The Wire - This drug thing, this ain't police work.

[@tyu3456]

"you call something a war and pretty soon people gonna be running around like warriors" holy shit

[@gurkis35]

Remember in first season how Carver told Herc that "You can't even call this shit a war... wars end." When it comes to being police, he was a child back then, and is now, but comparing where he started out and where he ended up - now that's character development.

[@FuzzyDlop]

His character had already evolved at the beginning of Season 4. We actually see that development, we see him being a much better cop and we see him helping people and making connections between people too(Bunny and Cutty for example).

[@PaulHussey01]

DeStRuCtIoNmAn19 - Aristotle once wrote "Philosophers may preach the deepest of messages. Yet to the masses - simple and truthful messages well spoke will be taken as the deepest social commentary" So to answer your question: for well over 2000 years.

[@alexroxhissox]

+paulvihno +destructionman holy shit cant remember the last time I saw someone get schooled as hard as that

[@RobertMorgan]

serge00storms those Lenco Bearcats cost, starting, $600,000 of taxpayer money. Think of how much community outreach, programs, at risk counseling, on and on that could happen with $600k.

[@danb4811]

Colvin is what you want in a police officer. He cares about his job, he cares about his staff. Most importantly, he cares about his community, civilians and criminals alike. He just wants to fix everything. Easily my favorite character.

[@freebirdallen]

Agreed!

[@JB-xl2jc]

If every cop was like Colvin, we would have no idea what the term "ACAB" means because we woulda never heard it before.

[@Maddolis]

@@JB-xl2jc I guess it'd mean All Cops Are Bunny

[@bartolomeestebanmurillo4459]

That's why cops like Bunny either retire or resign.

[@jizz_moat]

He's good Poe Lease

[@8UP1977]

"There's a reason you separate military and the police. One fights the enemies of the state, the other serves and protects the people. When the military becomes both, then the enemies of the state tend to become the people,"

[@Taospark]

+codename617 It was a quote of Admiral Adama from Battlestar Galactica.

[@mankytoes]

That's why I think it was a mistake for America to use military ranks for police.

[@13Gangland]

8UP1977 Nah bro, what you meant to say was, one steals oil and other riches for the benefit of the country's people of power, and the other harass and maipulate the citizens. Neither of those do what you said.

[@jsn23nc]

So true. A military State is the last thing Americans want, whether they it or not

[@JK-gu3tl]

isht, Jefferson opposed having a standing army b/c historically they were used to oppressed their own citizens.

[@jositoxxx1]

Colvin is the true hero of this show.

[@royalescorpio]

jositoxxx1 Yeah. I'd be glad to have him as a Major.

[@moriellymoproblems7842]

+jositoxxx1 McNulty is a hero too. Made up a serial killer so his fellow cops could get paid and have the resources to do their job.

[@user-xm9ms5dl8d]

+Ahsan Ali "it was never about the money"

[@leecro83]

+Ahsan Ali Lets be honest, McNulty cared about himself and his cases and that's it. you can even see how uncomfortable McNulty gets when word gets out that he's handing out o.t. But yeah I guess he does get pretty helpful towards the end.

[@raoulhery]

+jositoxxx1 TOP 3 : 1) Lester 2) Stringer 3) Colvin indeed

[@panmpap4679]

This speech is more relevant than ever.

[@blairtm1977]

Amen!

[@raoulhery]

Agreed. This country is going straight to hell. China will overthrow Amarica if people dont get reasonable

[@supremesantos]

For future reference: The George Floyd protests are currently ongoing

[@post-leftluddite]

That's right, legalizing drugs would be the FASTEST way to "cut the head off the snake". Half or more of all police work is drug related, half of all prisoners are incarcerated for drug offenses and this country wastes $80 billion dollars per year of state and federal money on the war on drugs. The number one excuse for police violating peoples rights and going on fishhooking expeditions are drugs, "I smell Marijuana". We legalize drugs, we would cut police budgets in half overnight, and it wouldn't be a political decision, but a numbers one. If cops loose half their arrest numbers, they don't need half their budgets, a simple arithmetic. If their not going after drugs, they have no legitimate excuse to be rampaging through the inner city like an occupying army. If their not chasing drugs, they're focusing on murder, rape, burglary.... Real crimes, with real victims. And let's not forget about the freedom side of this issue. Statistics demonstrate, and this has been confirmed many times over, that approximately lee 0.01% of recreational drug users ever become what are considered "criminal addicts" (e.g. stealing to support their habit), and less that 1% of recreational drug users ever become non-criminal addicts. It's estimated that there are anywhere from 20 to 40 million pot smokers in this country, so in essence we're taking away the freedom of consenting adults for the actions of an extremely small group of people. And science as well as anyone with common sense knows that addiction is a medical problem, and furthermore that the actions of criminal addicts are caused by the fact that the drugs are illegal and therefore have artificially inflated prices. Between expanding treatment and legalization, that extremely small problem would become even smaller. But it still stands that any adult should have the right to do whatever they want with their own body as long as they don't harm anyone else, and anyone who says otherwise either doesn't believe in freedom or just wants to irrationally control the actions of others even when it has no effect on them. It would remove the violence from drugs, it would remove the unnecessary overdoses because people would actually know what they're getting, it would remove the needless transmission of disease from sharing needles, it would remove all the negative aspects that aren't actually caused by these substances themselves, but by the laws prohibiting them, and perhaps most importantly, it would stop needlessly ruining people's lives by giving them a felony record for a medical problem, after all, as the saying goes: "You can recover from an addiction, but not a conviction". Of course we would still have the moral Authoritarians who instead of being guided by science, empirical data and reason, are guided by their irrational morality the provides no other justification for prohibiting drugs that "You can't just give addicts what they want".

