All Due Respect (The Wire)

"All Due Respect"
The Wire episode
Episode no. Season 3
Episode 2
Directed by Steve Shill
Teleplay by Richard Price
Story by David Simon
Richard Price
Original air date September 26, 2004 (2004-09-26)
Running time 58 minutes
Guest actors

"All Due Respect" is the second episode of the third season of the HBO original series, The Wire. The episode was written by Richard Price from a story by David Simon & Richard Price and was directed by Steve Shill. It originally aired on September 26, 2004.

Production

Title reference

The title is spoken to Omar by a low level Barksdale dealer as Omar robs his stash, by Shamrock to Stringer at their meeting and by Burrell to Carcetti. It continues to be spoken by several characters throughout the season.

Epigraph

“ There's never been a paper bag... ”
— Colvin

Colvin makes this statement in his speech comparing the drug and alcohol prohibitions.

The speech is taken almost verbatim from the book The Corner; on a commentary track, David Simon gives credit for the metaphor and speech to Ed Burns.

Credits

Starring cast

Although credited, Andre Royo does not appear in this episode.

Guest stars

  1. Chad L. Coleman as Dennis "Cutty" Wise
  2. Jamie Hector as Marlo Stanfield
  3. Al Brown as Major Stanislaus Valchek
  4. Clifford "Method Man" Smith as Melvin "Cheese" Wagstaff
  5. Melanie Nichols-King as Cheryl
  6. Richard Burton as Sean "Shamrock" McGinty
  7. Tray Chaney as Malik "Poot" Carr
  8. Anwan Glover as Slim Charles
  9. Kelli R. Brown as Kimmy
  10. Edwina Findley as Tosha Mitchell
  11. Ernest Waddell as Dante
  12. Brandon Fobbs as Fruit
  13. De'Rodd Hearns as Puddin
  14. Addison Switzer as Country
  15. Shamyl Brown as Donette
  16. Erik Todd Dellums as Randall Frazier
  17. Joilet F. Harris as Officer Caroline Massey
  18. Jay Landsman as Lieutenant Dennis Mello
  19. Richard DeAngelis as Colonel Raymond Foerster
  20. Ed Norris as Detective Ed Norris
  21. Rick Otto as Officer Kenneth Dozerman
  22. Melvin Williams as The Deacon

Uncredited appearances

Rashad Orange makes a brief uncredited appearance as one of Dazz's hoppers in this episode; after one further appearance in this season, he becomes a significant recurring character (Sherrod) in season four.

Major case unit

Detective Jimmy McNulty visits Randall Frazier, the medical examiner, at the morgue. McNulty has learned that D'Angelo Barksdale died behind bars, and he is skeptical of the official determination that the death was a suicide. He asks the medical examiner to investigate the medical records. Over drinks with Bunk Moreland, McNulty complains that the state police spoiled the investigation. Bunk agrees with McNulty, simply because he believes it is unlikely that a black male would commit suicide by hanging. McNulty concurs, jokingly telling Bunk that he is a good example of a black male who has all the reason he needs to commit suicide but does not. Bunk then assists McNulty in picking up a woman in the bar through the use of a short con. McNulty later returns to the morgue, where Frazier reports that D'Angelo's death could have been a homicide; there are two sets of ligature marks on his neck and a mysterious bruise on his mid-back. McNulty visits D'Angelo's ex-girlfriend Donette to ask her about his death. She is dismissive and doesn't tell him anything. McNulty departs, leaving his card.

East side drug lieutenant Melvin "Cheese" Wagstaff attends an underground dogfight with a dealer named Tri from his crew and places a large bet on his dog, which he calls "Dawg". Dawg fights against another canine, owned by a dealer named Dazz and trained by one of his men, Jelly. Cheese's dog is quickly beaten and, rather than give it medical attention, an embarrassed Cheese executes it with a gunshot. Tri tells Cheese that he suspects foul play in his dog's loss. Soon afterwards, Jelly is on the corner with his hoppers and Tri approaches and shoots Jelly in the head. The hoppers flee and report the killing to Dazz.

