.gif)
Undertow (The Wire episode)
Encyclopedia
"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.
's inability to extricate himself from the smuggling operation despite his desire to.
and Deirdre Lovejoy
do not appear in this episode.
questions detective Lester Freamon
and Bunk Moreland
about their case. He tells Freamon he has been detailed to the Southeastern district and recommends that Bunk bring in a fresh detective.
Bunk, Beadie Russell
, Ray Cole and Mackey serve grand jury summons
on checkers at Frank Sobotka
's union who worked on the Atlantic Light, the ship that delivered the container that the dead girls were found in, including Johnny "Fifty" Spamanto and Thomas "Horseface" Pakusa. Sobotka is enraged that the detectives believe he knew anything about the girls.
The Grand Jury Prosecutor informs Bunk that the hearings brought little information. Out of options, Bunk quizzes Russell about informants in the docks and is disappointed when she has none. Later, Russell visits an old flame in Sobotka’s union named Maui. She sounds him out about becoming an informant while he tries to reinitiate their relationship. He refuses to give her information on his fellow union men but offers a tip – the union computers may be useful in tracking containers.
visits the marine unit to find Jimmy McNulty
. McNulty is out on a boat and Claude Diggins radios him to return to shore. Bubbles reports that he has tracked down Omar Little
. McNulty gives him some money and Bubbles persuades him to give him more after he rants about how dangerous the task of locating Omar for him was.
McNulty brings Omar in to be interviewed by ASA Ilene Nathan in preparation for the upcoming Marquis "Bird" Hilton trial. Nathan is surprised at Omar’s candor and history, but she calls him a sociopath and worries about putting him on the stand in front of Maurice Levy
. She gives McNulty a voucher to buy Omar some more appropriate clothes for a court appearance (saying that he should get something "with a [neck] tie").
Omar shops for clothes. McNulty visits the federal building and asks Special Agent Cleary if he can interview any vice suspects to try and interview them about the girl he found in the harbor. Cleary finds some girls being held in New Jersey, but finds it hard to understand McNulty’s desire to ID the girl.
meets with Sergeant Ellis Carver
to offer him a position in the detail. Carver cannot understand why Daniels would consider him after he betrayed him when they worked together on the Barksdale case (as revealed in the final episode of season 1
). Daniels tells him that he thinks he will not try anything similar as he has caught him once before. His condition for Carver is that he will not be recognized as a sergeant and will report to detective Kima Greggs
. Thomas "Herc" Hauk is overjoyed to be working with his old partner again.
Daniels briefs his new men. He orders DNR
s and finance investigations to be done quickly to placate Major Valchek
. He puts Greggs, Herc and Carver on drug trade around the port and Herc is pleased that he might get to do some undercover work for once as the port dealers are largely white. Freamon arrives and impresses the detail by recognizing a photo of Sobotka – he tells them of the link to the Jane Does case.
Major Valchek receives another photo of his missing surveillance van at a port in San Diego and dusts it for fingerprints. Greggs asks him about using the van and he tells her he has lent it to the Southwestern district, an allusion to the southwestern part of the country.
Greggs, Carver and Herc begin making hand-to-hands around the port. Greggs and Carver set up a surveillance post in a vacant apartment. Carver watches Frog berate another dealer for spending too much time with his girlfriend. Greggs is annoyed that Herc is taking a long time to prepare. Herc arrives and shows off his props to his colleagues. They find the dealers in the port area much less organized than their old targets in the Barksdale organization.
arrives to collect money from him. Frog's count is short and he tells Ziggy that the stash was stolen. Ziggy threatens him but Frog remains indifferent. As Ziggy goes to drive away he is blocked in. Eastside lieutenant Melvin "Cheese" Wagstaff
harasses Ziggy for the money he owes him. Cheese is far more effective at intimidating Ziggy than Ziggy was with Frog. Ziggy offers his new leather jacket as partial payment but Cheese is unimpressed. Cheese has his men beat Ziggy and they take his car, telling him that if they have not been paid by Friday he will be dead on Saturday. Frog is on hand to see the whole encounter.
Nick Sobotka
views a house with his girlfriend Aimee. Elena McNulty is the realtor. He argues with her about the area name. The asking price seems beyond Nick’s means; Aimee suggests that they rent somewhere.