[@edbashline]

The whole show is more relevant than ever

[@Bodanki]

what I love about Carver and this story in general is that you can see this conversation has an effect on Carv in future episodes. He completely changes his outlook after this and becomes good Po-leese

[@flightofthebumblebee9529]

He really does and by the season 4 finale you see he and Prez both became something much better and more mature than they did in the beginning.

[@nationradical]

You see carver really making his police work more personable

[@JoeKaneB]

He almost reenacts the horrible "Shaft" chase later in the run then after a beat catches himself. "Why am I chasing them, I know half of them, shit, I know where they hang."

[@be4unvme]

Yeah you saw that scene when he visited Bodie on the corner?

[@jayteegamble]

And Herc goes the completely opposite direction. Just like Dookie, Mike, Randy, and Namond all start the same and go different directions Herc and Carver do the same thing.

[@diabsoul]

Policing ain't soldierin'...great line. Gotta be a part of the community. One of us.

[@JB-xl2jc]

"There's a reason why you separate the military and the police. One fights the enemies of the state; the other serves and protects the People. When the military becomes both.... then the enemies of the state, tend to become the People."

[@SDG.12]

Carver's character transformations throughout the seasons was amazing

[@demetriusmckay617]

Great character development

[@PocoMelons]

Yup. One of many. This is a great series.

[@HighLordBlazeReborn]

Turned into the new Daniels

[@steverogers7601]

Carvers, Herc’s, Daniel’s, and my favorite, Prez’s transformations were a treat to watch unfold.

[@M3mphix]

@@HighLordBlazeReborn The new Colvin. He didn't respect Daniels for a long time. Bunny was his real mentor.

[@kapnerad]

The entire premise of The Wire right there in that speech. That talk about police work not being soldiering and the danger of police thinking of themselves "at war" reminds me of this bit from Battlestar Galactica: " There's a reason you separate military and the police. One fights the enemies of the state, the other serves and protects the people. When the military becomes both, then the enemies of the state tend to become the people."

[@romainvicta117]

@ortho What a pointless reply.

[@Mach13NYC]

Gay

[@rouskeycarpel1436]

That's the problem with the drug war' it actually forces police to see drug dealers as enemies instead of just businessman/businesswomen. With legal drugs the crime in inner cities(some rural areas too) there'll be a drastic decrease in crime in the inner city. This will in my opinion decrease the tendency of cops and the communities they work in seeing each other as enemies.

[@slowfreq]

@@rouskeycarpel1436 Well we know now that this did not work.

[@suncore598]

I think Colvin had a major impact on Carver by showing him how to be "natural police" instead of some gun-ho soldier in the war against drugs.

[@earthlingcrusader1529]

Most definitely. Carver's evolution after this scene was very noticeable.

[@510oaklandca]

suncore598 Hell yeah. Carver worked his way up to lieutenant. His huge blemish was what happened to Randy, but he did all he could for him. He even tried to adopt him. Crazy how the way things turn out. This show was beautifully written.

[@Godslilangel]

Daniels talked to Carver it did nothing bunny talks to him he changed alil but still lied about kima about not knowing about the fake serial rapist. he became better police but he was still a cop

[@ajbahus]

+Nicole Steward Daniels made Carver more of a team player but at the same time there was always a distrust between them because of how he leaked information to Burrell.

[@prolifik5]

+Nicole Stewart He didn't know the serial killer was fake. All he knew was that McNulty was pretending to use the resources on that case when he was really using them to catch Marlo. Carver's reasoning was that gaming the system was justified if they were using it to catch the guy who had 20-odd dead bodies on him. I strongly doubt he would have exposed his troops like that if he knew the serial killer was completely made up - that's a whole different ball game from just getting cute with run sheets.

[@jacobb5625]

McNulty: "nobody's knowing his post, nobody's buildin nothing" you can tell he came up under Colvin's wing

[@jessehenderson2967]

I lowkey love Bunny and McNulty's relationship.

[@austinboylan5476]

I loved this speech. Bunny saw his men just lived to fight drug dealers rather than make valuable arrests and stop crime. Herc and Carver aren't police, they're soldiers. McNulty, Kima and Lester are real police. And Herc and Carver wondered why they weren't given the same respect by Daniels as McNulty, Kima and Lester....

[@Skyswindler]

Carver changed though

[@guybrushthreepwoable]

Yeah, f*ck Herc.

