The Wire - The Road to Damascus

The final episode of the critically acclaimed HBO series The Wire opens with one of the most thoughtful and creatively written scenes of the entire series.

Mayor Tommy Carcetti learns that his campaign for homeless people against his Republican rival all began as an elaborate lie by the Baltimore Police Department to investigate Marlo Stanfield’s drug crew. When the Acting Police Department’s Commissioner, Bill Rawls, disagrees with the path forward, one of the Mayor’s aides, Norman Wilson, describes it as Bill Rawls’ “Road to Damascus,” which is a reference to the New Testament Bible story in Acts involving Saul’s conversion from persecuting Jesus to becoming one of his Apostles spreading Christianity and taking the new name of Paul. When Bill Rawls agrees to the new path forward, which involves covering up the actions of the police to get the Mayor elected governor, Norman Wilson adds to the Biblical reference by saying, “See, the police commissioner done fell off his ass” (donkey), which is what is believed happened to Saul on the Road to Damascus at the start of his conversation.

Excellent writing to infuse religion into urban politics.

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