At Delores' bar, Ziggy relates his problems to Nick, who chastises him for getting involved with drugs. Nick refuses to help Ziggy initially but when he realizes Ziggy is in danger and has no other way out he tells Ziggy he has already given his share of their takings stealing from the docks to Aimee for an apartment.
At The Greek's
café Nick reports the summons to Sergei "Serge" Malatov and Spiros "Vondas" Vondopoulos
and requests that they put their smuggling on hold on behalf of Frank Sobotka
. Vondas assures Nick that the Jane Doe investigation will find only dead ends. Nick tells them that Frank wants to meet with The Greek himself. Vondas asks Nick about smuggling chemicals, Nick asks what they would be used for and Vondas tells them that it is just business.
Nick and La La visit Cheese to negotiate Ziggy’s debt. Nick asks for the car back so that Ziggy can sell it to raise the money. Cheese offers another week and shows Nick that they have torched Ziggy’s car. La La drives Nick to give the bad news to Ziggy.
The Greek discusses the police investigation with Vondas. The Greek refuses to meet with Sobotka but tells Vondas to double his payment. Sobotka is dismissive of the offer and angry that The Greek would not meet with him. Vondas points out the closed steel factories, leaving Frank to ponder the fate of his union if he cuts his ties to The Greek.
Ziggy and Nick look up the chemicals that Vondas asked them to obtain on a library PC. They find that they are used for processing cocaine
.
with their son Tyrell and tells him that Stringer Bell
has been supporting her and has plans to look after D'Angelo when he is released. D'Angelo is cynical about their motivations and tells Donette it is about business.
In the "Pit", an addict disparages the drugs sold to him and Poot Carr
tries to restrain his dealers from beating the man. Puddin calls Bodie Broadus
over from his tower. Bodie realizes that the problem is with their product’s low quality and says that someone needs to tell Stringer.
Stringer attends his economics class at the Baltimore Community College and asks his teacher, Mr. Lucas, for advice about selling an inferior product in a competitive marketplace (without revealing that his product is heroin). Lucas tells him to decrease prices to increase market share, possibly even operating at a loss. He warns Stringer that the product will lose credibility if the price is continually low, and mentions the case of Worldcom
's name change to escape low consumer credibility. Stringer meets with Donette at home and she reports D’Angelo’s troubled state of mind.
Stringer visits the prison and discusses the problems with their product with Avon. He tells him that the East side dealers Proposition Joe
and Petey Dixon have the best product. Stringer asks about D'Angelo and Avon says he has to "find his own way". Stringer suggests that they put some property in D'Angelo's name to give him something to come home to. Avon tells Stringer that D'Angelo has taken a lot on for them. Stringer assures him that he has been fair.
Stringer hosts a meeting with many Barksdale dealers, opening with the remark "You have all heard of WorldCom?" and soliciting ideas to solve the organization's problem. Poot calls for a name change, Shamrock proposes different color caps for the drug vials and Bodie Broadus suggests dividing up the towers to create a fake competition.
The WIRE
the WIRE is the student-run College radio station at the University of Oklahoma, broadcasting in a freeform format. The WIRE serves the University of Oklahoma and surrounding communities, and is staffed by student DJs. The WIRE broadcasts at 1710 kHz AM in Norman, Oklahoma...
. The episode was written by Ed Burns
Ed Burns
Ed Burns is a producer, screenwriter, and novelist. He has worked closely with writing partner David Simon. They have collaborated on The Corner and The Wire . Burns is a former Baltimore police detective for the Homicide and Narcotics divisions, and a public school teacher...
from a story by David Simon
David Simon
David Simon is an American author, journalist, and a writer/producer of television series. He worked for the Baltimore Sun City Desk for twelve years. He wrote Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets and co-wrote The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood with Ed Burns...
& Ed Burns and was directed by Steve Shill
Steve Shill
Steve Shill is a British television and film director, actor, screenwriter, and television producer.-Career:He attended Keswick Grammar School in Keswick,Cumbria,England in the 70's....
. It originally aired on June 29, 2003.
Title reference
The title refers to the tide effect that traps unsuspecting swimmers; a metaphor for Frank SobotkaFrank Sobotka
Francis "Frank" Sobotka is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Chris Bauer.-Biography:Frank is a respected Polish-American secretary treasurer for the International Brotherhood of Stevedores at the Baltimore docks...