[@yungjj84]

Herc indirectly fucked up so many people's lives

[@Igetsitin89]

true like randys smh

[@samuelmuiruri4704]

i never thought that was why they were despised, but i see it now, people just did things without telling them

[@thatniggaghost83]

This scene needs to be played in every Police Department..

[@royalescorpio]

Agreed!

[@be4unvme]

Not in the police station more into politicians, the police only follow orderz

[@tripsaplenty1227]

Luis Capellan Orders are just some guy shouting into the void if no one follows them. The kind of systemic change Colvin is trying to make has to be made from the bottom up not the top down. Politicians are too invested in their own game to change anything.

[@merson812]

Why

[@Chico50445]

@@tripsaplenty1227 I dont agree with a bottom up approach being the way to do it, if that were the case, then Rawls wouldn't have been able to raid Hamsterdam at the end of the season

[@noneofyourdamnbusiness9012]

Looks like Carver had a "Road To Damascus" moment. LOL

[@dmcrun3572]

Carver done fell on his ass

[@Ar1k1]

Bunny Colvin is such an awesome character. Robert Wisdom portrays him so well just the way he walks it's a cops walk like he's on his beat, the way he carries himself you know you can approach him and he's going to make time for you one of my favorite characters in the show

[@wt0729]

+Lucas Skrobish Great actor. The wide receiver who plays his son is John David Washington, Denzel Washington's son.

[@MarkotnySzczur]

I love how the actor's name is Robert Wisdom. Appropriate for this role for sure.

[@patrickherbermann1202]

He’s so good that when he’s in the school later on, just walking around in street clothes, and one of the kids says “yo he police” it was fuckin believable. You could see it in his walk, in his mannerisms. This show was too good man

[@Oskar0424]

@@wt0729 Wait the same guy who is in Tenet??

[@kingtrawal]

This scene is why The Wire is the greatest show ever.

[@sftheletters]

Jesus Charlie, who shit in your fruit loops?

[@angelc4919]

Charles Ferdinand oh god not another neck beard virgin

[@saber26ful]

The Wire is the best in social commentary, but in terms of the goat show, it can't hold a candle to the Sopranos.

[@stillatin]

@@saber26ful not only does it shit on the sopranos, it's ending was better

[@bobbysealejunior6590]

Sopranos was a great show, but has nothing on The Wire....The Sopranos had great characters, good stories, and funny scenes, but The Wire had a hell of a message and created an entire world thru one city to explain it. The police, the drug criminals, the children, the dock workers, the politicians, and the newspapers...hell, I almost feel like I lived in Baltimore.

[@royalescorpio]

I loved Colvin. I think I'd rather work for him than Daniels.

[@TheSchemer1]

+Jazzi Hill Yeaaaahhh true. Daniels seems way under-powered compared to Colvin and Colvin plays into Mcnulty's hands better.

[@nateo200]

+Jazzi Hill Agreed although both are pretty good. Ultimately Daniels could never be the best he could be because he had to play both sides, that is being good police and playing relatively nice with the bosses and playing the political game. I'd say Daniels on a good day was 60% good police and 40% typical chain of command shit and on a normal day the opposite where as bunny was 90% good police towards the end. Its easy to fuck the bosses when you are coming up on retirement.

[@leecro83]

+Jazzi Hill True True. Daniels was about the case, but more so about the politics of it all. Colvin was past all of that. I too loved that character. After all of the season 3 shit storm how he steps up again in season 4 is even better.

[@royalescorpio]

lee croshaw Yes! I really admired Colvin for trying Hamsterdam.

[@royalescorpio]

nateo200 Yeah and Daniels was always shifty eyed wondering if and when they were going to bring his past dirt up.

[@yungfresh361]

What I found interesting about Carver’s and Herc’s relationship was that they came into the show very similar but left at two different levels. And that was only due to people taking the time and truly mentoring Carver. This conversation was very pivotal for Carver and how he viewed his job as not only a police officer but a leader. Herc never receiving such profound insight is the reason he made so many mistakes as a police officer.

[@SpielkindFR]

But Herc also wasn't interested. Colvin didn't reach Carver with this only because he makes a good point, but also because it falls on fertile soil.

[@willia3r]

Valcheck was mentoring Herc, but it looks like Herc never really took to the lessons.

[@aaronbrutus2654]

I never realized that and I've rewatched this show so many times. They both go completely separate directions mentally.

[@yungfresh361]

@@aaronbrutus2654 The Wire is one of those shows that you can watch over and over and pick up something new each time

[@williammason8566]

Daniels opened the door to carvers transition from being a rip and run cop to being a supervisor. He gave him the speech when he was told he was going to be a sergeant. He told him the young cops are going to look to you for guidance. You going to be a lazy guy who takes short cuts, you going to have lazy cops who takes short cuts….this speech was the next lesson in carvers evolution of his persona. This one bunny teaches him to connect to the citizens who are the keys to policing the neighborhood.

