The Wire (2 Viewers)

[corpcow]

I was a little confused with how they wrapped Marlo up. First, he walks off the charges. Then, he announces his intention to sell the connect to the co-op. Then, they show him back on the corner f'n with people, seemingly just to keep his name out there (remember all the flak he gave his crew for not telling him Omar was calling him out, then he asks the kids on the corner if they "know who [he] is?") Then, they show the Greeks talking to Slim, indicating that they did buy the connection from Marlo. So, I assume Marlo did decide to walk away, but simply can't. So what the hell is he going to do?

At first I thought it was as somoene else put it, "getting back into it", realizing the business stuff wasn't for him. But I think there was some symbolism in the knives and guns laying there, him in a suit, and just being "nicked" by it.

 

[menobrown]

I reallly appreciated the way they chose to wrap up the The Wire and bring us some degree of closure. It was very similar to me to the ending of 6 Feet Under which other than Rome was the last HBO show to end while trying to provide closure.

It was a wonderful show and I all in all I enjoyed the finale but I had the following gripes about it:

1. I thought the easy way Lester and Mcnulty both accepted the loss of their police careers and the ease with which they forgave Kima was a little weak. Both of those guys loved police work, it was in their blood. Not sure if Lester made his pension yet and he had the profitable side business of doll furniture but we do know Mcnulty was short on his pension and not sure what other kind of job he would do. Than Kima violates a major police code of ratting one her own out and they just want to go have a drink with her. That was all just a little weak in my opinion.

2. I was never a huge fan of the Templeton story but understand why they wanted to introduce it and as with any story the producers of The Wire did a great job with it. But it's was still not an exciting story that took up a lot of the last year and to much of the final episode and a little disappointed to see it end with Templeton never really getting busted by anyone who would hold him responsible.

3. As was mentioned by someone else I also would have liked to see a little more conversation between Marlo and Chris. At a minimum I would have wanted to see the expression on Chris face when he knew he'd never be a free man again.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

I was a little confused with how they wrapped Marlo up. First, he walks off the charges. Then, he announces his intention to sell the connect to the co-op. Then, they show him back on the corner f'n with people, seemingly just to keep his name out there (remember all the flak he gave his crew for not telling him Omar was calling him out, then he asks the kids on the corner if they "know who [he] is?") Then, they show the Greeks talking to Slim, indicating that they did buy the connection from Marlo. So, I assume Marlo did decide to walk away, but simply can't. So what the hell is he going to do?

Live off his money? I took that to partially be an expression of "you can take the boy from the streets, but you can't take the streets out of the boy."

Recall season three with Barksdale/Stringer trying to get hooked into the business world and Stringer trying to remove himself from the streets? Some parralels there as Barksdale knew it was all about shooting it up with Marlo and about his rep on the streets, not taking business off the street.

Plus, I think that scene, specifically, was Marlo overhearing the two kids talking about how Omar got shot - last week, Marlo flipped out about what folks were saying on the street about him and Omar.

Precisely - in fact, I actually said that aloud after that scene. It just seemed odd, after I saw that scene, I figured Marlo had realized he didn't belong in the legitimate business world and was going to tell the co-op to forget the offer, that he was going to stay out there and run the show. Then they showed the montage that indicated he HAD in fact sold the connect, so I guess I was left wondering where Marlo fit into everything - was he going to again attempt to divorce himself from "the game", was he going to try to reclaim the corners from the co-op down the road, was he just going to bug out and start something somewhere else, etc...

 

[dancingbones]

I finally stared watching this show in time to see about 4 or 5 episodes.

Who can point me to where I can go back and watch the rest of the series?

 

[Evilgrin 72]

I finally stared watching this show in time to see about 4 or 5 episodes. Who can point me to where I can go back and watch the rest of the series?

Get a Netflix or Blockbuster Online account and put the whole series (seasons 1-4) in your queue. All of season 5 is On Demand right now.

 

[Christo]

I was a little confused with how they wrapped Marlo up. First, he walks off the charges. Then, he announces his intention to sell the connect to the co-op. Then, they show him back on the corner f'n with people, seemingly just to keep his name out there (remember all the flak he gave his crew for not telling him Omar was calling him out, then he asks the kids on the corner if they "know who [he] is?") Then, they show the Greeks talking to Slim, indicating that they did buy the connection from Marlo. So, I assume Marlo did decide to walk away, but simply can't. So what the hell is he going to do?

I look at it more as him saying his final goodbye to the streets.

 

[whoknew]

3. As was mentioned by someone else I also would have liked to see a little more conversation between Marlo and Chris. At a minimum I would have wanted to see the expression on Chris face when he knew he'd never be a free man again.

Chris never had any expression.It's all part of the game. They know it.