's inability to extricate himself from the smuggling operation despite his desire to.
Epigraph
Vondas makes this comment as a veiled criticism of Frank's caution in pursuing further deals with the Vondas' organization when faced with a police investigation. The season's theme of industrial decay is also thereby continued.Starring cast
Although credited, Frankie FaisonFrankie Faison
Frankie Russel Faison , often credited as Frankie R. Faison, is an American actor.-Personal life:Faison was born in Newport News, Virginia, the son of Carmena and Edgar Faison. He studied drama at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois, where he joined Theta Chi Fraternity...
and Deirdre Lovejoy
Deirdre Lovejoy
Deirdre Lovejoy is an American actress. She is most notable for her role on the HBO television series The Wire as Rhonda Pearlman. She graduated from the University of Evansville with an undergraduate degree in theatre....
do not appear in this episode.
Guest stars
- Seth GilliamSeth GilliamSeth Gilliam is an American actor. He is known for his HBO television roles, first as corrections officer-turned-prisoner Clayton Hughes on Oz, and later as Baltimore police detective promoted to sergeant Ellis Carver on The Wire. On both of these series, he co-starred with Lance Reddick and J.D....
as Detective Ellis CarverEllis CarverEllis Carver is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Seth Gilliam. Carver is an African American lieutenant and formerly in command of the Baltimore Police Department's Western District Drug Enforcement Unit... - Domenick LombardozziDomenick LombardozziDomenico "Domenick" Lombardozzi is an American actor best known for his role as Thomas "Herc" Hauk on The Wire. Lombardozzi was inspired to act by the film State of Grace.-Filmography:...
as Detective Thomas "Herc" Hauk - Jim True-FrostJim True-FrostJim True-Frost, born Jim True, is an American stage, television and screen actor. He is most known for his portrayal of Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski on all five seasons of the HBO program The Wire.-Biography:...
as Detective Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski - James RansoneJames RansoneJames Ransone is an American actor and former musician from Baltimore, Maryland. He is best known for his roles as Ziggy Sobotka in the second season of HBO's The Wire, and Corporal Josh Ray Person in the Iraq War-based mini-series Generation Kill...
as Ziggy SobotkaZiggy SobotkaChester Karol "Ziggy" Sobotka is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor James Ransone. Though his father Frank Sobotka was a well-respected stevedore union leader, Ziggy's often reckless and juvenile behavior gained him little respect among other members of the union and... - Pablo SchreiberPablo SchreiberPablo Tell Schreiber is an American actor known for his dramatic stage work and for his portrayal of the Polish-American character Nick Sobotka on HBO's Baltimore drug-related crime drama The Wire. He was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance in Awake and Sing! on Broadway...
as Nick SobotkaNick SobotkaNickolas Andrew "Nick" Sobotka is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Pablo Schreiber. the character of Nick is cousin to, Ziggy Sobotka, the wayward and rebellious son to his uncle Frank Sobotka... - Callie ThorneCallie ThorneCalliope "Callie" Thorne is an American actress known for her current role as Dr. Dani Santino on the USA Network series Necessary Roughness...
as Elena McNulty - J.D. Williams as Preston "Boadie" BroadusBodie BroadusPreston "Bodie" Broadus is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor J. D. Williams. Bodie is initially a Barksdale organization drug dealer in "The Pit" who slowly rises through the ranks...
- Michael K. WilliamsMichael K. WilliamsMichael Kenneth Williams is an American actor known for his portrayal of Omar Little on the HBO drama series The Wire, and of Albert "Chalky" White on HBO's Boardwalk Empire.-Early life and career:...
as Omar LittleOmar LittleOmar Devone Little is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, portrayed by Michael K. Williams. Omar is a renowned stick-up man who lives by a strict moral code and never deviates from his rules, foremost of which is that he never robs or menaces people who are not involved in "the game".... - Al Brown as Major Stan ValchekStanislaus ValchekStanislaus "Stan" Valchek is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Al Brown.-Biography:Valchek is the Polish-American commander of the Southeastern district, home to many of the remaining white ethnic neighborhoods in Baltimore...