[@albertov1837]

It's amazing how when you rewatch these scenes, you can hear a separate story being told through the background noises: 2:31: PA announces "Lt. Mello, line 7-8." 3:07: Mello walks into the office, where you realize that the call he was told about earlier was from the Baltimore Sun, and he spent the next 36 seconds taking the call and walking over to Bunny's office to tell him about it.

[@jakexdilla]

Similarly, I love during the scene when Stringer tells Wee-Bey that Kima isn’t dead, you can hear the radio in the background detailing what happened that night. “All the pieces matter.“

[@adrianthomas4163]

And this is why I love watching these clips and checking out the comments after. New pieces of info I learn and it makes me want to re-watch the wire all over again even though I've seen it 6 or 7 times already.

[@MM-vs2et]

I also love how he interrupted Bunny. The main point of the speech is over, but he was about to get into another one. Then Mello comes in an interrupts Bunny. It's realistic. A lot of times, we can't do a mic drop and wrap our rants in a neat bowtie because duty calls.

[@lelandrb]

the right people will notice

[@dlotable]

" 'Stead of a war on poverty, they got a war on drugs so the police can bother me."- Tupac

[@offtop3808]

dlotable “I made a G today” But you made it in a sleazy way-sellin crack to a kid. “I gotta get paid.” Well hey, that’s the way it is.

[@Rockstopmotion]

@@offtop3808 facts complain about cops but keep selling dope to kids why not sell kids books or food

[@JustMe-gs9xi]

@@offtop3808 a Grand!,, that's freakin scarey (i know ur just play acting in ur post,, its' not about you),,,

[@JayJackson1981]

@Jimmy Strudel Crack is still very big here where I live.

[@Kagamid]

"You can be soldiering and you can be policing. They ain't the same thing." This is what I tell people who ask why I don't become a police officer after serving in the military.

[@DTH2ALLU]

Kagamid served in the military, my reason for not doing it is not wanting to have that much control over a person's life.

[@Nifter71]

Ed Burns, co-creator of The Wire, did both. AND he served as a teacher! I think he must have gained huge insight into how systems work, and into just how they limit & reduce the people trapped within them...

[@steverogers7601]

Served in the Marine Corps. I hated the chain of command, the concept of seniority, and the culture of the military. Because of that, I felt that being a cop would be similar and I just simply avoided it. Now that I’m older, I’m so glad I did.

[@JakeKoenig]

I am an Army Ranger and combat veteran, and literally nobody has ever asked why I'm not a cop. I also worked at a VA hospital for six years seeing patients every day, and I've never heard a single vet mention anything about a natural transition to law enforcement or being asked about it by anyone else. Nobody is asking you why you're not a cop. Quit making shit up.

[@Kagamid]

@@JakeKoenig Because your military experience is the same as everyone else's? Calm down ranger. Complaining on KZbin is unbecoming of your position. I don't go around describing my military career just to prove a point. Makes you sound like you're making things up.

[@stevecrumpton9643]

I remember Bill Moyers interviewing David Simon a few years back. Moyers called Colvin his favorite character because was the "conscience" of the series. Mr. Wisdom played him to absolute perfection.

[@HiddelS143]

I love that carver doesn't even need to speak and you can see on his face that he's taking everything colvin says to heart.

[@cat52]

This was a fantastic scene and is so on point with how most police departments in the US have lost community trust across America. Police these days no longer try to actually get to know the citizens whom they are policing or the communities that their policing. Most just want to drive around in their expensive fast police car with tinted windows and not interact with the community. They seem to be more interested in escalating situations all trigger-happy, bloodlust like. It truly is an "Us vs Them" mentality.

[@HighLordBlazeReborn]

To be fair, you've built your country to encourage that sort of behaviour. Your neighbourhoods are sprawling lines of houses now. It's unrealistic to expect beat cops in that kind of environment: they're all areas that need to be policed from a vehicle and that doesn't exactly encourage community relationship building. Yet another reason why urban design is so crucial for communities, but sadly, you've designed your country to be increasingly incompatible with that kind of thing. It's all about maximizing car company and real estate profits.

[@mikezigi4928]

This drug thing, this ain't police work so true

[@sohrobganjbaksh9669]

You can't protect and serve if your fighting a war. Especially if the war never ends. The wire is like poetry. Finding the profound in everyday life.

[@yungheehong5613]

And this is why this is the best show ever created.... still relevant in nov 2020

[@justinjohnson9617]

2021 too.

[@thekingstaytheking75]

​@@justinjohnson9617so 2024

[@lennylafrance4218]

"Soldiering and policing. They ain't the same thing." - Maj. "Bunny" Colvin

[@jonathanholland4981]

Best show of all time this show had so much depth, the writers were in rare form

[@PhantomEchoes9027]

Believe this season was written and shot in 2004. This scene probably has been discussed many times over the years, but the nuance in this scene as it relates to the "war or terrorism" while keeping it in-line with the "war on drugs" and policing in the inner cities is just brilliant writing! What an amazing series.

[@jamesanthony5681]

Agreed. Brilliant piece of writing.

