Delaney Williams Movies

David Simon's masterful social commentary went back to school, quite literally, in the fourth season, which focuses on Baltimore's crumbling education system. A relevant link to its first three seasons is supplied by Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski (Jim True-Frost), who left the police department to become a teacher at Edward Tilghman Middle School, a hardscrabble institution on life support that services a low-income, drug-infested neighborhood. (Incidentally, Prez's career path is similar to one of the series' producers, Ed Burns). His eighth-grade math class includes a close-knit quartet of friends -- Randy Wagstaff (Maestro Harrell), Michael Lee (Tristan Wilds), Duquan "Dukie" Weems (Jermaine Crawford) and Namond Brice (Julito McCullum). The wisecracking Brice is ignominiously selected to be part of a university experiment studying at-risk kids, which counts a former police commander, Bunny Colvin (Robert Wisdom), as a consultant. Out on the corners, Marlo Stanfield (Jamie Hector) strengthens his grip on the city's West Side narcotics trade once dominated by the Barksdale gang, and with his cold-blooded lieutenants, Chris (Gbenga Akinnagbe) and Snoop (Felicia Pearson), devises an ingenious method to hide the collateral damage of his ascent from the law. This sleight-of-hand bedevils detectives Freamon (Clarke Peters), Greggs (Sonja Sohn) and Bunk (Wendell Pierce). The trio are flummoxed by the lack of victims that would surely coincide with Marlo's ever-widening domain, a savage power grab that also threatens the relative peace of the New Day Co-Op under East Side pooh-bah Proposition Joe (Robert F. Chew). Meanwhile, the Democratic primary in the city's mayoral campaign pits the entrenched African-American incumbent, Clarence Royce (Glynn Turman), against Councilman Tommy Carcetti (Aidan Gillen), a scrappy politico with a savvy campaign manager in Norman Wilson (Reg E. Cathey), but a long shot to become Charm City's first white chief executive in years. ~ Joe Friedrich, Rovi

Stringer's (Idris Elba) "legitimate" real estate associates are soaking him for bribe after bribe. Colvin's (Robert Wisdom) "provisional legalization" program, which the hoppers call "Hamsterdam," seems to be working. Colvin orders his troops to spare no effort in deterring dealers from staying on their corners, and they go wild with it. Avon (Wood Harris), fresh out of jail, is upset to hear about his crew's run-ins with Marlo (Jamie Hector). He wants to take a run at him, but Stringer wants to keep trying to talk to Marlo. Stringer wants to worry about the wholesale business of supply and money laundering, not the petty retail squabbles of who runs what corners. Kima (Sonja Sohn) and McNulty (Dominic West) tell Daniels (Lance Reddick) about Stringer's meeting with Marlo, but he's tells them, "This unit is about the bodies," and the Western District has been quiet. Avon has Cutty (Chad L. Coleman) and Slim Charles (Anwan Glover) take a run at Marlo. But Barksdale's crew doesn't have the muscle it once did. Bubbles (Andre Royo) tells Kima about the bodies dropping, but Daniels gets fed up with McNulty and Kima usurping his authority, and refuses to reassign the unit, so Kima suggests that McNulty go around him. Carcetti (Aidan Gillen) and D'Agostino (Brandy Burre) think if there's a black candidate running against Royce (Glynn Turman) in the primary to split the black vote, and Carcetti can get the support of someone like Odell Watkins (Frederick Strother), he might have a chance. Bunk (Wendell Pierce) gets permission to work his murder case, and arranges a face-to-face meeting with Omar (Michael K. Williams), taking the opportunity to lecture the man about his effect on the community. Donette (Shamyl Brown) talks to Brianna (Michael Hyatt) about her relationship with Stringer, and about McNulty's visit. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

Herc (Dominick Lombardozzi) and Carver (Seth Gilliam) try to convince the local corner boys to relocate, as per Colvin's (Robert Wisdom) orders. "Vincent Street is your Amsterdam in Baltimore," Herc tells them, but they're not interested, so Colvin has them rounded up and brought to a local school gym so that he can tell them about his plan. They're unresponsive. Kima (Sonja Sohn) and McNulty (Dominic West) continue to disobey Daniels' (Lance Reddick) orders, hiring Bubbles (Andre Royo) to look around and tell them what happened to Avon's (Wood Harris) people after the towers came down. Bubs tells them about the strangely cooperative mood on the street, and about how the dealers are all using disposable cell phones, called "burners," these days. McNulty also tracks Stringer (Idris Elba) on his own, and learns that Stringer is cleaning up his act, at least on the surface, through his real estate dealings. Lester (Clarke Peters) attacks McNulty for disrespecting Daniels. "This may not be perfect," he tells McNulty, "but it's a chance to be police." Carcetti (Aidan Gillen) is considering a run for mayor. He meets with an old acquaintance, Terri D'Agostino (Brandy Burre), who is now a successful political consultant. "You're the wrong color," she tells Carcetti. "You're not electable." Carcetti is not deterred. Cutty (Chad L. Coleman), increasingly frustrated with straight life, pays a visit to Slim Charles (Anwan Glover) looking for work. McNulty pays a late night drunken visit to Rhonda (Deirdre Lovejoy) and finds that she's otherwise engaged. Stringer finally looks in on Donette (Shamyl Brown), who tells him about McNulty's stated suspicion that D'Angelo was murdered. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

Omar (Michael K. Williams) and his crew continue to plague Avon's (Wood Harris) crew, robbing another stash, prompting Stringer (Idris Elba) to double the muscle at all his stash houses. Stringer's lieutenants make their sales pitch to the other gangs, but Bodie (J.D. Williams) has a difficult time convincing one strong-minded independent dealer, Marlo (Jamie Hector) of their common cause. Carcetti (Aidan Gillen) gets Stan Valchek (Al Brown) to help him pressure Burrell (Frankie Faison) to cooperate with him. Burrell is loath to go behind the mayor's back, but reaches what seems to be a mutually beneficial agreement with Carcetti. McNulty (Dominic West) investigates D'Angelo Barksdale's apparent suicide in prison, and visits Donette (Shamyl Brown) to tell her that D'Angelo might have been murdered. Cutty (Chad L. Coleman) gives straight life a try, getting day work as a landscaper, and finds it difficult. Cheese's (Method Man) loss at a dogfight leads to murder. It also causes confusion among Daniels' (Lance Reddick) team about what they're hearing on the wire. Ronnie (Deirdre Lovejoy) realizes that Daniels is no longer living with his wife, and pursues him. Kima (Sonja Sohn) is having a difficult time adjusting to domestic life with a new baby. During an undercover hand-to-hand buy and bust in the Western District, one of the officers under Bunny's (Robert Wisdom) command is shot, leading him to further question the good he's done over the course of his long law enforcement career. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

Iconoclastic satirist John Waters bites the hand that (periodically) feeds him in this humorous look at the underside of the film industry. Self-styled guerrilla filmmaker Cecil (Stephen Dorff) leads a Baltimore movie-making collective/street gang called the Sprocket Holes, which includes Cecil's girlfriend and frequent leading lady, a low-rent porn actress named Cherish Oh Lordy (Alicia Witt). Desperate for attention, they kidnap famous Hollywood actress Honey Whitlock (Melanie Griffith) during a Baltimore publicity stop and force her at gunpoint to star in their latest production, Raving Beauty. Before long, Honey comes down with a severe case of Stockholm syndrome and joins the Sprocket Holes in their bid to destroy the mainstream film industry. Waters regulars Ricki Lake, Patty Hearst, and Mink Stole highlight the supporting cast, and techno star Moby contributes to the soundtrack. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi