The Season Four of The Wire Movie Analysis

Introduction

The season four of the Television series The Wire began airing in the United States on September 10th, 2006 and concluded on December, 10th 2006. The season consisted of a total of 13 episodes and expanded its scope to integrate an examination school system. Notably, it introduces Baltimore's school system as well as the several middle school students while continuing to assess the remnants of the Barksdale Organization. Other include the ascendant Stanfield Organization and the police department of Baltimore It is worth to note that there are other significant plots included in the Show and these include the mayoral race that proceeds the political storyline that started back in season three. The season further closely observes the Marlo Stansfield drug gang, which has continued to expand to take control of the majority of the western Baltimore trafficking.

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Randy Wagstaff is one of the primary characters in this season who have been used to express various thematic issues addressed in the Show. Played by Maestro Harrel, Randy is an enterprising student in the eighth-grade who portrays himself as an independent individual on social services. He studies at Edward Tilghman Middle School and is the best friends to other pupils such as Namond Brice, Michael Lee and Duquan "Dukie" Weems He is a foster child to Miss Anna, who is seen to be strict and therefore instills a considerable amount of discipline in him, and thus able to stand out in terms of imagination and ideological abilities amongst his colleagues. Other than education, Randy operates a small business where he is involved in selling soft drinks to his peers and other drug dealers from the neighboring suburbs. Randy has no contact with his biological father, Melvin "Cheese" Wagstaff; an infamous person within the society. While this fact about Randy and Melvin's relationship is not referred to on the Show, the creator of the series offers a confirmation about the truth about the relationship.

Background

Various social justice issues presented in the Show. The Cold-blooded Marlo continues to dominate the streets of the west side through the use of murder and intimidation. This is aimed at making up for his low-quality drugs and lack of business penetration. Notably, some of his accomplices such as Chris Partlow and Snoop play a critical role in concealing their numerous murder acts where the bodies of their victims cannot be easily traced. It appears that the disappearance of the famous criminals confused the crime investigating authorities, Marlo as well as the homicide agencies tasked to unmask the presumed killings. As part of the investigation, Randy provides the revelation to the assistant principal knowledge of a murder in a moment of desperation, and this leads to his interrogation by the police authorities. He is consequently labeled a snitch by his classmates. His house is consequently firebombed by a network of individuals who have conspired to turn against him because of his cooperation with the police agencies and other investigation authorities.

Another critical issue presented in the Show is the lack of a proper relationship between adults and young people. Michael is tremendously unresponsive to the adults around him, and these include Prez, Cutty, and Bodie. All these characters observe promise in him. Michael calls on Chris, whom he thinks he can trust whenever he wants to protect his little brother from his hated stepfather. Dukie, who had grown under the care of Prez is further transferred to high school through a social promotion system, and thus required to leave the relationship.

SEM-Individual

The factors related to this level involves the characteristics of Randy that influence behavior change. In season four, these factors include economic status, values that he holds as well as the stigma. As part of the dispute that caught Randy with a rival gang of the young pushers, he comes with the idea of filing water balloons to ambush the gangs. However, the plan backfires as soon as Namond burst a balloon on himself. In the seen, Randy manages to escape uninjured while Michael and some of his friends are beaten next to death. Forgetting all these, he attempts to make money through catching homing pigeons to sell to drug kingpin Marlo Stanfield for his pigeon coop.

SEM-Interpersonal Level

Social networks and social support systems can play a crucial role in influencing the behavior of an individual. These include family, friends, and peers. In the Show, it becomes evident that Randy is duped by his friend Little Kevin to trick Lex; something that contributes to his death. In this scene, it becomes apparent that Randy takes a message, Lex, as a part of the scheme to set a trap for his murderers. He is informed of the victim's fate and later paid for taking part in the whole responsibility. However, he is troubled for his involvement because he believes that his role was critical in costing Lex his life (Penfold-Mounce, Beer, & Burrows, 2011).

Randy also receives a specific amount of money from the Stansfield drug trafficker Monk Metcalf. Marlo aimed at ingratiating himself to the children from the nearby residences. However, he does not benefit from the money he is paid as he loses them to the Eddie Walker when he is chased from the car stolen by Donut. Randy even goes ahead to explain that the money belonged to his foster mother, but Walker eventually pockets it and urges him to inform the mother to come to the district to claim for it.

