Crab cakes, football, and nuanced depictions of America’s broken police institutions - that’s what Maryland DOES! Our solo rec this week has a landmark showrunner from the “peak TV” era returning to his roots in full, (if slightly derivative), form. Read on to find out how.
And remember: friends don’t let friends waste their free time, so be sure to share The Sunday Stream with someone who looks at that menu screen every night like a deer in headlights.
Now let’s get to it.
We Own This City
Current 🍅 Rating: 94%
What It’s About: Based on the book "We Own This City: A True Story of Crime, Cops and Corruption" by Baltimore Sun reporter Justin Fenton, this gritty drama chronicles the true story of the rise and fall of the Baltimore Police Department's Gun Trace Task Force.
Why You Should Watch: Because you’re a fan of The Wire, cultural commentary on the police’s role in society, and/or Jon Bernthal dialing it up to 11.
David Simon brings us back to The Monumental City for another take on the corrosion of American law enforcement, this time through the lens of Baltimore’s efforts to rebuild after the killing of Freddie Gray (and the resulting protests and indictments of six BPD officers that tore the city apart). Citizens are weaponizing smartphones against cops, and many in uniform are hesitant to do their jobs for fear of viral retribution, resulting in the creation of a BPD culture that celebrates stat-based policing (the more arrests the better, regardless if they’re warranted). This creates the perfect opportunity for Sgt. Wayne Jenkins (played by Jon Bernthal, who is really hamming it up here with some cocky working class swagger and heavy Baltimore “owwws”), to start a corrupt gang within the force. The story jumps back and forward in time showing you how - and ultimately why - he does it.
In anyone else’s hands the cacophony of characters in such dialogue heavy scenes would be too much, but We Own This City is great in the same way The Wire was: David Simon skillfully constructs intricate, interweaving storylines that give grounded in real life characters from all parts of urban society (good cops, bad cops, lawyers, detectives, drug dealers, kids on the street, politicians, you name it), the opportunity to offer their POV on the justice system, race relations, and policing in America. The non-chronological narrative can be a little confusing, but otherwise, We Own The City successfully carries the torch for The Wire - even if some might call it a knock-off. Given that David Simon’s original series is usually held up as one of the “Big Four” from the golden age of television (along with The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, and Mad Men), one can’t help but wonder - is anotherThe Wire such a bad thing?
Who’s In It, and Where You Probably Know Them From:
Jon Bernthal - I don’t know where this guy finds the time. Since his big break in The Walking Dead, it seems like he’s been in everything, averaging 3-4 films/shows a year for the last ten years. You might recognize him from The Wolf of Wall Street, The Punisher, Sicario, Baby Driver, King Richard, or Ford v. Ferrari (to name a few).
Josh Charles - The Dead Poets Society, The Good Wife, Masters of Sex, In Treatment, or again as a corrupt cop in S.W.A.T. and Four Brothers.
Wunmi Mosaku - Most recently in Loki, as well as Lovecraft Country and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
Who Made It, and What Else Have They Done:
David Simon, who, if I haven’t beaten you over the head with it enough, is most famous for creating The Wire.
Where You Can Watch: HBOMax