been perpetually bullied and picked on (sometimes by his own actions), has finally had enough. He returns to Double G’s store, gun in hand, and shoots the assistant before killing Double G. Afterward, Ziggy is too overcome with emotion to even try to evade the police who descend upon the crime scene.

And this isn’t a moment of melodrama, either. Despite Ziggy’s ridiculous portrayal in the series thus far, the realities of a someone with Ziggy’s character snapping and pulling the trigger in such circumstances is entirely plausible. Besides, this isn’t violence for the sake of violence. Ziggy’s actions represent the ultimate consequence of strife. Whereas Mouzone was more interested in “calculated persuasiveness,” Ziggy is someone who is, literally, out of control. And that’s a real danger to everyone.

Overall Grade: B+

“Storm Warnings” manages to make significant hay, despite the few pedestrian installments that preceded it. The narrative is tightly focused on a thematic level and, to that end, all of the events and characters serve a significant purpose. The result is another classic episode of The Wire.

Topics: Crime, Mystery, TV Reviews
Filed under: The Wire, The Wire - Season 2