The Wire (TV Series) Corner Boys (2006) User Reviews

Solid mid season episode

[851222 · 8/10 · 28 November 2023]

Greetings from Lithuania.

Eight episode called "Corner Boys" was a solid storybuilding episode. It is a needed episode which brings us more and more to the finale of this season, which I believe will explode seeing how and were are things going. There are many side stories in this excellent season 4, and I like how most of the are involving kids, or to be more accurate, Corner Boys.

Overall, with more then half season gone I highly looking forward to it finale. The story, acting and especially writing are as soli as usual. Nothing seems forced or unnatural. Even if there isn't much "action", it's always a blast to watch it.

4x08

[formotog · 7/10 · 26 August 2020]

Decent episode, a bit slower than previous ones. Bunk proved this episode, which he doesn't really get to as much as he probably should, that he is a very good detective, and Omar will probably end up getting out very soon. I also like how Carcetti is making it his business to genuinely see how the police actually do their work. We may well see actual good cops getting promotions now. I do think this episode didn't flow as well as other episodes have, and I also really don't like Michael and I'm still not that interested in the school kids. Regardless, I'm looking forward to the police hierarchy being massively overturned

Mid 7

Ain't no disrespect to your professionalism

[snoozejonc · 10/10 · 16 October 2022]

Bunk looks deeper into case against Omar and Michael's father comes home.

This is another excellent episode with great character moments.

It has been reasonably clear for several episodes why Michael has no trust for adults and is so standoffish around men. This is confirmed in a number of particularly uncomfortable scenes at home and school that have me invested in the fate of the character and his brother.

Many classroom scenes are classic Hamsterdam-like social science moments with characters like Colvin making a connection to Namond and the other corner boys. Namond is a brilliantly realised character, so full of gangster bravado in one scene, then almost in tears with mommy in the next. Julito McCullum is on top form once again, along with Sandi McCree.

The star police character of the episode is Bunk, who has a number of classic moments that showcase his detective skills and entertaining personality. Wendell Pierce is on top form as always. I love all this scenes at Kavanaugh's.

Contrasting this well are the scenes with characters like Herc and Dozerman, plus the officers who entrap small time drug deals for the sake of an arrest. These tie in perfectly to the scenes of Carcetti's fact finding mission to identify systemic failures. It also parallels nicely with the stat games played by the school systems and both will become a key part of Carcetti's time as mayor in later episodes.

The surprise package of the episode involves an incredibly crafty bit of character writing. Chris and Snoop are somehow humanised in their scenes of banter together during another brutal assignment from Marlo. This should not be possible, but it shows the manipulative power of filmmaking. This lays a brilliant foundation for their future scenes with Michael.

As ever in the depths of despair the writers include great humour. Robert F. Chew in particular has some great material as Prop Joe, as does several of the scenes set within Homicide.

It's a 9.5/10 for me but I round upwards.