The Wire - General Discussion

[Aethera]

This topic replaces the old The Wire forum which has been vaulted at the location below:

http://forums.previously.tv/forum/649-the-wire-v/

[Zola]

Have been away for a few months to find my favourite TV show has been archived. Can't believe its getting on for almost 2 decades old, give or take a year as it still seems as fresh and relevant as it did back in the early 00s

And I have seen a myriad of quality TV drama since then, and although most have been quite excellent and riveting, I still keep coming back to The Wire for my regular fix - which seems ironic given one of the mainstream topics of the show.

[Brooklynista]

https://www.tmz.com/2019/07/21/sonja-sohn-arrested-cocaine-possession-the-wire-chi/

Kima noooo!!!

[Zola]

On 7/22/2019 at 1:49 AM, Brooklynista said:

https://www.tmz.com/2019/07/21/sonja-sohn-arrested-cocaine-possession-the-wire-chi/

Kima noooo!!!

I can't get my head round that! I thought she was doing some fine support work for addicts a few years back (might be wrong in that, can't quite recall).

I was never a big fan of her Kima character in The Wire, but all the same what a very silly thing to do!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Wendell Pierce is starring in the West End revival of Death of a Salesman. Last week during the performance, the ceiling collapsed. The theater had to be evacuated and five people were treated by paramedics at the scene.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I've been watching His Dark Materials and Clarke Peters is on it! He plays the master of the college where the main character Lyra lives.

[Zola]

I am currently watching "Brassic" here in the UK. It's quite funny, but to my surprise co-stars Dominic "McNulty" West as a doctor/shrink.

Seems weird listening to him with his standard English accent, I keep on expecting him to say "What the fuck did I do?"

I do find it hard watching films/tv shows of actors formerly from The Wire, chiefly because I see them as The Wire actors rather than the roles they're playing in the latest film/TV show. 

For example I recently watched John Wick, with Kenau Reeves, but also starring Lance "Daniels" Reddick. But his appearance was so brief blink and you would have missed it. And yet in The Wire he had a dominate role to play.

[Raja]

8 minutes ago, Zola said:

I do find it hard watching films/tv shows of actors formerly from The Wire, chiefly because I see them as The Wire actors rather than the roles they're playing in the latest film/TV show. 

For example I recently watched John Wick, with Kenau Reeves, but also starring Lance "Daniels" Reddick. But his appearance was so brief blink and you would have missed it. And yet in The Wire he had a dominate role to play.

Lance Reddick has a much bigger role in John Wick 3.

Just about the only alumni that I no longer think of The Wire first with is Micheal B. Jordan. Maybe because Wallace was a child and he made the transition to an adult star.

[Gobi]

40 minutes ago, Zola said:

I am currently watching "Brassic" here in the UK. It's quite funny, but to my surprise co-stars Dominic "McNulty" West as a doctor/shrink.

Seems weird listening to him with his standard English accent, I keep on expecting him to say "What the fuck did I do?"

I do find it hard watching films/tv shows of actors formerly from The Wire, chiefly because I see them as The Wire actors rather than the roles they're playing in the latest film/TV show. 

For example I recently watched John Wick, with Kenau Reeves, but also starring Lance "Daniels" Reddick. But his appearance was so brief blink and you would have missed it. And yet in The Wire he had a dominate role to play.

I always enjoy seeing actors from The Wire in something else, because they are so good. If you haven't seen it,  you should try the HBO series The Deuce, also by David Simon, which features one or two Wire alumni and has a minor prequel-like reference to The Wire in the final episode.

[PamelaMaeSnap]

On 12/4/2019 at 11:06 AM, Gobi said:

you should try the HBO series The Deuce, also by David Simon, which features one or two Wire alumni

I loved The Deuce (especially having grown up in Manhattan during that period), and was thrilled to see AT LEAST seven Wire alumni in the show (I may have missed a few): Lawrence Gilliard Jr. (D'Angelo on Wire/Chris Alston on Deuce), Chris Bauer (Frank Sobotka/Bobby Dwyer), Gbenga Akinnagbe who just starred on Broadway in To Kill A Mockingbird (Chris Partlow/Larry Brown), Anwan Glover (Slim Charles/Leon), Michael Kostroff (Maury Levy/Rizzi), Dom Lombardozzi (Herc/Jack Maple) and Method Man (Cheese/Rodney). 

