"The Wire"

[Lord Ash]

Just started watching season 1 with the wifey... MAN, Netflix is awesome for entire series So far, so good; just about halfway through, so please don't give anything away I am assuming that the show follows the same cops, however, throughout the series? Also, very interesting how the decided to make Omar, the straight up gangster killer, gay. Somewhat daring, but interesting. Also, I have been sur[prised that the show is remarkably not gory or full of nudity, compared to many HBO shows.

Anyway... just wanted to share, it is fun to find a good new show!

[Oriole Way]

To answer your question, yes, it follows the same group of cops for the duration of the series. Each season introduces a new aspect of Baltimore and how it relates to the police department, so you will be introduced to new characters each season.

If you appreciate art in its highest forms, you will greatly appreciate your decision to watch the Wire. It starts out a little deliberately, but it slowly but surely captivates you, and before you know it, you'll be hooked.

Please share your thoughts and opinions on the show as you get through it.

In my opinion The Wire is the greatest series in the history of television.

[Lord Ash]

OOOHHHH!

Okay... the wife and I are now midway through season 3, and it is FANTASTIC. Just fantastic! I suppose as a guy with the word "Oriole" in your name it must hit somewhere close to home?

Anyway... so yeah, it is a very difficult show to STOP watching. I think maybe it is better watching it on DVD, as the primary complaint I have ever heard was "Oh it is hard to follow," but when you watch four or five episodes at a time it is hard to FORGET The characters on both sides of the law are FANTASTIC... all flawed, and most sympathetic. I find "Omar" very, very interesting... to have a "gangsta" and gay (and in his own way "out") character in a show like this is very unique and makes the whole thing almost much more "real." McNulty of course is a kick, and the rest of the cops, like Detective Greggs, are great... very three dimensional. Man, there are a lot of drinking and marital problems among the boys (and girls) in blue, but I've heard this and seen this in cops I know. I like the idea of each season's story arc focusing on a different "part" of the city... although I have to admit, while I found the peek into "dock life" and lifestyle interesting, it did not hold my interest as much as season 1 and 3 and their close connection to "the street." Poor Frank Sobotka tho! No sympathy for Ziggy tho... you knew that little schmuck was doomed (and probably in need of real medical and therapeutic help) from the beginning.

As I mentioned, we are halfway through 3 right now... poor Stringer Bell, trying so hard to go "legit" in his own twisted way, and now being undermined by the "street" Avon... and that poor Major, "Bunny," with his twisted idea of getting the drugs off of the streets... or at least, the POPULATED streets... you can tell that is going to backfire. I do feel very badly and connected to Dennis, the guy who got out at the start and soldiered for Avon for a bit but just now wants out and is back at landscaping... the actor has really soulful eyes and a very zenlike way about him, and really makes that character very sympathetic. No love for the ambitious Councilman tho... which, of course, means he is likely to be the next mayor! We are only halfway through this one, and I can't help but wonder how this is going to turn out.

As for "best show ever," yeah, I have to say, it is certainly up there. "Band of Brothers" will always be my #1 and really nothing can displace it, but "The Wire" I think is maybe my #2, especially since the Sopranos just tanked around season 3 or 4. I am a sixth grade teacher at an elementary school, and one of the fourth grade teachers, a salty woman in her 60s, also loves it... she said one day "That show is like smack; you just can't get enough." I can't help but agree

[Mal]

[Lord Ash, don't read the following color-coded sentence if you don't know the general subject nature of Seasons 4 and 5 yet]: I assume that as a 6th grade teacher, you can't wait to get to Season 4 - it's awesome, and teachers I know have said it's easily their favorite.

Regardless, you may not believe it, but there are still at least half a dozen to ten unforgettable characters populating the Baltimore of The Wire that haven't even been introduced to you yet.

Anyway, I would rank Seasons 3 and 4 of the Wire as the high water mark to date of American televised drama. It's an immensely important sociological work, as well as incredibly entertaining. I really think people will be viewing this show in collegiate public policy, sociology and history classes 50 years from now the way they read "Sister Carrie" or "The Jungle" in the past. It's one of the most thorough chroniclings of modern American politics, governance and social institutions I can think of. Also, best acting I've seen on TV, period. Glad you're enjoying it as much as I always did.

I loved "Band of Brothers" as much as anything, but I don't really see the two as being in the same basic category and subject to side-by-side comparison. As excellent as it was, BoB was basically a miniseries, and based on a non-fiction work.

[Jim3k]

I was given "The Wire's" first season as a Christmas gift and am now down to the final disc. So far, it's been amazing. I don't know how I can get the discs in bunches as it seems to me best to watch several episodes at a time.

(I'm still waiting for Season 4(?) of Battlestar Galactica to come from Netflix.)

[Lord Ash]

I was given "The Wire's" first season as a Christmas gift and am now down to the final disc. So far, it's been amazing. I don't know how I can get the discs in bunches as it seems to me best to watch several episodes at a time.