 

[Christo]

3. As was mentioned by someone else I also would have liked to see a little more conversation between Marlo and Chris. At a minimum I would have wanted to see the expression on Chris face when he knew he'd never be a free man again.

Chris never had any expression.It's all part of the game. They know it.

Plus, we did get to see him later with Weebay in Jessup. They essentially run the place so he can get pretty much what he wants.

 

[fsufan]

Anyone have any idea how many people where killed over the 5 seasons?

 

[menobrown]

I was a little confused with how they wrapped Marlo up. First, he walks off the charges. Then, he announces his intention to sell the connect to the co-op. Then, they show him back on the corner f'n with people, seemingly just to keep his name out there (remember all the flak he gave his crew for not telling him Omar was calling him out, then he asks the kids on the corner if they "know who [he] is?") Then, they show the Greeks talking to Slim, indicating that they did buy the connection from Marlo. So, I assume Marlo did decide to walk away, but simply can't. So what the hell is he going to do?

I look at it more as him saying his final goodbye to the streets.

I loved that scene but I took took it to mean he was returning to the streets. To me the breath he let out seemed to say the weight of living the normal businessman life was lifted off of him and he was back home, back in his environment and he finally felt back at peace. I mean he even seemed to enjoy getting cut. The way I see it he can't quit that life no matter how much money he has or what threats exist.

 

[Marc Levin]

3. As was mentioned by someone else I also would have liked to see a little more conversation between Marlo and Chris. At a minimum I would have wanted to see the expression on Chris face when he knew he'd never be a free man again.

Chris never had any expression.It's all part of the game. They know it.

Plus, we did get to see him later with Weebay in Jessup. They essentially run the place so he can get pretty much what he wants.

And all he really wanted was for "his people" (as Marlo put it) to be taken care of. He had a family he cared about and suffered a lot and stayed away from them a lot so they would be safe and cared for. I think there is an analogy there between Chris-his family and Michael-Bug. I think Chris felt some kinship with Michael.

 

[Chaka]

A fitting ending to the series. Some of the parellelism was a wee bit heavy handed, but I found I didn't really mind.

100% agreement - The Wire guys always knew how to properly end each season - they wrapped things up each year very very well. And they knew how to properly end this series.Unlike the Sopranos, Deadwood, Carnivale, and Rome, I was prepared for the ending when it came and I was left completely satisfied with how it ended.

I am pretty sure Deadwood and Carnivale did not know they were ending before the last episodes aired.As I understand it, HBO still has not broken down the Deadwood sets. Gives me hope that we may eventually get the conclusion we deserve.

 

[DocGonzo]

I was a little confused with how they wrapped Marlo up. First, he walks off the charges. Then, he announces his intention to sell the connect to the co-op. Then, they show him back on the corner f'n with people, seemingly just to keep his name out there (remember all the flak he gave his crew for not telling him Omar was calling him out, then he asks the kids on the corner if they "know who [he] is?") Then, they show the Greeks talking to Slim, indicating that they did buy the connection from Marlo. So, I assume Marlo did decide to walk away, but simply can't. So what the hell is he going to do?

I look at it more as him saying his final goodbye to the streets.

I loved that scene but I took took it to mean he was returning to the streets. To me the breath he let out seemed to say the weight of living the normal businessman life was lifted off of him and he was back home, back in his environment and he finally felt back at peace. I mean he even seemed to enjoy getting cut. The way I see it he can't quit that life no matter how much money he has or what threats exist.

I thought it was a pretty good scene as well. I think it really, in one scene and with one character, illustrated a running theme throughout the show. There was always this idea that the line between good and bad is not a bright one, that the world exists in a gray area, and that "good" guys and "bad" guys are often motivated by the same base instincts. I guess, to put it another way, that we're really all one in the same, just feeding off the system in different ways. So in this scene you had the former drug kingpin, leaving the scene of a party full of "legit" businesspeople, and taking over a corner. And there he stands, in a suit probably worth more than the building behind him, as sort of a dichotomy. Is he a drug kingpin? A cornerboy? A mainstream land developer? What difference does it really make, you know? To me, it was a sort of visual symbol of how intertwined the "good" and "bad" really is both in Simon's Baltimore and, by extension in America at large. It reminded me of the scene from, I think, season 3, where Omar is being cross-examined by Levy in the trial of one of the Barksdale people. I don't remember the exact wording, but I think Levy was trying to attack Omar's credibility as a witness. He mentions how Omar is really just a guy who robs drug dealers and Omar responds saying something like: "You and me are the same. Only difference is I use a shotgun and you use a briefcase."

