the scene where michael turns down marlo’s cash & he’s confronted popped up on my homepage, watched a couple clips & a week later went & bought all 5 seasons. dvd store was having a sale what would’ve been $125 came to about $60
@@nonofyourbuzyness2824 It wasn't even the war that got him, it was his second in command, Stringer, the guy he had complete trust in in the beginning of the series, that betrayed him, only because his own ego got hurt from Clay Davis robbing him blind. Stringer was from the street, but his heart wasn't in the game, and wanted to be more ambitious.
He already knew they were following him that's why he started driving. Think about it he never drives he doesn't even have a license. This was just to make them show themselves.
Just a sec. This clip is a triumph of sound design. Avon and his trucks stereo are like Jaws here, with his theme announcing his proximity and giving you a sense of dread and awe subconsciously. The echo off the buildings, the bass thumping when he’s barely close enough to hear, all of this was carefully crafted. It even has a “we need a bigger boat” moment at the end. Every person who worked on the Wire was great and firing on all cylinders every day. The tone even changes at the end to tell us he’s gotten away (Doppler effect). Master class in audio, this segment.
Great shout with the Jaws comparison. Hadn't considered the sound design before in this scene, but it stands to reason as the show uses sound very intelligently throughout.
The way the wire kept the character of Avon Barksdale kind of a mystery was brilliant. They made him a presence without really to much screen time initially. In effect Stringer was the focal point in the first season until the end. But once we got to see Avon after his release from prison the dude was an absolute tour de force. I mean this guy was so cool, so raw, so unbelievably Baltimore it was mind boggling. Seriously that character made the show in my opinion. Shocking screen presence. Still my favorite character and there were a bunch on that show.
@@thatoneguychad420 g.. in every sense of the word... brilliant casting of wood harris....he delivered the goods...great dialog.....wardrobe....just nailed it......swag for days
The fact that Avon had no criminal record or even driver's license for them to ID him by is pure gangster. He even later used his "no priors" reputation to get released from a 7 year bid after only 2 years.
@@frankbaiamonte3158 weak charge and they did not want that. Avon mentions it in a later seen. Police don't want stupid weak charges and blowing wire taps over that. Hence pissed when cheese had killed a dog over a person cuz it blew their wire
Keep in mind how the entire show revolves around a Chess scheme. In this scene, the little guys think the King is cornered, but the King is free to move in any and every direction and gets away.
Sydnor said he jumped the light. The sign says no turn on red between 7 and 4 (school hours), so it must be between 7 and 4. He's baiting them and wouldn't have minded being stopped for a minor traffic violation to get a good look at them.
@@_meangreenjersey973 no he would leave himself open all the time at his barbershop. There are plenty of times he sent the soldiers out by themselves and he stayed at the funeral home or strip club. Marlo had somebody at all times except the card game.
@@deb7457 Makes me think of in the movie Casino when Joe Pesci has to swap like 4 or 5 whips in underground garages in Las Vegas to get the tails off him. He knew all the spots just like Avon except Avon did it all in the Ford Excursion lol
avon barksdale one of the greatest fictional characters ever wood harris was beyond amazing and that’s Saying a lot, considering how many great performances were on the show
Understand that this is just Hollywood but if you got some middle aged white and black guys driving around in the same car in Baltimore, that has 5-0 written all over it!
Yeah as far as “Hollywood” goes the wire is one of the most realistic series ever made. Of course nothing can be perfect. And addressing the white and black thing there are plenty of white cops, criminals and junkies in most urban areas
Marlo was just a ruthless sociopath...Avon had his moments but overall I agree was much more of a king/leader when it came down to it...his boys took prison sentences like it was nothing for them (most anyways)...even when they get raided at the end of s3 the one guy tries to take the blame for all the guns...Marlo became so powerful because he just killed everyone...rather than be respected and feared he was happy just being feared which lasted a little while but not forever
@Colby Martinez No reason to. Marlo had to retire or go to jail. So he sold the connect. Avon would've kept the connect and made bank while serving his time.
When i first watched the series i thought seasons 3 and 4 were the most enjoyable. Then watching it a second time i realized the best was the first. No other season shows the trenches of the drug trade/war. Once all the other angles were introduced it was lost in the fray but season 1 shows the street level view so masterfully.
Seasons 2 and 4 were very difficult for me to process. I love the show in general and will definitely be rewatching. I have been studying the show so that I can have a better understanding once I watch it again.
Julia Lyons the show gets better and better the more you rewatch imo. I missed a lot of key stuff and was confused by some things my first time around but once you know and love the characters everything connects the next time you watch it. S2 and S4 are the best seasons behind S1. I too think S1 was the best and S5 get unjust hate it was just as good as the others imo.
I think Avon was alerted when he saw the Crown Vic just sitting in front of him. Anyone with a brain back then knew a Crown Vic was almost always a Police car.
It's the first time that they actually get a visual on Avon Barksdale. Before this, they never knew what he looked like because he didn't have a criminal record and he was well insulated at the top of his mob. One of the cops saw him at the basketball game (east side vs west side) and told Daniels that he might be the Avon they are looking for.
Baltimore scenery hasn't changed. These episodes were filmed damn near 20 years ago and you could walk down these same streets today and it would look the same 😢😢
Before this Daniels was seriously underestimating Avon. It was this moment where Daniels realised just who he was up against. There’s that scene after this when Daniels returns to the office and tells McNulty he now realises Avon is better than he thought
I think this was a major turning point for the Lieutenant. He left earlier saying "In Narcotics, we make cases off of following perps." In this moment, he realized he wasn't dealing with some low or even mid-level player but Avon Barksdale, a sophisticated kingpin who won't fall easily. Notice how Marlo could never ride solo in the whip, even at the PEAK of his reign.
The show was so smart with the limited screen time for Avon in the first season. He was as much a mystery to us as the cops. Fucking brilliant. Wood Harris was the GOAT in this role! Not only the top dog but a great balance of humor with the character too. That finger wag is not only bad ass…it’s pretty funny too 😂
I kid you not. I saw The Wire two years back and ever since then, did this whenever folks would try to cut me off. I also do it whenever cops drive behind me trying to screen my plates. I switch lanes, brake to match their speed, then wave the Avon finger in their face.
The real Avon:"You couldnt come to my hood unkown unless you wanted to get hit by a pizza" Interviewer:"Pizza is that like drugs?" Avon:"No thats a sewer top gettin thrown off the roof at you"
The Ford excursion is the biggest ever mass produced SUV if I’m not mistaken it’s so fitting for Avon to be driving it. Makes Daniels SUV look tiny in comparison
Things like “he’s going East in Oliver” is where I would fail. I would say something along the lines of “he’s going left of Oliver.” I have no sense of directions like that
I've been looking for this video since I first saw it years ago. At the end, you could tell they had to keep the windows up because their eyes showed smiling at how cool that was
American cars are so fucking massive and these huge streets have like 2-3 people on them just sat there and no traffic except one drug lord and a few dipshit cops, idk is it like that everywhere or just Baltimore.
Either Avon turned his music down once he lost them and then turned it back up at the end just to flex, or he had it blaring the whole time and didn’t even care. I don’t know which is cooler, but both are hilarious