[@defragsbin]

"occupied territory" is just an inspired line

[@JakeKoenig]

"The war on drugs" is just a propaganda term used to emotionally manipulate stupid people. Like claiming the police use "military-grade weapons" when tactical teams carry magazine-fed rifles. As a combat veteran and as someone who believes in legalizing ALL drugs, I can safely say that law enforcement does NOT use military weapons on civilians, and the war is on CRIME, not drugs. Nobody is in prison just for a possession charge, champ. Literally NOBODY. And PS - the policing in inner-cities is no different than anywhere else. You break the law, you face the consequences. You resist arrest, attack cops, or reach for weapons, you run the risk of getting shot. Those of us with an IQ above room temperature figured this out a long time ago.

[@PostgodAfterbirth]

Bring back police being hired from or living in the neighborhoods they work in. And walking beats and getting to know their citizens.

[@GBXS]

***** No. The main reason is that most young men of those communities have a criminal record before they are 18.

[@nateo200]

+PostgodAfterbirth People would rather join the Marines and "fight for our country" in some random picked shit hole then truly serve their country by starting at home, its funny because dirt bags will join the Military but yell fuck the police. Or Military vets come back home and become a cop and treat police work like soldiering and it just doesn't work. But kids in the inner city won't become cops because its not cool, its not heroic, there aren't bill boards with advertisements, no body thanks a cop for his work they just look at him or her as someone who arrested their friend or assume every cop is a thug. Joining the Military is fashionable compared to the police but if we make the police to be something more positive it will be different.

[@thequietdreamer2186]

+nateo200 "if we make the police to be something more positive..." How is that our job? And if it is, the only way to do so would be to ensure cops don't kill minorities for flimsy reasons (and walk as a result).

[@nateo200]

+D Baker My bad I should clarify, I meant more positive in the eye of the people. And its not the job of the people, its the job of the police, and elected officials. Although part of change is being the change. Imagine if Baltimore never had African American police officers? What if they just said "I'll never do that", "I'll never join those guys"? But they DID join the police and they did it when police brutality in the US against minorities was a regular occurrence and plainly obvious. Things would have been far worse way back when and likely now if they just laid down...but Baltimore had African American police officers at a surprisingly early point in its history.

[@thequietdreamer2186]

nateo200 True, true.

[@twitterverse]

I’m rewatching rn - couldn’t believe what I was hearing when this scene came up. Man this show continues to hit hard.

[@mike.hidalgo]

If I could afford 3 minute commercial spots I'd run this scene on repeat across America.

[@MegaGamer1006]

So relevant, even today.

[@djwestbrook36]

Not even today, but ESpecially today

[@gixxerfixxer4159]

MegaGamer More relevant today than ever before.

[@SometimesnotSometimes]

MegaGamer . Evan More today.

[@yunikage]

You realize the Wire is a really recent show, right?

[@frotusrwa]

Still is...

[@SpamSpu]

Turning point for Carver, one of the defining scenes of his character, makes him the policeman we see in seasons 4 & 5, actually making a difference. Prez & Carv are two of the most interesting characters in The Wire as you can watch them grow and change from ''knuckleheads' into actual inspirational characters in real time

[@samuelmuiruri4704]

you aren't shit when it come to policing .carver' face is priceless.

[@leecro83]

+samuel muiruri Carv could've been a bitch in that situatu=ion but he took it all in and learned. His growth is priceless.

[@embe1]

+lee croshaw Oh indeed

[@SaintMu]

+lee croshaw damn straight. Carver sat there and took it like a real man, and then he changed his whole act up. What men do.

[@cgm718]

Colvin hit it dead on. Those neighborhoods aren't protected and served, but rather controlled. It is military policing, I see all the time when I go home. Young kids sitting on the curb with cuffs on. Protection is what middle class suburbia gets or affluent sections of the city. West Baltimore, hells no! They are monitored like they are Communist. The City did try the walking the beat thing though, don't know if it still exist, but two police commissioners ago in his outgoing speech stated, "we are losing the war on drugs" and was he correct. The police are the ones having to babysit this chaotic mess. The war on is waged on those that live in these communities, not the people who transport it in the U.S.But like Colvin said, that wasn't police work, that was military policing. You can acquire drugs in West Baltimore as easily as buying a fish sandwich, so how can that be? Where's it coming from and why is it so abundant? The last commissioner was fired because of a lack of policing in the wake of the Freddie Gray death and the riots that ensued. After the riots the crime rate went through the roof for a six month span, mainly for those cops involved in the death of Freddie Gray getting indicted.

[@colin-campbell]

Christopher Murphy Cool story, bro.

[@bsgrjsbrsqdbarj3900]

Christopher Murphy how was the crime rate to do with him getting indicted?

[@ratedRblazin420]

Look at the political leanings of cities, versus suburbs. Most are left, or far-left of center. So, they're basically communist anyway. Elections have consequences and they reap what they sow.

[@JAEGATS]

@@ratedRblazin420 Lmao shut up

[@amarevanhook7453]

@@ratedRblazin420 deranged take

[@leelevingate]

This speaks to events of right now. Community policing is a solution to this war.

[@mikewilliams4864]

Legalizing drugs is a start!

