Sunday, February 24, 2008

Last Rites

Pour out a little liquor 'cause Omar Little is dead.

Fuck.

I knew Kenard's psychopathic ass was going to get him eventually, but damn, did it have to be like that? In a corner store from behind while getting a pack of Newports?

The Wire rarely goes for the blockbuster, unrealistic scene, and I knew after the massive firefight Omar survived earlier this season it was unlikely he was going to get another big moment. In fact, in the past few weeks we saw Omar becoming more and more desperate as he felt his life and his chance to avenge his friend slipping away.

If Omar and Marlo had duked it out at high noon it would have only detracted from the idea that no one man or woman is above the game.

But, I was still sad to see Omar die so disgracefully. If Omar would have scripted his own death it would have never come like that.

But, nobody scripts death.

It often comes suddenly and without warning. In my job I've dealt with death in a myriad of forms. Children dead from accidents and abuse, young cats dead from living life in the dope game and breadwinners dead in horrific car accidents. I've been to far too many murder scenes and funerals in my short career, and maybe that's why Beadie's diatribe to McNulty made so much sense to me.

She was right when she said that McNulty's death will only be marked by those who hold him closest.

When most of us die, very few people will take notice. And even if we've lived a life that has made a huge impact on the world, the world will eventually move on. Shit, Omar was the biggest stick-up kid in Baltimore and he couldn't even get four graphs in the city's major newspaper when he got dropped.

The fragility of life can never be underestimated. We are all hanging on by a thread.

Omar lived his life. He committed some awful crimes, yet still righted a few wrongs. For most of his life Omar lived by a code that he only began to betray once he felt the cold breath of death on his neck. We should all be so lucky to live our lives on our own terms like that.

So pour out a little liquor and put on some 'Pac.

Omar ain't coming back.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have been gripped by Simon's stories since Homicide and so I'm always prepared for his characters to break my heart. Simon writes a story and you know, there is no happy ending, and the harder you root for someone the sadder you know the end is going to be.

Tonight's episode left me with the deepest melancholy I've experienced from any of Simon's stories since The Corner and you know, once again I'm left with the unanswered question of "what do we do to make things change enough to matter?" Too complex for me tonight.

About the most I'm gonna hope for is another glimpse of Donut, cross my fingers for Dukie and hope that Carver doesn't go down behind McNulty's mess.

Omar gone. Long live Kenard.

Anonymous said...

Bob couldn't even wait until the episode was over to call me. He's crushed. We're smokin' a couple joes and pouring out a little for the stick up kid this weekend. All comers welcome.
Down with Kenard (I peeped the fear in his eyes after he shot Omar. Still a kid, under all that bravado). Up with Gus... cause his scene with the ME was rather gangsta.

All-Mi-T [Thought Crime] Rawdawgbuffalo said...

Folk, in my Book Butterbrown i have a story about one of my boys, same thing. Its called Kenny Main

Big Man said...

My brother and I debated Gus's scene with the Managing Editor. We both agreed that he would face retaliation for his move. But, while my brother thought Gus was prepared for any drama, I was under the impression that he thought that because he was telling the truth he would be protected.

It will be interesting to see what happens with that storyline in the last two episodes.

I've actually felt that the wire has done a poor job of showing us the life of the newspaper, and instead has focused too much on the Scott making shit up.

And thanks for the comment Lolo, very eloquent.




Raving Black Lunatic