Speaking of Omar, check out the Youtube clip below. Didn't see this posted before so my apologies if it was, but it looks like Omar and Kenard sort of crossed paths way back in Season 3. Below the Youtube link is a link to a great interview with Simon (again, didn't see this posted here before so my bad if it was), where I found the Youtube link.

Anyway, thought it was a great end to one of the best shows I've ever seen. I'm reading Simon's book "Homicide" right now, and if you haven't checked it out I highly recommend it. You'll recognize plenty of stuff from the show.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksUNm6TZ1rQ

http://sepinwall.blogspot.com/2008/03/wire...id-simon-q.html

 

[PinkydaPimp]

I was a little confused with how they wrapped Marlo up. First, he walks off the charges. Then, he announces his intention to sell the connect to the co-op. Then, they show him back on the corner f'n with people, seemingly just to keep his name out there (remember all the flak he gave his crew for not telling him Omar was calling him out, then he asks the kids on the corner if they "know who [he] is?") Then, they show the Greeks talking to Slim, indicating that they did buy the connection from Marlo. So, I assume Marlo did decide to walk away, but simply can't. So what the hell is he going to do?

I look at it more as him saying his final goodbye to the streets.

yea. i took it is him having fun one last time. Just reassuring to himself that he was still the man.

 

[Marc Levin]

A fitting ending to the series. Some of the parellelism was a wee bit heavy handed, but I found I didn't really mind.

100% agreement - The Wire guys always knew how to properly end each season - they wrapped things up each year very very well. And they knew how to properly end this series.Unlike the Sopranos, Deadwood, Carnivale, and Rome, I was prepared for the ending when it came and I was left completely satisfied with how it ended.

I am pretty sure Deadwood and Carnivale did not know they were ending before the last episodes aired.As I understand it, HBO still has not broken down the Deadwood sets. Gives me hope that we may eventually get the conclusion we deserve.

They didn't. That is why I said "I was prepared for the ending" I was def. NOT prepared for Carnivale or Deadwood to end when they did.

 

[Chaka]

I reallly appreciated the way they chose to wrap up the The Wire and bring us some degree of closure. It was very similar to me to the ending of 6 Feet Under which other than Rome was the last HBO show to end while trying to provide closure.

It was a wonderful show and I all in all I enjoyed the finale but I had the following gripes about it:

1. I thought the easy way Lester and Mcnulty both accepted the loss of their police careers and the ease with which they forgave Kima was a little weak. Both of those guys loved police work, it was in their blood. Not sure if Lester made his pension yet and he had the profitable side business of doll furniture but we do know Mcnulty was short on his pension and not sure what other kind of job he would do. Than Kima violates a major police code of ratting one her own out and they just want to go have a drink with her. That was all just a little weak in my opinion.

3. As was mentioned by someone else I also would have liked to see a little more conversation between Marlo and Chris. At a minimum I would have wanted to see the expression on Chris face when he knew he'd never be a free man again.

Lester had 32 years and 4 months on the force so he got his pension.I am pretty sure Chris would have taken the news in the exact same way that Wee-Bay did. No need to see that twice.

And I have no problem with Lester and McNulty forgiving Kima. They both knew that they we ending their careers when they propogated the serial killer story. They had plenty of time to come to grips with that. They love Kima, who I see as Bunk's parallel in her generation (Sydnor = McNulty), they got the bust they wanted, no need for them to bear grudges. Besides McNulty & Lester weren't the whole Blue Line of silence type of cops to begin with.

 

[Chaka]

I finally stared watching this show in time to see about 4 or 5 episodes. Who can point me to where I can go back and watch the rest of the series?

Get a Netflix or Blockbuster Online account and put the whole series (seasons 1-4) in your queue. All of season 5 is On Demand right now.

Go with Blockbuster, Netflix will be out of business before too long.

 

[Chaka]

3. As was mentioned by someone else I also would have liked to see a little more conversation between Marlo and Chris. At a minimum I would have wanted to see the expression on Chris face when he knew he'd never be a free man again.

Chris never had any expression.It's all part of the game. They know it.

Plus, we did get to see him later with Weebay in Jessup. They essentially run the place so he can get pretty much what he wants.

And all he really wanted was for "his people" (as Marlo put it) to be taken care of. He had a family he cared about and suffered a lot and stayed away from them a lot so they would be safe and cared for. I think there is an analogy there between Chris-his family and Michael-Bug. I think Chris felt some kinship with Michael.

There was definitely a kinship there. Clearly killing Bug's father was a very personal thing for Chris, who usually killed emotionlessly.