[MisterGlass]

For a limited time HBO Go is allowing people without an account to watch certain shows.  "The Wire" is on the free list.

I never saw this in its original run.  I've made it through the first three seasons in the last two weeks.  I heard it was impressively written, and it is. 

I cannot get over how good the casting is, and how much talent they have sharing scenes.  Lance Reddick, Michael Kenneth Williams, and others were known to me from their other great work, but it took me about four episodes to recognize that little Michael B Jordan was playing Wallace.  How interesting that he'll be in the upcoming adaptation of "Without Remorse."

[laughs]

Hey guys, is this the only thread to discuss The Wire? I tried searching, but this was the only result. Is there some thread else for this? Or does anyone happen to know of a forum exclusively for The Wire. I know reddit's got one, but I don't quite like the look of the site. 

[Gobi]

1 hour ago, laughs said:

Hey guys, is this the only thread to discuss The Wire? I tried searching, but this was the only result. Is there some thread else for this? Or does anyone happen to know of a forum exclusively for The Wire. I know reddit's got one, but I don't quite like the look of the site. 

This is it. It’s not very active, as the show is no longer running. You can find the link for “read only” discussions in the first post here.

[laughs]

On 6/25/2020 at 4:10 PM, Gobi said:

This is it. It’s not very active, as the show is no longer running. You can find the link for “read only” discussions in the first post here.

Thanks!

[xaxat]

I highly recommend the podcast Way Down in the Hole, hosted by Jemelle Hill and Van Lathan. It's an episode by episode rewatch/breakdown that they started a couple of months ago. Right now they about midway through season two.

Good stuff.

ETA They usually try to avoid spoilers for future episodes. But, as they note, the show is twenty years old.

Edited June 26, 2020 by xaxat

[Hava]

Unpopular opinion: I loved the second season. 

[Raja]

4 minutes ago, Hava said:

Unpopular opinion: I loved the second season. 

As the previously mentioned podcast points out on rewatching season 2 moves up most folks list. I had my theory that The Wire had a For Us, By Us reputation and with the Barksdale family demphasized the second season fell into the racial political quagmire. 

I originally saw the BET syndication version and so much of the checkers story was edited out you never knew that the case started over the stain glass window for the Parrish 

[laughs]

On 6/26/2020 at 9:36 PM, xaxat said:

I highly recommend the podcast Way Down in the Hole, hosted by Jemelle Hill and Van Lathan. It's an episode by episode rewatch/breakdown that they started a couple of months ago. Right now they about midway through season two.

Good stuff.

ETA They usually try to avoid spoilers for future episodes. But, as they note, the show is twenty years old.

Thank you for this! Really appreciate it!

On 6/27/2020 at 12:12 AM, Hava said:

Unpopular opinion: I loved the second season. 

Second unpopular opinion: I loved the fifth season! 😄

 

[xaxat]

Amazon Prime has a science fiction show set in a spacefaring future called The Expanse. (Highly recommended if you like that kind of stuff.) They just released a trailer for the next season and one of the characters says that he needs to return home to Baltimore to take care of some family business. Then we see this guy.

That's right! Burrell is still alive!

Oh, and Cutty (Chad Coleman) is on the show as well.

Edited October 9, 2020 by xaxat

[ElectricBoogaloo]

There are two alumni from The Wire in the upcoming movie adaptation of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom! Michael Potts (Brother Mouzone) plays Slow Drag and Glynn Turman (Mayor Clarence Royce) plays Toledo.

 

[BetterButter]

 

[Broderbits]

This is a terrible loss......he was so great in everything he did. RIP Mr. Omar.

[Tom Holmberg]

New book coming out in Jan. 2022 about "The Wire": Cracking The Wire During Black Lives Matter by Ronda Racha Penrice

"Idris Elba, Michael B. Jordan, Wendell Pierce, Michael K. Williams -- first known as Stringer Bell, Wallace, Bunk, and Omar -- are just a few of the fruits of The Wire we enjoy today. Since its June 2, 2002, premiere, The Wire has been a slow burn, picking up steam each and every year since. As critics continue to grapple with the show and its enduring impact, some voices and perspectives have still yet to be heard. Cracking The Wire During Black Lives Matter remedies this oversight. This provocative exploration of HBO’s iconic show touches on issues of not just race, but also class, power, gender dynamics, police brutality, addiction, sexuality, and even representations of Baltimore itself through a Black Lives Matter lens for some, but Black reality for so many others. Regardless of perspective, Cracking The Wire During Black Lives Matter is an engaging and compelling conversation about one of the most important shows in television history. Cracking the Wire features a cover by esteemed artist Art Sims, who designed the posters for numerous Spike Lee films, including Do the Right Thing, Mo' Better Blues, Malcolm X, Clockers, and When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts, as well as The Color Purple, Dreamgirls, and Black Panther."