- Richard BurtonRichard Burton (Baltimore)Richard Burton is a Baltimore, Maryland, city council employee and runs the "Believe" campaign. He was a rapper before becoming involved in Martin O'Malley's first Mayoral campaign after meeting him in 1998....
as Shaun "Shamrock" McGinty - Kristin ProctorKristin ProctorKristin Proctor is a Norwegian-American actress. She is the daughter of actor Phil Proctor and Television producer Barbro Semmingsen....
as Aimee - Bill RaymondBill RaymondBill Raymond is an actor who has appeared in film, television and theatre since the 1960s.-Life and career:He featured in the second and fifth seasons of the HBO drama The Wire as "The Greek", the mysterious head of an international criminal organization. Other TV appearances include Miami Vice,...
as The GreekThe Greek (The Wire)The Greek is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Bill Raymond. The Greek is the head of an international criminal organization involved in narcotics and human trafficking.... - Shamyl Brown as Donette
- Tray ChaneyTray ChaneyTray Chaney is an American actor. He appeared on the HBO program The Wire as Poot Carr.Chaney began his entertainment career as a dancer at the age of four winning competitions at the Apollo Theater. He appeared in the 2003 music video "My Baby" by rap artist Bow Wow. He later appeared in The Wire...
as Malik "Poot" CarrPoot CarrMalik "Poot" Carr is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Tray Chaney. Poot is a drug dealer in the Barksdale Organization who slowly rises through the ranks, but ends up serving time in prison as his institution collapses around him... - Luray Cooper as Nat Coxson
- Lance Irwin as Maui
- Susan Rome as ASA Ilene Nathan
- Chris AshworthChris AshworthChristopher Michael Ashworth , better known as simply Chris Ashworth, is an American actor, perhaps best known for his portrayal of Sergei Malatov on The Wire...
as Sergei "Serge" Malatov - Jeffrey Fugitt as Officer Claude Diggins
- Method ManMethod ManClifford Smith , better known by his stage name Method Man is an American hip hop artist, record producer, actor and member of the hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He took his stage name from the 1979 film The Fearless Young Boxer, also known as Method Man. He is one half of the rap duo Method Man...
as Melvin "Cheese" WagstaffCheese WagstaffCalvin "Cheese" Wagstaff is a fictional character on the HBO television series The Wire. He is portrayed by hip hop recording artist Method Man. He is a crew chief for his uncle Proposition Joe's drug organization and later works for the Stanfield Organization after betraying his uncle and...
- Charley ScaliesCharley ScaliesCharlie Scalies is an American actor best known for his portrayal of Thomas "Horseface" Pakusa, one of the stevedores and union members on the second season of HBO's The Wire. He has also appeared in TV shows Homicide: Life on the Street, Law & Order, and The Sopranos.- External links :...
as Thomas "Horseface" Pakusa - Gary "D. Reign" Senkus as Frog
Uncredited appearances
- Gary D'AddarioGary D'AddarioGary D'Addario is a retired police commander, television technical advisor and actor from Baltimore, Maryland.D'Addario joined the Baltimore police department in 1967...
as Grand Jury Prosecutor Gary DiPasquale - Jeffrey Pratt Gordon as Johnny "Fifty" Spamanto
- Kelvin Davis as La La
- De'Rodd Hearns as Puddin
- Robert F. ColesberryRobert F. ColesberryRobert F. "Bob" Colesberry, Jr. was an American film and television producer and first assistant director notable for his work as a producer on the Emmy Award winning miniseries The Corner, the Peabody Award winning television series The Wire for HBO, and the Oscar-nominated movie Mississippi...
as Ray Cole - Kevin Murray as Special Agent Cleary
- Unknown as Detective Mackey
- Daniel RossDaniel Ross (American actor)Daniel Ross is an American actor, voice actor, and producer. Ross is most notably known for voicing the character Starscream in the Transformers: The Movie video games. as well as for his stand-out comedic performances in , and . Ross has played roles in such independent films as, Pessimistic...
as Drug Dealer - Lev Gorn as Eton
- Mark Kochanowicz as Yuppie Husband
The Jane Does
Colonel William RawlsWilliam Rawls
William A. "Bill" Rawls is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor John Doman. Over the course of the series he ascends to the rank of Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.-Season 1:...
questions detective Lester Freamon
Lester Freamon
Lester Freamon is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Clarke Peters. Freamon is a detective in the Baltimore Police Department's Major Crimes Unit...
and Bunk Moreland
Bunk Moreland
William "Bunk" Moreland is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Wendell Pierce. Bunk's character is based on a retired Baltimore City Police Detective named Rick Requer and nicknamed "the Bunk", an officer who joined the force in 1964 as a Western District patrolman who...
about their case. He tells Freamon he has been detailed to the Southeastern district and recommends that Bunk bring in a fresh detective.