 

[scoobygang]

I reallly appreciated the way they chose to wrap up the The Wire and bring us some degree of closure. It was very similar to me to the ending of 6 Feet Under which other than Rome was the last HBO show to end while trying to provide closure.It was a wonderful show and I all in all I enjoyed the finale but I had the following gripes about it:1. I thought the easy way Lester and Mcnulty both accepted the loss of their police careers and the ease with which they forgave Kima was a little weak. Both of those guys loved police work, it was in their blood. Not sure if Lester made his pension yet and he had the profitable side business of doll furniture but we do know Mcnulty was short on his pension and not sure what other kind of job he would do. Than Kima violates a major police code of ratting one her own out and they just want to go have a drink with her. That was all just a little weak in my opinion.

Lester had 31 or 32 years on the force. He got his pension. And while he continued to gripe about no longer being able to follow the money, he had to admit that what Ronnie had said was true. He couldn't pin that on anyone but himself.McNulty had just been confronted with the fact that he was at least indirectly responsible for two homicides. Now, I think they had McNulty come to Jesus a bit too easily anyway (he basically stopped drinking and whoring again cold turkey as soon he realized he couldn't end his scam), but once he was back to being responsible, I didn't see how he could blame Kima for anything. He knew that the entire Stop Snitching ethos perpetuated bad police work and the very culture he felt compelled to change. McNulty presumably had enough self knowledge in Season Four to take "semi retirement" and go back to just standard uniform duty in the Western. By now, he had to know that he couldn't function as murder po-lice. He could either be the smartest detective in the room or try to be a decent human being. He chose the latter. I think too much is made of this idea that McNulty can only do police work. Freakin' Herc landed on his feet. Jimmy can find something to do.

 

[Shrek]

A fitting ending to the series. Some of the parellelism was a wee bit heavy handed, but I found I didn't really mind.

100% agreement - The Wire guys always knew how to properly end each season - they wrapped things up each year very very well. And they knew how to properly end this series.Unlike the Sopranos, Deadwood, Carnivale, and Rome, I was prepared for the ending when it came and I was left completely satisfied with how it ended.

I am pretty sure Deadwood and Carnivale did not know they were ending before the last episodes aired.As I understand it, HBO still has not broken down the Deadwood sets. Gives me hope that we may eventually get the conclusion we deserve.

That would be so ####### awesome.

 

[Shrek]

I reallly appreciated the way they chose to wrap up the The Wire and bring us some degree of closure. It was very similar to me to the ending of 6 Feet Under which other than Rome was the last HBO show to end while trying to provide closure.

It was a wonderful show and I all in all I enjoyed the finale but I had the following gripes about it:

1. I thought the easy way Lester and Mcnulty both accepted the loss of their police careers and the ease with which they forgave Kima was a little weak. Both of those guys loved police work, it was in their blood. Not sure if Lester made his pension yet and he had the profitable side business of doll furniture but we do know Mcnulty was short on his pension and not sure what other kind of job he would do. Than Kima violates a major police code of ratting one her own out and they just want to go have a drink with her. That was all just a little weak in my opinion.

Lester had 31 or 32 years on the force. He got his pension. And while he continued to gripe about no longer being able to follow the money, he had to admit that what Ronnie had said was true. He couldn't pin that on anyone but himself.McNulty had just been confronted with the fact that he was at least indirectly responsible for two homicides. Now, I think they had McNulty come to Jesus a bit too easily anyway (he basically stopped drinking and whoring again cold turkey as soon he realized he couldn't end his scam), but once he was back to being responsible, I didn't see how he could blame Kima for anything. He knew that the entire Stop Snitching ethos perpetuated bad police work and the very culture he felt compelled to change. McNulty presumably had enough self knowledge in Season Four to take "semi retirement" and go back to just standard uniform duty in the Western. By now, he had to know that he couldn't function as murder po-lice. He could either be the smartest detective in the room or try to be a decent human being. He chose the latter.

I think too much is made of this idea that McNulty can only do police work. Freakin' Herc landed on his feet. Jimmy can find something to do.

And I also agree on the observation that they were a bit too ham-fisted with the parallelisms. We get it. I mean, they even felt the need to put Michael in a hood and use a shotgun. Perhaps they could have put a scar down his face or had him make out with his stick up partner to make sure that everyone got it. But that's a small criticism for an otherwise fantastic show. Finally, HBO has a satisfying ending to a series.

 

[Shrek]

Heard a good interview last night on NPR's Fresh Air Weekend with Terry Gross. She interviewed Richard Price in the first half hour, and David Simon in the second half hour.