(I'm still waiting for Season 4(?) of Battlestar Galactica to come from Netflix.)

Battlestar WHAT?! *In my best Yoda voice* "And that is why you fail."



First off, Mal, thank you SOOO much for the consideration with the color coding; I am dying to "share" my excitement with folks but without hopefully ruining anything so I truly, truly appreciate it!

I know BoB and The Wire are not really the same catagory, except that when it comes to "favorite TV shows" or whathaveyou I cannot pick against BoB; it is just not allowed

THAT many more characters?! Can't wait Oh, another guy who I love that they really made 3-D (not that I love him, but I love how they have fleshed him out) is Pryzbylewski... he goes from a total screw-up at the start of season 1 to a more thoughtful guy who clearly thinks in a linear and pattern sort of way, but not a super cop... I especially liked a little touch we JUST saw in the last episode where he is actually measuring the distance between photos on "the corkboard of Justice"... such a neat little character note.

Anyway... Jim, I highly recommend The Netflix; that is what the wifey and I are doing now... we are just trying SO hard to save seasons 4 and 5 for spring or, even better, summer, as we are both teachers and will need something to keep us occupied (for a few days at least)

Good stuff!

[Karl Beem]

DVDs are the best way to watch TV. I just finished the Tudors 2. I may rewatch The Wire since the wife wants to see it.

[Jim3k]

[Lord Ash, don't read the following color-coded sentence if you don't know the general subject nature of Seasons 4 and 5 yet]: I assume that as a 6th grade teacher, you can't wait to get to Season 4 - it's awesome, and teachers I know have said it's easily their favorite.

Regardless, you may not believe it, but there are still at least half a dozen to ten unforgettable characters populating the Baltimore of The Wire that haven't even been introduced to you yet.

Anyway, I would rank Seasons 3 and 4 of the Wire as the high water mark to date of American televised drama. It's an immensely important sociological work, as well as incredibly entertaining. I really think people will be viewing this show in collegiate public policy, sociology and history classes 50 years from now the way they read "Sister Carrie" or "The Jungle" in the past. It's one of the most thorough chroniclings of modern American politics, governance and social institutions I can think of. Also, best acting I've seen on TV, period. Glad you're enjoying it as much as I always did.

I loved "Band of Brothers" as much as anything, but I don't really see the two as being in the same basic category and subject to side-by-side comparison. As excellent as it was, BoB was basically a miniseries, and based on a non-fiction work.

I'm assuming the color involved is white -- or else my htm isn't working.


Edit: Oh, wait. It is white. I can see it in the gray quote box. That's better than invisible ink or writing with milk.

[Lord Ash]

ARGH! Jim! By quoting it now it is visible against the greyish background!! ARgh! Do you mind erasing that part before I am drawn against my will to read it? Thanks

[Mal]

Jim, just FYI, I think the standard "spoiler" convention has become that you type it in white to match the page background. The reader can then just click and drag their mouse over the text to have it "appear" as white text on a black background.

I'll make this post extra long to try to move the now-revealed text that poor Lord Ash doesn't want to see off his screen.




























There, that should do it!

[Lord Ash]

You are a good and thoughtful man. Maybe now I'll let you sell your package on my corner. Otherwise I would have gotten the bats.

I love "The Wire."

[Jim3k]

Jim, just FYI, I think the standard "spoiler" convention has become that you type it in white to match the page background. The reader can then just click and drag their mouse over the text to have it "appear" as white text on a black background.

I'll make this post extra long to try to move the now-revealed text that poor Lord Ash doesn't want to see off his screen.






























There, that should do it!

Clearly it is a generational thing. After all, I only knew about inks and milk and such. And as you can clearly see, I am unable to learn from my past techno mistakes.

Actually, in 1988 when my employer first bought computers and began to train us, we had a DOS-based word processing program called Samna. It was awful. But you could go to a command page and choose your colors. Once, when a secretary chose white on white, she caused a panic since all the work on her computer was thought lost. I figured out the command sequences and did them blind and got the color back (pat! pat!). So I was aware of the white on white concept, but I've never known about this spoiler convention until now.

But I'm certain that DHS never knew about it until now, either. So your codes have been blown. You'll have to devise new ones.

[DevilAlumna]

DVDs are the best way to watch TV. I just finished the Tudors 2.

Minor thread hijack, but how was season 2? I watched Season 1, but we cancelled our premium channel subscription in the interim. I haven't wanted to devote Netflix queue space unless it's worthy.

[Lord Ash]

AAHHHHHH!!! They shot Stringer Bell!! I knew Avon and Stringer were going to get it on, but I always figured Stringer would sell out Avon first... but I guess that a street sell-out is a bit more violent than a call-the-cops-on-you sell out!

Just about to watch the last episode of season 3... Jimmy is going to DIE when he finds out his wire on Stringer is worthless.