Bunk, Beadie Russell
Beadie Russell
Beatrice "Beadie" Russell is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actress Amy Ryan. She was featured prominently in the second season, after she discovered thirteen corpses in a container on the Baltimore docks....
, Ray Cole and Mackey serve grand jury summons
Summons
Legally, a summons is a legal document issued by a court or by an administrative agency of government for various purposes.-Judicial summons:...
on checkers at Frank Sobotka
Frank Sobotka
Francis "Frank" Sobotka is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Chris Bauer.-Biography:Frank is a respected Polish-American secretary treasurer for the International Brotherhood of Stevedores at the Baltimore docks...
's union who worked on the Atlantic Light, the ship that delivered the container that the dead girls were found in, including Johnny "Fifty" Spamanto and Thomas "Horseface" Pakusa. Sobotka is enraged that the detectives believe he knew anything about the girls.
The Grand Jury Prosecutor informs Bunk that the hearings brought little information. Out of options, Bunk quizzes Russell about informants in the docks and is disappointed when she has none. Later, Russell visits an old flame in Sobotka’s union named Maui. She sounds him out about becoming an informant while he tries to reinitiate their relationship. He refuses to give her information on his fellow union men but offers a tip – the union computers may be useful in tracking containers.
McNulty
BubblesBubbles (The Wire)
Reginald "Bubbles" Cousins is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Andre Royo. Bubbles is a recovering heroin addict. His real name is not revealed until a fourth-season episode when he is called "Mr. Cousins" and in the fifth-season premiere when he is called "Reginald"...
visits the marine unit to find Jimmy McNulty
Jimmy McNulty
Detective James "Jimmy" McNulty is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by British actor Dominic West. McNulty is an Irish American detective in the Baltimore Police Department...
. McNulty is out on a boat and Claude Diggins radios him to return to shore. Bubbles reports that he has tracked down Omar Little
Omar Little
Omar Devone Little is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, portrayed by Michael K. Williams. Omar is a renowned stick-up man who lives by a strict moral code and never deviates from his rules, foremost of which is that he never robs or menaces people who are not involved in "the game"....
. McNulty gives him some money and Bubbles persuades him to give him more after he rants about how dangerous the task of locating Omar for him was.
McNulty brings Omar in to be interviewed by ASA Ilene Nathan in preparation for the upcoming Marquis "Bird" Hilton trial. Nathan is surprised at Omar’s candor and history, but she calls him a sociopath and worries about putting him on the stand in front of Maurice Levy
Maurice Levy (The Wire)
Maurice "Maury" Levy is a fictional lawyer on the HBO drama The Wire, played by Michael Kostroff. He is a skilled defense attorney and was kept on retainer by the drug-trafficking Barksdale Organization, representing the organization's members at trials and advising Avon Barksdale and Stringer Bell...
. She gives McNulty a voucher to buy Omar some more appropriate clothes for a court appearance (saying that he should get something "with a [neck] tie").
Omar shops for clothes. McNulty visits the federal building and asks Special Agent Cleary if he can interview any vice suspects to try and interview them about the girl he found in the harbor. Cleary finds some girls being held in New Jersey, but finds it hard to understand McNulty’s desire to ID the girl.
Sobotka detail
Lieutenant Cedric DanielsCedric Daniels
Cedric Daniels is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Lance Reddick. He is a well regarded officer in the department whose focus is on good police work and quality arrests...
meets with Sergeant Ellis Carver
Ellis Carver
Ellis Carver is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Seth Gilliam. Carver is an African American lieutenant and formerly in command of the Baltimore Police Department's Western District Drug Enforcement Unit...
to offer him a position in the detail. Carver cannot understand why Daniels would consider him after he betrayed him when they worked together on the Barksdale case (as revealed in the final episode of season 1
Sentencing (The Wire episode)
"Sentencing" is the thirteenth episode and finale of the first season of the HBO original series, The Wire. The episode was written by David Simon and Ed Burns and was directed by Tim Van Patten...