Richard Price wrote Clockers, which David Simon freely admits was the inspiration for The Corner, and in many ways, for The Wire. In fact, Price shares writing credits for the following episodes of The Wire:

Season 3, episode 2 "All Due Respect"

Season 3, episode 8 "Moral Midgetry" (The one where Stringer reveals to Avon that he had D'Angelo killed)

Season 4, episode 3 "Home Rooms"

Season 4, episode 8 "Corner Boys"

Season 5, episode 7 "Took"

Anyway, Price has a new book out called Lush Life that's getting good reviews. Here's one:

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Master of the Bronx and Jersey projects, Price (Clockers) turns his unrelenting eye on Manhattan's Lower East Side in this manic crescendo of a novel that explores the repercussions of a seemingly random shooting. When bartender Ike Marcus is shot to death after barhopping with friends, NYPD Det. Matty Clark and his team first focus on restaurant manager and struggling writer Eric Cash, who claims the group was accosted by would-be muggers, despite eyewitnesses saying otherwise. As Matty grills Eric on the still-hazy details of the shooting, Price steps back and follows the lives of the alleged shooters—teenagers Tristan Acevedo and Little Dap Williams, who live in a nearby housing project—as well as Ike's grieving father, Billy, who hounds the police even as leads dwindle. As the intersecting narratives hurtle toward a climax that's both expected and shocking, Price peels back the layers of his characters and the neighborhood until all is laid bare. With its perfect dialogue and attention to the smallest detail, Price's latest reminds readers why he's one of the masters of American urban crime fiction.

 

[jamil]

I was a little confused with how they wrapped Marlo up. First, he walks off the charges. Then, he announces his intention to sell the connect to the co-op. Then, they show him back on the corner f'n with people, seemingly just to keep his name out there (remember all the flak he gave his crew for not telling him Omar was calling him out, then he asks the kids on the corner if they "know who [he] is?") Then, they show the Greeks talking to Slim, indicating that they did buy the connection from Marlo. So, I assume Marlo did decide to walk away, but simply can't. So what the hell is he going to do?

I look at it more as him saying his final goodbye to the streets.

yea. i took it is him having fun one last time. Just reassuring to himself that he was still the man.

that scene was powerful to me. i caught it as he was tryna get his last high before he left the game. i think he retired with his 10 mill and kicked back somewhere...i mean he did sell the connect, so he had nothin to sell if he did stay in the game.

 

[Shrek]

I am still puzzled as to why this show has flown under the radar for so long. If half the number of people that watched The Sopranos had watched The Wire, this thread would be 100 pages long.

 

[PinkydaPimp]

i didnt start watching the wire until like a month before the season started. Was sick and watched season 4 on demand. it was so good i went and bought the other seasons. Season 4 is my favorite. Followed by season 1, then 3, then 5, then 2.

 

[Chaka]

I am still puzzled as to why this show has flown under the radar for so long. If half the number of people that watched The Sopranos had watched The Wire, this thread would be 100 pages long.

Creator David Simon blamed the show's low ratings in part on its competition against Desperate Housewives and worried that expectations for HBO dramas had changed following the success of The Sopranos.

Despite the critical acclaim, The Wire has received poor Nielsen Ratings, which Simon attributes to the complexity of the plot, a poor time slot, heavy use of esoteric slang, particularly among the gangster characters and a predominantly black cast.[215] Critics felt the show was testing the attention span of its audience and felt that it was mistimed in the wake of the launch of the successful crime drama The Shield on FX.

 

[snitwitch]

I am still puzzled as to why this show has flown under the radar for so long. If half the number of people that watched The Sopranos had watched The Wire, this thread would be 100 pages long.

Arguably, the show didn't really hit it's stride until S3 and S4. S2 is universally considered the show's weakest season, I think that hurt the show tremendously. S1, I think the show was still trying to find it's way. It appears The Wire started out as a typical police procedural and evolved into a much more complex show over time.

The show is a critical darling, but it's not without flaws. The "street" and "politics" side of the show is riveting. It's electric. The "law enforcement" side however is not as strong, often it's the weakest element in the show. The criminals and the politicians are truly three dimensional, I have my doubts if the cops shown are the same.

I think if the law enforcement side was kept as a much more minor component, this would have been a much more popular show. I could watch an hour straight of Omar, Avon, Stringer, D'Angelo, the four kids, Cutty, etc but I couldn't handle McNulty and crew for more than 5 minutes at a time.

I think the "law enforcement" facet was compelling at first, but became way too formulaic over time. By Season 5 all the procedural, "get a wire up on so-and so" cat-and-mouse stuff was pretty played out, and how many more times did we need we see Bunk and McNutty pounding beers and whiskys before we got tired of it?

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

I am still puzzled as to why this show has flown under the radar for so long. If half the number of people that watched The Sopranos had watched The Wire, this thread would be 100 pages long.

Arguably, the show didn't really hit it's stride until S3 and S4. S2 is universally considered the show's weakest season, I think that hurt the show tremendously. S1, I think the show was still trying to find it's way. It appears The Wire started out as a typical police procedural and evolved into a much more complex show over time.