 

[ketchuplover]

On 9/6/2021 at 3:29 PM, BetterButter said:

 

Police have released video of Mr. Williams buying drugs. The seller is expected to be charged with murder.

[MagnusHex]

The Wire Season 1 Lookback

I don't usually enjoy police procedurals. In fact, I dropped "Grimm" because it's basically "police procedural meets fairy tale monsters." So, I was a tad surprised that I took to The Wire as well as I have. Part of it was probably because it's grounded in reality, reflecting what's probably still a very real unsolved situation in Baltimore (though I read that the cops tried to copy the techniques from the series). Another part is because I read the TV bible in my scriptwriting class, and what caught my eye was its attempt to do "police procedural, but also not your conventional procedural." I'm a sucker for deconstruction and subversion in storytelling, so if you could spin a tired genre into something engaging, I'm on-board.

Take McNulty for instance. Cowboy cop, doesn't obey the rules, think he's above them. It's pretty much a deconstruction of your average police drama cowboy cop, showing the kind of mess a real officer like that would bring to his fellow department. I'm no fan of Rawls, at all, but he's got a point about jumping chain of command. Working the system is frustrating, but that's the game, yo. It's not just his neck on the line, but also the sympathetic Daniels, forced between a rock (Burrell) and a hard place (his subordinates). I know a lot of people said that they had a hard time sympathizing with McNulty during their rewatch, but damn, I could already smell the assholery stink from him... even if I did root for him a couple of times. I mean, I feel like you can't go through The Wire season 1 for the first time and not feel like McNulty's in the right a couple of times, especially when the opposition is someone as smug as Rawls and Burrell, not to mention the countless innocents sacrificed because of red tape. McNutty's right, but he's still an asshole, and from what I heard, Kima the once "real police" became something like him as well, which is disappointing.

Speaking of Kima, damn. I didn't expect "The Cost" to end the way it did.

Spoiler

I did hear Kima's gonna get shot at some point, but I didn't expect it to happen so soon. Gotta love McNulty's reaction though. He's such a prick, making everything about him even though it's pretty clear-cut it wasn't his fault. I mean, would it have happened if he didn't jump chain of command and started this whole drug war against Avon? Maybe. But Kima is her own woman and she chose this profession, so she knows the rules of the game, yo.

Anyway, with this show being as grounded in reality as it is, I honestly can't wait to see how it unfolds, because it's a weird mix between your conventional drama fiction and "based on real life events to a tee" kind of storytelling, so there's bound to be a lot of surprises a writer normally wouldn't pull off when writing a more fictionalized tale. There's probably no "pat in the back, nice job McNulty" sunshine ending where Avon and everyone gets arrested and do time. Hell, I even heard that McNulty's gone rouge in the final season or something, his sins catching up to him. So yeah, can't wait.

I also heard that the final season isn't as good, and I remember a comment on Reddit talking about how, with a show as grounded on reality as this, it's inevitable that you'd hit a roadblock because you can't just pull something out of your gaping McNulty hole and wing it. Nevertheless, I have faith that David Simon will pull through somehow with that serial killer plot.

[Zella]

3 minutes ago, MagnusHex said:

I also heard that the final season isn't as good, and I remember a comment on Reddit talking about how, with a show as grounded on reality as this, it's inevitable that you'd hit a roadblock because you can't just pull something out of your gaping McNulty hole and wing it. Nevertheless, I have faith that David Simon will pull through somehow with that serial killer plot.

I watched the show for the first time last year and absolutely loved it. Like you, I enjoy deconstructions and subversions of well-worn tropes and genres. I went into it having heard negative things about both season 2 and season 5, and I personally found the criticism a bit overblown. I did find season 5 a harder season to watch at times, but I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. And season 2, which is super divisive, ended up being my favorite! Overall, though, I think the show maintains remarkable quality across all of its seasons, which is so hard to do. 