Also; funny to see the bowtie-wearing Nation of Islam brother teaming up with the gay gangster brother to do the deed. Only on The Wire!

[bjornolf]

Hmm, white on white. I wonder if some of our seedier members have slipped anything by the mods that way. <cough> <cough>

[Oriole Way]

Hey Lord Ash,

Just saw that you responded to me. Glad you are enjoying the Wire so much.

OOOHHHH!

Okay... the wife and I are now midway through season 3, and it is FANTASTIC. Just fantastic! I suppose as a guy with the word "Oriole" in your name it must hit somewhere close to home?

No doubt. It makes the show so much more meaningful and immediate for me, since I grew up around Baltimore and have been in many of the on-site locations. There is a scene in Season 4 or 5 shot at an Orioles game in Camden Yards, so even though the scene itself wasn't important, that was the best of two worlds colliding in a visual symphony of awesomeness for me.

As for "best show ever," yeah, I have to say, it is certainly up there. "Band of Brothers" will always be my #1 and really nothing can displace it, but "The Wire" I think is maybe my #2, especially since the Sopranos just tanked around season 3 or 4. I am a sixth grade teacher at an elementary school, and one of the fourth grade teachers, a salty woman in her 60s, also loves it... she said one day "That show is like smack; you just can't get enough." I can't help but agree

That's funny, Band of Brothers is also one of my all-time favorite shows/mini-series. It seems that we have similar tastes in shows/entertainment. I'm a World War II nut, and Band of Brothers was incredibly well done. Let's just say that The Wire is the greatest work of fiction-based television ever.

THAT many more characters?! Can't wait Oh, another guy who I love that they really made 3-D (not that I love him, but I love how they have fleshed him out) is Pryzbylewski... he goes from a total screw-up at the start of season 1 to a more thoughtful guy who clearly thinks in a linear and pattern sort of way, but not a super cop... I especially liked a little touch we JUST saw in the last episode where he is actually measuring the distance between photos on "the corkboard of Justice"... such a neat little character note.

You're going to absolutely love season 4. Not only is it the best season of the series, but Prezbo transforms from an immature and flawed cop to a passionate and caring leader/servant. I won't say too much, but it's ridiculously appropriate that you're a teacher.

[Lord Ash]

Hey hey!

I also lost this thread for a bit

Anyway yeah, we just finished three... can't believe Stringer is dead, and Avon is clearly heading back to jail... not sure if he will STAY there, but...

Yeah, BoB is awesome. Did you see that the Band of Brothers team (Hanks, Spielberg) are doing a new show for HBO called "The Pacific" that will follow Marines through the various brutal invasions of the Pacific? Should be pretty damn amazing... there were some insanely brave moments and gut-wrenching stories out there, and I've already seen some photos of makeup of "tortured prisoners" so evidently it won't be easy to watch. My only regret? Dick Winters never served in the Pacific I am finding myself agreeing with your assessment, btw, of best fiction-based show ever... it really is spectacular.

Yeah I am looking forward to 4... it is the schools, no? Seems a natural. I didn't think Pres would make it as a cop, but I am guessing he goes on to education... that will be interesting to see! Greggs was fooling around at the end of the season, which is a shame, but it was real nice to see McNultey seem to finally get himself together... he seemed to have a real breakthrough at the end of the season, dropping by Amy Ryans place. I am really rooting for the guy (name escapes me?) who opened the boxing gym... he made it through season 3, and with season 4 focusing on the kids I expect he will play a part. Oh, and I loved the subtle 2 second shot of the police commander (again, name escaping me) at the gay bar... awesome! Such a subtle show... I really adore it Can't wait till season 4; I've heard such good things Have to wait a bit, tho... don't want to finish the entire series in two months!

Anyway, thanks for chatting, it is always fun to get to chat about a newfound (for you) show with someone!

[Lord Ash]

Wow.

Just finished the last episode of "The Wire," and I've gotta say; best show of all time NOT named "Band of Brothers." Just one of the most touching, most intricate, most involving, smartest shows ever. No one is good, no one is bad... but there are a million shades of gray, and each is more interesting than the last. Best "last ever episode" that is not the last episode of "Six Feet Under."

If any of you all have not seen this show and have netflix, get it. As a 60 year old fourth grade teacher I work with said, "Oh my, that show is like the smack." You will watch a season a week!

[sbpollo]

This is what is next for the creator David Simon: http://blog.nola.com/davewalker/2008..._in_treme.html

We can hardly wait!

[GDT]

FYI: if you pine for more Wire, a lot of the cast was also in Simon's The Corner, a look at one family's life over a year (6 1-hour episodes, 12$). It's not the same thing, but it's similar. Also, I believe Richard Price, George Pelecanos, and Dennis Lehane all wrote for The Wire at one time or another and their books might be of interest. In particular, Price's Clockers and if you're from Baltimore/DC, Pelecanos' work.