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The Detail

From The Wire

“The Detail”
The Wire episode
Episode no. Season 1
Episode 2
Guest stars see below
Written by David Simon
Directed by Clark Johnson
Production no. 102
Original airdate June 9, 2002 (HBO)
Episode chronology
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"The Target" "The Buys"
Episode chronology
"The Detail" is the second episode of the first season of the HBO original series, The Wire. The episode was written by David Simon from a story by David Simon & Ed Burns and was directed by Clark Johnson. It originally aired on June 9, 2002.

Contents

[edit] Guest Starring roles

[edit] Episode recap

Detectives Moreland and McNulty discuss murdered witness William Gant with coroner Frazier. McNulty believes the Barksdale organization is behind the shooting but Bunk is skeptical. McNulty visits Judge Phelan to inform about Gant.

Lieutenant Daniels and his detail arrive at their new office - a damp basement with little furniture. New officer Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski accidentally discharges a bullet from his weapon. The detail is amused by his incompetence but Daniels seems concerned. Daniels visits ASA Pearlman to complain about his new men. Pearlman tells him that Prez was once indicted for shooting his patrol car. Daniels confides that he feels that Burrell sent him a message by not allowing him to pick his detail. Daniels meets with Lieutenant Cantrell and convinces him to assign detective Leander Sydnor to the detail to balance taking Prez.

Daniels meets with Burrell and Majors Foerster and Rawls. They have heard from judge Phelan. Rawls urges Burrell to order McNulty not to pursue the Gant case. Burrell decides that will bait Judge Phelan into involving the press. Burrell orders Daniels to let McNulty work the case while they hope that he fails.

Detectives Carver, Greggs, and Herc photograph Bubbles as he marks Barksdale dealers with colored hats. Bunk and McNulty visit D'Angelo Barksdale in the low-rise projects to discuss the Gant murder. D'Angelo is reluctant to say anything and when he attempts to leave, Bunk and McNulty bring him in.

Daniels approaches McNulty as he is about to interview D'Angelo. Daniels criticizes McNulty for again going around the department chain of command to Judge Phelan. McNulty and Bunk try to convince D'Angelo that he was responsible for Gant's death. D'Angelo is moved to begin writing a letter to Gant's bereaved family, which the two detectives invented. Barksdale attorney Maurice Levy arrives and is outraged that D'Angelo wrote anything. Greggs and McNulty show the letter to Daniels who is skeptical about its usefulness in building a case. D'Angelo later takes his son and girlfriend, Donette, to a family party. His uncle Avon rebukes him about the letter, but suggests they put it behind them.

Greggs brings Bubbles in to identify to the photographed drug dealers. McNulty is impressed with the technique and surprised by the scale of the Barksdale organization. Bubbles reveals that he is working with Greggs as revenge for the Barksdale crew assaulting his friend Johnny Weeks.

While drinking late at night, Herc, Carver, and Prez decide to intimidate the tower operation. Prez hits a young man, Kevin Johnston, in the face with his gun for leaning on his car. Even Herc and Carver are surprised at Prez's brutality. This prompts a hail of missiles thrown from the towers and then shots. Herc is hit as Carver calls for back-up but is not seriously hurt.

McNulty is awoken by Bunk calling to tell him to look at the newspaper; the Gant murder is on the front page. Homicide Major Rawls is enraged. Detective Cole asks Sergeant Landsman what he thinks the repercussions will be for McNulty. Landsman explains that McNulty's career will be over if he was responsible. McNulty arrives at the towers to apologise to Daniels, but Daniels has more concern for his other officers' actions the night before. He berates Herc, Carver, and Prez for their foolishness and asks them to admit who hit Johnston. Prez steps forward and Daniels instructs him to lie about his actions and suggests a story. He warns Prez that he must be convincing or he cannot protect him.

McNulty again visits Phelan, who denies being the one who started the story and quickly leaves McNulty. Later, McNulty gets drunk alone. Daniels has dinner with his wife Marla and she harangues him for covering up the brutality. She counsels him the best course is to not get involved in the case as his superiors do not want it. Daniels is awoken later with the news that Johnston has been blinded in one eye.[1][2][3]

[edit] First Appearances

  • Lester Freamon: Elderly ex-homicide detective assigned to the detail from his post in property.
  • Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski: Young and inexperienced detective with a history of erratic behaviour and a father-in-law in a command post.
  • Leander Sydnor: A rising star in the Baltimore PD that Lieutenant Daniels requests for his detail.
  • Augustus Polk and Patrick Mahone: Two alcoholic property detectives who haven't made a case in over 10 years. As they are nearing retirement age, they are only interested in overtime pay and are content to let their careers end while performing as little actual police work as possible.
  • Randall Frazier: Baltimore medical examiner.
  • Donette: D'Angelo Barksdale's materialistic girlfriend and the mother of his son.
  • Marla Daniels: Cedric Daniels ambitious wife.
  • Kevin Johnston: 14 year old drug dealer with the Barksdale organization who is wounded by Prez.
  • Little Man: Barksdale organization lieutenant who handles resupply for the tower crews.
  • Ronnie Mo: Barksdale organization lieutenant who runs a tower crew.

[edit] Title Reference

The title refers to the newly formed Barksdale detail (see picture).

[edit] Epigraph

You cannot lose if you do not play. - Marla Daniels

This line is spoken in a conversation with Marla's husband Cedric about his impossible position of running the Barksdale investigation while trying to further his career. Extended to the episode as a whole the quote can also mean that if you do not become involved with the drug trade, commonly referred to as "The Game", you will not lose your life. This is most obviously evidenced in the episode by the murder of William Gant, about which D'Angelo exclaims, "he didn't need to testify"; if Gant had chosen not to testify he would not have become involved in D'Angelo's drug trial and would have still been alive.

[edit] References

  1. ↑ Episode guide - episode 02 The Detail. HBO (2004). Retrieved on 2006-07-26.
  2. ↑ "The Detail". David Simon, Ed Burns. The Wire. HBO. 2002-06-09. No. 2, season 1.
  3. ↑ Alvarez, Rafael (2004). The Wire: Truth Be Told. New York: Pocket Books. 
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