[MagnusHex]

20 minutes ago, Zella said:

Overall, though, I think the show maintains remarkable quality across all of its seasons, which is so hard to do. 

Yeah. And the thing is though, even if it ends up not so satisfying, the show still has a single factor that makes me wanna watch it, a factor that will still make me feel like I've learned something important about Baltimore, which is its basis on reality. I mean, I don't live in America (I hail from Singapore), but a lot of the gang activity portrayed here feels familiar, and even outside of that, you have that layer of humanity in the characters that feels sincere and true to life... like Wallace's family and how he's forced to bring them up on his own.

And it's that kind of writing that makes what happens to Wallace that much more tragic,

Spoiler

because you know that kind of thing goes down in real life, kids getting murdered. Poor Wallace, man. Both Michael B. Jordan and Lawrence Gilliard Jr. sold their respective reactions to Wallace's hit really well. I was sure Dee was gonna turn for sure, because what happened to Wallace was just messed up, with all his family still left behind.

I remember an interesting conversation in The Wire podcast on Spotify, where one of them compared Wallace to Bodie, how the latter has this image of what makes a man, whereas Wallace was already a man, in spite of possibly being younger. He raised those kids on his own, struggled to bring them up good with the proper education and stuff; he's more of a man than Bodie ever could be.

But yeah, anyway, looking forward to more of that kind of human story in the coming seasons.

[xaxat]

From the New York Times, ‘The Wire’ at 20: ‘This Show Will Live Forever’

They talk about the portrayal of institutions in the article, and as someone who has studied institutions, I think this is an underappreciated aspect of the show. Police, drug dealers, government, education etc. The dynamics were real.

I also think the show did a great job of portraying the advance of tech. From pay phones to cell phones to cell phones with cameras. The dynamics of escalation remain the same even to this era of crypto encrypted messaging etc.

[wknt3]

On 5/31/2022 at 9:44 PM, xaxat said:

From the New York Times, ‘The Wire’ at 20: ‘This Show Will Live Forever’

They talk about the portrayal of institutions in the article, and as someone who has studied institutions, I think this is an underappreciated aspect of the show. Police, drug dealers, government, education etc. The dynamics were real.

I also think the show did a great job of portraying the advance of tech. From pay phones to cell phones to cell phones with cameras. The dynamics of escalation remain the same even to this era of crypto encrypted messaging etc.

Another related article from the NYT

Why 'The Wire' Still Stands Alone After 20 Years

Quote

After 20 years, the classic drama is much praised and rarely imitated. For a series based on the idea that institutions don’t change, that’s fitting.

[caitmcg]

4 hours ago, wknt3 said:

Another related article from the NYT

Why 'The Wire' Still Stands Alone After 20 Years

I read that this morning, and thought it was a very thoughtful assessment.

[MagnusHex]

Currently on season 2, and I can see why it's divisive. Doesn't help that I took a break shortly after season 2 because of other priorities. But I pushed through the slow pace and these characters I had little interest with (for several episodes even after meeting them), and I do agree, to a certain extent, that it was worth it. I get what David Simon was going for, that it's more about the culture of Baltimore than just "badass drug lords shoot up each other," but as a non-American, it was a bit tough staying interested amidst all the port-talks. But by the time the OG gang from season 1 has finally rounded up and together again, my attention came back 100%, naturally. lol

What I really want to talk about though is the episode I've last seen, which is All Prologue. I... might have accidentally spoiled myself the end of this episode. I was looking up a quote said by Avon because I thought it was interesting, how Stringer bleeds green while Avon bleeds red, and unfortunately, that led me to a clip in season 3, which is how I learned what happens in "All Prologue". Ah well. But even knowing that fact... the scene still felt shocking because of how brutal it was. I thought it would've been some behind-the-scenes stabbing or something, but damn... my heart be crying. I was left speechless by the end of the episode even though I knew it was gonna happen.

But thinking about that in retrospect though, when you fast-forward to the season 3 clip... I remember some people have remarked on the YouTube video of All Prologue's ending how Avon probably ordered the hit, how he didn't really care... But as you can see from the exchange between Avon and Stringer later on in that "Stringer bleeds green" scene... that mofo cared a whole lot. He was devastated. I think Avon tried his best, and if I hadn't been spoiled with that season 3 scene, I would've had a very, very different impression of Avon after All Prologue.

