Early in this season, Prop Joe tells Marlo he'd rather leave Omar be than bring him back to Baltimore. The relationship between Marlo and Prop Joe seems to change around then, with Marlo ignoring Joe's sage advice, then cutting Joe out of the supply chain with the Greeks, and cutting Joe out altogether. It's not that we didn't know Marlo was capable of it. We just needed the mechanism that would propel him into that act. Marlo isn't emotionless, he's burning with anger at Omar for having gotten over on him, and he's willing to do almost anything to get revenge. While the killing of Joe is business, the obsession with Omar is anything but.

I don't think, as Marlo claimed to Joe, that the "Greeks were fine with it" in the sense that they were fine with Marlo killing Joe. I think they were fine with Marlo getting supply from them directly, should the need arise. "Insurance" as they called it. Marlo assumes that even if Joe's dead, the Greeks will be happy to take him on. But we know from Season 2 that the Greeks don't like surprises, and they don't take well to people they can't trust. It should be interesting to see how they react to the death of Joe.

Our culture and those that came before it are full of stories about the young son who doesn't heed his father (Absalom comes to mind, Oedipus* as well -- and Icarus, but Marlo is something darker) and engineers his own downfall.

This isn't the first time Simon and Burns have intimated that the arc of narrative in the Wire is Greek tragedy. Plotz and Goldberg mention the scene in season 3 when Burrell declares "the gods will not save you!" Omar's been a deus ex machina from inception. Woe to mortals, be they characters or audience, who wonder why he isn't dead yet.

Marlo is too smart for his own good, not just because he's cut the cushion away between himself and the Greeks, not just because he's murdered his mentor, and not just because he's stirred up Omar. He mistakes everyone for a fool, and himself for a wise man. As the ancient Roman saying would have it: those whom the gods would destroy, first they raise up a little.

*Oedipus doesn't know it's his father he's killing; it's the Oracle that he ignores.

Good post Isonomist. Also, props for getting mentioned in a TV club post, even if it was by Mr. Plotz.

I have to disagree with you about the Greeks' reaction to Joe's death. I think they will be fine with it, since Marlo has proven to them that he is dedicated and trustworthy. In the last scene with Marlo talking with the Greeks at the diner, Vondas and The Greek have a little discussion once Marlo leaves. When Vondas expresses the concern that "he is not Joe", The Greek merely repeats that line: "He is not Joe." His tone and facial expression seem to indicate that he has decided to move on from his relationship with Joe, and that Marlo will be his main man in B'more now.

As for the comparison of The Wire with classical Greek tragedy, you are right on. Simon himself has stated that the show takes the form of a Greek tragedy, with the whimsical and vengeful gods being replaced by modern American institutions. The events of the series depict mere humans (who have human flaws) attempting to understand and live with these new gods.

It'll be very interesting to see when Nerese finally uses Daniels' file.

It seems clear that once Nerese made a u turn into the crapper to read Daniels file that she would be using it for more than just helping out Burrell.

As for the Greeks I think Marlo always intended to take Joe out back in Season 4 when he had Vondas followed. He was just waiting until Joe was no longer useful to him. In the end it seemed more his lust for the new territory along the highway which triggered his move than Joe's reluctance to solve the Omar issue with violence. Although no doubt he viewed it as weakness just like he did when Stringer tried to negociate with him.

I think the Greek recognized Marlo's motives and accepted that he was going to do it regardless and he had no interest in getting involved in the politics of the street.

I'm sure you're right about Marlo, I hadn't remembered the whole Vondas thing till you mentioned it.

You may be right about the Greeks and the street, my point is that the whole dialog about dirty street money and people makes clear that they hold Marlo at a distance. Prop Joe was more intuitive than Marlo ever will be, and that's why he managed accounts with the Greeks for so long. Marlo's already stumbled with them and is going to again I don't think Vondas is going to be as happy about everything Marlo does, and he's not going to make it any further up the food chain.

Talk about a message board conversation that's more interesting than the original articles! It's so much more thought provoking to go beyond "I liked this, I didn't like that," and actually discuss the show on its own terms.

Hell yeah son, thats how we do around here.

Just kidding. But you're right, usually the blog posts are just a starting point (or, more often, bitching point) for the really interesting stuff.