The detail picks up some discussion of Tri's crime on the wire. Moments later, they hear that another dealer called Peanut has been killed. Cheese himself discusses shooting his dog over the phone; the detectives assume he is talking about a murder, and guess there is some kind of drug war going on. The detail is astonished that Cheese is speaking so openly about a murder on the phone, after months of rigid phone discipline. Lester Freamon calls homicide to ask how many new murders there are on the East side, but Ed Norris has little time for him and hangs up without answering his questions. Freamon sends Kima Greggs home while he goes to homicide to find out what he can. Greggs has an uncomfortable evening at home with Cheryl and their new baby.

The unit meets with ADA Rhonda Pearlman for lunch to discuss the murders. Lieutenant Cedric Daniels wants to use their evidence to make arrests. McNulty argues that they should wait and gather more evidence in the hope of ultimately bringing down Stringer Bell, but the rest of the detail feels that the murders are enough to act upon. Officer Massey tracks Cheese's crew planning to attack Dazz. They will first rendezvous at Tri's girlfriend Neesey's house. Cheese's crew is fully armed and ready to make their attack when the detail bursts in and arrests them.

Bunk and McNulty interrogate Cheese. Bunk mockingly repeats the comments Cheese made over the wire about killing Dawg, and Cheese breaks down in tears. Colonel Foerster and Daniels watch from outside as Cheese begins to relate the story. Deputy Commissioner William Rawls and Major Marvin Taylor are impressed with Daniels's work and depart. In the interrogation room, however, McNulty and Bunk realize that Dawg is not a person. Daniels is upset to learn that the most they can charge Cheese with is illegal discharge of a firearm and improper disposal of an animal, or animal cruelty at the very worst. The unit drowns their sorrows at the bar, where McNulty fails to get Pearlman to leave with him. Pearlman instead makes a move on Daniels and he takes her back to his barely-furnished bachelor apartment. Greggs arrives home to find Cheryl sleeping with the baby and turns around and goes out drinking; at the bar, conflicted, she flirts with another woman. The following day, the unit's wiretaps have all gone dead.

Western District

Thomas "Herc" Hauk and Ellis Carver cruise the Western district, antagonizing the corner kids. Herc calls over Justin, one of Marlo's dealers, to ask him where he might purchase a baseball cap with a sideways brim. Justin, unaware that he is being mocked, explains it's a regular cap worn sideways. Herc spots Poot Carr working a new corner now that the terrace is gone; he and Carver pick Poot up and question him. They ask how he is able to walk into new territory without getting into trouble with other dealers. Poot defiantly refuses to answer their questions.

Major Howard "Bunny" Colvin learns from his community relations sergeant and Lieutenant Mello that his beat officers are working hard to reclassify reported crimes to reduce the felony rate. An officer named Burman has been particularly effective. Colvin seems nonplussed by Burman's accomplishments.

Herc, Carver and Dozerman go to the movies with their girlfriends, where they are mortified to bump into Bodie Broadus, Poot and Puddin with their dates. Bodie tells his girlfriend that the officers harass them every day trying to obtain their stash, but almost always fail. The officers are flabbergasted, and the dealers depart, saying "See you tomorrow!" Herc and Carver ogle Dozerman's attractive black girlfriend. Later, Carver and Dozerman tease Herc for hypothetically choosing Gus Triandos as the one man he would have sex with in order to obtain any woman he desires, particularly Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen: Dozerman says he looked up the stats and noted that Triandos was a "power hitter."

Dozerman acts as the undercover officer for a late night hand-to-hand, and is shot when the operation goes badly. Colvin is called at home and immediately goes out to meet his men. Carver blames himself for sending Dozerman alone. Colvin arrives and tells them that Dozerman will live, largely because they got him to the hospital quickly. Herc tells Colvin that their suspect took Dozerman's gun.

Colvin visits his friend the church deacon for a cup of coffee. Colvin reveals that he has reached the point where the absence of a negative (in this case, the fact that Dozerman was not injured fatally) makes a good night's work for him. He feels he has to change that before he retires.

The next day, Colvin gives a briefing to his men. He suspends all undercover narcotics work. He draws parallels between the drug prohibition and a law that prohibited public consumption of alcohol. He remembers the paper bag as a moment of civic compromise in the 1950s that freed up officers to do real police work. Colvin wishes there were a paper bag for drugs. Back out on the street, Herc cannot understand his commander's reasoning.