I still can't wait to see Stringer in a business suit though because Idris pulled off that look perfectly. Still my favorite actor on the show tbh.

[MagnusHex]

The Wire, season 2, episode 8: Duck and Cover

I get why some people think that McNutty's a piece of crap screw-up, especially on a rewatch, and I agree with them on some level (despite this being my first time viewing). But still, I can't help respect the good policing he does, so to see him wasting his life away like that on a drunken binge... yeesh. So when Rawls finally caved, I couldn't help give a little cheer. McNulty's back in the game, baby. And let's be honest, screwed up as he is as a human being who's got his head up his arse, I think it makes sense why audiences love watching someone being competent and great at his job. McNulty's good police, if nothing else. He also deserves credit for not getting involved with Beadie after seeing photos of her kids. That's one step up from using them as undercover CIs (from season 1), I guess. lol

Also, love that he just walks right in at the right moment when Daniels needs someone to go undercover amidst the prostitutes. "What the f*** did I do?" Never change, McNulty.

Then on the other side of sympathetic douchebags, there's Ziggy. I get his daddy issues and all since I've been there myself with my late father, but everytime I try to root for him, he just does something stupid like smoking a $100 bill or throwing a wad of cash on the street. Like what the heck, Zig?! Christ. If you don't want that money, I'll have it. lol And then there's the whole duck thing in the bar, which reeks of desperation for attention. Like, I've been there, Ziggy, that kind of self-esteem struggle (probably still there tbh), so I could recognize a cope moment when I see it, buying a diamond necklace for your pet when you just threw out a stack of cash out the car.

The cat-and-mouse chase with Frank was good. Frank's smart and caught onto Daniels' investigation, but he ain't no Avon or Barksdale crew though and led Daniels onto Spiros' phone, or as Prez put it, "the boss man." Frank and his crew will slip up soon, me thinks.

[MagnusHex]

The Wire, season 2, episode 9: Stray Rounds

Freaking Brother Mouzone is here! So much for one or two weeks as Stringer had hoped. I've heard a few things about Mouzone's reputation, how he's a big deal especially in season 3, so I've been anticipating him for a while now. His first appearance here at the end of the episode (I legit went "Oh crap") tells me we have a real interesting character on our hands, with his unique outfit obviously making him stand out. Many have called him a "cartoonish character" though, like Omar but without the realism to ground him as a character. I do like Omar though, a lot, and if Mouzone will come clashing with Stringer, I say bring it, man. It's about time Stringer gets knocked off, but I guess that won't happen till season 3.

The other debut we've got is Bunny Colvin. Now him, I've heard a lot of positive things about him, unlike with Mouzone, with people calling him a beacon of hope. Looking forward to seeing how his role fits in.

And of course, we've got a dead kid in the opener. Jesus. What a way to start the episode.

[MagnusHex]

The Wire, season 2, episode 11: Bad Dreams

This reminds me of Avon finger-wagging from season 1 all over again. I feel like Daniels' team was so close, especially with Frank almost spilling his guts for them. But the more I watched this show, the more I'm reminded that this isn't a traditional cop procedural where the bad guys get pinched. As the Times put it, "institutions don't change." 

The way this episode closes out with teasing of Frank "getting got" (as Omar would put it) by the Greeks, I guess that's the end of that dead case, an anticlimactic end as the Greeks disappear into the wind. Kinda reminds me of Sopranos and David Chase's obsession with anticlimax. Still one episode to go in this season, but I just don't see any way Daniels could turn this around.

And it's not even about the Greeks getting away with it, but how high up this all goes to the top, how Daniels and his team are but a small squad compared to the bigger organization of both the Greeks and the Feds (where they planted the mole). Agent Koutris' existence is a reminder of just how insignificant the "police procedural" events of Baltimore in The Wire is compared to the bigger corruption among the Feds that's linked to international affairs, not just Baltimore or even America for that matter.

Oh well. At least Stringer will get got in season 3. So that's something. One soldier down at least in an endless war.

Edited November 7, 2022 by MagnusHex

[MagnusHex]

The Wire, 3x8: Moral Midgetry

Finally, my most anticipated season! Season 2 was cool, but season 3's when things with Stringer finally start to get more dramatic and explosive, especially with the notorious Marlo's introduction (whom I confused with Brother Mouzone in an earlier post; Marlo's the one with the rep that I heard).

