How's my hair look?

(This is a recap of "Late Editions" scheduled to air in a week. Spoiler Alert.)

As predicted by me in an earlier post, George Pelecanos took the mound this episode as the writer. You may have been able to tell that by the clear DC references to Georgia Ave. and Silver Spring by the vet at Walter Reed (signatures of Pelecanos writing), or that he always writes the penultimate episode for each season. (5 gets you 10 that when the season is released on DVD that Pelecanos is offering the commentary.) But, you may just notice - especially if you read his fiction - that this is a Pelecanos' episode because your heart is heavy the entire time. Nothing pleasant is concluded.

Freamon finally makes his move on Marlo off the info from his wiretap. Unlike previous seasons - where the whole season built up to the payoff of the wiretap's success, and subsequent floundering by the bureaucracy - the wiretap storyline was more of a strong B subplot. But does it have to be anything more? We've been down this road several times. We know how it works. So let's use it as a backdrop to move our story along.

With Marlo's upper brass all convening in a jail cell, it's determined from their warrants that there is a (McNulty made-up) snitch among them. Snoop's lifetime of loyalty rules her out, leaving only Michael. But Marlo and Chris aren't positive. Marlo asks Chris if he is willing to put his life on the notion that Michael didn't talk, given that he's been asking too many questions lately. With a simple look, Chris signs Michael's death warrant. But in the process of revealing justification for Michael being the snitch, Monk reveals some sour news to Marlo about Omar's warpath and (apparently undisclosed) challenges to his name. Marlo's reaction reveals - perhaps for the first time - the power behind him as he barks orders for his lieutenants to make it a priority to get word back to the corners about his lack of knowledge on Omar's insults.

Marlo and Co.'s arrest gives the police and the mayor a much needed presser - that Zorzi thoroughly enjoys - about keeping the city safer. It also directly ties them up with the fruit from the poisonous tree that the arrest grows from. But for now, the mayor is content and moves on to push classroom achievements into the spotlight visiting the Baltimore Inner City Debate forum, where old friend Namond Brice is lecturing while his foster father, Bunny Colvin and the good deacon look on. Another rushed, ham-handed conclusion scene with Carcetti and Colvin ensues. It seems like another cheap "what are they up to" cameo. For all the talk Simon chirped about the characters serving the story, and not vice versa, these cameo scenes seem forced and jarring. I mentioned earlier that I thought it was nice because they seemed to fit the storyline, but now it seems rushed in and out of place.

Out of place or not, the contrast between Namond behind the podium against Michael on the corner was stark to say the least. Michael transformed in this episode right before our eyes. His intuition on Snoop's motives offered him the upper hand when the time came. Another patent Pelecano's scene. Both characters know themselves and the other so well that the outcome is known well before it happens. Snoop knows Michael has the advantage and that she won't live, but still offers (seemingly) just cause for why he was to be executed instead of negotiating for her life. Snoop was a solider till the end.

Michael has now crossed a line. He has saved his life, but forever altered it. He has to go on the lamb and Bug and Dukie now lose his protection. The lurking figure, donning a black wife-beater T, standing in the walkway watching a tearful Bug leave, brings reference to images of Avon and Stringer. Also the cold distant stare, as Dukie tries to relive the story of four friends goofing around on a late summer's day, shows that Michael's "Boys of Summer" innocence has been lost for some time now. He seems to understand that he's a child of the game and his future is a tunnel, not a path. So now there is only the choice of how to play it left.

With Marlo under his belt, Freamon fulfills his hunger by meeting with Senator Davis who offers up a clear money path for Freamon to follow. Freamon is surprised at Clay's candor about Levy's abuse of his clients' trust and even exposes a throw away line about his own manipulation of Stringer Bell. But at the same time that Freamon gets the idea to investigate Levy, we find out that Levy has Herc - under the guise of drinking with the guys - investigating the detail.

However, it doesn't look like Freamon will get the chance to indict Levy because Kima has gone up the ladder with McNulty's lie. Luckily, the upper brass is now Daniels who - along with Pearlman - will take the appropriate time to investigate and script a PR solution. Or at least have one in their back pocket.

The "Sun" storyline continues to disappoint and it's far too late to salvage. Perhaps on the second viewing, I'll appreciate it more, but for now I'm just enjoying Clark Johnson's performance. He seems to have gathered all the arsenal he'll need against Scott who is currently suiting himself up for a Pulitzer.

And finally, Pelecanos loops all the way back to his last episode (episode 12 of S4) to complete Bubbles' circle of Sherrod's fate. Bubbles - er Reginald's story and it's conclusion are really working for me this season. I've never been a huge Bubbles fan. I've enjoyed his story lines and understood why he remained in the picture year after year, but never felt much connection or feeling with his path. That ended in this episode. Maybe it's the hope for the salvation of one character, especially after seeing Dukie begin a similar life route with his hesitant walk into the stables, but I was near tears during Reginald's time speaking in group. Simon has spoken about the real life Bubbles many times in interviews and how he wrote the man's obituary for the Sun and how that broke his heart. I hope he isn't planning on breaking ours.