Hot Shots

The investigation into the 14 bodies hits a brick wall and Avon orchestrates a plan.

This is a very strong episode with great character moments.

It's testament to how good the characters are written when the plot barely moves and episodes are still compelling. In 'Hot Shots' we see a lot of detailed build up to events and for me it is all good.

The writers create strong parallels between characters, with the Sabotkas and Barksdales having interesting similarities. There are familiar pressures and relationships for the likes of Nick, D'Angelo, Frank and Avon. These are all individuals existing in underprivileged communities who play the game for survival, with some being more ruthless and self serving than others. One of my favourite scenes is Ziggy's observation of a certain transaction at the dockers club bar. This one sequence tells you so much about his character, plus Frank, and also their father-son relationship.

Probably my favourite part of the episode involves Bunk, Freamon and Beadie's 'Johnny-come-lately' banter as McNulty arrives in their office. It is well written and fantastically performed.

The police generally have great scenes, particularly the senior command, which is full of recognisable politics. I love the scene with Valchek and Burrell as it feels both ridiculous and (ironically) plausible.

Performances are consistently strong with the standouts for me being Wendell Pierce, Clarke Peters, Dominic West and Al Brown.

As always the cinematography and editing contains great visual storytelling. The interrogation montage, Tilghman and the rat, plus the final sequence at the prison to name but a few memorable moments.