The Wire

I doesn''t seem like the sort of thing I''d like but everyone keeps saying it is one of the best things ever on tv.\ \ No good tv now and I''m thinking of netflixing it. Should I?\ \ PLEASE don''t post spoilers about it just to be a jerk. Thanks!

• Yes, it''s the best television program ever. See it.

• No, *the* best television ever made.\ \ Now, as much as you are tempted, do not return to this thread. There were 3 spoilers posted within a few days the last time the subject came up.\ \ Also, do not go to IMDB to "check on" any actors. More spoilers there. No warnings.\ \ Enjoy the series.

• Yes yes yes. It should be required viewing for everyone.

• Its not the best series ever. One of them, but not the best. What lets it down is its relaince on plot driven (albeit excellent plot driven) as opposed to character driven drama... and not one single interesting female character. \ \ Oh and, the most interesting, beloved and well written character on that show happens to be gay.

• It is jaw-droppingly complex and intricate and top to bottom the acting and narrative flow is fantastic -- so good that it very much feels like a documentary at times.\ \ No praise is too high for it. It really is the best television show ever made in American history.

• How can you say Snoop and Kima were not interesting??

• And a social commentary that should not be missed.

• Snoop and Kima were NOT valid women characters. \ \ They were 1 dimensional alpha males trapped in female bodies, although with Snoop, it took a bit longer to cotton on.

• R4, I would argue that it''s not character-driven. Season 2 and Season 4, especially, and their milieus would counter that assertion.\ \ The best thing about show is that it isn''t dominated by a few characters and their neuroses: it''s a complex tapestry and you get to see the interconnectedness of inner city American life and the players within it, enough so that you get a sense of who these people are but not so much that any one character dominates story. It''s a fine balance.\ \ I also disagree with your point about female characters (although they are outnumbered): Kima, Rhonda, Snoop, Beadie, and Brianna are all well-drawn, vital female characters.

• OP - if you want well rounded characters with humour, ambiguity and three dimensions, stick to Six Feet Under or Sopranos. If you want an exhilirating epic saga with so many interesting plots and subplots all interwoven into the fabric of an entire city, The Wire is your man. You won''t even notice that the characters aren''t even that interesting - it''s that good.

• Says you.

• Oh I forgot Brianna and Rhonda. Thank you, R9.

• Actually, OP, you can get both with The Wire.

• R11 was directed at R8.

• Booooring show. Great acting, but slow as molasses on a winter day.

• The gaping flaw of Seasons 4 and 5 are the lack of subtitles for Snoop''s scenes. Otherwise, great. And that weird sound she makes... creep!

  YAHAW!!!!!!!!

• Snoop was a lethal little bitch! Unreal performance:

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycWx9ni6dZE

• I had to force myself to watch the first 6 episodes or so before I understood why it is considered one of the best television shows ever made. Anyone else have that experience or did you love it from the start? I thought the writing and acting in the first half of season one were kind of awful. Something happened after they fully introduced the character of Omar that it made it truly compelling television.

• Great series. My favorite ever behind HBO''s other program OZ. Also, it featured some of the best LGB characters I''ve ever seen portrayed on TV, who weren''t just there for the sake of being "the gay character," but had whole other sets of complexities to them.\ \ And yes, the most popular character on the show is gay. Amazing.

• Yeah, like r16 says, you have to force yourself not to give up on it for the first 5-7 episodes. \ \ HOwever, I don''t think it''s so much because they''re badly written and acted... it''s because the show doesn''t build groundwork for what you''re seeing in the way other television shows do. \ \ You''re dropped right into this world in Baltimore with no explanations of who people are or what''s going on. You have to piece it all together by yourself. This is what makes it so real and so good.\ \ And it''s okay to turn on the captions, OP. That will really help you if you''re having trouble with the accents/slang.

• Indeed.

• R20 says it beautifully and perfectly. Its big picture television. By the end of the season, the whole story makes perfect sense. The writers ask you to trust them and go on the ride. They don''t spoonfeed you every plot point, they expect you to be smart enough to get it all on your own.

• I was hooked by the second episode.

• Why not get hooked on The Truth? David Simon ripped off the real hero of his faux reporting. Fake Dectective McNulty compares himself to My Former Investigator. He doesn't trust reporters as David Simon never interviewed him, just made up quotes while covering "the other shift". He wants his story told by me, I prefer someone I vet. He hs all his case notes, photos, interviews- the real deal. Any of you competent ghost writers looking to cash in on an International Following? Let me know, all comments are moderated by me. Your real name, contact info etc will be required. You can figure out who my friend is by checking to see who "McNulty" compares himself to...what a sick joke. Your M2 is the heroine of Heroes.

  http://formercriminalprosecutor.blogspot.com/

  As Always ; M

• Baltimore is really horrible. The show isn't much different to the town

• Here, this should make it easy for you. "The Wire" is a dumb rip off. The truth is more interesting. I am the only person he trusts. Any of you competent ghost writers? I hear some of you are quite good. So far at lame remarks, most be more than that. Gritty, real, the photos, the interviews. None of it ever seen by David Simon. He covered "the other shift". Your M2

  http://formercriminalprosecutor.blogspot.com/2012/10/am-thinking-about-nyc-cannibal-cop-as.html

  As Always ; M

• R20 really did nail it. I think U.S. TV viewers are conditioned to assume cop dramas are dumbed-down enough that you can watch them while you eat, or you can miss 10 minutes and still be OK. In order to get anything out of it, you need to actually pay attention to the plot of The Wire, and to watch the series in order. I think a lot of the people who give up on it think they're just getting a grittier version of CSI or whatever.

