Greggs should have died. Key cops should be as expendable as key villains; the scene where she gets shot is masterfully done, but it won't have any emotional impact for me on a re-watch knowing that she survives (despite the slim probability). Minor niggle, though. While we're on niggles: Freamon getting with Shardene? C'mon!

Looks like Avon is going to be out for at least a while now; liked the slow-mo of him leaving the courtroom - one of my favourite moments of the season was when he made Daniels and McNulty in slow-mo in "The Game" episode.

I'm very reluctant to look at which actors play which characters, because I might come across major spoilers for seasons to come; even IMDb tells you how many episodes each actor is in, and I'd be able to work it out whether they're around for long or not. So, bear with me:

Favourite characters are McNulty, Daniels, Stringer and Bubbles. Also fascinated by any scenes with Rawls, Burrell and Phelan. The actors playing Rawls and Phelan are excellent; as is the guy who plays Stringer. The latter episodes, and the increasing emphasis on corruption at higher levels, are brilliant: in many ways, these big guns are the real baddies of the show. McNulty's outburst to the "empty suits" at the Feds meeting is admirable at the same time as frustrating; Stringer's charismatic enough for me to like him, while the men in suits on the right side of the law are just fucking sleazebags; love the scene wherein Daniels walks out on Burrell and Clay Davis.

I like the constant references to "the game", and the moral and political (the latter determine the former) conflicts that come with it. Since much of the characterisation of the show is developed via and within the workplace and people's careers, there's much to be said about existential dilemma in most of the characters. I love it.

I feel for McNulty when he finds out Rawls is after his badge, but then I feel (perhaps even more) for Bubbles when McNulty gives him money to get back to CI work on the street (if Greggs wasn't incarcerated, would that have happened?). That moment of resignation when McNulty says "You sure?" to Bubbles about giving Greggs's money back. Ya gotta feel for the guy, despite how fucking cool his strut is.

On directing: also like the casual tracking(/crane) shots throughout the show; there's one in one episode that follows an orange cable from Omar's boy's corpse up into Wallace's place; and the commotion with which "The Hunt" opens, with the camera tracking through all the different characters.

Very De Palma-like.

Also: the ultimate character I love to hate is Levy. Fucking sleazebag.