The show is a critical darling, but it's not without flaws. The "street" and "politics" side of the show is riveting. It's electric. The "law enforcement" side however is not as strong, often it's the weakest element in the show. The criminals and the politicians are truly three dimensional, I have my doubts if the cops shown are the same.

I think if the law enforcement side was kept as a much more minor component, this would have been a much more popular show. I could watch an hour straight of Omar, Avon, Stringer, D'Angelo, the four kids, Cutty, etc but I couldn't handle McNulty and crew for more than 5 minutes at a time.

I think the "law enforcement" facet was compelling at first, but became way too formulaic over time. By Season 5 all the procedural, "get a wire up on so-and so" cat-and-mouse stuff was pretty played out, and how many more times did we need we see Bunk and McNutty pounding beers and whiskys before we got tired of it?

Never!

 

[Chaka]

I am still puzzled as to why this show has flown under the radar for so long. If half the number of people that watched The Sopranos had watched The Wire, this thread would be 100 pages long.

Arguably, the show didn't really hit it's stride until S3 and S4. S2 is universally considered the show's weakest season, I think that hurt the show tremendously. S1, I think the show was still trying to find it's way. It appears The Wire started out as a typical police procedural and evolved into a much more complex show over time.

The show is a critical darling, but it's not without flaws. The "street" and "politics" side of the show is riveting. It's electric. The "law enforcement" side however is not as strong, often it's the weakest element in the show. The criminals and the politicians are truly three dimensional, I have my doubts if the cops shown are the same.

I think if the law enforcement side was kept as a much more minor component, this would have been a much more popular show. I could watch an hour straight of Omar, Avon, Stringer, D'Angelo, the four kids, Cutty, etc but I couldn't handle McNulty and crew for more than 5 minutes at a time.

I think the "law enforcement" facet was compelling at first, but became way too formulaic over time. By Season 5 all the procedural, "get a wire up on so-and so" cat-and-mouse stuff was pretty played out, and how many more times did we need we see Bunk and McNutty pounding beers and whiskys before we got tired of it?

I never really got tired of watching them get drunk.

 

[corpcow]

I finally stared watching this show in time to see about 4 or 5 episodes. Who can point me to where I can go back and watch the rest of the series?

Get a Netflix or Blockbuster Online account and put the whole series (seasons 1-4) in your queue. All of season 5 is On Demand right now.

Go with Blockbuster, Netflix will be out of business before too long.

Oh? Not to derail the thread, but I really think this was a silly comment Blockbuster has a 500m market cap, Netflix has a 2b market cap. Both are up today, but NFLX is doing some innovative things around streaming (partnering with LG for their TVs, rumors of releasing something to enable this over consoles like PS3 and X360).

 

[corpcow]

I am still puzzled as to why this show has flown under the radar for so long. If half the number of people that watched The Sopranos had watched The Wire, this thread would be 100 pages long.

Creator David Simon blamed the show's low ratings in part on its competition against Desperate Housewives and worried that expectations for HBO dramas had changed following the success of The Sopranos.

Despite the critical acclaim, The Wire has received poor Nielsen Ratings, which Simon attributes to the complexity of the plot, a poor time slot, heavy use of esoteric slang, particularly among the gangster characters and a predominantly black cast.[215] Critics felt the show was testing the attention span of its audience and felt that it was mistimed in the wake of the launch of the successful crime drama The Shield on FX.

I think the complexity of the plot was definitely a major factor. There's so much backstory that it's really hard to pick up without the full 4 year backstory. Characters, and subtle moments, don't mean much - and you can see the confusion/missing of things even with many of us supposedly dedicated viewers.So, if you got hooked early, you were hooked for life, but it wasn't particularly "accessible".

On the other hand, my wife recently got into Dexter and Brotherhood, both of which I've been a big fan of for awhile back to the first seasons. She watched the second season and - with just a little clarification on certain points - understood most of what was going on. She then went back and got caught up with all the details.

She sat down to do the same on the Wire and completely missed much of it. I've heard similar responses to others who tried to get into it this season.

 

[snitwitch]

I finally stared watching this show in time to see about 4 or 5 episodes.

Who can point me to where I can go back and watch the rest of the series?

Get a Netflix or Blockbuster Online account and put the whole series (seasons 1-4) in your queue. All of season 5 is On Demand right now.

Go with Blockbuster, Netflix will be out of business before too long.

Oh? Not to derail the thread, but I really think this was a silly comment Blockbuster has a 500m market cap, Netflix has a 2b market cap. Both are up today, but NFLX is doing some innovative things around streaming (partnering with LG for their TVs, rumors of releasing something to enable this over consoles like PS3 and X360).