[@clairestark9024]

They don't even have to legalize it, all they have to do is not waste time and resources on a losing battle.

[@Taospark]

Many PDs have already officially or unofficially stopped arresting for marijuana and simply issue a ticket. The problem is that almost everyone politically expects the police to also solve the hardcore drug (not marijuana) problem when it really involves funding drug rehab so the addict pool is reduced which will sap really harmful drugs like heroin, crack, cocaine, and meth.

[@tmat2024]

Right on! I just posted a comment similar to yours without reading yours first. Great minds...:)

[@brohan914]

+Plowbeast Problem with that approach is something Colvin gets into in his paper bag speech. You tell cops to stop enforcing the law, and they open themselves up to flaunting and disrespect. Worse, people disrespect the law itself. I'm on the fence about legalization, but if you go that route then you should go about it the right way: by changing the law. Telling cops to ignore what's on the books might be easier, but creates a whole mess of other problems.

[@dacity3901]

Look at Carver's face, he's never had this concentrated look on his face again. He knew he was getting the stone cold truth then and there... definitely a turning point for his character.

[@87channels]

I like how bunny calls it Hamsterdam too haha

[@nsmith3128]

The Wire is a masterpiece. But within the paintings there are certain pieces that stand above most. This scene is top 5 in the entire show. It's an example of when a show stops entertaining the viewers and starts educating on real life.

[@dapred00]

Every video on YT has its "it's a masterpiece / best that would ever been made / top scene ever / world's top achievement" and so on. Come on it's just a (really) nice TV show a few people know about, not Da Vinci's Mona Lisa or the Pyramids. Beside that speech from Colvin sure is interesting but is not even close to figure in top 5 scenes of the whole show, I bet most people who saw that scene don't even remember it.

[@willynilly91]

One of the things that separates The Wire from most other shows is its pessimistic, yet justified viewpoint. Stating that these systems are not only dysfunctional, but they will continue to be dysfunctional even when we try to reform them. This show aired well over a decade ago and practically all of the issues it explored are still here. Arguably a few things have gotten a bit better, but most of them have stayed the same or somehow gotten even worse.

[@matthewbecker5535]

Bunny Colvin is my favorite TV or movie character of all time, but I want to talk about Carver. Carver represents everything wrong with American policing in the 21st Century. An intelligent, sensitive man at his core, yet comes of age in the corrupt, violent, small-minded Baltimore PD. His policing in seasons 1-3 represents that, especially when paired with a vile idiot like Herc. I’m so sick of the “most police are good, there’s just a few bad apples” line, which totally misses the point. Yes, many individual cops are decent people. But the police institution across America has become so militarized, so detached from the communities they’re supposed to look after. There are way more Valcheks than Colvins leading the forces, which trickles down and continues the violent police vicious cycle. And here we are.

[@draconianTL]

Matthew Becker you’re somewhat overlooking Carver’s development after this and the clear distinction drawn between him and the grunt cops.

[@joey_dangerously]

Attention to Detail. At 2:23 you hear a phone ring. A moment later you hear it's a call for Lt. Mellow. A few moments after that Lt. Mellow knocks on the door and tells Bunny Colvin about a Sun Reporter sniffing around the Free Zones.

[@speedsonic292]

Amazing speech, Carver really did hit a change after.

[@adeebakausar606]

The famous talk Colvin had with carver, I'm glad he listened and tried to change

[@jeb31415]

Eloquent speech! Colvin is an endearing character.

[@MosMoney187]

Colvin was different!!! Damn that man speech in this scene was fkn on point. 💯💯💯

[@tripslft]

This is one of the most memorable speeches in the show for me. It’s stuck with me since the first time I saw it for some reason.

[@manlyscents]

One of the very best scenes of the show

[@597das]

god I love the wire comment sections. ya'll are a ray of hope in this cold ass world

[@duro845]

This was a very powerful scene. In any field of work the ones on the front lines the ones on the scene think mid level and higher management have no clue as to what goes on and there's always a disconnect but bunny taught carver a valuable lesson that changed him as a cop and he respected carver for it. These few moments changed carvers career for the better and made him a better cop

[@JustAnotherBlader]

Robert Widsom, a fitting name... he delivered this speech as good as it could be given. His exhaustion, jadedness, anger is all in there. And I feel like we are hearing David Simon's and Ed Burn's manifesto in one neat package right here in this speech.

[@alonreid]

These days, it's hard for inner city people, to trust police. Monday I'm giving you information, Tuesday I have bullets flying at my window or some young cop, doesn't know how to separate the community from the criminals. So we're all treated like criminals. I do wish more people would come forward with information on certain crimes.

[@johnscanlon1578]

Every police officer needs to watch this video to understand the difference between military action and policing

[@steverogers7601]

Sadly, they won’t. Many will simply fall into the whole “culture war” thing.

[@JakeKoenig]

Maybe criminals need to watch this and then not commit crimes, resist arrest, and attack cops. Then we won't have the so-called "problem" of cops having to act like soldiers aka using JUSTIFIABLE deadly force.

[@jeffreyc9083]

This is the single scene I would choose to show anybody, who want's to know why to watch The Wire, and why it's worth watching.