• I am completely in the minority, OP, but I thought it was the most amateurish acting AND writing that I had seen from such a lauded series. I could not - and cannot - understand what people saw and heard. Hope you enjoy it.

• [quote]Its big picture television. By the end of the season, the whole story makes perfect sense. The writers ask you to trust them and go on the ride. They don't spoonfeed you every plot point, they expect you to be smart enough to get it all on your own. That's true. If "The Sopranos" was a Shakespearean tragedy, "The Wire" is a huge Dickens tale -- a sprawling epic and social commentary with dozens if not hundreds of characters.

• What the fuck are you on about R26

• Given that OP posted 2 years ago, he's probably seen it by now.

• After the Genie thread, I've started F&F-ing this "As Always ; M" cunt and her verbal diarrhea.

• Omar was great.

• R32 "According to Wikipedia, "When listing the detectives who he sees himself & the rest of the VCU as being on a par with, McNulty mentions Worden, Ed Burns (who was a homicide detective but was detailed with the FBI for the year) & Gary Childs, a detective on the other shift in the book.". Gary Childs used to ask me how someone who as a police reporter for The Baltimore Sunpapers, David Simon was covering "the other shift", yet had managed to derive "quotes" from him he never said, turned cases Detective Gary Childs solved into cash for David Simon, & it still goes on today." Gary Childs was part of a Noble Narcotic Squad Effort to combat the flow of heroin into Baltimore City. In a horrifying, traumatic incident: his partner, Marty Ward was making "a buy" while Gary listened on "The Wire". It turned out that the "drug dealer" wasn't dealing drugs, he was planning to kill the person he thought had the cash to buy the drugs. As Gary listened, he heard his partner hit by a gunshot wound right into the chest. Gary went screaming & cursing into the room, desperately trying to keep his partner from dying by performing CPR. Marcellus Ward bled out on the scene, there was nothing Gary could have done to save him, the point blank bullet made that impossible. Gary Childs never got over the loss of his partner, which is why he switched to Homicide away from Narcotics. He wanted to catch killers, in honor of Marty Ward. Yes, what a laugh riot "Anonymous" cunt. I'd suggest you eat shit & die, but you already enjoy consuming feces. The ugly underbelly of strange fetishes. I prosecuted a case which involved a vile creature like you. No wonder you still spew about it. Hope you enjoyed prison. It wasn't fun, oh how sad.

  http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2009-12-04/news/0912030085_1_drug-enforcement-administration-task-undercover-federal-drug

  As Always ; M

• Thanks for another chance to F&F you, R34! It's adorable if you think I read any of that. No one likes you. Go away. On a different note - I've also tried getting into this show, but could never get past the first couple of episodes. I've always really wanted to be able to appreciate it though since I know so many people who have raved about its brilliance. Based on this thread, I think I'll give it another shot.

• R35 Dumbed down TV crap is a perfect diet for you. Agreed!

  http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2009-12-04/news/0912030085_1_drug-enforcement-administration-task-undercover-federal-drug

  I Do Not Watch Boob Tube

• Like with PPSM, ignoring you is probably the best option from now on.

• For me, MAD MEN is #1, THE SHIELD is #2, but THE WIRE is #3.....I also loved the much-adored THE SOPRANOS, but I found the first three far more satisfying.

  DraperLover

• I've seen them all and The Wire is #1!

• R32 R35 North American Boy Love Isn't popular anymore Reddit is onto you

  http://www.reddit.com/

  Anonymous

• What R39 said.

• Baltimore is beautiful by the way. I'm sure you get the flavor of R25.

• R30 Watch Fox News Programmed For Morons Like You. Reddit sends their love to your IP Address.

  http://www.reddit.com

  Bitches Should Mind Their Manners

• OP--I think this thread has made it quite clear that if you're a lunatic, you're probably going to hate "The Wire."

• It was slow. But Omar is one of the best characters ever written for television.

• That was me r22! Thanks!

  r20%20way%20back%20when

• I love seeing Robert Wisdom (Bunny Colvin) running for mayor on Nashville. Is Nashville ready for its own Hamsterdam?

• Still looking for DL ghostwriter to rep real hero of The Wire. Contact me at blog, comments are moderated by me only confidentially. Built in audience,$$$$ millions,your own cable series as well as documentary. Serious applicants only. Bitch on your own time. Press agent ready to sign.

  http://formercriminalprosecutor.blogspot.com/2012/10/am-thinking-about-nyc-cannibal-cop-as.html

  Fan of Truth

• Omar = Chalky White

• bump

• I started watching the show with Season 3 and was hooked immediately. Then I bought the whole 5 seasons and boy, that pilot sure was boring! I sticked because I knew it would be worth it, and it very quickly was.

• Omar sings!

  http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/414fa4b226/the-wire-the-musical-with-michael-kenneth-williams

• Funny! Thanks, R52.