This is the next race IMO, who can deliver this stuff sans physical media.

 

[snitwitch]

I am still puzzled as to why this show has flown under the radar for so long. If half the number of people that watched The Sopranos had watched The Wire, this thread would be 100 pages long.

Arguably, the show didn't really hit it's stride until S3 and S4. S2 is universally considered the show's weakest season, I think that hurt the show tremendously. S1, I think the show was still trying to find it's way. It appears The Wire started out as a typical police procedural and evolved into a much more complex show over time.

The show is a critical darling, but it's not without flaws. The "street" and "politics" side of the show is riveting. It's electric. The "law enforcement" side however is not as strong, often it's the weakest element in the show. The criminals and the politicians are truly three dimensional, I have my doubts if the cops shown are the same.

I think if the law enforcement side was kept as a much more minor component, this would have been a much more popular show. I could watch an hour straight of Omar, Avon, Stringer, D'Angelo, the four kids, Cutty, etc but I couldn't handle McNulty and crew for more than 5 minutes at a time.

I think the "law enforcement" facet was compelling at first, but became way too formulaic over time. By Season 5 all the procedural, "get a wire up on so-and so" cat-and-mouse stuff was pretty played out, and how many more times did we need we see Bunk and McNutty pounding beers and whiskys before we got tired of it?

I never really got tired of watching them get drunk.

Ok, maybe it was entertaining

 

[the moops]

S2 is universally considered the show's weakest season,

Season 2 was better than season 1 and 5.

 

[Sinn Fein]

I think the "law enforcement" facet was compelling at first, but became way too formulaic over time. By Season 5 all the procedural, "get a wire up on so-and so" cat-and-mouse stuff was pretty played out, and how many more times did we need we see Bunk and McNutty pounding beers and whiskys before we got tired of it?

I never really got tired of watching them get drunk.

McNulty, the Chick, the hood of the car, and a badge . . . thats good TV right there

 

[Chaka]

I finally stared watching this show in time to see about 4 or 5 episodes. Who can point me to where I can go back and watch the rest of the series?

Get a Netflix or Blockbuster Online account and put the whole series (seasons 1-4) in your queue. All of season 5 is On Demand right now.

Go with Blockbuster, Netflix will be out of business before too long.

Oh? Not to derail the thread, but I really think this was a silly comment Blockbuster has a 500m market cap, Netflix has a 2b market cap. Both are up today, but NFLX is doing some innovative things around streaming (partnering with LG for their TVs, rumors of releasing something to enable this over consoles like PS3 and X360).

They better get in on the streaming because they were a casualty of the HD-DVD v BluRay War.

 

[the moops]

I finally stared watching this show in time to see about 4 or 5 episodes. Who can point me to where I can go back and watch the rest of the series?

Get a Netflix or Blockbuster Online account and put the whole series (seasons 1-4) in your queue. All of season 5 is On Demand right now.

Go with Blockbuster, Netflix will be out of business before too long.

Oh? Not to derail the thread, but I really think this was a silly comment Blockbuster has a 500m market cap, Netflix has a 2b market cap. Both are up today, but NFLX is doing some innovative things around streaming (partnering with LG for their TVs, rumors of releasing something to enable this over consoles like PS3 and X360).

They better get in on the streaming because they were a casualty of the HD-DVD v BluRay War.

They are already in on the streaming. They offer thousands of movies in the streaming format.

 

[corpcow]

I finally stared watching this show in time to see about 4 or 5 episodes. Who can point me to where I can go back and watch the rest of the series?

Get a Netflix or Blockbuster Online account and put the whole series (seasons 1-4) in your queue. All of season 5 is On Demand right now.

Go with Blockbuster, Netflix will be out of business before too long.

Oh? Not to derail the thread, but I really think this was a silly comment Blockbuster has a 500m market cap, Netflix has a 2b market cap. Both are up today, but NFLX is doing some innovative things around streaming (partnering with LG for their TVs, rumors of releasing something to enable this over consoles like PS3 and X360).

They better get in on the streaming because they were a casualty of the HD-DVD v BluRay War.

How were they a "casualty" of the war? They are and were completely immune to the outcome. They stocked both HD-DVD and Bluray from the start, which in fact help increase the number of subscribers. There might a slight short-term hit for purchasing HD-DVD media, but that's inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. And Blockbuster had also stocked both formats online as well - it was only in (most) of their stores that they went Bluray exclusive until more recently (as Netflix did). Blockbuster also raised their prices recently and most people lost the ability to do the in-store rentals - which was a big differentiator in their online service vs. Netflix. Not to mention the amazing overhead of running a B&M store with expensive retail locations vs. a remote warehouse.But anyway... back to the wire.

