The Wire

Freebase Dali · 07-20-2010, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LoathsomePete

So I started watching this show last week and now I'm on the last episode of season 1. All I have to say is holy crap! This show is absolutely amazing! All the characters are well acted, well scripted, well written, and they all feel important to the story. Even the minor characters who don't get a lot of screen time are given scenes to shine. One character's death was incredibly disturbing and I can't wait to see how they focus on the killer's guilt in the latter seasons.

I've always heard great things about this show but never bothered to look it up, writing it off as yet another cop procedural with little in the sense of realism and nothing but altruistic cops and their crusade against crime. How wrong I was...

Yea man it's awesome. I watched all the seasons not too long ago for the first time and I was pretty sad that it had to end.

Freakin' McNulty... "What did I do???" Haha... the guy's a character for sure.

keith! · 07-20-2010, 08:56 PM

I'm also watching through this show for the first time. Just finished the third episode of season 3. It really is amazing, it is the greatest series I've ever watched. The writing is amazing and each character has tons of personality.

The Monkey · 07-30-2011, 08:03 AM

Amazing show in every aspect. Watched it back-to-back twice. Season 2 is probably my favourite, with seasons 1,3 and 4 tied on a second place, with season 5 trailing a bit behind (the characters of the newspaper never really engaged me as much as those of previous seasons).

How people can call season 2 the worst is beyond me. It as a perfect commentary on the declining American working class in the wake of laissez-faire capitalism. Frank Sobotka is an amazing character.

The acting throughout is astonishing, even in the minor roles (Method Man as Cheese was the only questionable choice). The writing is also top-notch on nearly every instance. I recommend this to anyone who likes intelligent and thought-provoking drama.

midnight rain · 07-30-2011, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Monkey

Amazing show in every aspect. Watched it back-to-back twice. Season 2 is probably my favourite, with seasons 1,3 and 4 tied on a second place, with season 5 trailing a bit behind (the characters of the newspaper never really engaged me as much as those of previous seasons).

How people can call season 2 the worst is beyond me. It as a perfect commentary on the declining American working class in the wake of laissez-faire capitalism. Frank Sobotka is an amazing character.

The acting throughout is astonishing, even in the minor roles (Method Man as Cheese was the only questionable choice). The writing is also top-notch on nearly every instance. I recommend this to anyone who likes intelligent and thought-provoking drama.

I agree that season 2 was underrated, but I can understand why people hated it when it first aired. It was such a departure from the gritty streets of season 1 after all, and no one was expecting. Having watched it knowing about it in advance, I think I could appreciate it more.

Oh, and season 3's my favorite. The Hamsterdam storyline is just amazing and Bunny Colvin may just be my favorite character on the show.

jackhammer · 07-30-2011, 07:10 PM

I bought this T shirt around a year ago because I was such a fan and I was wearing it in Germany when I was there about 6 weeks ago and a guy just started chatting to me in faltering English about The Wire and how damn good it was. That's endorsement right there. Absolutely everyone who watches it for at least a couple of episodes instinctively knows that it is truly superb.

Sparky · 07-31-2011, 02:33 PM

The wire has made it impossible for me to be able to watch network cop shows. Everything just seems so generic and dumb in comparison.

LoathsomePete · 07-31-2011, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by matious

The wire has made it impossible for me to be able to watch network cop shows. Everything just seems so generic and dumb in comparison.

Heh yeah I have that same problem, even the previous show Homicide: Life on the Street wasn't nearly as detailed in the accuracy. Funny thing though, the universe of The Wire, Homicide: Life on the Streets and The X-Files is a shared universe. Or at least so say the writers of Cracked.

6 Movie and TV Universes That Overlap in Mind-blowing Ways | Cracked.com

Basically a character from Homicide shows up in an episode of The Wire, HOWEVER this same character appeared in an episode of The X-Files back in the '90's when Homicide was on the air. The detective used the same name and it took place in Baltimore, where all the shows take place.

Sparky · 08-01-2011, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LoathsomePete

Heh yeah I have that same problem, even the previous show Homicide: Life on the Street wasn't nearly as detailed in the accuracy. Funny thing though, the universe of The Wire, Homicide: Life on the Streets and The X-Files is a shared universe. Or at least so say the writers of Cracked.

6 Movie and TV Universes That Overlap in Mind-blowing Ways | Cracked.com

Basically a character from Homicide shows up in an episode of The Wire, HOWEVER this same character appeared in an episode of The X-Files back in the '90's when Homicide was on the air. The detective used the same name and it took place in Baltimore, where all the shows take place.

What do you mean by previous? Is there like an actual connection, besides fan theories?

Still neat what you posted, im just urgently curious because i'd love a good crime drama to watch

~~Dirty~~ · 08-01-2011, 06:51 PM

Damnit, I just got Netflix yesterday and was really hoping The Wire was on there because I would love to watch it all from the beginning, especially after reading all the great praise here. FUUUUUUUUU

jackhammer · 08-01-2011, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by matious

What do you mean by previous? Is there like an actual connection, besides fan theories?

Still neat what you posted, im just urgently curious because i'd love a good crime drama to watch

If you can find it online somewhere then this:
BBC - BBC Two Programmes - The Shadow Line

is fantastic but it is very oblique by nature and almost hinges on avant garde cinema at times.

Also from the BBC, The Wire's very own Idris Elba in:
BBC - BBC One Programmes - Luther

Also this from Channel 4 which is an American remake of a Danish series that is getting a lot of attention. I am recording this at the moment and haven't seen any episodes yet though.
The Killing - Channel 4

07-30-2011, 08:03 AM	#23 (permalink)
The Monkey Music Addict Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Sweden Posts: 803	Amazing show in every aspect. Watched it back-to-back twice. Season 2 is probably my favourite, with seasons 1,3 and 4 tied on a second place, with season 5 trailing a bit behind (the characters of the newspaper never really engaged me as much as those of previous seasons). How people can call season 2 the worst is beyond me. It as a perfect commentary on the declining American working class in the wake of laissez-faire capitalism. Frank Sobotka is an amazing character. The acting throughout is astonishing, even in the minor roles (Method Man as Cheese was the only questionable choice). The writing is also top-notch on nearly every instance. I recommend this to anyone who likes intelligent and thought-provoking drama. __________________ Now another stranger seems to want you to ignore his dreams as though they were the burden of some other My Last.fm

07-30-2011, 07:10 PM	#25 (permalink)
jackhammer Ba and Be. Join Date: May 2007 Location: This Is England Posts: 17,331	I bought this T shirt around a year ago because I was such a fan and I was wearing it in Germany when I was there about 6 weeks ago and a guy just started chatting to me in faltering English about The Wire and how damn good it was. That's endorsement right there. Absolutely everyone who watches it for at least a couple of episodes instinctively knows that it is truly superb. __________________ It be my music and film collection. “A cynic by experience, a romantic by inclination and now a hero by necessity.”

07-20-2010, 08:56 PM	#22 (permalink)
keith! Music Addict Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Canada Posts: 287	I'm also watching through this show for the first time. Just finished the third episode of season 3. It really is amazing, it is the greatest series I've ever watched. The writing is amazing and each character has tons of personality.

07-31-2011, 02:33 PM	#26 (permalink)
Sparky not really Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 5,223	The wire has made it impossible for me to be able to watch network cop shows. Everything just seems so generic and dumb in comparison.

08-01-2011, 06:51 PM	#29 (permalink)
~~Dirty~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: USA Posts: 981	Damnit, I just got Netflix yesterday and was really hoping The Wire was on there because I would love to watch it all from the beginning, especially after reading all the great praise here. FUUUUUUUUU