[@tomaseriksson5430]

Hard truths from Colvin.. leads to growth

[@iangcunningham]

April 2024 and this speech from Colvin is still as relevant as it's ever been. Police all over the world are in military gear standing toe to toe with the civilians they're supposed to be serving. There will never be another show like The Wire.

[@shindrithargriethrat8408]

You may not have noticed, but times are rough and getting rougher. With all the left wing radical violence that is taking place now and that will take place during the election, there's gonna be a lot more cops suited and booted. It's easy to talk about, not so easy to be one of those on the line between order and chaos. I think that's the brilliance of this show, it makes you feel the frustration of the cops who have an impossible job and terrible bosses, and yet you also see the other side of the coin. I've been a cop almost 30 years and if I've learned anything at all it's that environment matters. I could just as easily have gone down the wrong road had I been raised differently. I'm thankful I had a stable home and two parents. I also did an analysis of the 1992 LA riots for one of my master's courses, the error that they made (and that departments seem to continue to make) is they don't act decisively enough, quick enough. You arrest the trouble makers right at the start, quickly and (if lawfully necessary), violently. Weakness or indecision in the face of a mob of angry, atavistic people is a recipe for disaster. As Cooper in the OTHER best cop show (SouthLAnd) says "What did you think the gun was for, show and tell?" The problem today is that people have the unrealistic belief that all state sanctioned violence is inherently immoral. Some people just need killing. Some people need a good thumping and to be put in check. This is a universal law of human nature. Not to satisfy some cop's ego, but for the good of the many.

[@blujay9191]

I don't think there was a single scene in this show that was less than outstanding. This one here was stellar.

[@ikazukison2]

"Pretty soon everybody on every fucking corner is your enemy" And then first thing next season, Ellis Carver is going to Bodie yelling "Where's the love, Bodie? Where's the fucking love?" He learned that soon there had to be some cooperation, he learned

[@mattglass9979]

Most underrated scene in the whole show.

[@EvilTim1911]

Carver knew when to just shut up and listen. It did him a lot of good in this scene. I love Carver's arc

[@eoindaly1916]

This piece is nothing short of genius

[@jamesanthony5681]

Yup.

[@Jackzay90]

"you call something a war, and pretty soon everyone's gonna be running around acting like warriors."

[@IMatchoNation]

If this show came out today all the same Conservative talking heads would be crying and shitting about how WOKE this show is. The Wire's a fucking masterpiece; a few bachelor's degrees worth of insights wrapped into the best stories ever put to film in the US.

[@SirDieALot666]

My man you are totally right

[@BassGuitar4life]

And leftist idiots would think all of the criminals on the show are Aladdin

[@dewok2706]

lil bro what are you on? Show came out during the bush era. This show ain't woke, because it's actually good. Yeeyee mf.

[@Daniel-uk6yr]

​@@dewok2706 omar is gay, Rawls is gay, Kima is gay AND they got a kid through IVF. Thats enough for people to try about woke writing.

[@thepotcallinthekettle4409]

This scene was award winning to me. Mr. Wisdom did that

[@doublestrokeroll]

Reminds me of the scene where Jimmy is back in blue and walking the neighborhood beat. Talking to the people on their stoops etc.... Being a real police officer.

[@signalsoldier]

Bonnie dropped some deep psychology right there with the war analogies! Excellent writing.

[@Ignorethis285]

Man, Carver was on the receiving end of this show's best pep talks. The one he got from Daniels was another.

[@rvfharrier]

Easy for someone to be taken aside by their superior and given a talking-to. Just as easy to give some empty agreements, ignore it and go back to your day-to-day that you know once that talk is over. Carver legit took this shit to heart though and it culminated in some of the best character growth I've seen in fiction.

[@jakess5394]

This is the best speech of the entire series. In this speech Colvin showed us how deeply entrenched the war on drugs had become in policing and how it was up to future generations of cops to change it. Brilliantly written

[@shinlanten]

The kind of boss people need, no sugar coating or worrying if he's going to offend your feelings, just straight to the point.

[@11FBA11]

The real most important speech from The Wire.

[@erics362]

The speech that helped turn Carver into good police.

[@JanPospisilArt]

Suddenly quite relevant again, eh?

[@pierreblaise9433]

Relevant since Reagan

[@benharrell3002]

This scene came up in my brain within 20 minutes of watching We Own This City.

[@thebettingpublicsportsshow]

Such a powerful scene. Carver had to listen to the old school head because Colvin is his boss, but had they been in the streets and not co-workers, Carver would have told him to fuck off. And had Carver done that, he would have been a fool. Colvin schooled the fuck out of Carver in this scene. "You been here over a year now Carver and you got nobody looking out for you, nobody willing to talk to you." Colvin almost laughs while telling him that. This scene is deep on so many levels. I miss The Wire.

[@sidviscious10]

wallyworld776 agreed! I think Bunny reached out to Carter because he felt he could change -- Starts by saying he's a good man etc but then follows up with the constructive criticism. Bunny was an amazing leader

[@royalescorpio]

Sid Vemuganti He really was. I think I'd prefer him as my boss over Daniels.