 

[corpcow]

I think the "law enforcement" facet was compelling at first, but became way too formulaic over time. By Season 5 all the procedural, "get a wire up on so-and so" cat-and-mouse stuff was pretty played out, and how many more times did we need we see Bunk and McNutty pounding beers and whiskys before we got tired of it?

I never really got tired of watching them get drunk.

McNulty, the Chick, the hood of the car, and a badge . . . thats good TV right there

I lvoed that scene when McNutty rolled down the hilll... think it was season 1?

 

[Daywalker]

Wish the guy who wrote the Bubbles story got the pulitzer or whatever award the white guy got. The other guy getting the award was silly.

I think that's what makes the wire so great. The good guys don't always win.

You could throw us one bone though.

 

[Chaka]

Wish the guy who wrote the Bubbles story got the pulitzer or whatever award the white guy got. The other guy getting the award was silly.

I think that's what makes the wire so great. The good guys don't always win.

You could throw us one bone though.

I think they threw us several, particularly with Bubbles.

 

[the moops]

Wish the guy who wrote the Bubbles story got the pulitzer or whatever award the white guy got. The other guy getting the award was silly.

I think that's what makes the wire so great. The good guys don't always win.

You could throw us one bone though.

I think they threw us several, particularly with Bubbles.

Daniels, Namond, and Prez are three others

 

[Chaka]

Wish the guy who wrote the Bubbles story got the pulitzer or whatever award the white guy got. The other guy getting the award was silly.

I think that's what makes the wire so great. The good guys don't always win.

You could throw us one bone though.

I think they threw us several, particularly with Bubbles.

Daniels, Namond, and Prez are three others

Lester, Pearlman, Carver and Herc too (even if Herc is working for a slimeball).ETA: I forget, did Cutty work into the final montage?

 

[Shaft]

Anybody think Sydnor is going to be the new McNulty?

 

[snitwitch]

Wish the guy who wrote the Bubbles story got the pulitzer or whatever award the white guy got. The other guy getting the award was silly.

I think that's what makes the wire so great. The good guys don't always win.

You could throw us one bone though.

I think they threw us several, particularly with Bubbles.

Daniels, Namond, and Prez are three others

Lester, Pearlman, Carver and Herc too (even if Herc is working for a slimeball).ETA: I forget, did Cutty work into the final montage?

I didn't see him. That would mean the last we saw of him was that scene with him and Dookie?

 

[Chaka]

Anybody think Sydnor is going to be the new McNulty?

I don't think they could have hit us over the head harder on that one.Kima = BunkDukie = BubblesMichael = OmarCarver = Danielsetc.

 

[Shaft]

Anybody think Sydnor is going to be the new McNulty?

I don't think they could have hit us over the head harder on that one.Kima = Bunk

Dukie = Bubbles

Michael = Omar

Carver = Daniels

etc.

Bunk is still Bunk, no? And I think Dukie could turn into either Bubbles or Sharrod. Carver might be the new Lester.

 

[Christo]

Anybody think Sydnor is going to be the new McNulty?

I don't think they could have hit us over the head harder on that one.Kima = Bunk

Dukie = Bubbles

Michael = Omar

Carver = Daniels

etc.

Bunk is still Bunk, no? And I think Dukie could turn into either Bubbles or Sharrod. Carver might be the new Lester.

It's not an exact science.

 

[menobrown]

Anybody think Sydnor is going to be the new McNulty?

I don't think they could have hit us over the head harder on that one.Kima = Bunk

Dukie = Bubbles

Michael = Omar

Carver = Daniels

etc.

Bunk is still Bunk, no? And I think Dukie could turn into either Bubbles or Sharrod. Carver might be the new Lester.

And I think Carver was molded by Bunny and is more or less the new Bunny and had been for awhile.

 

[Chaka]

Anybody think Sydnor is going to be the new McNulty?

I don't think they could have hit us over the head harder on that one.Kima = Bunk

Dukie = Bubbles

Michael = Omar

Carver = Daniels

etc.

Bunk is still Bunk, no? And I think Dukie could turn into either Bubbles or Sharrod. Carver might be the new Lester.

The Kima parallel is probably a stretch but they hit us with so many I might just have lumped that one in. I just decided to connect the fact that they both refused to play along with McNulty on the serial killer and I could imagine a younger, less seasoned, Bunk going upstairs with that information like Kima did.I think Sharrod was not a significant enough character for Simon to try to make that connection.

Lester got busted down to pawn detail for 13 years (and four months), doesn't seem like the career track that Carver is on he seems to have been most influenced by Bunny and Daniels.

Syndor looks to be the one carrying the torch for McNulty and Lester.