The Wire Appreciation Thread

[TheSqauredCircleMessiah]

Season 2 might has well have been a spinoff, it was that different. Upon my initial watch, I despised most of the characters in the docks but Season 2 is the best for a rematch because it just expands the universe so much and shows "the game" from a completely different angle.

I have always wondered where the Greeks went to smuggle their shit in after basically their whole network not only on the docks but the people who distributed the shit went away. Maybe they had somebody else in the ports?

Edited June 30, 2015 by TheSqauredCircleMessiah

[Jimmy]

I just feel like The Wire totally utilised the medium of TV to explore this whole other side to their story, building new and interesting characters while staying true to the overall story they seem to be telling, and without sacrificing much for our existing character (bar maybe Bubs, who definitely got lost in the shuffle.)

[TheSqauredCircleMessiah]

I just feel like The Wire totally utilised the medium of TV to explore this whole other side to their story, building new and interesting characters while staying true to the overall story they seem to be telling, and without sacrificing much for our existing character (bar maybe Bubs, who definitely got lost in the shuffle.)

Bubs' usefulness could only extend so far. He's a great street informant to put names to faces in all the major drug crews, but the point of the later seasons of The Wire was going beyond doing hand-to-hand drug buys. Even eventually Kima tells him he's no good to her anymore because she wasn't working drugs and he was no good as a CI in homicide. I'm very surprised he made it as far as he did.

[Jimmy]

Spoiler :/

[Skummy]

I disagree. Bubs, to me, sums up exactly what's great about The Wire. You meet him in season 1 and know who he is because of his relationship to the police who, at that point, you assume to be the protagonists. As the show goes on, he's less and less connected to any other stories going on, but you still follow him. The world expands because you don't just forget about these characters once they're not useful to the "main" plot, and you still get to see what they're up to the whole time.

[Jimmy]

Oh man, Season 3 has been so good so far. There's so many little different stories going on, the arcs of the characters, and how everything seems to be a consequence of a character fault is just brilliant. 

Ep 8 & 9

 

Fuuuuck, the showdown been Stringer and Avon about D was so intense. I just love how Avon's mentality is causing so many problems in a drug trade that was happily moving on, and it'll surely undermine everything String's been building. But also, if this show's taught me anything, then Stringer's involvement in D's death also is going to change something along the way. 

The stuff with Omar and his mum on a Sunday was also just so great. I've loved the slow burn of Omar, and I'm very excited to see where it goes. 

Also, everything with McNulty kind of realising he has no life outside of the job is really powerful. The Wire's so effective at making small scenes mean something, and the failure of his dinner with Tommy's strategist, and then the way he just leans on the car after walking her in after an unsuccessful date just work really, really well. 

And aw man, Perez.

He was trying to be good police.

Edited July 12, 2015 by Jimmy

[Alex.]

Episode 11 of Season 3 is the greatest episode of television ever created.

[TheSqauredCircleMessiah]

The conversation Avon & String have works on so many levels. They both know their relationship  will never be the same and they're having this conversation knowing they have betrayed their best friend and want just one more good night for old times sakes.

[Jimmy]

Season 3, Episode 11. 

Fuck. 

[Jimmy]

Thought Season 3 was all kinds of brilliant. Just absolutely head-over-heels in love with this show. 

[MalaCloudy Black]

I'm interested to see what you think of season 4. Probably my favorite season.

[Jimmy]

Four episodes into Season 4 and it's unsurprisingly excellent.

All the stuff with Prez at the school is great. It just manages to say so much with so little: like when he finds someone had solved his math problem, only to look over the next table and see someone had carved Fuck Prez in the table. 

Everything else is coming together really nicely as well. I love the political situation at the moment, and Aiden Gillen's doing such a good job.

And oh fuck that guy who basically disbanded Major Crimes. 

It's so nice seeing McNulty happy, but you just know it won't last for one reason or another.

Omar's still great.

Oh, and I absolutely loved Carver's character arc over the last season and a half. They took someone I didn't care about much, and made him one of the most likeable, interesting people they have. 

Excited to see where it all goes.

[Jimmy]

I just love how everything comes together on this show, it's so well plotted it's kind of insane. Season 4, Episode 6 spoilers. 

 

The stuff with Prez and his care for students is really touching, and similarly, going off my last post, Carver only has about a one minute scene in this episode but he kills it when talking to Randy's step mum. That's what I mean about the plotting by the way, that Lex has been dead for about 5 episodes and it's Randy's desire to not get in trouble with school that he's going to reveal where Lex is hidden (assumably).