). Daniels tells him that he thinks he will not try anything similar as he has caught him once before. His condition for Carver is that he will not be recognized as a sergeant and will report to detective Kima Greggs
Kima Greggs
Detective Shakima "Kima" Greggs is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actress Sonja Sohn. Greggs is a police detective in the Baltimore Police Department who is a dedicated officer and capable detective with some off-the-job issues. Openly lesbian, she has had problems...
. Thomas "Herc" Hauk is overjoyed to be working with his old partner again.
Daniels briefs his new men. He orders DNR
Pen register
A pen register is an electronic device that records all numbers called from a particular telephone line. The term has come to include any device or program that performs similar functions to an original pen register, including programs monitoring Internet communications.The United States statutes...
s and finance investigations to be done quickly to placate Major Valchek
Stanislaus Valchek
Stanislaus "Stan" Valchek is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Al Brown.-Biography:Valchek is the Polish-American commander of the Southeastern district, home to many of the remaining white ethnic neighborhoods in Baltimore...
. He puts Greggs, Herc and Carver on drug trade around the port and Herc is pleased that he might get to do some undercover work for once as the port dealers are largely white. Freamon arrives and impresses the detail by recognizing a photo of Sobotka – he tells them of the link to the Jane Does case.
Major Valchek receives another photo of his missing surveillance van at a port in San Diego and dusts it for fingerprints. Greggs asks him about using the van and he tells her he has lent it to the Southwestern district, an allusion to the southwestern part of the country.
Greggs, Carver and Herc begin making hand-to-hands around the port. Greggs and Carver set up a surveillance post in a vacant apartment. Carver watches Frog berate another dealer for spending too much time with his girlfriend. Greggs is annoyed that Herc is taking a long time to prepare. Herc arrives and shows off his props to his colleagues. They find the dealers in the port area much less organized than their old targets in the Barksdale organization.
Dock business
A white dealer called Frog makes sales in the Eastside. Ziggy SobotkaZiggy Sobotka
Chester Karol "Ziggy" Sobotka is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor James Ransone. Though his father Frank Sobotka was a well-respected stevedore union leader, Ziggy's often reckless and juvenile behavior gained him little respect among other members of the union and...
arrives to collect money from him. Frog's count is short and he tells Ziggy that the stash was stolen. Ziggy threatens him but Frog remains indifferent. As Ziggy goes to drive away he is blocked in. Eastside lieutenant Melvin "Cheese" Wagstaff
Cheese Wagstaff
Calvin "Cheese" Wagstaff is a fictional character on the HBO television series The Wire. He is portrayed by hip hop recording artist Method Man. He is a crew chief for his uncle Proposition Joe's drug organization and later works for the Stanfield Organization after betraying his uncle and...
harasses Ziggy for the money he owes him. Cheese is far more effective at intimidating Ziggy than Ziggy was with Frog. Ziggy offers his new leather jacket as partial payment but Cheese is unimpressed. Cheese has his men beat Ziggy and they take his car, telling him that if they have not been paid by Friday he will be dead on Saturday. Frog is on hand to see the whole encounter.
Nick Sobotka
Nick Sobotka
Nickolas Andrew "Nick" Sobotka is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Pablo Schreiber. the character of Nick is cousin to, Ziggy Sobotka, the wayward and rebellious son to his uncle Frank Sobotka...
views a house with his girlfriend Aimee. Elena McNulty is the realtor. He argues with her about the area name. The asking price seems beyond Nick’s means; Aimee suggests that they rent somewhere.
At Delores' bar, Ziggy relates his problems to Nick, who chastises him for getting involved with drugs. Nick refuses to help Ziggy initially but when he realizes Ziggy is in danger and has no other way out he tells Ziggy he has already given his share of their takings stealing from the docks to Aimee for an apartment.
At The Greek's
The Greek (The Wire)
The Greek is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Bill Raymond. The Greek is the head of an international criminal organization involved in narcotics and human trafficking....
café Nick reports the summons to Sergei "Serge" Malatov and Spiros "Vondas" Vondopoulos
Spiros Vondas
Spiros "Vondas" Vondopoulos is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire played by actor Paul Ben-Victor.-Biography:...
and requests that they put their smuggling on hold on behalf of Frank Sobotka
Frank Sobotka
Francis "Frank" Sobotka is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Chris Bauer.-Biography:Frank is a respected Polish-American secretary treasurer for the International Brotherhood of Stevedores at the Baltimore docks...
