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Ditto! And it is a hoot seeing many of these characters in subsequent series. For example: Omar (Michael K. Williams) in Boardwalk Empire (also high on my favorites list).
A young Michael B. Jordan ended up doing pretty well for himself as well...
David Simon has made clear that The Wire is intended to challenge the viewer and to explore how the institutions that are supposed to meet the needs of the people have failed. The creators have built on their own experience, Simon as a police reporter and Ed Burns as a police (pronounced PO-lice) in Baltimore for twenty years. Many of the characters, incidents (like that opening scene about Snot Boogie), and story lines are based in reality, and some of the actors are played by real-life characters from that world (although generally not playing themselves).
The characters have depth to them, with police not all being good, criminals not all being bad, but characters on all sides of the law showing both admirable, deplorable, and just plain quirky and interesting qualities. The story lines depict the failing institutions, the interplay between police and other institutions, politicians, and the socioeconomic structures and forces that make up our society.
You may not want to work hard enough to understand what's going on and to appreciate the commentary that is being made, and nobody here is going to make you watch it, but your comment after watching the first episode shows that you have really missed the point.
A young Michael B. Jordan ended up doing pretty well for himself as well...
Yes--I thought the same thing--and I think he was local actor who got small role that grew with his capacity
The guy playing Marlo is on the Amazon "Bosch" show
I have gotten used to his flat affect
And of course McNulty is on Showtime's "The Affair"--another complex, nuanced, and frustrating series which has started its newest season a wk ago--I need to catch up with it
If you haven't watch far enough in to see the episode #4--"Old Cases" which contains one of the most written about and discussed scene in tv history I think--you should...
The ability of the actors' and writers' to use just one word (F---) in so many permutations explains succinctly why this series has pride of place...
If you are going to watch one episode--what it---
There is enough discussion about context so you aren't wandering in a wilderness not knowing what they are doing and why...
Not to offend anyone -- but this not just a police series--
Anyone watching it thinking they are getting something like "Hill Street Blues" or "Blue Bloods" is shopping in the wrong store
This is a show about how a society goes about destroying itself, eating itself from the inside
It is the story of how Baltimore, a once successful city, was in the process of losing the capacity to function in a meaningful way
And I think time has shown it has only gotten worse rather than better...
I haven't watched it in a while, and it requires watching with some continuity--not just an episode or two at a time....I watch "Law and Order" or "L/O Criminal Intent" like that all the time and don't really miss anything But to watch "The Wire" requires a commitment of time in order not to dilute the overall effect/quality... IMO...
PS--I think some cable/streaming series have tried to emulate the complexity and quality of The Wire and haven't quite reached that level--it is the gold standard...
There are people within the industry who basically revere it
And to me--the respect/valuation of peers is something that can't be bought...
The Wire is definitely more than an average Cop Drama that anyone can figure out who did what in about 15 minutes. It's like reading Shakespeare instead of Mad Magazine. You had to pay attention as a lot of the clues were visual and not always stated. I realized that Bubbles' white buddy, Johnny, wasn't around and wondered what happened to him. Had to go back and got found a 4 second segment showing him lifeless with a needle in his arm, no other mention. All the characters, Bunk, Stringer Bell, Bubbles, Omar, Ziggy, were all excellent. Good to see so many of the actors doing well.
The last season in particular was interesting to me when they got the press involved. They had a political reporter with years of experience that knew every official in town. He was replaced by a college newbie that don't know a thing. Same thing happened to my cousin in Boston. Part of that story was a stretch, but it really described what was going on in newspapers all across the country.
I don't know if The Wire is the best TV drama ever but it is one of the few TV programs that has changed the way I look at the world.
The casting mixes real people with actors to disorienting effect. It's only among the DVD extras that you learn that the churchman, with the voice like Brahms and molasses, is played by an actual retired gangster. It paints a picture in a way no other medium could.
Its text is human weakness under duress and the ancient truth that in the midst of life we are in death. Characters die, disappear or are disgraced just as you are getting used to them.
If you watch it, it is one of the most educational thing you can do and you'll never react to those overnight news reports of gang killings with quite the same dumb exasperation again as I did ten years ago.
Location: Lakewood NJ/Murrells Inlet SC/ N. Naples FL/Swainton NJ
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Preston3124
It's all personal taste I guess. I loved The Wire, but haven't been able to get into Breaking Bad despite several attempts.
I was hooked on The Wire after 2 or 3 episodes. I believe it took me 7 episodes before I got into Breaking Bad.
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