And of course, this episode has the famous "you bleed green, I bleed red" remark from Avon, along with the big revelation from Stringer to Avon that I spoiled myself about long before watching this. Still love that scene and Idris' performance nonetheless. So good. But of course, Bell's starting to look like a fool, with Stringer being strung around by Clay like a puppet. Like Avon said, "Maybe, just maybe, not smart enough for them out there either." 

But the best scene for me this episode though goes to Brianna's conversation with McNulty. It really shows why I love serialized prestige TV that builds up to epic moments like this, with Brianna feeling the weight of her sins over the course of three seasons. That's some beautiful emotional payoff there that you can't pull off with a movie. Brianna's at fault as well for Dee's fate, but man, McNulty's words to her hit me hard. I don't think it would've hit as hard if this scene and Dee's fate happened in season 1 tbh, because by season 3, it's been long enough of a journey for both Brianna and us the audience that we could look back at all the victims (not just Dee either, but also Wallace), all the deaths and damage, and ask ourselves: was it all worth it? Tragedies work best the longer the regret is built up till you get a cathartic "look upon your sins" epilogue, and I'll bet Brianna's regret there felt like the entire Earth just dropped on her.

But I guess that's why Stringer will meet his reckoning pretty soon. He's got a lot of blood on his hands.

Edited January 24, 2023 by MagnusHex

[Zella]

3 hours ago, MagnusHex said:

But the best scene for me this episode though goes to Brianna's conversation with McNulty. 

For me, it's the best scene in the series. It's one of the most savage scenes I've ever watched that involved no violence whatsoever, and Briana earned every minute of it. And I don't even like McNulty, but he was absolutely correct. 

[MagnusHex]

The Wire 3x9: Slapstick

F***ing Prez. I don't know whether to pity him or be angry at him. It was a matter of time before he screwed up, considering how he came into the show, but goddammit, Prez. I think the worst part is I can't even blame f***ing McNulty this time for getting Prez to answer the call. lol I tried to think all kinds of angle to take a bit of the blame off Prez, but it all ends up on Prez's trigger-happy f***ing up.

But having that said, I'm not someone who can judge him because I'm a pretty big screw up myself who made some awful mistakes due to carelessness. Nothing as big as costing a life, but I would've if I was police.

Well, for what it's worth, I read that this begins Prez's redemption arc. Heard he became a teacher or something in season 4?

I think the brilliance of that scene was that I didn't see it coming. I thought it was just another episode where the plot-points moved along as usual, with Omar and Avon's gang-war going on, with McNulty's newfound romance, etc. But it was like all of a sudden, BAM! Dead cop. What the f***, show? Shocking, jaw-dropping, but brilliant. One of the show's biggest "WAITWUT" moments.

And then over the other side with Brianna and Avon... freaking hell, he was this close to spilling the beans. And then f***ing Herc backstabbing Carver like that, shit. This episode is just awesome with its high-tension moments.

9/10

[MagnusHex]

The Wire 3x11: Middle Ground

And here we are, the downfall of Bell. I've obviously been spoiled about the scene before watching this, but damn... the viewing experience was still emotionally charged, the way Idris brilliantly sold Bell's slow realization that he's been betrayed by Avon.

I read in Reddit a comment observing how first-time viewers like me would tend to side with Stringer, but repeated viewers would side with Avon. I think back in season 1, it wasn't so much that I sided with him and more that I respected his brilliance and intelligence. However, even in season 1, you could see Bell's greed costing the Barksdale operation when Kima, a police officer, got hit.

I think that my feelings for Stringer is a bit more complex than just siding with him, especially after seeing his last meeting with Avon as they reminisced on the good times growing up together. I love tragedies like that, brother against brother because of different ideals, and it's scenes like that that goes to show how Shakespearean and theatrical The Wire can be despite its rooted realism. Stringer's hubris ultimately cost him, backstabbed by his once trusted confidant. It's very dramatic stuff, and it's that tragic element that made me feel for him despite also despising him for what he did to Dee, Wallace, and let's not forget, Brandon, as Omar reminded him. Rest in Hell, Stringer Bell. Couldn't happen to a nicer fellow.