. Vondas assures Nick that the Jane Doe investigation will find only dead ends. Nick tells them that Frank wants to meet with The Greek himself. Vondas asks Nick about smuggling chemicals, Nick asks what they would be used for and Vondas tells them that it is just business.
Nick and La La visit Cheese to negotiate Ziggy’s debt. Nick asks for the car back so that Ziggy can sell it to raise the money. Cheese offers another week and shows Nick that they have torched Ziggy’s car. La La drives Nick to give the bad news to Ziggy.
The Greek discusses the police investigation with Vondas. The Greek refuses to meet with Sobotka but tells Vondas to double his payment. Sobotka is dismissive of the offer and angry that The Greek would not meet with him. Vondas points out the closed steel factories, leaving Frank to ponder the fate of his union if he cuts his ties to The Greek.
Ziggy and Nick look up the chemicals that Vondas asked them to obtain on a library PC. They find that they are used for processing cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
.
Barksdale trade
Donette visits D'Angelo BarksdaleD'Angelo Barksdale
D'Angelo "D" Barksdale is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire played by actor Larry Gilliard Jr. D'Angelo is the nephew of Avon Barksdale and a lieutenant in his drug dealing organization which controls most of the trade in West Baltimore...
with their son Tyrell and tells him that Stringer Bell
Stringer Bell
Russell "Stringer" Bell is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by English actor Idris Elba. Bell served as drug kingpin Avon Barksdale's second in command, assuming direct control of the Barksdale Organization during Avon's imprisonment...
has been supporting her and has plans to look after D'Angelo when he is released. D'Angelo is cynical about their motivations and tells Donette it is about business.
In the "Pit", an addict disparages the drugs sold to him and Poot Carr
Poot Carr
Malik "Poot" Carr is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Tray Chaney. Poot is a drug dealer in the Barksdale Organization who slowly rises through the ranks, but ends up serving time in prison as his institution collapses around him...
tries to restrain his dealers from beating the man. Puddin calls Bodie Broadus
Bodie Broadus
Preston "Bodie" Broadus is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor J. D. Williams. Bodie is initially a Barksdale organization drug dealer in "The Pit" who slowly rises through the ranks...
over from his tower. Bodie realizes that the problem is with their product’s low quality and says that someone needs to tell Stringer.
Stringer attends his economics class at the Baltimore Community College and asks his teacher, Mr. Lucas, for advice about selling an inferior product in a competitive marketplace (without revealing that his product is heroin). Lucas tells him to decrease prices to increase market share, possibly even operating at a loss. He warns Stringer that the product will lose credibility if the price is continually low, and mentions the case of Worldcom
MCI Inc.
MCI, Inc. is an American telecommunications subsidiary of Verizon Communications that is headquartered in Ashburn, Virginia...
's name change to escape low consumer credibility. Stringer meets with Donette at home and she reports D’Angelo’s troubled state of mind.
Stringer visits the prison and discusses the problems with their product with Avon. He tells him that the East side dealers Proposition Joe
Proposition Joe
Joseph "Proposition Joe" Stewart is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire played by actor Robert F. Chew. Joe is an Eastside drug kingpin who preferred a peaceful solution to business disputes when possible...
and Petey Dixon have the best product. Stringer asks about D'Angelo and Avon says he has to "find his own way". Stringer suggests that they put some property in D'Angelo's name to give him something to come home to. Avon tells Stringer that D'Angelo has taken a lot on for them. Stringer assures him that he has been fair.
Stringer hosts a meeting with many Barksdale dealers, opening with the remark "You have all heard of WorldCom?" and soliciting ideas to solve the organization's problem. Poot calls for a name change, Shamrock proposes different color caps for the drug vials and Bodie Broadus suggests dividing up the towers to create a fake competition.
First appearances
- Frog: An East side drug dealer who sometimes works for Ziggy Sobotka
- Cheese WagstaffCheese WagstaffCalvin "Cheese" Wagstaff is a fictional character on the HBO television series The Wire. He is portrayed by hip hop recording artist Method Man. He is a crew chief for his uncle Proposition Joe's drug organization and later works for the Stanfield Organization after betraying his uncle and...
: Nephew of Eastside drug kingpin Proposition Joe and a feared lieutenant in his operation.