Middle Ground

Greetings from Lithuania.

"Middle Ground", 11th episode of "The Wire" season 3 had a huge payoff, and i will leave it at that. I'm not sure if i can spoil a show that is almost 20 years old, but still it is best to be discovered by those who have not seen it.

This is amazing episode because of same things that carriers this amazing series - perfect writing, superb acting and incredible directing. But the writing is a star of "The Wire". And this episode has it all and beyond. Many plot lines starting to get into finish, and i can't wait to see the outcome in next episode which is going to close this incredible and unforgettable season.

The B and B partnership shows signs of weakness with numerous predators circling.

This is a classic episode with some unforgettable character moments and great irony.

There is little about the plot I can say without spoiling, except that it contains some iconic moments of The Wire.

Various scenes that certain characters share together are brilliantly made. Some involve characters that are rarely on screen together, but when they are it is always electrifying. Another shows characters that are frequently together but this time it feels more poignant and reflective. One scene wonderfully presents two characters heavily linked to the main themes of season 3 that have never shared centre stage together. All of this builds towards a very powerful final scene that lingers in the memory.

The politics and fallout from the Hamsterdam situation are plausibly in sharp focus. This depicts some recognisable strategic manoeuvring from senior members of the command structure, plus a very effective scene involving one character taking in the sights and sounds of a free zone.

Once again the scenes involving Dennis are some of the most enjoyable and rewarding to watch. It is important that they receive this amount of screen time in a show so heavy with realism it might otherwise crush your spirit.

Visually it is incredibly good, with lots of cinematic shots of characters beautifully framed within atmospheric locations. My favourite involves a Western type stand-off between two almost mythical characters.

Performances as ever are top drawer, with Idris Elba, Michael K. Williams, Michael Potts, Wood Harris, Robert Wisdom, Chad Coleman, Frankie Faison and Dominic West all having standout moments.

This show always finds a way to mess with your head, make you question whats right and whats wrong, question the good guys and bad guys, and at the end, you just dont know what to hope for. Hope for justice to happen? What justice? The thing that happened in this episode, was that justice ? Everything is so complicatedly connected that for judging, you should consider every damn part, which makes the justice just, hard to happen, if not impossible.

I have to give it to the writer for being brave enough to do this, i was not expecting this for a player like that, but it's all in the game man, and the game is unpredictable. Heartbreaking stuff.

I can't believe they actually did it. The complexity of Stringer and his want of changing the game is all tackled in this episode. There's a scene when the two men Avon and Stringer are having a good time and it's one of the most heartbreaking. Again, the payoff in this episode is extremely high and the writers have really outdone themselves. 10/10, I wish I could unwatch this episode to experience it new again.

Man, what can i say about this series? The buildup, the execution, everything is just spot on. And yes, last two minutes of this episode, you're in for a big surprise.