Similarly, loved the red herring with Greggs and Norris. You think they'll crack the witness case to help Carcetti's election, but instead they end up working it uniform because Rawls knows how to play the game. 

So yeah, Carcetti! The end of the episode was nothing short of magnificent. The way he finds out that he won is so underplayed and perfect, it's a really touching moment with is wife on the docks. Then we get to indulge the elation of the right guy winning, and then his wife says she's leaving - and I spent the next five minutes incredibly tense. Like, I don't want Carcetti to cheat, he's sold himself as a family man (even though we know he has his weaknesses) and you want to believe in him as an audience member. So the rollercoaster of emotion as he starts kissing his campaign manager, then pulls himself away, then kiss her again, only to pull himself away again was just so much to handle. And then, talking of perfect endings, Carcetti standing a lone, a little wry smile as he lets it sink in that he's now mayor is just so great.

This got a little ramble-y, but I loved this episode so much. Like, I hope everything stays on this level of quality, I think it's already my favourite show of all-time and I've still thankfully got another 18 hours left.  

Oh, and I didn't even get onto Omar's storyline. Such an interesting turn for someone who is always on the peripherals. Got a feeling this is how McNulty will get drawn back in, it's probably about time, even if their is something so satisfying about his absence from the show because his character's found temporary happiness. 

Edited August 2, 2015 by Jimmy

[Jimmy]

Oh man, like all of Season 4 was just the best. Finished it earlier this week but forgot to post in here, the whole thing was out of this world. Can't believe I've only got about 12 hours of everything left. 

[Alex.]

Season 4 is the pinnacle of amazing television. That season was the most brilliant piece of television and writing I have ever seen season wise.

 

Now, Season 3 Episode 11 was the best episode of television ever created imo. Yes it even tops Ozymandias from Breaking Bad. Of course imo.

[TheSqauredCircleMessiah]

Apparently, Glynn Turman (who played Mayor Royce in Seasons 3 and 4), was the actual runner-up to Harrison Ford to be cast as Han Solo. Originally, the character was going to be black, but George Lucas changed the character to be white after he realized that Solo was going to be a love interest for Princess Leia, and didn't want to deal with the headaches of having an interracial relationship.

Moral of the story is...George Lucas is a racist. 

[Alex.]

Moral of the Story: This is baltimore gentlemen, the gods will not save you

[Jimmy]

Four episodes in to Season 5 and oh man it's all happening already. Incoherent thoughts to follow. 

Hey, The Greek!!!

Proposition Joe

Alcoholic, kind of crazy McNulty is both fascinating to watch, but also incredibly sad knowing that he was actually happy in the previous season. Dominic West is insanely good, and you get every bit of pain and struggle he goes through. Oh, it's so incredible when Bunk bring Lester in to be the voice of reason, and he just totally fuels McNulty's ideas. I could be wrong, but I think they'll actually get away with this to show how corrupt some things in the police have to be to get the right answer. 

Also yay for Daniels, even though I can't imagine this is going to go that smoothly as Deputy Op. His satisfied smile when he sits in the chair for the first time was so satisfying within itself. 

Oh yeah, Omar is so ready to fuck shit up, I'm excited to see where that all goes. Marlo is a brilliant antagonist, and it's been really interesting to see him grow and grow from about two seasons ago.

I'm actually sad we're not going get anymore of the school, or Bunny, or Prezbo by the look of things. I know I should be used to this, but I connected to so much of what was going on there I want to see more, even if it's all kind of done by this point.

With that said, I'm very happy with the newsroom side of things. It's really interesting and has shades of Season 2 about it, which was one of my all-time favourites. They're already introduced a few interesting characters, especially with the guy who just fabricates his stories.

6 episodes left. I'm not sure what i'm gonna do when it's all done.

[Jimmy]

S5, EP5 

Ha, this serial killer/wire tap on Marlo is a wonderful fucking mess.

[Jimmy]

Season 5, Episode 8 - fuck. If I had plans tonight, I don't anymore. I've already watched 3 eps today, but no way I don't finish this whole thing now.

Omar. 

What the fuck?

Not like that.

I mean, it's perfect in a way. 

But fuck. 

I have no idea how the next few hours are going to play out. It's been an incredible show, so I hope it ends in a satisfying enough, one way or another. I haven't read back through any of the thread in fear of spoilers, so excited to see what everyone else made of everything. Does anything ever top this show?[/spoier]