SEM-Community Level

The relationships among organizations, institutions, and informational networks within defined boundaries can play a crucial role in influencing the behavior of an individual. The increased criminal activities within the community prompt the policing authority within the Western District. The school systems and the investigation authorities have thus collaborated to unmask the mystery about the death of various victims in the school and neighborhood. Lex Murder continues to traumatize the police authority unimaginably. Because Randy is also fully aware that he participated, he is equally troubled. As such, he is forced to discuss how Chris Partlow lured him into sending Lex a message that would result in his death. His friends tell him that Chris is a zombie mater who can do anything he thinks to accomplish whatever he wants in life. In another scene, Dukie says gives him the same information about Chris, who terms the later as a serial killer who is being looked for by the law enforcement authorities. To prove his sentiments, Dukie shows Randy one of the dead body that Chris had hidden within the vacated building. While they had agreed not to reveal about this, Randy goes ahead to offer his knowledge of the murder to Mrs. Donnelly, who had earlier accused him in the bathroom rape incident.

SEM-Organizational Level

Undeniably, rules and regulations for operations at the school affect Randy's behavior. The relationship of Randy with his peers in the school is also portrayed in season four. While in school, Randy ingratiates himself to Roland Pryzbylewski; his home teacher. He does this through a handshake, and later assist Pryzbylewski to manage the class (Kinder, 2008). Upon Prez's distraction, he asks for permission for a hall pass and then takes several passes from Prez's desk. He consequently uses the hall pass to traverse around the school to sell his various items during the lunch periods. To ensure that he sells maximally to his peers and classmates, he even goes ahead to wear the colors of students that look like those of students he is selling snacks.

It is however evidenced that Randy's scheme subjects him into vast and unimaginable trouble. Fundamentally, when he is caught in the six-grade cafeteria. Miss Reese can recognize him from the class she taught two years ago. Miss Reese further provides threats to reveal to Randy's foster mother about his action within the school. Based on the fact that he has been involved in the graffiti of the school property and does not want the mother to know about this information, he complies with her demands (Mittell, 2009).

Later, all these tribulations result in a suspension from the school for involving himself as a lookout within the bathroom. Mrs. Donnelly further connects him with the police, but Prez's intervention rescues him. Notably, Prez approaches Cedric Daniels to offer Randy protection from the system. Randy is thus put into care and under the watch of Sergeant Carter. After the interview, Carver puts finds out that Randy is not a bad child and decides to return him to his foster mother.

Additionally, the rape allegation is dropped and the suspension lifted and thus finds an opportunity to return to school. However, he finds that numerous transformations have taken place as Prez is teaching probability through card and dice games. Michael also warns him because of taking part as a Police spy in the investigations about murder. A group of his friends even confronts him from being a snitch.

SEM-Policy Level

The rise in criminal activities and insecurity proves tremendously dangerous to individuals such as Randy as well as other colleagues. As part of their policies, thus, the police are therefore forced to beef up the security to protect the civilians from attacks.

To make everything seems reasonable to him, Michael fights the kids off, thereby leaving their leader bloodied and severely injured. Carver soon receives the information about Randy's situation and later comes to his rescue. However, the civilians make a false telephone call to make them leave the scene. With the police gone, The Molotov cocktails are thrown into Randy's motherhouse, which is wholly burnt to ashes. Eventually, Miss Anna is hospitalized indefinitely, leaving Randy with no one to call a parent.

SEM-Analysis

In my view, the level that had the most significant impact on Randy was the organizational level. This level involves his relationship with his peers in school, teachers, and the authority as a whole. Randy's suspension from the school affects him because he is unable to proceed with education. His past relationship with his peers also contributes to his suspension because they influenced him to take part in the murder of Lex.

Proposed Intervention

The exclusionary discipline such as the suspension are applied in many schools today. However, it is important to note that suspension as a form of disciplinary actions have not provided proof to prevent or reduce the unwanted behaviors or activities. In fact, suspensions have unforeseen outcome on the educational life of the students. The intervention that should therefore be used include restitution, counselling, community service, behavior monitoring, in school suspension, and alternative programming.

Summary and Conclusion

In conclusion, Randy Wagstaff is portrayed as one of the primary characters in this season who have been used to express various thematic issues addressed in the Show. Played by Maestro Harrel, Randy is an enterprising student in the eighth-grade who portrays himself as an independent individual on social services. He is used to address various themes such as the social injustice, murder, and investigation of the criminal activities in the school systems. Instead of suspension, restitution, counselling, community service, behavior monitoring, in school suspension, and alternative programming should be used.

References

Kinder, M. (2008). Re-wiring Baltimore: The emotive power of systemic, seriality, and the city. FILM QUART, 62(2), 50-57. https://fq.ucpress.edu/content/62/2/50.abstract

Mittell, J. (2009). All in the game: The Wire, serial storytelling, and procedural logic. Third person: Authoring and exploring vast narratives, 429-38. https://besyzi.ga/all-in-the-game-the-wire-serial-storytelling-and-pro...