What's so great about The Wire? (serial, movies, television, series)

[jencam]

Originally Posted by Taiko

The Wire is serialized, not episodic you can't watch an hour from here and there . I normally don't even try to explain the show if the other viewer had not gotten to "the scene" with Wallace. And I always advise to go that far if you are not hooked by then drop out.

When is that? I tried twice. I made it to the f word episode that someone mentioned I should. I still can't get drawn in and I'd like to be able to.

[jencam]

Originally Posted by astrohip

You can keep picking on a scene or two, and try to bolster the claim you made way back in Post #1; "What's so great about The Wire?". If you think one short scene in the pilot justifies your feelings, more power to you.

We have patiently tried to show you why The Wire is on most every critic's Top Ten list. It was groundbreaking TV, and for many of us, one of the most compelling TV series we've ever seen. But it's not for everyone. I have friends who have tried, and just didn't like it. That's life. But don't try to explain to us why it's no good. You don't have to justify not liking it. But don't try to tell us why we're all wrong.

I may not believe in God, but I have more sense than to stand in the middle of a church on Sunday and try to tell everyone why THEY'RE wrong.

Right. I don't have any complaints, it just doesn't seem to be for me. I think I'm bored. Not relating to any of the characters. IDK, it just doesn't grab me.

[redplum33]

Originally Posted by redplum33

Yes, but you can start at the beginning of any season.

Originally Posted by loves2read

But not knowing all the past history of the characters and plots puts you are something of a disadvantage
Consider S3 the education series with Prez where he is—for a start
That is a great season because of what went before
S2 w/McNulty on the boat—and the fact that his FBI buddy in S1 confided that the FBI was basically giving up the war on drugs in America to fight the war on terror—
Which really made S2 possible to large extent...

I am not saying that it has to be watch sequentially—
But I have seen it 4 or 5 times probably and rewatching it now from S1E1 I catch things I either didn’t or just hadn’t remembered and feel are new...

There is a specific story line for each season and some new characters to fill that specific area of info
But it is more valuable if it comes to you with the background in focus...

I agree, but it still works out just fine. The Sopranos and several other series were set up that way also - so you could start at the beginning of any season.

For the people who can't seem to get into the show, I'd suggest to try starting with season 3.

[loves2read]

Originally Posted by Taiko

I think at the time the only faces that I recognized was a reoccurring newspaper editor played by Clark Johnson who was one of the other detectives on Homicide Life On The Street. And in the second season, the white season focusing on the Checkers Union and the Greek connection for the importation of the drugs there was Chris Bauer who played one of the star officer's husband on Third Watch which was in production at the same time as The Wire.

However race was always a part of The Wire's story. When BET got it in first run syndication they cut so much of the dock workers, or white drug dealing folks out of their showing that you never saw that the initiation of the case was a police major being jealous that a memorial to longshoremen and not police was going up at the local Catholic Parrish so he just started an investigation to see where they got the money from to outbid the cops.

I don’t think Clark Johnson made an appearance until S5 which was the newspaper season==
But I think he did direct some of the episodes in the earlier seasons

[loves2read]

Just started S2 and sure enough Clark Johnson was listed w/cast
Haven’t seen him yet—just on E1–but Taiko was correct...
Been a while since I saw the series...

[loves2read]

I am really appreciating this series with every episode I rewatch

In S2—the corruption on the docks/checkers’ union w/the foreign drug/prostitution angle
There is episode where technology with its myriad positives and negatives comes home in various ways—
The tennis ball Herk and Carver have “mic’ed” w/a remote capable of surviving in the “harsh urban environment”—only it wasn’t
Ziggy’s stolen Sony cameras w/their digital memories that don’t need developing which foreshadows all the sexting people can do now w/digital platforms
The state of the art robotic machinery that threatens the checkers and other stevedores’ jobs
“You can’t be injured if you aren’t working”...
The computer system that allows the task force to find the targeted containers
(And all that older technology is a trip down memory lane from just 2002)

And all of that technology

[tmozer]

And so many of the actors from The Wire have appeared in other series (and movies) that I love.

[loves2read]

OK
Am watching on Hulu this season of Law and Order SVU—E13–“A Story of More Woe”
Two sisters report a man breaks into their apartment, assaults one of them and kills their dad.
Autopsy results don’t jib
When Carese and Finn go to the apt to do an onsite investigation, the sisters’ story get more obviously wrong...(more woe)...

The detectives are like McNulty and Bunk in S1 E4 of The Wire—where they used the F word when investigating a murder scene—
Except since SVU is regular tv they use the word “Crap”
It is kind of a neat tribute although a little lame at the same time...
“Crap” definitely lacks the emotional variety of the F word and sounds like these are the two nicest detectives in NYPD...

[jackmccullough]

That's exactly what I pointed out to my wife when we watched that scene.

[loves2read]

I watch a lot of crime/police/mysteries and I think that is the first time I have seen the recreation of that scene from The Wire...