But let's talk about the MVP of this episode (besides Dennis), Avon Barksdale himself, just handing out 10k to Dennis like it was nothing. This episode definitely changed my view about the gangster with a code, though I was already starting to warm up to him when he showed his respect for Dennis after he quit the game. That being said, there's still a lot of dead kids in his war against Marlo. Just saying. Stringer, as bad as he was, didn't go out looking for an excuse to war with children. People had to be got for the protection of the Empire, but Avon was obviously not as interested in making a profit; he wanted the thrill of the game, to be a gangster. And that meant a string of young bodies splattered across the street. Wonder how he's going to resolve his war with Marlo next episode, and whether he will display any remorse over the death of the man he grew up with.

Honestly, I feel like Stringer signed his own death sentence the moment he bragged to Avon about Dee's death. Hubris before the fall, as they say.

9/10 Brilliant episode.

Side note: McNulty's loyalty to Colvin when Terry tried to play him scored one point for him in my book. It's a nice change for his character, loyalty, even if I feel like it wouldn't stick.

[MagnusHex]

The Wire 3x12: Mission Accomplished

The cycle continues, and nothing was accomplished. Sounds about right. Love the reference to Bush's punchline. In fact, after doing a little digging on other people's more shrewd observations, I realized how many references this season and especially this episode made to 9/11 and the War on Terror. It's all pointless meandering on the same problem, the main theme of the series. Not a bad way to end the series if it had ended, circling back to the broken system.

In fact, seems like a lot of third seasons of television feel like a close to an arc, a trilogy almost, even if not the series finale. Stringer's dead, Avon's imprisoned, McNulty kinda mellowed out a bit towards the end of this ep, Daniels got his promotion, and there's even a promise of something hopeful even amidst all the gloom and doom: Dennis' boxing gym. Yep, guess there's nothing more to say... right? 😂

I feel bad for Colvin, but this is Baltimore, gentlemen; there's no high power here to save the city. Hamsterdam was never going to work, more of a stopgap until a more permanent solution comes along. Furthermore... I can't help but think that Hamsterdam might have sped up Johnny's death. Colvin saw the big picture, and I don't think he was wrong. I think he did some good out there. But at the same time, there's the big picture of the war on drugs, and the little picture of people like Johnny caught in the crossfire. Even if Hamsterdam hadn't been shut down, what then? What was the end goal of this? I wonder if Bubs even knew about what happened to Johnny. Goddammit. Just another statistic on a mountain of collateral damage.

And above all, you know what they say about good intentions. Even Tommy boy here, for all his promises as upcoming mayor, the show seems to imply that he might turn out just as corrupt as everybody else down the line. I remember one YouTube comment on the speech he gave this episode about the injustice the city faces: "This is the type of speech that gets you elected into public office, not the type of speech that points out what we need to do to actually solve public issues."

God, what a bleak series. Hopefully, season 4 might be a little lighter, what with its focus on the younger generations (and hey, Prez is back!) But from what I heard, season 4's gonna be even more depressing. Sigh.

10/10

Solid season finale to an amazing series, but I can understand why some people don't have the stomach to sit through The Wire.

[Zella]

11 minutes ago, MagnusHex said:

But from what I heard, season 4's gonna be even more depressing. Sigh.

Season 4 is one of the saddest things I've ever watched on TV. Some of the resolutions of those storylines still make me sick to my stomach when I think about them. It's very good, but it's not feel-good TV by any stretch of the imagination. 

Edited February 2, 2023 by Zella

[MagnusHex]

Oh yeah, and I almost forgot: f*** Rawls. I mean, look, I get the point of the show, that Rawls isn't the problem, merely the symptom, but still, screw that man. I almost respected him in season 1 when Kima was shot, but his interaction with Colvin just pisses me off so much with his disrespect for Colvin. Blaming the system for his flaws just doesn't sit right with me, considering Colvin was a better man despite being part of the same shitty system. Shit rolls downhill, and Colvin had to pay for it.

"Get on with it, motherf***er" indeed.

Edited February 2, 2023 by MagnusHex

[Zella]

Rawls is a terrible person, but he's one of my favorite characters to watch. I love how he's the only one who has the slightest idea what Colvin is talking about--you can see on his face he gets the implication immediately as Colvin is explaining what he did--and he basically has to explain it for the others to even get it. 

 

[MagnusHex]

1 minute ago, Zella said:

Rawls is a terrible person, but he's one of my favorite characters to watch. I love how he's the only one who has the slightest idea what Colvin is talking about--you can see on his face he gets the implication immediately as Colvin is explaining what he did--and he basically has to explain it for the others to even get it. 

