The Wire (TV Series) Collateral Damage (2003) User Reviews

2x02

[formotog · 8/10 · 17 August 2020]

This episode was a lot better than the last one. There's a clearer path now and it's not so cluttered. It was great seeing McNulty absolutely schooling Rawls, and this episode featured much of what made season 1 as good as it was. My only problem now is that it looks like we have two separate plot threads which right now are completely unrelated. We have the prisoners and the String Bell operation, and we have the 14 homicides. I'd say that the show needs to just pick one and focus on that, but I'm sure they have plans to have the two converge at some point. As for McNulty, I don't know how he'd fit into it from the marine unit. My guess is he's either reassigned by Rawls to help with what is essentially his problem, or he just kinda finds a way to work with city homicide. Either way things looks to be back on track, although this Ziggy guy, I'm really not a fan. Not really a fan of any of the cargo guys to be honest

Low 8

First two episodes were superb

[851222 · 9/10 · 19 October 2023]

Greetings from Lithuania.

First two episodes of The Wire season 2 got me hooked more then seasons 1 beginning. That is partly understandable because now I know the amazing characters, dialog quality and gritty world this takes place. The setting is terrific and transition between season 1 and 2 felt organic, not forced. I like that there are more storylines in season 2 already and I like every single one of them. The sense of reality in The Wire and quality of dialogs are constantly reminding me of Breaking Bad, a show which clearly took inspiration from The Wire.

Overall, I will definitely keep watching this amazing show.

You need a scorecard to keep up with your lethal a**

[snoozejonc · 10/10 · 6 April 2022]

I think this is an excellent episode with a good story and brilliant character moments.

The central crime mystery with the 'Greek' and the various smuggling operations involving Sabotka is interesting, but as ever the strength of The Wire is how realistically it portrays organisations, command structures, and people. This is the main source of both intrigue, drama and comedy.

It feels wrong finding so much humour in a story that involves murder and death, but when you put certain characters centre stage, they can make anything funny. This is applies to many scenes in 'Collateral Damage'. Much like David Simon's book 'Homicide' the tone of the show can successfully switch from one of bleakness to hilarity in the blink of an eye.

McNulty and his involvement with bodies, for me is jet black comedy of the highest order and these moments, plus the scenes with the homicide detectives, Landsman, and Rawls are brilliantly done.

The irony in the concept of Valchek and the church window is exceptionally good, not just for comedy value, but the major impact such a petty issue has on the overarching plot of the season and so many character arcs throughout the series. Plus the response of the stevedores is priceless running joke for the season.

Some of the more serious elements come in the scenes that deal directly with the dead girls, plus the fallout involving those responsible. These scenes are quite brutal and realistically portrayed. Plus the implications of the political decisions about the docklands area have a depressing sense of foreboding for the workforce and unions.

Another institution in the spotlight is the prison service, where we have some strong scenes involving Avon, Wee-Bay and certain prison guard, that sets the scene well for what is to come.

Even though it is early days and the main narrative is moving slowly, the interconnection of the various plots, that are presented as unknown factors to many of the characters, make it very compelling to watch.

All actors are on top form, especially Chris Bauer, Dominic West, Wendell Pearce and Al Brown.

For me it is a 9.5/10 but I round upwards.

The Detail

[RainDogJr · 10/10 · 15 May 2009]

Prez becomes part of a new detail, the target is someone of the brotherhood of stevedores, is all a personal issue, I mean this detail (conformed by unknown characters except Detective Polk, one of the incompetent drunks that was one of the reasons Daniels knew that Burrell didn't want to go deeper with the Barksdale case, you know good people can bring big things but incompetent drunks like Polk will be only asking about who is signing the overtime slips) was formed because Valchek wants to find something dirty about Frank Sobotka, Stan has certainly reasons to be wondering about where the large quantities of money that Sobotka has showed come from but certainly Stan wouldn't be wondering about that if his thing with his window for the church turned to be as he wanted. So is Stan Valchek giving his help to Burrell, is almost a fact that Burrell will be the new police commissioner, and of course Burrell returning the unexpected favor. Stan wants a detail and he gets a detail, Frank gained the attention of Stan so the stevedores will get things like the Breathalyzer at 8 in the morning ("who gets drunk at 8 in the morning?" says one of the stevedores when they are stopped after they drank in the breakfast) and if Frank get the consequences of having gained Valchek's attention well Valchek will get the consequences of never trying to have a normal argument with Frank, you know is a war between Polish and is not the only war we have since also there's a war and the looser of that war gets the case of the 14 girls that were murdered. This second hour of Season 2 begins with no one taking care of the 13 dead girls that Office Russell found, it was apparently an accident then is all matter to find identifications however Russell found 14 bedrolls and 13 bodies and she remarks that when Jimmy McNulty, after reading about the 13 dead girls, comes to see her. McNulty has news, well just that the girl he found was murdered and well is again Detective McNulty quickly showing to Russell tat her case is no accident, the war is on with no one wanting the case but for the fortune of Russell there's this guy of the Marine Unit who is pretty much a clever bastard who will laugh his ass off after hearing from his friends Bunk and Lester about the reaction of Rawls and Jay Landsman when they knew that the 14 dead girls are their cases. You know the case will get real, homicide detectives so by the end of this episode we have Bunk and Lester going to see Russell after a night of fun with McNulty, a night when the case was still of Ray Cole but the day after Bunk and Lester will get the bad news, now McNulty is pretty much dead for them. The Atlantic Light is a crime scene and thanks to the Greek we get to know what exactly happened on that ship, the Greek lost 4 million dollars, this one is a great episode, Wee-Bey and D'Angelo have their first appearance in this Season, Officer Tilghman (Antonio D. Charit) have his first appearance in the Series and is this Tilghman pretty much having his revenge, Wee-Bey suffering and Avon with the control, he is in prison eating Kentucky Chicken, you know is damn Avon Barksdale.