The Target (2 Jun. 2002)

During the trial of D'Angelo Barksdale, a mid-level dealer accused of murder, the prosecution's star witness recants her testimony, resulting in a not guilty verdict. After the trial, ... See full summary »

Director:

Clark Johnson

Writers:

David Simon (creator), David Simon (teleplay),

Stars:

Dominic West, John Doman, Idris Elba

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Dominic West	...	Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty
John Doman	...	Maj. William A. Rawls
Idris Elba	...	Russell 'Stringer' Bell
Frankie Faison	...	Dep. Comm. for Operations Ervin H. Burrell (as Frankie R. Faison)
Lawrence Gilliard Jr.	...	D'Angelo Barksdale (as Larry Gilliard Jr.)
Wood Harris	...	Avon Barksdale
Deirdre Lovejoy	...	Asst. State's Atty. Rhonda Pearlman
Wendell Pierce	...	Det. William 'Bunk' Moreland
Lance Reddick	...	Lt. Cedric Daniels
Andre Royo	...	Reginald 'Bubbles' Cousins
Sonja Sohn	...	Det. Shakima 'Kima' Greggs
Peter Gerety	...	Judge Daniel Phelan
Seth Gilliam	...	Det. Ellis Carver
Domenick Lombardozzi	...	Det. Thomas 'Herc' Hauk
Leo Fitzpatrick	...	Johnny Weeks

Storyline

During the trial of D'Angelo Barksdale, a mid-level dealer accused of murder, the prosecution's star witness recants her testimony, resulting in a not guilty verdict. After the trial, Detective McNulty explains to Judge Phelan how he suspects the Barksdale crew for a line of related murders. After the judge contacts McNulty's superiors about this revelation, McNulty is taken to task for his indiscretion. Meanwhile, D'Angelo's free to return to work, but discovers he's been demoted to street level deals.

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Plot Keywords:

black detective | wiretapping | witness for the prosecution | police detective | female detective

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Details

Release Date:

2 June 2002 (USA)

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

62 min

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Snot Boogie murder story and Bunk's story of shooting a mouse in his kitchen with his service weapon are true stories from David Simon's book "Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets" which served as the basis for Homicide: Life on the Street.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: So your boy's name was what?
Kid: Snot.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: Called the guy "Snot"?
Kid: Snot Boogie.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: God. Snot Boogie. He like the name?
Kid: What?
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: Snot Boogie?
[the kid does not answer]
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: This kid, whose mama went to the trouble to christen him Omar Isaiah Betts... You know, he forgets his jacket, his nose starts running and some asshole, instead of giving him a Kleenex, he calls him "Snot". So he's Snot forever. Doesn't seem fair.
[...]

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Connections

References The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

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Soundtracks

"Izzo"
Written by Jay-Z, Alphonso Mizzell, Berry Gordy, Deke Richards, Freddie Perren,
Kanye West
Performed by Jay-Z

User Reviews

More stars are needed for this one

How can I title this review such? The writing is the first reason. You could have the same cast and general storyline with terrible or sub-par writing and have an instantly forgettable show. With the writing of the first season of The Wire, not to mention the second or third seasons, we are practically giddy as we experience these characters uttering these masterful words and performing their acts. We do not instantly forget but are left with impressions that will probably never leave us. Who will ever forget D'angelo's lecture to the young dealers about the man who came up with the chicken mcnugget? The second reason would have to be the realism. We get the feeling that while we know that this is fiction it COULD be real. The mean streets of Baltimore as interpreted by David Simon, et al. What differentiates this from other shows of its kind? A drug dealer is a person. A real person with problems, heart, and at times extreme intelligence. Take Stringer Bell, a drug kingpin who takes college economics classes to better his drug business. Also take D'angelo Barksdale, a man who doesn't like his underlings to treat the junkie customer with disrespect, as a dog.

In an article I read not too long ago about the third season of The Wire the show was described as a novel (each season) cut up into chapters (each episode). Don't think that you can start in the middle of the season; you might as well start in the middle of a novel. This series is a show for the thinking person. You must be willing to invest your time and mind. Don't expect it to be simple; do expect to enjoy the mental ride.

How can I truly put into words how great this series is? After you watch the first episode you will be hooked. If you are not hooked by the end of the first episode when D'angelo Barksdale is walking away from the murder scene of a man intimately related to him and you see the look on his face then this show isn't for you. If it is then keep watching and enjoy the unfolding of the story of the Barksdale crew and the special police detail trying to bring them down.