I think that just makes him even more terrible of a person in my view. lol He has all this power, and he squandered it playing politics, and he dared to call himself "real police" to someone like Colvin? COLVIN?! The guy who actually did REAL police work like connecting with the community? What a freaking joke.

But yeah, I get why he's fascinating to watch. He's quite the... uh, colorful personality. lol One thing I'll admit is that things are never dull when he's on the scene.

[Zella]

Just now, MagnusHex said:

I think that just makes him even more terrible of a person in my view. lol

For sure! He'd be less egregious if he was just too dumb to know any better. 

Just now, MagnusHex said:

One thing I'll admit is that things are never dull when he's on the scene.

LOL yes! I think he has some of the best insults on the show. They're like obscene poetry. 

[Raja]

5 hours ago, MagnusHex said:

I feel bad for Colvin, but this is Baltimore, gentlemen; there's no high power here to save the city. Hamsterdam was never going to work, more of a stopgap until a more permanent solution comes along. Furthermore... I can't help but think that Hamsterdam might have sped up Johnny's death. Colvin saw the big picture, and I don't think he was wrong. I think he did some good out there. But at the same time, there's the big picture of the war on drugs, and the little picture of people like Johnny caught in the crossfire. Even if Hamsterdam hadn't been shut down, what then? What was the end goal of this? I wonder if Bubs even knew about what happened to Johnny. Goddammit. Just another statistic on a mountain of collateral damage.

As with the schools some would just be cut off as we let the Darwin theory go to work. While the Johnny's would still do their crimes Major Colvin hoped to at least stop the Barksdale and Stanfield crews from  shooting, with the occasional stray bullet hitting a kid hiding in their bathtub, over locations and market share.

Edited February 2, 2023 by Raja

[MsNewsradio]

Lance Reddick has passed away.

[Raja]

On 7/21/2019 at 5:49 PM, Brooklynista said:

https://www.tmz.com/2019/07/21/sonja-sohn-arrested-cocaine-possession-the-wire-chi/

Kima noooo!!!

Well she did make it back to play the GBI Agent in Charge on Will Trent.

[Constantinople]

Hawaii Supreme Court quotes "The Wire" in ruling on gun rights: "The thing about the old days, they the old days"

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hawaii-supreme-court-quotes-the-wire-ruling-gun-rights/

[MagnusHex]

4x12: That's Got His Own

On 2/2/2023 at 2:40 PM, Zella said:

Season 4 is one of the saddest things I've ever watched on TV. Some of the resolutions of those storylines still make me sick to my stomach when I think about them. It's very good, but it's not feel-good TV by any stretch of the imagination. 

You weren't kidding. Goddammit, Bubs. I'm not really insightful when it comes to picking up subtle plot points in TV shows, but even I saw it coming, Sherrod's fate.

I read a YouTube comment that said that season 4 was about how the system failed just about everyone, not just the school and the students. Kima legit dumped Bubs on Herc the fuck up despite their history together, and Bubs got burned for it; Carcetti couldn't get shit done once he's on the mayor's seat; Carver failed Randy; Cutty didn't do much to help any of his boxers either this season, especially Michael; and of course, the entire school has a debt of almost 50 million dollars, forced to revert back whatever good will Bunny contributed once again. Everyone has failed on EVERY single level despite a whole lot of good intentions in the beginning.

Well, almost everyone anyway. Maybe Omar could get some payback on Marlo, or maybe Lester could actually pin those bodies on Marlo, but as far as I'm concerned, this season might as well be over, because taking down Marlo (a bandage solution) ain't gonna change much. The game is rigged, yo.

But damn, despite how depressing it is, I love this episode for just how many punches it landed on all the different aspects of Baltimore's broken system in a single episode alone. Things are finally coming to a head as I'm heading towards the season finale, Final Grades.

5/5

Edited March 6 by MagnusHex

[MagnusHex]

4x13: Final Grades

Ugh, shit is depressing (as expected). That is all. At least NaNa got out of the game (good redemption for Wee-Bey there walking tall like a man), but poor Randy's gonna be tormented the rest of his life, Duquan's probably gonna die in a few years, and as for Michael? I could see him taking Marlo's place tbh.

4.5/5

Season 5 looks great though in spite of the bad things I've heard of it. Of course McNulty's gonna drink again. Once a junkie alcoholic, as they say...

"He does NOT get to win; WE get to win!"