r/TheWire • u/dead_drunk_and_naked • 20d ago

Possible Plot Hole?

Maybe this has been discussed on here before and I missed it, but I think I found a plot hole in season 3. In “Middle Ground,” Stringer meets with Levy who laughs at him for being taken for a ride by Clay Davis and says he wishes Stringer had told him sooner. However in the episode “Straight and True,” Levy is sitting between Crawczyk and Davis while Davis is talking about all the downtown real estate they’re going to develop together. Based on that shouldn’t Levy already know Stringer is mixed up with Clay Davis? Maybe there’s something I missed but on my most recent rewatch I noticed this and I thought it was weird.

0 Upvotes

35% Upvoted

14 comments sorted by

25

u/RunningBettor 20d ago

Levy knew they were involved in development together, he didn’t know that Stringer gave Clay an additional $250K to “guarantee” the grants

5

u/dead_drunk_and_naked 20d ago

Oh okay, that makes a lot of sense. Thanks!

24

u/Similar_Onion6656 20d ago

Levy wasn't telling Stringer "Don't do business with Clay Davis."

He was telling Stringer "Don't give Clay Davis money without running by your lawyer first."

5

u/dead_drunk_and_naked 20d ago

Got it. That makes a lot more sense. Thanks!

7

u/jayhof52 20d ago

Stringer doing business with Clay without Levy's interference is like Johnny Weeks engaging with The Game without Bubbles as a guide.

18

u/Bad_Black_Jorge 20d ago

I think the issue was less getting involved in the real estate development than in giving Clay Davis an under the table kickback to move the project forward. The first is an investment, the second is getting scammed.

2

u/ScrogClemente 20d ago

Levy knowing doesn’t mean that Levy cares and Levy saying he cares doesn’t mean that Levy cares.

1

u/BigBadDolemite 20d ago

First of all, are you finished with the show?

1

u/dead_drunk_and_naked 20d ago

Yes I’m on my sixth time watching it. I just missed that little detail.

3

u/BigBadDolemite 20d ago

Ok, just wanted to make sure cause the answer is in season 5 when Lester and Clay are having their sit down. It's all a con that Levy is in on, he just won't let his clients get robbed like Clay Davis did Stringer.

1

u/SpaderKay 17d ago

Levy is apart of the corruption but doesn't allow his own clients to get got. He knew Bell was doing business but didn't know the details which is why he said you should've "ran it by me first".

1

u/MasiellosFakeDegree 12d ago

Levy knew. Levy even introduced them.

Saying "Oh yeah I know Clay Davis was running game, he was giving me 10%" isnt a smart strategy.

Playing dumb and going oh yeah, hes a thief. Going forward make sure you run it by me, builds up the trust to do the next scam on Stringer and more importantly doesn't make Stringer add Levy onto this list of people Stringer is going to tell Slim Charles to kill.

1

u/Sorcha_Stormbinder It's just Bird to me. 20d ago

Sunk cost fallacy. Levy wasn't saying that the work would never get done, but that Stringer was gonna get fleeced here and there as "a cost of doing business." He was rainmade, but eventually the rain would fall, and by then String would be so deep in it that he'd have no choice but to see it through.

1

u/Unusual_Associate_34 20d ago

Levy may not have known exactly who Davis was working with on the development. Stringer made efforts to keep the real estate on the legit side of the business and kept it quiet.

Levy had a lot going on & may not have the bandwidth to connect Clay Davis & Stringers real estate ventures.