[@bojanmilankovic]

Timeless show.

[@metodoinstinto]

Why, why, why don't they make it MANDATORY for policemen to watch this specific scene (not to say the whole series) before making them policemen??

[@Danthepest1]

Because most of the decent cops who aren't on power trips know this shit already.

[@leonwelcome7025]

Danthepest1 thats what makes the job tough. Even if your a good cop the system is bullshit and it undermines there goals.

[@mindcontrol31]

Leon Welcome Yep thats what David Simon said the whole point of the Wire is to show that people are helpless against the institution they commit to. Drug dealer, cop, lawyer, politician, dock worker, teacher it dont matter. The game is the game .

[@romperstompist]

It's because the system wants them to have the soldier on a battlefield mentality.

[@Mastaace]

mindcontrol31 Right on the money. His writng partner Ed Burns (who co-wrote the Corner and co-created the Wire, but was working with the FBI when Simon did the book Homicide) was an officer who got sick of the stat game and became a teacher. Presbo's character goes through this in the next season, realizing that they care more about having kids pass the tests than actually learning what was on them.

[@kingkhan2894]

I'm on my fifth rewatch of this show. Bunny, Cutty. Bubbles, and D'Angelo are all more likable every time around.

[@algcutdog]

one of the best speeches I've heard on TV

[@kblargh]

where's the love, Bodie

[@JustSomeCanadianGuy]

“The worst thing about this drug war…. to my mind…… it ruined this job.” The way he delivers it was heartbreak. Makes it seem like being a cop before the mid-80s was maybe a fun job to have.

[@Dilomight]

Or fulfilling and purposeful rather than fun. When citizens respect and trust law enforcement and in turn law enforcement starts to care about the community they patrol than there’s a nice steady rhythm to the job

[@Gryffilion]

The moment Carver went from decent police to good police.

[@psyche100]

This show was so ahead of its time.

[@doomslayerdave]

This scene is one of the most relevant to our modern world. It's commentary on the "war on drugs" is gripping and sobering. The implications that has on being a police officer and protecting the neighborhood... We see it on the streets daily.

[@kimobrown9500]

THIS IS GREAT ACTING - 💯💫... TO BE THIS CONVINCING, IS WORTHY OF ACADEMIC REWARD 🇺🇸

[@walkermorgan1710]

Bunny Colvin is hands down one of the GREATEST CHARACTERS of all time.

[@caseybay7458]

Carver was good police. And his superiors like Bunny and Daniels saw that. That’s why they went out of their way to give him guidance and see he was rewarded for his service to the community.

[@HatersG0nHate]

probably the best scene in the show, and that's saying a lot

[@AJBfc]

Damn, this is what made Carver a real cop, but also probably made sure his career was ruined at some point down the line for trying to do the right thing.

[@bobbyraybayobey]

Not quite true ... I went up for ‘Stringer’ , like everyone else in town , this was before the showed aired ... I didn’t get the role , ( I still don’t understand THAT !!! ... just joking here no one can touch what Idris created ... ) , in was a year into the show and we get a call offering this role ‘Bunny Colvin’ ...didn’t really know a thing about the character ... but I was a huge fan of the show and to be a part of this cast was an incredible honor . Little did I know it would be an incredible character ... no I wasn’t about to turn it down lol !!! I told my agent and manager don’t eff this up !!! Love the convo here ...

[@urayford]

This was such a deep conversation, Police should be having in their departments everyday.

[@Sevan-k4y]

Carver learned from him, he became the new Colvin

[@georgek2499]

Noticed the boxing gloves Colvin had hanging on his coat rack. Maybe that’s how he knows Cutty.

[@EmanAugust]

This show has so many details

[@amphitheatre]

colvin drops almost *too* many truth bombs on this scene. like, actually shocks you the first time you hear it. and carver says it all in his face in response. great scene.

[@Tl-cl3ou]

This is the scene where Colvin becomes the mentor of Carver. Later in season 4, in the scene Herc asks for Valcheck’s advice on witnessing Royce’s blowjob scandal, Valchek essentially becomes Herc’s mentor. Carver and Herc started similar in season 1, but ends day and night at the end of season 5 because one is educated what it means to be a good police and the other how to leverage on information for personal gain.

[@JudgeDredd_]

💯

[@wompaxstompa]

so brilliant. thank you david simon i always think on the wire before I make any assumptions of the police

[@andreamacri]

A wonderful detail (one of them making The Wire so damn good) is that after Colvin's speech about the importance of information for police work, lieutenant Mello enters saying there's a reporter who discovered all three areas of Hamsterdam. After this speech about not having information, a guy whose work is all about information is used by writers to create a bigger effect on Carver. Pure genius at work here.

[@issamkhalil6452]

That speech change Lt Carver to the cop we saw in S4 and 5, and when Colvin want's to get to Wee-Bey, he knew that Carver is the one to ask

[@patrickmccutcheon8860]

Great speech. Every drug task force officer should be forced to watch this scene as part of their training.