Barksdale organization

Shamrock and Country arrive with a resupply of narcotics for some of their drug dealers. Omar Little poses as a veteran returning from the hospital with Kimmy acting as his nurse to get inside the house. Once inside they draw their weapons and let in Dante and Tosha. They catch Shamrock and Country coming down the stairs with the money.

Stringer visits Avon Barksdale at the prison and they talk about the demolition of their tower territory. He reveals his plan to supply other dealers. Avon asks Stringer to target specific high turnover areas. He reminds Stringer they need to maintain their reputation to hold onto trade. Stringer agrees but says that the violence was what brought Avon to prison and if they can make money without it they should.

Stringer's lieutenants Country, Shamrock and Bodie are sent to talk to mid-level dealers to try to displace their suppliers. Country's offer is met with skepticism, Shamrock has more success by making the financial advantages clear and Bodie cannot even find his target initially. He is supposed to approach Marlo Stanfield but upon approaching Jamal, a low level Stanfield dealer, he learns that Marlo is nowhere to be found. Bodie marshals his crew to set up in the middle of the block through his second Puddin. Stanfield corner boss Fruit looks on and prevents Jamal from raising arms against Bodie. He contacts Marlo who drives up to talk to him and tells him to ignore Bodie and go back to work.

Stringer holds another meeting at the funeral home and Bodie and Country report their difficulties. Stringer sends Bodie out to look for Marlo immediately. Shamrock reports Omar's robbery and Slim Charles remarks that it is the second robbery that month.

Marlo visits his advisor Vinson at his rim shop for advice on handling the Barksdale organization. Vinson advises him to prepare for war if he is not willing to compromise. The next day Bodie approaches Marlo on the corner. Marlo politely asks Bodie to leave while brandishing a golf club, insinuating violence if his demands are not met.

Politics

Councilman Tommy Carcetti visits Major Stanislaus Valchek's office and they discuss his ploy of using the subcomittee to pressure Acting Commissioner Ervin Burrell. Valchek calls it a win win situation - if Burrell caves he has an inside man in the mayor's office, and if he doesn't he gains political capital by harassing Burrell over high crime rates. He asks Valchek to broker a meeting with Burrell. Valchek meets with Burrell and convinces him to take the meeting. Carcetti tells Burrell that he is tired of being ignored.

At the ComStat meeting, Rawls berates Eastern district commander Major Taylor for his poor performance. Under Taylor's command, the Eastern district has made only sixteen felony arrests in a month and confiscated no handguns while four homicides occurred in a five-hour time period. Upset at the lack of progress in investigating the four recent homicides (including James "Jelly" Toney and Tri), Rawls informs Taylor that he has eight hours to get a grip on things or he is done in the unit.

Burrell has dinner with Carcetti and thanks him for helping him with repairing police vehicles. Having had a good experience Burrell reveals that he has 70 men retiring and Mayor Clarence Royce has failed to give him promised money for training new officers and Carcetti offers to look into it.[1][2]

First appearances

The episode marks the first appearance of The Deacon, a well known and influential West side church man. The Deacon is played by Melvin Williams, who was a real-life drug kingpin in his youth and was arrested by writer Ed Burns in 1984 when he was a Baltimore city police officer.[3] Creator David Simon was responsible for covering the arrest for The Baltimore Sun at the time.[4] Williams received a 34-year sentence for his crimes and much of the evidence against him came from a wiretap investigation like the one featured in the first season of the show.[4] Vinson, a rim shop owner who serves as an adviser to Marlo, makes his first appearance in this episode advising Marlo on a possible war with the Barksdales. Sherrod, a boy who becomes Bubbles' protege later in the season, also makes a very brief appearance - albeit unnamed at the time - as one of the hoppers talking to Jelly when he is shot and killed by Tri.

Deceased

References

  1. ↑ "Episode guide - episode 26 All Due Respect". HBO. 2004. Retrieved 2006-08-07.
  2. ↑ David Simon, Ed Burns (2004-09-26). "All Due Respect". The Wire. Season 3. Episode 02. HBO.
  3. ↑ Neil Drumming (2006-09-15). "High Wire Act". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2006-09-27.
  4. 1 2 Margaret Talbot (2007). "Stealing Life". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on 16 October 2007. Retrieved 2007-10-14.

External links

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